Animal
Choose a fiction book that has an animal focus, theme, and/or central character(s).
Never Cry Wolf, Farley Mowat (goodreads) -- Prerna
Watership Down, Richard Adams (goodreads) -- Audrey
My Side of the Mountain, Jean Craighead George (goodreads) -- Lesley
Wringer, by Jerry Spinelli -- Gabi
Where the Red Fern Grows -- Addie, Rara
Animal Farm, George Orwell -- Devan
Call of the Wild, Jack London (goodreads) --Avi
White Fang, Jack London -- RyanS, Elise
Moby Dick, Herman Melville -- Theodor
War Horse -- Maya, Katy
Spirit Bear -- Hunter
Eragon -- Naya
Spirit Animals -- Luka
Dewey the Library Cat - Tuisku
Unbroken -- Alec
Wings of Fire: The Dark Secret -- Lukas
Scat -- Ali
Survivors: Darkness Falls -- RyanC
Poppy -- Oscar
??? -- Russell
Summer of the Wolves, Polly Carson-Violes (goodreads)
The Black Stallion, Walter Farley (goodreads)
Dragon Rider
Redwall
Hoot
Endangered, Eliot Schrefer
The Golden Compass
Half Brother, Kenneth Oppel
Black Horses for the King
Julie of the Wolves
Red Pony, John Steinbeck
Kite, Melvin Burgess
Incredible Journey, Sheila Burnford
Book club theme for February 28, March 7, March 14.
Final Project: choose an item from these lists or this one.
Lesson Plans & Ideas for Discussion
Day 1: General Questions (not about any book in particular)
1. Brainstorm a list of stories, books, movies, fables, and myths that have animals as a central focus, character, or theme. Why do you think that they are so numerous, timeless, popular, and powerful?
2. Discuss the relationship between the age of the target audience and the characteristics of the story (characters, plot, theme, complexity, layers, etc).
3. Animals are often used in stories to portray human qualities and characteristics. Why do you think that this is so? What animal(s) might represent you? What animal do you think might represent someone else (that the group knows)?
4. When you were much younger, did you personify animals in your mind? Did you write (or just make up out loud) any stories involving animals? Explain one.
5. In many stories (books, movies, etc), animals can speak or are personified (ie. Nemo, Up, Bolt, IceAge, Narnia, etc). Choose a few that you think "did it well" and explain why, then do the opposite.
