Eight Days
Eight Days
Book Title: Eight Days
Book Author: Edwidge Danticat
Book Illustrator: Alix Delinois
This book addresses: The story of the 2012 Haitian earthquake
Potentially Tricky Vocabulary:
Maroon: a person from the Carribean who escaped slavery or had an ancestor who escaped
Questions to ask the student before reading:
Do you know what an earthquake is?
What are different ways that someone can be brave?
Historical context to give before reading:
In 2012, Haiti had a very strong earthquake. The earthquake was 7.0 in magnitude - that’s a 7 out of 10 on the scale! The earthquake caused a lot of damage, including damage to Haiti’s capital. Haiti is still in recovery, even today. In the days afterward, rescuers were working on pulling people who were trapped out from underneath the rubble. Every time someone was found, people would celebrate!
(The questions to ask the student and historical content above are interconnected. The historical context is typically going to be a supplement to what your student might not know. Some students may already be knowledgeable about a subject, others may not know much yet. Pay attention to what your student already knows and share the historical context accordingly.)
While reading:
Point out how the illustrations match the text. This will help your student draw connections between illustrations and text, building their literacy skills.
After reading:
How do you think Junior felt when he was found on the eighth day?
Have you ever played any of the games that were described in the book?
Are there fun games that you like to play that weren’t in the book?
Follow up activity (time permitting):
Ask your student “What game would you like to play with Junior?” Once they’ve picked the game, have your student draw a scene of them playing the game with Junior and write a short description underneath.
All definitions were adapted by Karina Connolly from the Merriam Webster online dictionary.