My Ol' Man
Publication Information
Author:  Polacco, Patricia	Illustrator:  Polacco, Patricia
Title:  My Ol' Man	Date:  1995
Publisher:  Philomel Books	City:  New York, NY
ISBN, paperback:  0-399-22822-5	ISBN, hardback:
Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes	ESOL:
Family:   Yes	Young Adult:
Picture:   Yes
General Information:
Book Type(s):    fiction, memoirs/reminiscences
HSE Descriptor(s):
Summary:
Patricia Polacco once again uses her rich family background to tell the story of her father, a traveling salesman, and the magic, hope, and dreams he inspired. (Photos of the author and her family adorn the inside covers.)
Teaching Ideas:
This book would work well as part of a text set about family stories or reminiscences. The "magic" of childhood is handled beautifully; this may provoke adult learners' thoughts/writing about their own childhoods. Similes and metaphors abound (e.g., "who knew the back roads of Michigan like most of us know our own faces in the mirror" . . . "he worked in words the way other artists work in oil or clay"), so this would also be a good choice for exploring the use or impact of figurative language. An author study using other of Polacco's titles might also work well.
Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
Social Studies > anthropology > folklore > magic Emotions-Personal Issues > personal issues > individual > hopes/dreams Family > father Family > oral history Literature and Language > figurative language Literature and Language > figurative language > metaphor

We welcome your comments