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Raft, The

Publication Information

Author: LaMarche, Jim

Illustrator: LaMarche, Jim

Title: Raft, The

Date: 2000

Publisher: Harper Collins

City:

ISBN, paperback: 0-688-13977-9

ISBN, hardback:

Recommended audience:

ABE/ABLE: Yes

ESOL:

Family: Yes

Young Adult:

Picture: Yes

General Information:

Book Type(s): fiction

HSE Descriptor(s):

Summary:

A city boy spends a magical summer in the woods with an unusual grandmother and discovers not only the creatures of the woods and river but himself as well. This is a beautifully illustrated portrait of a childhood we all might like to claim.

Teaching Ideas:

Readers can keep track in a reading journal of the creatures that Nicky meets on the raft. Since the grandmother is such a richly portrayed character, readers can also journal notes about her, her relationship with Nicky, and her relationship with her environment in preparation for writing a character sketch or comparing her with their own grandmothers. Students may want to explore how the real raft becomes a symbol for independence. The author prefaces the book with a note about the autobiographical aspects of the book that suggests the importance of the experience in the woods for him. Readers can discuss/write about why it was so important. Readers can identify the aminals living in the ecosystem. Students may compose a letter to a relative or write a descriptive essay about a memorable experience they have had.

Teaching Strategies: