Saturday, June 7, 2008

A Great Book to Read Over the Summer and A Prize for Those Who Do


I highly recommend the book Hachiko Waits by Leslea Newman and Machiyo Kodaira. If you love dogs, you'll enjoy this book. It's only 96 pages and available in softcover. Any SGS student who reads this book and answers these three questions will receive a special present from me purchased in Japan. Here are the questions. Remember when you post to not click on the envelope icon but rather the "post your comments" link instead, and once you've done this to click Anonymous selection so that you do not have to put in your email address or register.


1. In 20 words tell what the story Hachiko Waits is about. Use exactly 20 words, no more, no less! Do not copy anyone else's 20 word summary.

2. If I were to have my fourth graders read this story next year, what should the focus be? In other words, what should the theme, the point of me having my students read it be? This might be to learn a lesson, to learn about Japan or Japanese culture, or something else. Explain your answer.

3. Research and tell me about a similar animal in our U.S. history. If you're not sure where to start looking ask your parents.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

hachiko followed ueno to the train everyday. After ten years hachiko died. In memorial they made a statue of him.The focus wold be that hachiko is a loyal dog.seaman was a loyal dog to lewis like when he drove a bufflo away from the camp.

Tobias (posted by his dad Brad)

Anonymous said...

Hachiko Waits is about a dog who waited at the train station every day even though his master mysteriously dies.

I think that the concept of loyalty and persistence could be the focus. This book is a great example of both of these qualities. The book also teaches you a bunch of Japanese words with a dictionary in the back of the book.


Diane read us a book called Owney the Mail Pouch Pooch and it was about a dog who sat on the mail bags every day, guarded them, traveled with them, and wouldn't let anybody without a uniform on touch the mail. This dog was also very loyal, in a different way, not to a person, but to what he thought his job was.

Case (typed by Mom)

Anonymous said...

Hachiko is a loyal dog who waits
at a train station endlessly and in vain for his master to return.

You could have your students study about how animals are treated in different countries. They could research how sometimes animals are treated as food, sometimes as family members, sometimes as workers - working dogs, etc.

The only dog I can think of that has done a similar act of loyalty for his owner is Balto who led a team of sled dogs through a terrible blizzard to deliver vitally needed medicine when all the other sled dog teams couldn't make it. Like Hachiko, he also has a statue erected for him. Balto's is in New York City.

-- Cade M. --