The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

It doesn’t matter how many times I read this book, I cry when reading two parts.  This year was no exception. 

Edward Tulane begins the story as a selfish and quite vain rabbit and he cares for no one but himself.  As the book progresses, Edward’s personality changes and his journey makes for a great story.   This story offers a wide variety of things to discuss and focus on while reading and I truly enjoy the discussions we have as we read.  They BEG me to continue reading and moan and groan when I must stop reading.

In our Dear Mrs. McGee letters last week, they were asked to write about how Abilene feels when she loses her precious Edward. 

The story leaves Abilene on the deck of the Queen Mary, shouting to Edward, “Come back,” as he tumbles into the ocean.  Write what you think happens to Abilene that day.

We are able to delve into how characters can change over the course of a story, ways the author uses vocabulary to enhance what she’s writing, and how the THEME of the story evolves throughout each chapter. 

When we read a book out loud, we spend a lot of time discussing the book as we read.  I put our thoughts on chart paper and as we read, we keep adding to our thoughts.   They enjoy discussing the book as much as they like listening to it.  I am always impressed with what they contribute and how much they are truly thinking about the complexity of the story.