Love by Matt de la Pena is the book our hearts have been waiting for! The title alone opens the door for us!
Reading Teaching Points
SAVOR that cover!!! What do you see? What mood do the images create?
Take a closer look---what details do you see?
Anything interesting that may generate some questions?
What are the predominant colors? What mood do those colors create
Vocabulary:
What does “toddle” mean? (Isn’t that just a cool word???) How do you know?
What does “shift” mean? How do you know?
What does “with a start” mean? How do you know?
What does “crease” mean? How do you know?
What does “gnarled” mean? How do you know?
What does “beacons” mean? How do you know?
Setting:
The setting of this book plays a key role; in fact, it almost acts like a character. Choose a page from the book. What is the setting for that page? Why is it important? What does it help us to understand more about the message of the words on that page?
Illustrations:
The illustrations also play a huge role in the message of this book.
Look at how the illustrator uses color throughout the book---what colors appear the most in the beginning? In the middle? In the end? How do the colors support the reading of the text?
Look at the last 2 illustrations of the book--how do they connect to the cover?
Comprehension:
Metaphor (Very Good Models in this BOOK!!!!):
The author does a beautiful job of using metaphors to define love. The STRENGTH of metaphors comes from creating an original comparison of the 2 things that normally don’t go together.
Imagery:
The author magically uses imagery in his metaphors.
Look at the sentence structure on the 2nd page of the book.. The author repeats the use of “and” in one sentence (...and everything smells new, and it smells like life). We often instruct students that they should not repeat “and” in one sentence, so why does the author do it here? How does that sentence structure help readers to visualize/feel the author’s intent? Notice the placement of words are displayed on the paper---how does the placement develop meaning as much as the words themselves?
In fact, the author uses the word “and” to begin many sentences throughout the book. We often instruct students that they should have varied sentence beginnings, so why does the author not do that here? How does the repetition of “and” at the beginning of sentences develop the theme of the book?
The author includes fragments intentionally when he writes: And friendships. And people. Why does the author include these fragments? How does the syntax of the fragments carry just as much meaning as the words themselves? (What is being fragmented in this part of the book?)
Look at this sentence: “A love that wakes at dawn and rides to work on the bus.” Why isn’t there a comma right after the word “dawn”? Is this a compound sentence? Why not? Use this sentence as a model:
A love that _______________________________________ and _________________________________________.
Look through the book and find other sentences that could be discussed and used as models; some good ones are:
Verbs:
The author’s use of the verb “huddled” is powerful in the sentence: “One day you find your family nervously huddled around the TV, but when you ask what happened, they answer with silence and shift between you and the screen.
Extension Writing:
Write your own metaphors to define love. For you...
Play with writing a solid sentence followed by fragments that really convey deep meaning--meaning that perhaps wouldn’t be as strong if they were complete sentences.
Try writing sentences using cool words used in the book..like:
Reading Teaching Points
SAVOR that cover!!! What do you see? What mood do the images create?
Take a closer look---what details do you see?
Anything interesting that may generate some questions?
What are the predominant colors? What mood do those colors create
Vocabulary:
What does “toddle” mean? (Isn’t that just a cool word???) How do you know?
What does “shift” mean? How do you know?
What does “with a start” mean? How do you know?
What does “crease” mean? How do you know?
What does “gnarled” mean? How do you know?
What does “beacons” mean? How do you know?
Setting:
The setting of this book plays a key role; in fact, it almost acts like a character. Choose a page from the book. What is the setting for that page? Why is it important? What does it help us to understand more about the message of the words on that page?
Illustrations:
The illustrations also play a huge role in the message of this book.
- Choose a page that you really like or connect with. Notice and explore the details in the illustrations on the page.
- What is the mood of the illustration? How do you feel looking at the illustration?
- How do the colors help to create the mood? What words on the page connect with the colors?
- What details in the picture connect with certain words on the page? What does the illustration tell us that words don’t?
- Try another page. :)
Look at how the illustrator uses color throughout the book---what colors appear the most in the beginning? In the middle? In the end? How do the colors support the reading of the text?
Look at the last 2 illustrations of the book--how do they connect to the cover?
Comprehension:
- Look again at the first couple of pages, what words does the author use to let us know how the author feels about love?
- Early in the book, the author says that “your trailer turns to the color of love” -- what do you think he means by that?
- What is the mood in the first couple of pages?
- When does the mood begin to change? How do you know? Look at the word choice, details in illustration, colors
- How can there be an “answer with silence”?
Why does the family shift between “you and the screen”? - How can a slice of burned toast taste like love? Why do you think it is burned?
- When does the mood begin to change again? How do you know? Look at the word choice, details in illustration, colors.
- At the end of the book, why are the loved ones “like puddles under their umbrellas”?
- Who is the “you” that author is talking to throughout the book?
- Who should read this book? Do you think that is who the author wrote it for
- What is the theme of this book? What lesson does the author want us to consider?
Metaphor (Very Good Models in this BOOK!!!!):
The author does a beautiful job of using metaphors to define love. The STRENGTH of metaphors comes from creating an original comparison of the 2 things that normally don’t go together.
- Metaphor: comparison without like or as
- Love is the smell of crashing waves
- Love is a train whistling blindly in the distance
Imagery:
The author magically uses imagery in his metaphors.
- What does love sound like?
- What does love smell like?
- What does love taste like?
- What does love look like?
Look at the sentence structure on the 2nd page of the book.. The author repeats the use of “and” in one sentence (...and everything smells new, and it smells like life). We often instruct students that they should not repeat “and” in one sentence, so why does the author do it here? How does that sentence structure help readers to visualize/feel the author’s intent? Notice the placement of words are displayed on the paper---how does the placement develop meaning as much as the words themselves?
In fact, the author uses the word “and” to begin many sentences throughout the book. We often instruct students that they should have varied sentence beginnings, so why does the author not do that here? How does the repetition of “and” at the beginning of sentences develop the theme of the book?
The author includes fragments intentionally when he writes: And friendships. And people. Why does the author include these fragments? How does the syntax of the fragments carry just as much meaning as the words themselves? (What is being fragmented in this part of the book?)
Look at this sentence: “A love that wakes at dawn and rides to work on the bus.” Why isn’t there a comma right after the word “dawn”? Is this a compound sentence? Why not? Use this sentence as a model:
A love that _______________________________________ and _________________________________________.
Look through the book and find other sentences that could be discussed and used as models; some good ones are:
- And it’s love in the made-up stories your uncles tell in the backyard between wild horseshoe throws.
- Your loved ones will stand there like puddles beneath their umbrellas, holding you tight and kissing you and wishing you luck.
Verbs:
The author’s use of the verb “huddled” is powerful in the sentence: “One day you find your family nervously huddled around the TV, but when you ask what happened, they answer with silence and shift between you and the screen.
- Why did the author choose “huddled”? Why not “met” or “joined”?
- What does that verb convey about how the family is feeling? What does that verb convey about their focus or intent at?
Extension Writing:
Write your own metaphors to define love. For you...
- What does love sound like?
- What does love smell like?
- What does love taste like?
- What does love look like?
- Then draw illustrations to convey their definitions.
Play with writing a solid sentence followed by fragments that really convey deep meaning--meaning that perhaps wouldn’t be as strong if they were complete sentences.
Try writing sentences using cool words used in the book..like:
- toddle
- blare
- whisked
- congregate