***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.
***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year. There are 9 books on the list. This is the 5th blog in a series of 9.
The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list.
Title: Because of the Rabbit
Author: Cynthia Lord
Format: Chapter Book, 208 pages (available in paperback)
Emma and her game warden father rescue a small bunny. She convinces him to let her keep it. The following day she starts public school for the first time after years of being home schooled. She hopes to make a best friend, especially since her older brother has been too busy with his own school activities. She is paired up with Jack for a school project, but Jack has trouble fitting in with his classmates (possibly on the autism spectrum). Emma and Jack form a bond, but will it keep Emma from finding her new best friend?
This book is one that I can confidently recommend as a classroom read aloud to any teacher. I mentioned in the first article in this series that Lety Out Loud by Cervantes could be read to a 3rd grade classroom. Well, Because of the Rabbit is the other one! I know teachers will appreciate the themes of acceptance and friendship, especially as it relates to students on the autism spectrum or even students that just struggle to fit in with their classmates. Any teachers that are looking for a fresh, new read-aloud book for the beginning of the school year and want something that will encourage classroom cohesiveness, this would be my recommendation!
The author, Cynthia Lord, is one of my favorites. I often recommend her book, Rules, to students and teachers who are looking for a book similar to Wonder by Palacio. Cynthia has a knack for writing authentic characters who are disabled yet yearn to be treated as normal kids. You can find her author website here: www.cynthialord.com
Her bio on the website is really good and one that her young readers will enjoy. She also has resources on her website for some of her books, but it doesn’t include anything for Because of the Rabbit yet.
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