Title: The Polar Express
Author: Chris Van Allsburg
About the Author: The author of such bestselling children's books as Jumanji and The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg is a two-time winner of the coveted Caldecott Medal, as well as that National Book Award and the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature.
Age Level: 5-8
Synopsis: A young boy stays awake at night listening for the jingle of Santa’s sleigh bells on Christmas Eve. He suddenly hears a loud rumbling outside on the street as a magical train called The Polar Express pulls up in front of his house. The boy goes up to the train and is invited in by the mysterious conductor. The train is filled with children, all dressed in their pajamas, who drink hot chocolate. This magical train ride takes the boy on a journey to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa.
Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with the class the history of Christmas, traditions, and how other cultures celebrate Christmas. What do you do on Christmas Eve? Do you leave anything out for Santa Claus? What is the one special gift that you want Santa to bring you on Christmas? On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus visits everyone’s house to deliver gifts. This story is about the magical hope of Christmas and the boy who keeps believing in Santa Claus even when his friends begin to doubt his existence.
Post-Reading Activities: What was your favorite part of the story? What would you have asked Santa for if you were chosen? Would you have asked for a bell? After the reading, the students will write about what gift they would have asked Santa for and then draw a picture of the gift. The teacher could also have a lesson on the five senses that are incorporated in this book
My Reflection: This is one of my favorite books. I love the magical essence of this book. I think that it is so important that we believe in something and as a child, children need to have something to believe in. It is part of having an imagination. This is a story that provides children with a magical experience and a story that allows children to keep believing.
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I also love this book! Its so magical and fun! Christmas is such a fun time of year, and its really magical for little kids. This book is definately a staple in our house during the holiday season! I know they do a lot with it in schools too for young children. In my sons preschool class they had pajama day and they watched The Polar Express for their holiday party. The teachers set up the chairs in rows so the kids felt like they were on a train while they were watching. It was adorable how into it they were. They had read the book the day before, so they were just waiting for what was going to happen next. I think there is so much you can do with this book in the classroom, reading can lead to so many discussions and so many fun assignments. I'm glad you put this on your blog!
ReplyDeleteI love the ideas you gave about your sons classroom and how the teachers used the book. I have used this book when I was teaching and used it to incorporate the five senses. There are so many other things you can do with this book. It is also great to introduce new vocabulary.
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