The Keeping Quilt

Bibliographic Information: Polacco, P. (1998). The keeping quilt. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Annotation: This is a story of a tradition for one particular family of a quilt as it is passed down through generations.

Genre: Autobiographical

Grade Level: K-6

Readers Who Will Like This Book: Individuals who appreciate or can relate to the bond a family has, in particular through it's traditions.

Personal Response and Rating: I rate this book a 4. In a relatively short amount of time, the reader is able to experience events over several generations. Some traditions, such as the function of the quilt, remain the same while others change and evolve, such as the interactions between men and women at the wedding celebrations.

Prereading Question: Do you or anyone you know celebrate a tradition?

Reading Strategies Connection:

A. Reading Strategy - Literature Map

B. Description of Strategy - Usually, a sheet of paper is folded in four sections with different categories in which students record information. These could be Great-Gramma Anna, Patricia, the quilt, symbols. In each of these sections students record what they feel is noteworthy while they are reading the story, then every one's ideas are shared as a group. For younger students the teacher may serve as the recorder. Another variation would be to allow students who find the act of stopping and recording information while reading distracting the opportunity to read or listen to the story in it's entirety first, then make their notations during a second reading.

C. Rationale - This methods allows students to take an active role in the reading of the story and decide what they feel is important. By sharing as a group, other perspectives are introduced and students can develop a deeper understanding of the relationships and how traditions can change over time, yet retain their integrity.