Flotsam

Bibliographic Information: Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York, New York: Clarion Books.

Annotation: This is a story about a boy who finds an underwater camera and is shown an incredible world under the sea.

Genre: Fantasy

Grade Level: P-I

Readers Who Will Like This Book: Anyone who appreciates beautiful detailed pictures. The pictures contain a lot of information and the more the reader looks, the more he or she will find.

Personal Response and Rating: I rate this book a 4. Besides the obvious beautifully detailed illustrations, this book pushes the reader's sense of reality. A strange new world found under the sea is discovered as well as the legacy of the individuals who have had the good fortune of coming in contact with the strange yet wonderful underwater camera.

Prereading Question: Pick your favorite ocean animal. What do you think that animal does under the water in the ocean?

Reading Strategy Connection:

A. Reading Strategy - KWL or Know, Want to know, learned.

B. Description of Strategy - A chart is created with three columns: know (or what they think they know), want to know and learned. In a small group or as an entire class, students brainstorm what they think they know about the topic of the book. Answers may be reworded or placed in the "want to know" column. After reading the book the third and final column is completed.

C. Rationale - Because this book challenges one's concept of reality and contains heavy portions of both reality and fantasy, I believe the KWL chart is an effective way for students to stretch their knowledge and test their perceptions. Students' ideas and beliefs will both be supported and challenged by their peers and the teacher will be able to help students develop positive ways to communicate with each other, especially when there is a disagreement.