Ted
By Tony DiTerlizzi
A Laura Geringer Book (1998) ISBN:006026686
Ted is an enchanting story about the power of imagination. Ted, a raspberry colored imaginary friend, visits his boy friend on his birthday. Since it is the boy’s birthday, Ted presents lots of fun and often messy forms of play. From drawing a mural on the house’s walls to creating an indoor swimming pool, Ted inspires one unique idea after another. With each antic, the boy’s father becomes less amused finally forbidding the boy from playing with Ted. Upset by this, the boy runs away to join Ted at his home, the old playground. It is there that Ted reveals a huge secret--Ted knows the boy’s dad. The two used to play together long ago. Back then Ted went by Ned, and together “Ned” and the boy’s dad played space pirates with an Atomic Blaster. When the boy’s father arrives at the old playground, the boy shares his father’s secret. Surprised, the father’s imagination awakens with the mention of the Atomic Blaster. In the end, all three play “one mean game of space pirates-Monopoly-Twister.”
Quantitative: Lexile Level--570; ATOS--.5
Qualitative: This story is not one of much complexity. What it does touch on is the power of one’s imagination to create something that is real and shared. It may be hard for students to identify with an imaginary friend, especially since technology makes it easy to get sucked into instantaneous entertainment rather than creating amusement.
Content Area: English; Art; Physical Education
Common Core Standards: RL.1.3; 6
Curriculum Suggestions: Ted emphasizes the importance of letting go and having fun--tapping into our inner child and not forgetting to “play”. The concept of “play” ties in nicely to what the library has to offer. The book offers a springboard for thinking creatively and coming up with all the different ways students can “play” and learn at the same time. This could be applied in any subject area, but subjects like art, science, English, and math would most likely have the best results for such an activity. Let the students play in class as long as it connects to the content. Let the students imagine ways to have fun with what they’re learning.
Additional/Digital Content:
- School Library Journal, an article about play pavilions-- http://www.slj.com/2013/08/standards/early-learning/design-to-learn-by-dynamic-early-learning-spaces-in-public-libraries/#_
*Meets the “Reading for Pleasure Picture Book” requirement
No comments:
Post a Comment