Edgar’s Second Word

by

Audrey Vernick

 

 

“The books Hazel planned to read to her someday-brother waited on a special shelf.

Every night, she imagined the warm-love weight of him on her lap, and how they’d study each page together.”

 

So begins Audrey Vernick’s new book, published in June of this year. Hazel is a loving older sister anxiously visualizing how her new baby brother and she will share what really matters to her……books! Hazel patiently waits for Edgar to speak his first word so that she will know if he is understanding the stories she is reading to him. She wants so badly to study her special books with her brother. Hazel is wrapped up in visualizing how Edgar will fit into her world. However, it doesn’t work the way that Hazel imagined.

 

The Reading Comprehension Best Practice focus for this story is Visualizing. During the ThirdReading, you’ll discuss how Hazel visualizes her brother in different situations. Her visualizations fail to materialize, and Hazel is very disappointed.  However, we want to discuss the importance of visualizing with our young readers. Just as we visualize in real life, good readers visualize about what is happening or what might happen in a story. Forming mental pictures enhances recall of a story, also. There will be Discussion Options that encourage your child to visualize personal reading experiences based on the memories that you share.

 

It’s not only the story line that you will enjoy discussing. Ms. Vernick makes great vocabulary choices, such as: warm-love weight, growly, and tired-baby gravity. She uses figurative language, such as “spit like an extremely annoyed llama.” Check out her website: www.audreyvernick.com to see the many awards she has won for her previous books. Priscilla Burns has a delightful website for young illustrators and writers: www.priscillaburns.com. I’ll refer you to her website for one of the Activity Options after the ThirdReading.

 

How lucky for Edgar that Hazel is giving him such strong literacy experiences! How lucky for your children that you are building such strong literacy experiences for them!