Marissa Croft & Carolyn Page
LLED 4120
April 12, 2011
Text Set- Setting
We chose to do our text set on setting. The books we chose each have a unique setting in a different location, climate, time period etc. Students will be taught to easily identify all aspects of the setting from the start of a book using the text and the pictures. These books can be used to not only identify the setting at the start of the story, but as the story progresses, students can see how the setting might change as well. This will also help them broaden their imagination when it comes to laying out the setting in their own writing.
Below we have listed the books with their title and author. Below that we have written excerpts from the book that portray the setting and a description explaining why it is a good book and how you could use it in the classroom. In addition to these quotes, the pictures give us even more clues about the setting, but for now we are going to focus mainly on the text.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
“They lived with their mother in a sand-bank underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.”
“You may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go in farmer McGregor’s garden”
This classic gives a simple first glance at what is setting. We are not sure the year or country, but we can see that it takes place in the home of Mother Rabbit and Farmer McGregor’s garden on a nice day.
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse by Ellen Schecter
“At the edge of the meadow in a chink in the wall by the side of a small country lane lived a fine Country Mouse. Her house was small but snug.”
“One fall day…”
“And oh what wonders awaited them in the big, bright, bustling town.
The contrast between the nice quiet country and the busy, bustling city is a great way to introduce setting.
Sadie and the Snowman by Allen Morgan
“One cold winter day, Sadie made a snowman in her back yard”
“The sun came out and the snowman began to melt”
This is a good example for weather, we know it is cold and snowy outside. It also take place in her neighborhood, which is a very important setting to mention that most students can relate to.
Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McGully
“One hundred years ago in Paris, when theaters and music halls drew traveling players from all over the world, the best place to stay was at the widow Gateau’s, a boardinghouse on English Street.”
“The next evening, Mirette heard the commotion in the street… in the square was a hubbub”
This opening line gives us such a rich picture of the setting for the book in such detail. It really brings us to another time and place.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
“That very night in Max’s room a forest grew and grew and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around and an ocean tumbled with a private boat for Max.”
“And when e came to a place where the wild things are they roared their terrible roars”
This book starts in a familiar setting- the bedroom of a young boy, but soon turns into something completely magical with an ocean and an island covered in beasts.
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
“In a warm and sultry forest far, far away, there once lived a mother fruit bat and her new baby.”
“Flump! Stellaluna landed headfirst in a soft downy nest”
Another book about animals, this one takes place mostly in the tree tops at night! This book introduces another theme within setting (as does Where the Wild Things Are)- morning and night.
Water Hole Waiting by Jane Kurtz
“Sun climbs the sky like an acrobat and dangles at the top. Heat sizzles the savanna, heavy on monkey fur.” This book does a great job of describing the setting through very detailed words. Also this book illustrates how effective onomatopoeia words can be used to set the setting.
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
“I can wear it like giant diamond necklace.” This line refers to the George Washington Bridge that the little girl claims is her prized possession. The style of this book is to mimic a quilt so you can see how each “patch” of the story is detailed but unique to form one beautiful setting.
Ghost’s Hour, Spook’s Hour by Eve Bunting
This book does a great job of creating the setting through sounds and emotions. It also uses these noises to describe objects that can take on a life of their own like the tree branches scrapping against the window.
The City of Ember by Jeanne Prau
This book does a great job of creating this fictional world. “In the city of Ember, the sky was always dark. The only light came from great flood lamps mounted on the buildings …” This book does a great job of illustrating a setting in which we can clearly imagine. We as readers can feel how dark this place must be. This is a great tool for students to understand, good descriptive settings can evoke emotions and help us connect to a text.
For the next set of books you can use each of them to demonstrate how the setting of a story can drastically change the way we view a story. All of these books follow the story of Cinderella but are all extremely different from one another.
Cinderella by Ruth Sanderson
This is the traditional story of Cinderella. It uses a very traditional way of speaking and creates the setting through the characters of the story.
Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Suci
It is the traditional story of Cinderella but this story is set in a ghastly place. This book also uses rhyme t tell the story and is written in a fun way that boys and girls will like the same. This would be a great book to read around Halloween time.
Other great books to help show how setting can drastically alter a story:
Dinorella by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Bigfoot Cinderella by Tony Johnston
The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Cendrillon by Robert D. San Suci
Cinder-Elly by Frances Minters
