Following Characters into Meaning

As we begin our unit on Following characters into meaning, we have started a shared reading of Gooney Bird Greene. This book written by Lois Lowry introduces us to a delightful character that has a lot to teach us about being your own unique self. Gooney Bird takes over Mrs. Pidgeon's class of second graders and shares unusual stories such as, How Gooney Bird Greene Came From China on a Flying Carpet and How Gooney Bird Greene Got Her Name. These sound like fictitious titles but, Gooney Bird professes she tells only "Absolutely True Stories" and we as readers discover she does! This book has not only helped us to come to truly know Gooney Bird Greene, it also provides many opportunities to share the way a reader comes to know any character. Some of the ideas we are discussing in our lessons are when you follow a character into meaning you grow ideas about the character by noticing: 

• how the author describes the character's appearance and personality
• what the character says
• the characters actions 



Gooney Bird Greene

• how other characters treat the main character

We are realizing some characters are round characters, or fully developed characters and secondary characters are usually flat characters, or we only learn a bit about them.

When you are discussing characters in fiction reading with your child see how they respond to these ideas with their at home independent reading.