Following Characters Into Meaning

Gooney Bird Greene

One of the most important ideas we discuss in our character study unit is that the big ideas in the text center on the people. After all, don't we all read stories to slip into another person's life and experience what the characters are experiencing.

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!
Lois Lowry makes it easy for readers to become part of Miss Pidgeon's class and really get to know Gooney Bird well.  Her incredible writing has not only helped us come to truly know Gooney Bird Greene, but it has also provided many opportunities for us to discuss the way a reader comes to know any character. The big idea we are discovering is 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 and how it is said
• the characters actions 
• 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.