Kinder Book Club: Thank you, Mr. Falker
In this time of report cards and science fairs and new classroom challenges, it is easy for a kid to get frustrated. Help them put it all in perspective, and tune them into the different learning abilities of their peers with this exceptional story.
Thank you, Mister Falker, by Patricia Polacco tells the story of a little girl facing big challenges. She so desperately want to learn to read.
And it seems impossible.
Her new teacher Mr. Falker takes the time to really understand what she’s going through.
This book is not only a true story (using the actual name of the teacher); it is autobiographical. The author and illustrator, Patricia Palacco, who has created more than fifty beautiful children’s books and won more than a dozen awards for them, was once that little girl who hid in the bathroom from her classmates’ jeers and calls of “stupid.”
My first-grader pounced on this book the very day I brought it home. Her own teacher had read it in their classroom. Her principal told the class it was her favorite book. My little girl was clearly inspired.
Hearing Big Sis read the story to her little sister was incredibly touching. Both little girls bowed over the book, Bis Sis stumbling occasionally on the big words and pausing to narrate her displeasure when the other kids picked on poor Trisha. Little Miss, whose attention span isn’t always wonderful, sat very still right through to the end of the story.
We were all especially quiet when Mr. Falker realizes that Trish has been pretending to read all this time.
“But, little one, don’t you understand, you don’t see letters or numbers the way other people do. And you’ve gotten through school all this time, and fooled many, many good teachers!” He smiled at her. “That took cunning, and smartness, and such, such bravery.”
When we reached the end, I asked Big Sis why she liked this book so much and her response was very simple: “Because the teacher helps the girl learn to read.”
Here are a few discussion questions that helped us dig a little deeper into the ideas in this book.
- What is something you’ve had a hard time learning?
- How did it make you feel to struggle like that?
- Who helps you through difficult problems?
- Have you ever noticed friends who are struggling to learn something?
- What do you think you can do to make it easier for them?
- Patricia Polacco, the woman who wrote and drew the pictures for this story, was Trisha, the little girl that struggled to read. She has written many, many books for kids. Check out her other books here.
Tags: Big Ideas, Books & Resources, Children's Books
