Current world events had me thinking of this book, and I knew I had to check it out from the library again. The text and illustrations make the theme of this book accessible to children in kindergarten through 3rd grade, but I could even see some junior high teachers using this to start conversations and offer one, ground-level perspective of war.
Though it was published in 2013 by Margaret Wild, a very prolific and highly celebrated Australian writer, you will see that it is timely. Although there isn’t much text (each page only has 1-3 sentences) Wild’s words leave a big impact on the reader from the very first line: “When the enemy bombed the library, everything burned.”
No illustration is necessary to feel the weight of those words, but Freya Blackwood’s art is not to be missed. Each spread is beautifully done, and the color scheme changes as you read the book. You might miss it at first, but go back and read it again. Do you see how and when the colors in the art become brighter? That, my dear readers, is hope, a promise fulfilled, a history that could not be erased.
Essential Questions
- What is treasure?
- How important is a promise?
- What gives something value?
- What are the effects of war?
Standards
- CCSS SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
- CCSS SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
- CCSS RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
- CCSS RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
- CCSS RL.2.4 Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
- CCSS RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
- WIDA ELD-1 English language learners communicate for Social and Instructional purposes within the school setting.
- WIDA ELD-2 English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts
Vocabulary
- charred
- frail
- iron
- rarer
- fleeing
Teach Sheet
Here is your FREE worksheet for The Treasure Box.
Comments
Have you used this resource or read this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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