Wonderfully Sad
The Giving Tree is an amazing book that captured my heart and brought me back to my childhood. It is about a little boy and a female tree who go through life together. The boy and the tree would spend every day together, from the boy's childhood up to his adult years. The two shared many adventures and memories. Because of those adventures and memories, they were both happy. Sadly, the boy had to grow up and when he did he began to want more from the tree. The tree gave and gave and gave to him, until she had nothing left to give.
Use in the classroom: After reading this book, I would create a giving tree and put it on a wall (or desk, depending on how I create it). I would make leaves that have a student's name on each one (making sure to use every student). Then I would pass the leaves around and have the students write positive things about their classmates on them. The leaves would then be put on the tree so that they can be seen everyday. I would have extra leaves next to the tree so that the students or myself can add to the tree each day.
Target grade level: Really I think this book would be great for 1st-5th grades, depending on how it is being used in the classroom.
