SOMETIMES A WALL… by Dianne White, illustrated by Barroux

Posted on 10/12/2020

Owlkids Books (2020) | ISBN 9781771473736

Each Monday for the past 2 weeks, I’ve shared a brief lesson that invites students into a conversation about empathy, friendship, and the path from conflict to resolution.

Today’s post is the third in the series of three. Together they are a unit called “TOGETHER. APART. REGRET. NEW START?” that I’ve designed to accompany my newest book, SOMETIMES A WALL…,  illustrated by Barroux.

A day in the neighborhood begins with a chalk wall to draw on, a water wall to splash in, a climbing wall to clamber up, and a great wall of kids playing together. But it isn’t long before a wall comes between them, and one child is left out. After all the name-calling and hurt feelings, reflection and regret, is there a way these exfriends can make amends?

Simple rhyming text is layered with playful illustrations to explore the many forms that walls can take – as well as the myriad feelings that accompany them. SOMETIMES A WALL… will inspire readers to scale walls of their own, with imagination and empathy.

 

BEFORE

Before leading students in a modified PICTURE WALK, use a post-it note or something similar to conceal the phrase (“A valuable lesson in friendship, one wall at a time”) on the back cover, leaving the illustration visible.

Begin with the front cover. Ask: What’s going on in the picture? What will this story be about? Who will be the characters in this story? What do you see that makes you say that?

What might the title, SOMETIMES A WALL… mean? Notice it includes an ellipsis (three dots) to indicate a pause or omission. It’s meant to get the reader thinking: “Sometimes a wall… what?” How would you finish the sentence?

Now, open the book to reveal both the front and back covers. (NOTE: the phrase “A valuable lesson in friendship, one wall at a time” should still be concealed.) Ask: What’s going on in the picture? Does seeing both front and back covers change your predictions about what the story will be about? What do you see that makes you say that?

Uncover and share the phrase on the back. What might “A valuable lesson in friendship, one wall at a time” mean? Make a prediction about what will happen inside the pages of the book between the image on the front and the image on the back cover.

 

DURING

Guided by the open-ended questions – What’s going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can we find? – continue to encourage students to “read” the story by sharing their interpretations and thoughts about the developing art and narrative.

Additional things to consider when reading: use of color and white space and use of the gutter – the inside margin at the center of a book.

 

AFTER

  • Have each child draw an act of kindness on their own 6×6 paper square. Piece the squares together to create a classroom Friendship Quilt.
  • Make a Double Bubble Map comparing and contrasting SOMETIMES A WALL with I WALK WITH VANESSA or DRAW THE LINE.
  • Work with the students to create a “path to peace” poster. What steps did the two characters take to resolve their differences? (see resources below for more about the Peace Path)

 

EXTENSIONS and RESOURCES:

      • Journal: Can you think of a time you experienced a similar type of disagreement with a friend? How did you feel? Were you able to work things out?

OTHER BOOKS TO EXPLORE: