The
Maple books by Lori Nichols feature
Maple, a nature-loving, spirited little girl, and her younger sister
Willow. The series begins with Maple, followed by Maple and Willow Together, and then Maple and Willow Apart.
The
Maple books make a great writing
prompt for the classroom. After you read
the books aloud, here are a few ways to use this heart-filled trio of picture
books with your students:
1)
Which
of the three books in the Maple
series is your favorite? Why?
2)
Maple
and Willow are both named after trees.
What if you had to pick a name for yourself that is the name of a tree,
flower, bird, or rock? What name would
you pick? Why?
3)
In
Maple and Willow Together, Maple and
Willow have a huge fight that starts over something silly—whether to keep their
dandelions or blow the seeds. Write
about a time you had a fight with a friend or family member over something
silly. How did you work things out in
the end?
4)
In
Maple and Willow Apart, Maple and
Willow figure out a way to stay connected even when Maple is at school and
Willow is at home: Maple carries an acorn from Willow with her to school. Think about someone you love who lives in a
different city or state—a grandparent, a cousin, or maybe a friend who has
moved away. How do you stay connected to
this person when you can’t be in the same place?
The
Maple books are about sisters, but
they resonate with every reader, whether the child has a sister or not. This is because these books touch on
essential truths of every relationship,
showing how our important relationships grow and change over time, that there
are always bumps along the way, and that we can find ways to stay close to
people we love even when we can’t be with them all the time.
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