Posted in Reading List and Book Reviews
 Roland Smith is one of the most entertaining speakers we've met! He not only connects with his audience in person, but as a writer through his 23 children's books. Roland is a research biologist, a zoologist, a conservationist, a father, a grandfather and a real character. He is passionate about issues....protecting the elephants' ivory tusks from poachers, saving the American red wolf from extinction, recovering sea otters during oil spills and preserving the rainforest. And what does he write about? His passions! He's passionate about writing too. Mr. Smith aroused the kids' interest in writing by describing how his job as an author has taken him all over the world. He encouraged them to follow their interests and then WRITE about them......everyday. Of course, all the homeschool moms wanted to give him a collective standing ovation for this sage advice.
Several of our local homeschool families met for book club discussions, after reading some of Roland Smith's books. A library grant in our area sponsored his visit. A few of our homeschool-friendly librarians organized and led these book discussion events. Some of the discussions focused on the real-life content, such as the book set during the Lewis and Clark expedition. Some discussions focused on characterization and themes within the books. A teacher developed this helpful curriculum guide to accompany The Captain's Dog. Maybe you'd like to organize a few families for some "book talk"? Here's a synopsis of the first book we read. My kids recommend it for 4th grade - 8th grade. We enjoyed all the cross-curricular connections. I hope you do too!
The Captain's Dog by Roland Smith
Featured in the 4th Carnival of Children's Literature
Related Tags: children's literature, meet the author, adventure, Roland Smith, read aloud |
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