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Booktalk
#1
We all have things that scare
us. Some people are afraid of the dark, or high places or, ick, spiders.
Gabriel King is afraid of lots of things. So his best friend, Frieda,
comes up with a great plan that she thinks will help him be braver.
She has Gabe write up a list of all the things that scare him, including
entering 5th grade in the fall. One by one, they will work on those
fears until they can cross them all off. Good plan, right?
Do you think it will work? And what kinds of things are Frieda afraid
of? Join Gabe and Frieda as they work on their lists during the summer
of 1976.
Booktalk #2
MY BEST FRIEND, FRITA WILSON,
ONCE TOLD ME THAT
SOME PEOPLE were born chicken.
“Ain’t nothing gonna make
them brave,” she’d said. “But others, they just need a little liberatin’,
that’s all.” Least that’s how Frita told it.
If you’d asked me before the
summer of 1976, I would have
told you I was one of the
chicken ones. If you could count
on anything, it was that I,
Gabriel Allen King, didn’t do
anything scary. I didn’t climb
out too far on the branches
of the pecan trees or ride
my bike on the same dirt road the truckers used. I didn’t pick up ugly-looking
bugs that might have pinchers or walk too close to the cotton fields if
anyone even hinted that the cows might be loose. Most of all, I didn’t
intend on going to the fifth grade, ever (Going, 2005, p. 1).
Gabe and Frita are best friends in 1976 rural Georgia. They come from different
backgrounds, but in spite of their differences they have formed a very
close bond. Frita is determined to help Gabe face his fears and conquer
them during the summer before they both start fifth grade. She instructs
Gabe to make a list of everything he’s afraid of so they can spend the
summer crossing off each item as he conquers his fears. Frita also creates
her own list. The summer is full of funny adventures as Gabe faces
his fears which include catching a big spider to keep as a pet, swinging
off the tree rope into the catfish pond, and using his mom’s blender to
prove that it won’t cut his hand off. Frita faces her own fears—one of
which is brussel sprouts!
But
as they continue to get liberated, they find that some of their fears are
harder than others to overcome, especially when they are created by people
in your life that you would rather just avoid altogether. During the summer
of 1976, amidst the celebrations of the bicentennial of their country,
they find that some of life’s fears can be much harder to overcome than
spiders and brussel sprouts. However, together they learn a valuable lesson
about love and friendship. (Lynne Wainwright, Paine Primary, Trussvile,
AL, USA)
Booktalk #3
Gabriel King knows he is a
natural born chicken. He is scared of a lot of things such as spiders,
alligators, falling in the toilet and killer robots. Gabriel is especially
scared of starting 5th grade because of two bullies. His best friend, Frida,
who is tough and very brave, vows she will help him overcome his fears
during summer vacation. They start by making a list of things Gabriel is
afraid of and then work on liberating him from each fear one by one. The
plan seems simple enough, but as the summer goes on, events take place
in this small Georgia town, that make Frida’s own list of fears seem
insurmountable. (New
Hampshire Great Stone Face 2007)
Booktalk #4
Gabriel King is filled with
fear. Spiders, alligators, and a friend’s older brother don’t compare to
his greatest fear; entering the 5th grade and facing the school bullies
in the upper grade yard. His best friend, Frita, decides that she is going
to help him confront his fears by forcing him to make a list of all his
fears, and face them over the summer. What Gabriel doesn't realize is that
Frita’s fears are deeper. Frita is African-American, and faces the prejudice
that was existent in the South in 1976. E.L. Going has created a humorous
and heart warming coming of age story, that teaches us about friendship,
family, and overcoming hatred. Highly recommended for all students and
their parents! (Mark Bobrosky,
LMT, NBCT, Walter Reed Middle School Library) |
