Elementary Library

Resource & Discussion Guide

The Yellow Bus by Loren Long (E LON) A forgotten school bus finds joy and purpose in the most unexpected places.

Discussion prompts: ●​ Encourage the kids to say “they lled her with joy” together as the phrase repeats throughout the story. ●​ At the beginning of the book , the Yellow Bus is carrying children to school and she ends up traveling to the most unexpected places. Ask the kids about their favorite places that they’ve traveled to and how they got there. ●​ After you finish reading, talk to the group about how the bus changes throughout the story, helps all sorts of people, and plays different roles in others lives. Ask the kids about the different ways they help their family, friends, and neighbors. Big by Vashti Harrison (E HAR) Praised for acting like a big girl when she is small, as a young girl grows, 'big' becomes a word of criticism, until the girl realizes that she is fine just the way she is. Discussion prompts: ●​ What do you think it means when the author writes, “And it was good” about being big? ●​ Pause and notice some of the words written in pink swirly font. How would you describe the girl in the story? • ●​ What happens to the girl on the swing? How does she feel? Use details from the pictures and words to support your thinking. ●​ What does it mean, “it made her feel small”? ●​ How does the girl feel about being a mountain in the dance performance? Use details from the pictures and words to support your thinking. ●​ Several of the pages include illustrations and no words. Pause on each page so your students have time to view and interpret each page. Then ask, why do you think the author chose to only have illustrations and no words? What is the girl thinking and feeling in these pictures? How do you know? The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed (E ABE) A boy begrudgingly composes a sometimes-rhyming adventure with his precocious little sister. Discussion prompts: ●​ Why do you think the boy was so frustrated by his sister’s contributions to his story at the beginning of the book? ●​ How can it be valuable to have other people help brainstorm ideas or add to a story? Do you think it is more fun to work with someone or do something completely by yourself? Why? 140 ●​ What does the girl do with the hurtful words? How do people respond? ●​ How does the girl feel at the end of the story? What makes you think that?