Elementary Library

Resource & Discussion Guide

A Different Pond by Bao Phi (E PHI) As a young boy, Bao Phi awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam. Discussion Prompts: ●​ Opening pages (double spread): What are some ways you help your family? How does it make you feel to help your family? ●​ A kid at my school…(page 4): What would you do if you heard someone say the way your family spoke sounded different or weird? What could you do if you heard someone say that about your friend’s family? ●​ I used to fish by a pond…(pages): What do you think happened to the father’s brother? In what ways are these fishing trips important or meaningful to the dad and the son? ●​ I’m sad that she and dad must leave…(pages): How does this family take care of each other? What are the different jobs the family members have? ●​ What does the picture tell you about how the little boy is feeling? How do the pictures help you understand the words you are reading? ●​ What can you tell about the author’s life by looking around his home? ●​ Reread aloud both sentences about his father’s English: Why do you think the kid would say that? What can you tell about his father? (He doesn’t speak English very well, or it’s not his first language.) What does the boy think about his father’s voice? How do you think he feels around his father? ●​ Is this the father and son’s first fishing trip? How can you tell? Why didn’t the father wait until his son woke up to go fishing? Invite students to predict whether they are fishing for fun, or necessity. Guide them to use the clues in the text (the second job, waking so early) to determine their answer. ●​ Why does his father ask if he wants to put the minnow on the hook? (He knows that his son likes to help.) What generalization about his personality can you make based on his refusal? ●​ What makes the father smile? (He knows they will have food to eat tonight.) What can you infer about other nights in his home, based on this statement? (They do not always have food on the table at night.) ●​ The last page shows the boy falling happily to sleep and dreaming of fish. How does the last line explain the title of this book? (The father and son are probably dreaming of different ponds—each from their own childhood.) Instruct students to study the illustration closely. Remind them that the boy wondered what the pond from his father’s childhood looked like. Which pond do you think this picture shows? How do you know? ●​ A refugee is someone who leaves their home country to avoid violence, crime, or natural disasters. Usually it is unsafe for a refugee to ever return to their home country. What a difficult decision it must be for a family or person to leave their country and risk everything for a new life somewhere unknown. In their new country, some refugees may work multiple jobs to take care of their needs (housing, food, etc). Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes (E BAR) Celebrates the magnificent feeling that comes from walking out of a barber shop with newly-cut hair. 114