Mr Peabody's Apples (Prep. For a Personal Response)

Mr Peabody's Apples

Author: Madonna 

Illustrator: Loren Long 

Date of Publication: 2003

ISBN: 0670058831 

Grade Level: 5th 

Summary:

The book, “Mr. Peabody’s Apple”, tells a story about a boy who told lies (1). Mr. Peabody loved the kids so much and he played baseball with them every Saturday. One day, Mr. Peabody, a good teacher and baseball coach, finds himself alone on the ball field. He wonders where everybody is until the bat boy, Billy Little, shows up. Billy tells him that another student, Tommy Tittlebottom, saw Mr. Peabody taking apples from the market and spread rumors he was a thief. Mr. Peabody then shows Tommy that what matters is the truth. It is not how things appear. And that we must choose our words carefully to avoid hurting others. The story shows the power of words and that they may unfairly change a person's life.

Description in Five Compound Sentences:

01 Topic Sentence

03 Detail Sentences

01 Summary Sentence

Description (Part of a personal response)

Mr. Peabody's Apples is a story about an elementary school teacher who is also a baseball coach. The teacher's name is Mr. Peabody and he likes sports. One day he finds himself ostracized when rumors spread through the small town. At the end of the story he tries to help solve the problem, so he helped a boy named Tommy. Mr. Peabody silences the gossip with a thoughtful lesson, then he suggests people to choose words carefully to avoid causing harm to others.

Unfamiliar vocabulary:

Ostracized (excluded, by general consent, from community or friendship).

Discussion topics for before reading:
	What does gossip mean? What does it mean to spread rumors?
	Do you hurt someone when you gossip about them? How?
	Do you think that it's possible to misunderstand something that you see? Has it ever happened to you? Explain.

Discussion topics for after reading:
•	What was the meaning of having Tommy cut open the pillow and have the feathers fly?
•	What should Tommy have done when he saw Mr. Peabody take the apples?
•	How powerful are your words? How or why are they powerful?
•	Could Tommy repair the damage that he caused? How? if you were Tommy, what would you do?