Title: “The Hard Times Jar”
Author: Ethel Footman Smothers
Illustrator: John Holyfield
Pub. Year: 2003
The
Hard Times Jar is a very heart-warming story about an 8-year old girl named
Emma whose family moved to Pennsylvania because they were migrant workers. Emma
loves to read, but her family cannot afford store-bought books, so she writes
her own stories on the back of paper grocery bags. When Emma’s parents decide
to send her to school, Emma is fascinated by all the books in the library and
after learning a tough lesson about taking what isn’t yours her mom rewards her
for taking responsibility for her actions by giving her money to buy books from
their “hard times jar.”
This book would be great for early
elementary students and teaching them about responsibility and honesty. It also
is a great lesson on being grateful for what you have in your life. The illustrations
in the book are beautiful and do a great job on explaining the life of migrant
workers as well and Emma’s passion for reading.
Thanks for the review Emily. I will have to get this book for my own children to read. I love books with a lesson. I really like the ones about being grteful for what you have.
ReplyDeleteI agree that The Hard-Times Jar would be a great book for elementary students, but I think it has such a great message of a love of literacy that I could use this in the beginning of the year as a way to introduce and set up my reading and writing community. I also think this would be helpful in explaining to my students how the check out procedure and honesty policy for classroom books works. Also, the scene where Emma goes to school and notices she is the only one with chocolate brown skin stuck with me. I always go with my students to the Indianapolis Children's Museum and we discuss children who made a difference. Ruby Payne is one of those children. This book made me think of the connection to the her and the "Children Who Make a Difference" unit. Emma's first encounter in her school could open up great questions for writer's notebook invitations such as: Have you ever been in a situation when you or someone you know felt like an outsider or different from everyone? What thoughts were going through your head? How did you react?
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