In For Winter, Out For Spring

In For Winter, Out For Spring

Written by: Arnold Adoff
Illustrated by: Jerry Pinkney
Genre: Poetry
Grades: 1-3
Awards: None

This book follows a girl named, Rebecca, and her experiences throughout the year are expressed through poems. The first season to start off this book is Winter. Rebecca talks about the snow starting to fall down onto the ground, her brother and father baking, letting her hair be free while sledding, and even finding a mouse in their warm kitchen. During the Spring time, Rebecca is gardening with her father, took in a stray dog, sees the bird and butterflies outside, and experience a thunder storm. During the summer season, Rebecca talks about the drought, flowers, insects, and staying up late. Fall is then mentioned. She talks about her grandmother and how the change in weather affects her grandmother's legs. Rebecca and her family go to a pumpkin patch in October and experience the cold breeze, which prepares them for Winter.

I would enjoy having this book in my classroom. This book would be perfect for first through third grade. This book can be taught in a science classroom, as they talk about the seasons. A way to use this in a reading and writing class is by letting the students select a season and write a poem about it. This allows the students to use their prior knowledge along with what they read from the book to help them.