music tiger rewind focus belong family motel parent agent lonely Test day: Thursday December 6th
STORY: The Pain and the Great One
Written by Judy Blume Illustrated by Irene Trivas
Key Vocabulary Words:
Students have been given a copy of the student booklet. If a students loses his or her copy, a replacement can be given if needed.
Genre: Fiction
Subjects: Reading, Writing
Educational Themes: Family, Point of View, Sibling Rivalry, Conflict Resolution
Students who have brothers or sisters can relate to this tale of sibling rivalry, The Pain and The Great One. In this story, two children, a girl known as The Great One, and her younger brother, aka The Pain, take turns explaining their views about each other. The book is divided into two parts. In the first part we learn that The Great One can’t stand that the cat sleeps in her brother’s room even though she feeds him. She also does not like that her brother gets to eat dessert without finishing dinner. When she complains about having the same bedtime as her “younger” brother, her parents let her stay up later than him. That’s when she realizes that staying up late without him is not so much fun. The second part gives the reader The Pain’s take on his older sister. He can’t stand that she gets to watch the baby. He also does not like that she gets to feed the cat. When he complains to his parents that she always plays with the blocks, they let him play all by himself. That’s when he realizes that playing with the blocks alone just isn’t all that fun. In the end, The Pain and The Great One realize they need each other and enjoy each other more than they thought.
What’s Inside?
IDEAS: This story is focused on how perspectives influence perceptions. The Great One and the Pain realize that things never seem quite fair when it comes to siblings.
VOICE: Written in first person, the narration gives the reader an inside perspective of two different characters.
ORGANIZATION: This book is structured differently than most books, organized into two parts, one for each character.
LISTENING WITH UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY: Both characters in this story need to learn the value of listening to each other.
FINDING HUMOR: This story highlights humorous aspects of sibling rivalry.
GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR: Both characters need to learn that it is important to get along.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR: It is necessary for The Pain and The Great One to communicate their feelings with each other.