Letting go of someone or something helps us a lot in life, it helped Katie start doing her two favorite things again. I started writing, and I haven’t stopped since.” I think we should try to be more positive about these things. And I had to fill me up as well.” “I stopped crying and got some paper out of the desk drawer. But I had to fill up the box to make it all it could be. “Mama had meant I was the box, solid and sturdy, maybe even beautiful or at least interesting on the outside. And suddenly I knew.”įinally, she stops crying and begins to write once again. I felt angry and empty, and they all left me pretty much alone.” Katie starts to understand what her present means, too. I was pretty mean to my half brothers and totally rotten to my step-mother and dad. “I stopped reading except for school assignments. She also started being mean and rude to people. At first Katie cried for a week, then at night, and then at things like holidays or anniversaries. As she’s going through her mother’s death she starts crying less over the years. Before this, she stops reading and writing, which are her two favorite things to do. Katie starts writing and reading again when she she learns how to do this. Here's a free treasure based on the book, Edward and the Pirates.Learning to let go helps us a lot in life. Finally, there are suggestions for how to utilize a box in your classroom. Again, final copy recording sheets are provided.ĭetailed Teaching Tips help you to prepare, implement, and celebrate each of these activities. Final copy recording sheets are available as well as a Narrative Scoring Checklist that lists what is expected in the writing.Ī second writing activity is to compose an additional stanza to Yolen’s poem. Either is a tool for students to outline their imaginative narratives for using a box. There are two narrative organizers, a tree map for story elements and a flow map for narrative events. A circle map can be used after the reading to brainstorm and list imaginary ways to use a box.

There are Word Wall cards to post for continuous review. Students are provided with a word list and are encouraged to draw pictures that illustrate the meaning of each word. Four words from the book can be used for vocabulary study.

This product will help you to make the most of your read-aloud. As a read-aloud it can trigger memories and lead to a discussion about imaginary play which can inspire imaginative writing. How can you use Jane Yolen’s book, WHAT TO DO WITH A BOX, to stimulate imagination inside and outside of your classroom? Use this FREEBIE in a number of ways to inspire imagination.

What To Do With a Box by Jane Yolen