Poppy and Rye
by: Avi

book talk author study classroom connections list of related books related websites

Students at Salisbury State University in Maryland designed this page in which we examine the novel Poppy and Rye.  The primary audience for the materials is forth to sixth grade teachers. On this page we have included a book talk (overview designed to persuade students into reading the book), an author study (which is usually beneficial for the students to interact with the text, also to provide the realization that authors are individuals just like everyone else that actually write the books that we read in school and for leisure), suggestions for possible activities (a few neat ideas that would be an excellent asset for any teacher), a list of related books, and also included is a list of websites in case you chose to further study this novel or others related to the author.

The members of our group chose the book because this novel is modern fantasy and science fiction, which is a popular and interesting category for most students.  The author used a great deal of imagination by telling the story from a mouse’s point of view.  There were many topics covered in the story that dealt with love, adventure, loss of a loved one, sacrifices and true friendship. There is a lesson to be learned from this reading and it’s one of helping and caring for others, working together to accomplish a common task or goal and always knowing that you tried your hardest.
 

This book is a thrill a minute adventure and love story. It involves several forest animals… The main characters include a large moody porcupine, a family of golden mice, a deer mouse and many hardworking beavers.

The adventure begins with Poppy, the deer mouse, loosing her fiance, Ragweed. She decides that she must find his family and inform them. She and her porcupine friend, Ereth, set out to find the family of golden mice.

They discover that Beavers have taken over the area that used to be home to the golden mice.  Who were forced to move to a smaller home on higher ground. Spite and anger arise and the mice work together to try and figure out a way to get their home back. The beavers are larger and more powerful and push their ways upon the mice. Poppy, working together with Ragweed’s family falls in love with Ragweed’s brother Rye. Rye, taking matters into his own hands, goes into the beaver territory and gets captured. This is where the story unfolds… His family is at a loss for what to do.

Can Poppy create a plan to rescue Rye? Will the family decide what to do about the beavers?  What can they do? Will Rye make it out of jail? Will Rye and Poppy end up together? Will the beavers take over and ruin a family of mice? Read this exciting novel to see what happens.

Avi was born in New York in 1937.He, his twin sister and older brother were raised in Brooklyn by his parents.His unique name was given to him by his twin sister, Emily, when he was one year old, and it stuck.In fact, Avi is the only name that he goes by and his real name still remains a mystery.

Avi’s mother was a social worker and his father was a doctor.He credits his parents for his interest in literature, claiming that this love for books comes from the fact that he was read to every night and taken to the library every Friday.Although he suffered from dysgraphia, a learning disability that makes writing difficult, his parents and teachers encouraged him to seek help.When Avi was 17 years old and a senior in high school, he decided to become a writer.

Surprisingly, Avi didn’t start out writing children’s books.Although he surrounded himself with literature for 25 by working in a library, it wasn’t until he had children of his own that he began writing books.He published his first book in 1970, and has published over 30 books since then.

Avi’s works include mysteries, adventure stories, fantasies, historical novels, ghost stories, animal tales and comedies. He received the Newbery Honor Awards for his books, Nothing But Trouble (1992) and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (1991).He also received the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards for Poppy (1996), Nothing But Trouble and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

Aviis the proud father of three grown sons and currently resides in Denver, Colorado.For more information on this author, visit his website at http://www.avi-writer.com.

The teacher could:

·Have the students research an animal in the story and share with the class or make a project about that animal.

·Have the students continue the story.

·Have the students write a play where the characters are animals and they have to act it out.

·Have the students create puppets of the characters.

·Think about environmental issues that could be thought about from the book and discuss and research them.

·Have the students write as they were an animal or write in the perspective of an animal.

·Read other texts where animals are the main characters and compare them.

·Make a poem about their favorite character in the book.

·Study dams, and build one in class.

·Study ecosystems and all the animals involved.Relate this information to Poppy and Rye.

·For a writing prompt, imagine having 63 brothers and sisters—take into consideration, holidays, your relationship and role with your family, your birthday, going to school.

·Debate or response—Should Poppy tell Rye’s family about Ragweed’s death?Is it ok that she falls in love with Rye?What other things could the mice have done to compromise with the beavers?

• Avi www.avi-writer.com
• http//:teacher.scholastic.com/authorsandbooks/authors/avi/bio.htm.
• www.carolhurst.com/newsletters/23dnewaletters.html

• Jennifer Dennis
• Susie Siniscalchi
• Brandi Clarke
• Jane Conard
• Candice Galyon

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