February Book of the Month

The February Book of the Month is "The Color of Home" by Mary Hoffman.  The book is illustrated by Karin Littlewood.

Hassan, a recent immigrant from Somalia, is homesick on his first day of school in America.  Though, the teacher is nice and the children are friendly, adjusting to a new culture, especially a different language, is a struggle.  When the teacher distributes art supplies, Hassan discovers a way to communicate and is able to share his story about his life in Somalia and his hope for the future through pictures.

Why do you think Hasaan’s choice of colors for his pictures change over the course of the story?  Does the change reflect his gradual adjustment to or acceptance of his new home?

Grade 1 students will be reflecting on their prior experiences.   They will also be reflecting on the following questions:  Do they know family or friends who have had to adjust to a new culture?  What kinds of things do they think someone like Hassan has had to learn? If a student is new to Keoneula Elementary School was it difficult to adapt to a new school and to new classmates?