Genre: A Step Further (Lesson 4)

Pop's Bridge is our latest story. Written by Eve Bunting, this is about two young boys whose fathers helped build the Golden Gate Bridge of Chicago.

Since this book is Historical Fiction, we will be discussing the traits of this genre. Many students will try to compare this to Destiny's Gift, our Realistic Fiction story from last week. Like Destiny's Gift, Pop's Bridge is realistic in the sense that the events and characters could really happen. However, unlike Destiny's Gift, this story contains actual events from history, such as the completion of the historic bridge, as well as a tragic accident that occurred around the same time.

Remind your child that, although the children in the story seem very real, they were created by the author to make for an interesting tale. It is important for children to differentiate between the real and the imagined, as it has a profound effect on their comprehension.

Here are some Historical Fiction selections, now available in my library:

• Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers (level 2.7) - This is the true story of Grace Bedell, who suggested that Abraham Lincoln grow a beard.
• Pink and Say (Level 3.8) - Sheldon Curtis describes his meeting with Pinkus Aylee, a black soldier, and their capture by Southern troops during the Civil War.
• John, Paul, George, and Ben (Level 3.7) - This book takes a humorous look at five of our country's founding fathers, John, Paul, George, Ben, and Tom.
• Mailing May (Level 3.6) - In 1914, because her family cannot afford a train ticket to her grandmother's town, May is mailed and rides the mail car on the train to see her grandmother. (Although this is not available in my library, I will be providing a copy for each student to read at home this week.)

P.S. - Pop's Bridge is a level 3.4 and is located in your child's Journey's textbook.