Miss Birdie is an immigrant who traveled to New York for a better life. Before she left, she was able to take one thing with her. The one thing she chose to take with her was a shovel. A shovel, of all the many different things she could've chosen. As you read on, this shovel that she brought with her is used for so many different things in her life. It is used to dig her a garden, clear a path in the snow, dug holes for the pen for the goat and sheep, dug holes to plant seeds, even to dug out the doctor who got stuck coming to deliver her baby. This shovel has been through a lot with Miss Birdie in her life. I think the saddest part that the shovel and Miss Birdie have been through was when her husband got sick and passed away, she used that shovel to plant him a tree, and some flowers underneath it. To most people that shovel wouldn't mean much at all, if it meant anything, but for Miss Birdie that shovel meant so much to her. It helped her on major milestones of her life. We all have at least one thing that means something to us, whether it's a shovel like Miss Birdie, or something else. ( )

This is a story about a woman who has the chance to pick a gift and chooses a shovel. It goes on to talk about all of the travels she made with her shovel and the different life milestones that the shovel assisted her with. ( )

Miss Bridie is an immigrant who, instead of choosing fancy objects to bring with her to America, chose to bring a shovel. Throughout the story, readers learn how this shovel is significant in her life. I feel like this shovel represents the hard work and determination of Miss Bridie, which fits perfectly considering she was an immigrant. This story subtly recognizes all of the immigrants who came to America with the hopes of having a better life for themselves. I feel like the setting is important to understand the real meaning and message behind the story. But I do not think that students have to understand the setting completely in order to take away something from the story. ( )

The journey begins for a young immigrant named Miss Bridie. It is a journey of hope and uncertainty, a journey that will take her to a new land, a new home, and—if she has chosen wisely—a good life.
With elegant woodcuts, Caldecott medalist Mary Azarian brings to life Leslie Connor’s spare story of a life rich with blessings, yet not without challenges. Here is a lyrical tribute to the millions of immigrants who left their homes to begin anew in America—and an enchanting look at how one woman carves out a life with the help of a common shovel.
TCI Lesson 3: The Peopling of the United States

Miss Bridie choose a shovel tells the story about a young immigrant women who faces a new world on her own with only a shovel. Leslie Connor captures the life experience of a women named Miss Bridie. The story follows her through great experiences such as when she planted a small garden in the back of her rooming house and sold the flowers she grew, scraped away snow to skate, planted orchards and dug into the hill for a root cellar. Through the story, we watch as she experiences life's ups and downs, raises a family and grows old. I believe the theme of the story is we can succeed at anything with ingenuity and hard work. The setting of the story is especially important because women did not work much back then. It shows what Miss Bridie accomplished. It’s a tribute to the millions of immigrants who come to America to start a new life. ( )