This book is quite bitter sweet. The main character's grandmother dies and her family gets together to divide all the things. I think this would be a good book to address death and could possibly help a student mourn by giving them ideas on how to help the process or just make them feel like they can talk to you. The setting is a farmhouse and the illustrations are kind of rustic so I think that fits well. Even though death is a difficult topic and can be hard to understand fo9r children I think the language in this book is perfect for younger audiences. ( )

Summary:
This book is about five kids and their spouses getting together back at the farmhouse after their mother dies. They decide to get together to divide up their mother's belongings. As they go through their mother's things they start to talk about all of the memories and special times they shared together.

Personal Reaction:
I love this story because it reminds me of my family gathering together at the farm at the time that my PaPa died. We laughed and cried at all the stories everyone had to share. I think it is important to remember all the happy times you had with a lost loved one.

Classroom Extensions:
1) To get the children to realize that it is important to remember all the good times you share with your family, I would have them write down in a journal their most memorable times that they have spent with their families.
2) You could aslo have them do a show and tell. have them bring something that was given to them by a loved one and have them tell a story about it.

This summer after their mother dies, the whole family (the five kids and their spouses), gather back at the farmhouse to divide up and claim the left behind belongings of their mother. As they dig through her treasures they discover that all her belongings hold a special place in each of their hearts. As sad as this project is, the family starts to talk about all the memories of the good times they shared together.

I can relate to this because in 2007 I lost my grandfather, and in 2008 I lost my grandmother. Instead of grieving over their deaths when my family gets together we talk about all of the good times and tell funny stories to remember my grandparents.

In the classroom I would have the students make a family tree. We would use green and brown paper to cut out a tree and then we would use red paper to cut out apples for the family members. I would also have the children write a journal entry telling me about a funny story that happened with their family members.