Recently, while reading about philosophy in children’s literature, the book title The Search for Delicious caught my eye. The title was intriguing, and I immediately recognized the author, Natalie Babbitt, who also wrote Tuck Everlasting, a book we’ve read with 3rd-grade gifted students in my district.
After I read it, I knew I would want to use it in the classroom. A Notable Children’s Book Award winner, it is delightfully and beautifully written and the chapters are short, so it can be read in bite-sized pieces. This means there’s time to “dive deeply” into the language and across disciplines into all kinds of topics. As with Tuck Everlasting, thought-provoking themes are addressed in a lighter style, and it’s perfect for introducing students to more advanced literary elements and analysis.
Have you, like me, missed this gem? If so, I encourage you to check it out! And if you decide to use it with your students, I invite you to preview the advanced novel study I created with 3rd-grade gifted students in mind, though I believe it would work well with students a bit younger or older. It includes a 56-page teaching guide with student handouts, 166 digital teaching slides and ready-to-share lessons, engaging games and puzzles, and hands-on activities! I’m excited to share it.
| In creating the unit, I incorporated what I’ve learned from Deeper Reading by Kelly Gallagher, Gifted Guild’s Guide to Depth and Complexity by Ian Byrd and Lisa van Gemert, and also my training in the Shared Inquiry™ method from Junior Great Books. Click HERE to read the teaching philosophy behind the book – an INTRODUCTION to the unit. |
INCLUDED in THE TEACHING GUIDE and DIGITAL SLIDES :
Connections Prior to Beginning the Novel ~ Before the book is even revealed, students are enticed by (1) an introductory poem to ponder (with a surprise hidden word); (2) a simple cryptogram puzzle to uncover specific elements of fantasy stories; and (3) a hidden-message puzzle to discover the title of the book and make predictions about the plot.
Deeper Reading ~ As each chapter is read, games and interactive activities keep younger students engaged while reinforcing advanced literary elements and critical thinking. These Include: “Playful Predictions,” which sneaks in new vocabulary with making predictions; (2) “Hints of Trouble,” a sorting activity (foreshadowing); (3) “Gaylen Over Time“ (character analysis); (4)“Character Connections“ (discovering multiple perspectives connected to a big idea), and (5) “Wondering Thoughts.“ Chapter summaries and discussion questions are also included.
Connections Across Disciplines ~ Connections to other disciplines include: (1) science (hydrology), (2) math (estimating travel distance), and (3) social studies (map skills and monarchies over time) presented through games and hands-on activities such as: (1) Long Live the King! game (2)“What Makes a Fantasy Fantastic?” puzzle (3) Kingdom Cartography, and (4) Create an Edible Aquifer.
The Search for Delicious Language ~ Students will discover the elegance of the author’s style as well as figurative language, poetic forms, and more. These games and activities include: (1) “Sentence Crafting,“ (2) “What’s in a Name?“ and (3) “LINGO,” a figurative language Bingo game.
Concluding Culminations ~ The culminating activities inspire high-level thinking as the reading comes to an end and include: (1) Hexagonal Thinking/ Big Ideas; (2) “Divergent “Dictionary” projects, (3) “The Power of Words,” and “A Final Look” crossword puzzle just for fun!
| A HUGE THANKS to GT Intervention Specialist Taylor Halliday for sharing creative extensions to this unit, including a BREAKOUT ROOM! Read more HERE. |
The unit also includes a note about the various book covers that have been used in publications over the years. I think the one shown here is the most appropriate for younger students, but if it’s not available, and you feel that the cover shown at the top of this page would distract some of your students, you could order the newer books and have parent helpers cover them with colored contact paper (find directions for wrapping the books here.) This will have added benefits: It will (1) keep the mystery of the introductory activities from being revealed and (2) keep the books from getting as worn over time. It would be a shame to NOT read a book with students simply because of the cover.
Have you used The Search for Delicious with your students? If so, we’d love to hear your ideas and experiences in comments below.
If you are new to this site, welcome! I invite you to watch this 4-minute video tour. It explains why I created the site and how to find your way around! You may also be interested in joining our Facebook group PLN where we have conversations about planning for gifted and advanced students. Happy teaching!