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Sparky!
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
14 posts | 28 read | 9 to read
A little girl wants a pet. She's not fussy, any will do. Her mother said no to a bird and bunny and trained seal. Then she agrees to the sloth, Sparky! Sloths don't know how to fetch. Or roll over. But they sure know how to play dead. What's an eager pet owner to do?
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Viviannef
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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Who else wants a pet Sloth after reading this book? I know I do. “Sparky!” By Jenny Offill, illustrated by Chris Appelhans is the perfect MF book that all your animal-lovers will enjoy! This book is also a Charlotte Zolotow Award winner! It‘s about a girl who wants a pet, but mom tells her no. Unless… mom says the pet shouldn‘t need to be walked, bathed, or washed. After some research, she finds the perfect pet Sloth named Sparky! #ucflae3414su20

Viviannef I would use this book as a RA! UDL Principle 3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships, such as the relationship between the girl and her pet and the events that took place. ESOL Strategy 16 Integrate speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities. During my RA I would ask questions to deepen understanding so that students will be able to complete the story map. 4y
Viviannef This resource provides a multi-leveled story map activity and sample pages that students may write or draw in. This activity supports comprehension and includes two customizable spaces to respond to questions, reflections, or learning targets. https://www.teachingbooks.net/clp.cgi?master_id=39188&lf_id=9 4y
CameoD Vivianne your posts are always so detailed I love them! I agree this would make a marvelous read aloud book and I love the front cover. Your UDL principle aligns very well with the book and strategies you‘re using! 4y
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Viviannef Thank you so much Cameo! :) And I couldn‘t agree with you more, he might not be good at doing tricks like a regular pet but he‘s just the cutest sloth 🦥 4y
DrSpalding This is such a sweet story. Correct genre! Wonderful resource as well. You are easily aligning universal design and English learner strategies. 4y
llcoolnate bought it for my niece :) 4y
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WanderingBookaneer
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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Sparky is some sloth! These are characters I will be sharing with friends and family in the future. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bookzombie This looks cute! I just put it on hold at the library. 🙂 4y
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Come-read-with-me
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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Happy international Sloth day! Thanks @Sace for bringing this to our attention. The tagged book is my favourite sloth related children‘s book. #slothday

RealBooks4ever He doesn‘t look like he has too much spark today! 💜 5y
Graywacke my kids got this more me a few years ago, my spirit animal. Happy sloth day! 5y
Come-read-with-me @Graywacke Happy sloth day to you as well!! What a great spirit animal to have! 5y
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Estradan
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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Sparky! is a RF book by Jenny Offill and it has won the 2015 Charlotte Zolotow award. This book is about a young girl, who, from the help of her librarian, finds a sloth as a perfect pet. Although, he doesn‘t do many cool tricks, Sparky the sloth, still steals the show his irresistible charm. This would be a great book for a RA if students are learning about animals or pets.

Estradan This can align with ESOL strategy 4 because students can talk about pets and the teacher can provide pictures of common pets. UDL 3.2 fits with the story map because it will help with the big idea and comprehension of the book. An extra resource that could be beneficial during or after reading is this story map https://www.teachingbooks.net/clp.cgi?master_id=39188&lf_id=9. #ucflae3414su19 5y
carlenerubin This book sounds so cute! The story map that you attached is excellent! I cant wait to read this book and share it with my future students! The idea of students sharing about their pets is great! I think I would also include their dream pets as well! 5y
DrSpalding I must read this book. I added it to my stack. Again I saw it when it one and have yet to read it. Your post made me want to! 5y
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SarahWynne
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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Sparky! By Jenny Offill&Chris Appelhans is an adorable F (or RF if you think sloths could be pets) PB that won the Charlotte Zolotow Award in 2015. Have you ever begged for a pet, but your parents say no way? That‘s just what happened in this story, except the mother finally agrees based on these criteria: as long as it doesn‘t need to be walked or bathed or fed. So one inventive little girl finds just the pet... a sloth that she names Sparky.

SarahWynne http://p5cdn1static.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_32715/File/Departme... After presenting this book as a RA...this lesson has students write a letter to a family member about getting a pet. These are the strategies that help support it...
UDL: 6.2 Support planning and strategy development
ESOL: 16. Integrate speaking, listening, reading and writing activities #UCFLAE3414F17
(edited) 6y
MeghanW I love this book! I bought it because the pictures are just amazing! I think it is a great idea for the students to write a letter to their parents about getting a pet. 6y
LaurenR This is so unique to the entire wanting a pet dynamic! So fun and I definitely want to read it! 6y
SarahWynne @MeghanW @laurenR it‘s a good one for sure! The wanting a pet writing activity was too good to pass up! 6y
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MeghanW
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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Sparky! Is a RF book written by Jenny Offill and illustrated by Chris Appelhans. It won the Charlotte Zolotow Award for the best picture book text published. The book is about a little girl who wants a pet and her mom said it needs to be low maintenance, so she gets a sloth mailed to her. She tries to teach him tricks and impress her friend. I adore this book and the illustrations! The colors just make it so beautiful. #ucflae3414f17

MeghanW I think this book would be great for a RT. There are many characters the students can be. EL Strategy 16: integrate speaking, listening, reading and writing activities. UDL Strategy 5.3: build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance. https://www.weareteachers.com/8-steps-to-successful-classroom-readers-theater-2/ this link is a great resource for teachers to learn how to organize a RT and have it be effective. 6y
EricaG This looks like such a cute book! I love sloths so I will have to read this! I also like your idea to use this for a RT. 6y
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emilykwilkins
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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This fun, Charlotte Zolotow award winning, F book is about a girl who gets a sloth as a pet and their journey. This would be a fun RA or SR since there is a lot of good opportunities to teach new vocabulary in this book. The link below will take you to a page that is full of activities that go along with the book.
https://www.floridamediaed.org/uploads/6/1/4/2/61420659/sparky.pdf #ucflae3414f17

emilykwilkins EL 5 Teach technical vocabulary supporting key concepts UDL 2.1 Clarify vocabulary and symbols 6y
DrSpalding Not many have found Zolotow award winners. Good choice. 6y
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elifkelly
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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Sparky is an award winning picture book written by Jenny Offill and illustrated by Chris Appelhans. Sparky won the Charlotte Zolotow award for 2015. This book would work well with RA and IR. This book is about Sparky, a young girl‘s pet sloth. The young girl attempts to teach her slow pet tricks and perform for people, but eventually understands Sparky‘s inactive nature. #ucflae3414f17

elifkelly To ensure students have comprehended the book‘s theme of patience and acceptance, this activity kit can be used in class. http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/resource/sparky-storytime-activity-kit/ The comprehension activities ensure EL 46 use discovery learning activities (hands-on-activities) and UDL 1.3 offer alternatives for visual information are met. 6y
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SarahF
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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"A promise is a promise"
I'm so in love with this adorable Realistic Fiction book, Sparky! It's a very fun read and I love that it explores the idea of different pets that aren't your typical cat, dog, fish etc. I'm including two activities because I couldn't choose just one! http://www.floridamediaed.org/uploads/6/1/4/2/61420659/sparky.pdf and http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sparky_ActBk_WEB.... #UCFLAE3414sp17

krystag I have seen this book in almost every classroom that I've worked in and always see it on display at book fairs! I think it's about time that I read it! I liked the activities that you included! They are cute and great for young children! 7y
HeyMsBowen I've never heard of this but I'm so intrigued! :) I'll have to check it out! ❤ 7y
DrSpalding Having won the Charlotte Zolotow award in 2014, I too have seen this in many classroom libraries. This one is worth the purchase. I like that you included the Florida media awards site along with the publisher's site. Random House is excellent at supporting teachers in using their books. 7y
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Christinak
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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So cute! I am in love with the illustrations. #picturebooks

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EvieBee
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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Such a cute little book about a pet sloth. They are so cute! #childrens #picturebooks

KilgoreTrout I love the art in this one!! 7y
MicheleinPhilly Every time I see a sloth I say "I want one!" Then I see their nails. ? 7y
EvieBee @KilgoreTrout Me too! Kind of vintage, a throwback to childhood classics, right? (edited) 7y
EvieBee @MicheleinPhilly Yes, those nails! I know they're harmless but too wolverine-like lol 7y
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elkeOriginal
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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I am a sucker for sloths and could not resist - the art is SO damn cute! But it is also a wonderful story about accepting people/pets for who they are and not trying to make them into something they are not. A sloth will never learn tricks or play like a puppy.
A sloth is going to sloth.
I ❤️Sparky.

EvieBee Looks awesome! She wrote Dept. of Specualtion, right? Didn't know she wrote children's books! 7y
elkeOriginal @EvieBee84 Looks like it! I had no idea about her adult books so you & I are in opposite boats 😉 7y
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Texreader Such a darling cover 7y
RanaElizabeth Sparky is the best! Him and I are good friends! 7y
elkeOriginal @RanaElizabeth Right?! Sparky really is perfection. The ideal little buddy 💖💕 7y
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LibrarianRyan
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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An interesting take on the “What Pet Should I Get” question. I‘m not sure a sloth would make a good pet. Well illustrated.

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JAMZ
Sparky! | Jenny Offill
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I love this book for Jenny Offill's logic and the inclusion of a sloth.