Evaluation
The illustrations in this book are breathtaking. I love the mixture between the dark lines of the textured crayon and the pastel water colors. The way in which the illustrations are presented is eye-catching. The illustrations begin on the left page and continue on the right page to allow for as much detail as possible. Polacco also does a wonderful job of capturing the depth of emotions on every student’s face. The story begins with joyous illustrations, followed by somber illustrations with serious expressions and wrinkles of despair and then ends with an exciting celebration. The faces of her characters are very realistic. The realism creates a world that the reader can relate to and you begin to feel as if you are actually part of this story.
There are so many life lessons that can be learned from this book. I think this book teaches the future teachers of America a lesson on how to become a terrific teacher. Miss Wichelman is a dynamic instructor who is not only interested in her students’ academic lives but also their lives outside of school. She encourages Marilyn to play piano and Traci to become a doctor and she makes room for career day so the students have an opportunity to explore career paths they might be interested in someday. Miss Wichelman teaches her children the importance of empathy and she shares her battle with cancer to Marilyn so Marilyn doesn’t feel lost and alone. Miss Wichelman takes a difficult situation and creates a lesson for her students that require them to grow as individuals and use their hearts to help a fellow classmate. The students design cards for Marilyn and then shave their heads so that Marilyn isn’t ashamed of how she looks.
One of my favorite moments in this story takes place within the first three pages of the story. At the end of every day, Miss Wichelman holds up two lemons from the basket and says, “And if life hands you a lemon or two today-and you all know how sour lemons are-just make lemonade.” In fifth grade Miss Wichelman, using one quote, emphasized the importance of determination, love and an optimistic attitude. Students in fifth grade may be battling cancer or being teased because of their weight. Nevertheless, at the end of the day you should be proud of yourself and realize that you can BE whatever you want to be. Marilyn uses these words to get through her treatments and the students create their own lemonade club in honor of Miss Wichelman.
This is an excellent concept book for students who are unaware of what cancer is and how it can emotionally and physically impact an individual. Although I hate to think that one of my students may be diagnosed with cancer while he/she is in my classroom, it is wonderful to know that literature is out there to help you cope with difficult situations. Although you may never find a classroom who shaves their heads to make the student feel better, there are plenty of other ways that the classroom community can help when the family of a student is going through a difficult time.
