Pistes d'exploration

Stop reading when Pedro starts writing his composition. Write a response in which you predict and explain the choice you think he makes.

Discuss the role of authority in the book. Do you agree with what the boy did? Explain your reasoning.

Conduct research on dictatorship governments. Which countries in the world have this type of government right now? How does it affect people’s freedoms? Share your information with the class in a slide presentation or a poster.

Following a class discussion, write a response on one of the big issues in the story (moral choices, freedom, authority).

As a group, discuss the timeline of the story. Make a class version of the timeline.

Using a graphic organizer, compare your life with Pedro’s.

Discuss Pedro’s composition.

Discuss authority and oppression. Research different types of government and write a short explanation of each type.

Look in the newspaper or on the Web for articles about personal freedom and moral choices. Post them on a bulletin board and discuss the issues.

Discuss how the illustrations and narrative text work together to relay a cohesive message about the awakening of political consciousness in a young boy.

In small groups, consider the references (in the text and illustrations) to people, places and events. Discuss how they relate to each other and what they might mean.

Respond to the text; consider its message in relation to other stories that portray children and young adults in times of political and social struggle. Use an inquiry process to explore questions and issues stemming from the literature.

Do a picture walk and note your predictions and inferences in a graphic organizer.

Have a class discussion: What is a dictatorship? Why did the military come for Don Daniel? Why did the captain ask for a composition? Why did Pedro lie about what his family does at night? What is the book’s message? Why did it win international awards?

Reflect and take a stance on dictatorship in a specific part of the world today, particularly considering the impact on families and children. Write a letter of concern to the United Nations.

The Stamp Collector, Mrs. Marlowe's Mice

Mots-clés

Picture book , character , conflict , dictatorship , families , freedom , government , point of view , setting , stance , war , writing

Commentaire descriptif

Pedro’s only interest is soccer, but when his friend’s father is taken by machine-gun bearing soldiers, his eyes are opened to the world around him. At school, an army captain who is seeking out government resisters orders the students to write compositions about their parents’ activities, and they obey. The language of this dense story addresses its harrowing theme through child-centred details: Pedro’s parents huddling around the radio every night; Captain Romo’s “toothbrush-shaped mustache.” The story brilliantly builds suspense, while depicting Pedro’s impossible position. Deft illustrations employ a stark realism. Pedro’s world is full of blank walls and hard edges. The captain’s profile looms while diminutive Pedro gazes thoughtfully over his page. Young readers may have their own solutions to Pedro’s dilemma, as he is forced to scribble his report. The power of writing is emphasized by an image depicting Pedro’s handwritten composition on a torn-off sheet of graph paper. Readers of all ages will be as relieved as Pedro’s parents, when they read his quick-thinking response under pressure.