Ada is a young girl living in London during WWI, who is constantly abused by her mother because of her deformity, clubfoot. Never allowed to leave the house, she cooks and cleans, doing her mother’s chores during the day, and occasionally getting a peak out the window at the world around her. She waves hello to the neighbors and people passing by, but never anything past that. Ada’s best friend is her brother, Jamie, who helps Ada as much as he can, sneaking her food and sticking by her side, facing the abuse and neglect of their mother together. It is only when Jamie gets old enough (about 6) to go out and play with his friends, run errands, and start school, that Ada realizes she will have no one to keep her company during the day. Even from the beginning of the book we can tell Ada is a strong, determined girl, who knows she is better than what her mother tells her, “just a cripple”. So determined that the first opportunity she had to escape this prison, she taught herself to walk, and made a plan to leave with the children that are being sent out of London to the countryside, all within the matter of days.

“When things got really bad I could go away inside my head. I’d always known how to do it. I could be anywhere, on my chair or in the cabinet, and I wouldn’t be able to see anything or hear anything or even feel anything. I would just be gone” (Bradley 26). Ada is an admirable character, I believe she is an inspiration, and proves that even in the absolute worst of conditions, when the world is against you, you always have one thing: your mind.

For my second Make, I found this awesome idea on the one and only Pinterest. Throughout my series book, A Series of Unfortunate Events, the children struggle with trying to find a plan to foil Count Olaf from trying to steal their fortune. All three of the Baudelaire’s, Violet, Klaus, and even Sunny have incredible intelligence, ingenuity, and creativity when it comes to getting themselves out of a situation- and I believe this activity will help the students not only get excited about the books, but even feel like a Bauldelaire themselves. The activity is a letter from Lemony Snicket, summoning the help of the readers to tell the Baudelaire’s that Count Olaf is “on the prowl”- but it’s not that easy. The readers have to find all of the misspelled words, correct them, and using the corrected letter, form a phrase that leads to Count Olaf’s next planned attack. I really love this activity because it is fun and I feel that students will really get into it- while practicing their spelling!

For my first series book I chose The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. So far, I have really enjoyed the story and I believe it will be a great read! One of my favorite parts of this book is how Snicket treat young children as mature, smart individuals. For example, the oldest member of the siblings, Violet, takes on the role of an engineer, with a bright mind always thinking of new inventions. The second, Klaus, is an avid reader who has a niche for science. Even Sunny, the baby, who can’t really speak or comprehend much, seems so be intelligent for her young age, always seeming to be more aware then we assume. By creating the central characters as strong, independent and intelligent individuals, it gives children someone to look up to, and shows them admirable characteristics for them to possibly embody. I also love how Snicket adds vocabulary excerpts as a learning tool to help children expand their vocabulary. Personally, I prefer books that are somewhat a challenge, to stimulate my mind and keep me interested in the story. I feel like this would be a great book for children seeking to excel their current reading level, and I can think of hundreds of lesson plans involving this series!
As for Miller’s book, I love her relatability and her teaching style. She understands children have chaotic lives and sometimes cannot find time outside of school to read. So she works with their schedules and points out times in their day when they can squeeze in at least 10 minutes of reading. She discusses how when teachers assign reading for class, it discourages children from truly retaining the information, and instead they skim- read, only trying to find answers. I feel that Miller not only understands the importance and vitality of reading, but also what tools children need to become readers. I am really looking forward to hearing more of her ideals, and learning how to become a “wild reader”.