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Children's Literature Book Nook

Bennett, Kelly. Not Norman: A Goldfish Story. Candlewick Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2005. ISBN 076362387-9

Summary: A little boy is disappointed when he receives a pet goldfish for his birthday. Throughout the story, he attempts to give his pet away, but in the end he learns to care for his pet.

Readability Level: Beginning of year 2nd grade

Review: Not Norman is an adorable story that teaches children to appreciate the gifts they are given. The boy in the story gives every reason possible for not keeping his pet goldfish, Norman. He tries to give Norman away. In the end, he learns Norman is the perfect pet for him. The story has a simple, but distinct plot structure. The language is simple with some repetition. The story is written in first person. Not Norman is a fun story most children can relate to in some way.

Teaching Possibilities: Not Norman is an excellent story for reading out loud. It's simple plot structure is ideal for introducing students to plot. Students should be able to make plenty of text-to-self connections throughout the story. The story is a nice model for personal narratives for younger children. Students could write their own stories about their pets. There is some onomatopoeia in the story. Use the "noisy words" as writing models. There are several sentences throughout the book to use as examples for sentence fluency. Focus on the sentences with more than one -ing verb.

Visit the Author's Website: Kelly Bennett