The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) by Avi
I absolutely loved Avi's The End of the Beginning. It is such an amusing and sweet story about friendship, adventure, and imagination. The story is very reminiscent of the original Winnie-the-Pooh books. Avi does a wonderful job of playing with language that the reader will discover something new in each reading of the story. This is definitely one of those stories that you will want to read over and over.
Avon, a snail, decides he needs to have an adventure in his life. He has learned from all the books that he has read that adventures bring happiness. As he is leaving his home, he meets his neighbor, Edward, an ant. Edward decides to joing him on his adventures. This story definitely illustrates that it isn't where you go, but who you go with that makes for a great adventure.
Older kids might at first declare the story to be silly or stupid, but the deeper I read into the story even the most cynical kid was wanting to know what would happen next. The small pencil illustrations by Tricia Tusa are just the right addition for those beginning chapter book readers who might be willing to give this book a try.
I hope Avi decides to return to these characters again, because I think he has a winner on his hands.
Ages: All ages, this is a definite family book
Keywords: Adventure, Travel, Friendship, Imagination, Fantasy
Lesson plan ideas: Have children write their own song for marching. Have children compare and contrast Edward and Avon. Even though the two characters are very different, why are they such good traveling companions?
Avon, a snail, decides he needs to have an adventure in his life. He has learned from all the books that he has read that adventures bring happiness. As he is leaving his home, he meets his neighbor, Edward, an ant. Edward decides to joing him on his adventures. This story definitely illustrates that it isn't where you go, but who you go with that makes for a great adventure.
Older kids might at first declare the story to be silly or stupid, but the deeper I read into the story even the most cynical kid was wanting to know what would happen next. The small pencil illustrations by Tricia Tusa are just the right addition for those beginning chapter book readers who might be willing to give this book a try.
I hope Avi decides to return to these characters again, because I think he has a winner on his hands.
Ages: All ages, this is a definite family book
Keywords: Adventure, Travel, Friendship, Imagination, Fantasy
Lesson plan ideas: Have children write their own song for marching. Have children compare and contrast Edward and Avon. Even though the two characters are very different, why are they such good traveling companions?
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