# data[].attributes.headline
My idea for an additional way to use this text would be as a segue to learning about the world. Where did Neville live before he moved? What did he like about his old community? Where did he move to? What's special about his new community. Students could pick the place they think Neville moved to, and they could research the new place and write about it or create a related project. Map skills could be woven in, and math skills measuring things like distance and population could be woven in. 

# data[].attributes.subject
My idea for an additional way to use this text would be as a segue to learning about the world. Where did Neville live before he moved? What did he like about his old community? Where did he move to? What's special about his new community. Students could pick the place they think Neville moved to, and they could research the new place and write about it or create a related project. Map skills could be woven in, and math skills measuring things like distance and population could be woven in. 

# data[].attributes.body
~ Lynn in PA

# data[].attributes.headline
I appreciated the progression from primarily neutral toned illustrations at the beginning of the story when Neville felt down-in-the-dumps to a full palette of color toward the end when Neville felt more hopeful about his new neighborhood. 

# data[].attributes.subject
I appreciated the progression from primarily neutral toned illustrations at the beginning of the story when Neville felt down-in-the-dumps to a full palette of color toward the end when Neville felt more hopeful about his new neighborhood. 

# data[].attributes.body
~ Lynn in PA

# data[].attributes.headline
The desire to belong to a community is such a basic human need. This story would be appropriate to use whenever we want to welcome someone into a new situation. I could imagine using this story as a read-aloud and then inviting students to write about their own name. Or, I could envision giving a creative writing prompt in which writers would pick one of the unnamed characters from one of the double-page spreads and name that character and write a story about that character. 

# data[].attributes.subject
The desire to belong to a community is such a basic human need. This story would be appropriate to use whenever we want to welcome someone into a new situation. I could imagine using this story as a read-aloud and then inviting students to write about their own name. Or, I could envision giving a creative writing prompt in which writers would pick one of the unnamed characters from one of the double-page spreads and name that character and write a story about that character. 

# data[].attributes.body
~ Lynn in PA

# data[].attributes.headline
Dropping Clues - either for reading or writing workshop

# data[].attributes.subject
Dropping Clues - either for reading or writing workshop

# data[].attributes.body
How does the author (or how can you, as a writer), leave hints for readers about what's coming next in the story? Neville is a good example of that. We learn throughout the text little hints that support potential predictions. -NQC

# data[].attributes.body
I might ask colleagues to reflect on when they felt brand new, out of place, or part of a group. How can we transfer Neville's approach and feelings to our own professional and personal lives? - NQC

# data[].attributes.body
My daughter was able to read the images and determine her own version of the story - which basically followed the actual story arc. I appreciate an expansive definition of 'reading' - ie we can read pictures too. If we carefully select some of these images, students too can determine their own story arc (whether it's the actual one or one they imagine!) -- NQC

# data[].attributes.body
On one of the end pages when Neville is getting ready for bed, the vignettes show his clothes change.  It's a great mentor to show students that characters stay dressed the same across pages until a time change (Katy Wood Ray).

# data[].attributes.body
In writing workshop, Neville offers a mentor to students who are ready to tackle endings that are a little more complex, in this case with a little mystery.
-Bitsy

# data[].attributes.body
I'm always on the lookout for mentor texts that aren't overplayed - I love this one for that reason -- a fantastic story, fantastic illustrations and not overplayed :).
-Bitsy

# data[].attributes.body
When I read Neville to my first graders some students miss the ending that the character actually is Neville.  Those that do catch it, share their thinking and the evidence in the text - an intro to inference really!! :)  Then the class always wants me to re-read the story with this discovery/new understanding in mind. :)
-Bitsy

# data[].attributes.body
As we we build our community at the beginning year, I love to use Neville as an example of creative problem solving.  Although his strategy isn't widely (ever?) used, it is a great example of 'thinking outside the box' and also taking action, i.e. not waiting for someone to invite him to play.
-Bitsy

# data[].attributes.body
I love to use this book for our beginning of the year illustration study.  I'm able to use it to demonstrate almost everything I want students to notice and try:  vignettes (passage of time and movement), movement, people, perspective (rear -view, bird's eye, etc), color, spreads, close ups. This book has it all! :)
-Bitsy

# data[].attributes.body
While the story solves who Neville is, it does leave you wondering what the next day on the block or the first day of school might be like for Neville. What happens when he tells the children he is Neville? Interestingly, when I think about our last read Little Brown much is left to wonder about what happens "the next day." Both books lead us to a discussion about how we can help others feel a part of our community.

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Jen Schwanke. I read this book to a class of fifth graders. An unexpected treat: They were entranced by the question, "Who is Neville?!?"  Some made guesses and started a point-counterpoint on who it might be. So, my takeaway: It would be a fun launch for a mystery unit (in addition to all the other important teaching points of this book!) Thanks so much for the recommendation, Matt!

# data[].attributes.body
On the pages where the kids are yelling together, it's so interesting the way the word "Neville" lines up when they are in sync & the way it doesn't when they aren't. I also like thinking about the way font helps us infer about the character traits of the person yelling, "Neville." (from Ruth)

# data[].attributes.body
I'm curious about the meaning of the series of illustrations on the title page. Time is passing...do you think it was a looooong move? (from Ruth)

# data[].attributes.body
(from Matt)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"We have a vaccine for the pandemic. Where is the vaccine for climate change? Where is the vaccine for conflict? Where is the vaccine for inequality and racism and prejudice and species loss? We all know what the vaccine is against these things. It is called education."

- Simon Anhalt 1, author of The Good Country Equation.

With all the talk about phonics, we might forget about the purpose of reading and why it is important. It seems unwise to separate the two. To address one area out of context of the other might help simplify our jobs as teachers. Yet it can ignore the complexities of reading at our students' expense.

We can promote authentic literacy experiences with opportunities to develop critical thinking. Critical thinking can be defined as "the ability to understand why things are the way they are and to understand the potential consequences of actions" 2. It includes having the capacity to slow down one's thinking, to question what is initially offered as true, and to consider other theories for what we observe.

Just "being" in school over time does not necessarily lead to developing critical thinking. One study found that fact checkers for news outlets were more adept at finding false information online than professors and graduate students. 3 Learning to read is more than just acquiring basic skills and knowledge.

We can develop critical thinking at any age by guiding discussion while reading aloud picture books.

Neville by Norton Juster

I hosted a demonstration lesson on Zoom for our virtual teachers this year. My goals were:

a) to model questioning and paraphrasing so students think more deeply and critically about a text, and

b) to show that complex thinking and learning can occur in online spaces.

I started by presenting an authentic inquiry:

"How do we best make friends?"

About a dozen virtual students, grades K-5, offered their initial thinking.

As I read aloud the story, we started to suspect that the main character was not who he seemed to be.

"Do you agree with his approach to making friends? Why or why not?"

This open question was followed by a lengthy pause. Finally, one student related her experience with developing friendships to the story's situation.

"When I came to this school, I did not know anyone. But I met Alleigh and Callie and over time we became friends." She added specific examples of her friendship-development process.

I followed up with a paraphrase. "So, part of making friends is to keep trying, to show up and to be persistent and kind?" The student nodded. More students then related their knowledge to the discussion. "You should not change in order to make friends," advised another. "Just be yourself."

When the story ended, I asked them what they thought of the ending. "Did you like it or not?" (Warning: Spoiler alert)

One student shared their confusion. "I don't understand why the author had Neville yell out his name, like he was someone else. I don't get it."

Another student responded. "I think the author wanted you to know that Neville didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that came to his mind." A third student concurred. "Yes, that makes sense. The author is pretty creative." A fourth student added on. "Yes, but I don't know how I would feel knowing that Neville had tricked us. I might be upset for a while." Lots of nods.

I summarized our conversation. "It sounds like there are multiples ways to view the author's intentions and to feel about this story. People can have different opinions and positions about the same thing. Can we agree on this?" Many nods.

Beyond the Basics

"How do we leave our children in a better state to fix the world, instead of leaving our world in a better state for our children? That seems to me to be the better question." - Simon Anhalt

So much of reading instruction is focused on developing foundational skills and supporting student comprehension of the text. This typically means getting to the right answer.

Yet in our complex society, dualistic thinking should be the floor and not the ceiling for student success as readers. One outcome we can anticipate when consistently developing students' capacity for critical thinking is social imagination. Selecting quality fiction like Neville is a key to supporting this instruction.

Johnston and colleagues break down the concept of social imagination. 4

"The social imagination has three components: (1) perspective taking (the ability to think about what others are thinking and feeling, (2) empathy (the mostly automatic ability to experience others' feelings), and (3) empathic concern (the disposition to act to help others in response to understanding their experience). Each of these components is necessary for the development of a strong democracy but also for human development. (pg. 138)"

Picture all our students demonstrating these abilities and dispositions as adults. Can we agree on this?
What books beyond Neville 5 would support deeper conversations in classrooms? Share some of your favorite titles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Using Picture Books to Develop Critical Thinking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"We have a vaccine for the pandemic. Where is the vaccine for climate change? Where is the vaccine for conflict? Where is the vaccine for inequality and racism and prejudice and species loss? We all know what the vaccine is against these things. It is called

# data[].attributes.body
The most recent push to focus on foundation reading skills (see: phonics) can be at the expense of so many other critical abilities and dispositions supported by quality reading instruction. For example, "social imagination", described in last year's excellent Engaging Literate Minds, is the capacity for compassion, empathy, and empathic concern. Thinking about January 6 and many of our fellow citizens lacking in this area, social imagination seems necessary. Excellent picture books like Neville along with deep discussion can support this work.