Reviews: "Despite the occasionally creaky plot, Mary Lou's bouncy entries are still a lot of fun. Readers will enjoy her wry commentary on The Odyssey (on the school reading list), and girls especially will identify with Mary Lou's disgust at the giddy behavior of boy-crazy best friend Beth Ann and her own giggly rhapsodies on her first romance." Publisher's Weekly |
Bibliography:
Creech, S. (1990). Absolutely normal chaos. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Creech, S. (1990). Absolutely normal chaos. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Reading Level: An AR reading level of 4.7 (4th/5th grade) with an interest level of middle grades (4th-8th grade).
Suggested Delivery: Independent
Summary:
Mary Lou is totally bored by her summer assignment, keeping a journal of her summer. At least, that is how it all started then her strange cousin, Carl Ray, came to visit and life got interesting. There's a mystery afoot about their deceased neighbor, a ring, and Carl Ray. Her totally boring summer assignment becomes a recollection of a crazy, unbelievable, and fantastical summer.
Mary Lou is totally bored by her summer assignment, keeping a journal of her summer. At least, that is how it all started then her strange cousin, Carl Ray, came to visit and life got interesting. There's a mystery afoot about their deceased neighbor, a ring, and Carl Ray. Her totally boring summer assignment becomes a recollection of a crazy, unbelievable, and fantastical summer.
Vocabulary:
Before Reading Strategy:
Read page 1 (Mary Lou's note to her teacher) as a class. Discuss what predictions students have for the book. Ask students why they think Mary Lou doesn't want her teacher to read her journal. Keep a list of predictions.
After reading the book, return to the list. Discuss what happened in the book and compare what happened to the predictions.
This will give students a goal and use inferential comprehension.
Read page 1 (Mary Lou's note to her teacher) as a class. Discuss what predictions students have for the book. Ask students why they think Mary Lou doesn't want her teacher to read her journal. Keep a list of predictions.
After reading the book, return to the list. Discuss what happened in the book and compare what happened to the predictions.
This will give students a goal and use inferential comprehension.
During Reading Strategy:
Have students keep their own journal for a week or two before reading the book. After reading a specified section, have students compare their journals to the format of the book. Use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast what the students notice. Use this time to discuss the features of a journal.
This will give students a connection to the story and provide students with background knowledge on journal reading.
Have students keep their own journal for a week or two before reading the book. After reading a specified section, have students compare their journals to the format of the book. Use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast what the students notice. Use this time to discuss the features of a journal.
This will give students a connection to the story and provide students with background knowledge on journal reading.
After Reading Strategy:
Inferential Comprehension Writing Activity:
Electronic Resources:
| This is a YouTube trailer for the book Absolutely Normal Chaos. It gives a great overview of the highlights of the book that can help get kids interested in reading the book. |