Libby Bloom is a humorous beginning chapter book that keeps the reader smiling, even through the serious parts. Among the thought provoking themes students will explore are family, friendship, activism and self-confidence. This guide offers a variety of interdisciplinary tie-ins.

Materials:

Libby Bloom

Plan:

FRIENDSHIP -- Ask students to name the qualities they look for in a friend (i.e. similar interests, willingness to share, loyalty, a good listener, etc.) Afterward, have the students find examples of where Libby and Ralph’s friendship have the same qualities they have listed. Discuss this statement: In order to have a friend, you must first be a friend.

FAMILY-- Ask students to describe Libby’s relationship with her parents and sister. Does age difference affect the sisters' relationship? How is her family similar to yours? Different? How do her parents support Libby when she gets “cold feet” after Mrs. Whippo invites her to the school board meeting?

SELF-CONFIDENCE -- Have students discuss Libby’s feelings as she compares herself with her talented older sister, Noel. Bring into the discussion the meaning of envy and lack of self-confidence. How does Libby eventually become more self-confident? Ask students what it says about a person who other people call, “having a big head.” Help them to recognize that true self-confidence can only be gained though effort -- when you are willing to work hard toward a goal.

MATH*-- The book begins with Libby singing off-key in the school chorus. Ask students what range of singing voices are in their chorus (i.e. soprano, alto). What does Libby sing? Lead them to conclude that since Libby struggles to sing the high part, she is probably an alto.

Ask students to count the number of high range voices and low range voices for both boys and girls in the school chorus. Have them graph the results. Younger students can construct a bar graph, while older students can construct a pie graph using percentages.

Prediction: Have students predict how voice range changes as they mature and find out what other singing voices -- besides soprano and alto -- are in their local high school chorus (tenor, bass). Make a graph, then compare the two graphs.

SOCIAL STUDIES -- Mr. Cheney, the band teacher, shares this advice: “The things in life that come hard, that really challenge us, we end up valuing the most. Like learning to play the tuba or working to make right what we believe is wrong.” When he writes an editorial on budget cuts for the local paper, Libby is inspired to do something herself. She turns her interest in cartoon drawing into her own political activism.

Ask students what famous and not so famous people they can name who have tried to “make right what they believe is wrong,” bringing into the discussion the term “political activism” (i.e. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Susan B. Anthony.) Can they name someone in their own community?

LANGUAGE ARTS -- Ask students to bring in the editorial pages of their local newspaper. Have them choose an article that they strongly agree/disagree with. Ask them to write their own editorial response. Or, if they prefer, have them write on another issue that they feel strongly about (i.e. protecting the environment, use of animal fur, school dress code.)

On page 4 after Libby burps, the boys “were rolling in their chairs, guffawingat they feel strongly about (i.e. protecting the environment, use of animal fur, school dress code.)

On page 4 after Libby burps, the boys “were rolling in their chairs, guffawing