Books for Central Message - 10.23.2020

 Central Message and Theme Books

The Common Core Standards call for 1st-3rd grade to teach students the central message of the story.  Second and third grade should also teach the moral of the story as they work in folktales and fables.  The switch comes in 4th grade and up  when they are to teach the theme of a story.  But what is the difference between them?

Let's work our way backwards and start with theme.

Theme is a big, universal idea.  It is usually not explicitly stated.  Readers have to take the details and nuances that are spread throughout the story and think about the big idea the author is trying to get across to the reader.  Themes can be expressed in a single word (friendship, courage, bravery) or in a sentence.  However, the theme is an idea that can be applied to all people, not just to the characters in the story.  I think because theme is taught through high school, it's an idea that teachers are more familiar with.

But, just like so many big ideas, students go up the learning ladder to get to theme.  First, they start with the central message.  But what's the difference?  The central message is a specific aspect to the larger idea of theme.  When readers think about the specific details in the story, they think about what bigger ideas the author is trying to tell the reader.  Readers are encouraged to think about what the author wants them to know or understand about the story.  A central message is stated in a sentence, not in a single word. It relates directly to the text, instead of a universal idea.  It may be stated as a lesson of the story, especially when reading a folktale or fable.

Here is a list of books that work well with central message.  While they could also be used for theme, they work well for younger readers who can take the more obvious details of the story and come up with the message or lesson in the story.

The Barnabus Project

by The Fan Brothers

We Will Rock Our Classmates

by Ryan T. Higgins

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost

by Flavia Z. Drago

Red Shoes

written by Karen English

illustrated by Ebony Glenn

Feast of Peas

written by Kashmira Sheth

illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler

 

Swim Swim Sink

by Jenn Harney

A Normal Pig

by K-Fai Steele

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree

written by Jamie L.B. Deenihan

illustrated by Lorraine Rocha

Kevin the Unicorn: It's Not All Rainbows

by Jessika Von Innerebner

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao

by Kat Zhang

illustrated by Charlene Chua

Sweety

by Andrea Zuill

Because

written by Mo Willems

illustrated by Amber Ren

The Good Egg

written by Jory John

illustrated by Pete Oswald

Super Manny Stands Up

written by Kelly DiPucchio

illustrated by Stephanie Graegin

Excellent Ed

written by Stacy McAnulty

illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach

In a few weeks I'll be back to share some titles that work for theme.