Barbara Santucci: Children's Author and Artist

Curriculum Connections

Anna's Corn

Print: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Discussion Guide for
Anna's Corn.

[page 1] -- [page 2]

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Themes

Death
Recovering from a loss
Remembering loved ones
Coping with sadness
The importance of sharing the things you love with your family

Response Suggestions

After reading the book discuss how the story relates to the experience of the readers/listeners. Download Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Discussion Guide for Anna's Corn. [download page 1] -- [download page 2]
Most children have had someone special that they have lost to death. Allow children to share special memories of their loved ones and then think of a tangible object that might be a keepsake to help children remember that person. For example: Anna has a leather bag of seed corn that she was able to plant. Another child might have a grandmother that loved to grow roses so perhaps a rose could be fashioned from modeling clay or fabric. A grandparent who enjoyed baseball games might have some baseball keepsakes as a remembrance.
Create a memory box to commemorate special times with a special person currently in the child's life. Make a 3-d collage of pictures and other appropriate memorabilia.
Read one or more of the books listed in the "Booklist" below and compare and contrast the manner in which Anna remembers her grandfather with the manner that the young boy or girl in any one of these books remember his/her loved one.

Booklist

Farolitos for Abuelo by Rudolfo A. Anaya

Luz places luminaria around her grandfather's grave on Christmas Eve, as a way to remember her.
Fox Song by Joseph Bruchac

Jamie remembers many special things about her Indian great-grandmother -- special things that the two of them shared about the natural world.
I Had a Friend Named Peter: Talking to Children About the Death of a Friend by Janice Cohn

Betsy has lost her best friend. The many questions she has about dying, funerals, and the burial process are answered by Betsy's parents and kindergarten teacher.

La Abuelita de Arriba y La Abuelita de Abajo (Spanish) and Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs (English) by Tomie dePaola

A small boy enjoys his relationship with his grandmother and his great-grandmother, but he learns to face their inevitable death.
Ghost Wings by Barbara M. Joosse

A small boy enjoys his relationship with his grandmother and his great-grandmother, but he learns to face their inevitable death.

Fireflies, Peach Pies, & Lullabies by Virginia L. Kroll

When Francie's Great-Granny Annabel dies of Alzheimer's disease she decides that she wants to help people remember Great-Granny Annabel as the real person she was -- the person she was before the disease changed her.
Abuelita's Paradise by Carmen Santiago Nodar

After her grandmother dies, Marita sits in Abuelita's rocking chair and remembers the stories Abuelita told of life in Puerto Rico.

Upside-Dwn Cake By Carol Carrick

A young boy celebrates his ninth birthday with his father who is celebrating his fortieth birthday on the same day with a deliciously gooey pineapple upside-down cake. Shortly after the boy's father becomes ill and dies. Celebrating his tenth birthday with another deliciously gooey pineapple upside-down cake helps the boy remember his father in a special way.