Friday Fun with Molly Lou Melon

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon is a terrific read aloud book supporting themes of self esteem, believing in yourself, families, friendship, and dealing with bullies. Molly Lou's grandmother encourages Molly Lou to believe in herself and to appreciate and value the qualities that make Molly Lou the person she is. It is Molly Lou's strong sense of self that helps her to deal with a school bully and to earn the respect of her classmates and the bully too. Wonderful story. 

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Molly Lou Mellon Literature Resources: (see literature connection activities further down)

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon Lesson Plan

Scholastic's Molly Lou's Special Qualities lesson plan and resources

Penguin's Read Aloud Activity Guide (various titles)



Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Molly Lou Melon sits in a room overflowing with toys and whoseywhatits of all kinds when her grandmother tells her that back in the old days she made her toys of things she found. Molly Lou soon discovers that using your imagination can be more exciting than any store bought toy. Then Gertie, a new neighbor moves in next door and Molly Lous overhears her telling her mother she is bored, bored, bored. Molly Lou invites Gertie over to play and introduces her to tin can phones, cardboard racecars and the beauty of skywatching.

Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon is a wonderful read aloud highlighting the power of using your imagination. Tie this read aloud in with making crafts from recycled materials, or items found in nature. Try the tin can phones, dolls made from twigs and flowers, cardboard racecars or robots and of course take a walking trip outdoors to lay back and watch the sky. You never know what you will see in the clouds.

Literature connection activities-crafts, recycle projects.

Recycle projects: Make a Paper Cup Phone to Talk to Your Friends

Materials

2 empty, clean paper or plastic cups
1 nail and hammer or ice pick (adult supervision is a must!)
10-20 feet of white cotton string, fishing line, or sewing thread (the shorter the line, the better the reception)

1. Take 2 paper or plastic cups
2. Turn the cups upside down with the bottom end facing up.
3. Use a nail or ice pick to punch a hole through the flat surface of the end of both cups (adults perform this step).
4. Measure out a length or string or sewing thread about 10-20 feet.
5. Thread one end of the string through one of the holes. Make a strong knot in the string on the inside of the cup, so that the string remains attached.. Repeat with the other cup and the other end of string. The two cups are now connected to each other.
6. Stretch the two cups apart until the string is taut or tight.
7. Speak into the mouth of the open end of your cup (Transmitter) while a friend holds an ear up to the opened end of her cup to listen (Receiver).

Optimizing a Tin Can Phone: Why it's better to use paper cups and sewing thread for tin cup phone project