Raymie Nightingale - Kate DiCamillo
A 2016 National Book Award Finalist!
Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable summer friendship. Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways. ~ excerpt taken from Amazon.ca |
Book Trailor by Kate DiCamillo |
Themes: Friendship, Family, Determination, Loyalty, Adapting to Change
Recommended Grades - 4 to 8
Recommended Grades - 4 to 8
Literature Circles:
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Author Study of Kate DiCamillo - Her body of work is so diverse and offers interesting options for students in your class. Her collection of novels include
Because of Winn Dixie MIraculous Journey of Edward Tulane The Tiger Rising Flora and Ulysses The Tale of Despereaux The Magicians Elephant Friendship - Different Syles Roller Girl - VIctoria Jamieson Crossover - Kwame Alexander Center of the Universe - Linda Urban |
Diverse / Loving Families
Surviving the Appplewhites - Stephanie S. Tolan The Watson's Go to Birmingham - 1963 - Christopher Paul Curtis Savvy - Ingrid Law Raymie Nightingale - Kate DiCamillo Wonder - R.J. Palacio The Misadventures of The Family Fletcher - Alison Levy Literature Circles with a Variety of themes related back to Raymie Nightingale. Use the novel as a read aloud, then use these books in literature circles: Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate |
"The sun was very high in the sky.
It hadn't moved.
It seemed like someone had stuck it up there and then walked away and left it." (p. 6)
"The three of them stood there looking at one another.
Raymie felt something expanding inside of her. It felt like a gigantic tent billowing out.
This, Raymie knew, was her soul." (P. 17)
"And then she thought about how in fairy tales people go three wishes and none of the wishes ever turned out right. If the wishes came true, they came true in terrible ways. Wishes were dangerious things. That was the idea you got from fairy tales.
Maybe it was smart of Beverly not to wish." (p. 91)
It hadn't moved.
It seemed like someone had stuck it up there and then walked away and left it." (p. 6)
"The three of them stood there looking at one another.
Raymie felt something expanding inside of her. It felt like a gigantic tent billowing out.
This, Raymie knew, was her soul." (P. 17)
"And then she thought about how in fairy tales people go three wishes and none of the wishes ever turned out right. If the wishes came true, they came true in terrible ways. Wishes were dangerious things. That was the idea you got from fairy tales.
Maybe it was smart of Beverly not to wish." (p. 91)
At the Classroom Bookshelf.com, Mary Ann Cappiello provides a fantastic list of ways to Raymie Nightingale in the classroom.
As she points out, this novel is rich with opportunities where the reader needs to infer what is going on.
A Discussion Guide from Candlewick
Teacher's Guide from Candlewick
Some more Discussion Questions
Studying Character:
Part of bringing characters to life is using dialogue meaningfully. Depending on what tense we're writing in, we don't always get to see into a character's head but with dialogue, we can get some insight. Dialogue is a great way to set a character apart from others just based on what words they use. Have students compare what different characters say and how their words help us understand them better. Then ask students to try focusing on dialogue in their own writing.
All the characters are well written and a strong. Use a graphic organizer to build character maps for Raymie and her friends and the rest of the cast of characters. Students can practice making connections and making inferences about the different characters.
I also love these templates for character analysis that I found a few years ago. You will see that I have linked this site for most of the novels featured here. There are a variety of options here for all ages and grades. The activities that compare two characters are excellent. You can compare the characters in the novel to each other. Or compare them to other novels your students have read.
As she points out, this novel is rich with opportunities where the reader needs to infer what is going on.
A Discussion Guide from Candlewick
Teacher's Guide from Candlewick
Some more Discussion Questions
Studying Character:
Part of bringing characters to life is using dialogue meaningfully. Depending on what tense we're writing in, we don't always get to see into a character's head but with dialogue, we can get some insight. Dialogue is a great way to set a character apart from others just based on what words they use. Have students compare what different characters say and how their words help us understand them better. Then ask students to try focusing on dialogue in their own writing.
All the characters are well written and a strong. Use a graphic organizer to build character maps for Raymie and her friends and the rest of the cast of characters. Students can practice making connections and making inferences about the different characters.
I also love these templates for character analysis that I found a few years ago. You will see that I have linked this site for most of the novels featured here. There are a variety of options here for all ages and grades. The activities that compare two characters are excellent. You can compare the characters in the novel to each other. Or compare them to other novels your students have read.
