2009 Nominee: The Blizzard

Although a blizzard keeps his cousins from visiting on his birthday, a disappointed Billy ends up having a very special day when his teacher and classmates must stay overnight at his family's house to wait out the snowstorm.

Author: Betty Ren Wright

• biography link
• no photo available

Illustrator: Ronald Himler

• biography and photo

Book Activities

• Discussion questions:  What is a blizzard? What do you do when there is a blizzard? Tell about a not-so-great birthday. What happened or didn't happen?
  
• Language arts: Have groups plan a class birthday party. Decide on a theme, make invitations, make birthday cards, write directions for games, make a menu.
  
• Writing: Write about your perfect birthday or a snow day. Make a list of fun things to do on a snow day.
  
• Math: Graph birthday months and/or days of the month
• Science: Chart the weather for a month, recording precipitation, storms, temperature, etc. Research record setting blizzards or snow storms. Research Blizzards,
• Social Studies: Learn about one-room schools. Discuss the impact of  blizzards on travel, commerce, utilities, etc.
• Drama: Do a pantomime of birthday activities such as blowing out the candles, etc.
• Cooking/Food: What would you serve to unexpected guests?
  
• Art: Make a picture of a "blizzard" day, Use a white "wash" to look like blowing snow.
  
• Music: Sing some of the songs from the story.
  
• Movement: Make a human chain in an open area. Have only the first person with eyes open, lead the others.
• Technology: Brainstorm weather words and their meanings. Illustrate slides to make a weather dictionary in Kid Pix.  Put the slides into a class slide show.
• Compare and Contrast: The Blizzard with Nora's Ark, another Monarch book about a flood.
  

Related Books

• Brave Irene by William Steig
• Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
• Blizzard of the Blue Moon
• Blizzard by Judith Stamper (a Magic School Bus chapter book)
• Hard Times on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (a Little House chapter book)
• One-room School by Ray Bial
• Blizzard by Jim Murphy
• My Great Aunt Arizona by

Websites

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2009 Nominee Resources