Poppy (1)

LEXILE 670/650

Given my recent owl obsession, it's a bummer that the great horned owl Mr. Ocax is the villain in Poppy by Avi. But alas, our heroine Poppy is a deer mouse who avenges the death of her fiance while defending her family from the dangers lurking in Dimwood Forest. During her journey, she meets some interesting characters and learns a lot about herself along the way. The story truly embodies the classic elements of a hero’s journey, only with endearing forest animals playing the roles.

Our last read aloud of fifth grade ties in with our science theme of biodiversity and the food chain. It also incorporates letter writing practice, further exploration of character traits, vocabulary development, and a review of figurative language such as the alliteration found in the speech patterns of Ereth the porcupine.

There are six books in the Poppy series, and it lends itself well to a variety of

elementary lessons. A teaching guide is located on the prolific author's website. The fast-paced dialogue and witty repartee between the animals as well as descriptive action scenes full of suspense make this book a favorite in the classroom. It’s fun to let students take turns doing dramatic readings of the character’s lines.

In the book Poppy's Return, I enjoyed the themes dealing with family dynamics: Poppy's reluctance to return to her childhood home, her strained relationships with her teenage son and her sister, the skunk Mephitis's feelings about his lack of family. But the story became clunky for me when the animals take control of an old bulldozer and destroy the derelict New House.