Your child is reading “Boom Town” by Sonia Levitin. In this historical fiction selection, a girl named Amanda helps her family out during the gold rush by making pies and selling them to the miners. Soon a town – a boom town- springs up around her business. You may enjoy discussing the story and doing these activities with your child. Together you can develop and explore your child’s language skills.
More Books from the Past
Discuss with your child the fact that many stories are set in the past.
You may be able to find these stories in your local library:
• Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression by Kate Lied. National
Geographic Society, 1997.
• Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell. Greenwillow, 1997.
• Dust for Dinner by Ann Turner. Harper-Collins, 1997.
Back in Time
Pretend that you and your child can travel to a time in the past. Decide where you would go and which time period in that place in history most appeals to you. If you can find some pictures of that time period, look at them together. Talk about what
would be different in your lives if you lived back then and what would be the same as today. Make a list of these differences and similarities. Suggest that your child draw a picture of what you both might be dressed like during the trip to the past.
