Serafina's Promise

Serafina’s Promise by Ann E. Burg
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 2013

Citation: Burg, A. E. (2013). Serafina's promise: A novel in verse. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. Fall 2013 Parent's Choice Gold Award
2. NAACP Image Award: Nominee
3. 2014 ALA Notable Children's Book

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 5
Lexile Measure: 590L
DRA: 40
Guided Reading: S

-Original description of the book
Ann Burg tells this amazing realistic fiction book in verse, which I believe can help pique the interests of students who don’t like reading as much. The way that Ann splits this book into three different parts is a great way to show the different hardships Serafina had to overcome and each section showed the reader how much she has grown in such a short time. Serafina’s Promise also has great analogies and metaphors that would help the students relate to the feeling, and even the situation. This book also helps give students a view of what is happening in other countries and cultures and how different they are to ours. It helps students gain a multi-cultural perspective. Ann also uses at least three different languages in the book that shows students that in some countries people have to learn at least 2-3 different languages to be social in that country. In this book, Ann uses English, Creole and French and at the end of the book she gives us the Haitian Creole Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide along with a Glossary of Foreign Phrases that she uses throughout the book. This was a good thing to add in because a lot of students who will read this may not know how to say these words and will be able to help them say the words the right way

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. (Activity that addresses the standard: After Reading Comprehension Activity)

-Suggested delivery
1) Read Aloud
2) Independent Read

-2 electronic resources
1) Earthquakes
2) Compassion Kids Magazine

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) One way to use Serafina’s Promise to the class is to teach about homelessness and poverty. Be compassionate about it and try to answer as many questions as you can without making other students uncomfortable.

2) Another way you can use this book in the classroom is to teach about different cultures and their values/languages. Students this young might not be able to see beyond their own four walls and teaching them about different cultures and perspectives will help them become more accepting to diversity and understanding of the different cultural values.

3) A third way that Serafina’s Promise can be used in the class is to stress the importance of determination and perseverance that occurs in this book. Serafina wanted to go to school to become a doctor and had to work very hard to get her wish. This will help young students understand that if they want something, they will have to work for and the reward will be much more satisfying when the students know that all of their hard work paid off.

-Key vocabulary
1) Ravine: a deep narrow gorge with steep sides
2) Chamber pots: pots that were used as toilets at night in the Victorian times
3) Tonton Macoutes: created in 1959 by dictator Francois ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier because he believed that the actual Haitian military was a threat to his power
4) Poverty: the condition of having little to no goods, money or support; a condition of being poor
5) Amaranth: an imaginary, undying flower
6) Perseverance: constant persistence in doing something that has a purpose regardless of any difficulties, obstacles or discouragement

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
In order to check if the students are using their inferential comprehension, have the students write their own story in verse, not necessarily as long, but have them write about something they went through in life that caused them to persevere in hard times. If students haven’t had that opportunity, encourage the students to think of someone they know who has gone through a hard time and persevered through it. This might be a parent, friend, grandparent, aunt or anyone who the student sees and has some type of relationship with.

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: Ask students what they think the book is about based on the title, cover, and front matter. Have students write down their predictions on a piece of paper, which will be used as their hypothesis for their book report.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: While the students are reading, have the students take notes on the events that happen throughout the book. They will use this as cited information for their book reports and how it relates to their hypothesis.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Once the students finish the book, they will write a summary of the book in their own words using their predictions on what will happen and the information they got from the book. This will show the teacher who fully comprehends the book and who are still struggling with the concepts of the book.