Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick This book is a historical fiction novel based on the true story of Arn Chorn-Pond who survived the Cambodian Genocide from 1975-1979. The story is told in fragmented English from his point of view as a young boy. This book would be good for teaching similes because there are several used. The author writes "music is like air, always there" (p. 3). Music turns out to be a monumental part of Arn's life and in the book you find out why, so good questions to ask would be: How does music affect Arn's life? and would he have survived without music? Another simile can be found when Arn's Aunt tells him "Be like the grass" (p. 37). Questions to go along with this simile could be: What does Arn's Aunt mean?, Does Arn follow her advice?, Why or Why not? This book also provides a good teaching opportunity for making an inference. At one point in the book, after Arn comes to the United States, he says "After all the thing I been through, now being rescue is something I also have to survive" (p. 195). Discussion of what Arn means by this can help students draw an inference because the author does not explain exactly what is meant, It can also bring up discussions of cultural differences and adjusting to a whole new life.
This book is a historical fiction novel based on the true story of Arn Chorn-Pond who survived the Cambodian Genocide from 1975-1979. The story is told in fragmented English from his point of view as a young boy. This book would be good for teaching similes because there are several used. The author writes "music is like air, always there" (p. 3). Music turns out to be a monumental part of Arn's life and in the book you find out why, so good questions to ask would be: How does music affect Arn's life? and would he have survived without music? Another simile can be found when Arn's Aunt tells him "Be like the grass" (p. 37). Questions to go along with this simile could be: What does Arn's Aunt mean?, Does Arn follow her advice?, Why or Why not? This book also provides a good teaching opportunity for making an inference. At one point in the book, after Arn comes to the United States, he says "After all the thing I been through, now being rescue is something I also have to survive" (p. 195). Discussion of what Arn means by this can help students draw an inference because the author does not explain exactly what is meant, It can also bring up discussions of cultural differences and adjusting to a whole new life.