Weslandia

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Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. [RL.5.1] Weslandia by Paul Fleischman is an enchanting tale of a boy who didn't fit in with those around him in his community or even at school. He was bullied and misunderstood by his parents and other adults for his "unnormal" behavior. When given the opportunity to create a summer project Wesley took his opportunities to its fullest. He used his knowledge from school to create a land of his own creation; a place where he could fit in. His land grew and grew to the point where Wesley could create everything a stable society needs. He enjoyed his land and was the happiest he had been in a very long time; he even earned the envy of his peers as well as some friends along the way.

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Is it good or bad to follow other people? When should we do as others do, and when should we make up our own minds? 5 Creating new civilisations Wesley is an outsider, ‘ alone in his town‘, alarming his parents ‘ and the school nurse.’ He has no friends but ‘plenty of tormentors.’ When Wesley latches onto a throwaway comment from his father about using his knowledge in a summer project, ‘Weslandia‘ is the result. The result is a beautifully-crafted picture book that can be enjoyed by any child ready to engage with its themes. Wesley invites the random seeds flung by the wind to grow in his garden furrows. What grows is not ‘ tomatoes, beans or Brussels sprouts‘ selection of Wesley’s fellow gardeners. Wesley encourages his unknown crop, tending it until he’s able to experiment with what it may offer him. Fruit, juice, tubers, fronds to weave… Wesley builds a whole new industry and civilisation from his crop.

Some texts with a high score may need to be used with support or by children working at a high level within the stage. A good picture book can go straight to children’s hearts, encouraging reflection, stimulating discussion and creating fertile ground for the kind of activities that broaden and deepen their experience of the story. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing -The story is about the development of agriculture which led to the division of labor, system of writing, and ultimately civilization. The book introduces all of these, along with culture as a whole, and economics.

This is a picture book which encourages inference and has huge potential for relevant links across the curriculum, including to science, PSHE, DT and geography. It is a short story with a tangible dilemma which children can easily relate to. The story can be used to explore connections to wider society and provides a solid platform for exploring life cycles and conservation. Links and themes: One notable difference in the way we read the book, and the way most other reviewers on here read the book is that Wesley being somewhat of an outcast is only a minor subplot. It's a device used to keep the story going. Words and pictures work together seamlessly to deliver a quirky and appealing tale with a depth and power that’s not easily forgotten. Wesley makes his own house as well as all the objects he needs. Ask children to design their own ideal homes. What Wesley likes is books, and he doesn’t want to pretend to be something he’s not – even when he gets bullied for being different.Enter the witty, intriguing world of Weslandia! Now that school is over, Wesley needs a summer project. He’s learned that each civilisation needs a staple food crop, so he decides to sow a garden and start his own - civilization, that is. He turns over a plot of earth, and plants begin to grow. They soon tower above him and bear a curious-looking fruit. As Wesley experiments, he finds that the plant will provide food, clothing, shelter, and even recreation. It isn’t long before his neighbors and classmates develop more than an idle curiosity about Wesley - and exactly how he is spending his summer vacation. Text Rationale: Weslandia tells the story of a young boy, Wesley, who decides to... wait for it... make his own civilization. Starting from a staple crop, and building up slowly through architecture, writing, language, art, and so forth, Wesley builds the civilization of Weslandia. When I read this, I suddenly realized that this was what I dreamed of so often, when as a child I flipped through books about the ancient Egyptians or Romans.