Sam Bangs & Moonshine

Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness

Genre: Caldecott Award Winner
Grade Level: 2
Summary: This story is about a young girl named Sam. She tells stories that are hard to believe.  Many people do not believe the things she says. Sam tends to fabricate her stories. Things didn't change until she told her friend Thomas, that her dead mother was a mermaid. So, Thomas went to go look for Sam's mother in a terrible storm. Thomas and Sam's cat got wiped into the water with the gust of wind. Sam's dad found Thomas but not the cat. You will have to read the end to find out what happened to Sam's cat.
Theme/Skill: Being able to tell the difference between a lie and a story. Stress the fact that not all stories are good stories to tell if they aren't the truth.
Pre-reading activities: Does anyone know what moonshine is? Who could give an example of a lie? What happens when you are not truthful? Does it hurt just you? Determine the differences between a lie, joke, and a story. What can happen when we aren't truthful and start to tell lies? What happens to us and the people around us?
Post-reading activities: What was your favorite part of the story? Does this remind you of a time that someone might have not been truthful to you? Do you think that you've not been honest with someone?
Assessment: How well has the student been paying attention and paying close attention to detail. *Write a journal entry about either one time you were not told the truth or when someone had lied to you. Include how this made you feel, why you did it or why they might have done it, and what you would do now if you were given the chance to change it or do it again.
Reflection: This is a great realistic challenge because some kids do overexaggerate and bluff details in stories. Some children fib or lie and it could result in hurting another person's feelings or themselves. This book is very interesting and a great read for the younger grades. The activities could be changed to best fit older students if needed.