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October 2006 Friends Forever

The Secrets of Your Child’s Social Life: http://www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool/social.html Respecting Differences http://www.pbs.org/parents/inclusivecommunities/differences.html

FRIENDS FOREVER Making new friends can be challenging, especially when you feel lonely or different. Franny, Maya and Miguel, and even Big Bird all have friends who are different from themselves. They know that it is important to look beyond those differences and celebrate what makes each person unique. Understanding and respecting differences are the first steps in establishing new friendships. Remember, you can’t judge a book by its cover; we all have something special to offer. View FRANNY’S FEET Iguana Play Paddleball to see how Franny looks past differences to befriend a misunderstood iguana and change his life forever. Read Big Al and Shrimpy and see how an unlikely pair become great friends and how their friendship saves Big Al’s life. Then make a Friendship Scrapbook together with your children and encourage them to think about the good in people around them and why positive traits are so important. Web Resources:

VIEW: Franny’s Feet (#112)

Bright Idea/Iguana Play PaddleBall Sunday, October 23, 2006 @ 3:30 p.m.

Iguana Play Paddleball: Franny travels to the Galapagos Islands, where she makes friends with a seal and a giant tortoise. They invite her to play paddleball, but won't chase after the ball because they fear they'll run into the monster that lives in the rocks. Franny discovers that the monster is actually a friendly, but lonely iguana. Franny makes the introductions - and they all become good friends. In Franny's Treasures, Franny and Bobby help the audience learn about similarities and differences among seals, tortoises, and iguanas.

While You’re Watching… Ask Children:

• How do you think it made the iguana feel when the seal and giant tortoise were afraid of him?

• What did seal and giant tortoise learn about iguana in the end?

• Do you think Franny is a good friend? Why?

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Support for Thirteen’s Ready To Lead in Literacy Service is made possible by the Uris Brothers Foundation with additional support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Hilton Hotels Corporation, and the Bloomingdale’s Fund of the Federated Department Stores Foundation.

Hogula, Dread Pig of Night by Jean Graily George and Martha by James Marshall (Illustrator) That’s What a Friend Is by P.K. Hallinan Will I Have a Friend? by Miriam Cohen and

Lillian Hoban (Illustrator)

READ: Big Al and Shrimpy

By Andrew Clements and Yoshi (Illustrator)

Poor Shrimpy! He wants to be like Big Al, loved and adored by all the other fish. But who would want to be friends with such a teeny, tiny fish? Big Al, that's who! He's big and scary-looking, and he remembers what it was like to be friendless. Still, all the other fish think Shrimpy's just a nuisance. Then one day, when Big Al's life is in danger, Shrimpy is the only one brave enough and smart enough to save the day. Suddenly, everyone can see that friends come in all shapes and sizes and Shrimpy turns out to be the best friend any fish could want!

Other Recommended Books:

DO: A Friendship Scrapbook

Materials: Cardboard or grocery sack Recycled computer paper or newsprint magazines to cut up Markers or crayons Glue or tape Directions: Together with your child discuss all the types of friends they have such as school friends, neighborhood friends, family friends, animal friends, book friends, imaginary friends, and so on. Create a scrapbook cover out of cardboard or paper grocery sack, and use newsprint or recycled computer paper for the pages. Draw a picture or make a collage on the cover. Then draw pictures of friends on the pages, or cut pictures from magazines to represent friends and paste them in the scrapbook.

Ask your child to talk about each friend’s positive qualities. Write what your child tells you about each of the friends they have included in their scrapbook.

Adapted from Reading Rainbow http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/family/activities/activity43.html