The first class read aloud has come and ended. We finished reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. Edward was loved, tossed over board, found, and lost again. The journey swept us away with emotion. Crying in front of my students while reading (more than once if I am being honest) isn’t something I do often. When reading this book, it is impossible to not feel something.
All biased feelings aside, Kate DiCamillo delivers gold with this story. There are many big ideas and life lessons. One big idea that stuck with the class was:
“Open your heart to love.”
The Miraculous Journey
- Edward is a fixed star,
- At the bottom of the ocean he is blotted out,
- Susanna learns stars are apart of connected constellations,
- Malone is welcomed like warmth around a campfire,
- As scarecrow he is mocked by the stars, and
- Jangles is loved, gives love and ends up heartbroken.
Read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. You won’t be disappointed. Keep tissues handy. The coda, let’s leave it there. I’m tearing up thinking about it. What a journey!