Their Favorite Books…

Warm and engaging By Patricia Polacco

A first grade teacher introduced me to this book several years ago. She brought the book to my second grade classroom and told me how much her former students (my current class) enjoyed the story of Thunder Cake. The children were so happy to see the book again that they cheered. I’ve been happy to read it ever since.

Author Patricia Polacco tells the story of how her grandma (Babushka) helped her overcome her fear of the thunderstorms that swept through their Michigan farmlands. Grandma reveals to her granddaughter that an impending thunderstorm is no time to be anxious but rather time to gather the ingredients for a special cake made only on such stormy occasions. Thunder Cake is a beautifully detailed story of a tender and protective grandma and her timid but trusting grandchild.

The first time I read this story one of my students even copied the recipe from the back of the book and passed it out to the class the next day. I love this book for several reasons and I’m sure that you’ll find several more once you read it yourself.