"Fear and bravery are partners. You can't be brave without first being afraid. If you're not ready to be brave--ask for help."

Content Area Connections:

Language Arts: Determine the central message about kindness, courage, and responsibility. Ask and answer questions about ideas presented in the text. Explain how specific examples in the book show ways boys contribute to their families and communities. Write or dictate short reflections describing qualities that make someone a responsible community member.
Social Studies: Essential qualities of members of a community, how people work together to build community, how families provide support and have their own history, people see different events from different points of view, characteristics of responsible citizenship, document person or family history, how diverse communities shape who we are, civic ideals.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Identify personal strengths and values that shape identity (self-awareness). Practice respectful communication and encouragement with peers (relationship skills). Discuss how caring actions, honesty, and responsibility strengthen communities (responsible decision-making). Recognize and value diverse ways people express kindness, leadership, and courage (social awareness).
Art: Examine how illustrations use gesture, color, and setting to represent actions and character traits. Interpret visual details that show cooperation, kindness, and leadership. Create a portrait or scene that visually represents a positive action students can take to contribute to their family, school, or community.

Primary Source Connection: 

• Students can create their own primary sources that represent their own family, school or community 
• Children within communities - Set from Library of Congress
• Images of various families across time

Other Books: 

• All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
• The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
• The Heart of a Boy by Kate T. Parker