Mr. Hatch lives a lonley and uninteresting life until one day he receives a mysterious package ... as he tries to figure
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli
R.E.D. Zone
Mr. Hatch lives a lonley and uninteresting life until one day he receives a mysterious package with a note that says “Somebody loves you.” Immediately, things begin to turn around for Mr. Hatch as he tries to figure out who sent him this wonderful gift. This is a heartwarming story of the power of love, friendship, and how a simple act of appreciation and kindness goes a long way.
Read
Before:
Introduce the book and tell the children a little bit about it. Follow that with a comment or question that is related to the story such as, what do you think this story is about? Encourage a discussion so the children can comment, ask questions, and express their feelings. Set the stage for listening by asking an “I wonder” statement based on the cover illustration. • I wonder who loves Mr. Hatch?
During:
Encourage the children to comment on the illustrations, ask questions, and predict what will happen next in the story. Children gain confidence and a sense of achievement through being able to correctly predict how a story will end. Introduce the concepts of comparison, perspective and persuasion to help the children relate to their meaning in a way that makes sense to them.
Rare Words in Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch • • • • • • • • • • •
prune: a piece of dried fruit satiny: something that is smooth and shiny fluttered: fell lightly dustcloth: a cloth used for cleaning admirer: a person who likes another person aftershave: a scented lotion that soothes the face after shaving mysterious: something difficult to explain or understand harmonica: a small, rectangular instrument that makes sounds recall: to remember streamers: long strips of paper for decorations handkerchief: a small square of cloth used especially for wiping the face
After:
Discuss the story. Ask questions… • Why does Mr. Hatch always do and eat the same things every day? • How did Mr. Hatch’s life change after he received the Valentine package? • Why did Mr. Hatch start doing nice things for other people? • When Mr. Hatch finds out that the chocolates were given to him by mistake, how do you think he felt? How would you feel if that happened to you? • Would you rather have a huge box of chocolates and eat them all yourself or have a small box fo chocolates and share them with a friend? • What do you think this story tells us about how to make friends?
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Do “Somebody Loves You” Coupons Print and cut out the coupons below. Have the students write their own coupons and give them to someone special.
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