When I was a child, I refused to read a `blue card book`. The blue

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Little Little
by
When I was a child, I refused to read a ‘blue card book’. The blue cards
were in the pockets in the backs of the nonfiction books in the Guelph
Public Library. I liked stories better than facts. So as I began telling the
story of my life, in spite of myself, it turned into a tale compounded of
both truth and imagination. Although everything that happens in these
pages has truth in it, not every word is based on fact. I took my memories
and rearranged them, filling in details as I went along. I do not really
remember every word that I or others said so long ago. I do, however,
know exactly how it felt and what we were likely to have said. If I had
included all the background material of which I was then ignorant, this
might have turned into a full scale, factual autobiography. I could not let
that happen. The child I was would never have forgiven me.
If you find yourself portrayed
inaccurately in these pages,
remember that memory—yours
as well as mine—is a chancy
thing and not to be trusted. I
have tried to write faithfully of
my life as it seemed to me. If
you have a different story to
tell, go right ahead. I would
love to read your version.
by Jean Little
from Little By Little (Puffin)
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Teaching notes for
Little by Little
Text form: Autobiographical narrative
Medium: Book
Field:
The story of an author’s childhood,
growing up with a loving family, and
overcoming a disability.
Tenor:
Narrator to general audience
Mode:
Written
OTHER
RESOURCES
Examples of biographies and autobiographies.
INTRODUCING
THE UNIT
Tell students that the text is the author’s note written as
a preface to her book, Little by Little, A Writer’s Education
(Jean Little, Puffin Books, 1989).
LET’S
TALK ABOUT IT!
Little by Little is an autobiographical narrative. Explain to
students that a biography is someone recounting events
in someone else’s life, while a personal recount of events
in one’s own life is an autobiography. Clarify that the
novel is a narrative with an orientation, complication,
series of events and resolution. Explain that in each
chapter of the book the main character faces problems
and difficulties which have to be overcome, building up
to the final resolution.The author classifies her
autobiography as a story. Discuss why the author chose
not to tell a ‘full scale factual autobiography’.Talk to
students about the ‘you’ in the text.
FIRST
AND THIRD PERSON
Provide time for students to select their novels and to
work in groups to share the extracts they have selected
to read. Assess students’ abilities to read aloud. Discuss
the differences between the novels from which the
students chose their extracts. Point out the use of verbs
to represent what characters are thinking and feeling.
Point out pronouns, for example I, we, us, our, me, and
my as used in first person texts and he, she, them, their
as used in third person texts.
WRITE
A NARRATIVE
Discuss with students the functions of the stages of a
narrative text, and how authors manipulate these stages
as they write. Some novels begin at the end of the story
and then go back to the beginning to tell of events that
led to events at the ending. Other novels begin with the
complication so that the reader is immediately involved
with the characters’ lives and problems. In this case the
orientation may be woven into the complication. Ask
the librarian to find different examples of structures for
students to read. Suggest that students experiment with
the order of the stages in their own writing.
DEPICTIONS
Have students present their depictions. After a period of
quiet viewing and reflecting choose members of the
audience to suggest dialogue for people involved in the
depictions so that we understand what is happening.
Discuss how body language communicates meaning.
Encourage students to express any differences in opinion
about the meaning of the depictions, and the feelings
and events represented in them.
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FOLLOW-UP/
EXTENSION
Ask the librarian for
examples of biographies
and autobiographies.
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Name _________________________________________ Date _______________
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Little by Little
Let’s talk about it!
This extract is from the author’s note at the beginning of a book called Little
By Little. What sort of book do you think it is?
To whom is the author speaking when she issues the invitation, ‘If you have a
different story to tell, go right ahead’?
Have you ever read a book that someone else hated
and you thoroughly enjoyed? Or have you ever seen a
movie that bored you senseless yet someone else had
recommended it? Write about it.
It’s boring
Depictions
Work with two others in your class to create a depiction.
A depiction is a frozen picture, created from your own bodies
and some furniture or props, to depict an event. Discuss with
the other members of your group what scene you will depict.
Ensure that you use body language to communicate tension in
your depiction. Show your depiction to others in your class.
Write the dialogue best suited to your depiction below.
NA 4.2 NSW 3.3 Considers aspects of context, purpose and audience when speaking and listening and discusses ways in which spoken language differs from written.
NA 4.4 NSW 3.2 Interacts in different sized groups using effective communication skills and strategies and listening attentively.
NA 4.5 NSW 3.5 Reads an extensive range of texts with fairly complex structures and features, justifying own interpretation of ideas, information and events in the
response to themes and issues.
NA 4.6 NSW 3.7 Analyses and explains techniques to position the reader and to interpret experiences differently in texts.
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Name _________________________________________ Date _______________
Little by Little
First and third person
The extract is written in first person. This means that the author uses ‘I’ to refer to
herself throughout the book. Novels are written in either first person or third
person. In third person, the author writes about the characters (and from one or
more points of view) but is not one of them. Visit your library and find a novel that
is written in first person and one that is written in third person. Choose a
paragraph from each novel to read to a group of classmates. Rehearse your
reading.
Record the details of the two books.
Title
Publisher
Date
Page
third person
first person
Author
What’s the difference?
Write down some differences you noticed between the novels in first person and
the novels in third person.
NA 4.6 NSW 3.7 Analyses and explains techniques to position the reader and to interpret experiences differently in texts.
NA 4.7 NSW 3.8 Identifies the structures of different texts and with assistance discusses the grammatical structures and features that shape readersí and
listenersí understanding of texts.
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Name _________________________________________ Date _______________
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Little by Little
Write a narrative
Write a story for the scene depicted in the drawing. Write in third person.
Remember to include an orientation, complication, series of events and a
resolution. Plan your narrative carefully and draft it after using the narrative
scaffold. Read your writing to a partner and ask for their suggestions. Revise
your narrative and then write your final draft on the lines. If you need more
room, write on extra paper and attach the paper to your book.
NA 4.9 NSW 3.9 Writes well structured literary and factual texts using challenging topics, ideas and issues for a variety of purposes and audiences.
NA 4.11 NSW 3.14 Discusses and evaluates how texts have been constructed to achieve their purpose and shape readers’ and viewers’ understandings using grammatical
features and structures.
NA 4.12a NSW 3.10 Uses a range of strategies to plan, edit and proofread own writing.
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