Charlotte and the Rock
Charlotte has always wanted a pet, so when her parents decide to surprise her with one on her birthday, she should be thrilled. However, Dennis the pet rock is not entirely what she expected. He is a good listener and hypoallergenic…but is a challenge to walk and has a poor appetite. Charlotte looks on the bright side of things, however, and gives Dennis the love and attention he needs until one day, he is finally able to return her affection!
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
Return to the story and investigate the method Charlotte uses to choose Dennis’ name. How did she choose? A story extension could be to use chalk to draw a hopscotch game outdoors. Players can toss beanie bags onto the hopscotch squares when it is their turn to determine which square they need to skip over when hopping from one end to the other. Adults can role model the game and join in the fun as children toss, count, and jump.
Pet rocks were very popular in the 1970s and could even be purchased in stores! When reading this story to children, adults can ask children what types of activities they would do with a pet rock. Adults can connect the story to personal experiences by talking with children about their favorite animals or pets. Predicting is an important literacy skill that families can practice while reading this book together. Just by looking at the cover of the book, adults and children can make predictions about what they think will happen in the story. At the end of the story, revisit the predictions to see if the end of the story was a surprise!