680.Resource, Gordon, Chicken Sunday: Mentor Text, (K-2)

Skills such as effective communication, sharing, teamwork, empathy, respect, generosity, and building relationships help develop and maintain relationships.

Patricia is friends with Stewart and Winston, two boys being raised by their grandmother, Miss Eula. They spend time together, including Sundays. After church they enjoy Miss Eula’s chicken dinners. When the children see how much Miss Eula wants an Easter hat, they realize they will have to work as a team to buy it. When they go to Mr. Kodinski’s store to ask for work, they are blamed for vandalism. Miss Eula believes the children are innocent but she requires them to help him. Their hard work earns his respect. He allows them to sell their hand-painted eggs, which Patricia teaches the boys to make. The children earn enough money to buy the hat, but Mr. Kodinski gives it to them. The story illustrates teamwork, empathy, generosity, and that to maintain relationships, one must know how to repair them.

Heart of Georgia RESA teachers may request a free copy of the book to use with their classes by listening to the short VoiceThread about the book, reading a brief handout that includes the ELA standards and suggested strategies for using the mentor text, and completing a request form.