I Lived on Butterfly Hill | Written by Marjorie Agosin, Illustrated by Lee White | Chile | 2014 | Atheneum Books for Young Readers | ISBN: 9781416953449
Synopsis:
In the beautiful, warm and cultural city of Valparaiso, Chile, Celeste Macroni, is fully enjoying her life. Her days are filled with attending school with friends, spending quality time with her grandmother and housekeeper and assisting her parents with helping the poor in Chile. However, Celeste’s favorite thing to do is to seat on the roof of her home and let her dreams comfort her spirit. However, Marconi’s peaceful life begins to change with the arrival of military ships. Quickly, her school begins to change and friends and neighbors start to “disappear”. The more unsettling that Chile becomes, the more Celeste’s home life becomes unsettled. Due to her parents involvement in social reform they decide to go into hiding, without their daughter, from the military. Despite the care and protection of her abuela and nana, this reluctant eleven year old girl, travels to Maine to escape the civil unrest of her native land. Being in a climate and culture totally different from her own makes Celeste feel lonely and cold. However, the love and discipline of her Tia Graciela, Kim and some classmates helps her transition more comfortable. Once democracy returns to Chile because of the death of the harsh general, Celeste decides to return to her home land. After a joyful union with family and friends, Celeste is still concerned about if her parents will ever return home.
Awards or Honors:
Pura Belpré Awards (Author Winner, 2015) and Américas Award (Commended, 2015), Sydney Taylor Book Award (2016)
Teaching Ideas:
A. Rationale for Use in the English Classroom
This book could quite easily be used in a library setting. In collaboration with the Language Arts and ESOL teachers during September/October, we could use the piece of historical fiction in celebration of Hispanic History Month. The author’s use of an array of the Spanish words and vivid descriptions of the culture of Chile would make using this book enjoyable yet informative to young readers, who share classrooms with ESOL students. Since my school in nestled in the Jewish community of NW Baltimore, the references to the Holocaust and its effects on the Jews makes this book useful to use in the month of January in observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27).
B. Before-Reading Activity
As a beginning activity, I would introduce my students to the country Chile. Through the use of written materials, online websites and databases, students will complete a graphic organizer on the country as a whole. I would have the students share what they found the interesting from their research.
http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Chile.html
http://www.worldbookonline.com/pl/infofinder/article?id=ar111040&st=chile
C. During-Reading Activities
As we progress through the reading, students will focus on the use of Spanish through the reading. Students will record Spanish words and terms as they read each chapter. They will research and record the meanings of each word/term and its relation to the characters in story by using written and electronic resources.
http://www.spanishdict.com/
http://www.worldbookonline.com
D. After-Reading Activity
Upon completion of the novel, students will compare and contrast an aspect they have learned about Chile with their cultures that they practice at home. For example, students might choose ‘food’. They will use a Venn diagram or graphic organizer to record their findings. Due to the diversity of my students, they will enjoy sharing the cultural traditions of their families.
Recommended Resources:
1. Science Kids Fun Science & Technology for Kids
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/countries/chile.html
2. South America
http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile/Food.htm
3. Countries and their Cultures
http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Chile.html
4. History
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust
5. ReligionFacts
http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/practices
6. Encyclopedia Britannica (Social Studies)
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Augusto-Pinochet
7. Encyclopedia Britannica (Social Studies)
http://www.britannica.com/event/Holocaust
Connections to Other Content Areas/Disciplines:
This novel would be great to collaborate with a Social Studies/History teacher. Since the book covers the Holocaust and the civil unrest in Chile, it can be used in conjunction with the classroom text and assignments. It can also be used as an extra credit book report in Language Arts and Social Studies/History.
Synopsis:
In the beautiful, warm and cultural city of Valparaiso, Chile, Celeste Macroni, is fully enjoying her life. Her days are filled with attending school with friends, spending quality time with her grandmother and housekeeper and assisting her parents with helping the poor in Chile. However, Celeste’s favorite thing to do is to seat on the roof of her home and let her dreams comfort her spirit. However, Marconi’s peaceful life begins to change with the arrival of military ships. Quickly, her school begins to change and friends and neighbors start to “disappear”. The more unsettling that Chile becomes, the more Celeste’s home life becomes unsettled. Due to her parents involvement in social reform they decide to go into hiding, without their daughter, from the military. Despite the care and protection of her abuela and nana, this reluctant eleven year old girl, travels to Maine to escape the civil unrest of her native land. Being in a climate and culture totally different from her own makes Celeste feel lonely and cold. However, the love and discipline of her Tia Graciela, Kim and some classmates helps her transition more comfortable. Once democracy returns to Chile because of the death of the harsh general, Celeste decides to return to her home land. After a joyful union with family and friends, Celeste is still concerned about if her parents will ever return home.
Awards or Honors:
Pura Belpré Awards (Author Winner, 2015) and Américas Award (Commended, 2015), Sydney Taylor Book Award (2016)
Teaching Ideas:
A. Rationale for Use in the English Classroom
This book could quite easily be used in a library setting. In collaboration with the Language Arts and ESOL teachers during September/October, we could use the piece of historical fiction in celebration of Hispanic History Month. The author’s use of an array of the Spanish words and vivid descriptions of the culture of Chile would make using this book enjoyable yet informative to young readers, who share classrooms with ESOL students. Since my school in nestled in the Jewish community of NW Baltimore, the references to the Holocaust and its effects on the Jews makes this book useful to use in the month of January in observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27).
B. Before-Reading Activity
As a beginning activity, I would introduce my students to the country Chile. Through the use of written materials, online websites and databases, students will complete a graphic organizer on the country as a whole. I would have the students share what they found the interesting from their research.
http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Chile.html
http://www.worldbookonline.com/pl/infofinder/article?id=ar111040&st=chile
C. During-Reading Activities
As we progress through the reading, students will focus on the use of Spanish through the reading. Students will record Spanish words and terms as they read each chapter. They will research and record the meanings of each word/term and its relation to the characters in story by using written and electronic resources.
http://www.spanishdict.com/
http://www.worldbookonline.com
D. After-Reading Activity
Upon completion of the novel, students will compare and contrast an aspect they have learned about Chile with their cultures that they practice at home. For example, students might choose ‘food’. They will use a Venn diagram or graphic organizer to record their findings. Due to the diversity of my students, they will enjoy sharing the cultural traditions of their families.
Recommended Resources:
1. Science Kids Fun Science & Technology for Kids
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/countries/chile.html
2. South America
http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile/Food.htm
3. Countries and their Cultures
http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Chile.html
4. History
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust
5. ReligionFacts
http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/practices
6. Encyclopedia Britannica (Social Studies)
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Augusto-Pinochet
7. Encyclopedia Britannica (Social Studies)
http://www.britannica.com/event/Holocaust
Connections to Other Content Areas/Disciplines:
This novel would be great to collaborate with a Social Studies/History teacher. Since the book covers the Holocaust and the civil unrest in Chile, it can be used in conjunction with the classroom text and assignments. It can also be used as an extra credit book report in Language Arts and Social Studies/History.
