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The
Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg Times were tough enough in the United States in 1862, but for Homer P. Figg, things were about to go downhill fast. It was bad enough that his father died before he was born, but when his mother died when he was 4 years old, all he had left was his big brother, Harold. The two brothers were sent to live with Uncle Squinton Leach, the "meanest man in the entire state of Maine." Harold was probably the best big brother in the world. Forced to work for their evil uncle, to live in the barn, and never to get enough to eat, Homer clung to his brother for nurturing. Harold shared his mother's faith and wisdom, and tried to teach him not to lie, but, as it turned out, being a prodigious liar was one of Homer's best talents. His ability to stretch the truth saved him often in the turbulent times ahead. Turbulent times, indeed. Homer's big mistake was getting caught eating a bread crust from the pig slops...he was THAT hungry. Squinton Leach was about to hurt Homer when Harold stepped in and threw his uncle into the mud. What do you think Squinton Leach did to get even? He forced young Harold to join the Union Army by lying about his age! Where did this new path take him? Homer's life, too, took a series of nosedives into scary places as he followed his brother to try to help get him out of the Army. Praying for strength, he finds himself lying, kidnapped, robbed, abducted, laughed at, arrested, and even embraced along the way ... a way that ends in the Battle of Gettysburg. Will Homer P. Figg ever find Harold? Will he and his brother survive the unthinkable horrors of war? Homer's humor and observations sprinkle fun into his storytelling and flavor it with his incredibly entertaining ability to spin extraordinary lies. Only a writer with similar talents can bring this seriously important story to life with a light touch to make it palatable, teeth that make it true, and one that makes even the "things best forgot," memorable. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg puts a face on history... Homer's face ... encouraging readers to scramble to discern the "truth" from the Homer's "lies" and never forgetting the events of the Civil War that are masterfully interwoven into Homer's life. This book, woven in your classroom, will create lifelong of memories through living history with a special character, a courageous friend. Emotional learning at its best! The 50-page Kids' Wings literature guide invites group discussion, problem solving, research, writing, skill building, and authentic applications, all inspired by Homer's story, the historical fiction, interwoven with historical fact. Included is an interactive Jeopardy-like game that will conclude the study with fun. Research
Links Map
Comparing the North and South (Click
map to change it) Related Literature All Kids Wings Units for Award-Winning History and Historical Fiction Civil War Related: Gabriel's
Horses by Alison Hart with
Kids' Wings Unit in Download and in Transformers
A 50-page unit PLUS interactive Jeopardy-type game, perfect for lesson planning, handouts, or projection on your SmartBoard for The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick is now available!
The Activity Guide Contains: Background
Music: Civil War Song, "The Battle Cry of Freedom"
(Background tune on this webpage)
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Disclaimer: The links here have been scrutinized for their grade and age appropriateness; however, contents of links on the World Wide Web change continuously. It is advisable that teachers and parents review all links before allowing student use. Please contact us immediately if you find any inappropriate links. Disclaimer: Texas Bluebonnet AwardSM is a service mark of the Texas Library Association, which is in no way affiliated with Kids' Wings or Suzy Red. Use of the Texas Bluebonnet Award mark in these materials does not imply any endorsement of any kind on behalf of the Texas Library Association. The Texas Bluebonnet Book Master ListSM was selected by the Texas Bluebonnet Award Committee of the Texas Library Association.
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2012, Suzy Red, Lockhart, Texas
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