Teachable Texts

65. Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully

August 30, 2009 at 8:39 am 1 comment

Retell: Mirette works at her mother’s boarding house.  When a mysterious stranger asks for a room and takes his meals alone, Mirette is intrigued.  One day she discovers the stranger walking across the clothesline.  The stranger turns out to be the great Bellini, a famous tightrope walker.  Mirette falls in love with the high wire and is determined to walk high above a crowd.

Topics: artists, dreams, Paris

Units of Study: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Tribes: personal best

Habits of Mind: persistence, striving for accuracy

Reading Skills: interpretation, prediction

Writing Skills: incorporating diaglogue

My Thoughts: Though this book is not a true story, the tightrope walker is based on a real person–a daredevil named Blondin who walked over Niagara Falls on a high wire.  I like it when authors describe their inspiration in the author’s note.  I plan on using this book when we focus on the Habits of Mind ‘persistence’ and ‘ striving for accuracy.’  The author shows the main character making a lot of mistakes and having someone fine tune her every movement.

Entry filed under: Female Authors, Picture Books, Uncategorized. Tags: artists, dreams, historical fiction, interpretation, Paris, personal best, prediction, realistic fiction.