Jumanji, 1982 Caldecott Medal Winner
Winner of the 1982 Caldecott Medal, Chris Van Allsburg’s Jumanji is a perfect read for fourth graders. I don’t know about the rest of New York State, but on Long Island, fourth grade means a Chris Van Allsburg author study. Back in October or November, I discovered I could read Jumanji to a class of antsy fourth-graders, with voices, in under twelve minutes flat.
I’ll be reading this book to my current crop of fourth graders in just a few weeks. Two of my girls each took out a copy today, and I made them promise they would not tell ANYONE the ending of the story. This is important for two reasons. One, I would hate the story to be ruined for anyone. Two, I like to pause when reading and have the kids predict what will happen. The more outlandish, the more amusing.
Most of my students, when I ask if they have read Jumanji in the past, often pipe up that they haven’t … but that they have seen the movie. I remember the movie (starring Robin Williams). This is definitely a case where the book is far superior to the movie.
Additionally, Van Allsburg’s website is an absolute gem. I have gotten fantastic ideas for lessons that I plan to implement in the future.
