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.

Cover lovingly found on Wikipedia. Also, my favorite cover of the lot.

I recently reread the novel, and while I am not as clever as the sixth-grade class I heard about (a sub told me of a sixth-grade class that was solving the mystery by analyzing the clues.  Apparantly, it was amazing.  I need to visit that classroom), it was still enjoyable.  However, I noted several things that could cause frustration.

First off: terminology.  Our society has become a lot more politically-correct in the past thirty years, and while I was born several years after publication, I had no idea what “Mongoloid” meant.  No idea.  I asked my father, who had to pause, think for a minute, before he explained that Mongoloid was a term for a person with Down’s Syndrome.  In 1978, not an offensive term.  In 2009 … heck yeah.

Second: I forgot what the second was.

Conclusion of this post (can anyone tell I’m exhausted?  anyone?  Bueller?): While the classroom teacher or parent or librarian might have to explain a few words here and there, The Westing Game is a delightful read, and exercises the gray matter.