Historical Fiction

·      Phoebe the Spy written by Judith Berry Griffin

o   Suggested Grade Level: 3^rd grade. This is a very short book that is not even divided into chapters. It’s length and vocabulary would suggest that it may be beyond the comprehension of a 2^nd grader, but would be perfectly appropriate for a 3^rd grader.

o   Summary: This historical fiction book tells the story of Phoebe, a young African American girl whose father sends her to be a spy in General George Washington’s house. While acting as his housekeeper, Phoebe must watch carefully for an unknown killer. In the end, Phoebe saves General Washington, who then goes on to lead the American Army to victory in the Revolutionary War.

o   Classroom skills and strategies:

§  This is an example of how historical fiction can be used to teach actual historical content. As a teacher, I would specifically hone in on the details about George Washington and his role in the Revolutionary War.

§  This text can be used to teach children about different patterns of speech. The way people talked in Revolutionary America differs greatly from the way we talk now.

o   ESOL strategies/applications

§  Compare and Contrast: If this text were to be paired with a Revolutionary War unit, students could compare the information in this text with what they are learning in the unit.

§  Predict, observe, explain: Because Phoebe the Spy is somewhat of a “who dunnit,” students could make predictions about who the killer is. They could explain their predictions, and then compare and contrast them with the actual outcome.

o   Read aloud: Page 46.

o   Personal opinion: I enjoyed this book for it’s historical content. It was told from a different perspective than I am normally exposed to, which I greatly appreciated. I did not particularly care for the author’s writing style, but I think that children will really enjoy it.