by Paul Schmid
Pearl is a lovely little porcupine who loves to hug her friends. Her non-porcupine animal friends don't always love her hugs because Pearl is a porcupine. Will she ever be able to hug her friends without hurting them?
This book is great for copycat writing. Students could choose an animal and write about a problem the animal is facing due to one of its physical characteristics. For example a snail might have trouble hanging out with his faster friends. Another one might be a dog who can't figure out a way to visit his mouse friends in their mouse hole.
For each story I would ask students to introduce the character and the problem, attempt at least two failed solutions, and finally have a happy resolution.
This could be done at any time of the year or after an animal research project.
Published: 2011
Locations: Public library
