Before Reading
Before reading the story, as a class look closely at the cover and title, and discuss what you can learn from the title and artwork.
Some things to include in your discussion might be: • What is a pandemic? • When do you think this book was set? • What is happening on the cover of the book? • Who do you think the story is about? • What do you think might happen in the story? • Have you read any books by Jackie French before, and if so what were they? Look at others on display and discuss how these books form a series from Jackie French. |
What is a pandemic? Click here for a definition. What do you know about pandemics from living in a time when a pandemic is actually occuring?
Reading and discussing
1. When is Pandemic set? How long ago did the events in the story happen?
2. How was the way people handled the Spanish Flu pandemic similar to how people are handling the COVID-19 pandemic? What are the things you can see in the story that are the same things we are doing now, and what is very different? Why do you think some things are different now? 3. In Pandemic, the children in the story and Jackie French’s great-grandmother all spent a lot of time helping others. In 2020 the world is very different than it was 100 years ago - and not many people in a town or city will have cows that need milking! But people are still people now, and many groups and individuals have all been trying hard to help each other through the difficulties faced during the current pandemic. Can you think of any examples of people helping others that you have seen or heard of, or experienced, during the COVID-19 pandemic 100 years after the one in the story? 4. What are some things that you or your family can do or say to help others (or even yourselves) during the COVID-19 pandemic, or during other difficult times? As a class discuss all the different things that you can do. |
5. How does reading this story make you feel? How do you think you would have felt if you had read it last year before the Covid19 pandemic? How do you think children will feel in 5 or 10 years time as they read it? Does experience change the way you might feel about this book?
6. What do you think it means when Jackie French’s great grandma says hearts need food too, and what does she do to help feed the hearts of the people around her? What is something simple that you could do to help feed the hearts of the people around you?
6. What do you think it means when Jackie French’s great grandma says hearts need food too, and what does she do to help feed the hearts of the people around her? What is something simple that you could do to help feed the hearts of the people around you?