Back to School Books -- When Lightning Come in a Jar

When Lightning Comes in a Jar by Patricia Polacco

Love, love, love this story.  Of course, I could say that about every book by Patricia Polacco.  But this book reminds me of summers growing up in the Midwest.  The days were long and after a day of biking and swimming we waited for the sun to go down and we could catch lightning bugs!

I read this book to my third graders almost every year when we're talking about writers and where they get their story ideas.  It's a great example of drawing from our own memories.  After hearing the story my kids were always bursting with tales about their own families and their summer adventures.

It also works well as a beginning of school read-aloud. The story tells about a family reunion.   That's the perfect lead in for kids to begin telling about their families.

My students live in the desert so very few of them have experienced lightning bugs or fireflies.  This cute little painting craft gives them an idea of what they're like because you can use glow-in-the-dark paint for a special effect.  If you can't find the paint the a little glitter would make them sparkle.

This freebie has a writing prompt and the pattern for this craft activity.  I'm sure your kids will fall in love with this wonderful book.  (Click on the image below for the free download.)