The Book of BOY by Catherine Gilbert Murdock: A PDF Literature Guide

This is a custom-made, ready-to-use PDF resource for grades 4-7 who are reading the 2019 Newbery Honor Book, The Book of BOY. Included are 32 student pages that can be used to create student workbooks (or worksheets) or can be exported as an Easel digital product for assigning and collecting digitally. The student work is designed to promote close reading and understanding. This packet also includes an answer key, student bookmarks, optional culminating activities, and a listing of the Common Core Standards (CCSS) supported in the student activities.

The student workbook is designed to be independent student work and can additionally serve as a guideline for classroom discussion. Included are mini-lessons for tasks where students may need some guidance. The packet appears in black-and-white, just as the actual text does.

The workbook divides the 275-page text into six reading assignments. Each of the first four assignments consists of 30-40 pages of reading while the last two assignments consist of about 60 pages each since the climax is building and the interest and understanding level will be greater; students may need additional time for completion of those assignments. Included in each assignment are a variety of tasks that provide vocabulary, comprehension, and writing practice. Skills addressed in the packet include understanding and recognizing literary devices (similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, idioms, and personification), summarizing, explaining, describing, considering point-of-view, and visualizing.

The Book of BOY…in a Nutshell:

This story takes place in the Middle Ages and is a magical, epic adventure quest that will create high-interest for many middle-grade readers. There is a hunchback boy, a pilgrim, a host of animals, many close-escapes and nail-biting situations, and the ever-present dilemma of good versus evil. It is a story that will likely live in the reader’s memory for a long time to come.