Weekly Book Series: Space

3, 2, 1, Blast Off! It was all about Earth last week, so this week it’s all about the rest of the Solar System. Check out our book pick below!

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed

From the publisher:

Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.

This book will inspire other young girls to reach for the stars, to aspire for the impossible, and to persist with childlike imagination.

Frequent speech sounds in the book include:

• initial /m/ (e.g., Mae)

• initial “dr” (e.g., dream)

• initial “st” (e.g., stars)

• medial /r/ (e.g., stars)

Key language concepts in the book include:

• Sequencing: order of events that led to Mae becoming an astronaut

• Vocabulary: astronaut, dream, belief, encourage, engineering, mission

• Figurative Language: similes, metaphors

• Grammar: mental state verbs

• Text Features: repetitive text

• Predicting: make some guesses - What do you think people (e.g., her mom, her dad, other kids) will say to Mae about her dream?

• Inferencing: make some guesses - How did people (e.g., her parents, her teacher) feel about Mae’s dream?

• Character Analysis: Mae believed in herself despite other people’s thoughts and feelings about her dream to become an astronaut

• Social/Emotional: persistence, self-confidence, believing in yourself

Real-Life Connection: Visit your local Planetarium or view this live stream of Earth from the International Space Station.

Disclaimer:

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