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Hello Lighthouse
Last updated Monday, November 4, 2024
Author: Sophie Blackall
Date of Publication: 2018
ISBN: 0316362387
Grade Level: 2nd (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Nov. 2024
Synopsis:
Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around. Inside, the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family unfolds as the keeper boils water for tea, lights the lamp's wick, and writes every detail in his logbook.
Step back in time and through the door of this iconic lighthouse into a cozy dollhouse-like interior.
| Note to readers: |
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In the back of the book, there’s a great history of lighthouses. Familiarize yourself with
this so you can answer questions and add interesting facts.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Show the kids the cover and ask if that looks like a house. How could someone live here? Then share the back cover so they can see the interior.
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Do you know what a lighthouse is? Share some basics, like the light was used to guide ships and someone had the job of keeping it lit.
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Would you like to live and work in a lighthouse?
Vocabulary
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Dusk to dawn: All night long, through the dark hours
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Keeper: the person living in the lighthouse and taking care of it
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Wick: the rope that would stay lit at the top of the lighthouse, like the string of a candle
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Clockwork: the mechanism that keeps the lighthouse going
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Logbook: a journal or diary that tracks all the daily activities
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Tender: the ship that brought supplies every few months, and the only way to bring
visitors.
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Seal: a sign of official business
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Horizon: Where it looks like the sky meets the sea/land
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Breakers: waves hitting the shore/rocks
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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Do you think the keeper is lonely? What makes you think so? Who do you think he’s writing to?
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On the page where his wife arrives, note that there’s nowhere for the tender to land, so she has to ride on a “bosun’s chair.” Would that be scary?
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Why must the bell ring on foggy days?
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When does the sea turn to ice? You may want to discuss the different seasons that show how the keeper’s family lives there year-round.
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How do these stairs look different from most? Explain how spiral stairs work.
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On the circular page, be sure to breathe in …. And out …
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What are those swirls of green? They might have heard of the aurora borealis. (This lighthouse must be far north, to see icebergs and northern lights.)
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What might change when the Coast Guard brings a new light to the lighthouse?
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Who do you think lives in that house on the shore?
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| Craft ideas: |
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Build and decorate a lighthouse! Use paper cups or paper rolls (from TP or paper towels) to start.
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For Thanksgiving: Make a hand print turkey. Spread your hand out on a piece of paper and trace around your fingers and thumb. The fingers are feathers, your palm the body and your thumb the head. Color in the feathers and body. Don’t forget to add a face to the head.
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November is also reading to Kids College Spirit month! Have the kids create their own college logos based on the college logo you volunteer(s) share on something you are wearing. They can even create their own imaginary college logo!
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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