The Story of Holly and Ivy



Last updated Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Author: Rumer Godden
Illustrator: Barbara Cooney
Date of Publication: 2006
ISBN: 0670062197
Grade Level: 3rd    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Dec. 2023

Synopsis: Ivy, Holly, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones all have one Christmas wish. Ivy, an orphan, wishes for a real home and sets out in search of the grandmother she's sure she can find. Holly, a doll, wishes for a child to bring her to life. And the Joneses wish more than anything for a son or daughter to share their holiday. Can all three wishes come true?

Note to readers:
•  The book is quite long, you could skip to get to the end. You could go from page 15 to page 23/25.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Do you know what an orphanage is? (Ivy is an orphan)
•  If you could have any present, what would it be?

Vocabulary:

•  glinting:(of a person's eyes) shine with a particular emotion.
•  perambulators:a baby carriage; a pram.
•  shillings:The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom,
•  parcel:a thing or collection of things wrapped in paper in order to be carried or sent by mail.
•  cobbled:(of an area or roadway) paved with cobbles.
•  Cobble:coal in lumps the size of cobblestones.
•  abominable:very bad or unpleasant.
•  daft:silly; foolish.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Why do you think the owl was so mean?
•  How are Holly and Ivy similar?

Craft ideas:
•  Draw yourself with your favorite Christmas toy.
•  Use a paper plate to make an ornament. Get a paper plate and cut different colors of construction paper into small rectangles/squares. Glue them onto the paper plate. https://www.artycraftykids.com/craft/paper-plate-baubles/
•  Cut out as many circles of construction paper as there are letters in the students name, plus one more. Each circle will be a letter and the extra will be the snowman's face. Tape or glue them in order.
https://fun-a-day.com/name-snowmen/
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/december-2023-family-the-spirit-of-giving/

*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!