Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney (Traditional/Folk Literature)

            Little Red Riding Hood is a sweet, caring little girl who lives with her mother in a small cottage. One day, Little Red Riding Hood’s mother made some soup and muffins for her to take to her grandmother, who was feeling under the weather. As Little Red Riding Hood was walking to her grandmother’s house, she came across a wolf. This wolf was always hungry but didn’t want to eat Little Red Riding Hood with a woodcutter working nearby. So the wolf decided to find out where Little Red Riding Hood is headed to, in hopes of eating her there. As Little Red Riding Hood tried to get on her way, the wolf suggested that she collect some sticks for a fire to help warm her grandmother’s house. Little Red Riding Hood thought this was a wonderful idea and gathered as many sticks as she could. When Little Red Riding Hood got to the house, she was shocked to see her grandmother, because she looked so different. Little Red Riding Hood began to ask her “grandmother” questions because she is worried about her health. Quickly Little Red Riding Hood realized that the wolf did something terrible to her grandmother, but it was too late: the wolf jumped on Little Red Riding Hood and swallowed her whole. Fortunately, the woodcutter happened to be traveling by grandmother’s house and found it odd that there were fresh animal tracks leading to the front door. The woodcutter helped himself inside the house and came across a sleeping wolf with a LARGE belly. Knowing something was not right, the woodcutter killed the wolf with his ax and cut open his belly, allowing Little Red Hood and her grandmother to safely come out. From that day on Little Red Riding never talked to strangers again.

            After reading this book to the class, I would have them imagine that they were Little Red Riding Hood. Next, I would have them write a diary entry about that specific day. In their writing they will be expected to include discriptive details about what happened, what they felt and thought, and what they learned. After they completed their diary entries, I would have the class come together and discuss what they wrote. At this point we would be able to see how and what each student was able to take and learn from the story.