4. Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant is an award
winning children’s and young
adult author. She has written
over 100 books of various
genres, including non-fiction and
poetry. When I was Young in the
Mountains is her first-ever book,
published in 1982. She wrote it
from her experiences living in
West Virginia with her
grandparents after her mother left
her at their doorstep at age nine.
It is a Caldecott Honor Book.
5. Sandra Cisneros
Born December 20, 1954 in
Chicago, Sandra Cisneros is
an American novelist, short-
story writer, essayist, and poet.
Cisneros is one of the first
Hispanic-American writers who
has achieved commercial
success. She is lauded by
literary scholars and critics for
works which help bring the
perspective of Chicana
(Mexican-American) women
into the mainstream of literary
works. One of her most
famous works is House on
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Four Skinny Trees
They are the only ones who
"Let one forget his reason
understand me. I am the only one
for being, they'd all droop
who understands them. Four
like tulips in a glass, each
skinny trees with skinny necks and
with their arms around the
pointy elbows like mine. Four who
other. Keep, keep, keep,
do not belong here but are here.
trees say when I sleep.
Four raggedy excuses planted by
They teach.
the city. From our room we can
hear them, but Nenny just sleeps
and doesn't appreciate these "When I am too sad and too
things. skinny to keep keeping,
when I am a tiny thing
against so many bricks,
"Their strength is secret. They
then it is I look at trees.
send ferocious roots beneath the
When there is nothing left to
ground. They grow up and they
look at on this street. Four
grow down and grab the earth
who grew despite concrete.
between their hairy toes and bite
12. Numbered Heads Together
1. Students number off.
2. Teacher asks a
question.
3. Students think and
write.
4. Heads Together:
share & discuss.
5. Teacher calls a
number, student with
that number
answers.
13. Numbered Heads Together
1.
What lesson does the scarecrow from
Rylant’s piece teach the reader?
2. What lesson doe the trees from “Four
Skinny Trees” teach the reader?
3. What is the extended metaphor in “Four
Skinny Trees?”
4. What details from “Four Skinny Trees”
reveal her perspective?
