Extra Credit by Andrew Clements

Around the World. Acknowledging Diversity. Personable. Friendly. Imaginative.

Mountains in Afghanistan

Extra Credit

Written by Andrew Clements.
Cover illustration by Brian Selznick. Inside illustrations by Mark Elliott.

Published by Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–7—A forced pen-pal exchange turns into an opportunity for real communication between Illinois sixth-grader Abby Carson and Sadeed Bayat, the best English-language student in his Afghan village. When Abby's first letter arrives in Bahar-Lan, 11-year-old Sadeed is asked by the elders to compose his sister Amira's reply; it isn't proper for a boy and girl to correspond with one another. But soon Sadeed can't resist telling Abby that it is he who has been writing to her. The third-person narrative alternates points of view, allowing for inclusion of intriguing details of both lives. Never a scholar, Abby prefers the woods behind her family's farm and the climbing wall in her school; in the afternoons, Sadeed works in his father's grain shop. In spite of their differences, Abby and Sadeed connect through their imaginations, and their earlier readings of Frog and Toad Are Friends. They learn, as Abby reports, that "people are simple, but the stuff going on around them can get complicated." Full-page pencil illustrations throughout add to the book's appeal. Clements offers readers an engaging and realistic school story and provides an evenhanded comparison between a Midwestern girl's lifestyle and a culture currently in the news.—Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD

Ludlow, Illinois -- Farmland

Bank Street Best Books of the Year with Outstanding Merit

Beehive Award Master List (UT)

Bluestem Book Award Master List (IL)

Booklinks Lasting Connections

CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book

Children's Crown Award Nominee

Christopher Award

Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee

Golden Sower Masterlist (NE)

IRA/CBC Children's Choices

Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List

Land of Enchantment Children's Master List (NM)

Nutmeg Children's Book Award Nominee (CT)

Parents' Choice Award

South Carolina Book Award Nominee

Volunteer State Book Award Master List (TN)
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Children's Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection

William Allen White Children's Book Award Master List (KS)

Written by a New York Times bestseller, Andrew Clements introduces to readers a story about a young girl named Abby Carson and a young boy named Sadeed Bayat and how their lives have changed and how they became connected as friends through the exchange of Pen Pal letters. The story opens up with a six grader named Abby Carson who is from the farmlands of Illinois. At this point in time, Abby is at the edge of failing six grade and that means not moving on with her other friends to the seventh grade. However, by talking to her teachers, she is given a chance to prove to her teachers that she is capable of moving onto the seventh grade by completing certain tasks. This means that Abby must stop fooling around and actually start being serious about her academic work. She must also take on an extra credit assignment to boost her really low grades. Although she is upset that she must do this extra work, she gradually learns more about herself and the cultural world around her. For her extra credit assignment, she chooses to write a letter to a PenPal in Afghanistan. However, Abby soon figures out that she is receiving letters from two people. Who may those two people be? What does Abby and Sadeed learn from this experience? How are Abby and her new PenPal connected? How has Abby and Sadeed changed from the beginning to the end of the story? Did Abby end up passing the sixth grade?

Extras: In Extra Credit, on the back jacket cover, there are recommendations of other books that Andrew Clements have written. Great for students especially if they enjoyed Extra Credit. In the inside jacket, there is a brief summary of the story and what nominations or awards that book has received. The book also includes brief summaries of the author and illustrator and a website to learn more about the author that has videos and extras to not only engage teachers, but students as well.

Literary Genre: Fiction & Literature, Diversity

Reading Level: Lexile Framework 830L, Grade 5

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read or Small Group Read

ISBN-13: 978-1416949312

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Teachers... Here are some resources to help 

you teach Extra Credit

Andrew Clements

Electronic Resources:

Author's Site: Andrew Clements - This link is a great source for teachers and students as it involves a biography of the author and how he became a writer today, a collection of books that the author wrote, videos, other writings, links to Reading Group Guides, and the ability to invite the author to your school. Great to use before and during reading so that teachers and students will understand who the author is and why he is writing such novel.

Teacher's Guide 1: Extra Credit - This link is great source for teachers as it provides a brief summary of Extra Credit, lesson plans and activities, related books, vocabulary terms, discussion questions, and many more. Great to review before having students read and for teachers to enhance their student's learning.

Teacher's Guide 2: Extra Credit - This link is another great source for teachers as it provides pre-reading activities, biography of the author, step-by-step activities for each chapter, worksheets, vocabulary terms, information about Afghanistan, suggestions for further reading and many more. Great to review before having students read and for teachers to gain lesson plan ideas.

Post-Crossing: Pen Pal Activity - This link is a great source for students to use as they will be able to communicate with people all around the world by sending postcards. More information is within the website; however, parents must oversee their children using the website. Great for students to use after reading as it compliments the theme of the story.

Kids in Afghanistan - This link is a great source for teacher and students to use as it provides more information about Afghanistan and its culture. The website includes facts and figures, the culture of its people, society, religion, education, way of land, topography, and much more. Great for teachers and students to use before and during reading as students can create more connections and prior knowledge while reading. Also as a way to engage and interest students.

Key Vocabulary: bazaar, co-op, vendors, blog, sassafras, gangplank, silhouette, kebab, warren, déjà vu, plaster, haggling, charpoy

Teaching Suggestions:

1. Use this text in Mathematics to calculate the distance between Abby's home in Illinois to Sadeed's home in Afghanistan. Also with the distance, calculate how much a postage stamp(s) would be to send a letter or postcard to Afghanistan.
2. Use this text in Geography to locate the setting of the story on a map. Have students realize the distance between the locations and how the characters in the story became friends even though they were far apart from each other.
3. Use this text to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections about the different cultures and religion that Abby and Sadeed have explored. Ask students if they ever been in a situation such as Abby or Sadeej or met someone that is different from them and how that person played a role in their life.
4. Use this text in History or Social Studies as a supplementary unit when teaching the Middle East.

Comprehension Strategies:

• Before Reading: 
• Have students participate in a Think-Pair-Share or Text Impressions. Before having students read the book, ask students to look at the cover of the book and ask "What do you think this story will be about? Why is this book called Extra Credit?" This will allow students to make predictions or self-connections. Have students think about the story based on the title and illustrations from the cover. Next, have students pair up with another student and share their ideas. After, organize a whole-group discussion and have students share all their ideas.  Write their ideas/predictions on the board. After they finish reading the story, have students discuss if their ideas/predictions were correct. Moreover, review vocabulary before reading as it will also increase student's prior knowledge and prediction/ideas of the story.
• Ask students if they know about the country of Afghanistan. Discuss the modern-day activity and culture in Afghanistan and the problems that country faces. It may be sensitive, but a discussion about the War on Terrorism could be explored. Moreover, students could also use the internet to research more about the country and its culture. This book is heavily involved with this country and being indulged in this country and its culture will increase student's literal and inferential comprehension while reading. In addition, students will build and create text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections.
• Also, have students research Illinois and what this state is known for. What is the culture like in Illinois? What type of landscape is it? What is Illinois located in the United States? Which states is it close to? Have them compare Illinois with the state they are currently living in.
• During Reading: 
• When students reach to the part where Abby and Sadeed have to stop writing. Split students into two groups and have the students debate on whether if the PenPals should continue or discontinue their writing to each other. Do they agree or disagree with this situation. Ask students that they must use examples from the book to back up their claims.
• Have students participate in a Fishbowl Discussion. This will give all students an opportunity to speak. This activity will also increase literal comprehension, in which students will discuss the major themes involved, character development from the beginning to the end, major conflicts, the mood of the story and how it changed from beginning to end, vocabulary difficulties, make predictions and text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections and many more. You may also use these questions for an Exit Slip that students could complete before they have to go to lunch or recess, etc.
• Sample questions for Fishbowl Discussions or Exit Slip:
1. In Chapter 1, why was Sadeed disappointed?
2. Why is it a problem for Sadeed to write to Abby?
3. What caused Abby to have to take on an extra credit assignment?
4. What is the extra credit assignment?
5. In Chapter 1, what do you think the important job that Mahmood needs to tell Sadeed?
6. Why doesn't Abby like school? What does interest her and why?
7. Since Abby doesn't like school and doesn't pay attention to her academics, what is the conflict that Abby is facing?
8. What were the three requirements that Abby had to do to be promoted to the 7th grade?
9. What did her Project Pen Pal consist of?
10. How did Abby choose her Pen Pal destination?
11. Compare and contrast Abby and Sadeed's life. How are they similar or different? Use the letters for examples.
12. Why is it too dangerous to continue the letter writing?
13. How did people find out about the letter writing?
14. Why was it a problem to keep to the Afghan flag up on Abby's board? Who took it down?
15. How did Sadeed change Abby's view on Illinois at the end of the story?
16. Why did Sadeed rewrite Amira's first letter?
17. How did Abby react to her first PenPal letter in Chapter 9?
18. Why does Abby feel ashamed of her first letter? Compare and contrast Abby's first letter to her second letter.
19. Why did Sadeed decide to write a letter back to Abby in Chapter 13?
20. Why was Abby hesitant in putting her letters on the bulletin board in Chapter 12?
21. At the end of the story, Sadeed did something that no one would generally do in his country. By this activity, he also was able to connect more to Abby. What was this activity and why was it important? What about Abby?
• After Reading: 
• Have students individually compare and contrast the main characters: Abby and Sadeed in a Venn Diagram/Semantic Web. Although Abby and Sadeed are different by their race and culture and study habits, both still have similar qualities of how they view life. Have students discuss what is similar characteristics between them and what is different. Also, discuss how they have changed from the beginning to the end of the story. Then, have students complete an activity where they have to choose a phrase or a single word to describe the character and have students explain their choice. Students could either draw, write, or discuss their choice. They must share with another partner.
• Students can create a Poem for Two Voices, in which they will compare and contrast Abby and Sadeed. Each student will then share their poems to other students in the class.

Student Writing Activity:

• Organize a PenPal activity with the upper grades or students in middle/high school. Give each student a random PenPal and have students write to him or her. Create different topics, such as favorite color, what their heritage is, if they have any family out of Connecticut or out of the country, etc., for the students to write to their PenPal so that they are able to get to know him or her. Make sure that students are writing appropriately and respecting their PenPal and vice-versa. With each letter returned from their PenPal, create a bulletin board just like Abby and highlight each's students relationship with their PenPal.
• As students read, Abby is not really happy with her first PenPal letter that she sent to her new PenPal. Have students rewrite Abby's letter in the way she wrote her second letter to Sadeed. Have students make it more creative and sincere.

Clements, A., & Elliott, M. (2011). Extra credit. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.