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    The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia
    Unavailable
    The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia
    Unavailable
    The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia
    Ebook34 pages54 minutes

    The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia

    By Diane Burton Robb and Gail Piazza

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    When Adam started kindergarten, the teacher wanted him to learn about letters. But "p" looked like "q," and "b" looked like "d." In first grade, he had to put the letters into words so he could read. That was the beginning of the Alphabet War.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlbert Whitman & Company
    Release dateJan 1, 2004
    ISBN9780807503034
    Unavailable
    The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia
    Author

    Diane Burton Robb

    Diane Burton Robb is a writer who lives in Michigan.

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    Reviews for The Alphabet War

    4.5/5

    756 ratings102 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This is a widely known and beloved children’s book, and it is so for a reason. This book describes so well what many children who struggle with reading go through- they feel stupid and worthless, like their entire sense self is judged on their ability to read. The fact that the main character, Tricia, is so easy to identify with is one of the main things that makes this such a wonderful book. Another thing I love about this book is the fact that it is a personal story of the author. This makes the entire thing that much more realistic. My favorite thing about the book however, is the ending, where Patricia Polacco writes about meeting Mr. Falker again many years later. She tells him how inspirational he was to her and how he inspired her, and that she is now a children’s author. This gives the reader a sense of validation. I think the main idea of the book is that a good teacher can make all the difference. This is especially important to me as a future teacher. I look to Mr. Falker as a role model of the kind of teacher I hope to be someday.
    • 5/5
      This is a very inspiring and touching story. Thank You, Mr. Falker is about a young girl who struggles with learning to read. Mr. Falker is an inspirational teacher who tries to help her learn to read. The writing and language used in the story was used with expression and definitely understandable for young readers. The illustrations in the story brought the book to life, you could read the story through the pictures. This book pushes young readers to not give up and keep working whether it be with reading or another problem.
    • 5/5
      This book really grabs your heart...especially if you're a teacher.
    • 5/5
      This is an awesome book that shoestring is ok to struggle with reading. Good and caring teachers can help struggling readers to get where they need to be.
    • 5/5
      I really liked this story for multiple reasons. First, the writing flowed really well. There was a clear plot to the story, and this made it easy to follow. The chain of events was easy to follow, and the plot did have some unexpected turns. These changes in plot allowed the story line to become more interesting, and engaging. I also thought the story was well paced. There were not any slow points to the story, and the plot was constantly developing until it is found out that Trisha has a learning disability. The language of the story was also quite descriptive. When it is described how Trisha was bullied the word choice allows the reader to feel the pain that Trisha is feeling. This allows the reader to be more sympathetic for Trisha because they are able to witness the difficulties that she is enduring. These times in the story are pushing readers to think about a tough issue. There are actually two tough issues that are intertwined during these parts of the story. One of the difficult issues is bullying, and the second is students who are struggling with learning disabilities. For readers who have not been bullied or have a learning disability this gives a new perspective about the difficulties that other students are enduring. Some students do not realize the impact of their actions and this story will allow them to see how their words can affect someone. The story is also important for students with learning disabilities to read because it is a story about overcoming what you thought that you could do. In the story Mr. Falker believed in Trisha, even when she had lost confidence in herself. This story will show students that it is possible to become more than what other people think you are capable of. Another reason I like this story is because the characters are very believable. The fact that this story is based on the author’s life and events that happened allows the characters to be well developed. Trisha emotions are real. What she says and does are believable, because they are based off events that did happen. The autobiographical aspect of the book allows the characters to be more authentic. I believe that the big idea of the story is that with the help of people who believe in you, you can overcome difficult situations.
    • 5/5
      This book can be used to talk about how teachers can help you. The students will love how relatable the book is, especially for children who are struggling in school.
    • 5/5
      This book is about a young girl named Trisha that has trouble reading. Once she gets to 5th grade, her teacher sees how artistic she is and helps her use her ability to overcome her dyslexia.  
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading Thank You, Mr. Falker. I believe that the main character was well developed and easy to relate to. Trisha is a student who has a learning disability which causes her a great deal of frustration. Most of her teachers ignore her and do not cater to her needs, but she finds one teacher who is able to help her succeed. I can relate to this because there have been many times in my life when my teachers do not try to cater to my learning needs which makes it difficult to understand the material being taught. Also, the illustrations were colorful and helped the story come to life. For example, the picture of Trisha hiding underneath the stairs during recess helps the reader to see how alone and sad she was. The main idea of this story is to accept your differences and try to find a way to cope with them so that you can succeed. Also, to never give up trying to accomplish this.
    • 5/5
      This is a story about a little girl who's grandparents have a tradition with each child before they begin school and that is learning that knowledge is sweet like honey. As Trisha grows up though she had a very hard time learning how to read and she not only begins to hate school but hates reading and looking at math problems. Her friends tease her and she begins to feel dumb. Then her mom gets a job in California and the family moves from Michigan to California, it's then when Trisha meets Mr. Falker, an inspiring teacher who helps Trisha learn how to read and make sense of letters and combine them into words and sentences. eventually Trisha learns to read and at the end of the story we find out that the author Patricia Polacco is the little girl in the story and when she is older she runs into her teacher Mr. Falker and gets the chance to thank him for what he did and even better she gets to let him know that now she write books for other children to read. This is a fantastic book that is very inspiring not only to children having a hard time but for teachers who want nothing but the best.
    • 4/5
      As I stated earlier, most of Polacco's books are written from personal experience. This one focuses on teachers who make a difference, in particular, Mr. Falkner. While highly artistically blessed, Patricia had a severe learning disability. Words on the page made no sense. A target of bullying, Mr. Falkner not only taught Patricia how to read, but also stopped the bullying and taught others to walk in someone else's shoes.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed reading Thank You, Mr. Falker. This book portrayed the true meaning of what it means to be a really good teacher. In the book when Trisha is being bullied by her fellow classmates, Mr. Falker is the only teacher who stops the bullying and protects Trisha. Mr. Falker is also the only teacher who realizes that Trisha has a reading and writing problem. He takes extra time out of his day to teach Trisha to read and write so that she can grow as a student and as a person. The big message of the story is to always pay attention to your students. If a student is constantly missing recess, it’s your job as a teacher to investigate why they are not there. There is always a possibility that they are getting bullied. And once you find that answer it is your job to take action and change the situation. It is possible you are the only positive influence in their life and its always important to be there and care for each student.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. This is a book about a little girl named Trisha who has dyslexia and her struggle to learn to read. This story is actually a true story about the author, Patricia Polacco, and her struggle to learn to read. When she started school she could draw beautifully, but when she looked at words and letters they all looked like squiggles and lines. They didn't make any sense to her. She then meets a teacher, Mr. Falker, who encourages her and helps her through her journey to read. He works with her after school and never gives up on her. She to this day thanks him for helping her. I loved reading this book. It brought a tear to my eye. I think this would be a great book to read to or share with a student that is going through this same struggle with a learning disability or reading disability. I think that it would help them to understand that they can overcome this struggle. I also loved the letter that she wrote to the real teacher who helped her. It was very heartfelt and sincere. It was such a joy to read!
    • 5/5
      When Trisha enters kindergarten she is excited that her time has finally come to learn how to read, but the letters and numbers are all muddled and even worse, her classmates notice that she is different and begin to call her names. As the years pass, Trisha continues to struggle, resenting reading and school until she meets her fifth grade teacher, Mr. Falker, a special teacher determined to help Trisha prove to herself she is capable of reading. This touching and heartfelt story captures a myriad of emotions, from the hurtful sting of a bully, to feeling discouraged, alone, and different, to pure happiness and self-satisfaction. Every high and low is perfectly reflected in the dynamic watercolor illustrations. The narrative concludes with a note from the author and illustrator herself, Patricia Polacco, who reveals Trisha’s story is her own personal story. Thank you, Mr. Falker should have a home in every elementary classroom, encouraging the child who wants to give up and the teacher who promises not to give up on those children.
    • 5/5
      In my opinion, this is a good book. The first feature of this book that I enjoyed was the plot and the way in which it was organized. Rather than simply telling the reader right at the beginning of the book that she had difficultly reading, the author paced her hardships throughout in a way that engaged the reader. For example, when she and her family moved across the country, it was a surprise to the reader that was unexpected and thus interesting. Secondly, I liked the difficult content of the story that forces readers to think about those who are slower at learning and the way that they may be treated. For example, the scene in which Trisha hides under the stairs during recess to avoid her bully would be hard for children to face, but it may also open their eyes to how awful bullying can be. The big idea of this book is that everyone learns at a different pace, but with persistence and the right support system, anything is possible.
    • 5/5
      One of the hardest things a young student can face is the struggle of learning, and the distress one can receive. Thank you Mr. Falker is an emotional, heartfelt picture book that tells the story of a young girl eager to go to school and read, but once she is there she finds that the words wiggle and are jumbled on the page. Not only does she become behind but she is forced to face tormenting students that call her dumb. Finally the young girl has a new teacher, Mr. Falker, who changes her life forever. His encouragement and teaching strategies help young Trisha become the student she always hoped to be. This heartwarming story becomes even more meaningful when the reader learns that it is about the author and illustrator, Polacco herself. This book is a perfect edition to an elementary classroom (grade 2-5) and can even be enjoyed by adults. It is a perfect motivator for future teachers, and students who struggle in school.
    • 5/5
      I really liked this book. I found Thank you Mr. Falker to be particularly inspirational because of the way Mr. Falker was able to reach Trisha and help her. As a future teacher, it portrayed how every teacher should strive to be with their students; helpful, caring, and persistent. I found the characters to be very relatable and strongly developed. While I relate and find admirable qualities in Mr. Falker, I can easily see how students can relate to Trisha. Even if it isn’t dyslexia, students with developmental disabilities can feel more “normal” after seeing a character that has similar struggles with academics. I like the point of view. The story was written in first person through the eyes of a girl named Trisha. Trisha had a lot of trouble reading and writing and struggling in her schooling. Seeing the story take place through her perspective forced the reader to see school as she saw it. Patricia Polacco based the story off of her own personal experience in school with dyslexia, which is why it is so vital that the story be told through her viewpoint. The purpose of the story was to show students and teachers never to give up on each other. Patricia Polacco couldn’t read until the age of 14 and because one teacher didn’t give up on her she was able to aspire to become a children’s literature author.
    • 5/5
      I have read this book before and I love it for many different reasons. The first reason is that I feel that the illustrations in the book are so fitting and appropriate to the mood of the story. I also feel that the illustrations really enhance the story. During the story when Tricia is getting teased and bullied by her peers, you can really see the emotion just by looking at the picture of her. Her face was very red and the lines on her face mirrored exactly how a person might look in that situation. Another reason why I love this book is because I feel that the book really pushes readers to think about the issues of bullying as well as, learning disabilities and see both sides of these situations. I felt that this happened in different points of the book. I feel that the part of the story where you see Tricia hiding during recess really helps readers to understand what it is like to be bullied and how much people are affected by it. I also felt that when Tricia explained how much she was struggling before lying to her peers about reading, she showed how difficult it is to struggle with a learning disability. Overall I felt that this is a great book because it has characters that are easy to relate to, captivating illustrations, and a very important message behind it.
    • 5/5
      This was a great book that brought tears to my eyes. The central message of the story was about a teacher who did not give up on a young child and helped her to learn to read. This showed all young children to never give up. I liked how the writing flowed and gave vivid descriptions. For example, the sentence read, "They said beh, beh...oy, boy" showing how difficult it was for Trisha to read. I could hear her in my head having this difficulty and feeling her pain. What I enjoyed most was the ending and how there was such a happy ending. This book is relatable to many young children who have faced the same issue in having difficulty learning how to read. It is inspiring to all.
    • 5/5
      In my opinion, this is a very inspiring and positive book! I really liked the main message of the story which was to never give up. I like how this is an autobiographical story of how the author herself was struggling to learn how to read and was able to keep this a secret from her teachers. This book also caused the reader to think about tough issues. One tough issue that is addressed in this book is bullying. I think that this is an important theme to put into a children's book because it provides a look into how hurtful words can be. I really like the characters in the book, mainly the little girl and Mr. Falker. The little girl is very resilient and also very clever for leading her teachers to believe that she can read. Mr. Falker is an exceptional role-model for teachers everywhere. His character was very kind and caring. He takes the little girl under his wing and never gives up on teaching her how to read. Overall, the book was very engaging and the plot was timed very well. The ones close to the little girl don’t find out right away that she doesn’t know how to read. I like how the book had an element of suspense in it (the reader waiting for Mr. Falker to figure out that she can’t read).
    • 5/5
      I liked this book for many reasons. I really liked the characters in this book because they were believable and relatable. As an aspiring teacher I can see how children can relate to Tricia in this book because they may be going through the same problems whether it be reading or bullying. Another reason I liked this book was because of the ending. I thought it was amazing that she wrote this book about herself, thanking her real teacher. The plot and writing are so well developed that you get engrossed in the book and actually feel what the writer was feeling when you read the ending. The emotions just come pouring out of this book. One last reason I really enjoyed this book was because it was nonfiction. You don’t realize that it is until the ending, because it seems like a book just to make sure kids are grateful of their teachers. But by the ending you realize that this was an actual story and it gave me even more of a reason of why I wanted to become a teacher. The big idea in this book to me, is that one person can change your life. One person can make who you are and a lot of the time, it is the person instilling knowledge in you.
    • 5/5
      There are two reasons why I liked this book so much. First, the plot was organized and was suspenseful. For example, when Trisha hide under the inside stairwell during the free time, as a reader I didn’t know who would find her or what would happen next. Second, the characters, particularly Trisha, were well developed and believable because I was able to connect to her. I too, had a difficult time reading when I was in elementary school. My Mr. Falker was my fifth grade teacher, Ms. Hieb. Just like Mr. Falker, Ms. Hieb took her extra time and energy to help me learn to love to read and how to read. Then, just like Mr. Falker, Ms. Hieb had tears in her eyes when I finished my first chapter book. The message of the story is that you don’t know how what you do will affect others. Mr. Falker was able to change Trisha’s life for ever by taking the time with her to help her learn to read.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed reading "Thank You, Mr. Falker". This book is a wonderful book for a classroom. The little girl in the book can not read very well at all. The children in her class tease her year after year. This made the little girl feel dumb and hate school. Until one year there was a new teacher who helped her to read, after this she loved school and loved reading. It turns out the book is actually about the author of a book. A child who grew up not being able to read very well turned into a book author. I think that this story has several lessons to teach. First it teaches a child not to give up. No matter how hard something is keep trying and trying until you get it. Second it teaches children not to make fun of other students, and how it makes the child feel when they are getting made fun of. Lastly it teaches not only students for other teachers to be there for another person and to help them when they are in need. I think that this is a wonderful book and a great addition to any classroom!
    • 4/5
      I loved this book! We listened to it during class and it was a great story. It was a little long, but definitely tied together at the end. I liked the book because of the pictures, the language, and the point of view. Patricia Polacco wrote this book about herself which I thought was very cool. The characters seemed to be fake but in the end they were realistic. The theme and the story line were both very intriguing, especially because it talked about dyslexia. The told a lot about the author's life in a short amount of time. It was a pretty serious and in depth book, but I really liked it.
    • 4/5
      Trisha is having trouble at school. Her teacher Mr. Falkner recognizes her artistic talent and then finds a way to help Trisha overcome her reading difficulties. A great book for helping students to see that we each have strengths and weaknesses.
    • 4/5
      Patricia Polaco tells her story of thanks to a special teacher, Mr. Falker, who discovers that she cannot read in the fifth grade. Mr Falker is a champion of what she can do, drawing, he is her protector from bullies, he respects her. More importantly when he realized that she has learned to compensate for the inability to read he begins working intensely with her after school. Through his efforts she gets the help that she needs and learns to read well. This book also tells of family traditions by sharing the value of education that is held within her cultural background.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this story. I read it and it made me cry. I want my students to remember how I made a difference in their lives some day just like Mr. Falker made a difference in hers. Wonderful story and I would read it to older students if I ever have an older class.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. I felt that the things that really made this book great was the use of language and the characters. While reading this book, the language used was very descriptive and captivating to the audience. The author describes the child struggling to read the words on the page and details in the book how the words were blurry fuzzy and kept jumping all over the page. This makes it very easy for children to understand and comprehend this complex disorder. The characters were extremely well developed throughout the book. The main little girl is shown trying and trying to read and she just cannot get it. She goes through what children actually go through with this learning disability and it is made extremely clear that this is the authors true encounter. The teachers also had extremely believable character development throughout between the ones that did not help her and the one that finally did. This is a biography written in story form to make it more enjoyable for children to understand. The main purpose of this book is to relate to children who are struggling with something and remind them that they can get through it.
    • 5/5
      This touching book is about a girl's real life struggle with Dyslexia. She could not read in class when all the other children could. This book illustrates what kids with dyslexia go through. Trisha was afraid to even go to school because she was afraid students would laugh about her reading. This book also emphasized the importance of an effective teacher. Mr.Falker stopped the students who were bullying Trisha as well as discovered why she couldn't read. Teachers need to get struggling students help if need be. This is what Mr.Falker did and now she grew up to be an author that had the chance to write about her struggles.
    • 4/5
      I loved this book. Patricia Polacco does a great job of explaining her life through the lens of herself. She shares her childhood triumph over dyslexia and discovery of reading in an inspiring way. Trisha is fascinated with her grandfathers knowledge, which is symbolized by the honey that he drizzles over the book and tastes. Trisha must endure the cruel actions of classmates who call her "dumb." But finally the encouragement and efforts of a new fifth grade teacher, Mr. Falker, trigger a monumental turning point in Trisha's life. This book is great for young learners who are struggling with a learning disability to identify with Trisha's situation and find success regardless of any situation. She explores the emotional being of children and the struggle that some must undergo to find their place early on. The authors use of bright and big illustrations with theatrical gestures, indicate the different emotions throughout the book. The happiness with her grandfather, the fear of be alone at school, and the anger when the kids on the playground stare at her. All of these aspects can be encouraging to any child that feels like a failure or is dealing with the difficulty of being alone. I would utilize this book in my classroom because it is very informative and tells the story of a girl who once sat in a classroom and struggled. Students tend to relate more to real life occurrences. I feel that a lot could be taught from this book and taken from it. There are also alternate ways in which students can read this book. There are online read aloud sessions and interactive technology that students with accommodations can be met with.
    • 5/5
      I liked this book for multiple reasons. First, I enjoyed how this book was an autobiography of Patricia Polacco's childhood and how she struggled in school. The book has a very relatable plot for those who are struggling with dyslexia and the character of Trisha is very believable and well-developed because the character stemmed from the author's personal experiences. The second piece about this book that I enjoyed was the fact that the book pushes readers to think about tough issues, such as learning disabilities and bullying. Children at a young age need to recognize that all students learn in different ways and there is no need to bully children for being different. This book would be great to read in an elementary school classroom because it can be a model for students that bullying can hurt people and some people learn at different paces or in different ways. Overall, this book is written really well and would be a very engaging book for a read-aloud in the classroom that all students can learn from and enjoy.