Do you remember sitting in a small desk tapping your #2 pencil waiting for that minute hand to reach 3:00? For Iris it was an everyday occurrence.
Iris is a special girl that has amazing friends, friends that have wings. Dragonflies are special mystical creatures that have their own woes in this world. While sitting by her favorite creek, Dragonfly Creek, Iris gradually realizes she can understand and talk to the creatures. When she visits the old country Ireland where her Paternal Grandmother lives, she discovers something that will change her life forever!
Iris makes friends with an amazing group of children, from all around the world! When a big developer tries to destroy the only place Iris loves, Dragonfly Creek, they band together and try to shut down the idea and eventually destruction of the Dragonfly Ecosystem. Although I want to tell you the entire story, I know I need to stop now or I will. I always had (have..haha) the bad habit of doing this, especially when my students caught me of guard with a book I liked!
Being such a unique child, it reminded me of the trials and tribulations teenagers and middle school students face today. Being able to fit in, making friends, and wearing the right clothes is part of this book. Danielis pulls the feelings and thoughts of every preadolescence and adolescent and puts them into Bella, Iris' sister. She is constantly screaming and picking on Iris to clean up her appearance and saying she is basically embarrassed of her - another tidbit of sibling rivalry that happens in the real world! They way the author makes the personalities of each character lead to an understanding of the story as a whole. This story is absolutely enchanting. It is a mix of adventure and fantasy - all the things we love!
Rosemary Danielis is a very dynamic individual! Take a look at her website to make your own opinion, but I swear you will think the same. In the photography page she has a section for Ireland. When I saw this I automatically linked it to Iris and the Dragonflies and thought of many activities a teacher can use in the classroom - yes I do this with everything in my life. :) Because this is classified as YA, you can use it with Middle School or High School.
From a Special Education Teacher's prospective, this book is amazing. It grasps the readers attention with vivid detail and enough intrigue to keep them hooked. There are many ways one could use this in their classroom as a read aloud or silent reader during DEAR (Drop Everything And Read).
Some activities you could complete with this book and link to state standards/CORE include:
1. Tales past down in their family - essay, project
2. Interview grandparent or older relative - presentation, short essay
3. Research your family tree and what country you would visit - cumulative project
4. If using as a silent reading book, projects
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