Reading Log: Molly’s Pilgrim
Grade Level: K- 4
Title: Molly’s Pilgrim
Author: Barbara Cohen
Illustrator: Daniel Mark Duffy
Summary: Molly is a new student in Winter Hill. She is a recent immigrant to America from Russia. She is the only Jewish student in her class. She doesn’t like to raise her hand because her English isn’t good. Some of the other students make fun of her accent and tease her. She is unhappy she wants to go back to the city or even to Russia to live. She is embarrassed to have her mother go to school because of her accent and the fact that she will appear different. The children are given an assignment to make pilgrim dolls (clothespin people) for part of a display of Plymouth, MA. Molly’s mom tries to help her by making a doll that looks like a picture of her as she looked in Russia. When Molly takes the Pilgrim doll to school, some of the children make fun of it because it doesn’t look like a traditional “Puritan” pilgrim. Eventually, though the teacher realizes pilgrims come to America at different times in history and Molly is just a more recent pilgrim. She then makes that point for the rest of the class. The result is that Molly is accepted and feels more a part of the group.
Highlights: Realizing that pilgrims continue to come to America. Accepting and understanding differences
Story Elements:
Character: Molly who is trying to fit in her new community. She is embarrassed for being who she is. She is embarrassed that she is different and sad that she is being teased. The teacher who although is kind, is a little slow to help Molly fit in. Elizabeth is a snobby classmate who teases and treats Molly badly and tries to get other students to do the same thing.
Setting: School and community in small town.
Plot: Molly tries to fit into her new community. Her project is unique and ridiculed until the teacher realizes that pilgrims don’t have to be traditional. Finally, the lesson is made to connect Molly to her new community and she is accepted.
Problem: Accepting cultural differences
Solution: Making the connection of the pilgrim of old to the pilgrims of new, accepting and appreciating cultural differences.
Notes: This is a great book about acceptance and creating community that extends way beyond immigration issues.This book is an easy read (grade 2 level). Students can really put themselves in Molly’s shoes about feeling different, and isolated from the community. Those are feelings that all people have at one time or another even if they don’t have huge cultural differences. Although, this is history oriented– the big lesson is being sensitive and accepting of cultural differences and differences in general. Use for immigration unit. There is a video for the story (30min).
Discussion: Teacher didn’t initially handle very well the way some of the students treated Molly in the story. Even though she wasn’t mean herself, she wasn’t entirely sensitive to Molly’s feelings. For example, she asked Molly to read “thanksgiving” and when she couldn’t pronounce it, the teacher asked Elizabeth to correct her. Should the teacher have done that? Did that only reinforce Elizabeth’s stereotypes and feelings of superiority? Was the teacher aware of the dynamics in the class of the way Molly was being treated by her classmates? Was the teacher herself sensitive to the cultural differences? I think some of these questions can be presented to the class. Other discussion can be about the way Elizabeth treats Molly. I think it is important to constantly make connections back to the classroom community when having these discussions (without singling people out).
Joel Black
ED 3140
Fall 2001