This story is all about the journey of an exclamation mark and how he wants to be a period like everyone else. But no matter how hard he tries he just can't be like them in anyway. He tries many different ways to make himself look like a period, but sadly it doesn't happen. SO he leaves the page and is confronted by a question mark. When he meets her he is confused, but she tells him that he is special in his own way. Just like she can make any sentence into a question, he can make any sentence into some loud, and exciting. She also tells him that it is ok for him to be himself. So he tries it out and ends up loving that he is an exclamation mark and he actually embraces it. He also gets to end the book with adding an exclamation mark to the phrase The End at the end of the book. An activity I would do for this is have the students do a self reflection activity on their own. Then I would put them into small groups to talk about what they wrote about in their reflection. I would then have them while in their groups create a T chart about why it's good to be yourself and not try to be like others, that they are unique individuals and thats what makes them all great kids. Citation-Exclamation markBy: Rosenthal, Amy Krouse, and Tom Lichtenheld.Scholastic Press2013 This tells the story of an exclamation mark who wants to be like everyone else because he feels like he does not fit in. He tries many different things but just can not be like everybody else. One day, a question mark comes along and asks so many questions that the exclamation mark gets overwhelmed and finally exclaims "STOP!" This is the beginning of the exclamation mark's realization that he is different but that he has a purpose, and being different is not such a bad thing. I think that this book gives a really strong message, and would definitely be helpful in an classroom. While it does not deal with the difference of people, it still tells a story about being different from others. I believe reading this towards the beginning of the year would be good to help your students understand that not everyone is the same, and that it is perfectly okay to be different. I think this should be used once students know and understand the difference between the various punctuation marks because the story might not make sense to kids if they do not understand what the purpose of an exclamation mark is. I do think that this can be used for students who may feel left out for any reason, and that this can help them realize that they do not need to be like everyone else to fit in, they just need to realize their true potential and what makes them so unique and different.
What do You think about Exclamation Mark (2013)?
Enjoyed by children and adults and good for many a read.
—TitianaGore
