Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move

Title: Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Author: Judith Viorst
Major Awards: CBC/NCSS Notable Children's Book in Social Studies
Age Group: Pre-K-3rd grade

This story is about Alexander and his resistance to moving away. His father has taken a job in a new city, causing the family to have to move. Alexander states that he, under no circumstances, is moving away. He starts to think of places and people he could live with in his current town so he would not have to move away. He states all the people he will miss and will never be able to replace, including his best friend Paul, his babysitter, his cleaner, his neighbors, and his school. His mother comforts him, saying that it will take time, but he will find new people to love in the new city. In the end, he starts to come to terms with the move after much protesting, but states that he will never again be moving away after this time. 

I would love to have this book in my classroom! Having moved many times throughout my childhood, I can definitely relate to Alexander and the feelings he has about moving. I think that many students in the classroom would be able to relate to Alexander, as well, especially if they have moved themselves. It is a tough thing to go through, especially as a child who cannot imagine a different life than the one they have. As we see with Alexander, though, you have to come to terms with it and give it a shot, because so much good can come from the situation! 

I think that the most appropriate audience for this story would be Pre-K through third grade. This story about moving is told from a young boy's perspective, so I think that these young children would find it relatable because of that. I think that even students who cannot read yet would get a lot out of this book because of how well done the illustrations are. 

In my classroom, I could have my students write about a person or place that is special to them. Like Alexander, many students become close to members of their community and would be devastated to have to move away from them. We could also make an anchor chart of ways that we could make a new student feel welcome and comfortable in our classroom! I could also give the students a worksheet that asks them to write the main idea of the story, and also give me three reasons why they think this.