Sahara Special
Sahara Special is the story of Sahara Jones’s 5th grade school year and the struggles she overcomes to make friends and reach her potential as a writer.
Below are some reading passages that we have hand picked to supplement this book. Be sure to read the passage summaries and our suggestions for instructional use.
6th Grade
Poem
I Am Offering This Poem
Passage Summary:
In this poem by American poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the speaker offers the only thing they have: this poem and their love.
When and How to Pair: Introduce this poem after students have read chapter two. Have students consider how writing is important to both Sahara and the speaker in “I Am Offering this Poem.” What is a theme about writing that both texts share? In the poem, Baca uses both similes and metaphors. Chapter two of Sahara Special also contains several similes. Ask students to compare the objects each author describes with similes. What is the tone that the figurative language conveys about the objects?
7th Grade
Poem
Mother to Son
Passage Summary:
In “Mother to Son,” a mother utilizes metaphor to communicate the struggles she's faced and the importance of perseverance to her son.
When and How to Pair: Introduce this text after students read chapter 12, when Sahara finally summons the courage to read a journal entry aloud to the class. What messages about perseverance would both Miss Pointy and the speaker of the poem agree on?