Gilly+Hopkins+Pathfinder

Gilly Hopkins Pathfinder

Introduction: This pathfinder is intended to aid those teachers involved with students that are being cared for by people other than their biological parents such as: foster parents, relatives, or even surrogate mothers or fathers legally or otherwise. This pathfinder will feature (for now; I hope that it will grow!!) Katherine Paterson's //The Great Gilly Hopkins;// a story of a young girl's experience in foster care after she is abandoned by her mother. I hope to use this example to flush out issues that effect children and adolescents and provide support and resources to cultivate understanding, compassion and action on behalf of children and adolescents.

Key terms: unconventional family, foster care, surrogate care, care givers, Katherine Paterson, //The Great Gilly Hopkins//, feelings, and abandonement.

Search Strategy: I started with basic search engines to find general information summaries etc. such as: Google, and Ask.com. To find articles of interest I turned to OSU's library database, namely Worldcat. I also borrowed sites from fellow classmates like Kids Click and Awesome Library. To find more novels with like topics I turned to OSU's basic catalog.

Reflection: After reading //The Great Gilly Hopkins// recently, I begun thinking that teachers are rarely prepared for conflicts involving unconventional family situations. They have even less time and resources to aid them in this task. My goal was to find well-rounded information that could give teachers resources to accompany reading books like The Great Gilly Hopkins as well as providing a deeper understanding of unconventional families and related issues. I started with basic searches: //The Great Gilly Hopkins, foster care, Katherine Paterson//. Next I ellaborated on summary with reviews and analysis of the novel. Furthermore I utilized Worldcat to find articles that provide a more thorough and possibly academic analysis of the text. Lastly, I searched in catalogs using terms such as: surrogate family, care givers and foster care. I was rewarded with a handful of resources at each turn and I hope to find more information and more like novels over time.

Annotated Bibliography:

media type="custom" key="3487506" Katherine Paterson official site author of //The Great Gilly Hopkins// [] Using this site, one can read a basic synopsis of the book, other books by the author, biography of the author and questions posed to the author about her life and works, literary awards received and upcoming related events. Special note: Author interview provides some explaination of the explicit language in //The Great Gilly Hopkins//.

Bookrags [] This site consists of a study guide to help understand the work better and help others to do the same. Study guide includes summary and chapter by chapter analysis.

Learn NC [] Provides an analytical lesson plan to accompany the novel.

[|Power, Language, and Literacy in "The Great Gilly Hopkins"] This article outlines important issues from the text and opens up conversation for deeper understanding of novel and issues present.

Enotes [] Allows readers to discuss the text. Teachers, as well as, students can discuss the plot in general as well as work through the issues in the novel together.

Kid Vision [] Here students can create images that express what they feel or what they think about feelings. Adapted for grades 3-6.

Kids Health [] Offers several links and lists to guide students 7+ through difficult issues and feelings.

[] Article that gives advice of how to prepare a child like Gilly for the playground.

Goodreads [|http://www.goodreads.com] I encourage teachers and students alike to join the social network to find out more about what others think about novels in order to come across novels of interest, what others think about novels and like minds.

More novels... //media type="custom" key="3487514" Secret Life of Bees// official site. [] This website gives a brief summary of the novel, //Secret Life of Bees// and an author biography of Sue Monk Kidd. Summary: Adolescent girl cared for by surrogate female figures.

media type="custom" key="3487526" Literati [] Includes reviews and summary of //The White Oleander//. Summary: Adolescent girl cared for by several foster families after her mother is encarcerated.

media type="custom" key="3487516"media type="custom" key="3487520" About.com [] Provides a review of David J. Pelzer's //A Child Called It. One can also find its sequel,// //A Lost Boy.// Summary: Young boy experience of abuse and life as a foster child.  Heidi Hess Saxon's (foster mom) Blog [] This particular post offers several more books that an actual foster mom suggests.