Grandpa's Drum / Have Canoe, Will Paddle
From Molly of Denali · 2019
Summary
Molly finds an old photo of Grandpa Nat as a child, singing and drumming — surprising, since Grandpa never sings now. When he tells her he lost his songs along with a drum he once gave away, Molly goes on a mission to track it down and bring his music back. Then, with the Qyah canoe competition coming up, Molly, Tooey, and Trini discover that their coach Connie is a former Olympic canoer with some very unusual training methods.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Grandpa Nat says he "lost his songs" when he gave away his drum — music and memory are closely connected for him.
- Why did Molly want to find Grandpa's old drum?
- What happened when Molly returned the drum to Grandpa?
- What surprising fact did the kids learn about their canoeing coach, Connie?
- Why might learning a new skill from someone experienced, like Connie, look different than you expect?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: tradition, memory, coach, paddle, balance.
Try it: Ask a family member about an object that brings back a memory or song for them. Draw the object and write one sentence about its story.