Blabber Mouse by True Kelley - Teaching Ideas



Blabber Mouse is a great book to read when you have students that just don't know when to stop talking. In the story Blabber Mouse loves to talk but he not only talks about himself, he also tells other people's secrets. He doesn't tell these secrets to be mean, he just does it because he likes to talk and he doesn't think about what he is saying. He doesn't understand what it feels like to be on the other end of his blabbing. His classmates are fed up so they plan a way to make Blabber Mouse stop blabbing once and for all. What is their plan? Will they give him a dose of his own medicine? You and your students will be surprised at what they have planned for Blabber Mouse.

If you have this book and want to use it for more than just a read aloud, here is more information that may help you create a skills or strategy lesson.
 
Reading level: 2.8
Theme: behavior, social skills, friends, friendship
Genre: animal stories

Suggested Vocabulary: blabber, recited, spread gossip, nervous wreck, scurried

Reading skills and strategies:
  • asking questions - {before possible questions} Is Blabber Mouse his name? What does blabber mean? {during possible questions} Why did Blabber Mouse talk so much? Why does Blabber Mouse tell his friends secrets? How are his friends going to keep Blabber Mouse for blabbing again? What is everyone doing at school? Why did his class throw a party for Blabber Mouse? {after possible questions} Was Blabber Mouse going to tell his friends secrets anymore?
  • author's point of view - third person
  • author's purpose­ - entertain - {evidence} - silly illustrations, silly explanations such as "...wearing dress inside out...", "Everybody had on silly party hats...", and "Charlotte's mom wrecked their house last night..."
  • beginning, middle, end - {the MOST important event from the beginning} - Blabber mouse liked to talk about everything to everyone. {the MOST important event from the middle} - Blabber Mouse told Mrs. Numley that she forgot to give homework and his classmates got upset with him. {the MOST important event from the end} - His classmates threw him a party ruining the surprise because they told him what was happening, but they kept one secret, the top secret diary they gave to him. Now he could write all his secrets down and not blab about them.
  • cause and effect - Why was he called Blabber Mouse? because he always told his friends secrets. Why did Blabber Mouse say that Charlotte's mom wrecked their house? because he misunderstood what "nervous wreck" meant. Why did the kids all of a sudden pay attention in class? because Blabber Mouse told them that Mrs. Numley had a tattoo by her armpit and they were all trying to see what it was. Why did Blabber Mouse feel left out? because the class was doing something and they weren't telling him or having him help. Why did the class throw a party for Blabber Mouse? because they wanted to ruin the surprise by telling him what was happening and they wanted to give him the super secret diary. Why did the class give Blabber Mouse a super secret diary? so he could write all his secrets instead of blabbing about them.
  • characterization -  describe Blabber Mouse {looks, type of person he is, his feelings, his ideas}
  • classify & categorize - have students classify and categorize the types of situations or information that should be told or should be kept a secret. This will help students understand that not all things should be kept a secret, there are times when it is important to tell an adult.
  • compare & contrast - compare you and Blabber Mouse or your friend and Blabber Mouse.
  • connections - possible text-to-self connections - Students may know someone that talks a lot. Student may be just like Blabber Mouse and talk a lot.  Students may have been embarrassed by a secret they told someone and that someone told the secret. Students might have been the one to tell a secret and make someone feel bad because of it. Students might have had a surprise party, or invited to a surprise party.
  • drawing conclusions & inferencing - How do Blabber Mouse's classmates feel about him telling their secrets? {clues from text} LuLu got embarrassed, his sister pretended to be surprised about her birthday gift, students were a little upset when he reminded the teacher that she forgot to give out homework. {what I know} if my friend tells someone else what I said and I told them not to, I get mad. If someone tells me what my present is before I unwrap it, I get sad because I want to be surprised. If my teacher forgets to pass out homework and someone reminds her I might be a little upset, because I was excited not to have homework that night. {my conclusion} I think Blabber Mouse's classmates get angry with Blabber Mouse when he tells everybody everything.
  • main idea & details - {main idea} - Blabber Mouse talks too much. {details} - Blabber Mouse liked to talk about his adventures, hobbies, his friends, the things he saw, where he had been and the things he remembered. Blabber Mouse liked to tell jokes and stories and he liked to recite poetry. Blabber Mouse told others where LuLu hid her cheesy-chip cookies. Blabber Mouse told LuLu that JoJo liked him. Blabber Mouse told everyone that Charlotte's mom wrecked the house. Blabber Mouse told the class that Mrs. Numley had a tattoo. Blabber Mouse told his sister what he got her for her birthday. Blabber Mouse told his friends Joan and George the ending of the movie they went to go see. Blabber Mouse told Mrs. Numley that she forgot to pass out homework.
  • plot - the turning point of the story was when the class was doing things and leaving him out of it, but telling him bits and pieces to ruin the surprise.
  • predict - What do you think the story is about? What do you think the kids are doing? Why did Blabber Mouse feel left out? Why did the class throw Blabber Mouse a party? Why do you think the kids still liked Blabber Mouse even though he kept telling their secrets?
  • problem & solution - {problem} Blabber Mouse kept telling everybody's secrets. {solution} The class decided to throw a party in honor of Blabber Mouse. They told him some of what they were doing to ruin the surprise, because that is what he always did but they also kept some of it a secret so he could see what it was like be surprised.
  • story elements - list theme, genre, setting, characters, problem and solution or beginning, middle and end. 
  • strong thought - students may have strong thoughts every time Blabber Mouth tells a secret.
To extend this book into a character lesson use the classify and categorize idea listed above, or have students act out different ways one might react to their secret being told. Discuss the pros and cons with each reaction and decide which is the best way to handle a situation like this.

Here is a beginning, middle, end foldable to use with this story. Print both both pages and then copy double sided. Click on the picture to download the foldable.



Happy teaching!

12 comments

  1. GREAT pick and AmAzInG extension and enrichment ideas. Thank you, thank you! I'd LOVE to link the book title on my Books That Teach list to thsi page so our school's visitors could come here and see your suggestions - would that be ok??

    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Barbara,
      Absolutely, that would be great, thanks!!
      Shawna

      Delete
  2. What a versatile foldable for any story. Thanks for sharing! I'm a new follower.


    Yearn to Learn Blog

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like such a cute story. I'll have to buy it! Thanks for sharing your activity.

    Lori (luvyorkies@gmail.com)
    Teaching With Love and Laughter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lori,
      Yes, this is a pretty cute story, great for a character lesson. I hope you can find the book!
      Shawna

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  4. Thanks for sharing such great information! Im a new follower!


    Rachel
    Ms. Rachel’s Room

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rachel,
      Thanks for coming for a visit and following. I hope you find something useful here.
      Shawna

      Delete
  5. Thank you SO much for the freebie! Glad to have found you!

    Angie
    Rulin' the Roost

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Angie,
      Thanks for visiting! I hope you explore a little more here on my blog, I have lots of good information and freebies!
      Shawna

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Hi Teresa,
      Thanks for visiting and becoming a follower. BTW, I love the name of your blog...super cute!
      Shawna

      Delete

Thoughts and comments are always welcome!