“Poppa’s New Pants” by Angela Shelf Medearis Theme 6

Awards Parents Choice Award for Illustration

Genre: Realistic Fiction A realistic fiction story is about realistic (could happen in real life, but they aren’t real) people, things, and events. The plot-including events, problem, solution-is made up (fictional).

Summary When Poppa’s family tries to help him be shortening his new pair of pants before church in the morning, both George and Poppa end up with a big surprise.

Background Information Sometimes when we buy new clothes they don’t fit exactly right. We may need to shorten pant legs or a skirt. This story is about good people helping each other by doing some sewing.

Key Concept helping out by mending clothes

Key Vocabulary draped fabric hem mended pattern plaid rustling

draped hung loosely in folds

fabric cloth

hem to fold back and sew down the edges

mended repaired by sewing

pattern a repeated design or decoration

plaid a pattern of stripes that cross each other

rustling quick, soft, fluttering sound

Strategy Focus: Predict/Infer We predict/infer before we read to help us make a reasonable guess about what might happen. This strategy helps our mind use prior knowledge and story clues to help us understand what will happen in the story.

Strategy Focus: Predict Look at page 283. Where do you predict this story takes place? Let’s try it! ~or~ After reading the first part of the story ( ), who do you think the ghost was?

Comprehension Skill Focus: Drawing Conclusions When you draw conclusions, you use the clues from the story to help you figure out details that are not specifically stated in the story. For example, the narrator’s name is not told to the reader, but by reading the story we can figure out-or draw the conclusion-that his name is George. We know this because when he and Poppa go into the store, the storekeeper says hello to Poppa and George.

Fill in the organizer with details from the story. Graphic Organizer Conclusions Chart Page 295 Who was the “big white ghost”?_____ _______________________________ Which story clue helped you?_______ _______________________________

Meet the Author Angela Shelf Medearis was born in Virginia. Her family moved often, though, because her father was in the Air Force. She says that at each new place, "I knew there would always be a library, a friendly librarian, and my favorite books there to greet me. It made a new school and new friends much easier to deal with." In grade school, Angela Shelf Medearis's teachers told her that she wrote well. She was thirty years old, however, before she decided to try to earn a living as a writer. She enjoys history, and spends a lot of time researching African-American history for her books. As a bonus, her research often leads to ideas for new books. Many people are surprised to learn that Angela Shelf Medearis also writes cookbooks. Kids sometimes send fan letters to this author. In her favorite letter a child wrote, "Dear Mrs. Medearis, Thank you for telling us about being a writer. I love your stories. When I grow up, I want to be a waitress." Angela Shelf Medearis enjoys seeing movies and plays. (from

Link to Houghton Mifflin If you enjoyed reading “Poppa’s New Pants” and would like to check out some more information and activities, click below to go to Houghton Mifflin’s web site. Click Here!