Every year, there is one book that my students and I all look forward to reading. What book, you ask? Max: Best Friend. Hero. Marine.
We absolutely love this book! It’s suspenseful, includes mystery, has nail-biting parts, and the students truly connect with the characters. Before the book, we complete a War Dog Webquest where we learn about military working dogs. I love sharing how these “unsung heroes” have truly saved so many human lives over the years and didn’t get any credit until recent years.
Being a writing teacher, I use this novel to teach great writing skills such as using sensory language and descriptive writing to connect with your readers and to create a picture in the reader’s mind. I also use this book to teach commas by providing the students with mentor sentences and then having them create their own.
After the book, we watch the amazing movie that accompanies this book. Talk about “on the edge of your seat!” Of course, you can’t watch a movie without mouthwatering popcorn. The best, and easiest, popcorn to pop is Great Northern Popcorn. This is an all-in-one popcorn, so it includes popcorn, salt, and oil. How easy can it get? The size you get will depend on your popcorn machine’s kettle. I buy the 6 oz. Great Northern also makes these popcorn bags in a 4 oz. and an 8 oz.
I also buy these popcorn bags to totally set the ambiance of our “movie theater.” I hope you’ll give this novel a shot in your classroom. You won’t regret it, and your students will thank you! Happy reading and thanks to all the military working dogs who risk their lives every day for us. We salute you!
