Fletcher, Ralph. Moving Day. Jennifer Emery, Illus. Boyds Mills Press, Honesdale, PA: 2006.
• This book, a collection of connected poetry, tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who struggles with his mixed feelings on moving away from his Massachusetts home. The conversational, very personal tone is ideal for intermediate and middle readers, ages from about 7 to 12. In the first poem, Fletch receives a new bike as a present just before his parents tell him they will move. The last poem takes place at his new home in Ohio. Each poem describes, in episodic fashion, the joys and pains in preparing to move and arriving in a new place: leaving a bully behind, finding a long-lost, treasured belonging while packing, watching a little brother happily pop rolls of bubble wrap, making a new friend, and discovering that a new doorknob projects rainbows on the wall. Pencil illustrations accompany each one-page poem, capturing the mood with a monotone watercolor wash that complements the text: blue tones where Fletch says good-bye to his friends, and cheerful orange tones when a new neighbor invites to ride bikes.
• This book can provide a springboard for discussions on why people may have to move and the pros and cons of moving. Middle grade extension activities could include writing exercises about moving, discovering a lost object, or describing a time when a friend or family member moved or passed away.