The Pirate of Kindergarten
By: George Ella Lyon
Illustrated By: Lynne Avril
In most cases Kindergartners believe that double is always better than one. Double money, double candy, double scoop of an ice cream cone; in the mind of a Kindergartner double is simply better. In the case of Ginny though double was not better. Ginny was beginning Kindergarten and noticed that she was seeing double of everything. During their class eye exam the school nurse confirmed that Ginny had “double vision.” After going to the eye doctor Ginny was fitted for new glasses but while her glasses were not in she was told to wear an eye patch to correct her double vision. With her new “pirate patch” Ginny can cut, read and write with perfect accuracy and precision. The exquisite illustrations of Lynne Avril help capture what Ginny sees before and after she gets the help she needs.
A Schneider Family Book Award winner in 2011 this book tells a feel good tale of a girl overcoming adversity at an early age. Kindergarten is a hard transitional period for all students. This story can be a window to all students about how to accept others who are different then them. Whether it be an eye patch or another disability this story shows students how to accept others. This story can also be a mirror to anyone who has double vision or vision problems. According to Prevent Blindness America one in four school age children are going to encounter vision problems during their school careers. Many of these problems similar to Ginny’s will effect the students learning ability thus negatively affecting their achievement in school. Acquiring glasses, contacts or having an eye patch is a change that makes many children nervous. Ginny can serve as a model to all children with vision problems to not feel self conscious about getting help in order to see better. If you know a student with vision problems, this is the book for them.
This book can be read by any audience however, I would deem it appropriate for those in Kindergarten to third grade. In the classroom there are few activities to do with this book that would further knowledge or education of students. In the classroom this book would be great for a read aloud and a discussion about acceptance, and the ways which we can help accept others. Beyond that you can use it to prep students to not be afraid about going to get help if they are experiencing a vision problem or another disability.
https://www.rif.org/literacy-central/book/pirate-kindergarten
