The Junkyard Wonders

The Junkyard Wonders

Author and Illustrator: Patricia Polacco

Theme: Fitting in, Finding yourself, Acceptance of others
Genre: Nonfiction, Disabilities
Grade: 2nd grade

Synopsis: Trisha, who has begged her parents to leave California, where she was in special classes, to start fresh, finds herself in another special classroom, the “junkyard”, this devastates her. That is until she gets to really know her quirky teacher, and classmates, who make up that junkyard with their uniqueness. It is here that she learns the true meaning of genius and finds who she really is.

This book is based on the life of Patricia Polacco and her own quirky teacher who inspired her.

This book provides the perspective of what it is like to be a child with a disability and the main character touches on how she is treated by others who think that she is different. There are many children in our schools today who have learning disabilities, and many of them are picked on due to others lack of knowledge on what actually makes this person different from them.I believe that by using books such as this to help educate students on the impacts that their actions can have on a person because of their disability can help to decrease the amount that these students are being bullied.

Activity 1: Before reading this book, ask children what inspires them, or who inspires them. Go around the class and ask them why this thing or person inspires this student. 

Activity 2: After reading the book, have students recall important moments that have happened in their life time, whether they happened over time, such as Patricia’s, or if they happened in a single day. Have students write a story about this time and why it was so important to them. Afterwards you can have the students illustrate around their story. 

About the Author: Patricia was born in Michigan where she was raised for the first few years of her life in her grandmother’s house. When she was three her parents divorced and she spent the school years in California with her mother and summers in Michigan with her father. Patricia struggled to read in school and it wasn’t until she was fourteen that a teacher finally realized that she had dyslexia and this was the reason for her struggle. She attended a University for fine arts and received her Ph. D. in Art History. It was not until she was 40 years old that she started to write and illustrate children’s books. Many of her books are based off of Patricia’s own life and life events. 

To learn more about Patricia you can visit her website at www.patriciapolacco.com

Polacco, P. (2010) The Junkyard Wonders. US:Philomel. Grade 2