Summary: A young girl meets her grandfather for the first time in a room where he has stored everything he’s ever collected over his life. He says that every item in this room has a story and he tells her that he will tell her the story of any one item she chooses. She picks up a plain box filled with old matchboxes, and within each of those boxes is an important memory of his life, the diary he kept before he knew how to write. What follows is the incredible story of an immigrant who found the American Dream.Activity: Bring three objects to class that you would put into a matchbox diary. Explain why they are important and how they represent different parts of your life.Fleischman, P., & Ibatoulline, B. (2013). The matchbox diary. Somerville, Mass., Candlewick Press. Paul Fleischman's story of a little girl visiting her great-grandfather's home and learning about his past is both captivating and memorable. His home is filled with "treasures" and intriguing objects. He directs her to "Pick whatever you like most. Then I'll tell you its story." She selects an old cigar box and upon opening it finds that it is filled with matchboxes, each containing a tiny object that held some significance in her great grandfather's past; in its entirety, the items in the box tell the story of her grandfather's journey as a child from Italy to America, before he could read or write. This story is highly engaging not only because of the illustrations but also because of the expressive dialogue Fleischman uses to tell the story. For this reason, this book could be used at multiple age levels and could perhaps be the starting point for a family history project.
What do You think about The Match Book Diary (2013)?
Loved this book and the message it sends that you don't need to write to keep a diary.
—Lyssa22
I enjoyed this book but it was a bit much for my 4 year old and a tad long.
—creepy2000
