Halloween is in the air and I wanted to share a favorite October read aloud story that is one you might want to have in your collection! It's Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi.
If you're not familiar with the book, here's a little summary:
Bella Legrossi is the messiest monster in all of Booville. Her slime is the slimiest and her grime is the grimiest. She is neighbors with Boris Kleanitoff, a persnickety ghoul so tidy he vacuums his vampire bats. What could ever bring these two together? Why, a ghoulish Halloween party, of course!
When Boris and Bella's decide to each have a party of their own and exclude the other, the parties are both a disaster. Then, they realize that they need to learn to accept each other's differences. They eventually become friends, and they teach the other monsters in Booville that it's okay to be different.
I just LOVE the theme of friendship and tolerance in this story. The illustrations by Gris Grimly are amazing. It makes for a great read aloud for the teacher who loves to turn on their spooky character voices.
If you order the book on Amazon or plan to search for a read aloud video, here are some fun follow-up lesson activities that you can use:
Compare and contrast Boris and Bella. Use a Venn diagram or T-chart to help students identify the similarities and differences between the two characters.
Discuss the problem and solution in the story. What is the conflict between Boris and Bella? How do they resolve it in the end?
Talk about the importance of accepting others for who they are. Why is it important to be accepting of people who are different from us?
Have students write a story about a time when they had to learn to accept someone who was different from them.
Have students write a letter to Boris or Bella. What advice would they give to the character about how to be a better friend?
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