Kevin Henkes has an amazing collection of stories focused on different mouse characters. In this lesson I will read aloud the story "Owen" by Kevin Henkes. 

"Owen’s fuzzy yellow blanket is his favorite possession. Everywhere Owen goes, his blanket goes with him. Upstairs, downstairs, in-between. Inside, outside, upside down. Everywhere! Owen’s parents are in despair—soon Owen will begin school, and he can’t take Fuzzy with him then. Whatever can be done?" 

Every child (and even adults) has experienced loving an item and many times are told they cannot have it or made fun of for having it, like what happens to Owen. We will discuss Owen's feelings and how they change throughout the book. We also will discuss how Owen reacts to his feelings (good and the bad) and come up with better ways to express his feelings.  Together we will think about Owen's 'problem' and how it was solved. 
Then we will go on to learn the about the story element of making connections and how this element can help readers better understand and relate to a story. Learners will have an opportunity to share what the story reminds them of personally. (Ex: Owen's blanket reminds me of my favorite stuffed animal). 
Learners will have a worksheet that can be completed at the end of class or after class (timing depends on how many learners and how the discussions go). The sheet will correlate to what they previously (orally) shared and help the learner get their thoughts down on paper.