Read Aloud - The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

“The Great Gilly Hopkins” is a novel by Katherine Paterson, which tells the story of eleven-year-old Galadriel “Gilly” Hopkins in the foster care system. Gilly prides herself on being a rambunctious and difficult child. As the story begins, Gilly comes to live in a foster home in Maryland overseen by Mrs. Trotter and lived in by William Earnest Teague, a neuro-diverse seven-year-old. Mrs. Trotter also cares for her elderly neighbor, Mr. Randolph, who is blind and black – things that annoy Gilly at first. Gilly fantasizes about finding her birth mother and the story unfolds about her coming to appreciate her foster family while connecting with her birth mother's mother, Gilly's grandmother.

In this class, the experienced facilitator will read the story aloud and pause at significant junctures to engage the students in reflective conversation. The themes include family, home, love, racism, and prejudice. Parents should be aware that the book has sometimes been banned because Gilly swears, taking "God's name in vain." 

The students are encouraged to find a comfy place at home to engage in this class, with pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, and anything else that provides them a sense of comfort and warmth.

The book is 178 pages long so expect the reading pace to be between 30 and 40 pages each day. The exact amount will be based on the needs of the class as determined by the teacher.

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