Mirette on the High Wire by Emily McCully
Mirette and the "Great Bellini" traverse the Paris skyline on high wire in the climactic scene of this picture book about conquering fear. The two meet at Mirette's mother's boarding house, where Bellini is staying with a troupe of traveling performers. Mirette persuades Bellini to teach her his art, and soon enough the two are performing above the rooftops of Paris. While Mirette gets to step outside her daily routine of peeling potatoes and scrubbing floors, Bellini manages to reaffirm his mastery. The story affords a spunky, down-to-earth role model for readers who like to dream big dreams. It also offers rich, scenic portraits of 19th century Paris. The book won the 1993 Caldecott Medal. (amazom.com review)
Author: Emily McCully
The author is also the illustrator.
Topics from the book:
Visit each topic page for downloads, lessons, etc. specific to that topic.
Mirette on the High Wire
From TeacherViews. (Grade 3)
High Wire Act
From Beacon Lesson Plan Library. Students produce a high wire time line with yarn and index cards to sequence events and then write an expository paragraph.
Why are we featuring this book?
Mirette on the High Wire is a book featured in Five in a Row, a literature-based unit study curriculum. Many families use FIAR for all but the grammar/reading and math, and others use it in conjunction with other resources. Above is information about the author and illustrator, story summaries, and links to lesson plans and websites that are great go-alongs for Mirette on the High Wire. Please note that these resources are meant to complement, not replace, the Five in a Row units. The Five in a Row volumes are inexpensive and well worth the investment.