About this story:
This book is about a thief, Juan, who is described to have not talked to anyone or seen sunlight for quite some time. The story starts by his finding a hut with an old woman in it. He sees that she is holding a gold coin in her hand and hears her whisper to herself, "I must be the richest person in the world." After hearing this, he insists to himself that he must have this gold coin, so he waits until she leaves her hut to proceed to break in. After ransacking he place and coming up empty-handed, he realizes the old woman left with the coin and decides to go after her. He finds himself coming upon place after place for days only to find out each time of his just missing her. As these days go on, he helps the different people he meets with their world in order to be taken to the woman faster. He starts to remember what it's like to be in the sun again, what it's like to do favors for people, and even what it's like to talk to people again. Towards the end, you watch his heart start to thaw and you see that the kindness shown to him has reflected upon the kindness he shows to the old woman he has been trying all this time to steal from
What comes from this book:
This Mexican-American children's story is such a great lesson for students--especially younger ones. It teaches them the consequences of stealing and how it affects people. Throughout the book, they can see how helping others and showing compassion can be good for themselves as well as being good for the people they're helping. They also get to watch as Juan slowly gains his own compassion for these people
Classroom uses for this book:
Teachers can use this book as a class discussion of morals: Is it ever right to steal? What if the person stealing knows that they need this more than the current owner? This can give your students an opportunity to make up their own minds of whether Juan was in the right or in the wrong while going after the old lady's gold.
Further information about this book:
Ada, Alma Flor., and Neil Waldman. The Gold Coin. New York: Atheneum, 1991. Print. ISBN: 0-689-31633-X
This book is about a thief, Juan, who is described to have not talked to anyone or seen sunlight for quite some time. The story starts by his finding a hut with an old woman in it. He sees that she is holding a gold coin in her hand and hears her whisper to herself, "I must be the richest person in the world." After hearing this, he insists to himself that he must have this gold coin, so he waits until she leaves her hut to proceed to break in. After ransacking he place and coming up empty-handed, he realizes the old woman left with the coin and decides to go after her. He finds himself coming upon place after place for days only to find out each time of his just missing her. As these days go on, he helps the different people he meets with their world in order to be taken to the woman faster. He starts to remember what it's like to be in the sun again, what it's like to do favors for people, and even what it's like to talk to people again. Towards the end, you watch his heart start to thaw and you see that the kindness shown to him has reflected upon the kindness he shows to the old woman he has been trying all this time to steal from
What comes from this book:
This Mexican-American children's story is such a great lesson for students--especially younger ones. It teaches them the consequences of stealing and how it affects people. Throughout the book, they can see how helping others and showing compassion can be good for themselves as well as being good for the people they're helping. They also get to watch as Juan slowly gains his own compassion for these people
Classroom uses for this book:
Teachers can use this book as a class discussion of morals: Is it ever right to steal? What if the person stealing knows that they need this more than the current owner? This can give your students an opportunity to make up their own minds of whether Juan was in the right or in the wrong while going after the old lady's gold.
Further information about this book:
Ada, Alma Flor., and Neil Waldman. The Gold Coin. New York: Atheneum, 1991. Print. ISBN: 0-689-31633-X