Squids Will Be Squids by Jon Scieszka- Module #5
Scieszka, Jon. Squids Will Be Squids. New York: Penguin Putnam. 1998.
Summary: If you want to write a not so nice story about someone, just change their name to Tortoise or Lion and call it a fable suggests the book Squids Will Be Squids. This is a collection of modern fables with funny stories teaching lessons as silly as "he who smelt it dealt it" to "don't believe everything you see on tv."
Tattered Cover says:
These silly fables will keep you laughing and wanting more. Students will be able to relate to the characters (even if
they are animals.) Teaching funny lessons about friendships, attitudes, and even farting, this books is definitely going to
read over and over by anyone who gets their hands on it!
How to use this in a library:
I think this book could be used in studying the genre of fables. The lesson could be extended to encourage students to write their own fables using the characteristics of fables found in the book.
Reviews:n Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables, Scieszka and Smith offer a new twist on fables, as their earlier works did for fairy tales. The stories are billed as "fables that Aesop might have told if he were alive today and sitting in the back of the class daydreaming," and their morals include "Don't ever listen to a talking bug" and "You should always tell the truth. But if your mom is out having the hair taken off her lip, you might want to forget a few of the details." "As with all successful parodies ... the reader does not need to know the original to appreciate the caricature," New York Times Book Review contributor Patricia Marx
