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“I know. Everybody's family is a little nutso. But there's nuts... and then there's the Kwirks.“

I would consider using this book in my classroom but I'm not sure if I would do read alouds with this book considering it isn't as relatable for the children.

Finding Orion written by John David Anderson. Chapter 1 p.1-14. Introduces a very unusual, quirky family named the Kwirks and how they find out that Papa Kwirk has passed away but they feel as though that isn't the way his story ended. This book isn't entirely relatable for children (because typically grief follows death, not curiosity or mystery) but could be relatable in the fact that Orion feels as though he doesn't belong in his family.

“It helped that I went to Willow Creek Middle School, which meant that I was in a completely different building from either of my sisters.“

This book tells an unforgettable tale of laughter and love; of fathers and sons; and of power and limits to a family. Therefore, I think this relates to a child's realities and what it is like to grow up in today's world.

This book is about Rion Kwirk who comes from an odd family. He and his sisters are named after constellations, but no one in the family is weirder than grandfather, Papa Kwirk. Rion has always been intrigued by his grandfather because he is cool and dangerous while his dad is very nerdy, predictable and boring. Papa Kwirk passes and Rion can't help but think that this is not the end of his story. He knows that there is so much more to discover.

“Finally, to all the oddballs out there - the kooky, nutty, wackadoodles who dance to their own special tune - remember this: being out of the ordinary only makes you extraordinary. So keep dancing.

I thought this sounded really good and was relatable for children because a lot of family dynamics are not the quote “normal“ family so it would be nice for children to have this as a resource to reassure themselves that it is okay.

Finding Orion by John Anderson is a piece of contemporary realistic fiction. It was published in 2019. This book is about a boy named Rion that comes from an atypical family. He sees their family as strange, but he says the strangest of them is their grandfather. Rion says he is completely different from his dad. Then the grandfather dies, but Rion wants to learn more about him. I think this is relatable for children bc family death is so common.