Dexter the Tough

Read Aloud for Grades 3-4
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Illustrator: Mark Elliot
Copyright: Text - Margaret Peterson Haddix, 2007
Illustrations - Mark Elliot, 2007
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Reading Level:
     Ages: 7-10 years old
     Grade Level Equivalent: 4.4
     Lexile Measure: 690L

Five keywords/phrases to describe the book: Emotional, friendship, relatable, family, health issues

Suggested Delivery: Read aloud

Summary: Dexter has recently moved in with his grandmother who lives in Bellgap, Kentucky. Leaving Cincinnatti behind, Dexter's parents have gone to Seattle for his father to get treatment for his illness, forcing Dexter to stay with his grandmother. On the first day of school, Dexter is given a writing assignment where he can write about anything he chooses. Dexter writes, "I'm the new kid. I am tuf. This morning I beat up a kid." Mrs. Abbott, Dexter's teacher, makes it her mission to find out the truth behind Dexter's tale, through a series of revisions that provoke a confession from Dexter. What truly happened on Dexter's first day of school? Did he really hit a kid? Why did he hit him? Is Dexter really as tough as he claims? Students will love following this story and finding out the truth about Dexter.

Vocabulary:
1) Sissy (page 10)
2) Scrawny (page 15)
3) Dutifully (page 20)
4) Heaving (page 32)
5) Drowsily (page 36)
6) Warbling (page 36)
7) Self-sufficient (page 52)
8) Flubbed (page 72)
9) Chemo (page 95)
10) Fortress (page 109)
11) Eavesdropped (page 123)
12) Therapeutic (page 126)
12) Curlicue (page 130)

Electronic Resources:

Margaret Peterson Haddix - This is the author's official website. Students can go here to find out more about the author, other books she has written, or if she will be making an appearance somewhere near them. Sometimes students love a book so much that they want to know more about the author and their other works, thinking they would love to read her other books just as much as the first one. They can also follow her news posts and see when she will be releasing new books. Students can find out why Margaret wrote Dexter the Tough, and teachers can view a discussion guide provided by the author.

Bullying - This information on bullying, provided by PBS, is a great resource for teachers to use to reinforce that bullying of any kind is not acceptable. This website tells students what a bully is, the different kinds of bullying, how to handle bullying, and what bully-free zones are. There is also a section titled, "Are you a bully?" for students to use to see if they are practicing bullying behavior. This informational website can be used to hopefully prevent bullying before it begins.

Comprehension Strategies:
Before: Make a class list of appropriate ways and inappropriate ways to deal with your anger or sadness. By putting this in a T-chart form, students will be able to easily see how to deal with these emotions, compared to how not to deal with them. Teachers could also keep this chart up in the classroom for students to refer to when they're having a bad day in school.

During: Have students mark off the ways Dexter deals with his anger on the class list that was compiled before reading the book. If Dexter exhibits one or more of these actions, have students point it out, and mark a check next to the action. If Dexter exhibits an action that is not on the list, have students point it out, and add it to the list with a different color.

After: Have students summarize the story to a partner. Make sure they include the main events of the story and what fueled these events. If necessary, prompt students with the questions: "Why did Dexter truly hit Robin on his first day of school? Was Dexter actually tough?"After students are done discussing, choose two or three to share their summary with the class.

Writing: Dexter chooses to write his story about the time he was so mad that he hit someone he didn't know. Have students write a story about a time they were just as mad as Dexter was. Students should include why they were so mad, what made them so mad, and how they handled this anger. If they handled it in an inappropriate way, have students include how they would change their actions if they could go back in time.

Citation:
Haddix, M. P., & Elliott, M. (2007). Dexter the tough. New York: Simon & 
          Schuster Books for Young Readers.