This book was brought to my attention several years ago. It was a KC3 Award Nominee (an award sponsored by The Greater Kansas City Association of School Librarians). There is a list of about 10 books each year and students in third grade read or listen to the books and then are able to vote for their favorite.
As a teacher I love discovering new authors and titles.
Point of View Mentor Text: The King’s Taster by Kenneth Oppel
I loved this book right from the get go! It has a DOG on the cover… need I say more? (CRAZY dog lady here!)
This is a great book to teach point of view to your third graders, as well as many other comprehension skills.
Max, the dog, is telling the story. He has a very special job- he tastes all of the the food that the king eats to make sure it is not poisoned.
Even though he is the king’s taster, he is actually the cook’s dog. They have a sweet relationship. Pet owners will be sure to relate!
One day the kingdom gets a new king… and the story takes off from there! The new king is actually a small boy who does not like anything the cook fixes for him. This provides a problem for the cook, and Max comes to the rescue to make sure that his owner does not suffer the consequences of the picky king!
This story is illustrated beautifully and everyone is sure to enjoy it! I know I did, and so did my class!
Click here to grab a FREE story comprehension worksheet!
