From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury

(courtesy of amazon.com)
Title: From the Dust Returned
Author: Ray Bradbury
Lexile: 890L
Awards: National Book Award
Genre: Horror, Humor, Anthology, Fantasy

Selling Tool:
Kids Review
Meet Timothy, a young boy who lives at the House. Meet Cecy, Timothy’s older sister, who sleeps all day and dreams inside the minds of all things. Meet Uncle Einar, Timothy’s Uncle, clad with gigantic wings and slumberer of tombs,  favorite of Timothy.

All of these eclectic characters emerge from the pages of From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury. Nearly 60 years in the making, this dark fantasy is part Addams Family, part ghost story, and part love story. All the tales are told in the poetic verse signature to Bradbury and will move the reader to wonder what that old house on the hill hides...

Parents and Teachers Review
The author of your youth still holds great weight in one of his last novels. The thoughtfulness of Fahrenheit 451, the sadness of The Martian Chronicles, the strangeness of The Illustrated Man, and the childhood wonder of Something Wicked This Way Comes and Dandelion Summer are all brought to bear in this romantic novel.

Bradbury’s work will challenge the young student with the complex relationships of characters and thought as the protagonist Timothy interacts with the dwellers of the House. Timothy’s relationship to himself and his family is complex and thoughtful, with deep understanding for the passage of time, the want to be something more and the reality of what you are.

Bradbury’s language can be difficult and his word relationships more so, but those students who persevere and find the flow of his writing will be rewarded with a true masterwork of one of America’s greatest fiction writers.I would highly recommend this book for the middle grade student or child who has been captivated by the dark works of Neil Gaiman or Tim Burton. These are tales of ghosts but also something much more weighty.

Activity:
Students will analyze as a group the following passage from, From the Dust Returned. They will decipher the metaphors to understand the passage in their own words.

Learning Standard:
ELA Standards, Reading, Grade 5.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

Learning Objective:
Students will analyze the above passage from From the Dust Returned to identify metaphor and personification.
Students will understand metaphor and personification by translating identified examples of metaphors and personification of the passage into their own words.

Learning Outcome:
Students will present their understanding of metaphor and personification by writing a brief passage in their own words that describes the passage.

Tags: National Book Award, Horror, Fantasy, Humor, Anthology