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Title: Dandelion Wine
Author:
Ray Bradbury
Age level: Junior High/High School
Recommended by: Kim Deskin, Kirkland, Washington; Leslie Bezich, San Pedro High School, California Summary: Dandelion Wine,
by Ray Bradbury, tells of the "magical, timeless summer" of Douglas Spaulding. The twelve-year-old Douglas spends the summer of 1928 enjoying the company of his family, friends, and neighbors. He experiences lawn mowing, new sneakers, the yearly ritual of gathering dandelions and bottling the wine, time travel, the trolley's final ride, a best friend moving, the mysterious Lonely One, all the glories of "being alive."
Teaching suggestions: In addition to being a spectacular example of descriptive writing, the story lends itself to life journey studies, particularly The Odyssey. It could also provide time period
reference to a study of the Twenties, showing a family/neighborhood view rather than the far-removed Gatsby party scene. Teaching suggestions:
Assign students to read this book (or excerpts, as this book can be read in pieces and still have great impact on the reader) in September when memories of their summer are fresh in their minds. Let them journal some of their favorite moments of summer. Students should journal character sketches of their most interesting neighbors, relatives, or others, as well as events. Lots of description and imagery make these journals come alive. Have students create a folder that has a cover with a collage of pictures that represents their summer experiences in which to hold their completed journals. All students can do this even if they never left their neighborhood just like Douglas in Dandelion Wine. This is a great alternative to the "What I Did on my Summer Vacation" essay.
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