The Lost Boy and the Monster: Book Engineering

Who doesn't love building?  And who doesn't love inspiring kids to solve problems?  Exactly!

I know that this book is on the older side, but it is one that I have come to love because as a classroom teacher I frequently read it before I read Skeleton Man by Bruchac.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with both, let me give you a quick synopsis.  Skeleton Man is based off of a Native American Tale where this man loved to eat flesh to the point he ate all of his own flesh.  Yup.  Completely gross.  Exactly why I like it and why so many of my third and fourth graders LOVED it!  It is still a book that I recommend to kids when they are looking for a scary book.

The Lost Boy and the Monster is very similar to this.  It is also from a Native American Folk Tale where this monster traps little kids to eat their feet.  I used to pair these together particularly because the picture book is less scary than Bruchac's novel. 

Recently, I read aloud The Lost Boy and the Monster to a group of first graders to introduce the Engineering and Design process to them and to capture their love for helping others. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it!  Click the button below to check the entire lesson out!