Hawk Hill
on Goodreads (17)
What’s inside...
When Peter moves to a new town, he struggles to make friends. One day, he takes a new road home from school and makes a life-changing discovery. Accompanied by Suzie Gilbert's lyrical text and Sylvia Long's watercolor paintings, the story highlights the importance of preserving the natural world through a detailed glossary of birds and information about raptor rehabilitation. 'Hawk Hill' shows that hope and friendship can be found in unexpected places.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
7-8
Length
40 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
How do you think the hawks felt when they were taken care of at Hawk Hill?
What did you learn about hawks and their environment?
Why is it important for humans to help injured animals?
What would you do if you found an injured animal? Would you handle it like the characters in the book?
How do you think the story would change if the setting were different?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to relate the story to their own experiences with animals. Ask if they've ever seen a wild animal and how they felt about it.
Discuss the importance of wildlife conservation and how it helps maintain the balance of nature.
Use the book as an opportunity to teach empathy by focusing on how the characters care for the hawks and why that is important.
Highlight key moments in the book where characters make critical decisions and ask your child what they would have done in that situation.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Respect for nature and wildlife
Explanation: In 'Hawk Hill', children learn about the importance of respecting nature as they follow the story of wildlife rehabilitators taking care of injured hawks.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this lesson by engaging in activities such as bird watching, participating in local clean-up efforts, or planting trees in their community.
Example Lesson: Empathy and compassion
Explanation: The book illustrates how the characters show care and empathy towards injured animals, teaching kids to understand and share the feelings of others.
Real-World Application: Kids can demonstrate empathy by helping out classmates who are struggling, being kind to pets, or sharing their belongings with siblings or friends.
Example Lesson: Responsibility
Explanation: Taking care of wildlife is depicted as a significant responsibility in the book, emphasizing the duties involved in nursing the hawks back to health.
Real-World Application: This lesson can be mirrored in a child’s life by taking care of a family pet, maintaining a clean room, or completing homework on time.
Example Lesson: Teamwork
Explanation: The characters in 'Hawk Hill' collaborate to rescue and rehabilitate the hawks, showcasing the power of working together towards a common goal.
Real-World Application: Children learn to work collaboratively in group settings at school, in sports teams, or during group projects.
Example Lesson: Persistence
Explanation: The book portrays the challenges faced by the wildlife rehabilitators and their persistent efforts to save the hawks, reflecting the importance of not giving up despite difficulties.
Real-World Application: Children can embody persistence by continuing to practice a challenging skill, whether it’s learning a new sport, mastering a musical instrument, or improving in a school subject.