Reading Champion: The Bear who Cried Wolf
Reading champion Series
on Goodreads (1)
What’s inside...
A fun and engaging tale about Benny the bear who learns the importance of honesty after repeatedly tricking his friends with false wolf alerts. As he faces the consequences of his actions, Benny understands the value of trust and friendship. This story is part of Reading Champion, a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE). Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure. Perfect for 5-7 year olds. In this twist on the traditional Aesop fable The Boy who Cried Wolf, Baby Bear is bored waiting for his mother to return and decides to trick her by pretending a wolf has come.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
4-8
Length
24 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
How did Bear's actions affect the other animals in the story?
What do you think Bear learned by the end of the story?
Why is it important to tell the truth?
How would you feel if someone kept tricking you?
What would you have done if you were one of the animals who heard Bear's warnings?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to think about the consequences of Bear's actions by asking them to consider how they would feel in the same situation. Help them connect the story's themes to real-life scenarios by discussing the importance of honesty and trust. Use the questions to guide a discussion about learning from mistakes and why truthfulness is valued in friendships and communities. Highlight the character development of Bear and ask your child to predict how he might act in the future based on the lessons he learned.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Honesty
Explanation: The story portrays the central character, the bear, who repeatedly lies about the wolf's appearance. This demonstrates the consequences of lying as the other animals eventually stop believing him.
Real-World Application: Children learn the importance of telling the truth and how trust can be broken when they lie. This is applicable in their interactions at school or at home, teaching them to be honest in their dealings.
Example Lesson: Responsibility
Explanation: As the bear faces the consequences of his actions, the story highlights the importance of being responsible for one’s actions.
Real-World Application: This lesson teaches children to accept responsibility for their actions and understand the impact of their decisions on others, such as admitting to mistakes or taking care of their belongings.
Example Lesson: Importance of Trust
Explanation: The narrative shows how the bear's repeated lies lead to a loss of trust among his friends, emphasizing the value of maintaining trust.
Real-World Application: This encourages children to build and maintain trustful relationships with family and friends, showing them how valuable trust is in forming lasting relationships.
Example Lesson: Understanding Consequences
Explanation: Through the unfolding events, children see the direct link between actions and consequences.
Real-World Application: This can help children think before they act and make more considered choices, understanding that every action has a result.