Rupert's Squirrel Tale

This book is designed for three types of readers. There are passages for rhymers, readers and researchers. The rhymer’s section is designed for students learning to recognize words with the same sounds or rhymes. The reader’s section is designed for beginning readers and uses high frequency words. The researcher’s section is designed for students learning note-taking skills. This section will give researchers factual information about science. Researchers can gather notes for reporting out and sharing new knowledge with others. Rupert’s Squirrel Tale describes the adventure of a young dog as he explores his New Jersey backyard. As he explores, he makes friends with a squirrel. The tale follows Rupert, the Yo-Chon, and Shadow Tail, the tree squirrel, through the four seasons of the year. The story also deals with the plight of the tree squirrels in suburban communities. Tree squirrels are facing a loss of habitat as trees and open space are being replaced by housing communities. Storms and natural disasters also contribute to the loss of the tree squirrel’s habitat. These two animals meet other New Jersey animals during the year such as a crow, Canadian goose, cardinal, rabbit, and a whitetail deer.

Beth Pfander Kaplowitz, MAT, is currently a teacher of English Language Learners (ELL) in central New Jersey. Beth has been teaching elementary and high school immigrant students for twenty-five years. Beth attended West Chester University of Pa., Middlebury College, and Universite Paul Valery. She is married with a son and daughter. Beth lives in the state of New Jersey with her husband and beloved dog, Rupert.