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Literature in Context: A Community-Based Education Guide to Anne Mazer’s, The Salamander Room 

The Salamander Room is told through the imagination of a young boy who desperately longs to bring an amphibian friend home with him. Beginning in the woods, the story starts when a small, orange salamander is discovered underneath leaf litter. The boy, whose imagination drives the story’s development, believes the salamander finds his hand cozy and perhaps even preferable to its natural habitat – and from this assumption ensues an explanation of the many creative measures that could be taken in order to make the salamander feel at home in his bedroom. The boy first imagines that the salamander can live happily right in the drawer of his bedside table, but prompting from an adult allows him to think through all of the salamander’s many needs, and the unintended consequences that meeting these needs might have. For example, insects will need to be introduced into his bedroom so that the salamander has a food source – but what will happen when the insects breed and overpopulate? Well, of course, the roof of his bedroom will be taken off so that birds can fly in to keep the insect population in check!

The Salamander Room bridges the gap between fiction and nonfiction, using imaginative storytelling to teach readers about habitat and the interconnectedness of nature. Resources included in our accompanying guide support the use of the text as a tool for reading and comprehension skills, as well as a catalyst for science-based learning. Get a copy of the book from your local library – salamander season has just begun!

Don’t miss out on the accompanying Critical Thinking Questions & Community-Based Learning Map, created by Robin Huntley, M.Ed., Founder and Director of Dirigo Learning, a Community-Based Education Network™ affiliate for Midcoast and Central Maine. This learning guide is filled with Resources for Self-Directed Learning about Salamanders and Their Habitats, including audio/visual materials on vernal pools, a project that will help your learner link art and science through a “literrarium,” and a web-based guide to help you identify local salamander species. Download the Learning Map here – and get out there to have some salamander fun!

Robin Morgan Huntley, Community-Based Education Correspondent