The Hundred Penny Box

Author: Sharon Bell Mathis Title: The Hundred Penny Box
Book Genre: Multicultural Publishing Info: Puffin Books, 47 pp.

Summary: Aunt Dew, who is 100 years old, comes to live with her nephew’s families house. Michael, a young boy, lives spending time with great, great, grand Aunt Dew. Aunt Dew keeps an old large scratched wooden box with 100 pennies wrapped in silk cloth. Every penny she has in her box represents a special moment in each year that she has lived. Michael’s mom, Ruth, is very impatient and seems to get rid of a lot of Aunt Dew’s possessions, and her next target is the box. Michael does all that he can to protect her box because he knows how much it means to her and him as well. This book was awarded a Newberry Honor Book Award.

Personal Rating: ****

Rationale: Good illustration, realistic content, no stereotypes, great plot

Reading Level: 3.9 Interest Level: K-3rd

Thematic Areas: Life experiences, family, acceptance, social structures, extended family, imagination

Content Areas: Math, Psychology, Sociology, Social Studies

Possible Problems or Difficulties: Students may have a hard time understanding the ending. For a Kindergarten student, I believe there is too much text and not enough illustration.

Possible uses in the classroom: Encourage students to search for a penny with the years on it from the time they were born until now. Have them design a box of their own to keep the pennies in. Have them write short journal entries to include with the pennies in the box. Allow the students to share their significant events if they care to.
Refer to some of the significant events Aunt Dew had. Study the time period that she mentioned, Great Depression, Depression. After studying these time periods have them get into Aunt Dew’s point of view and have them journal about things they see, people they meet, and what they dream of for the future.