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Davy Crockett and the Frozen Sunrise: a book club kit
Where it comes from. This tall tale of Davy Crockett and the frozen sunrise was printed in a Davy Crockett almanac in 1854.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). On the coldest morning ever, the sunrise freezes and the world stays dark. Davy Crockett climbs Daybreak Hill and finds the earth frozen on its axle and the sun jammed in ice. He greases them both, gives the wheel a kick, and walks home with a piece of sunrise in his pocket.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “The Coldest Morning” and Part Two, “Out into the Dark” and Part Three, “Daybreak Hill”, pages 1–7 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Four, “Grease and a Kick” and Part Five, “Morning Comes” and Part Six, “A Pocket of Sunrise”, pages 8–13 (about 4 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: Davy Crockett and the Frozen Sunrise by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- Was Davy Crockett a real person?
The story's answer: Yes. David Crockett was a real frontiersman from Tennessee who served in Congress and died at the Alamo in Texas in 1836. The tall tales about him, like the frozen sunrise, were made up and printed in almanacs. - What happens in the Davy Crockett sunrise story?
The story's answer: It is so cold that the earth freezes on its axle and the sun gets stuck in ice. Davy greases them, kicks the earth's wheel to start it turning, and the sun comes up. He takes home a piece of sunrise in his pocket. - Is Davy Crockett and the Frozen Sunrise a tall tale?
The story's answer: Yes. A tall tale is a funny story that stretches the truth, with a hero who is bigger, stronger or bolder than anyone real. Nobody can really unfreeze the sun, and that is the joke. - What makes the main character a hero? Would you want them as a friend?
Listen for: Heroes of legends are brave but not always kind; ask for both sides. - Which part of this could have really happened, and which part grew in the telling?
Listen for: Legends often start from a real person or place. - How would the story change if someone else told it?
Listen for: Try the villain's side.
Did you know?
- Davy Crockett was a real frontiersman from Tennessee who served in the United States Congress.
- Almanacs full of tall tales about him were printed from 1835 to 1856.
- The frozen sunrise tale appeared in a Crockett almanac in 1854, after the real Crockett had died.
Activity: A hero's poster
Make a poster for the main character with three true things from the story and one thing the story never says.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- A tall tale stretches the truth on purpose, to make people laugh.
Words to teach before you start
- backwoods: wild forest land
- axle: wheel rod
- jammed: stuck tight
- grease: slippery fat
- thawed: melted
Questions leaders ask
How long does a Davy Crockett and the Frozen Sunrise book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 8 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is Davy Crockett and the Frozen Sunrise for?
It is written at Peabody level 9, a grade 4 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- John Henry (level 9)
- Robin Hood (level 12)
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin (level 13)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.