Marie Hammontree

Summary: This biography focuses on Walt Disney's childhood, and the certain obstacles he had to face before becoming the well known movie maker. He starts off being in the busy town Chicago before his family moved out to Kansas City to live on the farm land that they had bought. He learns to overcome his sadness of leaving Chicago by turning to art and cartoon drawing.

Personal Reaction: I read this book as a child, and I really responded to it then because I have moved around a lot so I know how hard it must be to let go of one place before moving to another. The thing he turned to in order to overcome his sadness was art, and mine was reading so I felt that we had a lot in common. Also, I am a big fan of Walt Disney's work, and that was a big motivator at the time to read this book.

Extensions:
1) I would have the class discuss what kind of hardships they faced, and what they turned to overcome them.
2) I would have the class write about their favorite Disney movie and then present it to the class.… (mer)