Maya and the Robot

Eve L. Ewing • Hook and Return

The Dart is the monthly digital product that features copywork and dictation passages from a specific read aloud novel (you purchase or obtain the novels separately). It's geared toward children ages 8–10 (kids learning to read and write) and is an indispensable tool for parents who want to mechanics and literature in a natural, literature-bathed context. 

This handbook contains the following features:

• 4 Passages (one per week) for copywork/dictation
• Notes about grammar, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary, and literary devices
• Highlight each week: copywork and three dictation practices
• Literary Device: Hook and Return
• Writing Activity: You Get a Hook. You Get a Hook. Everyone Gets a Hook!
• Big Juicy Questions
• Book Club Party Ideas

Note about content
This novel celebrates life and community and ends on an uplifting and hopeful note. In these pages, you’ll meet a beloved character whose college-aged son (Christopher) was killed in a drive-by shooting ten years before the story takes place. There is a poignant scene late in the book when Maya, the young protagonist, attends Christopher’s memorial service and learns about his cause of death. We encourage you to pre-read the memorial service scene on pages 171–174 and decide how to navigate it with your child (reading directly or modifying to meet their needs). Encountering topics such as this in books can open doors to conversations and help children process tough topics in the safety of your home, but you know your child, their personal experiences, and their capacities best.