Book Review: The Mitten Tree | By: Committee for Children by Candace Christiansen and Elaine Greenstein Reading level: Preschool to grade 2 Every winter morning an old woman named Sarah watches out her window as neighborhood children gather at the blue spruce tree to wait for the bus. When she notices one boy without mittens, she worries all day. Finally she digs out her old basket of yarn and begins knitting. Early the next morning, before any of the children arrive, she sneaks out and places the new blue mittens on the tree for the boy to discover. That same day she notices a girl with mismatched mittens and begins knitting again. By the end of the winter she has knit an entire basketful of mittens, and the children have been eagerly searching the tree every day for the splash of color that tells them a new pair has mysteriously appeared. Sarah never expects recognition, although she loves watching the children and thinking of her own now-grown offspring. She represents pure compassion: giving for its own sake. Little does she know, though, that someone is watching her. We never find out who, but a little surprise awaits Sarah—and the reader—at the conclusion of this sweet story. Social and Emotional Lessons in The Mitten Tree Service learning is an important part of education today. According to the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, service learning is “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.” Through service learning, children, even very young ones, use what they learn in the classroom to solve real-life problems. And in turn, the solutions to those problems help inform and augment their classroom learning. “They not only learn the practical applications of their studies, they become actively contributing citizens and community members through the service they perform.” The Mitten Tree is an example of how simple and achievable service learning can be. Sarah sees a need and fills it, with no reciprocal need for acknowledgement. Classroom Activity Depending on where you live and what the needs of your community are, you can create a “mitten tree” with your students. Discuss the kinds of needs people in your community might have: mittens, food, toys, and so forth. Bring in a sturdy branch or tree—it can even be artificial or handmade. Set it in a strong base, such as a pot of dirt. Ask students to bring in new or gently used items that they think others would like or need. Hang these items from the tree (or put them at the base) and invite the community to a sharing party. An alternative would be for students to make paper mittens and write names of items that are needed in the community. Hang these mittens from the tree and invite members of the community to take a mitten and donate that item to the tree.