Top Shelf Tales

Grade 1:

1. What kind of animal is Rescue? What does he do to help Jessia? (RL.1.1)
2. How do you think Jessica feels when she first meets Rescue? Why? (RL.1.3)
3. Which part of the book did you like the most and tell us why. (RL.1.1)

Grade 2:

1. How does Rescue help Jessica in her daily life? Can you give some examples? (RL.2.1)
2. What are some of the difficulties Jessica has to overcome? How does Rescue help her with these challenges? (RL.2.3)
3. How do you think Rescue feels about Jessica? Why do you think that? (RL.2.1)

Grade 3:

1. How does the friendship between Rescue and Jessica grow throughout the story? What makes their friendship special? (RL.3.1)
2. In what ways does Jessica’s life change after Rescue becomes her service dog? How does this impact her daily activities? (RL.3.3)
3. What important lessons does the story teach us about overcoming challenges and the importance of support? (RL.3.1)

Grade 1:

1. Write about your favorite part of Rescue and Jessica: A Life Changing Friendship. Explain why you liked it and how it made you feel. (W.1.1)
2. Write a short story about a day with Rescue. Describe what you would do together and how Rescue would help you. (W.1.3)

Grade 2:

1. Write a letter to Jessica Kensky telling her why you think Rescue is an amazing dog. Give reasons to support your opinion. (W.2.1)
2. Write a story about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it, just like Jessica did with Rescue’s help. Include details about your feeling and actions. (W.2.3)

Grade 3:

1. Write an essay about why service dogs like Rescue are important. Use examples from the book to support your opinion. (W.3.1)
2. Write a story about a day in the life of Rescue and Jessica. Describe their activities, how they help each other, and what makes their friendship special. (W.3.3)

1. Take turns pretending to be Rescue, the service dog, and Jessica. They can act out different scenarios where Rescue helps Jessica, such as picking up items, opening doors, or providing comfort.
2. Draw your own service dog and write a short description of how their dog would help someone. Share your drawings and stories.
3. Provide children with images from the book and have them cut out and arrange the pictures in the correct order. They can then glue them onto paper and write a brief summary of each scene.

1. Set up an obstacle course and children can pair up, with one acting as Jessica and the other as Rescue, guiding each other through the course. This activity emphasizes teamwork and trust.
2. Create thank you cards for service dogs or people who help others, like Jessica. Write messages of appreciation and decorate the cards.