Speak Up, Molly Lou Melon

Name: Speak Up, Molly Lou Melon
Author: Patty Lovell

A story that explores friendship and opens a conversation with your child.

★★★★★ Loved by families

Read the Guiding Questions Find this book →

♥ This book teaches: Friendship. showing up for someone else.

Before, During & After Reading

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Definition: A friend is someone you like spending time with because they make you feel happy and special, and help you when you need it. In short: Build bonds that last forever. Summary: Molly Lou Melon listens to her mother’s advice about how to be a good person and a good friend. Mom tells her: “Accept people for who they are and listen to their ideas…You have a strong voice. Use if to speak up for anyone who might need your help.” This story, with eye-catching illustrations, is full of great examples of how Molly follows her mother’s advice. Lesson Objectives:

Students are empowered to speak up when someone needs help.

Guiding Questions:

What does this mean: “Molly had a big heart”?
“Accept people for who they are and listen to their ideas” - what does this mean to you?
What does this mean to you? “You have a strong voice. Use if to speak up for anyone who might need your help.”
What did Molly do when Bettina teased her and her classmates Ronald and Gertie?
When Bettina and Molly got paint all over, Molly admitted she did it, but Bettina didn’t say anything. Do you think Molly should have told the teacher that Bettina caused the mess, too? Why or why not?
When Garvin was teased at school what did Molly write in her note to Garvin to make him feel better?
Molly stood up for Garvin when Bettina tripped him. Do you think you could do what Molly did when she told Bettina to stop teasing?
Have you ever been teased? What happened?
If you’ve never been teased, have you seen someone else being teased? What happened?
Ask a parent or grandparent or older sibling if they had ever been teased, and find out what they did about it.

🌿 Virtue Connection: Friendship means showing up for someone else, consistently.

About the Story.

This guide is part of the Values & Virtues library, a free collection of 400+ book guides and activities organized around 12 core virtues for children from pre-K to 6th grade. Each guide includes Guiding Questions designed to open a real conversation with your child in 10 minutes or less.