Rosena Fung
Living With Viola
Livy is starting grade 6 at a new school and finding it hard to make friends and fit in. Not only is she the new kid, but she has a voice in her head, Viola, who is constantly telling her negative things about herself. This makes it really hard for Livy to enjoy even the things she loves like reading, drawing, and making dumplings with her ah ma. She eventually asks for help and a doctor helps her understand that this voice inside her head is anxiety. She learns strategies for living with her anxiety and how to not let it control her. In the end, she embraces all the things she loves that make her special and happy.
INTRODUCTION
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Get Creative
gET cREATIVE
In the story, there is a ‘who am I?’ poster contest at school. As you read the book, you’ll be working on your own ‘who am I’ art piece. We’re going to make it a multi-media collage and add to it as we move through the modules. Before we start, you will need to gather your supplies. You will need:
Comprehension
Start Here
Before you crack open “Living With Viola”, watch Ainara’s book review, and meet Rosena Fung in her studio!
Go Deeper
MORE TO EXPLORE
In each module, you will be invited to spend time exploring some of the ideas introduced in the book. Make sure you check out the links in this section to discover more interesting, cool, and fun stuff!
Rosena Fung’s Homepage: http://www.rosenafung.com/
a blank canvas (any size paper will do, but we would recommend a piece of thicker cardstock since you will be gluing & painting on it)
Some old magazines that are ok to cut up (the best would have lots of colourful pictures and words in different sizes and fonts)
A glue stick
Colours (pencil crayons, markers, paints…)
A black fineliner pen
Journal
Writing Prompt
In each module, you will be invited to write some of your thoughts related to the story. You will be given writing prompts… feel free to use these, or write about any other thoughts or connections that came up for you while reading. You can use your own notebook as a journal OR print this journal booklet (*Livy draws in a sketchbook) to fill in as you go.
Writing prompt:
Imagine you are about to start at a new school, just like Livy. Put yourself in her shoes and describe how you might be feeling on the first day. What thoughts are running through your mind? What are you excited about, and what makes you nervous? How would you approach making new friends and adjusting to a new environment?
