The Cremation of Sam McGee

Title: The Cremation of Sam McGee

 

Author: Robert W. Service

 

Illustrator: Ted Harrison

 

Readability: Grade Level 6, 7, & 8

 

Genre: Graphic Text, Poetry

 

Theme: Challenge, Overcoming Obstacles, Relationships

 

Characters: Sam McGee

 

Awards: Best Book Selection, The New York Times, and Notable Book, American Library Association

 

Published: 1907

 

Publisher: Kids Can Press Ltd.

 

ISBN: 0-688-06903-7

 

Summary: This story is in the form of a poem, about a man named Sam McGee.  Sam does not like the cold weather, and tells the speaker he wants to be cremated.  Little did he know that the fire that was build to cremate Sam would also be the fire that saved him.

 

Classroom: This poetry book can be used to teach any of the following skills:  Analyzing themes, Author's purpose, Character study, Making connections and predictions.