Don’t Throw It To Mo!
Written by David Adler, Illustrated by Sam Ricks

Publisher’s Summary:
Mo is the youngest kid on the Robins football team. The kids on the rival team tease him for being a ‘butterfingers’ who’s too tiny to catch the ball. But Mo’s coach has a plan up his sleeve to turn Mo’s little size into a big win for the Robins.

Primary Source Pairing:
Mo lives and breathes football. His perseverance and dedication to his team pay off. Encourage students to study the diagram of a football play. How is this play similar to the one in the book?  Also included with this title, illustrator Sam Ricks’ drawing of the Robins football team. Both images work together for Don’t Throw It To Mo! to create a visual literacy experience for students as they read this motivating story.

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you notice first?
• Why do you think somebody made this?
• What can you learn from examining the football play?
• What does the picture of the Robins football team tell you about Mo?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Football play: Wikimedia Commons
Robins football team picture: Sam Ricks