BRINDLE BOOK CO.
Ruffing It Across America: The Charm-ing Adventures of Sassafras

Dear Educator,

I am pleased to introduce Ruffing It Across America: The Charm-ing Adventures of Sassafras, a children's adventure series created to encourage young readers to explore not only books, but the world around them.

Volume One, A Charm-ing Beginning, follows Sassafras - Sassy to her friends - a six-week-old bulldog whose search for her family becomes an adventure filled with new places, unexpected friendships, problem-solving, responsibility, kindness, and lessons learned along the way.

While Sassy's story is first and foremost an adventure, the series was designed to give educators opportunities to extend reading beyond the final page. Geography, nature, history, writing, observation, character development, and community are woven naturally into Sassy's travels across America.

Companion materials have also been developed to support young readers, including Sassy's Adventure Passport, reading-comprehension activities, printable educational activities, and Junior Explorer certificates. These materials can be used in classrooms, libraries, reading programs, homeschool settings, or simply to encourage independent reading.

Enclosed is an Educator / Accelerated Reader Request & Evaluation Packet, including a sample ten-question reading-comprehension quiz and teacher answer key. The information is provided to make it easier for educators to evaluate the book for their own reading programs and, where appropriate, request or create an Accelerated Reader quiz.

My hope for Sassy has always been simple: that children enjoy the adventure enough to keep turning pages - and finish the story a little more curious about where those pages might take them next.

Thank you for taking the time to meet Sassafras and consider Ruffing It Across America for your young readers.

Warmly,

C.C. McGuinty / Cynthia Yearick

Author, Ruffing It Across America
Brindle Book Co.
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RUFFING IT ACROSS AMERICA

Educator Guide & Lesson Ideas

A Charm-ing Beginning — Volume One

For Grades 3–6 • Ages 8–12

Ruffing It Across America: A Charm-ing Beginning was written first and foremost as an adventure. But as Sassafras travels, young readers encounter opportunities to explore geography, nature, problem-solving, friendship, responsibility, observation, and the importance of helping others.

These ideas are designed to help educators extend Sassy's adventure beyond the book without turning reading into a chore. Use one activity or use them all. Adapt them for your classroom, library, homeschool group, or individual reader.

🐾 Follow Sassy Across America — Geography

Have students trace Sassy's journey on a map as she travels from place to place.

Students can:

• Locate each state and community Sassy visits.

• Identify neighboring states and major geographic features.

• Estimate distances between stops.

• Discuss how landscape, weather, plants, animals, and communities change as Sassy travels.

• Use Sassy's Adventure Passport to record places explored in the book and in real life.

Extension: Ask students to choose a place they would like Sassy to visit next and explain why.

🐾 Put the Adventure in Order — Reading & Sequencing

Sassy's journey is filled with unexpected turns, new friends, and problems to solve.

Ask students to select five or ten important events and arrange them in chronological order. For each event, have them identify:

What happened? • What caused it? • What did Sassy do? • What happened because of her choice?

Extension: Remove one event from the sequence and ask students how the rest of Sassy's journey might have changed.

🐾 What Would You Do? — Problem-Solving

Sassy doesn't begin her adventure with a plan. She learns by watching, listening, asking questions, accepting help, and sometimes making mistakes.

Choose a problem Sassy encounters and stop before revealing the solution.

Ask:

What does Sassy know?
What doesn't she know?
What choices does she have?
Which choice would you make? Why?

Afterward, compare the students' solutions with Sassy's.

🐾 Sassy's Nature Notebook — Science & Observation

Sassy learns a great deal simply because she pays attention to the world around her.

Have students keep a small nature notebook for a week. Each day, record something they notice outdoors—a plant, animal, insect, cloud formation, temperature change, bird behavior, tracks, sounds, or other observations.

Encourage students to separate:

What I observed from What I think it means.

That simple distinction introduces an important part of scientific thinking: observing before drawing conclusions.

🐾 The Meaning Behind the Charms — Character & Community

The charms Sassy collects are more than souvenirs. They remind her of people, places, experiences, and lessons from her journey.

Choose one of Sassy's charms and discuss:

Who gave it to her?
What happened when she received it?
What does it help Sassy remember?
Why might that memory matter later?

Then ask students to design a charm representing something important in their own lives—a person, place, accomplishment, lesson, or act of kindness.

Students may draw the charm and write a short explanation of its meaning.

🐾 Small Paws, Big Choices — Character Development

Throughout her adventure, Sassy encounters characters who help her—and opportunities to help others.

Look for examples of:

Kindness • Courage • Patience • Responsibility • Curiosity • Friendship • Perseverance

Ask students to find an example from the story and explain what the character did rather than simply naming the trait.

Extension: Discuss how small actions can make a large difference to someone else.

🐾 Write Sassy's Next Stop — Creative Writing

Imagine Sassy arrives somewhere she has never been before.

Students choose a real American location and write a short Sassy adventure there.

Include:

Where does she arrive?
What does she see, hear, and smell?
Who does she meet?
What problem occurs?
How does she help—or receive help?
What charm might represent the adventure?

Older students can research the location first and incorporate real geography, history, wildlife, landmarks, or local traditions into their stories.

🐾 Become a Junior Explorer

Learning doesn't have to stop when the book closes.

Encourage students to continue exploring through Sassy's Adventure Passport, classroom activities, nature observations, reading challenges, community projects, or their own adventures.

When your young readers have completed their adventure, recognize their curiosity and effort with a Junior Explorer Certificate.

A Note to Educators

There is no single “right” way to use Sassy's adventures.

Read the story together. Follow the map. Investigate something that sparks a question. Talk about a difficult choice. Design a charm. Go outside and observe something. Or simply let a child enjoy the book.

Because sometimes education begins with something very simple:

A child wondering, “What happens next?”

Small Paws. Big Adventures. Endless Possibilities.

Warmly,
C.C. McGuinty
Author, Ruffing It Across America
Brindle Book Co.
BrindleBookCo.com