Every Monday Mabel

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Mabel finds joy and excitement in her weekly wait for the garbage truck. You can generate similar enthusiasm and help students gain a deeper appreciation for community helpers and the essential roles they play in our daily lives when you invite a sanitation worker to visit and read Every Monday Mabel aloud with your students. Such a visit can broaden students’ understanding of careers that are often overlooked but critically important and spark meaningful discussions about respect, environmental responsibility, and civic pride.

After the reading, facilitate a Q&A session for students to ask about their guest’s work, daily responsibilities, and how they help keep neighborhoods clean and safe. If possible, incorporate an interactive demonstration, such as showing safety gear, photos of their truck or route, or discussing how to sort trash and recycling. After the visit, have students write thank-you notes to their guest, not just to thank them for visiting but to express gratitude for the hard work they do every day. 

Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing

1. Why do you think Mabel waits every Monday to see the garbage truck? Share why you would or wouldn’t be excited to see the garbage truck in your neighborhood.
2. Why do you think Mabel’s family isn’t excited about seeing the garbage truck? How does Mabel feel about what her family thinks about what she does every Monday? What did you learn about how her family thinks from the illustrations in the book?
3. Are there things that you like that your family or friends aren’t interested in? What do you think is the best thing in the world? How do you feel when people don’t like the same things you do?
4. Have you ever been so focused on something that nothing could distract you from it? What are some things you get focused on and don’t want to have interrupted? 
5. What do you think is happening on the last page of the book? How do you think this story could continue?

Related Resources

Every Monday Mabel Downloadable Activities from Simon & Schuster

Follow Your Waste from the Sanitation Foundation

Garbage Essentials For Teachers from Science Trek