After novel units in Ms. Brown's English class, the class usually celebrates with snacks - all of which must be mentioned in the book - and a screening of the movie adaptation! The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly swooped the 8th grade away from that tradition when school closed right at the end of their unit on S.E. Hinton's  The Outsiders. Therefore, when the 8th grade read Mitch Albom's  The Five People You Meet in Heaven in a month-long novel study during distance learning, Ms. Brown knew that another movie screening party could not be sacrificed. When they drove up to HNOM to collect their belongings, students also picked up red-and-white striped carnival gift bags packed with Eddie's birthday cupcake, Marguerite's bag of taffy, Ruby Pier cotton candy, and Cracker Jacks from Eddie's baseball childhood. A paper cup - featuring the clown arcade game mentioned in the book - was meant for students to fill with orange juice and enjoy with the birthday cupcake to recreate the picnic table spread at Eddie's 5th birthday. On a "menu" included in the gift bag, the text evidence for each snack item was cited. In addition, students received pipe cleaners and a bingo board for an interactive Google Meet game and a pipe cleaner animal challenge!

The students were encouraged to watch the 2004 T.V. movie adaptation of Mitch Albom's bestseller at home on  Netflix - while noshing on birthday cupcakes, taffy, cotton candy, and Cracker Jacks.