Set #5

Appelt, K. (2008). The underneath. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

   Ranger is an abused hound dog living in east Texas. He lives under a porch with a family of lonely cats. Gar-Face, Ranger's abusive owner has trouble drinking and shooting. Ranger tries to keep the cats safe but, ultimately is unable to. There are several mythical shape shifting animal creatures as well, including Grandmother Moccasin, a snake.

   This fantasy's strengths are characters and setting. The animal main characters tug at your heartstrings. You feel sorry for them, living in their current state. The setting adds to the over feel of depravity. The bayous of east Texas. You see the snakes and spiders, you feel the oppressive humidity and heat, just like the main character's oppressed lives.

   Anthropomorphism is a wonderful topic that isn't widely discussed in the classroom. This book provides a rare opportunity to dive into this literary element.

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

   Bod Owens, Nobody, finds the graveyard as a toddler after his family is murdered. His assassin attempts to kill him in the graveyard when the ghosts who inhabit it, grant the boy Freedom of the graveyard, and take him in to raise as their own. Bod learns how to fade and haunt, as well as all about the ghost's lives, and the deeper mysteries of the dead world. His would be assassin ultimately finds Bod again, and Bod must defeat him.

   The style and theme of this book stand strong. You are drawn into the gothic tone, and really feel that you are living in the world of the undead. The theme is one that you wouldn't have thought. For a book this dark, the theme of sticking together, standing up for each other, and that everyone, no matter how dead they are, has a good heart. The main character finds friendship and safety in those that most would not.

   This book provides a great opportunity to dive into the fantasy genre. Allow students to dissect each chapter and discuss the fantasy elements involved.

Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

   This is a retold fairy tale based on the story of Rapunzel. This time around, Rapunzel, saves herself from the clutches of her evil mother, and goes on many adventures. Along the way she meets Jack, who ends up being her best friend/boyfriend. Rapunzel braids her long hair into two braided pig tails, and uses them as lassos to save her friends and defeat bad guys.

   The style and characters are of high importance in this story. The style presents a rough and tumble, action and adventure, fast paced story. The main character is fierce and independent, unlike her traditional self has been told so many times. You root for her to break with the conventional idea of Rapunzel.

   Teachers can use this version of Rapunzel and compare and contrast it with other versions. A venn diagram could be useful in comparing the books, or even comparing this version of Rapunzel to other fairy tail heroines.

Holm, J & M. (2011). Babymouse queen of the world. New York, NY: Random House.

   Babymouse is a spunky little mouse with a wild imagination. She often gets herself into trouble. This time she imagines herself as the queen of the world. She is bored with her daily life, so she creates a place where she has fame and fortune. She wants to fit in with the popular kids at school, and desperately tries to be cool. Babymouse ultimately realizes that fitting in with the popular crowd isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

   The plot and theme of Babymouse make this book really entertaining to read. Reading as Babymouse goes through her days, and all of the imagination she puts into making it better, makes the reader anticipate the moment when reality breaks through. The theme of being true to yourself and not fitting in with the crowd is great for younger students, especially those in upper elementary and middle school.

   This graphic novel opens up talking points with girls, and boys, about the feeling of the need to fit in. Discuss what makes everyone unique and how we shouldn't change who we are to please others.

Krocoszka, J. (2009). Lunch lady and the cyborg substitute. New York, NY: Random House.

   The lunch lady secretly designs gadgets to help fight crime in the boiler room of the school cafeteria. A strange substitute teachers arrives and Lunch Lady takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of it. Turns out, the substitute is a robot built by the science teacher to sway students' votes for teacher of the year towards himself.

   Theme and character are very important in this book. The lunch lady's character is well thought out and interesting. You're drawn to here, to know her story. The theme is an easy one to figure out, that good trumps evil. The lunch lady is good and fights the evil doers in the world.

   The theme of good vs. evil, justice, fairness, and equality provide wonderful opportunities for classroom discussions and role playing scenarios.

Landy, D. (2007). Skulduggery pleasant. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

   Gordon authors horror novels, when he suddenly dies. He names everything to his niece, Stephanie. Stephanie meets many of her uncle's strange friends, including Skullduggery Pleasant, a skeleton. They embark together to find the person responsible for murdering her uncle. Stephanie encounters a magical world filled with good and bad magical beings.

   The style and characters make this an interesting read. Landy gives you a mystery novel of sorts, all wrapped up in fantasy and horror. The magical creatures that the main character encounters are well developed and the imagery around them and their world draws the reader into their lives.

   The following link will take you to a lesson plan developed by the publisher, HarperCollins. There are ideas for word play, poetry, characterization, as well as a power point. http://resources.collins.co.uk/free/TeachingSkulduggeryPleasant.pdf

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret. New York, NY: Scholastic.

   Hugo Cabret is an orphaned young boy living at a train station, who keeps the clocks running. He repairs an automaton that his father was building and steals parts to get the machine running. He is caught however stealing parts, and the shop owner confiscates his notebook, which is his father's source of notes for working on the automaton. Hugo attempts to get his notebook back when he meets Isabelle, who has the key needed to start the automaton.

   The plot and the style of this novel are like nothing I've seen before. Selznick uses his illustrations to tell the unspoken parts of this story. The main character tells only a portion of the story, and the illustrations allow you to visualize what else is happening. The plot twists and turns. It's exciting and keeps your blood pumping. You worry for the main character, hoping that he doesn't get caught or fall prey to something even worse.

   This book is unique in that a vast majority of the book is illustrated. The illustrations tell the untold parts of the story. Students would enjoy illustrating the next scene or continuing the story at the end.

Willems, M. (2013). A big guy took my ball. New York, NY: Hyperion.

   Piggy loses his ball to a big guy, who turns out to be a whale. Gerald is Piggy's friend, and also a big guy. Piggy asks Gerald to help him get his ball back. They find out that the whale really just wants someone to play with.

   The theme and characters of this story are endearing. The friendship between the two main characters is like many of the reader's real life relationships. They are easy to identify with. The theme of inclusion is a strong theme in many elementary school classrooms. That's why this story would fit in perfectly.

   Students can discuss a time when they made friends with someone, or had someone be friendly with them. The theme of inclusion and acceptance provides wonderful classroom talks.

Set #4

Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963. New York, NY: Delacorte.

  The Watsons, an African American family, take a trip to Birmingham, Alabama to visit their grandmother. There are cleverly told stories of sibling rivalry and the general tensions within a typical family. Once in Birmingham, the family encounters racial tensions. Their trip coincides with the 1963 Civil Rights movement. They are forced to leave Birmingham when their grandmother's church is burned down.

   The setting of this story will keep all readers engaged. Almost everyone is aware of the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham, so to read about the Watson family right in the middle of it, will keep you reading to see how this particular family, in this particular place become a part of history.

   Students should be encouraged to discuss conflict. Conflict plays an important role in this book. Students could also work in small groups to research the Civil Rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship. New York, NY: Hyperion.

   The story of famous and not negro league baseball players is told from an unnamed narrator's point of view. Nelson also gives the timeline of the creation and destruction of the Negro Baseball League. These baseball players worked tirelessly to tear down the walls of segregation and discrimination within the sport of baseball.

   The characters of this book are fascinating. You read about many different men and their involvement in the development of the Negro Baseball League and you find yourself wanting to know more and more about each one of them.

   Teachers, I encourage you to utilize the website, Teachers Pay Teachers, you can find many wonderful free ideas and activities, as well as, for a small fee, complete lesson plans. The following link will take you to a two week long lesson plan, complete with vocabulary and cross curricular activities. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Weeks-Lesson-Plans-Vocab-for-We-Are-The-Ship-by-Kadir-Nelson-139877

Schlitz, L. A. (2007). Good masters, sweet ladies. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

  Monologues from all walks of life, from upper and lower societal class, provide an insiders look into the life and times of a medieval village. Many of the monologues intertwine, as their lives cross on a daily basis.

   The style of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is exceptional. The fictional medieval town, and its fictional medieval inhabitants tell an incredible story written in the sweet style of individual monologues.

   This book lends itself to reader's theater like no other. Students can take on the role of a character from the book, or use those stories to create their own medieval character. .

Set #3

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, NY: Morrow.

   Leigh Botts is struggling to deal with his parent's recent divorce. He moves to a new town with his mother and feels like an outcast. His teacher assigns the class a letter correspondence project, and Leigh begins writing to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. The book is written in a series of letter from Leigh.

   The characters and plot really impact the reader. You feel for Leigh Botts and you are drawn into his life, feeling every emotion along with him. Following the plot and finding Leigh ultimately overcome his feelings through his letters with the author Mr. Henshaw, is all of the reason why this book won a Newberry Medal.

   Teachers can create their own letter writing project. Have students choose someone, or set up a pen pal scenario with another grade level/classroom. Encourage students to write their feelings just as Leigh Botts did. This is also an excellent opportunity for teachers to hit Social and Emotional Learning objectives.

Draper, S. (2010). Out of my mind. New York, NY: Atheneum.

   Melody Brooks is an 11 year old girl with cerebral palsy. She is a brilliant young lady, but struggles to communicate and control her body. She goes through many emotions as those around her don't understand and underestimate her. With the help of a computer, assistive technology, she is able to communicate, and eventually joins the school's academic team.

   Theme and characters are both wonderful reasons to become engrossed in this book. The overall theme of seeing the good in everyone, despite any differences, and overcoming life's challenges, is one that almost all readers can identify with. Also this wonderful inside look into someone with cerebral palsy has the reader wanting more. The main character is someone you're rooting for, hoping that she can overcome her inability to speak.

   Students are provided a wonderful opportunity to discuss students with disabilities. We all have so much to offer, especially those who may look, sound, or act different.

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

   Gregg Heffley is a scrawny boy, who struggles to fit in and make it through those awkward middle school years. There is a piece of cheese found on the basketball court and a rumor is spread that anyone who touches it will have the cheese touch, similar to cooties. Gregg and his best friend Rowley, end up fighting because of the cheese and almost lose their friendship, when school bullies force Rowley to eat the cheese. Gregg stands up to the bullies and finally repairs their friendship.

   The setting and the style of this book, and the entire series keep readers coming back for more and waiting for the next release. Kinney originally wrote this book for adults to reminisce about those awkward middle school years, but it's caught on with younger children. The stick figure illustrations and comic style keep readers interested and entertained.

   Students can begin keeping a journal about their daily school life, just like Gregg. This provides teachers a opportunity to discuss bullies, feelings, and how everything they are going through, and everything that they are feeling is completely normal.

Lord, C. (2008). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic.

   David has autism, and his older sister Catherine struggles to have a normal life. She is embarrassed, but protective of him. David has a strict routine, and Catherine lays out a set of rules for David to follow that will help with with his day to day life. While at David's occupational therapy sessions, Catherine meets Jason, a boy with cerebral palsy, and strikes up an unexpected friendship.

   The theme and characters of this story are thoughtfully well developed. Lord really hit the nail on the head with the theme of acceptance and empathy towards those with disabilities. The three main characters keep you reading, waiting for them to receive their next light bulb moment.

   If you have the pleasure of working in a school with a Structured Learning Classroom, a classroom specifically for students with autism, I would encourage you to develop a relationship with those teachers and students. The general classroom students benefit greatly from reading this book, and getting to know and work alongside students with autism. It teaches empathy, patience, and acceptance.

Paterson, K. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. New York, NY: Crown.

   Jesse and his new neighbor, Leslie, develop a wonderful friendship. They explore the woods together and create an imaginary place called Terabithia. In Terabithia, Jesse and Leslie can be whoever they want to be, they are the rulers, and enjoy spending their time together. One day though, Leslie falls from a rope swing and dies. Jesse is left to deal with the tragedy of losing his best friend.

   The setting and the plot of this story are well written. The imaginary place of Terabithia is wonderfully and magically described by Lord through the two main characters. The plot of imagination and then the sharp contrast of reality make this a heartwarming and heartbreaking story.

   The following link will take teachers to Read Works. Read Works provides reading comprehension strategies. Here students have chapter by chapter questions. http://www.readworks.org/lessons/grade5/bridge-terabithia

Set #2

Bartoletti, S. C. (2005). Hitler youth. New York, NY: Scholastic.

   Bartoletti profiles several young children as they grow up in a word ruled by Hitler. The children join the Hitler Youth and we follow their journey. Their parents objected, they were attacked by communists, they were trained, their schooling was taken over by Nazi teachers, and many of them began to question their loyalty.

   The style of this book is quite sobering. The content keeps your reading, and the photographs bring each child to life as you read about their exploits. Bartoletti's style keep you reading through this extremely heavy, but so very engaging book.

   Bartoletti won a Newberry Honor, Sibert Honor, Orbis Pictus Honor, and the Parent's Choice Award - Gold Winner all in 2006. The following link provides educators with book readings, author studies, and interviews. http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=8286

Bishop, N. (2007). Spiders. New York, NY: Scholastic.

   Bishop writes a beautiful and informative book about spiders. He gives many facts, and many 'did you knows'. He details general spider facts, and also gets more specific explaining some the unique features of the spiders that he has photographed for the book. There is an index and a glossary at the end of the book.

   The design of Spiders is superb. The pages are laid out in an aesthetically pleasing and easy to read way. The pages are bright colors, with extremely close up photographs of spiders.

   Bishop won the Sibert Honor for this book. This is a highly engaging book and will offer even the toughest of readers some eye catching pictures and information. Please follow the link for a video with author Nic Bishop as he discusses spiders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeBDOE55cxE

Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous. New York, NY: Walker

   Bragg highlights 19 famous people, going through a brief history of their life, how they died, and several facts about the manner of death. King Tut is the first person reviewed. Not only does Bragg go into detail about some common known facts about the famous person and their death, but also discusses misconceptions and conspiracy theories

   Bragg's accuracy is through the roof. There are pages of citations at the back of the book providing proof of information. I know that books like this and others about fun information on famous people may seem embellished, but after checking some of the sources, I have no doubt that everything in this book is accurate.

    This book provides endless research and writing opportunities for students. If  you follow the link, you will be taken to teacherspayteachers, a wonderful resource for finding lesson plans and activities. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-They-Croaked-Creative-writing-Research-writing-146525

Garza, C. L. (1999). Making magic windows. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.

   Garza presents a simple to follow series of how-to's for making papel picado, traditional Mexican cut-paper art. She briefly reviews the materials and safety instructions before delving into the procedures. She gives several step by step instructions for creating folded paper art. When you have created all of the folded paper art, Garza then guides you in using a craft knife to cut out designs.

   Garza writes with great organization. The layout is easy to follow, and I can effortlessly find a particular craft and begin creating it right away. Organization in a non fiction book, particularly a how-to, is extremely important to the reader's ability to understand and follow along.

   This is a fantastic craft book. The artworks are easy to create and offer a great rainy day craft activity either at home or at school.

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York, NY: Holt.

   Rosa Parks, a young black woman, takes the bus home after work, to take care of her sick mother. She sits in a seat at the middle of the bus, when a white man asks her to move to the back so he can sit. Rosa refuses and the bus driver calls the police. From this moment, a movement begins with people refusing to ride the bus until segregation is over.

    The style that Giovanni brings into this very serious piece of non-fiction is truly beautiful. His artwork jumps off the page, bringing Rosa Park's story to life.

   There are many writing opportunities with this book. Students can think of a time when they felt that they were being unfairly treated, and discuss their feelings. Students can also dig deeper and research Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement.

Harris, N. (1999). It's so amazing. Boston, MA: Candlewick.

   Sexual reproduction can be a very tough subject to discuss with children. Harris developed a bumblebee and a bird as the main characters, each with valid feelings towards the subject that children, and adults can identify with. The information is presented in a matter of fact way, without any opinions or biases.

   The way that Harris brought design to this book makes it truly special. The subject matter can be a tough one for parents and children. It's cleverly laid out, and easy for children to follow along and stay interested.

   This book leaves room for families to introduce their own family values. It does not lean towards right or wrong, but merely presents the information. Harris wrote this book to be appropriate for children ages 7 and up, but please use your judgement to determine if this is appropriate for your own child.

Sweet, M. (2011). Balloons over broadway: The true story of the puppeteer of Macy's parade. New York, NY: Houghton.

   Tony Sarg loved puppets. As a child he began designing his own marionette puppets, when his popularity grew. He eventually began working for Macy's designing costumes and parade floats. He ultimately created the now common parade balloon.

   Sweet's wonderful illustrations brings a great design to this nonfiction story. It really draws the reader into Tony Sarg's live.

   Science activities are an easy extension of this book. The science of states of matter, solids, liquids, and gases, paying close attention to gases would greatly benefit students to understanding how Tony Sarg created the parade balloon.

Set #1

Deedy, C. A. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach: a Cuban folktale. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.

   Martina is a beautiful cockroach living in Cuba who needs to find a husband. Her abuela gives her some shocking advice. This is to spill coffee on each of the suitors to see how they react. Martina goes through several suitors who each react poorly to the coffee test, until she meets a mouse named Perez. Perez is a gentle, soft-spoken mouse who turns the coffee test on Martina and ultimately wins her heart.

   Deedy gives us a sweetly humorous story about the trials of finding the perfect person to spend the rest of our life with in this retold Cuban folktale. Illustrator Michael Austin gives the book soft rounded shapes and colors. It sets the romantic mood of the story. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach won the Pura Belpre medal (honor book) in 2008.

   Martina the Beautiful Cockroach provides endless language lessons, containing puns, Spanish words, and onomatopoeias.

DePaola, T. (1983). The legend of the bluebonnet. New York, NY: Putnam.

  An orphaned Native American girl named She Who Is Alone and her tribe are suffering from a terrible drought. It is decided that everyone must sacrifice what is most precious to them in order to appease the Great Spirits. She sacrifices her only possession reminding her of her deceased parents, a doll with jay bird feathers. Afterwards, the tribe wakes up to find the hills covered with bluebonnets.

   DePaola retells this heart warming old Texas tale. He illustrates this story and often covers full pages with soft colors and vibrant blues that catch your eye.

  There are numerous activities that you can do with this book from Native American studies to botany. Students of all ages are engrossed with this story.

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

    Max is a little boy who gets in trouble for being disrespectful. He is sent to his room without his supper. While in his room he imagines that she sails away to an island filled with wild creatures. When he comes back to reality he is still in his room with his supper waiting for him.

   Sendak pulls you into Max's imagination and you really feel his adventure with him. The creatures on the island are wonderfully drawn with soft colors and pen, making it feel dreamy and almost unreal. His illustrations cover a full page with short text, black on a white background, fill the opposite page. This gives you a sense that the illustrations are viewed equally to the text.

   After many years of proposals to turn Where the Wild Things Are into a film, Sendak allowed Spike Jonze to create a live action film. You can find the trailer for the film by following the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-PqqifyjA

Singer, M. (2010). Mirror mirror. New York, NY: Dutton.

   Singer writes a book of poems often with a fairy tale twist. After she writes the poem, she reverses it, giving it a completely different meaning. The reversals use the same words but with different capitalization and punctuation.

   Josée Masse illustrated this story using very vibrant and often color blocking techniques. Each story is really two in one, so Masse splits his illustrations in half just as the poems are split. The art on one side uses softer and brighter colors that promote a different mood from the flipped poem. This technique unifies both poems, but subtly shows the difference.

   This is a fun and quirky way to introduce students to poetry and twisted fairy tales. If you visit the following link, you will be taken to a lesson plan that uses one poem a day for a two week poetry unit. Each lesson provides cross curricular activities, technology activities, and offers common core alignment.  https://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plan/printable/72890.html

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York, NY: Clarion.

   The three little pigs begins as the traditional children's story, but once the wolf begins huffing and puffing, he blows the pigs right out of the story. The pigs then explore several other books, and befriend a dragon. They return home to their own story with the dragon and live happily ever after with the dragon scaring away the big bad wolf.

   Wiesner created a sublimely sweet twisted tale with this book. The illustrations are held in large boxes that the pigs ultimately escape from. The boxes restrict the story in the beginning, but Wiesner soon breaks free from the conventions of picture book illustrations. He allows the characters to run free. He keeps the colors muted and simple, letting the composition speak louder. It causes the book to come alive and leaves you wondering where these curious pigs will go next. Wiesner won the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 2002.

   This book lends itself to some wonderful comparing and contrasting lesson plans with other little pig stories.

Smith, L. (2011). It's a book. New York, NY: Roaring Brook.

  Monkey is reading a book when he is interrupted by Jackass. Jackass pesters Monkey constantly asking if it can do things that his computer can. Monkey, becoming fed up with Jackass' questions, finally shows him the book. Jackass becomes enthralled with the book leaving Monkey to go to the library to get a new book.

   Smith uses simple sentences and often one word to express the main character's frustration with the comparison of technology to a book. The illustrations are simple and often focus on the main character's eyes and eyebrows to show emotion.  The text composition surrounds the illustration, noting that the illustrations are equally important and should really be read along with the text. The simple lines that Smith uses, show subtle changes in the characters on the page.
 
  This book has quite a bit of controversy surrounding it for the use of the word jackass.There are so many sides to the debate of this book. I certainly cannot persuade you to go one way or another. I would encourage you, however, to watch the author's commentary about his use of the word jackass in a children's book. http://youtu.be/e0hNlYw1Uko

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Boston, MA: Candlewick.

  A small fish steals a much larger fish's hat. He plans his getaway, and hides in the tall grass. He is unaware that the much larger fish is following him the entire way. The much larger fish ultimately ends up getting his hat back.Klassen tells a tale of someone doing something wrong and not getting away with it
 
   The illustrations are muted earth tones on a solid black background. There are small changes to the illustrations, small air bubbles that follow the fish as they swim. These small air bubbles give the illustrations movement, small, and deliberate, but movement that catches your eye.  He won the Caldecott Medal in 2013.
  
  This story lends itself to readers theater and plays in the classroom. Students will have fun reading the sneaky little fish's lines and use facial expressions to act it out.