Lyddie

Lyddie by Katherine Paterson



Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade Level: 6-9
Summary: Lyddie is a young girl who works at an Inn to pay off farm debts. She becomes one of many factory girls working long hours in dangerous and unsafe working conditions. Living in cramped conditions, Lyddie finds herself becoming friends with her peers and with a controversial worker named Diana, one of the few workers attempting to change the working conditions. Lyddie struggles to pay off the farm debt and watching her friend go through the horrible working conditions.
Theme/Skill: Families, friends, and enemies
Pre-reading activities: Talk about the Industrial Revolution and how our country has changed from predominately farming to a factory based industry.
Post-reading activities: Students can put themselves in the shoes of a factory worker at their same age. Compare and contrast Lyddie's life to their own lives.
Assessment: Hand in Venn Diagram with an essay.

Paterson, Katherine. (1992). Lyddie. New York: Puffin Books. 183 pp.

Our Home is the Sea

Our Home is the Sea by Riki Levinson

      

Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: 2-4
Summary: A boy thinks that the Sea is his home, because his father goes out to the Sea everyday to fish. The little boy wishes he didn't have to go to school. He is extremely anxious and observable to his surroundings. His grandpa and father fish together. He hopes that someday he will get to go out at Sea. Then suddenly, their home is the Sea.
Theme/Skill: When I smell cookies or see a quilt, I always think of home because my mom is always cooking and sewing.
Pre-reading activities: I would read aloud and have the students follow along with their books.
Post-reading activities: Inform the students that their place that they like to call home does not have to be a local place. It could be a dream spot in another city or country.
Assessment: I would have the students make a poster or a diagram of a place where they feel most comfortable and why. I would have them share their poster/diagram and then hang them up on the wall.
Reflection: Students love hands-on activities and enjoy sharing their personal work.

Free Fall

Free Fall by David Weisner

* David Weisner wrote and illustrated Free Fall.

       

Genre: Non-fiction, Caldecott Honor book
Grade Level: 2-4
Summary: This story reflects a young boy and a dream he experiences one evening. In this interesting dream, he follows a map to a human chess game. Next, he goes to a castle and then into a dark, scary forest with a vicious dragon. The young boy jumps between the pages, visits the Grand Canyon, becomes a giant, floats through time, and rides on various geese. Suddenly, he returns to his warm, cozy bed. The next morning he wakes up and notices his only gold fish in its bowl.
Theme/Skill: Have students share with their classmates a fun and interesting dream they have experienced.
Pre-reading activities: What is a dream? Why do we dream? Explain to the students that we always dream, we just don't always remember the dreams. Have students describe with each other "what falling into a dream" means and have them compare it to an experience they can relate to when being awake.
Post-reading activities: Why did this young boy visit all of these places? Do you think he was scared? Why or why not?
Assessment: Students will make a small mobile of their favorite dreams and show them to their classmates.
Reflection: I would like to try this with another book to introduce Native Americans. I would have the students make dream catchers.

In the Small Pond

In the Small Pond by Denise Fleming

                       

Genre: Caldecott Award Winner, Science
Grade Level: 2
Summary: This is an informative story depicting the four seasons and the curious animals that are a part of each season.
Theme/Skill: Show several animals from each season on the Smart Board.
Pre-reading activities: What is your favorite season and why? Why do some animals apear in some seasons and others do not? Where do animals go when they are not seen during a particular season? After deciding your favorite season, use construction paper to create a scene for that season chosen. Encourage students to ask questions and give responses to the story.
Post-reading activities: Were you surprised that some animals aren't a part of all seasons? What was your favorite and least favorite part of the story? Continue poster drawing of scenes.
Assessment: Hand in posters after sharing with a group of classmates your picture that you created. Explain why one animal may not survive in that environment according to that season.
Reflection: Students could go on a nature walk to a pond and collect water to look under the microscope at the living pond creatures. They can predict sounds they would hear outside by the pond. What would they smell? What would they see? Incorporating the senses into their writing can help tremendously with descriptive details.

The Colors of Us

The Colors of Us by Karen Katz



Genre: Multicultural
Grade Level: 1-3
Summary: Seven-year-old Lena and her mother observe the variations in the color of their friend's skin and refer to them as types of foods and other things found in nature. For example, different shades of brown could be described as toffee, mocha, chocolate, honey, etc.
Theme/Skill: Teach the students that no matter what color a person's skin color is; that we are all equal and unique in a special way. If we all looked exactly alike, it would be a boring world to live in.
Pre-reading activities: Ask them to name a relative or friend who may have a different shade of skin as them. Discuss with the class that people who are white have many different shades of skin too. For example, olive, medium, fair, etc. There are all different shades of white, brown, and yellow.
Post-reading activities: Students may ask me if I know anyone who has different colored skin. I would say that I am related to my Aunt from Thailand. I also have relatives from islands south of Puerto Rico. How would you react to someone who made a comment of your skin tone? Would you say something to them?
Assessment: I would have the students go onto the computer or find a book of a country. Then, they would learn more about their culture and ethnicity and share it with the class.

The Bus For Us

The Bus For Us by Suzanne Bloom

Genre: Non-fiction
Grade Level: K-2
Summary: On Tess's first day of school, she wonders what a school bus will look like. Tess waits for the school bus with her older friend Gus. Each time a vehicle drives by she asks, "Is this the bus for us, Gus?" Each time he replies with the correct name of the vehicle. Finally, their bus comes to pick them up.
Theme/Skill: Figuring out what a school bus looks like. Being able to decide what a bus looks like compared to other types of vehicles. Who rides a school bus? Did you already know what a bus looked like before your first time on it? Were you nervous the first  time you rode on a bus?
Pre-reading activities: Using the KWL chart that was constructed and made up before reading the story, and using prior knowledge of what they already knew, what are the uses for the other vehicles in this story?
Post-reading activities: Does everyone ride the school bus to school? If not, what are other ways of getting to school? Which vehicle was your favorite and why?
Assessment: Write a journal entry about your first day of school and getting on the bus. How were you feeling? Where did you sit? Did you meet anyone new or make new friends? Be creative and very descriptive to paint a picture in the readers mind.
Reflection: Helps students think back to a time when they were nervous or excited. They can tell how they overcame that fear or maybe they never rode a school bus before. Students can write about getting dropped off to school by a family member.

Clever Beatrice

Clever Beatrice by Margaret Willey

Genre: Fiction, Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner
Grade Level: K-2
Summary: A young girl living in the Great Lakes has proposed to defeat a giant in order to receive money. She needed the money so her mother could buy porridge. When approaching the giant, she tells him she wants to test him. The giant confusingly agrees, and Beatrice cleverly takes the giant for granted. She took advantage of him. In the end, Beatrice's cleverness defeats the giant and is able to eat her porridge.
Theme/Skill: I want the students to gain confidence while reading about Beatrice's adventure. No matter what size you are, you can achieve a number of goals. Have students list characteristics of a giant on the easel.
Pre-reading activities: Have you ever seen a giant? What do giants eat? Where do giants live? Do they really exist? Read the story with a lot of expression and intonation to actively engage the students. Have students ask encouraging questions and give responses to the story.
Post-reading activities: Were you afraid of Beatrice? Why was she able to beat the giant? What would you do if you encountered a giant? Change the ending of the story by adding a twist into the final outcome.
Assessment: Have students role play the story. One can be Beatrice and the other can be the giant, each coming up with their own ending.
Reflection: Make sure that students were paired up appropriately so the students remained on-task. Have each of the students share their endings by writing them in their journals or saying them aloud.

The Little House

The Little House by Virginia Burton



Genre: Caldecott Award
Grade Level: 3-5
Summary: A classic book about a city growing up over time around a little house in the country. The house used to be curious of what the city was like until the city started to expand all the way to the house. Then, family members of the people that built the house found it and wanted to move it back to the country.
Theme/Skill: Becoming aware that their city has changed over the years for better or for worse. Gaining respect for older things.
Pre-reading activities: Ask students if they know whether they live in a city (urban setting), suburb, or the country (urban setting). Do you think that where you live has always been the same? We are going to read a story that has seen many changes in its time. Are there other things in the world that go through changes?
Post-reading activities: Connect to prior knowledge about change. Were the changes in the story good for the community? Why did they want to save this old house? Is everything worth saving? Explain if you agree or disagree please.
Assessment: Make a timeline of what each student thinks that their community may have seen over time about change. Find out different interesting facts about his/her community. For example, when the fire department was built, the first store built in your area, or if the tree in your front lawn was planted by someone in your family. Interview older family members or neighbors to find out if they remember buildings, monuments, and natural resources that were around a while ago. Were they knocked down or what happened?
Reflection: This is a great way to build memories and relationships by interviewing. Building social skills and historical awareness of what may have been added recently or in the recent years in their community.

Ray Charles

Ray Charles by S Mathis





Genre: Non-fiction, Biography, Music, Coretta Scott King Award
Grade Level: 4-6
Summary: This book is about Ray Charles and the troubes he had as a young child. It goes through the journey of Ray falling in love with music as a young boy, and learning how to read and write music in Braille. It tells about his experience and all of the plaves he went and played. He became a world-reknowned jazz and blues musician. At the end, there is an update of his life today.
Theme/Skill: People who do not have the best of luck many times end up making some of the biggest and most surprising differences. Ray Charles was a very successful and famous man in our history!
Pre-reading activities: Has anyone ever heard of Ray Charles? Has anyone heard any of his music? What is the Great Depression? During this time, how were black individuals accepted? Discuss what it means to have strength, independence, and determination to succeed. What other qualities does it take to have when becoming famous?
Post-reading activities: In the beginning of the story when he is getting laughed at, pair share how this must have made Ray feel. Encourage involvement and questions.
Assessment: If you were Ray Charles, do you think you would have been as determined? Have small groups discuss the book. As a group, make a road map of his life with a timeline. Be prepared to discuss and present the poster to the rest of the class.
Reflection: This is an excellent way to introduce musically inclined figures into lives of our students. Many kids can learn and share a connection with Ray Charles because they are fascinated by music and the hard work and dedication that is involved.

A Tree is Nice

A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry



Genre: Caldecott Award Winning
Grade Level: K-2
Summary: This story describes the many different reasons why trees are so nice. Such as, making the world beautiful, can play in the leaves, give us shade, we can climb them, and the noise that the leaves make when the wind blows.
Theme/Skill: Trees are useful because they give us shade, can protect us, gives us fruits and other foods and we can play on the trees. Trees can be old or young.
Pre-reading activities: Who likes to play in trees? Has anyone planted a seed to make a tree? What happens to trees when the seasons change? Discuss the different types of trees and what they do for us. Why do people cut them down and what can be made from trees? Could the world get something positive out of trees getting cut down?
Post-reading activities: Pair, share and come up with a list of different types of trees. Ask if there are any other ideas of what you can do with a tree. How are trees good? Why do you think the leaves change colors and fall off with the seasons?
Assessment: Have a tree-making activity. Create their own tree using different colored papers as leaves. Children can create any kind of tree they would like. Discuss what a family tree is, bring their tree home, and build on it with family members.
Reflection: I would bring in empty branches and have the students add an important fact or relationship in their family and have them hang their fact on our tree that we make in class.

Cleveland Lee's Beale Street Band

Cleveland Lee's Beale Street Band by Arthur Flowers



Genre: Music, Multicultural
Grade Level: 2-4
Summary: Cleveland Lee wanted to play his new trumpet that his dad gave him in his sister's high school marching band. All of the kids in the marching band laughed at him and told him he was too young. Then, his old bluesman found him crying and took him back to the marching band and showed them what it meant to be a real musician. They let both of them take over the parade down Beale Street.
Theme/Skill: Share how some people pre-judge others based on age or appearance before they give them a chance or even know the potential of the person. Think, pair, share.
Pre-reading activities: "Have any other you ever refused to let a younger brother or sister play with them or do something with them because they were too young? How do you think it made him or her feel?" Discuss what might be a better choice next time a younger person wants to do something. Maybe there is something little they could do to help and make them feel special.
Post-reading activities: Doing a pair share at times when his sister doesn't let him in the band. Ask how it makes him feel. What would you do if you were Cleveland Lee's sister? What was your favorite part? Do you think the old bluesman created this instrument? Would you now let someone younger join you if they asked?
Assessment: Think about a time when you got left out of an activity because you were too young or because of another reason; how did this make you feel? What did you do about it? After reading the story, what would you have done differently if you didn't get what you wanted? Write this in a page in your journal.
Reflection: This is a great book to talk about personal growth and how sharing and being polite can help other people including yourself succeed. It makes you feel good when you do something for someone else. You gain a sense of personal pride!

Holes

Holes by Louis Sachar

Sam Bangs & Moonshine

Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness

Genre: Caldecott Award Winner
Grade Level: 2
Summary: This story is about a young girl named Sam. She tells stories that are hard to believe.  Many people do not believe the things she says. Sam tends to fabricate her stories. Things didn't change until she told her friend Thomas, that her dead mother was a mermaid. So, Thomas went to go look for Sam's mother in a terrible storm. Thomas and Sam's cat got wiped into the water with the gust of wind. Sam's dad found Thomas but not the cat. You will have to read the end to find out what happened to Sam's cat.
Theme/Skill: Being able to tell the difference between a lie and a story. Stress the fact that not all stories are good stories to tell if they aren't the truth.
Pre-reading activities: Does anyone know what moonshine is? Who could give an example of a lie? What happens when you are not truthful? Does it hurt just you? Determine the differences between a lie, joke, and a story. What can happen when we aren't truthful and start to tell lies? What happens to us and the people around us?
Post-reading activities: What was your favorite part of the story? Does this remind you of a time that someone might have not been truthful to you? Do you think that you've not been honest with someone?
Assessment: How well has the student been paying attention and paying close attention to detail. *Write a journal entry about either one time you were not told the truth or when someone had lied to you. Include how this made you feel, why you did it or why they might have done it, and what you would do now if you were given the chance to change it or do it again.
Reflection: This is a great realistic challenge because some kids do overexaggerate and bluff details in stories. Some children fib or lie and it could result in hurting another person's feelings or themselves. This book is very interesting and a great read for the younger grades. The activities could be changed to best fit older students if needed.

Bee-bim Bop

Bee-bim Bop by Linda Sue Park

Summary: Bee-bim Bop translates to mix-mix rice which is a traditional Korean dish of rice topped, and then mixed, with meat and vegetables. A young girl helps her mother grocery shop, prepare the Korean dish, help set the table, and sit down with her family to enjoy her favorite meal.
Genre: Multicultural (Korean traditions)
Grade Level: K-3
Theme/Skill: Children enjoy helping their mothers cook and help around the house. A child gains pride when they are helping their mother and are pleased when others get to enjoy what they worked so hard at preparing or making something.
Pre-reading activities: Has anyone helped their mother grocery shop? Do you cut out coupons? I would have the students cut coupons out of the Penny Saver so they got a true understanding of the steps used to save money when grocery shopping. What is your favorite thing to cook/bake? Has anyone tried food of another culture? Such as, Chinese, Asian, Thai, or Korean foods?
Post-reading activities: Connect to prior knowledge/experiences. Discuss with the class that American food isn't the only type of food. All different countries have their own special types of foods they enjoy, everyong doesn't have the same recipes and customs. Write down 3 things that you would get if you would go to the grocery store with your mom, that you would be interested in cooking.
Assessment: Draw out 3 stages: First, the food that you would put into your grocery cart. Second, show how you would help your mom, father, or grandparent(s) prepare the food in the kitchen. Last, how would you help set the table? Ask your parents/guardians their favorite meal to prepare, and find out if it was something that their parents also enjoyed. Be prepared to share! ;)
Reflection: This is a great way to introduce life skills. General education and Special Education students would benefit from this piece of literature. Show how to set up a table and shop for groceries. Role play in the classroom before sending students to work independently. It is very important to role-play and model expectations of the task.

White Snow Bright Snow

White Snow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Caldecott Award Winning
Grade Level: K-2
Summary: This story shares the joys that children have when the first snowfall comes each year. It also shows the preparation steps that adults need to do when a snowstorm comes. The characters in the story built snowmen and played in the snow. When the snow began to melt, so did their snowmen and all of the other magical things that happened with the first snowfall.
Theme/Skill: Responsibility and helpful skills in order to prepare for a storm. (Weather lesson) / Science
Pre-reading activities: Asking questions to stimulate an understanding of the process which takes place when preparing for a snow storm. During what season/month does the snow start to fall? What do your parents do when the snow is all over their driveway? Do you help them shovel? What do you like to do in the snow? What happens to animals when it gets cold and snowy? While reading the story, allow time for students to generate their own questions connecting to prior knowledge of snow and winter.
Post-reading activities: Discuss with the class how snow is created. Why does it happen? What was your favorite part of the story? Why would the mailman need to start wearing different foot wear? Why was the police man sick?
Assessment: Have students create their own snowflake mobile, making three snowflakes each. Each snowflake made, would include something the student liked to do in the snow or something that the snow reminded them of during winter time. The mobiles would get hung around the room or placed on the windows.
Reflection: This book helps stimulate prior knowledge and can help process different steps that need to be made in order to prepare for a storm. People need to work together and take responsibity. This Caldecott Award winning book is a great way to integrate weather and to share how snow forms. Careers and jobs can be discussed as well. White Snow, Bright Snow has a variety of themes and class discussions that could be made from this piece of children's literature. It is an interesting read for children!

Owl Moon

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grade Level: K-2
Summary: The story tells about a father and his daughter going out into the woods on a full moons night. They went out looking for owls. They encounter a Great Horned Owl. Finally, from out of the darkness came through the trees.
Theme/Skill: How the winter nights can be a magical time and you can enjoy them going out with your family members. The little things that are free and also enjoyable can be the most memorable.
Pre-reading activities: Ask them to look at the title and cover page of the book and predict what they think the book with be about. Ask if anyone has ever taken a walk through the snow at night in the winter time. What kind of sound does an Owl make? Remind the students to make connections to experiences that they have had while the story is read aloud.
Post-reading activities: Creat a water paint of a dark snowy night, and write a journal entry of what they would do and who they would go with if they went out in the dark night.
Assessment: Presenting their paintings and reading their journal entry to the class.
Reflection: This book is a great read because the students can use their senses and imaginations to put themselves in the character's "shoes." In Owl Moon, the characters never speak to each other in words. The students can describe a time when they had to be quiet. Was it easy or difficult for them to do? This book helps the children to infer while listening, reading, and writing.

Loud Emily

Loud Emily by Alexis O'Neill

Genre: Special Needs
Grade Level: 4-5
Summary: Emily was born with a very loud voice. Her parents and servants were always yelling at her to be quiet. She put her loud voice to good use on a ship and left her parents without saying goodbye. The whales saved her life because she started singing to calm the waves from the storm. She found her way back home and uses her loud voice on windy, foggy days and nobody complains anymore.
Theme/Skill: Unique characteristics can set people apart from one another. Emily put her special feature to good use.
Pre-reading activities: Discuss with the class how you can expand upon your good qualities. I would have each student share with a partner a book that they had read that discussed individuality. I would also have them share a unique quality that they were born with or have acquired that differs from their parents. What sets them apart from their peers or family members?
Post-reading activities: The students would make an "I am Me" book, which would require the students to expand upon their given qualities. For example, the students would have to write five qualities that they have that make them different from everyone else. This could deal with their favorite sport, strong point at school with a particular subject, hobbies, etc.
Assessment: Their "I am Me" books.

Beep, Beep, Vroom Vroom

Beep, Beep, Vroom, Vroom by Stuart J. Murphy

Genre: Math Pattern skills
Grade Level: Kindergarten - 1st
Summary: In this story, Kevin had various colors of cars thathe played with such as yellow, red, and blue. His little sister Molly, was told she was too young to play with the cars but she did anyway. When her brother came home, she had to quickly arrange the cars into the correct order by color and pattern so her brother wouldn't know she played with his cars.
Theme/Skill: Patterns and Sequence with categorizing
Pre-reading activities: Discuss what toys the children have at home to organize and play with. How do you organize them? Do you let others play with them? Have students pick their favorite toy and draw it five times using different colors for each one. Then, practice placing them out of order and re-organizing them.
Post-reading activities: After reading the story with the students, ask them to describe the patterns in which Molly places the cars on the shelf. The child might describe patterns by color or type of car. Assessment: Children can show different patterns using toy cars/colored blocks.

About the Author: Stuart J. Murphy

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist.  He has written 57 books. "I write books about math, people often ask, “What came first, the writing or the math?” My response is: “Neither. Art!” That’s right. I was an art major in college. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math.  Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Boston.

Sited: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=12519

The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein





Genre: Fictional
Grade Level: K-6
Summary: This story depicts the relationship between a young boy and an apple tree. Everyday the young boy would visit the tree. He would swing on the branches and slide down the trunk. As the boy grew older, he continued to visit the tree which continued to give back to him. He even cut it down to use for a boat in order to sail away and they were both happy.
Theme/Skill: Generosity
Pre-reading activities: Have students tell a partner about someone or something that means a lot to them. Compare the Walt Disney Pocahontas movie with the grandmother willow tree. Ask: "Why does this person/thing mean so much to you?" Do you spend a lot of time with him/her? Reverse it by saying: "What could you do to help this person/thing?"
Post-reading activities: Write a letter to the person whom you have a close relationship with and include why they mean so much to you. Describe various qualities they may have.
Extended question: What would you do if you had your own giving tree?
Assessment: Students create their own giving tree, and on each branch they will identify a quality possessed by the tree or young boy. They can also add characteristics of the individual/thing who is closest to them.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

By Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr.



Genre: Poetry and Rhymes
Grade Level: 2nd grade
Summary: This is a great pattern story with vivid illustrations. The children would be asked to identify the various animals that they see. However, in the conclusion of the story, the teacher is comparing each of the students to a different animal.
Theme/Skill: Have students think of an animal they could be compared to. They could pick their favorite animal and share with the rest of the class. I would also like them to pick out the rhyming words.
Pre-reading activities: Ask the students how and why they could be compared to an animal? I would picture read to give them ideas of the different animals included in the book.
Post-reading activities: After the students read the story, they would be divided into pairs or groups of three and they would role play by making their animals' sounds. They could share how they are similar to that animal.
Assessment: I would walk around and listen to the students interacting with their peers to make sure the students remained on task. I would ask them to look up 2-3 facts on their animal either from a book, article, or on the internet. The website would already be on the computer for the students to research.