"The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman (Chapter Book; Modern Fantasy/Science Fiction)

“Fetch the whipping boy!”  Jemmy, a young orphan, served as a whipping boy for Prince Horace, more commonly known as Prince Brat.  Prince Brat was always causing trouble and was worthy of whippings.  However, it was royal custom to never harm a prince in any way.  Instead, the castle has a common boy to be the whipping boy.  Whenever the prince does something wrong, the whipping boy is brought out to take his punishment.  Jemmy has taught himself reading and mathematics while living in the castle, and he longs to be free again.  One night, Prince Brat approaches Jemmy and orders the whipping boy to accompany him and run away.  Upon their escape, the two boys run into two highwaymen, Hold-Your-Nose Billy and Cutwater, who decide to kidnap the boys and use the prince to collect a ransom.  Jemmy devises a plan.  He tells the highwaymen that he is the prince and that they should send the servant, Prince Brat, back with a message.  Prince Brat misinterprets the plan, and refuses to go back to the castle.  The boys manage to escape momentarily from the highwaymen, and run into a girl, Betsy, who is searching for her dancing bear Petunia.  She tells them where they can find a kind potato man who will give them a ride to the fair.  While the boys are riding in the man’s cart, they are once again stopped by the two highwaymen.  Since they still believe that Jemmy is the prince, they beat Prince Brat instead.  Once at the fair, Jimmy and Prince Brat head down to the sewer to catch rats.  They overhear a women say that things will be much worse when Prince Brat becomes the king.  They see a reward letter that the king has written for the safe return of his son.  Then, they catch a glimpse of the highwaymen.  They lead the men into the sewer, and trick them down a path where they are attacked by rats.  Prince Brat decides to go home.  Prince Brat arranges for the potato man to collect the reward.  The king allows Jemmy to live under his protection in the castle, with his newfound friend Prince Horace.  The two highwaymen were last seen on a ship headed for a convict island. 

The Whipping Boy is a heartfelt, Newbery-winning novel that shows friendship and heartache.  As a teacher, I would use this book in my class as a part of a literature circle.  I would include several, Newbery-winning novels for different student groups to read (including this one), and let the students guide discussion and raise/answer questions.  As a group, they can discuss why this particular book won the Newbery award, and discuss what they liked/didn’t like about the novel.  I would specifically have them do a character analysis for Jemmy and Prince Horace, find different themes, and have them examine the language used in this book.  Some of the students could even act out a scene for the class, or on a FlipCam.   

"Freckle Juice" by Judy Blume (Chapter Book; Realistic/Historical Fiction)

Andrew Marcus, a second-grade student, wants more than anything to look like Nicky Lane.  Nicky Lane has freckles covering his face and neck.  Andrew tried to count all of Nicky's freckles.  Before he could finish, their teacher, Miss Kelly, told them to pay attention.  Andrew only has two warts on his fingers.  He is willing to try anything to have freckles like Nicky’s.  If Andrew had freckles, his mom wouldn’t be able to tell when his neck was dirty and make him wash.  Sharon, another classmate who is known for teasing her peers, overhears Andrew asking Nicky where he got his freckles.  She convinces him that if he drinks a special potion, “Freckle Juice”, then he will get freckles.  Sharon swears that it worked for her, and she charges Andrew fifty cents for the Freckle Juice recipe.  He rushes home to make the juice, but it consequently makes him sick with all of the unusual ingredients.  Andrew’s mother makes him skip school the following day.  The next morning, Andrew uses a blue marker to draw freckles on his face in hopes of fooling Sharon into thinking that the juice worked.  Unfortunately, everyone laughs at Andrew for drawing his freckles with a marker.  Miss Kelly gives Andrew a bottle of “Magic Freckle Remover” so that he can get rid of his “freckles.”  Ironically, Nicky asks Miss Kelly if he can use the freckle remover as well because he despises his freckles.  Miss Kelly assures Nicky that freckles were not meant for Andrew, but they look great on Nicky.  Sharon overhears Nicky’s concern, and convinces him to buy her secret recipe that makes freckles go away.

This book has the potential to be used in two different occasions.  You could use this book as a chapter book read aloud, and read a few pages every day during free time, the morning, etc.  You can have students predict what they think will happen next (Will Andrew grow freckles?) and ask them how they would feel and what they would do if they were in Andrew’s shoes.  As the teacher, you can remind students that everyone has insecurities, but their differences are what make them unique, exciting individuals.  You could also use this book to teach students how to read a recipe.  The teacher can ask students to create their own special “juice” using different ingredients.  For example, you could make a recipe on “How to do well on the End of Grade tests.”  The teacher can even bring in different recipe books and show students how recipes are structured.  

"The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig" by Eugene Trivizas (Traditional/Folk Literature)

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig is a spin on the traditional story of the three little pigs.  There once lived three little wolves.  One was black.  The second was gray.  The third was white.  Mother wolf called her children in and told them it was time to go out into the world.  The three little wolves built a house of bricks.  The next day, the big bad pig saw the brick house and demanded he be let in.  He tried to blow the house down, but failed.  Instead, he grabbed his sledgehammer and knocked the house down.  The three little wolves decide to build their next house out of concrete, so that it would be stronger than the first house.  Unfortunately, the big bad pig was able to smash the house down with his drill.  The three little wolves find barbed wire, iron bars, armor plates, and metal padlocks.  They build the strongest, securest house imaginable.  It didn’t take long for the big bad pig to try to huff and puff his way into the house.  When he couldn’t blow the house down, he brought dynamite.  BOOM!  The house blew up.  The three little wolves had to try something different.  They decide to build a house out of flowers.  The next day, the big bad pig showed up.  He took a deep breath to blow the house down, but the scent was so lovely that the big bad pig began to sniff.  His heart grew tender, and he decided to become a good pig.  The three little wolves and the pig became friends and lived happily together ever after. 

I could potentially use this book as a read aloud to begin a science/engineering lesson.  I did something similar to this last semester.  The teacher can read this book to students, and talk about building structure.  The lesson can develop into a discussion on building materials and the purposes they serve.  Children can experiment with different building materials (Legos, stones, modeling clay, etc.) and determine which houses would be best suited for weather conditions (wind, earthquakes, etc.).  The teacher can even simulate these conditions and test the houses.  This lesson could potentially extend into a social studies unit.  Students can examine how different cultures in different areas of the world build their houses and why they choose to use certain materials. 

"The Indian School" by Gloria Whelan (Chapter Book; Multicultural/International Literaure)

In 1839, ten-year-old, Lucy receives a letter from her Aunt Emma saying that her mother and father have been killed in a wagon accident.  Since Lucy has no one else to take care of her, her Aunt Emma and Uncle Edward offer to care for her at their mission school for Indians.  Lucy, who lived in Detroit her entire life, had never had many encounters with Native Americans.  Aunt Emma and Uncle Edward ran this school for young Indian children who had no one to care for them.  She arrives at the school and is met by Aunt Emma’s cold, tough personality.  Her aunt takes away Lucy’s books, her most prized possession.  Uncle Edward is quiet, and does whatever he is asked to do by Aunt Emma.  Lucy quickly adjusts to her new life, as Aunt Emma throws her into the daily routine of all the other children: schoolwork, chores, and learning how to be integrated into the white man’s world.   A few weeks later, two more siblings come to stay at the school.  A young girl, Raven, and her younger brother Star Face (renamed Matthew by Aunt Emma).  Raven is the definition of rebellious.  She refuses to give up her Native American culture, so she runs away from the school.  Lucy is concerned for Raven, but knows she is close by because she sees Matthew with extra food and toys.  When Matthew falls ill, Lucy begs Raven to come back to the school and care for her brother.  Raven and Aunt Emma (who has also developed a bond with the young boy) set aside their differences for Matthew’s sake.  Their father eventually returns for the two siblings.  Lucy’s interactions with Raven have taught her to stand up for what she believes in and overcome her shyness.  Most importantly, Raven showed Lucy how to survive on her own. 

This book sends a powerful message about the trials and tribulations of Native Americans during this time in history.  The Indian School would be a great book to accompany a social studies unit on Native American culture and the struggles they encountered during the 19th century.  As a student, I did not learn about the harshness imposed on Native Americans until I was in high school.  To me, this is unacceptable.  As one activity, you could have students write letters to Raven and/or Lucy, explaining how this book made them feel and how their views have changed since reading this book.  If the teacher wanted to pursue a more ambitious lesson, they could ask a Native American to come to class and speak about their history, culture, traditions, and hardships as a group throughout history.  Then, students could write letter to the special guest and connect the guests' stories to The Indian School.

“Mañana, Iguana” by Ann Whitford Paul (Multicultural/International Literature)

On Monday, Iguana happily announces that she wants to throw a party on Saturday to celebrate the beginning of spring.  Her friends excitedly agree.  She asks for help writing the invitations.  Conejo (rabbit) says that he writes too fast.  Tortuga (turtle) says that he writes too slowly.  Culebra (snake) does not have arms to write.  Since she can’t wait until tomorrow, Iguana writes the invitations herself.  When it is time for Iguana to deliver the invitations, her friends come up with the same excuses; Iguana has to deliver the invitations herself.  When Iguana asks her friends to help stuff the piñata, they use the same excuses.  Iguana stuffs the piñata herself.  The same thing happens when Iguana needs help cooking the food and decorating for the party.  She begins to get frustrated with her friends because they are not helping her throw the party.  Finally it was Saturday, the day of the party.  When the guests began to arrive, Conejo, Tortuga, and Culebra run to meet the guests.  Iguana stops them, announcing that since she did all the work, she will greet the guests.  Her friends walked away, ashamed, and watched everyone have a great time at the party.  Once the guests had left, Iguana was exhausted.  She lay down to sleep, vowing to clean up the mess tomorrow.  Her friends decided that they would clean up, since Iguana did all the work preparing.  Iguana woke up, saw all of the work that her friends had done, and was very thankful.  On Sunday, they sat together and happily ate the leftovers.      

Mañana, Iguana is full of Spanish words (there is even one in the title!).  There are over fifteen Spanish words throughout this picture book, which are in italics.  The definitions for these words can be found at the beginning of the book.  This would be a great read aloud to do at the beginning of the year.  I think that it is important that ELL (English Language Learners) feel included in the classroom.  In order to build a classroom atmosphere that helps ELL students feel this way, picture books on Spanish culture should be included.  You can read the book and ask if any of the students know what the Spanish words mean.  ELL learners will be able to define the words and feel like they are contributing to their peers’ knowledge.  As the teacher, you can write the words down on index cards and include them on word walls.

"Chin Chiang and the Dragon's Dance" by Ian Wallace (Multicultural/International Literature)

Chin Chiang dreamed of dancing the dragon’s dance.  Now that it is the Year of the Dragon, his dream would be coming true tonight.  But he was so nervous.  Chin knew he would never be able to dance well enough to make his grandfather proud of him.  Grandfather Wu called Chin in for their last practice.  Grandfather would wear the head of the dragon, and Chin would carry the tail.  Chin tried, but he continued to trip, stumble, and fall.  He ran away from his Grandfather, ashamed.  People in the street stopped him to remind him that the Great Dragon would bring prosperity to their family if the dance pleased him.  But if the dance was clumsy, the Great Dragon would be angry.  He ran to the top of the library.  Here he meets Pu Yee, an older woman carrying a mop and pail.  She also used to dance the dragon’s dance when she was young.  Chin asks the woman if she would help him practice.  No one could see them at the top of the library if he tripped or fell.  Still feeling unsure, he hears the festivities beginning.  The New Year’s parade begins, so Pu Yee rushes Chin into the crowd.  Chin nervously picks up the tail of the dragon.  Instead of tripping, Chin’s feet move sure and firm.  He finds Pu Yee in the crowd, and together they dance the dragon’s dance beautifully.

Children’s books on Chinese culture are scarce.  When I was an elementary school student, there were very few on the shelves of our library.  As a result, I know almost nothing about Chinese culture.  This book was filled with Chinese culture and traditions: Year of the Dragon, paper lanterns, dragon’s dance, the Great Dragon, Chinese New Year, Lucky Money, and carp.  Most students might not even realize that the Chinese New Year is not on the same date as the rest of the world.  This year, it took place on February 3^rd.  In the classroom, I would do a unit on Chinese culture during the time of the Chinese New Year.  We could celebrate the way that the Chinese do (dances, costumes, parades, traditional food, etc.).  Chin Chiang and the Dragon's Dance, as well as other resources, could be used and explored by students.

"Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" by Deborah Hopkinson (Multicultural/International Literature)

An African American girl, Clara, was twelve years old when she was sent to a home plantation to work in the fields.  She vowed that she would someday reunite with her mother, who worked in a northern farm.  An older woman, who Clara called Aunt Rachel, raised her.  When her Aunt Rachel found Clara lying on the cabin floor, she decided Clara needed to learn to do something other than physical labor in the field.  She taught Clara how to sew by bringing her different scraps of cloth and teaching her to sew them together.  Aunt Rachel’s dream for Clara was for her to become a seamstress.  Once she was ready, Aunt Rachel brought Clara to the Big House where the white people lived.  They were so impressed with Clara’s work that she became a seamstress in the Big House.  One day, Clara overheard men talking about Canada and the Underground Railroad.  She began to make a map with her stitching that would show her the way to freedom.  She worked on the quilt for a long time, and kept its meaning a secret.  When it was finally ready, Clara and Jack (a friend on the plantation) left for the North.  She left the quilt for others to use; the memory of it was in her head.  They walked throughout the night and hid during the day.  She reaches the farm her mother works at and convinces her to join them.  They had followed the quilt and North Star to Canada.  The quilt is still at the home plantation, and people use it themselves to find freedom.   

This book would be a great resource to use when implementing a “talk back” strategy, where students react to what they read and critique the book.  A lot of history is in this book.  It mentions the Underground Railroad, slaves’ struggles and desire to escape North, family life on plantations, and uses authentic language.  I can imagine that students would read this book and have numerous and opinions and questions.  As a teacher, it would be interesting to see which students use empathetic, critical, and conceptual understanding.  I would have students split into groups, and each group member take turns reading the story aloud to the groups.  I think that reading this book aloud is crucial for students to hear the language and dialogue.  After, they can critique the book and compare it to what they already know about African American culture during this time.   

"Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" by Tomie dePaola (Traditional/Folk Literature)

Many years ago, when the People traveled the Plains, there lived a boy who was smaller than the rest of the children in the tribe.  This boy, Little Gopher, had a special gift in art.  The wise shaman promised Little Gopher that he would be remembered for a reason other than being a warrior.  A few years later, he went to the hills and a Dream-Vision came to him.  An Indian maiden and old grandfather came from the clouds and showed him animal skin, brushes, and paints.  They encouraged him to gather these materials and paint a picture that is pure as the colors in the evening sky.  He collected the materials and began to paint pictures.  However, as hard as he tried, he could not find the colors of the sunset.  He went to the hill each evening and tried to understand how to make the colors.  He never gave up, and in the meantime he painted stories of the People.  One night, a voice called out to him.  Since he had been faithful to the People, tomorrow evening on the hill he would find the paints he needed.  As promised, the paints were there and Little Gopher was able to paint the colors of the sunset.  He left the brushes on the hill, and the next day the hill was full of color, where the brushes had taken root in the earth and multiplied into beautifully-colored plants.  Little Gopher would now be called He-Who-Brought-the-Sunset-to-the-Earth. 

Tomie dePaola’s books are very easily recognized.  In my field placement classroom, my SBTE has an entire Tomie dePadola section.  I could possibly use this book as an introduction to a unit on authors.  Since dePaola also illustrates his books, it would be interested to compare this book with some of his others.  Other notable children’s books by dePaola are The Quilt Story, Adelita A Mexican Cinderella Story, Legend of the Bluebonnet, and The Art Lesson.  Some of these are also folktales, while others are stories of his childhood.  I think that it is important for children to recognize that authors have different writing styles, and in this case, illustration techniques.  I could group the students and give them each a different Tomie dePaola book.  Each group could record the characters, main idea, theme, motif, and other notable things about the book.  As a class, we could come together and talk about the books.  As an addition, I could even assign the students to do a research project on their favorite authors/books.  

“Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears” by Verna Aardema (Traditional/Folk Literature)

This is a traditional West African tale that explains why mosquitoes annoyingly buzz in people’s ears.  One morning, a mosquito tried to tell the iguana a story.  The iguana had no interest in what the mosquito was saying, so he stuck two sticks in his ears.  When the python passed the iguana and tried to talk to him, the iguana walked right past him. Thinking that the iguana was angry with him, the python hid in a rabbit hole.  The rabbit inside was frightened and ran away.  The crow saw the rabbit running, and it was his job to warn the forest of danger.  The monkey heard the calls from the crow and went screeching through the woods to warn the other animals.  He fell on an owl’s nest, and killed one of the owlets.  Mother Owl’s job was to wake the sun each day so the sun would rise.  When she saw one of her babies killed, she did not call for the sun.  The night grew longer and longer, so the King Lion called a meeting with the animals.  The animals were able to trace the source of the problem back to the mosquito, and she was banished.  Today, the mosquito has a guilty conscience.  Whenever she tries to ask people if they are still angry at her, she gets her answer when people swat at her. “SMACK!”

Origin tales are a category of traditional literature.  They tell about how something was originated, in this case, why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears.  I think that these are fun tales, because they often come from other cultures and are creative ways to tell a story.  Often, stories like these are passed down orally from generations; therefore, I would use this book as a read aloud.  This story explains how one event can cause a chain of events.  As additions to this read aloud, I could provide students with other origin tales and ask students to create their own.  I could incorporate technology into this lesson by having the students create a PowerPoint like a book, and present them to the class.  I could even have the students sit around in a circle, create a fake campfire, and let them act out their stories orally.  Students could also work in groups to complete the task. 

"Red Riding Hood" by James Marshall (Traditional/Folk Literature)

Wordle

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3242504/Red_Riding_Hood

This version of Little Red Riding Hood is the traditional, age-old story.  Sweet Red Riding Hood lived in a cottage beside the deep, dark woods.  One day, her mother asks her to bring some custard to Granny, who was not feeling well.  Her mother warned her to go straight to Granny’s; do not talk to strangers!  Soon, Red Riding Hood found herself in the middle of the woods.  A wolf appears, and charms Red Riding Hood into letting him escort her to Granny’s house.  Red Riding Hood does not know that the wolf is planning to eat both her and Granny.  While Red Riding Hood picks sunflowers for Granny, the wolf hurries ahead to the house, eats Granny, and puts on Granny’s clothes and jumps into her bed.  Red Riding Hood sees her Granny and notices some changes: big eyes, big arms, and big teeth.  Before she can react, the wolf eats her too.  A hunter passes by the house and hears the noise.  He jumps through the window and kills the wolf and saves Granny and Red Riding Hood.  From then on, Red Riding Hood never talked to strangers.

I would use this text in a similar way that we used them in class.  I could potentially include this story, as well as many other traditional folktales, in a book pass.  This would serve as an introduction to a unit on traditional/folk literature.  Specifically, we could look at Red Riding Hood and compare this story to other similar folktales in other cultures.  We have learned that wolves are a frequent motif, so students could read folktales from other cultures and try to find wolves in other stories.  I could also have students use the theme of this book and try to find other folktales with the same theme.  As a class, we can compare and contrast these stories and how they are influenced by the specific culture.  Then, I would ask students to write their own folktale, using a wolf as the antagonist and maintaining the overall theme.

“Jumanji” by Chris Van Allsburg (Modern Fantasy/Science Fiction)

Prezi

http://prezi.com/ky7kow3k_qpy/jumanji-by-chris-vanallsburg/

Judy and Peter are left alone for the evening while their parents are out.  Mother and Father warned the two that they would be bringing guests by the house, and that the house was to be kept neat while they were gone.  Once alone, the siblings realize they have nothing to do.  They decide to play outside.  Peter finds a game in a long, thin box behind a tree labeled “Jumanji.”  The instructions read, “Free game, fun for some but not for all…read instructions carefully.”  They take the game home to try it out.  There is one very important instruction: Once a game of Jumanji is started it will not be over until one player reaches the Golden City.  They suddenly realize that this game was becoming more than they bargained for.  Judy and Peter began to find that the things happening in the game were appearing inside their house.  A lion emerges on the piano, monkeys eat the food in the kitchen, a monsoon drenches the living room, rhinoceros’ stampede through the house, snakes slither around the mantel, and a volcano erupts from the fireplace.  Judy and Peter realize that the only way to make all of this disappear is by finishing the game.  Judy wins the game and yells, “JUMANJI!”  A cool breeze ran through the house, and unexpectedly the house looked just as it had before the game was started.  Judy and Peter puts the pieces back in the box and dumped the game outside behind a tree.  When Mother and Father return home, the siblings get ready for bed.  But not before they see two other children running outside, one with the long, thin box under his arm.

Jumanji is a classic children’s book that emphasizes the importance of reading and understanding directions and instructions.  I think that being able to comprehend instructions should be included as a small reading unit in the classroom.  This suggestion for use in the classroom is ironic, because I tried to create the Prezi for this book without reading the instructions beforehand; however, I soon found that the instructions were extremely helpful.  Students should also be able to write directions/instructions as well.  As an activity, you could do a scavenger hunt.  Divide the classroom in two groups, and give one group specific instructions and the other vague, unhelpful instructions to a prize.  Once the first group finds the prize, compare the sets of instructions and have the students create a set on their own.  For example, you could have students write directions to a specific room in the school and trade with another student and find the room using their peers instructions.

“Stinky” by Eleanor Davis (Graphic Novel; Modern Fantasy/Science Fiction)

Stinky is a monster who lives in a swamp outside of town.  He loves everything that smells stinky, from pickled onions to his pet toad Wartbelly.  One thing that Stinky does not love is kids!  Kids like to take baths and eat apples.  They don’t like mucky mud or slimy monsters.  One day, he is horrified to find a kid, Nick, has built a house in one of his trees!  He devises several plans to scare Nick out of his woods.  He leaves smelly Wartbelly in the kid’s tree house, but Nick takes the toad in as his own pet.  Next, Stinky hides Nick’s hammer in the muckiest, smelliest, part of the swamp.  Nick has no fear when he travels to the smelliest part of the swamp to retrieve it.  Then, Stinky covers himself in a sheet and attempts to scare Nick, but his sheet get snagged and he reveals himself in front of the boy before running back into the woods.  Later, Stinky finds Nick’s hat and kicks it into the Bottomless Pit.  A few days later, Nick posts “Lost” signs all over town for his lucky hat that Stinky found.  Stinky, feeling guilty, tries to retrieve the hat but falls into the not-so-bottomless pit.  Nick hears Stinky’s cries and rescues him.  Stinky confesses to everything, saying that he did all of those things because he thought that kids hated stinky, smelly things.  The story ends with the two becoming fast friends.  Even Stinky has to admit that apples taste pretty good.

This is a great graphic novel to introduce to elementary-aged children.  I read my first graphic novel in high school, and it was challenging for me because I had no idea how to read them.  It took a while for me to understand which boxes to read first and how to differentiate between thoughts, dialogue, and flashbacks.  I would use Stinky in my classroom as a tool for teaching students how to read graphic novels.  I would teach them the basic components, and what makes them different from typical texts.  I would also show them how to read a graphic novel.  As a project, I could ask the students to make their own pages of a graphic novel, using the strategies and techniques that they have learned.

"Moog-Moog, Space Barber" by Mark Teague (Modern Fantasy/Science Fiction)

The first day of school is tomorrow, and Elmo Freem’s mom takes him to Mr. Kleeg, the barber, for a haircut.  The haircut is awful!  Not even a baseball hat could cover the problem.  He was nervous about what the kids at school would say, especially his best friend Buford.  He finds a stocking cap to wear as a temporary solution.  To keep the morning from coming, Elmo tries to stay up all night with his cat Leon, watching movies.  When Elmo and Leon go into the kitchen for a snack, they find two space monsters.  The space monsters also think that Elmo’s haircut is atrocious, so they decide to take Elmo and Leon to their planet so that he can see Moog-Moog, the finest barber in the universe.  They land on planet Moogie, a small green planet that reminded Elmo a lot like Earth.  Moog’s barbershop was located at the top of a hill in a huge green castle.  Moog-Moog had pointed teeth and a head of hair that changed colors as he moved.  Moog worked on Elmo’s hair for hours, using every tool he could find.  Finally, he gave up, defeated.  Elmo was encouraging, and the two monsters took them back home, arriving only a few minutes after they had left.  The next morning, Elmo met up with Buford, who was wearing a silly cap similar to Elmo’s.  Mr. Kleeg had given them both awful haircuts.  They walked to school together, talking about everything except haircuts!

Students can relate to Elmo.  Everyone, at some point, has been nervous to come to school for fear of what their peers might say.  This might be a good book to read at the beginning of the year, when students are most anxious about school.  You can have the students think of a specific time, and write about it.  Have them include a fun, elaborate solution to their problem, like Elmo and his space aliens!  For example, if a student spills something on their shirt on the bus ride to school, they could write a story about how the bus takes them to a place where everyone spills things everywhere!  You can have students come together and read their stories aloud.  In doing so, you can allow students to laugh about the things that would originally have made them self-conscious.

"Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm" by Jerdine Nolen and Mark Buehner (Modern Fantasy/Science Fiction)

Harvey Potter wasn’t your ordinary farmer.  He didn’t grow corn or potatoes or cotton.  Harvey Potter grew balloons!  His balloons grew straight from the ground, bursting with magnificent colors and all different shapes and faces.  Harvey Potter himself was quite plain.  What wasn’t so plain was the conjure stick he carried with him everywhere he went.  A jealous farmer, Wheezle Mayfield, calls the government on Harvey Potter to investigate the balloons.  But the government found nothing wrong with the balloons, so Harvey Potter was given the right to grow them.  A young girl, who is the narrator of the story, is interested in Harvey Potter.  She spends days sitting on his porch talking to him.  However, she never asks how he grows his balloons.  She knows he wouldn’t disclose his secret anyway.  One night, she waited for him to go outside to plant his balloons.  She was amazed by what she saw.  Harvey Potter started dancing with the conjure stick, which had begun to glow an orange color.  The two rose straight up in the air.  Next, the stick jumped up and down across the field in neat rows.  Suddenly, it stopped and flew right back into Harvey Potter’s hand.  The next morning, the young girl wakes to find tiny balloons growing in the ground.  He lets her take a few, and grows a big balloon that takes the young girl to a new town, so that she can start a new life.  The time moves to the present, where the young girl is now a grown woman who has been growing her own balloons (in a different way than Harvey Potter) for thirty-two years.

This book could be used as a fun introduction to a science lesson.  You could give students “mystery seeds”, and their job is to plant the seeds and observe their growth.  They can record data in their science journals, and compare their plant to other students in the class.  As the plants grow bigger, the students’ job is to find peers who have the same plant as them, and investigate to figure out which plant or flower that they were given.  This is a fun twist on the traditional lesson where all the students are given the same plant.  This way, children can see how different types of plants grow and what they look like during different stages of growth.

“What are Camouflage and Mimicry?” by Bobbie Kalman and John Crossingham (Non-Fiction)

This non-fiction book is designed to use as an instructional tool.  It begins by defining camouflage and mimicry, as well as predator and prey.  The words that are defined are also in bold and included in the glossary in the back of the book.  What are Camouflage and Mimicry?  emphasizes that camouflage is the color/pattern on an animal’s body that allows it to blend in, while mimicry involves looking like something that it is not.  Animals can use mimicry to look like rocks, plants, other animals, and even bird droppings!  The book develops by mentioning examples of animals that use camouflage/mimicry in different ways.  Animals can be a single color, have spots and stripes, or change their shade completely, like the leaf-tailed gecko.  They try to blend into the environment, like polar bears in the arctic.  Some animals are even equipped with spots that look like eyes, called false eyespots, to fool their enemies.  Some of the animals are transparent, such as the glass frog.  Other animals are brightly-colored, not to blend into the environment, but to warn their enemies that they are dangerous or to attract mates.  The syrphid fly is colored like a wasp, but it is actually harmless.  What are Camouflage and Mimicry?  includes brilliant pictures of animals who have these amazing characteristics.  Most of the animals are ones that students are not familiar with.  This brings students outside of their normal knowledge of animals and demonstrates the vast variety of animals in our animal kingdom.

One of the science standards for elementary school states that students must build an understanding of how animals interact with the environment.  This book is a perfect example to demonstrate this standard.  There are over fifty examples of animals that use camouflage and mimicry to survive in their environment.  Since camouflage and mimicry can be found in many different varieties, it might be helpful to make a list of the different types as you read the book, and include examples of animals as well.  You could ask students to choose an animal to study in more depth, or search other books and resources to find more animals to put in the different categories.  You could also do an extension to the lesson by including technology.  Show students that a lot of the technology that we use is inspired by mimicking the behavior and adaptations of animals.   

"Mission to Mars" by Franklyn M. Branley (Non-Fiction)

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http://nataliehawley.glogster.com/mission-to-mars/

Mission to Mars puts a different twist on a typical non-fiction book.  It paints a picture of what you, the reader, might need to do on a mission to Mars.  It would take you over six months to reach Mars once you have left the International Space Station.  Then, you would transfer into the Mars Habitat Lander.  You could then use the Lander to land on the surface of Mars.  It has sections for sleeping, living, exercising, and conducting experiments.  Mission to Mars provides a variety of facts and information about this planet and the roles of astronauts who explore it.  Since gravity on Mars is only one-third the force on Earth, you could lift heavy things easily.  Inside the Station there is air, so you do not need to wear your space suit when you’re inside.  The name for this planet was derived from the Roman god Mars, the god of war.  Since they only knew that Mars was a reddish-planet, they associated red with the color of blood and war.  Today, we can use technology to tell us much more about this planet.  For example, we now know that Mars had water many years ago by studying old riverbeds in the rock.  There is a dormant volcano on Mars that has the highest peak in the solar system!  Mission to Mars is filled with many more facts about this planet.  The book concludes with a look on how you, the astronaut, would make their way back home to Earth.

This book can definitely be used as a part of the science unit on the solar system.  Since Mars is Earth’s neighbor and our knowledge of the planet is growing exponentially, I think it should be taught in more depth than the rest of the planets.  The recent discoveries on Mars are relevant, and you could ask students to do a Science in the News project.  For this project, you could introduce the book, and then ask students to find recent science journals or articles that focus on a recent discovery on Mars.  This project not only teaches students about the planet, but it also allows them to explore online resources and use search engines to find scholarly articles.  Lastly, you could have students present their articles to the class.  Since the book also focuses on the astronaut’s role, you could have students research the career of an astronaut (training, schooling, duties, etc.).  You might be able to spark a child’s interest in pursuing this path!

“Life in a Colonial Town” by Sally Senzell Isaacs (Non-Fiction)

This book paints a picture of daily life in cities in the United States in the years 1800 to 1860.  During this time, cities did not look like the cities we know today.  Most Americans lived on farms, while a growing number were migrating to developing cities.  The book defines a colony, and describes the colonization process using a timeline and informative maps.  It lays out the colony-building process, and the typical buildings you would see in a colony.  Life in a Colonial Time also mentions how news was spread throughout colonies, as well as the different rooms in houses and what their purposes were.  The book informs the reader of a typical day in the life of an adult colonist, such as the work that had to be done.  Children carried many of the same responsibilities as adults, and when they did not work they went to small, one-room schoolhouses.  It also points out the types of garments that colonists wore, how they were made, and the differences between boys and girls clothes.  The book informs us on what American’s ate during this time, where they got their food, and how it was prepared.  Lastly, the book mentions how the thirteen colonies came together to win the Revolutionary War.

This book is a great resource for students to use when studying colonial life during the Revolution.  Many students might not realize how different life was during this time.  As an activity, you could separate students into groups and make each group responsible for researching a different aspect of colonial life, such as food, clothing, homes, towns, jobs, etc.  They could use this book, similar books, and online sources to research information.  Then they could participate in a “Colony Walk”, where they walked around to each group to learn about that particular subject.

"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst (Realistic/Historical Fiction)

No matter what Alexander does, he CANNOT seem to have a good day.  He gets gum in his hair, trips on his skateboard, drops his sweater in the sink, has no prize in his cereal box, has to sit in the middle seat, is called out for misbehaving in school, argues with friends, has no dessert in his lunch, has a cavity, hurts his foot, knocks things over, gets soap in his eyes, and bit his tongue.  The worst part is that no one seems to be listening to him, not his parents, teacher, or brothers.  Despite his terrible day, his mom assures him that some days are going to be terrible days.  Everybody has terrible days, and that tomorrow will be better.

This is a great book to introduce to students at the beginning of the year.  You should let students know that sometimes they are going to have bad days, and sometimes everything can go wrong at school.  Let them understand that tomorrow will be a better day and that they should be optimistic and keep a positive attitude.  You can let the students write about a day when everything went wrong, and reflect on how they felt.  Together as a class, you can talk about some ways to make yourself feel better on those no good, terrible days, and write them on a piece of chart paper to display in the classroom.  Encourage them to talk to a friend or the teacher, or read one of their favorite books during Independent Reading.  Even doing small things can make your day a little better.

"Storyteller" by Patricia Reilly Giff (Chapter Book; Realistic/Historical Fiction)

Elizabeth, a young girl living in the twenty-first century, feels anything but special.  In fact, she feels “useless”.  Her mother has passed away, and her father often travels for business, leaving her to stay with a neighbor of family friend.  This time, her father is sending her to her Aunt Libby’s house.  Elizabeth has never met her Aunt Libby, but she quickly finds out that her aunt is awkward, quiet, and an awful cook.  The only thing Elizabeth finds comfort in is her room and a picture of a young girl named Zee, who looks remarkably like Elizabeth.  Elizabeth is determined to find out more about Zee.  The book intertwines the lives of Elizabeth and Zee.  Zee’s story takes place during the American Revolution.  Zee, feeling just as useless as Elizabeth, finds the strength and courage to leave her home and go into battle with her father and brother.  As Elizabeth discovers more of Zee’s story, she is eager to find the places where Zee once walked and lived.  Elizabeth finds that she has a purpose: to make sure Zee’s story is told.  In the end, Elizabeth realizes that she is far from “useless”, and the adventure brings her closer to her aunt and father.       

This story would be a great way to introduce the American Revolution to students.  It shows how the Revolution seemed to children their age, and how they felt during this time.  If you do not need to do a unit on the Revolution, you could have students practice writing letters by writing their own letter to Zee.  They could ask her how she felt, what she experienced, and other questions about life during this time.  You could also have students research their family trees, just like Elizabeth did.  They could pick someone in their family tree that they look up to, or that they are a lot alike, and write about them. 

"The Other Side" by Jacqueline Woodson (Realistic/Historical Fiction)

The Other Side is a story of two young girls living in the pre-Civil Rights Movement era, Clover and Annie.  Clover is an African-American girl, while Annie is Caucasian.  They live next to each other, yet a fence separates their property, as well as their lives.  Clover's mother warns her that she should never climb over the fence, because it was not safe and “that’s the way things have always been”.  But day by day Clover's interest in Annie grows as she notices the girl playing outside and sitting on the fence.  Despite her friends' lack of support, Clover introduces herself to Annie and together they sit side-by-side on the fence the entire summer.  Eventually, Annie is invited to jump rope with Clover and her friends.  When they were too exhausted to continue playing, all of the girls sat along the fence, and Annie remarks that “someday somebody’s going to come along and knock this old fence down”.

I think that this story has a strong sense of symbolism and portrays what life might have been like for children during this time period.  I could integrate this book into a lesson about symbolism, and have the children come up with things that the fence might represent.  This would also be a great book to use to study Black History Month, where students could research life for children during this time and how the lives between black and white students varied greatly.  In addition, they could research people or events that helped to tear the “fence” down.