Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Draanen, W. V. (2004).Flipped. New York, New York: Scholastic.

Teacher's Choice 2002

AGES: Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 5.5; 720L

SUMMARY:
Wendelin Van Draanen has written a great book for teaching point of view. Flipped is written from the perspective of Bryce and Julianna, each chapter jumping back and forth. This novel takes you on the journey of their friendship in a fun and entertaining path. Van Draanen also has Bryce and Julianna learn to grow and change over the course of the novel in a way that seems so real. Great novel to use in any fifth or sixth grade classroom.

VOCABULARY:

sophisticated, branded, lunatic, catapulted, sycamore tree, edification, ornery, scoundrel, imminent, hors d'oeuvres, perpetual, condescending, accusations, caviar, mortification

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (small group intstruction)

Before: Discuss how this book is set up, that each chapter jumps between two different characters.

During: Pay attention to point of view and how each situation is different to Bryce and Julianna. Have students create venn diagrams as they read to keep track of the changes and similarities.

After: Have students write their own narratives from two different point of views. So that they understand that point of view really does change a story.  They could also create a poem in two voices, using the text to create their pieces. 

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen/content/books.html- about author Wendelin Van Draanen
http://www.voki.com/- students can make a voki to show off the different perspectives
http://www.wakegov.com/NR/rdonlyres/FE8D5925-FC23-4BCF-BE45-E735B95A31F6/0/Flipped.pdf- discussion questions and author interview

The Forbidden Schoolhouse by Suzanne Jurmain

Jurmain, Suzanne. The forbidden schoolhouse: the true and dramatic story of Prudence Crandall and her students.. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Print. 

Nonfiction

AGES: Scholastic age level equivalent 6.2, 920L

SUMMARY:
During the time of the Civil War, Canterbury, CT resident, Prudence Crandall, was schooling African American students. The Forbidden Schoolhouse combines primary sources in the form of newspaper articles, quotes, and pictures to create a book that outlines her dramatic true story. Suzanne Jurmain does a great job of relating Prudence Crandall's story to students, in her epilogue she discusses how Crandall's story has impacted schools today and writes about each of Crandall's students experiences as well. Great novel to use to showcase a piece of Connecticut history and to showcase Civil War issues. 

VOCABULARY:
prosecution, Canterbury, CT, Civil War, abolitionist, Quakers, telegram, Nat Turner, American Colonization Society, authorities, petition, prejudice, William Lloyd Garrison, Booker T. Washington

 TEACHING STRATEGIES: (small group instruction)
Before: discuss what primary sources are and why we use them/ discuss the Civil War and that students will be looking at a women's story from the Civil War time period

During: have students think about how they would feel if they were not allowed to go to school/ have students write out a timeline of Prudence Crandall's life as they read

After: Have them analyze the primary sources of the novel and write about how they fit in and tell Prudence's story/ Have them do further research to add more to Crandall's story and how it ties to the Civil War

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://suzannejurmain.com/- all about the author, Suzanne Jurmain
http://www.ct.gov/cct/cwp/view.asp?a=2127&q=302260- learn all about Prudence Crandall and the Prudence Crandall Museum 
http://www.kids.ct.gov/kids/cwp/view.asp?a=2577&q=428212- interactive website about Prudence Crandall for kids

Punctuation Celebration by Elsa Knight Bruno

Bruno, Elsa Knight, and Jenny Whitehead. Punctuation celebration. New York: Henry Holt And Co., 2009. Print.

Poetry Collection

AGES: Scholastic grade level equivalent 3.4

SUMMARY: 
Great collection of poetry that gets students thinking about punctuation. Each poem is a fun way to understand the rules of each type of punctuation, comma, apostrophe, ellipsis, exclamation point, quotation mark, parenthesis, period, dash, hyphen, semicolon, colon, and question mark. Elsa Knight Bruno even put in example poems using each type of punctuation. Each page is also filled with colorful illustrations that help students to further understand the poems. Great poetry book to use as an aid to help students further understand punctuation as well!

VOCABULARY:
abbreviate, apropos, clout, clauses, essential, enrapture, congregate, precede, omitted

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (read-a-loud)
Before: Discuss what poems are and what they are used for./ Briefly discuss the form of punctuation you will be talking about today.

During: have students interpret each poem and write down the rules for each type of punctuation

After: Have students create own punctuation poem.

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www.free-teacher-worksheets.com/punctuation-worksheets.html- free punctuation worksheets and exercises
http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/- Celebrate national punctuation day! September 24, 2011 
http://us.macmillan.com/author/elsaknightbruno- all about author Elsa Knight Bruno

Before John was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford

Weatherford, Carole Boston, and Sean Qualls. Before John was a jazz giant: a song of John Coltrane. New York: Henry Holt, 2008. Print.

Coretta Scott King Honor Award 2009, Diversity 

AGES: AD1090L

SUMMARY:
Before John was a Jazz Giant is a great novel to introduce the history of music specifically Jazz music into your classroom. This novel combines a great narrative with vibrant illustrations to create a story that could get anyone in the mood to study Jazz. This novel focuses on young John Coltrane who is a legendary jazz saxophonist who grew up in the 30s. Great novel to really get students to think about a time period that they have never really 
learned about.

VOCABULARY: 
Jazz, saxophone, ukulele, phonograph, scoutmaster, sermon, solo, soulful, warbling

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (read-a-loud)
Before: Ask them what they know about Jazz music/ Do they know anyone that plays Jazz music?

During: Have them pay attention to the pictures and how life was before John found Jazz music

After: Discuss how music changed John's life/ Research John Coltrane and focus on how the book ties to his life, have students write about the connections they find/ This novel can be used as an initiation to a lesson that focuses on the history of Jazz music or life in the 1930s or the history of a significant figure, John Coltrane

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www.johncoltrane.com/- All about the life of John Coltrane
http://www.last.fm/music/John+Coltrane- John Coltrane free radio, listen to songs about 
him
http://media.us.macmillan.com/activityguides/9780805079944AG.pdf- lesson on creating own Jazz music in your classroom

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Lin, Grace. Where the mountain meets the moon . New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2009. Print.

Newbery Honor Book, Teacher's Choice 2011

AGES: Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 5.4, 820L

SUMMARY:
In Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Grace Lin is able to create a story of great adventure. With the use of Chinese folktales she is able to add new dimension to a traditional plot. Minli listens to this folktales and believes everything she hears and goes on an adventure to meet the Old Man of the moon, similar to The Wizard of Oz, and meets tons of interesting characters on the way, for example, a dragon and a fish. This novel is sure to spark an interest in any young reader due to the great amount of adventure and fantasy. 

VOCABULARY:
indignant, grueling, magistrate, infuriated, clamoring, exhaustion, emissary, mysterious, aglow, ignorant, imperial, decipher, ancestors

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (small group instruction)
Before: discuss Chinese folktales and why they were important to Chinese culture/ Read The Wizard of Oz to then compare with Where the Mountain Meets the Moon after reading

During: Keep track of characters in adventure, character map/ note the similarities that remind them of The Wizard of Oz

After: Act out the folktales/ Write own folktale based off the ones presented in the novel/ compare and contrast novel to The Wizard of Oz with either discussion or chart

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=wherethemountainmeetsthemoon- tv interview with Grace Lin, activities and reviews for the novel, background about the book
http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/where-the-mountain-meets-the-moon/- Lesson plans and activities for the novel
http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit226/lesson5.html- lesson plan related to teaching about folktales, could take ideas or activities from lesson

Dogsong by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen, Gary. Dogsong. New York: Bradbury Press, 1985. Print.

Newberry Honor Book 1988

AGES: Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 5.8, 930L

SUMMARY:
Dogsong by Gary Paulsen is inspired by the Eskimo, Oogruk. In this novel a young boy Russel Suskitt wants to investigate how life was in the past, life with dogs, songs, and no snowmachines. Through Oogruk's teachings he sets off to discover the past for himself. This journey leaves him traveling with a dog team to discovering himself, his own song.  Paulsen is able to blend Russel's dreams into reality, this not only gives this novel a unique touch but creates an adventure that any young reader would enjoy.

VOCABULARY:
cache, aloof, breechclout, dogsleding, mystified, careening, ptarmigan, reluctant, satisfaction, trance, hallucination, parka, carcass, lance, ravenous, bow and arrow

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (small group instruction)
Before: Ask students if they have ever heard of Eskimo's before. If yes, ask what they know about them. Then go over what Eskimo's are, were they live and what they do./ Teach them about Inuit society

During: Have students think about Russel and why he choose to do what he did. /Also, have students pay attention to the dreams and what part of the dreams become his reality. How do the dreams build ontop of each other?

After: Have students create projects based off dreams, either posters or drawings about what each dream was and then go over how it matched Russel's reality. / Have students write a paper about dreams and reality, have them think and answer this question, Is there a fine line between dreams and reality or could they never intertwine?/ have them research Inuit society, past and present/ Hold a discussion, 1. Would you be able to live like Russel?, 2. Why do you think Paulsen included the readings in the beginning of each chapter, why did they stop half way through?, 3. Do you believe Russel found what he was searching for?

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=2532- interview with Gary Paulsen the author of Dogsong
http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/dogsong/guide.cfm- Activities and projects that are themed around Dogsong
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/content/vtl07.la.ws.process.sleddogs/- video discussing sleddogs and the use of them in Inuit society

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Bartoletti

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. The boy who dared . New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Print.

Social Studies, Historical Fiction

AGES: Grade Level Equivalent 4.3, 760L

SUMMARY:

Bartoletti has created a unique novel based on the true story of a Hitler youth. Helmuth Hubener is a German schoolboy growing up during the time period just when the Nazis were rising to power. Helmuth was just a young boy who dared to speak the truth about the Nazis. Bartoletti shows Helmuth courage and allows students to question along with Helmuth what the Nazis are doing. Powerful story that allows the reader to really connect to a boy growing up during Nazis time.

VOCABULARY: 

Fatherland, penetrating, sharpnel, leaflet, people's receiver, volksempfunger VE 301, satchel, drafted, propaganda, incredulously, u-boat, national socialism, plutocracy, interpretation, idealism, doctrine, Karl Marx, Thomas Mann, Heinrich Heine

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (small group instruction)

Before: Teach students about Germany during the reign of the Nazis, discuss what children are suppose to do and the rules and regulations of living on the land/ ask students if they have ever been restricted from doing something and then decided to speak up about how it wasn't right. ask what happened to them?/ go over the timeline given in the back of the book

During: Have students try to follow the timeline in the back of the book to help them keep track of Helmuth's story./ At various points in the book questions are given. Have students answer them and discuss or write about them. For example, pg. 50 "how does such meanness and hate build a better Germany?", pg. 104 "Don't the Germans have a right to know the whole truth?"

After: Have students pick an event discussed in the book, research it more and write about what information they found./ Research as a class more about Helmuth and decide what makes this book historical fiction instead of fact. Then have students using an event they research write a short story in historical fiction. 

ONLINE RESOURCES:

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=31656 - reader's theatre scenes, discussion questions, german vocabulary, propaganda discussion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cto6mRGInk- photo story of Helmuth Hubener's life, great visual 

timeline of the story 

http://www.scbartoletti.com/- about the author, Susan Campbell Bartoletti

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss and Rosemary Woods

Strauss, Rochelle, and Rosemary Woods. One well: the story of water on Earth. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2007. Print.

Science, non-fiction

AGES: Scholastic grade level equilalent 5.8, 960L

SUMMARY: 

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth is a great novel to tie reading into science instruction. This novel gives a great description of the importance of water on earth bring up issues related to the water cycle and how water really has the power to change everything. Great illustrations and summaries of each topic related to water. (plants/ water cycle/ animals/ habitats-ocean, lakes/ people/ access to the well/ demands on the well/ freshwater in the well/ pollution- saving water) It also gives facts that make the topics relatable to students. For example, it takes about 1 million tiny water droplets to make just one raindrop. This really makes students want to learn more and read on.

VOCABULARY:

groundwater, precipitation, evaporate (water cycle), photosynthesis, transpiration, habitat, atmosphere, food chain, well, hydroelectric plants, freshwater, distribution- supply and demand, agriculture, pollution, conserve, climate change, water consumption

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (read-a-loud, use at beginning of new units)

Becuase this novel discusses so many topics relating to water on earth, it can be used to open up various units and to start students thinking about what they are going to learn.

Before: Have them go over what they think water means to them and what water does.

During: Every day have the students write down the fact that they found most interesting from the reading, share. Place these facts around the classroom for students to reference throughout the unit.

After:  Go over all that they have learned about water, maybe for the next few days, display some of the facts around the classroom.  Have them create one of their own facts about water maybe by researching more about water online. At the end of all units have them create a project to teach the other classes about how to conserve water, educate others.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

http://www.btsb.com/libcorner/lp/OneWell.pdf- Activities directly related to the text, information about the author, information about what your class can do to conserve water

http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/teachers_4-8.cfm- lessons and activites all related to water

http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/gamesandactivies.cfm- water related interactive games

Crow Call by Lois Lowry

Lowry, Lois, and Bagram Ibatoulline. Crow call . New York: Scholastic Press, 2009. Print.

Teacher’s Choice 3-5 2011

AGES: Scholastic Grade Level Equivelant 3.6, 750L

SUMMARY:
 Lois Lowry in Crow Call does a great job at creating a powerful book for young adults. Crow Call showcases a little girl whose daddy just came home from war in a way that every child reading this story can find a connection. Great illustrations also create a moving atmosphere. Lowry also uses great descriptive language so that the reader really knows exactly how this little girl is feeling and how everyone is acting throughout the story.

VOCABULARY:
 timidly, crow call, hesitating, mannequins, duck decoys, dubiously, practical, companion, scamper, condescending, poised, tentatively, speculatively, resolute, enormous

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (read a loud)
Before: ask if anyone has ever had a family member go away for a long period of time. For example, war. Also, could tie to a adjective lesson. Describe what a adjective is and how it is used.

During: have them think about what they were feeling once that person came back. Also, have a worksheet and write down the adjectives that they hear in the story or descriptive words.

After: Create a story about the person they are thinking of or do a connection worksheet or summary activity. Also, could create a story about a time when someone went away using adjectives to describe the time.

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www.loislowry.com/crow_call.html- All about Lois Lowry and Crow Call.
http://www.havefunteaching.com/language-worksheets/adjective- adjective worksheets
http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/eliot/technology/lessons/internet_activities/g3/3_lit.htm- online adjective games

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Garcia, Rita. One crazy summer . New York: Amistad, 2010. Print.

Coretta Scott King Award Winner 2011

AGES: Scholastic Grade level equivalent 4.6, 750L

SUMMARY:
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia is a great fictional novel from the perspective on children during the times of the Black Panther party. Delphine, the oldest of three, has to take care of her sisters when her father sends her off to Oakland to meet their mother, Cecile. Cecile wants nothing to do with them and sends them to a summer camp sponsored by the Black Panthers. The girls learn all about the Black Panthers and then about their mother Cecile. This is an emotional and interesting story that also has ties to history that any young reader would enjoy.

VOCABULARY:
Muhammad Ali, Black Panther Party, JFK and Jackie Kennedy, racism, Huey Newton, black berets, Malcolm X, MLK, JR., Bobby Hutton

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (small group instruction)
Before: Learn all about the Black Panther Party Movement and the civil rights. Make timeline with class and post on board. Ask if they believe any of their parents or grandparents witnessed any segregation.

During: Make a timeline of events from the point the girls arrive in Oakland till the time they leave. What ties does this story have to what they know about the Black Panther Party. Discuss how the Black Panther Party, this movement in history, effects the lives of these three girls.

After: Discuss how they were pushing for freedom and Cecile’s arrested just because they wanted to take the other two black panthers and she was helping them print flyers, do they believe this was right? Go over how they felt throughout story, would they like it if they had to be Delphine and take care of their brothers and sisters all on their own. Was it right they way they were treated?

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2010_ypl_williamsgarcia_interv.html- interview with Rita Williams-Garcia about One Crazy Summer
http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/- all about the Black Panther Party, have students use this to gather additional information about the party
http://blackhistory.50webs.com/blackpantherparty.html- Black Panther Party resources, primary sources and timeline

The Journey that saved Curious George by Louise Borden

Borden, Louise, and Allan Drummond. The journey that saved Curious George: the true wartime escape of Margret and H.A. Rey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Print.

Non-fiction, Social Studies

AGES: Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent 6.4, 950L

SUMMARY:
Margret and H.A. Rey are not only the creators of one of the bestselling children’s series Curious George but also have quite an interesting story when it comes to how they created Curious George (The Adventures of Fifi). The Journey that saved Curious George pieces together the tale of how Margret and H.A. Rey fled their Paris home in 1940 carrying the manuscripts of Curious George to the United States. This story is perfect for the classroom as it combines many primary sources including Han Rey’s pocket diaries and many pictures from the time.

VOCABULARY:
WWII, Hitler, Manuscript, Publishers, editors, primary source, visa/passport, tandem velo

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (read a loud, start a lesson about various topics in history)
Before: KWL about WWII. Discuss primary sources and what they are and then show throughout the novel how they are used. This book really has great ties to history. Also, talk about how these ordinary people wrote the classic story Curious George, ties the book to the students.

During: Map out where they travel, from Brazil to France to Paris to Germany. As they read have them pay attention to what they know about Curious George and what pieces of Margret and H.A. Rey's life made it into the Curious George novels.

After: Go over how Margret and H.A. Rey witnessed history and tie it into Hitler. When they were running away for example it was June 14, 1940 in Paris was when Hitler’s third Reich replaced the French flag with swastikas. . Give a small writing prompt where they create a journal entry about how they might be feeling running away from all that they know like Margret and H.A. Rey.

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/cgsite/journey_lp.shtml- great lesson plans related to the novel.
http://www.pbs.org/perilousfight/timeline/- interactive WWII timeline
http://thereycenter.org/Welcome.html- The Rey Center, located in New Hampshire, possible field trip?, lots of resources