Bascomb, Neal. The Nazi Hunters. Arthur A. Levine, 2013. Print.

The Nazi Hunters Book Talk (Sydney Taylor Book Award)

(Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award Winners and Honor Books

(Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award Winners and Honor Books

Arnold, T. (2009). I spy fly guy. New York, New York: Scholastic Inc.

            Buzz has a pet fly named Fly Guy. Buzz and Fly Guy like to play hide and seek, and Fly Guy loves to hide in the garbage cans. One time as Fly Guy hides in the garbage can, Buzz sees the dump truck pick the garbage can up and take the trash away. Buzz goes after him to the dump. When he gets to the dump, he realizes there are tons of flies buzzing at him, and he knows he will never find Fly Guy again. Then Buzz has an idea to say he gives up. That’s when Fly Guy buzzes at Buzz under his hat. Buzz is so excited to have found him, and all the while Fly Guy says Buzzz Lozzz all the way home. This book is creative with the characters and plot. Kids will surely love to read this funny book. The words are easy with big pictures, so younger children starting to read will have no trouble following along.  (Geisel Honor, 2010).

Beaumont, K. (2006). Move over, Rover!. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Books, Inc..

             Rover is in his doghouse alone when a storm suddenly fills the sky. All of a sudden, animals like a cat, snake, raccoon, blue jay, and squirrel come into his doghouse. Then a skunk comes and everyone scatters out of the doghouse because of the awful smell. Finally, the storm ends, and Rover is back in his dog house all alone. He is not romping, racing, jumping, or chasing, but happy he is alone in his dog house. This story is a short read, but follows a pattern as the animals move into Rover’s doghouse. This pattern helps young readers catch on easily to the words. Young children will love the picture of the pretty dog, Rover, too. (Geisel Honor, 2007).

Bloom, Suzanne. (2005). A splendid friend, indeed. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press, Inc.

            A curious goose asks tons of questions to polar bear. Goose asks what polar bear is doing, if he is reading, if he is writing, and if he is eating a snack. The pictures indicate that at first polar bear is bothered or annoyed by goose’s many questions. Finally, polar bear learns to accept his friend, the goose, for who he really is. The two are able to overcome each other’s differences and realize they can be friends. This is a great book for children to read to understand that you may be different, but it doesn’t mean you cannot be friends with someone different than you. The story has big, beautiful, and colorful pictures with simple phrases that are excellent for young readers just learning how to read. (Geisel Honor, 2006).

DiCamillo, K, & McGhee, A. (2010). Bink and Gollie. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

            Bink and Gollie are two friends that find themselves in three adventures throughout the book. In the first story, Bink gets outrageous rainbow socks that Gollie hates. In a half-way compromise, Bink promises to get rid of one sock while Gollie promises to give Bink half of her pancakes. In the second story, Gollie goes on an adventure to the Andes Mountains in her bedroom. However, Bink keeps bothering her until Gollie finally lets Bink inside to see her adventure. The final story in the book is about Bink getting a new fish that Gollie feels like is replacing herself. Gollie hates that Bink takes the fish everywhere and when the fish jar breaks, Gollie takes the fish to a pond. Gollie explains that she saved the fish from dying. Bink finally tells Gollie that she is the best companion ever, and things go back to normal. This book is for children who are almost ready to move onto chapter books. It is an easy read, but a little longer story divided into three mini stories. The pictures and easy read helps the story go by faster, too. (Geisel Medal, 2011).

Henkes, K. (2013). Penny and her marble. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publisher.

            Penny finds a blue marble in her neighbor’s front yard. She picks it up and takes it home with her. Soon Penny feels guilty about taking her neighbor’s marble. She starts to not feel well and cannot sleep or eat; she only can think about the marble. The next day she returns the marble to her neighbor’s yard. Her neighbor sees her put the marble on the grass, and she asks if she would like the marble. The neighbor exclaims that she hoped someone would pick up the marble. Penny is so excited to get to keep the marble, and had a great rest of the day. This is a simple book for readers just starting to read small chapter books because there are pictures on each page. Also, it is chunked by small chapters that make students feel like they are reading a big chapter book. This story explains how one can feel if we take something that doesn’t belong to us, and this is a wonderful lesson for young children to learn. (Geisel Honor, 2014).

Litwin, E. (2012). Pete the cat and his four groovy buttons. New York, New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

            Pete the cat starts off with four buttons, but he soon loses one button at a time. Every time he loses a button, he just keeps on singing. When he loses his last button, he doesn’t give up because he still has his belly button to sing about. Pete the cat teaches his readers that stuff will come and stuff will go, but it is nothing to cry about. Instead we are to just keep singing. This story has a great moral to it that things will come and stay and come and leave, but life moves on and we must keep going. There is repetition of Pete’s story which makes reading and following along a lot easier for students just starting to read. Also, a plus about this book is it incorporates subtraction when Pete loses his button. (Geisel Honor, 2013).

Pizzoli, G. (2013). The watermelon seed. New York, New York: Disney & Hyperion Books.

            Crocodile loves eating watermelon, but one day he eats a watermelon seed. Crocodile begins to worry about the outcome of swallowing the seed. He is worried it is growing inside him, and that vines will start coming out of him. He thinks he may be in a fruit salad, and his tummy is feeling funny. All of sudden the seed comes back up and out of his mouth. He is so relieved and tells himself no more watermelon ever. However, he has one more watermelon. By the end of the story, crocodile has swallowed another seed. The story ends with crocodile looking all worried again. This funny story will have younger children laughing along the way as they imagine what is happening to crocodile because he ate the seed. The children just beginning to read can read these simple words in this short book in no time. (Geisel Medal, 2014).

Sayre, A. (2007). Vulture view. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, Publishers.

            As the sun rises, the vultures go up in the sky looking for their food. They search for just the right food and not the snake, fox, bear, or flowers. The vultures look for dead and rotten food like a stinky, dead deer. They eat and clean, and then they go back up in the sky looking for more food. When the sun goes down, the vultures go down to sleep in a tree with their family, but tomorrow when the sun goes up, they will get up to look for food. The words are simple, and only a few words are on each page while the pictures are big and take up the two pages. Children just learning to read can read easily about who vultures are and what they do with these easy words and big pictures that follow closely to the words on the page. (Geisel Honor, 2008).

Sullivan, M. (2013). Ball. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

             This picture book tells of a dog that loves his ball. The dog plays ball with his owner before his owner goes to school. While the owner is at school, the dog tries to get mom and the baby to play ball with him, but no one plays ball with him. He tries to play by himself, and even dreams of playing ball. Nothing compares, until his owner returns home and can play ball with him. As soon as his owner returns, she plays ball with him, and he is a happy dog again. This is a great picture book with only one word repeated throughout the story, “ball.” This is good for when you are working on developing one new vocabulary word. The constant repetition of the word and visuals will help children learn the word. (Geisel Honor, 2014).

Willems, M. (2011). I broke my trunk. New York, New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

            Gerald, the elephant, has broken his trunk and Piggie wants to know how. Gerald exclaims that it is a long story, and each page Gerald tells a little more of his story. Hippo and Rhino were lifted on Gerald’s trunk, and soon Hippo’s sister and piano were lifted on his trunk. That is not how he broke his trunk, though. As he goes to find Piggie to tell him his crazy story, he trips and falls. He breaks his trunk going to tell his friend his crazy story. Piggie wants to go tell this crazy story too, and on his way the same thing happens to Piggie that just happened to Gerald. Piggie breaks his snout at the end of the story. This story is an easy read for children because it repeats the same words and phrases like “crazy story” and “is that how you broke your trunk?” The words are simple and only a few words to each page with colorful pictures of the elephant and pig. (Geisel Honor, 2012).

Caldecott Winners

Caldecott Winners

Hader, B., & Hader, E. (1976/1948). The big snow. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

            As the geese fly south for winter, all the other animals begin to prepare for winter. Some work on their fur coat, some gather nuts and food to store, some get ready to hibernate, and some sleep. The big snow comes and the animals are hungry. The little old woman puts out food for the animals. The groundhog sees his shadow, and they have winter for six more weeks. Finally after that, the big snow ends, and warm spring comes back. The story does a good job of representing all the animals that will be affected by the snow, and by showing how each animal is different in preparing for winter. Some illustrations are black and white while other illustrations are with color. I think this adds variety to the book, and I think it keeps the students interested in the changing color. (Caldecott Medal, 1949).

Henkes, K. (2004). Kitten’s first full moon. New York, New York: Greenwillow/HarperCollinsPublishers.

Kitten sees a big bowl of milk in the sky, but it is really just the moon. She chases after the “milk,” but never can get to it. She sticks out her tongue, jumps, chases, and climbs, but still cannot reach it. Tired, exhausted, and hungry, the kitten goes back home. On arriving home, she discovers a big bowl of milk that makes her happy and satisfied. The story line is simple, but quite entertaining by showing all the different ways kitten tries to get the moon. The illustrations are in charcoal which is perfect to show the night time, and the illustrator perfectly uses white for the bright moon to look like milk. The expressions the illustrator draws on the kitten’s face seem real like when it is describing her as “poor kitten.” (Caldecott Medal, 2005).

Raschka, C. (2011). A ball for Daisy. New York, New York: Random House Children’s Books.

            Daisy has a red ball that she loves to play with by herself and with her owner. The ball breaks, and now Daisy is upset she cannot play with her ball anymore. Another dog and its owner come along, and they give Daisy a new blue ball. Daisy is happy that she now has a ball for play. The story is unique and that it is a picture book with no words. The reader’s imagination is left to fill in the pieces of what takes place in the story. The illustrations are colorful and take up the whole page. It looks like watercolor is used, and that there is emphasizes on the big red ball in the illustrations. (Caldecott Medal, 2012).

Spier, P. (1977). Noah’s ark. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc..

            The book retells the story of Noah’s Ark from the Bible. The Lord told Noah there would be a flood and to bring two of every animal onboard the ark. The Lord flooded the land for several days. Noah sends out a dove to see if it is okay to leave the protection of the ark. The dove returns with good news that they can exit the ark. The Lord promises to never flood the lands again with the rainbow promise. The books only words are at the beginning with only three syllables for each line. While the rest of the book is picture book form with no words. The artwork uses a variety of bright and beautiful colors to tell the story. Each page has several pictures fit into one page to really detail the story. (Caldecott Medal, 1978).

Stead, P. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York, New York: Roaring Brook Press.

            Amos McGee wakes up every day the same way. He goes to the zoo and plays with his friends at the zoo. One day, Amos wakes up sick and cannot go to work. His friends wait for him to come. When he never comes to work, they decided to take the bus to see him. When they get to Amos’s home, they each spend time with Amos in some way like reading a book to him, having a cup of tea with him, handing him a tissue, and playing chess. In the end, Amos feels better so he goes to sleep knowing that he has a big day ahead of him visiting his friends at the zoo. The illustrator carries the yellow and white stripe background for several pages where Amos bedroom is described and drawn. The illustrator chooses to leave it black and white except coloring in the animals, clothes, or leaves on the trees with color. This makes the color pop on the page. (Caldecott Medal, 2011).

Swanson, S. (2008). The house in the night. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

            The story is a pattern that starts off with a key to the house (which is light). In that house burns a light, and it continues into a book filled with a starry night that through the dark glows the moon. Then it repeats by going back to the book on the bed, and finally ends up with the key in the house that is in the night, which home is full of light. It follows other traditional poems with cumulative patterns. This picture book has a pattern that is easy for little ones to follow. The illustrations of scratchboard and watercolor show light (yellow) in all the darkness (black and white) where the author wants to emphasize light. (Caldecott Medal, 2009).

Taback, S. (1999). Joseph had a little overcoat. New York, New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.

            Joseph has a little overcoat, but it soon gets old and worn. He then makes something out of the overcoat like a jacket, vest, scarf, necktie, handkerchief, and button. However, Joseph cannot find the button, so he makes a story out of it. The story ends with the moral that “you can always make something out of nothing.” The story does a great job of explaining how you can have nothing and still have something. This is something everyone should learn. The illustrations were bright and colorful, but the best part was that there was a cut out in some of the pages to show what Joseph made from the overcoat. It continues until the end of the story which exhibits creativity from the illustrator. (Caldecott Medal, 2000).

Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Judy and Peter are left alone at the house while their parents go to an opera. The kids discover a board game called, Jumanji. They begin to play the game and realize everything in the game is really happening like monkeys eating their food and a lion coming after them. When Judy finally reaches the city on the board game and shouts Jumanji, the game ends. Their parents come home, and they see their neighbors taking a board game home. It can be predicted that the neighbor kids may have the same problem with the board game that Judy and Peter encountered (which leads into the next book the author wrote- Zathura). At the end of the book, the author leaves the reader wondering if it was all a dream or did it really all happen to the kids. The illustrations are all black and white, but it does not take away from the image. The illustrations look 3D because the illustrator has mastered the artwork to look real. (Caldecott Medal, 1982).

Van Allsburg, C. (1985). The polar express. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

            A boy is picked up by the Polar Express to go to the North Pole to see Santa. They sing Christmas Carols and eat Christmas treats along the way. The boy is picked to have the first Christmas present. He asks for a silver bell off of Santa’s sleigh. He is given the bell and later goes back on the train to head home. The boy discovers a hole in his pocket and he has lost the bell. Christmas morning in the last box, he finds his silver bell that he rings. He discovers only his sister and he can hear the bell because his parents do not believe in Santa; they cannot hear it ring. The author uses similes to make descriptions and comparisons which make the reading more understandable. The artwork is fantastic with shades full of colorful art. The pictures are big and take up one to two pages full of color. (Caldecott Medal, 1986).

Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York, New York: Philomel Books.

            A little girl and her Pa go owling one night. She has to be quiet, brave, and listen. At first, when dad makes the owling noises, they do not see or hear an owl. However, some time later, they encounter an owl. They stare at each other, and then the owl flies away. They have a successful owling trip, and then they quietly leave to go home. The author does a great job with sensory imagery. You can hear and see what is going on to the character which makes the reader feel as if they are owling, too. The illustrator uses watercolor perfectly to shape the owl moon night. (Caldecott Medal, 1988).

Set #5

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

     Underneath features a pregnant cat that has been abandoned alongside the side of the road. The story is set in the East Texas/Louisiana swamp region where the lonely cat wanders through the forest in a thunderstorm. The storm has unlocked a mysterious jar containing Grandmother Moccasin who also thinks, has feelings, and talks like the other animals. Grandmother also has her own subplot of love, revenge, and loneliness which adds to the ironic twist at the end of the tale. The calico cat befriends Ranger, a dog who has been chained to the porch by his cruel master Gar-Face. Using the advice of Ranger, the cat and her kittens hide underneath the porch, so that they won't become alligator bait. However, Puck, the male kitten, wanders out and is caught by Gar-Face which leads to Puck's narrow escape and the death of his mother. Before the mother dies, she makes Puck promise to go back and free Ranger and care for his sister. The reader can easily identify with the characters struggle to survive and the characters need to form family bonds especially as the reader watches the young kittens mature. The style of the story is appealing with its use of onomatopoeia, similes, repetition, rhetorical questions, telegraphic sentences, and anthropomorphism which create a lighthearted, suspenseful tone. Students could research swamp animals, or perhaps explore what family means after reading this book.

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

    Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard Book begins with action and suspense as a knife wielding murderer named Jack wanders through a household killing all the family members except an eighteen month old infant. The infant wanders off into a graveyard where the graveyard people vote to protect and raise the boy. They name the boy Nobody (Bod) Owens. The boy experiences all types of encounters as he grows into a man which include being educated by a werewolf, captured by ghouls, locked up by treasure seekers, and captured by five murderers. After surviving all of these encounters, he comes of age where he can no longer live in the graveyard, and his guardian sends him off into the world. Gaiman creates a suspense filled plot by including elements that help to set the Gothic tone by creating shady characters such as ghouls, a witch, a werewolf, and ghosts.  The setting of the graveyard permeates throughout the story establishing a suspenseful, eerie tone and advancing the plot.  The story is told in third person omniscient where the narrator has the ability to tell all or slowly reveal secrets.  Students could write or tell their own ghost story using some of the elements found in this tale.

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

      Rapunzel’s Revenge  is a fantasy, graphic novel that is loosely based on the old, familiar fairy tale. Rapunzel is raised by a witch and locked up. In this retelling, Rapunzel lets down her hair and escapes with a boy named Jack. Jack’s only possessions are his bean and goose. The two of them take revenge on Rapunzel’s witch mother Gothel and set out to free her real mother and right wrongs.  Along the way they meet some intriguing characters and battle a sea serpent, a boar, a coyote, and kidnappers. They end up in jail, but escape.  The tale includes a number of references to traditional fairy tales, but adds its own twist such as its Western setting and dialogue filled with sarcasm.  The book includes simple, yet tasteful illustrations. The theme of right prevails. Students could use this opportunity as a chance to tell their own version of a fairy tale.

Holm, J & M.  A very Babymouse Christmas.  NY:  Random House.

         A Very BABYMOUSE Christmas incorporates several familiar Christmas stories and traditions into a new tale where the main character is obsessed with getting a Whiz Bang as a Christmas gift. The familiar stories include: "'Twas the night before Christmas..., "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, the Nutcracker, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The author includes traditions such as leaving cookies out for Santa and Christmas decorating contests. All of this is presented in a comic format. Babymouse eventually learns the lesson that sometimes the best gifts are the ones that you did not even know that you wanted. At the end of the story, Babymouse not only learns a lesson, but grows as a character when he gives the narrator a present. The Christmas setting is believable because of all the familiar traditions, and the universal theme learned indicates that good does win over evil thoughts of selfishness and greed. This tale could be paired up with some of the familiar stories such as A Christmas Carol or How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

 

   Landry, D. (2007). SkulduggeryPleasant  NY:  HarperCollins.

Skuldugger Pleasant, set in Ireland, begins with the death of Gordon Edgley, an author of horror stories and Stephanie Edgley’s uncle. Stephanie at the time of his death is only twelve, but she is to inherit all of his property and possessions when she turns eighteen. The first night that she stays alone in the house, a stranger breaks in and demands that she give him a key. Stephanie is rescued by Skulduggery Pleasant who bursts in the front door and scuffles with the man, throwing fire balls at him, and finally chases him out with a bullet in his shoulder. This is when Stephanie discovers that the skeleton man that rescued her has only a skull for a head.  Stephanie learns that her Uncle Gordon’s horror tales for the most part were true, and the uncle and Skulduggery were friends.  Stephanie becomes Skulduggery’s partner fighting against evil. The author creates multidimensional characters as Stephanie is mentored by Skulduggery. The plot is fast paced as the two search for the Sceptre of the Ancients in the maze beneath the house that Stephanie inherits trying to prevent the antagonist, Nefarian Serpine, from obtaining it first. Stephanie ends up being captured by Serpine, but is freed by Skulduggery because the theme of good wins over evil prevails.  Stephanie learns in the end that she too has magical powers, but she must choose a name to keep these powers.  This story could be easily plotted on a chart, and students could study the elements of a plot.

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

The opening setting of The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a train station in Paris in 1931. The story begins with a series of penciled drawings that establish the setting of the story, and these drawings become an integral part of the story telling process. Hugo, a twelve year old orphan boy, lives behind the walls of the train station where he works on clocks and mechanisms. He is caught stealing toys, and he is forced to empty his pockets which include his prized notebook. The old man, Papa Georges (Georges Melies) plans to burn the notebook. Hugo follows him home only to be shut out by the old man, so Hugo throws a rock at the window and a girl appears in a window reassuring Hugo that Papa Georges will not burn the notebook. Through a flashback the audience learns how Hugo’s father died. Hugo visits the old man at the toy counter, and the man puts him to work fixing broken toys. While working there, Hugo meets a young man named Etienne, and he learns that the girl in the window is Isabelle. Etienne sneaks Isabelle into the movies because Papa Georges won’t let her go. Hugo eventually learns the old man’s true identity and his secrets about movies. Hugo becomes part of the family when the train inspector threatens to send Hugo to jail. The story is a coming of age story where Hugo grows up and makes his own automation which writes this book, and Isabelle’s key unlocks it and draws a picture and signs it Georges Melies (who is actually a famous filmmaker). The setting is one of confinement. Train stations are where people go if they want to go places, but not for Hugo because he is confined to the walls of the station with few friends. Isabelle is an orphan as well who is confined. Themes of isolation and friendship move throughout the story. This story has been made into a movie. Teachers might want to compare and contrast the film and novel.

Krocoszka, J. Lunch lady. NY: Random House.

         Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians is a graphic, comic tale set in school. Dee, Hector, and Terrence are the "good guys" known as the Breakfast Bunch of students. They overhear the League of Librarians plotting to steal the fundraising money and destroy the X-Station 5000 game. The students report it to the Lunch Lady and her bunch who are actually crime busters in disguise. The Lunch Lady and her bunch investigate and apprehend the League of Librarians. The theme of good wins over evil emerges along with some other underlying minor lessons about bullying and working collaboratively in a group. The dialogue helps to create a fast paced, suspenseful plot that is consistent with a typical hero story. Of course, the dialogue also contains the typical hero style onomatopoeia words of action. This book could lead into classical hero stories, or a discussion of real life contemporary heroes.

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

     In this story, Piggie has fun playing with a ball that he found, but he becomes distraught when a big guy takes it away. Piggie tells Gerald what happened, and Gerald becomes upset to think that someone bigger took Piggie's ball away. Gerald promises to get the ball back, but he gets scared and runs back to Piggie without the ball when Gerald finds out that the big guy is much bigger than himself. Gerald musters up the courage to confront the big whale a second time, and surprisingly, the whale thanks Gerald for finding his ball. The whale tells Gerald that no one will play with him because he is big. The audience can identify with this simple scenario; the theme is universal. People should not draw conclusions or stereotype big or little guys. The setting of the story is not overtly evident, but could be the typical modern day playground. The author's style uses repetition, telegraphic sentences, simple words, all caps on some words, and simple questions to create a simple, powerful story with a light touch of humor. The characters talk and express their true feelings in a simple and easy to follow plot which helps to make the characters believable, and someone everyone can relate to. This book could be used as an opener for teaching young children about stereotyping.

Set #4

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

In this historical fiction story, the Watsons decide it is time to visit Grandma in Alabama. Byron, the oldest son, is a trouble maker and if he does not straighten out, he will be living with his strict Grandma. While visiting grandma, Kenny almost gets taken in by the whirlpool he was not suppose to go near. Luckily, Byron saves him. One day (while still at Grandma's), little Joey goes to church with a neighbor. The church gets bombed (racism), and everyone in the family rushes to go find her. She is not there, but when they return home, Joey is at home looking for them. Joey had left the church before the bombing. Even though Joey is okay, Kenny has a hard time dealing with everything going on; he even hides and won't talk to anyone. Byron (changed) talks to Kenny trying to make him feel better. Finally, Kenny accepts that the world is not perfect. The narrative is through the point of view of Kenny, who has a tough time dealing with the racism during the time period. This is believable for a boy his age going through these tough and not easily understandable times of the 1960s. The setting, Birmingham, Alabama, is authentic in this story. The bombing described really did happen on September 15, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. After reading this book with the class, research should be done on other types of segregation/racism hatred, what laws were passed to stop this, and what famous leaders tried to stop the hatred.  

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

We Are the Ship tells the story of what it was like to play Negro League baseball.  A generic narrator is used to tell the story beginning with 1920 and moving to 1947 when Jackie Robinson moved into the major leagues.  The characters are believable because the author has included powerful oil paintings that express the emotional feelings of the players themselves.  He also adds quotes from famous names in baseball that authenticate his voice.Teachers might want to have students visit a museum which could be done as a virtual field trip, or they might raise a question about other minorities in other sports.

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

Laura Amy Schlitz’s Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village consists of a series of miniature stories set in England in 1255. This setting establishes the realistic backdrop for Schlitz’s style which is mostly verse, songs, and some prose. Each story has its own plot with realistic sounding characters from the Medieval period. Sprinkled throughout are just enough factual details to make the stories sound authentic. For example, she writes of Saint Winifred’s well and the healing power of the well, and of characters like Simon who wanted to fight in the Crusades, but he ends up becoming a monk because of money. The author tells Hugo’s tale of killing a boar and the nightmares that follow. All of the characters have a voice that seems appropriate for the Medieval setting. This book is sure to spark interest in the students, so have students research a topic in Medieval times. 

Set #3

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

     Leigh Botts writes letters to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. When Leigh writes the author a series of questions for his research paper, Mr. Henshaw writes Leigh questions for Leigh to answer. His mom makes him respond to the questions. When Leigh responds to the questions, his personal life and emotions come out like his parent's divorce and his relationship with his father. Leigh is also having trouble adapting to being the new kid at school. The author encourages Leigh to write in a diary, and the writing switches over to a diary/journal format. Through his writing he learns to deal with the problems he is facing. Students can easily relate to Leigh because he struggles with the same issues students of the present-day face- divorce, raised by one parent, and other kids being mean. This makes students want to read this book to see how Leigh handles it. The style of letters and then switching to diary/journal format helps students easily follow along, and students do not feel like they are reading another long chapter book. Instead, the set up makes the reading go by faster with the letters and journal entries. While reading this book, I would encourage students to keep a journal or diary to write down their personal thoughts every day. I also think it would be fun to have students write or email their favorite author after reading this book. 

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

     Melody has cerebral palsy making her not be able to walk or talk. Even though she cannot do things a normal eleven year old can do, she is incredibly smart. She dislikes being in her special education class because she is intelligent and wants to be challenged. Melody has always wanted to be able to communicate what she feels. Finally, her dreams come true with a Medi-talker. With her thumb touch, a computerized voice (she names Trish) can speak what Melody would like to say. Melody is able to communicate things like, "I love you" with her parents, and is able to show how smart she really is. The classmates are not the nicest to Melody, and Melody must stay strong. One day, Melody tries to communicate to her mom that she is about to back into her baby sister, but her mom does not understand why Melody is screaming. Her mom hits Penny, and Penny is rushed to the hospital. Penny survives, and Melody is seen as a life saver to Penny. This female protagonist, despite her disability, is a strong leader who believes in herself, and is always trying to be the best that she can be. The themes of the story are not overpowering, but one theme clearly explains the message that it is important to believe in yourself and never give up. The contemporary setting are school and home in present time for Melody. Melody is in a setting that all students can easily relate to. A great journal writing to follow this story would be to explain a time when you stood up for you believed in or a time you really believed in yourself. 

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

      Greg Heffley is entering middle school where he wants to be the popular kid. Greg and his friend, Rowley, have lots of adventures together like wrestling team (Greg is not as big as the other kids), Halloween (getting chased by older kids), safety patrol (Greg eventually gets kicked off), and Rowley gets picked to draw the comic section in the school newspaper. Rowley and Greg start fighting because Greg lies about the safety patrol and has Rowley take the blame. The teenagers who chased them on Halloween come back and make Rowley eat the forbidden cheese touch (will doom your popularity forever). The next day, Greg takes one for the team and says he ate the cheese touch (dooming himself). Greg and Rowley make up, and all is well at the end of the first book of the series. Greg is a believable character that all children can relate to, and he goes through the same things a middle schooler would. He has trouble with his best friend, he wants to be popular or class clown in the yearbook, and he is afraid of his older brother and fights with his younger brother. The setting is realistic, as well. It mostly takes place at school and home. These common settings can help students visualize and relate what is happening to Greg. The setting is believable and accurate because all of the things that happen to Greg at school could easily happen to students. Students love the illustrations (comic drawings) Jeff Kinney uses in this book. Have the students create a comic strip of something they believe will happen to Greg next year.

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

     In Rules, Catherine has a hard time dealing with her brother, David, who has autism. She makes rules for David, so he can function in society like no toys in the fish tank, open closet doors carefully, something may fall out, and no pulling down your pants unless mom, dad, or a doctor tells you to. Catherine meets Jason (who is in a wheelchair and cannot speak and instead points to words to communicate) at David's OT appointments, and they soon form a friendship. His disability hinders her from going with him to the dance. Catherine realizes she must get overcome her embarrassment of Jason and David, and it is okay to break pointless rules. This book is a great book for students dealing with someone in their family that has a disability. As well, it is great for any student to read and learn about others with a disability. The main character is a female, and her gender (female) has to become the strong leader by the end of the book. She must be the babysitter and learn to be selfless because her brother comes first in lots of cases. The plot is plausible and engaging. Catherine struggles with the embarrassment of her brother, and this takes a big effect on her life like making new friends. At the same time, she does like any sibling would, she defends her brother at all times. The author does not make it easier for Catherine by making the conflict of David go away, but instead has Catherine deal with her problems. The creative style makes readers want to keep turning the pages. Every chapter is titled with a rule that Catherine has made for her brother, David. Catherine also uses rules in her head to deal with problems that she encounters. The rules also foreshadow something that will happen in the story which in turn makes the reader curious to read what will happen. A great activity to go with this book would be for students to pick seven words they feel are most important and that they use every day. Then on flashcards, write the words and illustrate each word like Catherine does for Jason in his communication book.

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

     Jess was a fast runner and practiced his running a lot. He had many struggles of a teenage boy with bullying from other students, pressures of his home life, and living with his sisters. Jess loses the race at school to the new kid at school, Leslie. At first, he does not like Jess, but soon he takes a liking to the misfit, Leslie. Leslie and Jess start spending lots of time together, and they make up an imaginary place called Terabithia. They get lost in their imaginary world, and have a bonding friendship. One day after being gone on a trip with his teacher, Miss Edmunds, Jess returns home to find out his friend has been in a deathly accident (the rope broke and she drowned in the water). He is overtaken by grief and has a hard time dealing with Leslie's death. Finally, after finding his sister in "their place" (Leslie and Jess's place), he overcomes his grief, and he makes his sister the queen of Terabithia. Jess, the main character, has weaknesses (overcoming his pride that a girl beat him in a foot race) and strengths (befriends the outcast when others do not). This is a characteristic that all people have (faults and strengths). Being able to relate to the character makes the reader more likely to enjoy this book. The hard concept of death is dealt with in this book (a reason this book is censored a lot), and for students dealing with death at a young age, this is a great book to turn to and read. This book also looks at gender in a different way. Females are not suppose to be athletic (Leslie is) and males are not suppose to be artistic (Jess is). It steps away from the stereotyping of boys and girls. After reading this story, it would be a good time to bring up one of those hard topics of death and how to handle it discussions with the students.