Wolf

Fanfelli, S. (1997). Wolf. New York: Dial Books.
Interest Level: K-2
Reading Level: 2-3

Wolf is very lonely. All he wants to do is find a friend. Every time he tries to talk to someone they chase him away or run away from him because they are scared.

This book has fantastic illustrations that could easily be turned into a fun art project. It is written by an Italian author, which is not something we see every day either. The book is completely multimodal and fits the trend of the new literacies. It would make a great read aloud in a fairy tale unit.

What Is Heaven Like?

Lewis, B., & Querin, P. (2006). What Is Heaven Like?. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House.
 Interest Level: Grades 2-5
Reading Level: 2.5

A young boy really misses his grandfather who recently passed away. He goes around asking every adult in his life about heaven. Everyone gives a beautiful answer. Each page also contains a Bible verse pertaining to Heaven and relating to the information on the page.

This book could obviously only be used in a Christian school, but would be great in a unit about death and dying. This could also be given to students who are dealing with a loss to help them cope.

Willoughby & The Moon

Foley, G. E. (2010). Willoughby & the Moon . New York: Balzer & Bray.
Interest Level: K-3
Reading Level: 2-3

Willoughby and The Moon is about a little boy named Willoughby who is scared of the dark. As the moon gets smaller and smaller, there is less and less light coming into his room. One night he sees a light coming from his closet. When he goes to check it out, he finds the moon in his closet and a snail searching for a ball. They go on many adventures together and help each other conquer their fears.

Willoughby & The Moon has beautiful illustrations that really add to the story. This book would be great to use as a fiction story in a unit about outer space. It would also be great to use in an aluminum art project. Also it talks about conquering fears, and that is a good conversation to have with students and could be a good writing prompt.

Shadow

 

Lee, S. (2010). Shadow. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 

Wordless Book

Interest Level: Pre-K-3

A dark attic, a lightbulb, and an imaginative little girl. This is all Suzy Lee needs to create a wonderful story with her artwork. This is a great book for struggling readers, for writing assignments, for developing descriptive skills, and for developing initial concepts of print.

Squids will be Squids

Squids will be Squids is written by the same people who wrote The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. This is a book of fables that are very silly. This is a great book to include in a unit about fables and a great way to get students to write their own fables.

For Good Measure

For Good Measure is a book about math and measurement. It focuses mainly on American units of measure, rather than on the metric system. It does talk about the metric system and make comparisons between the metric and nonmetric system. It contains pictures of what each measurement would look like and tells the history of the measurement and the etymology of the word. This is a good resource for students, but the vocabulary might be a little tough. It is worth having in the classroom.

Market!

Market! by Ted Lewin describes markets in Ecuador, Nepal, Ireland, Uganda, United States, and Morocco. The illustrations are beautiful and accurately depict the people and places in the book. The author tells about the landscape, what is bought and sold, how the people travel to the market, and what is bought and sold there. These are all places that are not talked about in the common curriculum. There are so many social studies opportunities to be connected to this story. Students can have or attend a farmers market where they live to connect to this story.

Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys

I remember learning about Haiku in fourth grade. This book, however could be used as early as second or third grade to plant the seed about poetry. Of course before teacher Haiku, we would want to teach syllables. I think this book is a great way to make poetry appealing to boys. Too often poetry is considered something for girls, and this book points quite to the contrary.

The Sweetwater Run

Glass, A. (1996). The sweetwater run: the story of Buffalo Bill Cody and the Pony Express. New York: Doubleday book for young readers.

Interest Level: 3-5

Reading Level: 4

The Sweetwater Run is the story of Buffalo Bill Cody and the Pony Express. Will gets hired as a stablehand for the Pony Express. When a rider is seriously injured by a snake he remembers what his boss told him about getting the mail through no matter what. So Will takes off on his horse and finishes the rider's route for him. When he arrives at his destination he finds his scary boss waiting for him. His boss is so impressed with his work that he gives him a job as a rider. He then goes on to work for the railroad and finally start a show called Buffalo Bill's Wild West to tell others about his adventures.

I would use this book in my classroom to teach about the Pony Express. It would be a very entertaining read aloud. The information in the back gives the real history about what was going on at that time.

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to my Daughters

Obama, B., & Long, L. (2010). Of thee I sing: a letter to my daughters. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 

Interest Level: K-3

Reading Level: 2.9

This is a book written by Barack Obama to his two daughters. He uses famous people from the past to tell them about how great they are. He reminds us that children are inspiring and can make a difference.

I would read this with my students. All of the people mentioned in the book like MLK, Albert Einstein, and Georgie O'Keefe are people that children should learn about. This is also a book that inspires children to live to their potential. 

The illustrations are really great and add to the text. They accurately portray all of the cultures and races that are represented in the text.

Mini-Lesson

I would use this book to introduce research. I would group students and have them pick a person from the book to research, then provide them with sources to learn about this person.

Dear Children of the Earth

Schimmel, S. (1998). Dear children of the Earth: A letter from home. Minnetonka: Northword. 

Interest Level: K-3

Reading Level: 2.5

Dear Children of the Earth is a letter written by the earth to her children. She writes to them to tell you that she loves them and loves to take care of them. She asks them to protect her and take good care of her because this is the only home that we have, and we share it with all of the other creatures.

I would, and have, used this book in the classroom. The message it sends is one that children need to hear. It is a way to get them thinking about what it means to be environmentally conscious.

The illustrations are very beautiful, and kids will spend lots of time looking at them. They add to the story in the way that they make you appreciate the wildlife that is depicted in them. They do not, however, fit with the story very well.

Literary Elements Highlighted:

Personification: This gives human characteristics to the earth.

Mini-Lesson

I used this book in a unit about taking care of the earth. We read it, and then wrote letters back to the earth about the changes we would make to take better care of her. Students liked this activity, and liked the book.

Zen Shorts

Muth, J. J. (2005). Zen shorts . New York: Scholastic Press. 

Interest Level: K - 2

Grade Level Equivalent: 2.4

Lexile® measure: 540L

DRA: 16-18

Guided Reading: K

 A panda named Stillwater moves into Addy, Micheal, and Karl's neighborhood. As all three of them go to visit him he shares stories with them. The first story is about being giving in all situations, the second is about the confusion of luck, and the third is about being able to let go of your frustrations. All stories teach the children a lesson.

This is my favorite children's book. The stories allow for great conversations with students and teach valuable lessons. This book is also a way to bring Japanese culture into the classroom. This is a book that I would read with my students if I had the time to accompany the reading with conversation because I would want to make sure that my students were picking up on the good messages that the stories are telling.

 The illustrations are beautiful and add to the story.

Literary Elements:

Allegory, Personification.

Mini-Lesson

I would use this book in a folktale unit and have students create their own folktales.

Is There Really a Human Race?

Curtis, J. L. (2006). Is There Really a Human Race?. New York: HarperCollins. 

Interest Level: K-2

Reading Level: 1.5

A little kid ponders with his mother about life as a race. Is it more important to get to the finish line, or to help others out along the way? He decides at the end that helping people is more important.

This book would be best for children in grades K-2. It could be used as both a personal read and a read aloud.

This book sends a really good message to children. I do not know if they would pick up on the pun of the "human race", so that vocabulary would have to be prefaced before the story is read.The lesson at the end of the story is the most important part of the book. Talking about helping other people would be a good conversation to have with young children and this book is a gateway for that. 

Without the illustrations, this book would not be what it is. They really add to the story and make it really funny. They are very detailed. The only hesitation that I have is that the different races in the book are not very accurately represented, but that is also something that could be talked about with students.

Literary Elements Highlighted:

The entire story is a pun. The book also rhymes which is something that is taught in the grades that this book would be used in.

Mini-Lesson

This could be paired with a conversation about how we treat each other in the classroom, and then write a golden rule for our class.

Miss Hunnicutt's Hat

Brumbeau, J., & Marcken, G. (2003). Miss Hunnicutt's Hat  . New York: Orchard Books.

Interest Level: K - 2

Grade Level Equivalent: 3.3

Lexile® measure: 510L

DRA: 30-34

Guided Reading: N

The Queen is coming to Littleton today and the Littletonians are busily running around trying to get ready for her arrival. They are painting all of the buildings purple, the Queen's favorite color. They ordered a cake and refreshments, and it all comes to a halt when Miss Hunnicutt walks out of her house in her chicken hat. In Littleton everyone dresses the same, and it is not okay to ever stray from that. Her hat causes an uproar and ruins all of the plans they had made for the Queen. Now the town is a mess and the Mayor has to do something about it. He decides to send Miss Hunnicutt to jail. Just then the Queen comes to town and has a hat just like Miss Hunnicutt's. The Queen and Miss Hunnicutt become friends, and everyone in town starts wearing chicken hats.

This book would be appropriate for early elementary (K-3). Students older than that would probably not get into it as much. It is at a 3rd grade reading level, so it would have to be used as a read aloud for students younger than that.


This is a great story about being yourself no matter what anyone else thinks about you. The story is a little over the top and funny, but not very realistic. But it is believable, and students would really get into it. Miss Hunnicutt stuck to what she believed no matter what the other people in the town had to say about it. Miss Hunnicutt and the other characters fit the setting perfectly.


The illustrations are high quality, and really beautiful. They compliment the text in a great way. The story would not be the same without the illustrations.


Literary Elements:
Allegory: this is a story about being yourself even though that is not explicitly stated.


Mini-Lesson


I would pair this with an art lesson and have students create their own crazy hats that represent who they are.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Dahl, R. (2005). Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  . New York: Penguin Group.

Interest Level: 4 - 6

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.9

Lexile® measure: 810L

DRA: 40

Guided Reading: R

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the story of Charlie Bucket. Charlie lives with his parents, and all four of his bedridden grandparents in a small shack. His family is very poor. The famous chocolatier, Willy Wonka sends out five hidden invitations to his chocolate factory. Charlie finds one of them. Charlie and grandpa go on a crazy adventure through the chocolate factory, and at the end he wins the gift of a lifetime!


This would be a great read aloud for 2nd grade on up. This would also be a great personal read for students 4-6.


This is a fun book that would allow students to use their imaginations. The plot and characters are very believable. The only drawback is that there are absolutely no differences between the book and the movie, so it is obviously very predictable. Though it is a fun story, it is not something that I would go out of my way to have in my classroom.

Reach for the Moon

Abeel, S., & Murphy, C. R. (1994). Reach for the Moon  . Duluth, Minn.: Pfeifer-Hamilton.

Reach for the Moon would be appropriate for readers in 5th grade on up through high school.

 Reach for the Moon is a book of poetry and short stories that were written by a twelve-year-old girL who has a learning disability. In seventh grade Samantha Abeel was struggling every day in school, and especially in math. It affected her so much that she began having daily panic attacks and bouts of depression. Finally she found a passion for writing, her learning disability was discovered, and she was put into special education. She found a refuge in special education, and also in her writing class. Her seventh grade English teacher helped her with her writing by having her right about the watercolor paintings that are displayed in this book.

These poems and paintings are extremely profound. I think that this book can be inspiring to students with disabilities, and students who are struggling readers and writers. It allows students to see the immense possibilities that are out there for them.

The poems are full of personification, metaphors, and similes.

There are many ways to use this book. I would read these poems with students, then create watercolor art and write about them in poem form.
 

When My Name Was Keoko

Park, L. S. (2002). When My Name Was Keoko  . New York: Clarion Books.

Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1

Lexile® measure: 610L

DRA: 44

Guided Reading: V

This is the story of a Korean family named Kim who experience repression from the Japanese in 1940-1945. The story is told from both the perspectives of Sun-hee(10 years old) and her older brother Tae-yul(13 years old). The story begins with the family having to change their names to Japanese names. Obviously they are not happy about this as they are trying to hold onto their Korean culture as long as they can. Life for the Kim family becomes more and more difficult as the war progresses. Tae-yul enlists in the army and is sent on a Kamikaze mission. He intends to blow the mission. Everyone thinks he is dead, and is overjoyed when they discover that he made it out alive.

This is a very good story and gives a perspective on WWII that is never seen in schools. I did not even know much about what happened at this time in this area. I think it would be eye opening for all students and I would use it in WWII units in grades 5-12.

The way the story is written lets us in the heads of both of the siblings, which also allows for two perspectives on the same event. This lets the reader feel connected to both characters on the same level, which we do not always get because most books are only written from one perspective. The struggles of the family are written about in a way that the reader wants to cry, fight, and be joyous as the family is also going through these same emotions.

Mini-Lesson:

Students could write a story from two different perspectives of the same event.

The Book Thief

Zusak, M. (2006). The Book Thief  . New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Interest Level: 9 - 12

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.0

Lexile® measure: 730L

The Book Thief takes place in Germany before and during WWII. It is told from the perspective of Death who finds the story of Liesel Meminger to be very interesting because she has avoided Death three times in her life. The story begins with Liesel being sent to live with Hans and Rosa Huberman in Molching because she and her husband were communists. Hans and Rosa take good care of Liesel even though Rosa and Liesel have a rocky relationship. Her foster father teaches her how to read and she develops her love of books and words. She befriends the other children who live on her street, works on her reading, and steals books from the mayors wife who tolerates her thievery. Liesel begins to write the story of her life when her town is bombed and she and Max are the only survivors.

This book is different from any other book I have read about the Holocaust because it is written from the point of view of Death, which I found to be very morbid. I would only use this book with my most mature readers, and probably not until 5-6th grade, though it is at a 4th grade reading level. I think some students might find it hard to get into, as I did, but it provides a wide breadth of learning opportunities.

The story is well written, and the characters are very well developed. The historical information is accurate, and the author lets you feel as though the reader is in Molching during WWII. 

Literary Elements highlighted by this text:

Foreshadowing: The story is written by Death, so in that the reader is lead to assume that there will be death in the story. 

Metaphor: In the beginning Death uses a lot of creative language and metaphors of color.

Personification: Giving Death human characteristics. 

Mini-Lesson:

This book could obviously be used in a unit about the Holocaust. Students could write the story of their lives like Liesel does.

The Sea of Monsters

Riordan, R. (2006). The Sea of Monsters  . New York: Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children.

Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.7

Lexile® measure: 740L

DRA: 50

Guided Reading: S

This is the second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Percy Jackson is now 13 years old. Percy is playing dodgeball when he is attacked by large seventh graders who turn out to be laistrygonians. Annabeth saves him and brings him back to Camp Half-Blood. When they return they find that Camp Half-Blood is under attack and the tree that protects the camp has been poisoned. They set out on a mission to find the Golden Fleece which will cure the poisoned, and end up in the Bermuda Triangle, AKA the Sea of Monsters. They are kidnapped and must fight for their lives, but will they find the fleece in the Sea of Monsters?

I think that many students would like this book. I would recommend it to anyone who liked Harry Potter, as they are somewhat similar. I think I would recommend to more boys than girls, but girls would certainly enjoy it too. This book is at about a late 4th to early 5th grade reading level, but younger students who are advanced could enjoy this book, as well as striving readers in older grades. I think particularly that striving readers would enjoy this book because they could connect with Percy's struggles in school. 

Though this is a fantasy story, the characters, setting, and plot are completely believable. Percy overcomes many struggles and grows a lot in the book which keeps the reader very connected to him. Percy went from being kicked out of every school he attended, to accepting his powers and duties as a demigod. This was a very good story that I would recommend for students in my classroom.

Literary Elements highlighted in the text:

Allusion: Though the text is not explicit in talking about Greek mythology, it certainly alludes to it very often.

The Lightning Thief

Riordan, R. (2005). The Lightning Thief  . New York: Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children.

Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.7

Lexile measure: 740L

DRA: 50

Guided Reading: S

Percy Jackson is a twelve-year-old boy who has been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, has been expelled from six schools, and lives with an abusive stepfather. It would seem that his life is pretty hopeless, but then he finds out that he is a demigod. His mom brings him to a camp that can train Percy and prevent him from being killed by the "Kindly Ones" who are trying to kill him. He is revealed at camp to be the son of Poseidon. He is then sent on a mission to find Zeus's bolt of lightning and bring it back to him in ten days. On his quest he finds many adventures, but will he be able to find the lightning before it is too late?

I think that many students would like this book. I would recommend it to anyone who liked Harry Potter, as they are somewhat similar. I think I would recommend to more boys than girls, but girls would certainly enjoy it too. This book is at about a late 4th to early 5th grade reading level, but younger students who are advanced could enjoy this book, as well as striving readers in older grades. I think particularly that striving readers would enjoy this book because they could connect with Percy's struggles in school. 

Though this is a fantasy story, the characters, setting, and plot are completely believable. Percy overcomes many struggles and grows a lot in the book which keeps the reader very connected to him. Percy went from being kicked out of every school he attended, to accepting his powers and duties as a demigod. This was a very good story that I would recommend for students in my classroom.

Literary Elements highlighted in the text:

Allusion: Though the text is not explicit in talking about Greek mythology, it certainly alludes to it very often.

Mini-Lesson

This book could be used after or during a Greek mythology unit. Students would enjoy picking out the characters and stories that relate to Greek mythology.

The Diamond of Darkhold

DuPrau, J. (2008). The Diamond of Darkhold  . New York: Random House Children's Books.

Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3

Lexile® measure: 760L

DRA: 40

Guided Reading: R

In the final book of Ember Lina and Doon come across a mysterious book that was meant for the people of Ember. The book is only eight pages, and makes no sense to them, so in the middle of the miserable winter they decide to take a trip back to Ember for one more adventure in the underground city. They come across a family of squatters who kidnap them. Many more adventures take place until they are finally able to save the above ground cities where they will live for the rest of their lives.


This book was a great resolution to all of the ones that came before it. There were so many twists and turns that it was hard to put it down. The characters are really what make the story. As with the other three, the themes are very explicit and should be talked about with students. This book brings up families, and what to do when times get rough. 


Literary Elements highlighted by this text:
Allegory
Allusion
Foreshadowing
All similar to previous books.


Mini-Lesson:
Use this final story to teach predictions. Ask students before the story is read to predict what happens. Will Doon and Lina be able to save the Emberites? How will they do it? Will they end up living in Ember again? Keep these predictions going all the way until the end of the story. Talk about who was right and wrong. Ask them to write an alternative ending chapter that fits with their predictions.

The Prophet of Yonwood

DuPrau, J. (2006). The Prophet of Yonwood  . New York: Random House.

Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3

Lexile® measure: 760L

DRA: 40

Guided Reading: R

This book is set 50 years before the City of Ember. Nickie travels with her aunt Crystal to the city of Yonwood in North Carolina where they plan to sell a house that they inherited by Nickie's great-grandfather. Nickie's parents are both working, her father works on the secret City of Ember project. At this time the world is in crisis. They are on the verge of a major world war. In Yonwood Nickie meets Althea Tower, an old woman who has been in a trance and uttering things about the world going up in flames. It is up to Nickie to figure out how to bring Althea back to normal because all of the adults are too busy with politics to worry about it.

This book could be used for any students from 4-8th grade. Younger readers who are at an advanced reading level would also enjoy this book, as well as older struggling readers. The series could be used as a great read aloud, and should probably be discussed with students for them to be able to receive the full benefits of the story.

So far this was my least favorite book in the Ember series. It was hard to read about completely different characters in a completely different time. But it answered many questions that I had from reading the City of Ember and The People of Sparks. Again, the hero in this story is a girl who is only ten. For this reason, I think that young people would really love this series. The themes in the book, as in the other two are very apparent and very worthwhile. This book talks a lot about a community(world) in crisis, and also the loss of civil rights. These themes should be talked about in the classroom and this book allows a gateway into that.

Literary Elements highlighted in the story:

Allegory: Just as the City of Ember, and the People of Sparks, this book can be seen as an allegory to our society. It reminded me a lot of how the country was soon after 9/11.

Foreshadowing: As a prequel, it obviously foreshadows what happens in the books to come.

 Mini-Lesson

 Each student could be given a character and they could debate the decisions being made in the book about civil rights.

The People of Sparks

DuPrau, J. (2004). The People of Sparks  . New York: Random House.

  Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1

Lexile® measure: 760L

DRA: 44

Guided Reading: U

Genre/Theme:Fantasy

The People of Sparks is the second story in the Ember series. In this story Doon and Lina have lead their people out of the underground city of Ember just in time for the lights to go out for good. They reach the surface and find a beautiful world full of sunshine and green grass. The people of Ember walk and walk until they finally come to the town called Sparks. The people of Sparks decide to take in all 400+ refugees. When the cities resources start to become scarce they ration the food given to the Emberites. People of Sparks start treating the Emberites terribly. Before a war breaks out Doon and Lina need to figure out who in Sparks is perpetuating this violence before it is too late for everyone.

The characters in this book, just as in the City of Ember, are completely believable.  They fit the setting of the story, and even though they are only 12 years old, they seem like the perfect people to save the City of Ember. We get to witness Doon and Lina grow as individuals and in their friendship as they both do what they think is right for the people of their city. The details provided in the story make it feel as though you are there with these people. It is set on Earth far in the future after the "Disaster". We have not yet found out what this "Disaster" was yet.

Literary Elements highlighted in this story:

Allegory: This book can be seen as an allegory for how we currently treat immigrants and refugees. The people of Ember were refugees in this story, and instead of helping them and treating them with respect, the people of Sparks vandalize their homes and starve them. I think things like this happen far too often in society today.

Foreshadowing: From the very beginning of the story the attitudes of the people of Sparks are portrayed in a way that the reader knows something bad is going to happen between the two populations of people. Also, Tick(the leader of the Emberites who wants war) can be seen from a negative light from the very beginning; it is apparent to the reader that he is going to start something.

Allusion: The book alludes to the "Disaster" the entire time, and in the the third book we finally find out what it is, and it is exactly as the reader assumed it would be.

Mini-lesson: This book is a great way to get students thinking about what they would do in situations like Doon and Lina are in. Is it better to live in peace or to start a war? How would you go about asking the people of Sparks for more food or shelter? Do you think that the people of Sparks are right or wrong in the way that they treat the people of Ember? These would all be great writing assignments or questions to pose for a Socratic Seminar.

Home of the Brave

Home of the Brave

by Katherine Applegate

Applegate, K. (2007). Home of the Brave. New York: Square Fish.

Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3

DRA: 60

Guided Reading: W

Genre/Theme: Realistic Fiction/ Poetry

Home of the Brave is about Kek, an African refugee. He leaves his family, and everything he knows in order to come to America. It is written in poem form. It is about his experiences in America, and also reflections on his past.

I feel as though everyone should have to read this book because of the influx of African refugees in America. Kek is a character that everyone can connect to and have sympathy for. The way this book is written gives a real in depth look at what it means to be a refugee. I think this can help students who have always been American citizens better understand how hard it would be to move to another country. I think that it is very important that students who are African immigrants have someone to connect to, and this book would give them that. 

This book could be used as an introduction to poetry. It could be connected to a social studies lesson about immigration and/or Africa. It could be used to talk about the way that we treat others, developing empathy in our students.

This book could be enjoyed by all ages, and so many things could be done with it in the classroom. I would most definitely use this book in any 3-12th grade classroom.

 

The City of Ember

The City of Ember

by Jeanne DuPrau

DuPrau, J. (2003). The city of Ember  . New York: Random House.

 

Interest Level: 6 - 8

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1

Lexile® measure: 680L

DRA: 50

Guided Reading: U

Genre/Theme: Fantasy

The dark city of Ember is in grave danger. The supply rooms are running out of everything. Soon there will be no supplies and no food to eat, not to mention the lights keep flickering and the city might soon be in total darkness. The only people who can save the city are 12 year olds, Lina and Doon. They hold the instructions to escape the city, but everyone believes they are just silly children with crazy imaginations.

The City of Ember is the first in a series of four books. It is really suspenseful and easy to get into. It is a series that I would keep in my 5th or 6th grade classroom.

This book would spark many writing prompts. I would have students write about a city that they have imagined. Who runs it? What does it look like? What is school like there?

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret 

by Brian Selznick

Selznick, B. (2007). The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press.

Interest Level: 4 - 7

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.2

Lexile® measure: 820L

Guided Reading: NR

Genre/Theme: Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Mystery and Suspense

Topics: Cleverness, Creativity and Imagination, Coping with Death, Grief, and Loss, Overcoming Obstacles

Orphan, thief, and clock minder, Hugo Cabret lives a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. When his life collides with Isabelle and her seemingly terrible caregiver Hugo's secrets are in jeopardy. Only his creativity, a mechanical man, and a little bit of bravery can save him.

The illustrations in this book completely make the story what it is. The illustrations not only add  to the words, but tell a story all on their own. I liked how the author used still images from some of the old films that were described in the movie. One activity that a class could do would be to research some of the old films and directors mentioned in the book, as all of them are real. 

This book could also be used to discuss death and loss. This is something all of the characters in the book experienced. Students could identify how each character experienced a loss of a person or of some other part of their life. We could then have a class discussion on connections we could make to our own lives. We could talk about how the characters dealt with it, and healthy and nonhealthy ways people in real life deal with loss.

I would use this book in a 4th or 5th grade classroom. It could also be used in older grades for striving readers as the pictures really aid in the reading of this story.

Until They Bring The Streetcars Back

Until They Bring The Streetcars Back

by Stanley Gordon West

West, S. G. (1997). Until they bring the streetcars back  . Bozeman, Mont.: Lexington-Marshall Pub..

Grade Level: 6-10

Genre: Fiction

Until They Bring The Streetcars Back is the story of Cal Gant's senior year of high school in St.Paul, Minnesota in 1949. Cal seems like an average senior in high school with some family problems and girl problems until he meets Gretchen Luttermann. When he meets Gretchen, he is quickly entrusted with her deepest secret, and is thrust into a life that he never would have expected. Gretchen is in grave danger, and Cal is the only one who can save her from her tortured life.

 
This book has some very heavy issues including: incest, rape, abuse, teen pregnancy, death, teen relationships, and crime. Cal and Gretchen go through a lot together in this book. I would only use this book with my most mature students, and only if I sent a note and maybe a copy of the book home with parents. Literature is a good way to bring up these tough topics in a classroom, and these tough topics would give way to some great discussion that would most definitely develop the critical thinking skills of students. These discussions would have to be closely monitored by adults, as they could get out of hand, and there might be lots and lots of questions. 

Teachers have used this book as early as 6th grade. I would not feel comfortable using this book any earlier than 8th or 9th grade, and only then with close monitoring by the teacher and parents.

A great activity to do with this book is “Container with a Lid”. Container with a Lid is a reader response activity that gets students thinking about themes and characters. After reading the novel students will fill a container with ten found objects representing a character or theme in a book. This will be shared with the class or their book group.

 

The London Eye Mystery

 The London Eye Mystery

by Siobhan Dowd

Dowd, S. (2007). The London Eye Mystery. Ney York: Yearling.

Grade Level: 3-5

Genre: Fiction/Mystery 

The London Eye Mystery is told from the perspective of Ted, a young boy with Autism. Ted lives with his mom, dad, and older sister Kat. Kat and Ted do not get along very well in the beginning. Ted's aunt Gloria and cousin Salim come to stay with them for a few days before they move to America. The family decides that they will take a trip to the London Eye ferris wheel to show Salim and Gloria. There is some trouble with the ticket sales, and so the three children decide that Salim should be the one to use the ticket given to them by a mysterious man. Salim goes up for the ride, and never comes down. The family is in a panic, and only Ted and Kat can find him. 

There is not very much literature written from the perspective of a person with a disability, and for that reason alone this would be a great book for young readers. I would use this book to talk about disability. While students are reading this book, they can keep track of the things that are a little bit different about Ted. We can use this as an opportunity to talk about why he is different, but also why he is just like anyone else. This is an opportunity to talk about social development and how we should treat people who seem to interact differently than many people.

I would also use this book to teach and work on predicting. Mysteries are a great opportunity for this as the students really do not know what will happen. Students will keep track of predictions and clues they used to make these predictions, and at the end of the book they will write about if they were right or wrong.

There are many opportunities for learning in this book, and it is a fun and easy read for many students. This is a book I would use in my classroom.

Wilson A. Bentley

Snowflake Bentely

Caldecott Medal Winner

by: Jacqueline Briggs Martin

illustrated by: Mary Azarian

Interest Level: K - 2

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.1

Lexile® measure: 830L

DRA: 28-30

Guided Reading: N

Genre/Theme: Biography

Martin, J. B., & Azarian, M. (1998). Snowflake Bentley  . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Snowflake Bentley is the biography of Wilson Bentley, who took pictures of individual snowflakes, and researched weather. The story starts out when Wilson is a young boy who loves snow and weather. He started keeping record of the weather at a very young age. His family, and peers though it was very strange. He got a microscope as a present, and from then on would put snowflakes under it and try to draw them. The snow would melt before he had the chance to finish any of his drawings. He heard of a camera with a microscopic lense, and his parents finally bought him one. From then on he would spend the winter taking picture of snowflakes and studying their forms. The book follows him all the way until his death, and talks about how his photographs and research are still in museums today.

Snowflake Bentley is one of my favorite childrens books. It is written at a fourth grade reading level, but young children would be able to enjoy it if it were read to them. This book could be used to talk about science, snow, and also what children what they want to be when they grow up, dreams that they have, things they are interested. This book would be great for vocabulary development, social and cognitive development as well. Snowflake Bentley could easily be tied into science and history lessons. The illustrations truly make this book what it is. An art project could be done trying to immitate the type of painting Mary Azarian uses in the book.

I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.





Snow

by: Uri Shulevitz

Caldecott Honor Book

Interest Level: K - 2

Grade Level Equivalent: 1.5

Lexile® measure: 220L

Genre/Theme: Fiction

Shulevitz, U. (1998). Snow  . New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Snow is the story of what happens when snow accumulates. The story starts with just one snowflake, and the boy with dog is very excited. He goes around the town telling all of the adults that it is snowing. They are all convinced that it is just a few flakes. At the end there is a lot of snow, and the boy was right all along.

The illustrations in this book really add to the story. The written story is very simple; the illustrations make it much more complex and appealing. The simple story makes this book great for striving readers or beginning readers. Many of the words are repeated over and over again such as: "boy with dog", and "snowflakes". This would be a great book to use when teaching simple words. It also might help students in their cognitive development, as it requires them to think critically about what happens as more and more snow accumulates. The class could also talk about how children feel about snow as opposed to how most adults feel about snow.

This is a great book for students in Minnesota, as it is something everyone here can relate to. I would use this book in my classroom.