The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Teasing (Modern Fantasy)

By: Stan and Jan Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears learn the teasing is simply part of life. Although teasing may be fun to the person doing the teasing, but it could really hurt the person who is being teased. After being teased at school for being the principal’s helper, Brother Bear realizes that teasing really hurts. He stops teasing Sister Bear, and when a new bear comes to school and is teased by Too-Tall, Brother Bear takes a stand for him. In the end, the new Bear is a great wrestler and beats Too-Tall and all of his gang. I would use this in the classroom to teach students about the negative affects of teasing others. Students in the upper elementary grades are bad for teasing each other and it is important for them to realize how harmful teasing can be.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! (Folk Literature)

By: Dr. Seuss

This is one of my favorite books. The yellow suit guy takes us through ups and downs of life, but encourages us to find our success along the way. Dr. Suess uses creative illustrations to encourage the reader to make the best of all situations and find satifaction throughout the adventures of life. This would be a great book to read on the first or last day of school.. You can encourage and inspire students to do their best and strive for success always.

Mirette on the High Wire (Internatinonal Literature)

By: Emily Arnold McCully

Mirette works hard in her family's inn in Paris. When a high wire walker comes to stay at the inn, Mirette wants to learn how to walk on the high wire as well. As she learns, she also helps Monsieur Bellini face his fear of walking the wire. In the end Mirette meets Monsieur Bellini on the hire wire and he is able to overcome his fear. I would use this book to show students that you can do anything you have your mind set on. If you stay positive and keep trying, you just may succeed at what you are aiming for.

T is for Tar Heel: A North Carolina Alphabet (Nonfiction)

Written By: Carol Crane

Illustrated By: Gary Palmer

This book takes the reader across North Carolina form the mountains to the coast. You can learn all about many landmarks, people, and animals throughout our state. Carol talks about the Biltmore house, the Outer Banks, Nascar, state animals, how certain cities got their names, lighthouses, caverns, and many other interesting place and people in North Carolina that would be fun to visit and learn more about. I would use this book in the classroom to share interesting places and history about North Carolina. It would also be great to use it in other curriculums. Students could write about some place they have visited in North Carolina or something they find really interesting that may not be discussed in the book. They could also make graphs of the places discussed in the book that student in the class have visited. This would especially be useful in fourth grade when students learn about our great state.

Christina Katerina and the Time She Quit the Family (Realistic Fiction)

Written By: Patricia Lee Gauch

Illustrated By: Elise Primavera

On a Saturday morning Christina gets fed up with her mother, father, and brother and decides to quit the family. She changes her name to Agnes, makes her own rules, and split the house in two; one side was for her to use and the other side was for the rest of her family. There are many up and down sides to being her own boss. Eventually, she gets lonely and almost asks to rejoin the family. Her mother beats her to the draw and begs Christina to rejoin the family because everyone is having a hard time without her help and normal routines. This is book that most children can identify with. I would use this as a writing prompt. The students would have to write about a time when they got mad at their family members and explain what they would have done if they had quit their family.

Dooby Dooby Moo (Modern Fantasy/Wordle)

By: Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

This is a cute book that has barn animals who are preparing for a talent show at the upcoming fair. Duck wants to win the prize for first place, a trampoline. This would be a great book to read aloud to your students after lunch or if then simply need some down time during the day. It could also be used when teaching about different genres.

The Magic School Bus: Butterfly and the Bog Beast (Science Fiction)

Written By: Joanna Cole
Illustrated By: Bruce Degen

Ms. Frizzle takes her students on a field trip to the swamp. They want to know about the bug beast. They are able to learn about beautiful butterfly creatures. They learn that butterflies have many characteristics that make their life easier. Most of their enemies are larger and stronger than they are. Some butterflies are able to camouflage themselves to blend in with their surroundings. Some have huge eye spots that can make them look larger than they are and scare predators. Butterflies stay alive by tricking, hiding, and scaring their enemies using these characteristics. I would use this book when teaching a unit about butterflies. These books help students understand the science behind things in a much friendlier text. I would be sure to read the extra note at the end of the story which summarizes the ideas discussed in the book about butterflies. This clarifies many of the concepts from the book.

The Magic School Bus: Gets All Dried Up (Science Fiction)

Written By: Joanna Cole

Illustrated By: Bruce Degen

Ms. Frizzle and her students go on a field trip to the desert. The students in the book learned how the mountains cause the deserts and how animals and plants survive in the harsh weather conditions that are in the desert. After becoming different animals, the students were able to learn that the animals and plants who live in the desert adapt to their surroundings. Plants save water in their trunks and the animals have features in their bodies to protect them against praetors and the harsh heat of the day and cold nights. This book would be great to use when teaching about deserts and adaptations in science. There is also a great experiment listed in the back of the book that shows how plants use water.

The Korean Cinderella (Multicultural Literature)

Written By: Shirley Climo

Illustrated By: Ruth Heller

This fairy tale follows the main idea of the traditional Cinderella that we all know. It takes place in Korea where Pear Blossom is beautiful and her step sisters and step mother are jealous. She is given an impossible task of weeding the rice patties before she could go to the village festival. After a black ox appears and eats all the weeds in seconds, Pear Blossom heads to the festival. On the way, the magistrate comes by and she looses her shoe while trying to get out of his way. She becomes afraid and runs away. The magistrate sees the shoe and her beauty as she runs away. Later at the festival, as her stepmother is yelling at her, the magistrate comes and determines that the shoe he had belonged to her. He asks her to marry him and they live happily ever after. I would use this along with other versions of the Cinderella tale. Students could use different diagrams and charts to compare and contrast the different versions of Cinderella.

Sarah, Plain and Tall (Realistic Fiction/Chapter Book)

By: Patricia MacLachlan

After Papa places an add in the paper for a wife, Sarah replies and decides to come from Maine to the prairie land for a month to see how she how it works out. Anna and Caleb miss there dead mother and want a motherly figure around for themselves, as well as for their dad. Sarah falls in love with the family and the family falls in love with her. They have many adventures together and become a whole family again. They are full of love and support for one another. Even through she misses the seas of Maine, she loves her new life and family even more. I might use this book to discuss the weather in the mid west, to discuss loyalty, acceptance, and love. Using the letters sent back and forth at the beginning of the story, I would have the students write a letter to someone describing themselves as well as their life.

Web Links for Books

1. This website offers many ideas to use when teaching "Walk Two Moons" in the classroom. There are resources and links for discussion questions, games, vocabulary, activities, study guides for reading the book, map quest directions for the trip that Sal went on with her grandparents in the book, and much more. All of these lesson ideas can incorporate technology. The students could use a live chat when answering and responding to discussion questions. The students can also use Map Quest to search other locations from the book.

http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001439.shtml


2. This is a great website with many resources to use with "Shiloh". You can print crossword puzzles, see a map of West Virginia, learn about the author, make character maps, see vocabulary and lesson plan related to the book, many art and craft activities, math games that are related to the book, and much, much more. There are also questions that can be used for each chapter of the book as the students read it. The math game is computerized and students use the agreement of Marty working for Judd to pay him for Shiloh to solve various math questions.

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/dogs/shiloh/shiloh.htm


3. This website goes with "Cinderella" and "The Rough-Face Girl". It is a great lesson plan that incorporates Venn diagrams and compares and contracts different versions of Cinderella stories. The responses can be typed directly on the Venn diagram. Flip Cams can also be used for readers theater or as the students discuss different versions of Cinderella. There are many ideas that go along with this book.

http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/02-1/lesson041.shtml

The Rough-Face Girl (Multicultural Literature/Folktale)

Written By: Rafe Martin
Illustrated By: David Shannon

This is an Algonquin Indian version of the story "Cinderella". This story has many of the elements of the traditional Cinderella story that we all know. The youngest of three sisters. Her older sister make her keep the fire fed. Because of always being so close to the fire, The Rough-Face Girl had burns all over her body. There was an Invisible Being that was suppose to be rich, hansom, and powerful. Only the woman who could see him could marry him. The Rough-face Girl's two older sisters dressed up and tried to say that they could see the Invisible Being, but they were unable to answer the questions about him that his sister asked. The Rough-Face Girl could see the Invisible Being and decided that she would go to marry him. She was able to answer all the questions asked by his sister. The sister knew that the Rough-Face Girl could see her brother and that she had a great heart. The Rough-Face Girl was given a fine robe and a beautiful necklace. She then bathed in the waters of the lake and all of her burns disappeared. She was now beautiful. The Rough-Face Girl and Invisible Being were married and lived happily ever after. This would be a great book to use when teaching about different cultures. I would also use this book to compare different versions of Cinderella. This book would be great to use when teaching students that beauty comes form the inside and you can't judge a book by its cover.

John Henry (Multicultural Literature)

Written By: Julius Lester

Illustrated By: Jerry Pinkney

This book was an African American folktale about the life of John Henry. It discussed how he grew so big and fast, was very strong, and was very speedy. It told about him winning bets about speed. He was able to run faster than a man riding on a horse and John Henry was also able to break through a mountain that dynamite wouldn't break through. The reader is able to learn about the famous story of John Henry's race against a steam engine using two 20lb. sledge hammers. This book would be great to use when teaching about exaggerations, folktales, or tall tales. It would also be great to use along with other tales such as Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, and Johnny Appleseed. Syudents really love this story.

True Stories About Abraham Lincoln (Biography/ short chapter book)

By: Ruth Belov Gross

This book took the reader through the life of Abraham Lincoln. It started with his childhood and went through his years of president. The reader learns how Abe Lincoln schooled himself, all of the places he lived, the different jobs he had, his Marriage to Mary, his road to the White House, the death of one of his sons, his role in the civil war, and his tragic assassination. I would use this book in the month February as we studied President's Day as well as Abraham Lincoln's birthday. This is a reader friendly book that breaks up Abraham Lincoln's life into smaller chapters that discuss different stages in his life.

Whales and Other Creatures of the Sea (Nonfiction)

Written By: Joyce Milton
Illustrated By: Jim Deal

This book diescribed many creatures that live in the ocean. I created a Wordle that lists some of the aniamls discussed in the book. This could be used in the classroom when teaching a unit about sea life, oceanography, or mammals.

The Wolves in the Walls (Graphic Novel/Folk Literature)

Written By: Neil Gaiman

Illustrated By: Dave McKean

This book was about a girl who thought there were wolves living in the walls of her house. Her family didn't believe what she thought and her mother told her that "if the wolves come out of the walls, then it's all over!". Well, one night the wolves came out of the walls and the girl and her family ran for their lives. They spent the night outside and discussed places they could move to. The girl snuck back to the house to get her stuffed pig that she left behind. She snuck in behind the walls. She saw the wolves tearing the house apart. After seeing this she got an idea. Her family would hide in the walls of the house and scare the wolves away. When they carried out their plan, the wolves ran for their lives and as they were leaving said, "once the people come out of the walls, it's all over!" The pictures in this book were amazing. I would use it in the classroom to show students how graphic novels allow the pictures to tell the story. The reader would still be able to understand what was happening in the the story if the text were absent.

Readers Theater: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Flip Cam Technology-Folk Literature)

By: Maggie K., Jessica, Hannah, Bailey

We did took a section from The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and did a Readers Theater using a flip cam. This told the story of the three little pigs from the wolf's point of view. This was a ton of fun. It would be great to let groups of students do to incorporate a new type of technology in the classroom.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (student technology wordle)

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

By Jon Scieszka

Illustrated By Lane Smith

This is the world that my third grade students created. The students came up with words that described the wolf from the book. They had a great time making the list and using the words to create the Wordle. I allowed they to select the colors and layout, which added to their excitement and engagement during the activity.

Shiloh (Realistic Fiction/Chapter Book)

By: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

This book is the first of a trilogy that introduces you to a boy and his new friend. Now what he must go through to keep him. Marty has found a puppy Beagle that has been beaten and abused. After returning the puppy, Shiloh, to his original owner, Judd, Shiloh keeps running back to Marty. Judd is a drunk who abuses all of his hunting dogs and kills game out of season. Marty is faced with many ethical and moral decisions. He knows that legally the dog belongs to Judd, but is in love with the dog and can't keep sending him back to be neglected. Marty must decide if he must follow the law or make the moral decision to keep Shiloh and give him a loving and affectionate home. After making a deal with Judd to trade work for Shiloh, Marty must still work so he can provide food and supplies for his new best friend. This book could be used to discuss with students morals, ethics, and legal issues.

Walk Two Moons (Realistic Fiction/Chapter Book)

By: Sharon Creech

This book was about a young teenage girl, Sal, and her adventure to understand her life without her mother. She doesn't see her life the way she planned it and is looking for answers. She goes on a road trip with her grandparents to visit her mom, who suffered a miscarriage after carrying Sal when she broke her leg. Sal tells of many stories on the road as they face many obstacles along the way. While her Gram is in admitted to the hospital for a snake bite, Sal completes the trip to find her mom on her own, driving without a license. This is when the truth is revealed and connections are made to the stories she told on the road. The reader finds out that Sal's mom was killed in a bus wreck a few years earlier on a trip to find her own self. After a police officer confronts Sal about the car and no license, he takes her to her mom's grave site. He then takes her back to the hospital where she finds that her Gram had passed away. At the end of this long trip, Sal is finally able to make peace with living without her mother and move on with her life. This story could be used to discuss how to react when unexpected events happen and you have to readjust to the new result. This book would also be a great way to discuss the saying "don't judge someone until you walk in their shoes". After reading the entire book, students could go back and find passages that show us that Sal's mom is no longer alive. It would be easy after reading the end of the story.

The Three Little Pigs (Fairy Tale)

By: Steven Kellogg

This is not the traditional story of the three little pigs. The three pigs (Percy, Pete, and Prudence) get the family waffle business when their mom decides to retire and move to the Gulf of Pasta. When the mean wolf, Tempesto, wants bacon, ham, and sausage for breakfast the three little pigs need help. When a paper airplane with a message of help flies through the window and lands in her food, she heads home. When she gets there, she helps her three little pigs put the waffle machine in the fireplace. When Tempseto comes down the chimney he burnt by the machine. The meanness is burnt out of him. The Pig family loads him into a cab and sends him to the Gulf of Pasta in Serefinia,s place. They all live happily ever after. I would use this book to compare and contrast different versions of the Three Little Pigs fairy tale. Students could see the similarities between the different versions of The Three Little Pigs.

Morning Girl (Historical Fiction/Chapter Book)

By: Michael Dorris

This book was about a little girl (Morning Girl) and her younger brother (Star Boy) who tell about events of their childhood. They discuss the customs of their people and the way they love and respect the earth. The chapters in the book alternate between Morning Girl and Star Boy. Morning Girl loves the early morning and the ocean. Star Boy loves the dark night and pretends to be trees, animals, and rocks. It seems like a normal time until visitors who speak a different language appear in a boat and Morning Girl tries to befriend them. I would use this historical fiction book as we were talking about world exploration. It shows an account for the native people of the island and their way of life. We see that they had a normal life until people who spoke a different language came to the island they live on. We can’t help but wonder what will happen next. I would use this in the classroom when we were learning about how people's lives can change when something new happens. This could be used when teaching immigration or migration. How do the lives of all parties change? How do they react to the change?