Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Kinney, J. (2009). Diary of a wimpy kid: dog days. New York, NY: Abrams Books.

Gregory continues to write in his diary during his summer vacation. He loves spending time inside the house watching movies or playing video games. His mom, however, has been trying to encourage him to spend more time doing outdoor activities. Nevertheless, it seems that every time Gregory tries doing things outdoors, something always goes wrong. He even gets into an argument with his friend Rowley, and almost gets his father arrested. Although things didn't always go according to plans, Gregory knew everything was going to be alright now that summer was almost over.
In his book, Kinney told the story through Gregory's point of view.  This is important because it allows readers to know exactly what the character's actions and thoughts are.  The diary format and the style of writing allows readers to relate to the character in the story.  The pencil drawn illustrations add an  extra dose of entertainment to the story.

If you liked Diary of a wimpy Kid: Dog Days, you'll probably enjoy reading more of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Visit Jeff Kinney's website to find more of his collection. http://www.wimpykid.com/

Bridge to Terabithia

Patterson, K. (1997). Bridge to Terabithia. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Jesse Aarons meets Lelie Burke after she becomes the fastest runner in in the fifth grade. The two became friends, and soon found a secret place in the woods where they could allow their imaginations to run wild.  Jes and Leslie really enjoyed the time they spent together in the land they named Terabithia. Their secret world, however, comes to an end when Jesse gets the horrible news that his friend Leslie had an accident when visiting Terabithia by herself. Patterson adds an unexpected twist to this story of fantasy and imagination. In the end, Jesse decides to share the magical kingdom with his younger sisters, whom he had taken for granted before.


Watch the book trailer for Bridge to Terabithia: http://vimeo.com/18862933

It's so amazing

Harris, R. 1999. It's so amazing. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

It's so amazing is a book about the human body. Young readers will be able to get answers to questions they might have about their own body, and how it develops. It describes differences about the male and female body, as well as the development from being an infant to becoming adult.  Michael Emberley used the typical bird and bee to discuss the topics in the book.  His use of comic strip style is sure to entertain readers of any age.  The book is organized in a way that readers can choose to read the entire book, or select certain topics to read.

This is a good book to integrate when learning about life cycles in class, specifically, human development.

Three pigs

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York, NY: Clarion.

This story of The Three Pigs adds an unexpected twist to the traditional story we all know.  The little pigs escape the wolf and find some new friends along the way.  At the end of the story, they all return to the brick house. The illustrator’s interesting artistic style gives the characters a sort of 3D look, as they appear to come out of the pages.  There was also a change in the color of the illustrations as they turn from color to pencil sketch to color again.

Watch the book trailer for The Three Pigs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U41VWexL6gE&feature=player_embedded

It's a book

Smith, L. (2011).  It's a book.  NY: Roaring Brook.


Here we have a cute story that reflects in a funny way the common use of technology.  While the monkey in the story is reading a book, the jackass who is used to his computer does not understand what thebook is and its simple use. When he finally takes a look at the book, he is hooked and won't return it to the monkey.  The whole composition of the book is clean and simple.  The illustrator uses a light color pallette for his simple but enjoyable art. 
This is a great book to discuss with students the importance of integrating both technology and books into learning!

As an extension activity, allow students to illustrate a bookcover for their favorite story book.

Spiders

Bishop,N. (2007). Spiders. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Spiders is an informational book that brings us up close to the world of spiders. We learn about their body composition, its food, its ability to make webs, amongst many other things.  In his book, Bishop brings us close up photos of a variety of spiders that will appeal to both children and adults.  In the bottom corners of each page he offers a short description of what we see in the photos.  In addition, an index is included for quick reference to key words. Last, but not least, he offers a glossary of important words!

As a follow up activity, students can create a poster where they list interesting facts about what they learned.  They'll enjoy adding their own illustrations!

Good Masters, Sweet Ladies

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

Good Masters, Sweet Ladies is a collection of short plays. Each play tells the story of a person's life in the Middle Ages. Through each character, the reader learns about the many different traits that existed during this period of time. We learn of the difficulties of the poor, pilgrimages, and even the life of the wealthy. In her book, Schiltz also includes side notes to help readers better understand each play. Robert Byrd, uses ink and bright watercolors in his illustrations to enhance every story. The book includes a Table of Contents and a Bibliographical Reference.
If you enjoyed reading this book by Laura Amy Schlitz, you might also like her book, A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama.

A Big Man Took My Ball

Willems, M. (2013). A big guy took my ball>. New York, NY:Hyperion Books for Children.

Piggie is devastated because a big guy took a ball away from him. He comes to Gerald, the elephant, to tell him what had happened. Immediately Gerald goes to try to get Piggie's ball back, but realizes that the one who took the ball is a giant whale. It turns out that the ball actually belonged to the lonely whale. In the end, the three find a way for all of them to have fun. Young readers will love to see the talking elephant, pig, and a whale in this story. In his book, Willems uses simple illustrations for early readers to enjoy. He uses shades of blue and pink to color his pencil drawn characters. The large font make the text easy to read.

If you liked A Big Guy took my Ball, you're sure to enjoy Mo Willem's collection of early readers.  Here is a short list of more Gerald and Piggie books. Today I will Fly! I am Invited to a Party! I Love my New toy! Pigs Make me Sneeze!

We are the Ship

Aaron, H. (2008). We are the ship the story of Negro League Basebal. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.


This story is told by the point of view of members of the Negro League of Baseball. It tells about the struggles African Americans faced for doing what they loved in a time of segregation and racial discrimination. Through their hard work and perseverance these baseball players were able to overcome the limits that had been set before them. After the signing of Jackie Robinson, the doors were opened to African Americans in the major leagues bringing an end to the Negro Leagues.  The book is organized in sections referred to as "Innings" instead of chapters.   An index is also provided to make the finding of certain topics fast and easy. Through his book, Kadir Nelson, uses oil painting based on actual photographs during these historical events. These help the reader by giving faces to some of the players as they learn about them in the story.

  As an extension to the reading of this book, students can do a research project on a player that they learned about in this story. Students can do their research and present their work on a poster board or even a PowerPoint presentation.

Magic windows

Garza, C. L. (1999). Magic windows. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.

In Magic window, the author Carmen Lomas Garza, gives us insight to her culture and traditions.  She uses a collection of paper cutouts as the illustrations, and gives a brief description of each.  We learn of her family, foods, and celebrations from Mexico and the ancient Aztecs.  Even more, the book is English and Spanish!

Learn how to make your own cut-paper art with:  Making Magic Windows: Creating Papel Picado/Cut-Paper Art with Carmen Lomas Garza

 

Where the wild things are

Sendak, M. 1963. Where the wild things are. New York, NY: Harper.
A mischievous boy named Max is sent to his room due to his out of control behavior. Max allows his imagination to run wild. In his imagination he allows himself to get close to the wild things in the forest, and even becomes their king. He suddenly realizes how lonely he feels. Finally, his hunger got the best of him, so ”he returns home” to find a warm meal waiting for him. This book had great illustrations. I especially enjoyed the way Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator of the book, slowly transformed Max’s bedroom into the dark forest.

Through the use of lines and color the author gave the book a sense of texture.  This is seen throughout Max’s house and in the forest. His use of color did the same thing in his illustrations of the ocean and in the monsters.

Watch the book trailer for Where the Wild Things Are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sIK9cRWCEvY

Hitler youth

Bartoletti, S. 2005. Hitler youth  Growing up in Hitler's Shadow. NY: Scholastic.

This book tells of a young group of people who were excited to be part of the Hitler Youth group. Hitler’s beliefs and ideas were instilled into children from a very young age. The young were trained in strict camps and worked long hours. They were taught how to fight, and kill their enemies. Many faithfully believe that it was all for a better Germany. Other youth on the other hand began to see the brutality and destruction before them. We learn of the experiences of some of the Hitler Youth during the Holocaust. Many finally realized that they had helped in a terrible crime against humanity. In her book, Bartoletti uses photographs to illustrate the historical events. A brief description is added with each photograph. She also includes quotes in her text from people that she interviewed and other sources who are listed in her bibliography. Lastly, an index is included at the end of the book.

Watch the book trailer for Hitler Youth Growing up in Hitler's Shadow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQzIQQcsXcE

Out of my Mind

 

Drapper, S. M. (2010). Out of my mind. New York, NY: Atheneum Books.


In her story, Drapper introduces us to a brave young girl who has gone though many challenges throughout her young life.  She was born with cerebral palsey, so therefore, is unable to walk or talk.  Not being able to express her thoughts is a great frustration for Melody.  However, people did not realize Melody's learning potential.  Once in the fourth grade Melody is able to prove to everyone just how smart she is when she earns a spot in the team that will compete in an academic competition. The theme of this novel shows us how through her weakness, Melody is able to show others that she is not that different from the other kids in school.  Out of my Mind is told through Melody's point of few.  This allows us to experience her frustrations, as well as her joy as we read her story. 

Watch the book trailer for Out of my Mind:  http://www.booktrailersforreaders.com/Out+Of+My+Mind+Book+Trailer

Rosa

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York, NY: Henry Holt.

Rosa is a picture book biography that tells the story of Rosa Parks, a quiet, hard working seamstress.  Rosa is forced to decide whether or not to give up her seat on a public bus to a white person.  Since she was sitting in a section where either white or blacks could sit, she decided that she would not get out of her seat.  Rosa gathers all her courage and stands up for what she believes in.  During the time of segregation, a community comes together to make a change in a peaceful way.
Although this book is a biography, the text had a clear sequence and was easy to understand. In addition, the illustrations had picture book qualities that made the book fun to read.  We see a great combination of colors put together to create a book that both children and adults can enjoy.

Rosa is a great book to read as a follow up to The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963.  Students will have a better understanding of the issues African Americans faced during a time of segregation and discrimination.

 

Rules

Lord. C. (2006). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.


In Lord's book, Rules, we meet Catherine, a twelve year old gir who longs to have a normal life. She established many rules that she teaches her brother, David, who has Autism. She hopes that by having set rules David won't embarass her, or her family. Catherine soon becomes friends with her new next door neighbor, and Jason, whom she meets at the clinic. Catherine feels that she has to keep both friendships seperate. Her feelings of guilt make her reflect on her own behavior. By the end of the story, the reader can tell how  Catherine's attitude changes.  She realizes that perhaps she was being somewhat selfish.  As the plot develops she learns to accept David, and Jason for who they are. 


This is a great book to read after reading Out of my mind. As a class, students can compare and contrast both stories. Out of my mind, tells the story through a person who struggles with an illness. Rules, tells the story through the eyes of a family member of a person with Autism. It will be interesting to hear the students share their thoughts and ideas about the two books.

Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books.

Rapunzel's curiousity is sparked one day when she peaks out of the grand villa where she lived. She was shocked to find that things looked very different from where she lived. She also found that Gothel was not really her mother. After being locked up in a tall tree for many years, Rapunzel sets out to save her real mother. When Rapunzel finds many uses for her long hair, she has the potential to accomplish her goal. With the help of her new friend, Jack, they are able to put a stop to Gothel and her powers. The dangers and adventures the two confront are sure to keep readers intrigued. The reader will see how Rapunzel develops into a true hero through her journey to overcome Gothel's evil.

As an extension, have students discuss how the story of Rapunzel's Revenge change if Rapunzel did not grow her long hair. What other quality would she have that would help her in her journey?

Invention of Hugo Cabret

 

 Selnick, B. (2007).  The invention of Hugo Cabret. New York, NY:Scholastic Press.

Hugo Cabret is an orphan that after the death of his Uncle is left taking care of the clocks at the train station. One day Hugo is caught stealing by an old man in the toy booth. The old man, George Melies, takes Hugo's notebook which contained drawings he was using to repair a mechanical man he found in the rubble of a burned museum. Through his quest to retrieve his notebook, Hugo meets the old man's goddaughter who helps solve the mystery behind the mechanical man, and the many drawings they discovered. Hugo believed that once fixed, the mechanical man would write a secret message that would change his life forever, and he was right.



Watch the book trailer for The Invention of Hugo Cabret: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cqrUtxd5Bdc

Dear Mr.Henshaw

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Zelinsky, P. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company.

In this story, we meet a young boy who stuggles after the divorce of his parents. One day his teacher asks the students to write to an author asking him some questions. Leigh is not happy when the author responds with a few questions of his own. Later, the author encourages Leigh to write in a journal, where Leigh records some of the things that bother him at home and school. Zelinsky uses an interesting style to write his fictional story. It is composed of letters and journal enteries written by the main character. As the story progresses we are able to see how Leigh copes with his father being away and someone stealing his lunch at school.

In Dear Mr. Henshaw, the teacher asked students in her class to write a story to include in "a book of work of young authors". As an extenstion after reading this book, the teacher can encourage students to use their imagination to create a short story of their own.

Babymouse

Holm, J. L. (2006). Babymouse rockstar. New York: Random House Children's Books.

Babymouse loves music and imagines herself as a rockstar. She wants to participate in the school concert, but is afraid that she'll have last chair like the prior year. Although Babymouse spends hours practicing with her flute, she can't seem to get it right. Penny, the poodle, volunteers to help her friend practice. In the end Babymouse makes Grampamouse proud with her beautiful music.
The author of this book continues with her signature style in creating the series Babymouse. The reader will see Babymouse's vivid imagination through her stories. In Babymouse Rock Star, we see how the determination and hard work of this little mouse paid off.

Read more of the Babymouse series by Jennifer and Matthew Holm; for example, Queen of the World, Heartbreaker and Dragonslayer amongst many more to pick from.

Martina the beautiful cockroach

Deedy, C.A. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach.  Atlanta, Georgia: Peachtree Publishers.

Martina the beautiful cockroach is a Cuban folktale about a cockroach who prepares to marry. Martina's grandmother tells her to spill coffe on her suitor's shoes, and she'll be able to see his true personality. By his reaction she will determine if he is the right one for her. In the end, Martina finds a quiet mouse who appears to have been given the same advice by his Cuban grandmother. 
Everyone will enjoy this charming Cuban folktale, complimented by the beautiful illustrations.  The illustrator, Michael Austin, used colors such as greens, pinks, and purples to give life to this love tale.

If you enjoyed this book by Carmen Agra Deedy, you might also like:
The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A dickens of Tale
The Library Dragon

The Legend of the bluebonnet

DePaola, T. (1983). Legend of the bluebonnet. New York, N.Y.: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet is a fascinating story of the Comanche people.  It tells the story of how the selflessness of a little girl helped to save her people from drought and famine.  Through her selfless act the bluebonnet of Texas came into existence.  The colors the author used were very neutral.  He also used shapes such as triangles and incorporated line in his design which to me gave a sense of balance in the story. 

As an extension activity after reading Legend of the Bluebonnet, read the book Bluebonnet Girl by Lind Michael.  Allow the students to compare and contrast the story and illustrations from both books.

Balloons over Broadway

Sweet, M. (2001). Balloons over Broadway: The true story of the puppeteer of Macy's parade. NY: Houghton.

Through the book, Balloons over Broadway The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade, we learn about a man whom from a very young age enjoyed the art of puppeteering. When Tony Sarg moved to New York City, he was asked to help in the Macy's puppet parade. The parade celebrated the holiday traditions of many immigrants from around the world. Sarg designed and created huge animal balloons that facinated all who saw them. The Macy's parade was such a success that soon it was a great event that was celebrated on Thanksgiving Day every year.  
Through this colorful picture book we learn of the life work of a great puppeteer.  The illustrations created through the work of collage and mixed media are sure to engage readers of all ages.

To learn more about Macy's Thanksgiving parade visit: http://www.macys.com/campaign/parade/history.jsp

Mirror Mirror

Singer, M. (2010). Mirror Mirror. New York, N.Y.: Dutton Children's Books.

Mirror Mirror is a collection of stories and fairy tales that readers are familiar with.  Each story is written in reverse, giving new meaning to each.  The illustrator of the book used brightly colored illustrations that keep readers entertained.  He used lines to divide the two different versions of each story.  The composition of the book works well together through each story. He adds an element of darkness to represent the twist between the two versions of the story.

As an extension activity, allow students to select a story of their choice from the book Mirror Mirror.  Have students to write a short paragraph explaining the difference between the story they know, and the story written in reverse.  Allow them to share their thoughts  with their classmates.

Lunch Lady

Krosoczka, J.J. (2010). Lunch lady and the summer camp shakedown. New York: Random House Children's Books.

Finally, the day the kids have been waiting for. They are off for two weeks of summer camp. Eveyone was so excited until a counselor joked about the existence of a swamp monster. Some kids didn't believe the stories, but soon there were sitings of the slimy monster. The Lunch Lady was off to solve this mystery. Through her investigations, she uncovered the truth about the terrible swamp monster. Thanks to the Lunch Lady, the kids were able to enjoy the rest of their summer camp activities. Krosoczka is sure to capture the readers interest with this action packed mystery.

If you enjoyed reading Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown, check out the rest of Krosoczka's Lunch Lady series.

Skulduggery Pleasant

Landy, D. (2007). Skulduggery Pleasant. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children's Books.

After the death of her Uncle Gordon, Stephanie meets a mysterious man that introduces her to a life very different from the one she has known. After realizing that her uncle had been murdered, she joins with Skulddugery Pleasant to uncover what really happened. They find that Gordon had kept the key that would lead Serpine, an evil sorcerer, to the Scepter that would unleash the Faceless Ones into the world. Through a series of magical adventures, Stephanie and Skulduggery bring an end to Serpine's evil plot. In his book, Landy brings to life to Skulduggery Pleasant, a very unlikely character. However the interaction between the two main characters, keeps the reader interested through out the entire book. The dialogue, humorous at times, and the magical world Landy created make this book fun to read.

Watch the book trailer for Skulduggery Pleasant:
http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvFtUp03mTg

The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963

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

In The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963, we meet a family who has been living in Flint, Michigan. Although they seem like a normal family, sometimes they do things that make others think they are "weird". One of the children in particular, Byron, always ends up doing things that get him in trouble. His parents finally decided that they would take Byron to stay with his grandmother in Alabama for a while. The visit to Birmingham Alabama ends up being like nothing they expected. The family is shocked when on one Sunday morning they witness the hate and violence targeted towards African Americans. Immediately the family returns to Flint, Michigan and try to deal with the realities that exists in the South. Although the author, Christopher P. Curtis, created the characters and a fictional story, they reflect events that are similar to what went on during this time in history. The plot and the setting in The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963, give a glimpse to readers of things that occurred prior to the Civil Rights Movement.

As an extension after reading this book, students can research an important person that helped during the Civil Rights Movement. Some examples would be Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, or some of the people mentioned in the epilogue of the The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963.

How they croaked

Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked. New York, NY: Walker & Company.

How they Croaked is an informational book that tells about how several well known people died. In his collection, Bragg gives us details about each person's life. We can read about the lives of people such as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Einstein, and George Washington, just to name a few. After reading their stories, the author also provides a page of interesting facts for each person. Bragg provides a table of contents for readers, as well as an index for easy to find topics. In addition, we can also find a list of online resources for readers to learn more about each person mentioned in his book.

As an extended activity, have students visit one of the websites listed in the back of the book for one of the person's mentioned.  Allow students to share with their classmates something new that they learned.

The Graveyard Book

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

When Bod's parents are murdered, he is left to live in the graveyard with the ghosts. The ghosts in the cemetary promised that they would care for the boy. Nobody Owens never lived like a normal boy. He was taught by the ghosts instead of going to school like other kids. When the man that killed his family finds out where Bod is staying, he tricks Bod and his new friend into coming to his house.  Jack's plan was to finish the job he had started many years ago.   Bod faces many dangers, but with the help of those in the graveyard who care for him, he is able to defeat those who want to harm him.
Bod learned many things from the ghosts who cared for him, but in the end, the greatest lessons would be those he learned on his own after he left the graveyard. From the very first page in his book, Gaiman captures the reader's interest with a major event in the story.  As the plot develops he keeps readers engaged with the dangers and adventures that the main character has to face.

Watch the book trailer for The Graveyard Book:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_UUVwTaemk

The Underneath

Appelt, K. (2008). The underneath. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

When an abandoned cat and her kittens share the Underneath with Ranger, a hound dog, a strong bond between them is formed. One day, Gar Face, the dog's mean owner, spotted one of the kittens that had come out of the Underneath. Gar Face grabbed the kitten and his mother and threw them in the water. Puck was left to fend for himself, but made a promise to find his twin cat and Ranger. When Gar Face tries to use Ranger as bait to capture the King Alligator, Puck gathers all his courage to save his friend. The three animals think they are finally free, but suddenly they see Grandmother Moccasin. To their relief, Grandmother saw the love the animals shared. Grandmother broke the chain that bound Ranger for many years. In her novel, Kathi Appelt, told two stories simultaneously. The story of Grandmother Mocassin, and the daughter she lost takes place one thousand years before Ranger and his cat family. Both stories come together when after a thousand years Grandmother is able to break free from the jar she was in. In addition, we see the theme of love develop in an unexpected, but magical way.

Watch the book trailer for The Underneath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eZ4Ds1Yub3Q

This is not my hat

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

This is Not My Hat is a story of a small fish who thinks he can get away stealing.  He takes the hat of a much larger fish when it is sleeping.  When the large fish awakes, it realizes his hat is gone, and goes off to find it.  The small fish did not count on a witness telling the large fish where the small fish was hiding.  In this book we see very simple, but effective art. We see dark colors to represent the deep of the ocean.  Klassen used shapes such as ovals to illustrate the fish and the leaves.  In addition, lines were used to illustrate the plants of the ocean. 

If you enjoyed This is Not my Hat, you are sure to like Fish Story by Katharine Andres.