Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna, Illustrated by Loren Long--(Fiction)

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I would use this book at the start of the school year. This book deals with the power of words and how words can be very hurtful. This would be a good book to read when going over rules in the classroom; especially rules dealing with respecting others and tattletaling. The students could use the voicethread technology, as I have, to pick out a character and find the theme throughout the book.

The Story of Johnny Appleseed written and Illustrated by Aliki--(Traditional)

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I would use this book in the classroom to reveal the American’s culture on how they believe apple trees came to be. I would then have students perform research on this text to reveal historical evidence on Johnny Appleseed and make comparisons to the tale told in this story.

A Horse Named Seabiscuit by Cathy and Mark Dubowski, Illustrated by Michael Langham Rowe (Nonfiction)

A Horse Named Seabiscuit is a biography about a race horse named Seabiscuit who learns to persevere when challenges seem impossible. Seabiscuit was physically different from most race horses; he was small, had crocked legs that caused him to run odd, and had a temper. Seabiscuit began to race but never won for two years. Everyone thought that he was a failure; all but Tom Smith. Tom Smith was a trainer and decided to purchase Seabiscuit because he knew that Seabiscuit was special. Tom Smith got Seabiscuit into good racing condition which led to his first win. With many races to follow, Seabiscuit became well known to all the people and was even a symbol of hope during the Great Depression. Seabiscuit ran a practice race that ended in a tragedy; his leg was injured in a way that would most likely cause him to never race again. But the injury did not cause Seabiscuit to give up; he ran one more race a year later and won. The story of Seabiscuit goes on to tell that he was one of the most successful race horses in history.

I would use this story in my classroom to talk about the meaning of perseverance and how it became a symbol during hard times in America. Perseverance is easily depicted in the story about Seabiscuit because he was never supposed to be a successful race horse but he proved otherwise; he gave hope to Americans.

Washington Irving's The Headless Horseman by Natalie Standiford, Illustrated by Donald Cook--(Folk)

This tale has been told over many generations. The Headless Horseman haunts the peaceful town of Sleepy Hollow. At day Sleepy Hollow is quiet but, at night it turns into the Headless Horseman’s stomping grounds. The Headless Horseman is a ghost that resulted from the death of a horseman during the war. The soldiers head was cut off and now his ghost haunts the woods of Sleepy Hollow in search of a head. The story goes on to tell about a man named Ichabod Crane from Sleepy Hollow. He wanted to marry Katrina who came from a wealthy family, unlike Ichabod. He and Brom Bone, another civilian from Sleepy Hollow, battled over Katrina’s heart. Later, both men received invitations for a party at Katrina’s house. Ichabod rode to and from the party on horseback. Ichabod, unknowing of the tale, was never seen again after he left the party. He rode through the very woods that the Headless Horseman inhabits. All that was found of him was his horse, hat, and a smashed pumpkin. Most think he was slain and robbed of his head by the Headless Horseman, especially the pumpkin that was found because the Headless Horseman carried one with him. Others think Brom Bone may have something to do with it because he gets a sly look on his face when the incident is brought up; could jealousy lead to this?

I would use this tale in the classroom along with an activity in which the students supported what they thought happened to Ichabod Crane. The students would give reasons that supported whether he was killed by the Headless Horseman or if the jealous Brom Bone killed him.

June 29, 1999 written and illustrated by David Wiesner--(Science Fiction)

This picture book begins by describing an experiment done by Holly Evans on May 11, 1999. In this experiment Holly wants to see the effects of extraterrestrial conditions on vegetable; so she launches vegetable seeds into the sky using helium filled balloons. All is well until June 29, 1999. Gigantic vegetables are spotted throughout the United States. Broccoli has landed in Holly’s backyard, peppers remain suspended in the sky, and people are carving faces into the giant potatoes. If that’s not strange enough, Holly never sent Broccoli plants into the sky! Where did the broccoli, eggplant, avocado, and the other vegetables that Holly did not plant come from? At the end of book we realize that the cook on an alien ship accidentally ‘jettisoned’ their vegetables into space that landed here on earth. These huge vegetables were never Holly’s indeed. The last page reveals that the aliens have received the vegetables that were part of Holly’s experiment. They are puzzled for how to turn the ordinary sized vegetables into the gigantic ones that were once part of their food supply.

This is a really fun book and the author has many other books similar in which the pictures tell most of the detail. I would do an author study on David Wiesner in my classroom. I would plan for students to do research and make a display on this author to learn more about his artistic talent and love for art.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, Illustrated by Donna Diamond--(Fiction) CHAPTER

This story deals with the theme of friendship. As two young people from a small farm town get to know one another each realizes that the other is the only one who truly appreciates their talents and personalities. Jess Aarons loves to run and draw, which he does not share with many because he fears that his talent will not be appreciated. Leslie Burks is the new girl in town who acts more like a boy than most girls; she runs with the boys at recess and always wins. As these two grow closer to one another they decide that they need a place to escape. They find a perfect spot across the river and name it Terabithia. They each take on roles as King and Queen and do things as if they have to protect their magic world such as fight giant beasts. One rainy day when Jess goes to Washington, DC with his music teacher that he likes because she is the only person besides Leslie to enjoy his drawing abilities he feels as if everything is perfect. He wonders if it would be more perfect if he had asked Leslie to join. On his return he learns that Leslie has died. The rope swing broke as she was crossing the river to get to Terabithia. Jess burdens his self with thoughts that he was the cause of this because he could have asked her to go along with he and the music teacher. Finally Jess realizes that Leslie taught him to have courage and how to have a friend who appreciates him. One day Jess and his little sister, May Bell go to Terabithia; he gives her Leslie’s power as queen. Together they build a bridge across the river to Terabithia.

I would use this book in a classroom to explore friendship. I would have students compare Jess and Leslie’s friendship to their own friend relationships. I would also use this book to explore loss of people that are important in lives. This would be a good book to explore loss because Jess was able to identify benefits of having Leslie in his life even though she is gone now. This is a good way to grieve in a more positive way.

Meet Kirsten: An America Girl by Janet Shaw, Illustrated by Renee Graef-- (Historical Fiction) CHAPTER

Kirsten is a Swedish girl coming to settle on her uncle’s farmland in Minnesota. This story reveals the struggles and triumph of coming to America in the mid 1800’s. Kirsten’s family decided to migrate west because the sound of having a better life was so appealing; better farmland, being close to family, and more opportunities. Kirsten’s family knew of the trials they would face on the long travel. They were burdened with thoughts of never reaching America, death from Cholera, scarce money, and the possibility of never being able to call America home. Kirsten dealt first-hand with many of these struggles. Her best friend, Marta, died of Cholera as they were sailing to America. Also, the family did not have the funds for a wagon to carry them and their stuff the remaining distant. Kirsten found herself giving up her possessions so that she could carry items that were necessary for the long haul. Despite all the struggles Kirsten and her family safely arrived at her Uncle’s farm in Minnesota. Kirsten was greeted by her cousin’s who revealed to her that she has friends and family in America, her new home.

I would use this piece of literature in the classroom to reveal the struggles that immigrants faced. I would want students to make connections that it is very likely that their ancestors faced these same trials in order to have a better life for themselves and their family. I think it would be neat if the students wrote a letter to these ancestors thanking them for coming to America even though it was risky.

Nancy Drew: Global Warning by Stefan Petrucha, Illustrations by Sho Murase--(Graphic Novel)

Nancy Drew has caught herself in another mystery to solve in this exciting Graphic Novel. She is on a tour of Bio-Domes that have been created by the environmentalist Cheri Goale; in these domes the climate is controlled so that each dome supports its own climate that works independent of the world outside of it. Nancy caught herself in the rainforest one minute and the mountains just a few footsteps away. On the tour Nancy and some friends discover that mold has developed in the rain forest Bio-Dome and is corroding everything inside. As she was exploring this mold another mystery came to be; a creature resembling Big Foot appears in the mold infested Bio-Dome. Through further investigations of where this mold is coming from and how the creature got into the sealed Bio-Dome, Nancy is faced with other mythical creatures such as the Abominable Snowman. As she was chasing this creature she noticed that it shrunk in size when it swam to escape her. Her suspicions led her to question the over-protective environmentalist’s son. Not to her surprise, Cheri Goale’s son, Daniel, had dressed as these creatures to sabotage the Bio-Domes, but why? Nancy learns that Daniel’s motive was to save the Bio-Domes from the press when they learned about where the fuel that powered the Bio-Domes came from. The fuel was illegal and the company that provided it is to blame for it all.

This Graphic Novel could be used in the classroom to illustrate different types of writing; it could also serve as an example when asking students to write their own comic. Graphic Novels and other comic forms of literature would be a good addition to any classroom because it is important to bring forth many types of literature to appeal to all readers. This series would be a good choice because it is a classic and students often like literature that is in series form.

Lilly's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff-- (Historical Fiction) CHAPTER

Lilly’s Crossing is a World War II story told from the view of an American. Every summer Lilly goes to Rockaway, New York to stay with her grandmother; in past summers she spent all her time with her friend Margaret. This summer is different though, her father is not there, Margaret has moved away, and Lilly is forced to be friends with a mysterious boy named Albert who escaped the war in Hungary. Lilly has always been known to tell lies, which explains her lack of friends. One day Lilly lies to Albert and mentions that they both can take a boat to sea and get on a ship to Europe to find her father and Albert’s sister who is somewhere in Europe. Albert is so excited by the idea because he can find his abandoned sister. When Lilly realizes that this lie is different and much more emotional than past ones, she tells Albert the truth. He is devastated and decides to go alone without anyone knowing. Lilly realizes what he has done when she spots a small boat in the distant. Safe and sound they both find another way to communicate with their family members. Albert has an address for where to find his sister and Lilly decodes her father’s location. They send a letter to Lilly’s father in hope that he can get to Albert’s sister. Unsure until the end, the reader learns that Albert and his sister, Lilly and her father, are all reunited in Rockaway for the following summer.

I would use this book in the classroom in conjunction with a World War II story told from the point of view of someone in Europe. For example, I would read from both Lilly’s Crossing and Number the Stars by Louis Lowery and have students compare and contrast life in Europe and in America during World War II.

Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor, Illustrated by Max Ginsburg--(Historical Fiction)

This post civil war story skims issues related to segregation of races that occurred in Mississippi. A young boy named Jeremy has grown up in a white household that has many prejudices about blacks. His father will publicly discriminate against blacks but, Jeremy sees these people as significant beings just as himself. Jeremy hangs out at his father’s store, which is right near the bus stop. One day Jeremy notices that a lot of people are traveling by bus and approaches a black family at the stop. They say that their grandma is going to help with a relative that is sick and they are there to send her on her way. The grandchildren leave before the bus departs to go make their milk delivery and Jeremy follows. On the way, they notice that the river is up at the bridge. Jeremy makes his way back to the store and notices that the bus is still there. He hears shouting from the bus driver and sees that the blacks are having to get off the bus to make room for the white people; every black person including the Grandma that he met at the stop. Jeremy sees another black acquaintance, Josias, get shoved off the bus and flee from the scene. Jeremy follows him, hoping his father will not notice, and makes it to the bridge in time to see the bus pass. As the bus is making its way over the flooded bridge it looses control and spins into the river. Ironically, the bus full of white people is planted upside down in the river. Josias dove in and began getting the passengers out of the water. He noticed that none of the victims were moving; they were dead. All the white passengers have died in the crash. Jeremy and Josias stayed near the river all day even though he had been judged so harshly because of his race by that very bus driver and passengers.

I would use this book to introduce topics of segregation and typical life for an African American living in this time. I would use this book with a mature audience of students because strong prejudice terms are used in the book to emphasize the stereotypes of blacks.

A Story A Story Written and Illustrated by Gail E. Haley--(Multicultural)

A Story A Story is a tale from Africa which explains how stories came to be. This African tale uses native language and beautiful drawings to describe the culture in which the story is about. This tale is a ‘spider story’; many African tales are referred to by this title because the ‘spider man’ released these tales from the sky god. The main character, Ananse is the ‘spider man’ himself. This tale describes how Ananse bartered with the sky god for stories to be released from being locked up in the sky. Ananse used his gift of making webs and spun one high into the sky to meet with the sky god. There, the sky god demanded that he receive a tiger, hornets, and a fairy as a price for the stories. This ‘spider tale’ goes on to tell how Ananse fought these creatures and tied them in his web as a trade to the sky god. Ananse outwitted each one of these powerful creatures and offered them to the sky god. Success of small creatures against powerful ones by using wit is a theme throughout most ‘spider stories’. The sky god loved his gifts and had his nobles come out for a celebration as he released stories to every place on earth. And that is how stories came to be!

I would use this book in my classroom to introduce the African culture. The language and drawings all are reflections of this culture. Phrases that are specific to African language are used; for example, when something is really small in Africa they may use repetition and write 'small' multiple times. It would be neat to use this as a resource for identifying how other cultures use literary tools such as repetition.

Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, Ilustrated by Ted Rand--(Multicultural)

This Native American story is about a grandfather telling a young boy about a story he loves to hear; it is his story. The Grandfather tells his Grandsons birth and his struggle to survive in his small feeble body. The worried Grandfather knew he was close to death and took him to see the sunrise but, the baby never opened his eyes. A herd of blue horses stopped at the baby and brought life to him. He raised his arms to the blue horses and was named “Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses”. At that moment the boy grew strong. The Blue Horses gave him power to overcome. The boy was born with a “dark curtain in front of [his] eyes” which created obstacles for the boy. But the strength that he gained from the blue horses gave him the ability to feel the sky on his face and even race his horse. He overcame obstacles because he had the power of the blue horses and trusted his blindness. As the story of the boy’s life comes to an end a knot is tied on a rope; this is used to let the boy know that he knows the story by heart once the rope is full of knots because his Grandfather will not be there forever to tell the story he loves so deeply.

I would use this book in a classroom discussion about inferences. This book never says that the boy is blind but makes several hints. For instance, blindness is referred to as a dark curtain and there is mention that he has to count the gallops that the horse makes as he trusts that it will take him back home.

My Name Is Yoon by Helen Recorvits, Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska (Multicultural)

This is a light-hearted story about a girl that moved from Korea to the Unites States. This girls name is Yoon. That is how it looks in English at least; in Korean her name is much more beautiful on paper and all the characters seem to work together to form her name rather than having independent letters like in the English language. Yoon did not like writing her new name, even though it still meant “Shining Wisdom” and throughout the story learns new words in the English language that she would like to be identified by. On the first day of school she learns about cats; therefore, she wants to be called CAT. When a classmate heard that she wanted to be called CAT she laughed; Yoon wanted to be back in Korea. That evening Yoon wanted her teacher to like her so she drew a picture of a bird and the following day wanted to be called BIRD. The teacher warmly accepts the drawing and new name which makes Yoon feel better about living in the United States. The following school day a classmate approaches Yoon with a cupcake; once again, Yoon has a new name. At home that evening Yoon told her parents about her new friend and how she liked her teacher and even thought about how her new home was not so bad. Then, Yoon had the opportunity to write her name on a piece of paper at school and she wrote YOON. The teacher grabbed Yoon and hugged her. She had been accepted by classmates and her teacher and felt confident to be called by her name that meant “Shining Wisdom”.

I would use this book in a classroom during the first days of class to promote acceptance of other cultures. This book does a good job of illustrating and describing textually the feelings from a child that is new in the United States and does not speak the native language. Students can quickly pickup on the theme that by accepting students from diverse cultures they are give that person a sense of self worth.

Goosebumps: Ghost Beach by R.L. Stine-- (Science Fiction) CHAPTER

Ghost Beach is a horror story about a pair of siblings, Jerry and Terry, which stay with their distant old cousins for a month in a haunted town in New Jersey. While playing on the beach one evening Jerry and Terry meet three friends. They ask their new friends about a cave that they discovered and notice that they grow very anxious to get off the topic but, mention the word ghost. Through this adventure R.L. Stine takes his readers into the creepy cave to discover that an old ghost lives there. According to their new friends, this ghost that Jerry and Terry met has haunted this town since the 1600’s and they all must work together to rid of him. Jerry and Terry are puzzled because the ghost in the cave gave them warning that their three friends are actually the ghosts. Jerry and Terry come up with a plan to catch the real ghost by trapping it in the cave. While the plan was in action a dog came upon them and started barking ferociously at the three friends; Jerry and Terry were told that dogs recognize ghosts. Excited about solving the mystery and trapping the ghost, Jerry and Terry run to their distant relative’s house to tell their story. All until a dog stumbled to the house and started barking at their distant cousins.

I would use this book in the classroom to talk about how authors use different writing styles to build suspense. In this story R.L. Stine is very descriptive and uses language that makes the reader feel as if they are in the story with the ghost, such as onomatopoeia.

What To Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley, Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Biography)

This is a book about Alice Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter. Alice was not like other ladies of her time. She craved fun, adventure, and excitement rather than being concerned about poise and being proper. Instead of playing with the girls, Alice joined an all-boys club and even disguised the members as females so she could play with them in public. She also drove a runabout while other ladies rode in carriages. Theodore had had enough and demanded that Alice attend boarding school. Alice did not agree to her father’s punishment and told him that she would learn by spending hours in his library. Indeed, Alice learned many subjects on her own and even grew curious about politics. With this growing curiosity, Alice took a boat with the American delegation to Asia concerning a peace treaty. While on the trip Alice found a fiancé and brought him back to the states and was married soon after. Alice suggested that for wedding presents she wanted trinkets; she received: snakes, hay, cakes, and the pet monkey she dreamed of. Although Alice grew better behaved as she became more involved in her fathers Presidential term, she still wanted to have fun and be adventurous.

I would use this book in my classroom to illustrate how expectations for gender roles have changed over time. This book talks about the expectations for females in the early 1900’s and how Alice deviated from those. I would want students to compare these expectations to today’s.

Anne Frank by Susanna Davidson-- (Biography) CHAPTER

Anne Frank is a biography about a young Jewish girl who suffered under Hitler’s Power. This story includes real pictures from events described in the book as well as diary entries from Anne Frank. Anne and her family moved from Germany to Amsterdam in hopes of escaping the Nazi party. Anne was very grateful for her “free life” in her new home, away from the Nazis. Though with time, the Nazis flooded the streets of Anne’s new home and made all the Jews register and identify them by wearing gold stars. In order for the family to be safe, especially Anne’s sister who had been called to go to a concentration camp, they had to go into hiding. Two years went by living in hiding and Anne began to write in a diary. The Franks and those living in the Annex were not safe forever, they were discovered and arrested and sent to the concentration camp named Auschwitz-Birkenau. The sites and stench of this camp lead Anne to the realization that she was in a death camp. Separated from her father and eventually her mother, Anne and her sister worked and scarped for food. Diseases struck the camp and affected her sister, soon Anne and her sister died from Typhus. Of the members of Anne’s family, only her father survived the concentration camps. The diary that Anne wrote in during the events was given to her father and published two years later. Anne will never be forgotten and her Birthday, June 12 is known as Anne Frank Day.

I would use this book in my classroom to illustrate to kids how a young girl persevered when everything seemed to go wrong. I would also use this book to introduce heroes around the world.

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Biography)

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King skims the life and reason why people celebrate a day in memory of Martin Luther King Jr. The story begins by giving information about when and where he was born followed with information about when he first became a leader. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of peace. He changed unjust laws, which are like rules the book states. The story which beautifully depicts his life and leadership explains exactly which laws Martin Luther King Jr. changed. For example, he thought it was unfair for black people to sit in the back and had to sacrifice their seat for white people. Therefore, he and his friend Rosa Parks decided to find a way to do away with this law. With his success of changing this law and others that were unfair, we have a day of celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.

I would use this book to illustrate heroes in American History. Also, this book does a good job of revealing how one person can greatly impact a nation which will expose students to setting high goals.

The Bunyans by Audrey Wood, Illustrated by David Shannon (Folk)

The Bunyans is an extension to the traditional American tall tale, Paul Bunyan. This tall tale is not only about Paul Bunyan but, includes stories about his wife and two children. In this story Paul and his family impact the land just as he did himself when he cleared the land for settlers. This tall tale gives many explanations for what many think to be natural land formations. For example, one may think that geysers were naturally formed but, according to this story the geysers in Wyoming were formed when mama Bunyan used her pickax to make huge holes in the earth so that the warm water that rose could be used to clean dishes and provide warm water. The Bunyan’s lifestyle continually impacts the land throughout this story and goes on to explain how and why Niagara Falls, the Rockies, and many other formations were created.

I would use this book to provide examples of great American tall tales. This book is a great representation of a tall tale because the teacher can easily reveal how unreasonable it is for a giant family to exist and create huge land formations such as Bryce Canyon.

Horrible Harry and the Ant Invation by Suzy Kline, Ilustrated by Frank Remkiewicz-- (Fiction) CHAPTER

This children’s chapter book is all about a mischievous second grader, Harry, who is a legend for his “horribleness”. This story begins with Harry plotting ways to be horrible with the new science unit about Ants. Harry loves bugs and other icky things that aide in his “horribleness”. He slyly gets his hands on the ants and adds them as a topping to the school receptionist’s Banana Yogurt and gets away with it. The story goes on to tell about Harry getting revenge on a classmate for bumping heads with his crush Song Lee during dance. After Harry pours ice down his classmates back he learns that he is a victim of revenge himself. Will Harry be blamed for killing the class fish; an act that his classmate sets him up for with Harry’s horrible reputation in mind?

I would use this book in a classroom when learning about respect. Harry and his classmates constantly model ways of disrespecting each other and students in my classroom could learn what is labeled disrespectful.

The Giver by Lois Lowry-- (Modern Fantasy) CHAPTER

This is a classic modern fantasy that reveals ideas of being completely governed. In the book Jonas and the people of his community experience life that is controlled by a group of Elders. Citizens of this community do not see colors, experience sunshine, love, or pain. When each citizen reaches their twelfth year he or she is assigned a role in the Community; Jonas is reaching his twelfth year; what will his role be? He has no clue, but he knows that the Elders have been watching him. He has not simply been given a role but has been chosen to be The Receiver of Memories, an honorable role. In his adventure of becoming The Receiver, Jonas experiences memories he has never known from a man with the role as The Giver. He learns that he has been kept from pain, death, love, and family. Jonas’ selflessness drives him to escape from the community so that they too can experience such feelings. In his escape he brings along a child who is about to be put to death or in the communities terms 'released'. In the end of the book the reader finds that Jonas and the child are experiencing memories that Jonas received from The Giver. As Jonas' memories that were given to him are slipping, he can only hope that his family and citizens of the community are experiencing the world outside of what the Elders decide.

This story could be used in a classroom of students to help celebrate their differences because the dullness of being the same is a constant theme throughout the story. I would have students write reflections about their feelings of living in a world of 'sameness'.