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.