Judy Moody Gets Famous! is written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds.
- Suggested Grade Level: 1st-3rd Grade. This is a transitional book. There are pictures every few pages and the text is quite large and relatable for lower elemenary students.
- Summary: Judy Moody is a realistic fiction book for kids that starts with a "Who's Who" page of characters. It includes pictures of all the main characters for the reader to refer to or visualize. Judy is an energetic, fun loving 3rd grader who is always getting herself into trouble. This time she is trying to find a way to "get famous" because she finds that all her friends have had their picture in the paper, except her!
- Classroom Skills & Strategies:
- Students will make Text to Text, Text to Self, and Text to World Connections while reading the book.
- Individually, create an idea for how Judy Moody could have "gotten famous" with illustrations.
- ESOL Strategies/Applications:
- The illustrations in the book help scaffold the student's understanding.
- Sketch to Stretch strategy where small groups draw pictures or diagrams of what the story means to them.
- Read Aloud: Page 31-39. These pages chronicle Judy in her Science class as she accidently flings a meal worm across the room. It lands in arch nemesis' hair! Judy goes through a range of emotions and has to decide on a moral decision. This segment of the book is funny and so typical of Judy Moody. It will catch the students interest and leave them wanting more.
- Personal Opinion: I liked this book for young readers. I don't know how boys would feel about reading a story so openly based upon a girl but with the read aloud I think that would encourage them that it is not a "girly" story. Another positive aspect is that students could easily identify with this wide range of characters.
The Hunger Games is a fantasy book written by Suzanne Collins.
- Suggested Grade Level: 6th-8th Grade. The violent nature of this book would not be appropriate for any grades younger than 6th, specifically later 6th grade. The idea of a dystopia may be hard for a elementary school to grasp as well.
- Summary:This suspensful book is set in a place that used to be North America but now consists of 12 districts. They are strictly run by the Capitol and reminds them of that by having each district send a boy and a girl "tribute" to fight to the death in a arena for all to watch. This happens once a year and is done on a lottery system. The main character Katniss becomes someone you are pulling for and love as she becomes a contendor to win the "Games."
- Clasroom Skills and Strategies:
- The class could do an open minded portrait of one of the main characters from the book to visualize and reflect on him or her. They would draw a portrait focusing on the head of a character and instead of facial features they would write word or draw pictures representing the character's thinking.
- This would be a great book for students to engage in Grand Conversations. The book is so action packed that the students could really get involved talking about characters, plot, themes, etc. The teacher can also focus the group in on certain aspects.
- ESOL Strategies/Applications:
- Create a timeline that includes all of the major events in the story and create illustrations to go with them.
- Students will create dioramas which would be a 3D scene from the text to display a particular scene or part of the book.
- Read Aloud: Pages 19-25 because it is the part of the story where Katniss' little sister's name is called to be in the "Hunger Games." It introduces a few of the characters and is one of the most important parts of the story. This would leave the class on the edge of their seat wanting to know what happes more!
- Personal Opinion: I could not put this book down. It is one of my favorite books of all time. If I had the opportunity to read this in middle school I would have really become interested in reading and viewed it as something fun to do not something I had to do for school. Middle school is a time when a lot of kids turn away from reading but this book would get them interested and excited about it!
Seven Blind Mice was written and illustrated by Ed Young.
- Suggested Grade Level: Kindergarten-3rd Grade.The vocabulary is simple enough for younger children but the theme could be expanded upon for older grades.
- Summary: This story is about seven blind mice who are arguing about what something is they found at the lake. It isn't until the final mouse completely explores the whole thing that they know and agree about what it is. The black background sets the mood for the story of the blind mice, being that they are in the "dark." The spoken theme written at the end is that wisdom comes from "seeing the whole."
- Classroom Skills & Strategies:
- Shared Reading
- Create learning centers based on the book including feeling centers (boxes with holes where kids put hands in without seeing and guess what's in the box), pretend there is an 8th mouse and have them write a page about the 8th mouse thinks/feels, crossword puzzle to practice new vocabulary, etc.
- ESOL Strategies/Applications:
- Brainstorm in small groups what could have been by the pond if it wasn't an elephant given the descriptions the mice give.
- Classify the parts of the elephant the mice were describing one by one.
- Read Aloud: All
- Personal Opinion: I really like this book for the classroom. It could be used to introduce colors, perception and why you shouldn't judge something or someone before knowing all the parts. The distinct contrast between the bright colors of the mice and the background make it dramatic and appealing to the eye. I recommend it!
Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas is written by Cynthia Ryland and illustrated by Sucie Stevenson.
- Suggested Grade Level: 2nd-3rd Grade
- Summary: This story is a Geisel Award winning transitional book that is based on the well known characters Henry and Mudge. They go visit Henry's grandpa in an assisted living facility and take the reader along for the adventure including swimming in "skivvies," grandpas falling asleep and exploring the woods. It is a fun filled story full of laughs and family.
- Classroom Strategies & Skills:
- Independent Reading Choice (SSR)-Transitional book for kids to introduce them to a chapter book.
- Shows students examples of varied sentence structure and the layout of a chapter book.
- ESOL Strategies/Applications:
- Illustrations will help scaffold student's comprehension.
- Create puppets and have the students retell the story with them.
- Read Aloud: I would read pages 5-13 to introduce the setting, the characters and get the children's interests. Page 13 leaves off on the beginning of Henry and Mudge's adventure.
- Personal Opinion: I thought this book was a good book for independent readers who are wanting to take on a little bit more. The book is funny and will keep kids interested while exposing them to more complex sentenes and stories. The series is probably known to many kids so the familiarity of the characters can be comforting to them.
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is written and illustrated by Moricai Gerstein.
- Suggested Grade Level: 1st-5th Grade. The content of the book is appropriate for grades as low as first but could also be used for up to 5th graders because of the multitude of directions and activities that the book could offer.
- Summary: Gerstein takes a historical event and brings it back to life in this interesting, informative picture book. The story chronicles Philippe Petit's journey as he prepares to walk the tight rope between the twin towers. The story grips and surprises the reader and resolves in an unspuspecting way when the judge sentences Petit to perform for the children in the park.
- Clasroom Skills & Strategies:
- The children could write a biography about Philippe Petit.
- The class could make a KWL chart about the World Trade Center.This book would be good for content area reading, ie. social studies or US history.
- ESOL Strategies/Applications:
- Illustrations help scaffold student's comprehension.
- Role Play of all the characters in the book. That could get the whole class active and help them retain the information by acting it out.
- Read Aloud: All
- Personal Opinion: I really enjoy this book because of the nonfiction aspect of it. I think kids would be so shocked and intrigued by the story and the illustrations. The author puts the details of the story in a language they can identify with. The possibilities with The Man Who Walked Between the Towers in the classroom are endless. This is one of my favorite children's books!
Carl's Christmas is written and illustrated by Alexandra Day.
- Suggested Grade Level: Prekindergarten-2nd Grade
- Summary: This picture book has a only a few words. The pictures are the main focus and allow the reader to use their imagination to create their own version of the story. The main characters are the dog Carl, and a baby, whom we go on an adventure with while their parents are out for the night.
- Classroom Skills & Strategies:
- The book could be used in the classroom to get student's imaginations going by telling the story as they see it due to the lack of words. They could create their own words individually or in a group.
- This book can teach students about the importance of illustrations in a story when there are no words.
- ESOL Strategies/Applications:
- The foundation of the story is it's illustrations which break down the language barrier because there are no words.
- The language experience approach could be used to "write" this story.
- Personal Opinion: I really enjoy this book and get something different from it each time I read it. The illustrations are wonderful, it's entertaining, cute and funny. The lack of words allows the reader to interpret the story as they wish.
The Mitten is written and illustrated by Jan Brett.
- Suggested Grade Level: Kindergarten to 4th Grade. The vocbulary and story is simple enough for a kindergartener to understand but other aspects of the book could be used to teach lessons for kids up to 4th grade.
- Summary: This beautifully illustrated book tells a Ukranian folktale about a little boy who wants two white mittens. His grandmother is convinced he will lose them but decides to knit them for him anyway. As the boy goes out to play, he loses one but one by one a group of animals make it their home to keep them warm. The story concludes with the boy finding the mitten on his way home and his grandmother wondering why one is so much bnigger than the other.
- Classroom Skills & Strategies:
- Teach and introduce children to folktalkes from different cultures.
- Teach and label different kinds of animals.
- ESOL Strategies/Applications:
- The teacher can do a picture walk with the book before reading it emphasizing the iIllustrations. This will give the ESOL students a chance to internalize the plot and characters before actually reading the story.
- The student can interact with the Realia relating to the story or Ukranian culture before, after or during the story. (For example: white mittens, stuffed animals, knitting utensils, map showing the location of the Ukraine)
- Read Aloud: All
- Personal Opinion: I really enjoyed this book and think it would be great to use in the classroom. It involves another culture, is a traditional folktale, fun and can easily be used for lessons in varying grades or developmental levels.
