Because of Winn-Dixie

"The kind of book people love to read and tell their friends to read"--The Washington Post

DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge : Candlewick Press.

 Ten year old Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket and comes out not with groceries, but with a dog. She fittingly names the dog Winn-Dixie and the two start their journey together. Opal and her father have just moved to Florida, and Opal finds herself lonely and missing her mother. Because of Winn-Dixie, her father tells her ten things about her mother, one for each year that Opal has been alive. Over the course of the summer, Opal and Winn-Dixie explore their new hometown, meet several new people, and gather information about Opal's mother. Eventually, Opal learns that she needs to let go of her mother and move on with her life. And who better to do that with than with her new best friend, Winn-Dixie?

Reading Level: 610L
Suggested Delivery: 3rd Grade Read Aloud

Electronic Resources:

Discussions: This reading guide gives readers a brief summary of Because of Winn-Dixie, as well as several discussion questions. These questions focus both on literal and inferential comprehension. The guide lists questions in the order the answers are presented or can be interpreted from the book. Several of the questions are a great way to start whole class discussions after reading aloud various sections of the book.

Teacher's Guide: This guide gives a short summary of the book along with information about Kate DiCamillo, the author. It then gives several before, during, and after reading strategies that teachers can implement in their classroom when reading Because of Winn-Dixie. The before reading strategies activate and build prior knowledge necessary to understand the plot of the book. The during reading strategies enable students to make connections with the text, an important skill in inferential comprehension. The after reading section of the guide lists several open-ended questions that relate to the various themes found in the book. The guide then lists activities across the content areas that connect to Because of Winn-Dixie.

Vocabulary:  missionary, exception, wheezed, melancholy, roundabout, pathological, peculiar, identical, imitated, complicated, amuse, notion

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Read the first page of the book aloud. Ask the students whose point of view the story is being told from. How do they know? What can they gather about her from the first page? What do they think will happen to her throughout the rest of the book?
• During Reading: Students make connections with the text. Use a think-pair-share model of discussion. Have students think about a character that they can relate to. Share this information with their partner. They must say why they relate using textual support. 
• After Reading: Complete a popcorn review of the book in which students pop in and out of the discussion. The students will discuss their thoughts of book. 

Inferential Comprehension: Imagine that you are Opal. Write a letter to your mother explaining everything that happened over the summer and how it has effected you. How have you changed from the start of the summer to the end of summer?

Lunch Money

"This hits the jackpot." -- Kirkus Reviews

Clements, A. (2005). Lunch money. New Yourk: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Greg Kenton has always been good at making money, and his money-making competition with Maura only inspires him to make even more money. He soon realizes that kids come to school with extra money everyday, making school seem like a land full of money just for him. If he can come up with a product to sell, he can definitely make more money than Maura. Greg decides to sell small comic books that he writes and illustrates himself. His product starts off as a hit, until Maura begins to sell her own small books. Not only that, but the principle bans the sale of comic books on school grounds. How will Greg earn money and beat Maura in their money-making competition?

Reading Level: 840L
Suggested Delivery: 5th Grade Read Aloud

Electronic Resources:

Questions: This reading guide lists several questions that students can answer before, during, and after they read Lunch Money. Several of the questions have multiple parts which force students to think both literally and inferentially. These questions can be answered in a class discussion during reading. Several of the questions give students the opportunity to make text-to-self connections, as they are asked to compare the actions and feelings of certain characters to those of themselves. This guide also lists activities and research that students can complete. Because the book deals with money, several of the activities relate to math. Therefore, this book can be used in multiple content areas.

Cross Content Areas: This reading guide provides examples of how Lunch Money can be used in multiple content areas--language arts, math, and social studies. Teachers can use this book to address several content areas in their curriculum. This will help keep students motivated to keep up with the reading because if they do not, they will be behind in multiple areas. This also enables students to transfer their knowledge from one content area to another, an important skill to possess. Students will be able to take what they have learned from the reading and apply it to all aspects of their day.

Vocabulary:  percent, consumer, finance, expense, interest, monopoly, producer, economics, investment, supply and demand, goods, savings account

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading:  Students create vocabulary cards based on the key terms found in Lunch Money. These cards can contain the word, definition, example, and picture to represent the word. This will help build students' background knowledge about economics, a prominent topic throughout the book.
• During Reading: Students complete a character grid about Greg and Maura. They fill in information about their physical appearance, their thoughts and actions, what they think about the other characters, and how others view them.
• After Reading: Using the character grid, write a script from either Greg's or Maura's point of view. Discuss their attitudes towards money and how they plan to make money at school. How do they feel about each other? Use this script to create a voki.

Inferential Comprehension: How have Greg's and Maura's attitudes about money changed from the beginning of the book to the end? Explain.

Rules

"An absorbing tale about valuing people even when it's difficult." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

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

"RULES FOR DAVID
If the bathroom door is closed, knock! (especially if Catherine has a friend over).
Say thank you when someone gives you a present (even if you don't like it).
Don't stand in front of the TV when other people are watching it.
A boy takes off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts.
Some people think they know who you are, when really they don't.
No toys in the fishtank."

Catherine's brother has autism, and although she loves him, she is embarrassed by his actions and feels as though she gets no attention from her parents. In order to make her life easier, she has developed a list of rules for him to follow. Yet even with these rules, she still finds that life with a disabled brother is difficult. She is dragged to all of his therapy sessions and forced to sit in the waiting room. While there, she meets Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic, and befriends him. She designs word cards that he can point to in order to communicate with others. While learning about Jason and dealing with her brother, Catherine learns that she should not be ashamed of their disabilities, but should value them for who they are as people.

Reading Level: 780L
Suggested Delivery: Whole group, small groups, or individual read

Electronic Resources:

"Behind the Book": This site features an article written by Cynthia Lord about her inspirations for Rules. She based many of the characters found in the book on people she has met over the course of her life. Once she knew who all of her characters were going to be, she wrote the first line of the book: "At our house, we have a rule." As soon as she wrote those words, she knew exactly what the book was going to be about. She continues to discuss her writing and the journey she took to write Rules. The site also has links to websites about special needs. There are sites about autism, being a sibling of someone with autism, as well as links to lesson plans that deal with this diverse situation. Students can use the information provided by these links to better understand autism and how it affects everyone involved.

Discussion: This discussion guide provides questions for before and during reading conversations. The before reading questions give readers the opportunity to make text-to-self connections as several questions ask about what rules they must follow and what rules they think the book is going to discuss. The guide divides the during reading questions into three categories: the beginning of the book--a story begins with a character and a problem, the middle--in a story, conflict escalates, and the ending--a story leads to a climax and a resolution. These questions are aimed at inferential comprehension, forcing students to look for deeper meaning within the text. The guide also lists books that can be compared and contrasted with Rules, giving students the opportunity to make text-to-text connections.

Vocabulary: Morse-code, autism, coma, quarrels, occupational therapy, scrawl, bowlegged, poised, varmint, scuffle, tolerant

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Complete the K and W sections of a KWL chart based on students' prior knowledge of autism. This will activate their prior knowledge because they have to discuss what they already know about the disability. This will also serve as a way to get them focused on the material because it sets a purpose for reading. When they fill in the W section with questions they want to answer as they read, they will read the book with the purpose of discovering those answers.
• During Reading: Students can compare the rules that Catherine has created for her brother to the rules that they must follow at home. Are any of the rules the same? Are they different? Why do you think they are different?
• After Reading: Students fill in the L section of the KWL chart started before reading. This will demonstrate their comprehension of the text because they have to use textual support in order to answer their questions and fill in the section.

Inferential Comprehension:  How does art and communication create a relationship between characters throughout the book?

Twelve

"Lighthearted and well-observed novel" -- Publishers Weekly

Myracle, L. (2008). Twelve. New York: Puffin Books.

Lauren Myrcale's Twelve follows Winnie Perry's journey of being twelve and turning thirteen. Many readers are already familiar with Winnie, as she is the star of Myrale's Ten, Eleven, Thirteen, and Thirteen Plus One. Now that Winnie is twelve, she does not know whether she is a child or adult. She finds herself struggling with growing up because she wants to be a carefree kid, but she also finds that she does not want to be treated like a kid anymore. Readers follow her as she deals with typical pre-teen problems--boys, friends, and family relationships. Will she find the happy medium of childhood and adulthood?

Reading Level: 640L
Suggested Delivery: Independent read

Electronic Resources:

Discussions: This website has plenty of discussion topics for readers to think about. The first page features a "Which Character Are You?" quiz, which young readers will enjoy completing. They can then continue down the page and look over the questions for mothers and daughters to answer together. This book introduces girls to puberty, boys, and relationship issues. For many, this may be the first time they have heard about these topics. The questions are an easy way for mothers and daughters to discuss these somewhat awkward topics. There is a brief interview with Lauren Myracle, in which she discusses major themes of her books, how she comes up with the ideas for her books, and her writing process. The website also has bookmarks for each book in the series that can be cut out. Each bookmark has a summary of the book on the front and discussion questions on the back. This website can be used both during and after reading any of the book in the Winnie series.

Podcast: This podcast on ReadWriteThink features an interview with Lauren Myracle. She discusses each of the books in the Winnie series. She talks about the funny moments in the books and what she was inspired by when writing the books. She also discusses the backlash that she has received for the content found within her books. She states that although her books do address controversial topics, they are topics that all young girls will encounter in their lives. She believes that reading about these issues in literature makes readers feel more comfortable and opens the door for discussion.

Vocabulary: loon, banquet, enriching, subtly, sashayed, rapt, abashed, kindling, restriction, staggered, sassy, aloofness, plethora, nudging, martyred, unveil, benevolently


Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Students complete an anticipation guide to get their minds interested and focused on the reading that is to come. The anticipation guide can include Yes/No and True/False answers that have to do with growing up. 
• During Reading: Students can complete a Venn diagram in which they compare themselves to Winnie. As they read about everything that Winnie encounters, they can determine whether they have had a different experience or can directly relate to Winnie. This is a great opportunity for text-to-self connections.
• After Reading: Students can write a poem for two voices using the Venn diagram they completed during reading. The poem will be from the voice of Winnie and themselves. Although the voices have been assigned, they can choose to write the poem about any topic they want. They can choose to write from both perspectives about an event that happened in the book, or an event that happened to them and how they think that Winnie would have reacted.

Inferential Comprehension: (from the "Discussions" electronic resource) Cinnamon is sometimes mean to Dinah, which Winnie usually picks up on. Why do you think Winnie never says anything? If you were Winnie, would you stand up for Dinah? Explain.

Summerhouse Time

"A fun breezy read, perfect for a preteen summer" -- School Library Journal

Spinelli, E., & Vriethoff, J. (2007). Summerhouse time. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

"Every year:
A rented pink cottage full of family,
sand and sun—
Summerhouse Time.
Morning trips to the donut shop,
fish fry dinners, swapping stories—
Summerhouse Time.
Mom and Dad, dancing on the beach.
Sophie and her cousins, riding the waves.
Every year:
Summerhouse Time."

Every year Sophie's family takes the same summer vacation. This year, although they are at the same house with the same people, something feels different to Sophie. Her cousin will not talk to her, her dad seems distant, and her cat runs away. Through the short verse poetry, readers follow Sophie as she tries to turn her summer vacation around and bring back "summerhouse time."

Reading Level: Lexile N/A; Reading Level: 5.3
Suggested Delivery: Small group or independent read

Electronic Resources:

Poetry Tips: Summerhouse Time is written in a series of poems. Students may find it helpful to look at this website full of tips on writing poetry. There is a list of twenty hints that students can keep in mind when they are brainstorming topics for a poem or while they are actively writing them. It also discusses what to do if you are struggling with a poem. It suggests writing sentences about your topic as if you were writing a narrative. They can then cut out all unnecessary words, leaving only those with the most meaning. The site also has a list of important things to remember when writing poems. For example, a poem does not have to be too long, too serious or too funny. This website can be helpful for students because it introduces them to writing poetry. They can think about the information as they read the book.

Eileen Spinelli: This link will bring students to author Eileen Spinelli's website. They can click on links to bring them to various pages about her and her work. The homepage of the website looks like a collage with all of the covers to the books she has written. Students can click on a book cover to find out more information about that particular book. There are also links to poems, FAQs, and writing tips which students may find helpful.

Vocabulary: pneumonia, clatters, caravan

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Have students analyze the text structure of Summerhouse Time. Discuss how it differs from a narrative. Why do they think the author chose to write the book in verse?
• During Reading: Students can fill out a graphic organizer comparing Sophie's previous summer vacations to this year's vacation.
• After Reading: Using the graphic organizer, students can create a voki from Sophie's point of view. They can discuss why this summer is different from previous summers. They can also say what they would have done to change the mood of the vacation and have more fun.

Inferential comprehension: If you were on vacation with Sophie's family, what would you have done to get everyone to have fun? Discuss what everyone was mad/sad about and how you would have helped them through it so that they could enjoy their vacation.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

"With engaging characters and delightful art, Hereville is pure enchantment" -- School Library Journal

Deutsch, B., & Richmond, J. (2010). Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. New York: Amulet Books.

Eleven year-old Mirka is not interested in learning her family's traditions, like knitting or finding the perfect husband, from her family members. She does, however, want to learn to fight fire-breathing dragons. In order to practice the skills needed to beat these menacing beasts, Mirka fights bullies and takes on a giant, evil pig. After taking down the pig, she gets a challenge from a witch: if she defeats a troll, she will get a dragon slaying sword--the one thing she needs to accomplish her goals of defeating a fire-breathing dragon. The only person who can tell her how to beat the troll is her grandmother. Will she finally take advice from her family and get the sword of her dreams?


Reading Level: GN380L
Suggested Delivery: Independent read

Electronic Resources:

Welcome to Hereville: This website provides students with several sources of information about Hereville. It has a summary of the book, along with a "cast of characters." There is a drawing of each character found in the graphic novel and a little blurb about them. This will be helpful to students prior to reading--they will become familiar with the characters they are about to encounter. It also has a preview of fifteen pages of the novel. Students can use this as an interest survey before they read  to determine whether they would like to read the whole book. The website also has a link to a page of reviews about the book. Along the sidebar, there are more links, one of which is a link to the cartoonist's webpage. These links give students background knowledge they need to read the book, as well as a way to interact with technology.

The Original: This website features an electronic version of the original comic Hereville is based on. Students can read both versions and compare and contrast them.

Vocabulary: Hashem, ecological, conceded, pious, irritable, assaulted, Shabbos, kindle, mollify, brute, dybbuk, rancid, castanets, slay, innovation, spontaneity, travesty (other Yiddish/Jewish words are defined at the bottom of each page)

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Students complete an anticipation guide. The guide can include true/false and yes/no questions about comics, graphic novels, and Jewish traditions. This will activate the prior knowledge necessary to comprehend the text. It will also build curiosity and anticipation of what is to come in the book.
• During Reading: Students can look at and analyze the text structure of the graphic novel. This can be done at any point of the novel because each page is set up like a comic. They can compare the structure of graphic novels and more linear pieces of writing. Students can compare not only the appearance and presentation of text and images, but how the storyline itself may differ between the two.
• After Reading: Students can apply what they have learned about comic books and graphic organizers as they create their own comic strip using the Comic Book Creator, found at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/index.html. 

Inferential Comprehension: Why is Mirka able to defeat the pig and the troll? What heroic qualities does she posses?

Waiting for Normal

 “A heroine with spunk and spirit offers an inspiring lesson in perseverance and hope. First-rate.” -- Kirkus Reviews

Connor, L. (2008). Waiting for normal. New York: Katherine Tegen Books.

Addie lives with Mommers, her unstable, "all or nothing" mother, in a trailer on the corner of a busy street in Schenectady, NY. Although her beloved stepfather does his best to support Addie, his ex-wife, and their two young children, his visits to Addie are few and far between. Mommers leaves her for days at a time, forcing Addie to fend for herself and "wait for normal." She seeks out supportive adult relationships, and finds it with the owner of the mini mart across the street. When the owner passes away, Addie is once again on her own with no adults to look up to. After visiting her stepfather and his new family, she is once again reminded of the normalcy she will never have living with Mommers. However, when her stepfather finds out about Mommers' lack of parenting, he does everything to get custody of Addie. Will he get her back and give Addie the normal life she has been waiting for?


Reading Level: 570L
Suggested Delivery: Small group or independent read

Electronic Resources:

Reader's Guide: This reading guide can be used before, during, or after reading Waiting for Normal. It gives readers a brief summary of the novel, along with hooks that can be used to get a reader's attention. The source gives some information about the author, including a link to her website and a list of other books she has written. It also lists the themes found within Waiting for Normal, and other books with the same themes. This will make it easy for students who enjoyed this book, to find similar books and keep reading. Finally, the source has a long list of writing prompts and discussion questions that can be completed after reading.

Discussions: This reading guide is similar to the first electronic resource. It has information about the author, Leslie Connor, as well as a summary of Waiting for Normal.  It also lists questions that students can answer during and after reading the book. Unlike the previous resource, these questions are more aimed at inferential comprehension then literal comprehension. This source also includes an interview with Leslie Connor, in which she discusses her inspirations for Waiting for Normal.

Vocabulary: dingy, reprobate, morally, unprincipled, piccolo, assimilate, condensed, exquisite, squelch, scrunched, resilient, meticulous


Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Throughout Waiting for Normal, Addie describes her mother's behavior as being very erratic and, often, "all or nothing." Her moods and behaviors constantly change. Addie hints that her mother suffers from bipolar disorder, a disorder which can cause drastic mood swings and unstable behaviors. Although there are signs the her mother has this disorder, a young reader may not understand what that means. A guest speaker could come in and discuss what bipolar disorder is and how it affects not only the person suffering from it, but those who are around that person as well. This will give students the background knowledge they need to understand Addie's situation. Learning this also helps students understand why this novel represents diversity. 
• During Reading: After learning about bipolar, students can complete graphic organizers in which they record Mommers' bipolar behaviors. They can also complete a graphic organizer with the behaviors of other characters. Once both have been completed, they can compare and contrast the behaviors of the two characters.
• After Reading: Give students copies of several pages of the novel. Ask them to identify the important words on the page. These words should relate to the overall themes and messages of the book. Students circle these words and then blackout the rest of the page. With only the important words legible, the students have created a found poem about the novel. 

Inferential Comprehension: How has living with a mentally disabled adult affected Addie? How does she react to her mother's behavior? Why does she defend her? What would you do if you were Addie?

Dear Mr. Henshaw

"A first-rate, poignant story ... a lovely, well-crafted, three-dimensional work." -- The New York Times Book Review

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, N.Y.: Scholastic Inc.

Leigh Botts, a second grader, writes a list of questions to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, in order to complete a school assignment.Mr. Henshaw answers the questions and asks Leigh some of his own. Through Leigh's answers, the reader learns about his personal life and struggles he faces. As Leigh writes his answers, he learns that he cannot change some things in his life, but must accept them instead.

Reading Level: 910L
Suggested Delivery: Small Group

Electronic Resources:

Dear (author): This website gives students various activities they can complete after reading Dear Mr. Henshaw. One activity asks readers to answer a few questions about their favorite author. It asks questions such as: Which of the author's books have you read? Which was your favorite? Why? Students can use their answers to compose a letter to that author.

Discussion Questions: This website offers several activities students can complete. It also has questions that can be answered in student journals. There are questions for every 10-15 pages. This can be used to keep students focused on their reading. If they know they need to answer questions periodically, they may be more willing to read carefully.

Vocabulary: idiom, mobile home, flat beds, gondola, potluck, demonstration, duplex, splendid, interstate, postage, wrath, prose, snoop, canape, loner, broker, halyard, nuisance, mimeographed, fictitious, refinery

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: (Text impression/text structure). Flip through the book and ask students what they think the book is going to be about. Is it laid out differently than other books they have read? Does that change the possible meaning of the text? Discuss when and how letters are used. Are they written differently than other forms of writing?
• During Reading: As students read and gain knowledge about various characters in the book, have them complete a character graphic organizer. They can include physical traits, a character's behavior, thoughts, or any other information they discover through Leigh's writing. 
• After Reading: Create a voki from the point of view of one the characters from the graphic organizer. Use the information in the graphic organizer to write a script from the character's point of view. Leigh Voki

Inferential Comprehension: How does answering Mr. Henshaw's questions help Leigh? What does he discover about himself?

Julia's Kitchen

"Major themes about grief and healing are beautifully addressed in what turns out to be a strong debut novel." -- Booklist

Ferber, B. A. (2006). Julia's kitchen. New York : Farrar,Straus and Giroux.

When Cara gets the phone call that her mom and sister died in a house fire, questions start spinning through her mind. Why was her dad the only one to survive? Would she have been able to save them had she been home? Soon, she finds her life changing. Her dad won't talk to her about what happened, her friends grow tired of talking to her about it, and she is left home alone to fend for herself each night. As she struggles to find answers, Cara decides to continue her mom's cookie catering business, Julia's Kitchen. She finds comfort and a sense of closeness with her mom each time the smell of cookies swirls throughout the kitchen. Will the cookies bring all the pieces of her life back together?

Reading Level: 620L
Suggested Delivery: Small group or independent read

Electronic Resources:

The Writing Process: This website features an interview with the author of Julia's Kitchen, Brenda Ferber. She discusses her writing process and openly admits that she began writing because writing helped her understand things. Throughout the interview, she discusses how she approaches writing, how she gets through periods of writer's block, and the parts of writing she enjoys the most. Students can use this site to gain an understanding of how they can approach their writing. They can develop a relationship with a real-life author.

Reading Guide: This teacher's guide features a brief summary of the book, discussion questions students can answer, and activities they can complete. It also has links to websites students can go to for more information.

Vocabulary: griddle, smothered, gasp, morbid, synagogue, pestering, captions, caskets, flitting, rabbi, shabbot, challah, composition, mezuzot, Hebrew, affixed, stupor

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Discuss various Jewish traditions. What do they mean and why are they observed?
• During Reading: Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Cara and her family's traditions with the traditions of your family.
• After Reading: Think about the relationship between Cara and her father now that Cara's mother and sister have passed away. Think about why he will not talk to her about what happened. Why does Cara accept this and try to cope with the loss on her own? Write a poem for two voices from these two perspectives using this information.

Inferential Comprehension: Why does Cara want to continue her mom's business?

Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf

"Combines honesty and humor to create a believable and appealing voice." -- School Library Journal

Holm, J. L. (2007). Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Ginny enters seventh grade with a list of things she wishes to accomplish, including going to Florida to see her grandpa, scoring the lead in the play, and making new friends. She did not, however, plan on on dying her hair pink, losing the lead in the play to her ex-best friend, or losing touch with her brother. As readers look through journal entries, receipts, letters, report cards and other personal items, they join Ginny on her roller coaster of a year. Will she accomplish everything on her list and right all the wrongs by the end of the school year?

Reading Level: 1020L
Suggested Delivery: Independent read

Electronic Resources:

Discussions: This source provides some insight into what is told through Ginny's stuff. The site gives students an idea of how to interpret the images and text that are presented throughout the book. For example, after reading her to-do list, readers can determine that she never quite accomplishes them--she always manages to fall short in some ways. The site also lists several discussion questions that students can answer. They can be answered orally if multiple students have read the material, or students can write their answers if they read the book independently.

Book Talk: This website gives a brief synopsis of what the book is about. It also lists several discussion questions that can be answered. There is a short biography on the author, Jennifer Holm. It also lists several books that are similar to this one. If students enjoyed this book, they can check out the list to find more enjoyable literature.

Vocabulary: toe shoes, desperate, horoscope, consideration, indicate, consent, spores, telegraph

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Discuss various text structures that students have been exposed to thus far--narrative, poem, nonfiction, etc. Discuss and show scrapbooks. What is included in a scrapbook? How do these items tell a story? How does this presentation of material tell a story differently than other structures?
• During Reading: While reading pieces of the book that mention "the management," determine who the management is. Why are they referred to as the management?
• After Reading: Create a voki from Ginny's point of view. Use information that you gathered from her "stuff" in order to accurately portray her thoughts.

Inferential Comprehension: Using the illustrations and the text, what can you gather about Ginny's life at school, home, and with her friends?

The Buffalo Are Back

"Environmental good news." -- Kirkus Reviews

George, J. C. (2010). The buffalo are back. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

In this nonfiction story, George tells the story of how the buffalo escaped extinction in the late 1800s. The book begins with the relationship between the buffalo and the Native Americans. Although the Natives kill the buffalo, they make sure to use every part of their body. They used the meat for food and the hide for clothing and other accessories. Not only is this resourceful, it also ensures that enough buffalo are left to reproduce and roam the land. During westward expansion, the whites kill nearly every buffalo they come across. Unlike the Natives, they leave much of the buffalo to waste away. Not only do they kill the buffalo, they damage the land the Natives have been living on. When news reaches the government, bills are passed to protect both the buffalo and the land. Over time, the grasses return to the plain and the buffalo make a comeback.

Reading Level: 800L

Suggested Delivery: Read aloud or small group

Electronic Resources:

The Great Plains: This website has a lot of information about the Great Plains. It tells where the they are geographically and which states make up the plains. The website also describes its physical features, such as where the rain water drains, what the soil is made up off, and the typical climates. The various types of grasses are also described. This is valuable information because the book discusses the importance of the grass, both to the animal life and the Natives. The website discusses the people who have lived on the plains throughout history. This is presented in chronological order, much like the book. This information will be very useful when using this book in the classroom because it will give students the background knowledge they need to understand the content.

Writing Tips: "Most of us need a prod to get ideas swirling in our heads. Once that happens it is easy to write. Here are a few prods for writing a story. Perhaps you can use them, perhaps you will say "ugh" and come up with your own original way to write a book. No matter which - write - and write out of the love of words."

                                                    -Jean Craighead George

George provides her readers with tips they can use in their own writing. Not only does she explain where to start and how to reach the ending, she describes how she does it. For example, the settings of her stories are always in the woods, so she sits in the woods and takes notes before writing. She makes writing a personal task. If students are struggling with how to begin writing, they can read this to get some good tips.

Vocabulary: lark, panpipe, ablaze, nutrients, wallow, tracts, reservations, eons, flourished, eroded, grazer, refuges, contour, botanist, census

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Ask students what they know about the plains. This can be anything from where it is located to who or what lives there. Use the information from the Great Plains electronic resource to give students the background information that they need to understand the text. Students especially need to know about the westward expansion and the role it played in the livelihood of the plains. After hearing what they already know, ask students to list questions that they wish to learn from the book. This will set the purpose for their reading.
• During Reading: As you read the book, create a timeline following the events in the book. This will help students understand the cause and effect relationship among various events. It will also be a visual students can refer to.
• After Reading: Discuss how the illustrations add to the meaning of the text. Many students have never learned about or seen the Great Plains, and may have difficulties imagining them. Do the illustrations aid in their comprehension of the text? Do they match what they were imagining as they learned about the plains? Do the illustrations match the text? Explain.

Inferential Comprehension:  How did the the Native Americans feel when the whites came to take their land. How would you feel?

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring

“This splendid behind-the-scenes story succeeds on all counts….Intelligent and inspiring, [it] makes tangible the glory of true collaboration.” -- San Francisco Chronicle

Greenberg, J., & Jordan, S. (2010). Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring. New York: Flash Point.

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring introduces readers to the famous ballet Appalachian Spring. While the storyline of the ballet is present throughout the book, Greenberg is more concerned with the collaboration between the choreographer, composer, and set designer. Martha Graham has a clear vision of how she wants her ballet to look. She trains several dancers and presents her work to Aaron Copland, the composer. He studies her dance style and creates beautiful music to accompany it. They then take their ideas to a famous set designer, Isamu Noguchi. As the three collaborate and put finishing touches on the ballet, opening night draws near. The press has taken an interest in the play, but will it be a success?

Reading Level: AD710L

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

Electronic Resources:

Ballet comes to life: This source offers several useful features. It has an article explaining how Greenberg and Floca worked together to create the book. This is similar to the ways in which the creators of the ballet had to collaborate in order to create a successful work of art. This website also has links to video of the actual ballet. This can be watched either before or after the book is read. These videos are very useful for who students have trouble visualizing the dance as they read the story.

Martha Graham: This website gives a complete biography of Martha Graham.

Vocabulary: choreographer, composer, frontier, pioneer, rollicking, troupe, solemn, glowering, tableau, angular, collaboration, composer, gesture, imitation, interpret, melody, severe, suspense

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: As a class, discuss collaboration. What is collaboration? Why is it important for people to work together? What would happen if we did not work together, but did everything for ourselves? How do we collaborate as a class? Is collaborating hard or easy? Look at the cover of this book. Do you think collaboration will play a part in the story? Explain.
• During/After Reading: Students use split-page note taking to record information as they read the book and as they watch the videos of the actual ballet. As students read the book, have them write down what they know about the ballet. What does it look like? What is the message? How do the movements, music, and set designs relate to each other? Do they add to the meaning and message of the ballet? After reading, show students the videos of the actual ballet. As they watch, have them answer the same questions. Have a discussion about whether their images were similar to those in the video. If not, how were they different?

Inferential Comprehension: Martha Graham said that the title "Appalachian Spring" has nothing to do with the ballet. What would you name the show? Explain using examples from the text.

the higher power of lucky

“Lucky is a true heroine.” -- Booklist

Patron, S. (2006). The higher power of Lucky . New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Ten year old Lucky  is in search of her "higher power," a term she heard while eavesdropping on various twelve-step programs held in her town. After searching high and low in her town of Hard Pan, she decides the only way she can find it is by running away. After all, running away is better than becoming an orphan. Lucky is convinced that her guardian, Brigitte, is going to abandon Lucky and go back to France. Lucky fears she will be left at some orphanage without her friends or HMS Beagle, her dog. Running away will beat Brigitte to the punch, but Lucky was not planning on encountering a dust storm. Now she is stranded in the desert with Miles and a survival kit. Will she ever escape and find her higher power?

Reading Level: 1010L
Suggested Delivery: Independent read

Electronic Resources:

Author Time: In this video, students get to meet the author of the higher power of lucky, Susan Patron. She discusses various elements of the book.

Discussions: This webpage gives a brief summary of the book, as well as several discussion topics. These questions can be used in group discussions or answered individually. It also discusses many themes found within the book.

Vocabulary: steambed, anchored, anonymous, hypnotized, urn, hinged, 12-step program

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Use an anticipation guide to introduce family dynamics. After the students complete the anticipation guide, hold a discussion about family dynamics. Who makes up your family? What is everyone's role in your family? Lucky lives with her guardian, Brigitte. Does that change anything?
• During Reading: Students will use split-page note taking. On one side of the page, they will record what Lucky keeps in her emergency pack, and on the other, they will write what they would keep in their emergency pack. They will then write a paragraph discussing the similarities and differences between the two packs. Why do the differences exist? Does it have to do with where you live and where Lucky lives?
• After Reading: Students will write a script to a book talk about the higher power of lucky. They will then record their book talk and upload it to a cloud that the teacher has set up. Once all the book talks have been dropped into the cloud, the students can present their project. In order to prevent repetitiveness, assign each student or group of students one aspect of the book to discuss in their book talk.

Inferential Comprehension: What is Lucky's higher power? How do you know?

When You Reach Me

"[W]hen all the sidewalk characters from Miranda's Manhattan world converge amid mind-blowing revelations and cunning details, teen readers will circle back to the beginning and say,'Wow ... cool.'" -- Kirkus Reviews

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me . New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Miranda and her best friend Sal have been walking the streets of New York City since they were young kids. Now, as sixth graders, they know where it's safe to walk and places they need to avoid. When Sal gets punched on the way home from school, he distances himself from Miranda. Left on her own, things start to unravel. The emergency key to her apartment is stolen, and she begins to receive anonymous letters. The letters inform her that in order to save Sal's life and the life of the writer, she must write him a letter. As more notes are discovered, Miranda realizes that the mysterious author knows everything about her life, even things that have yet to happen. Readers embark on a journey with Miranda as she tries to save Sal and the unknown writer.

Reading Level: 750L
Suggested Delivery: Small groups or independently

Electronic Resources:

Teaching Unit: This link will bring you to a webpage where you can purchase a CD containing an entire unit on When You Reach Me. The CD includes reading comprehension assessments, literature circle activities, board games, and vocabulary words. If you do not want to purchase the CD, you can download a preview of the materials to give you some ideas of how you can use the book in your classroom.

Reading Guide:  This teacher's edition reading guide gives you plenty of teaching ideas. It includes pre-reading activities, discussion questions, vocabulary words, and wrap-up activities. It also breaks the book up into chapters and has questions for each chapter. Because this is the teacher's edition, it has the answers to all activities, but students can be given student editions. This is a good reading guide because it asks several kinds of questions: literal, inferential, predictions, etc. It also has activities for students to complete before, during, and after reading.

Vocabulary: obstruct, omen, fundamental, scoured, dawning, doorman, "latchkey" kid

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Discuss various genres of books. How do they differ. In particular, discuss what a mystery is. What makes a story a mystery? Have you read any mysteries before? How are they different from other genres?
• During Reading: As students progress through the book, have them write down things that Miranda does each day. Then have them write down things that they do everyday. Are there similarities/differences? Does the time we live in make a difference?
• After Reading: After reading the chapter about time travel, discuss the concept. Is it possible to time travel? Ask students to predict how time traveling will come into the plot of the book.

Inferential Comprehension: How does Miranda feel when she receives the letters? Explain. How would you feel if you received letters from a stranger who appeared to know everything about your life?

Show Way

"One of the most remarkable books of the year." -- Kirkus Reviews

Woodson, J., & Talbott, H. (2005). Show way . New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

In this first person tale, Woodson tells her daughter about her family's history in slavery. After Soonie's great grandma is sold into slavery at the age of seven, she learns to sew show ways, quilts which show slaves a map of the Underground Railroad. Each generation learns to sew these quilts, bringing hope and freedom to many slaves. The family continues to sew quilts after slavery was abolished in 1863, while at the same time fighting for other Civil Rights issues. In the end, Soonie learns the importance of family and hope.

Reading Level: 720L
Suggested Delivery: Read aloud or small group

Electronic Resources:

The Underground Railraod: This website provides a child-friendly overview of the Underground Railroad. It defines what the Railroad was and who used it. Students will get a feel for how slaves traveled through the Railroad and who helped them along the way. Harriet Tubman and Josiah Henson, two conductors of the railroad are highlighted with brief biographies. Finally, the website explains what happened to slaves who escaped and how the public reacted to the events. This can be used prior to reading to give students some background knowledge of slavery and the Underground Railroad, which will aid in their comprehension of the text.

Discussions: This reading guide provides a brief summary of the book, a description of each character, as well as information about the author, Jacqueline Woodson. It also has several discussion questions that students can answer independently or in small groups.

Vocabulary: slave, plantation, show way, "jumped the broom," muslin, freedom lines

Reading Strategies:

• Before/After Reading: Ask students questions about slavery prior to reading Show Way to determine their background knowledge. Ask the same questions after reading. Students must use evidence from the text to support their answers.
• During Reading: Throughout the book, several show way quilts are sewn. Each quilt uses symbols to map out the road to freedom. Create a "quilt" which maps out a route from the classroom to the exit of the building. Have students analyze the symbols to determine how to get out of the school. Students can also make their own quilt with their own map to freedom. Students can then write about how they felt while trying to decipher the symbols. Were they confused? Did they find it simple? They can also write about how the slaves must have felt when following the quilted maps knowing their life was on the line.

Inferential Comprehension: Why is it important that the quilting be passed from one generation to the next?