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?