A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk
By: Deborah Ruddell
Illustrated by: Joan Rankin
Genre: Poetry
Ages: 4-8

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk is a collection of poems all about the forest. The authors use humor in their poetry to grab students attention. Not only are the poems humorous, but they are also full of facts about the forest animals. Students will love the humor as well as the colorful and fun images!


Theme:
The forest is full of animals. Each animal plays a different role in the life of the forest. Poetry can be very informational.


About the author:
Deborah Ruddell write poetry for children. She gets her inspiration from nature and the world around her. She has a twin sister that also writes children's poetry. Her name is Robin Leubs.


Pre reading activity:
Brainstorm animals that live in the forest. What do they look like? What role do they play in the forest?


Post reading activity:
Students create their own forest animals. Students write a description of their animal as well as create a visual of what their animal looks like.


Source used:
http://www.deborahruddell.com/

Life in a Coral Reef

Life in a Coral Reef
By: Wendy Pfeffer
Illustrated by: Steve Jenkins
Genre: Nonfiction
Ages: 4-8

Life in a Coral Reef is a non fiction text that teaches students all about what life is like in the coral reef. The author shares with the readers information about animals such as the clown fish, lobsters and numerous plants. Students will love the vibrant images as well as the information about a day in the coral reef!


Theme:
The coral reef is the home to many sea animals. In order to keep these animals alive, we must keep the coral reef clean and safe!


About the author:
Wendy Pfeffer is not only a children's author, but has also written a book for adults. She is a former elementary and preschool teacher. She uses her experiences working with children as a guide to her writing. She likes to write informational books for children to inspire them to read and write.

Pre-reading activity:
What is the coral reef? Where can we visit the coral reef? Who lives in the coral reef?

Post-reading activity:
Students research information about the coral reef and the different types of organisms that live in the coral reef.

Source used:
http://www.author-illustr-source.com/wendypfeffer.htm

Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems



Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems
By: Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by: Beckie Prange
Genre: Poetry
Ages: 9-12

Songs of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems is a collection of poems that looks at animals, insects, and plants found in ponds. Each poem also gives alot of information about these living organisms. The author uses poetry to go through the different seasons of the pond as if you were the animals and plants themselves. Children will love the poetry aspect as well as learning all about the creatures of the pond!

Theme:
Poetry can be very informational. Poetry is not just about rhyming. We can teach and learn information by putting it in the form of a poem.

About the author:
Joyce Sidman has written over 100 books. Joyce Sidman has been writing since she was a little girl. She used to keep journals full of all her writings. She is known for writing about nature. She gets her ideas by taking long walks alone in the woods and by ponds. She likes to see the seasons change and she gets her ideas from her sights. She likes writing poetry because she feels it is a very powerful way to express your thoughts. She has received many awards, including a Caldecott Honor for Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems.

Pre reading activity:
Discuss how life is different for animals underwater. What do they eat? How do they
breathe? Have children draw a picture that shows what animals would need to live
under water.

Post reading activity:
Students write their own poems about an animal or plant mentioned in the book. Students use the information learned to help create their poem.

Source used:
http://www.joycesidman.com/

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Officer Buckle and Gloria
By: Peggy Rathmann
Genre: Fiction
Ages:

This is a story about a police officer who tries to teach people safety rules but people do not listen. When the police department gets a police dog the people want to hear the safety speeches and see the dog. The police man agrees to continue to give speeches and may even help the town from having its worst accident yet! Children will love the adventure this story brings as well as fall in love with Gloria!

Theme:
It is very important to learn about safety. When people try to teach us about safety we need to listen. We do not want to have an accident that could have been prevented if we listened! Today we will talk about school safety. Let’s be a team and make our school safe!

About the author:
Peggy Rathmann is a Caldecott medalist who has been writing books for children for many years. Peggy Rathmann also loves to illustrate books. Peggy has been writing for years and is still publishing work today!

Pre reading activity:
The school police officer and police dog will be invited to come into our classroom and speak to the children about school safety. The students will be encouraged to ask questions and share concerns.

Post reading activity:
As a class we will make a poster about different school safety rules we need to follow. The students will come up with rules that the police officer talked about and also ones they may think are important. The poster will be displayed in the classroom for all to see and follow.

Source used:
http://www.peggyrathmann.com/

Special People Special Ways



Special People Special Ways
By: Arlene Maguire
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 9-12

 Special People Special Ways is a book that uses rhymes to talk about the differences and disabilities some children have. The book infroms readers of various disabilities that are seen in the classroom and how to respond to them. The author does a great job of teaching students how to be tolerant and accepting of students with disabilities. Great images and great message!

Theme:
Different children have different needs. It is important for us to be tolerant and accepting of these students.

About the author:
Arlene Maguire is a fairly well known children's author. She is known for writing books that teach tolerance of students with special needs. She has a spot in her heart for those children with disabilities. We can all learn from the information she shares with us.


Pre reading activity:
Sitting in a circle, students share one thing that makes them special.

Post reading activity:
Students role play situations that call for them to be tolerant and accepting. Discuss what could be improved/what could be done to make the situation worse.

Source used:
http://www.amazon.com/Special-People-Ways-Arlene-Maguire/dp/1885477651

Fold Me A Poem

Fold Me A Poem
By: Kristine O'Connell George
Illustrated by: Lauren Stringer
Genre: Poetry
Ages: 4-8

Fold Me A Poem is about a boy who spends his whole day folding origami poems. The story is in the form of 32 short poems. For each poem there is an origami figure to go along. Children will love to see the origami figures as well as learn more about the Japanese culture.


Theme:
Origami is another way for the Japanese to express themselves. Haiku poetry originated in Japan. This poetry follows the 5-7-5 format.


About the author:
Kristine O'Connell George is famous for her children's poetry. She fell in love with poetry while taking a poetry class at UCLA taught by Myra Cohn Livingston . She studied with her until she died in 1996. Kristine now teaches poetry at UCLA as well as writes children's poetry.

Pre-reading activities:
Show students examples of origami. Discuss the background of origami in Japan. Students make their own origami to hold during the read aloud.


Post-reading activities:
Students write their own haiku poetry and share with the class during the "poetry reading."

Source used:
http://www.kristinegeorge.com/poetry_aloud.html

Fun with Roman Numerals



Fun with Roman Numerals
By: David A. Adler
Genre: Non Fiction
Ages: 4-8

Fun with Roman Numerals brings an old fashioned concept back to life with colorful and bold images and words. Roman numerals are everywhere we look. On clocks, on buildings, and in books. Many students can not read and understand these roman numerals. This book is a fantastic way to teach roman numerals and teach students how to read them. This is also a great way to incorporate literature into math. I highly recommend this book!


Theme:
Roman numerals was the number system used in Ancient Rome. They are still used in many places today and we need to know how to read and understand them.


About the author:
David Adler is a children's author of both fiction and non fiction works. He is often known for creating the Cam Jensen series. He is a former math teacher who loves to write books about math. He wants his young readers to enjoy math as much as he does. He also wants them to understand that math can be easy and fun too!

Pre reading activity:
Discuss with students where they have seen roman numerals. Write the roman numbers 1-5 on the board to see what students know already.

Post reading activity:
Students record the roman numerals 1-10 in their math journals. Every morning, introduce one more number so students can begin to see the pattern that occurs when writing roman numerals.


Source used:
http://www.davidaadler.com/bio.htm

In Jesse's Shoes

In Jesse's Shoes
By: Beverly Lewis
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 4-8

In Jesse's Shoes is about a girl who has a brother with special needs. Her brothers name is Jesse. Jesse has autism. At first his sister is very frustrated with him for being different. She learn learns to look at life from his eyes. All of the other children make fun of her brother. Jesse's sister becomes the only one who understands him. This is a great story to use when talking about the importance of accepting others no matter what differences they may have. This is also a great way to teach the idea that family is what matters most.


Theme:
Sometimes no one may understand you because of your differences. All it takes is one person to look at life from your eyes and accept you for who you are.


About the author:
Beverly Lewis started writing short stories and poems at the age of nine. She is a Christian writer that never meant to write to become famous. She simply wanted to write for pleasure. Her books have become well known and well liked.


Pre reading activity:
What does it mean to "be in someones shoes?" Have students make predictions. Discuss what this saying means with students.


Post reading activity:
Students write a letter to Jesse explaining why they think others should accept him and what they learned from his story.

Source used:
http://www.beverlylewis.com/ME2/Sites/Default.asp

It's Okay To Be Different

It's Okay to Be Different
By: Todd Parr
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 4-8

It's Okay to Be Different is a book about how it is ok to accept your self for being different. The author does a great job at not making something seem "normal" but instead portrays the message that it is important to accept yourself for who you are. Children will love the colorful images and fun pictures, and the lesson to be learned is priceless!


Theme:
It is important to be accepting of who you are. Be proud of yourself for what you do and who you are.


About the author:
Todd Parr is a light hearted guy who loves to entertain kids. He is not only an author but has his own TV show called ToddWorld. He says that his books are about "love, kindness, and sometimes sillyness." He is a very kind friendly author!


Pre reading activity:
What does it mean to be different? Create a web describing the different ways people can be different.


Post reading activity:
Students write about one thing that makes them different and special. Students draw an image to go along with their writing peice and share with the class.

Source used:
http://www.toddparr.com/

There's No Place Like School



There's No Place Like School
Poems selected by: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by: Jane Manning
Genre: Poetry
Ages: 5-8

There's No Place Like School  is a collection of poems all about life at school. The book is a collection of 18 poems written by 13 different writers. The themes of the poems range from cursive to the display of cafeteria food to the struggles kids face with the drinking fountain. Students will love the fun and light hearted themes these poems are about. The illustrations are fun and vibrant as well!

Theme:
School brings about many challenges and adventures. Everyone goes through the same obstacles at school.

About the author:
Jack Prelutsky has been writing poetry for children for many years. He is known for writing poetry that makes people laugh. He can relate to may children because when he was younger he hated poetry but once he gave it a chance he realized how fun it could be!

Pre reading activity:
Brainstorm with students themes they could write poetry about that have to do with school. Discuss with students what they would write about and how other people could relate to it.

Post reading activity:
Students write their own poem about a school related theme. Students draw a colorful illustration to go along and share their poetry with the class.

Source used:
http://www.jackprelutsky.com/

The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling
Adapted and illustrated by: Jerry Pinkney
Genre: Folktale
Ages: 4-8

This is a story about an odd looking egg that hatches into a duckling that is different from the rest of the ducklings. The other ducklings make fun of it because they say he is ugly. He runs away and is cold, hungry and lonely. When spring arrives he turns into a beautiful swan and fits in with all of the other swans. Children will love hearing another version of the classic folktale. The illustrations are beautiful!


Theme:
A folktale is a story that has been passed down for generations in order to teach a lesson. The lesson of The Ugly Duckling is that people should not be made fun of and left out just because they may be different. It is important to be accepting of everyone.


About the author:
Jerry Pinkney has been illustrating children's books since 1964. He has illustrated over 100 books and has received 5 Caldecott Honor Medals as well as 1 Caldecott Medal in 2010.


Pre-reading activity:
Write the word ugly on the board. Call on students and ask them how they might feel if someone called them ugly. Allow for a class discussion about situations they students may have been in where they did not feel accepted and have them explain to their peers how they felt.


Post-reading activity:
Students will watch the movie The Ugly Duckling. The students will be asked to look for similarities and differences between the book and the movie. After the movie the class will discuss similarities and differences between the two. 


Source used:
http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/frameset.html

Hurricanes!

Hurricanes!
By: Gail Gibbons
Genre: Nonfiction
Ages: 4-8

Hurricanes! by Gail Gibbons is a non fiction text that uses colorful and vibrant images along with simple facts to teach students all about hurricanes! The author writes about the different categories of hurricanes as well as how they are detected and what to do if there is a hurricane. This is a great way to incorporate literature into science. Students will love the images as well as learning all about hurricanes!


Theme:
Hurricanes are tropical storms that occur where it is warm. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. These storms can be very dangerous and even deadly. We can take action and prevent ourselves from getting hurt from these storms.


About the author:
Gail Gibbons has been writing books ever since she was a little girl. She started her career doing artwork for a children's television show. She has now written and illustrated over 135 children's books. When writing non fiction texts she travels to various countries to do research. She is famous for her non fiction science works!


Pre-reading activity:
Students watch a brain pop video on hurricanes. Discuss what they saw and heard.


Post-reading activity:
Students draw and label their own hurricane emergency kit. Students share their drawings and discuss how the items can help them if their was a hurricane.

Source used:
http://www.gailgibbons.com/index.htm

All the World

All the World
By: Liz Garton Scanton
Illustrated by: Marla Frazee
Genre: Poetry
Ages: 5-7

This poetry book uses poetry to tell a story. The story begins with two children digging on the beach. It then turns into a much larger world with different families and places. As the story goes on, the lives of all the people interchange with each other. In the end, the little girl realizes that "everything is you and us...all the world is all of us." This book is a great way to show students that poetry can not only tell stories but also teach us lessons.


Theme:
Our world is much bigger than our little world we live in. Even though it may seem like we live far away from people in different countries, we come into contact with different cultures daily. Our world is interconnected.


About the author:
Liz Garton Scanton loves to write children's books because she believes children bring out the best of her. Her own daughters also inspire her work. This book also received the 2010 Caldecott Honor.


Pre-reading activity:
Students take a picture walk and discuss with a partner what they think the book will be about based on the pictures.


Post-reading activity:
Students draw their own illustrations portraying an image of the world as "one." Images will be hung for all to see.

Source used:
http://www.lizgartonscanlon.com/about_me.html

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
By: Jeff Kinney
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 11-13

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is about a boy named Greg Heffley who receives a "diary" from his mother. He prefers to call it a journal. The entries in his journal include events from his life and his adventures with his best friend Rowley. Their first year of middle school is not easy for them. They try everything, playing sports, singing in the school play, and the wrestling team to fit in. Rowley creates a comic called "Zoo-Wee-Mama." Greg tells Rowley comics are for kids and refuses to have any part in the comic. The comic ends up being very popular and all the other students love it. Rowley gives no credit to Greg and Rowley ends up being very popular. Greg pretends he does not care but he is very upset his year long goal of being class clown went to his best friend.


Theme:
Middle school can be a tough place for students. Students not only have to worry about academics, but fitting in socially as well.


About the author:
Jeff Kinney knew he wanted to be a cartoonist since college. While in college he created a comic strip called "Igdoof." This comic strip was not too successful so in 1998 he started writing down ideas for Diary of a Wimpy Kid. After six years, he published it. It is now read by more than 70,000 kids a day! In 2006 he signed a deal to turn it into a series.


Pre-reading activity:
What is a diary? Discuss with students what a diary is and what it is used for. As a class, come up with an example diary entry about their typical day at school.


Post-reading activity:
Students will keep a week long diary of their daily events in and outside of school They also draw comics and illustrations to go along with their entries. Students share their diaries after the week has passed.

Source used:
http://www.wimpykid.com/

Esperanza Rising



Esperanza Rising
By: Pam Munoz Ryan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Ages:

 This story takes place during the American Great Depression. Esperanza is 12 years old and lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father is a ranch owner and a farmer. Her family is very wealthy and known. The night before her birthday everyone worries because her father and his friend do not return home. Then her father's two stepbrothers arrive and bring them the news of her fathers death. He was killed by bandits. Her fathers death causes her and her mother to loose the land to the bank because women are not allowed to own land. Her fathers stepbrother offers to marry her mother but her mother refuses. A few days later the house burns to the ground and they are left with nothing. The stepbrother says more harm will come if her mother does not marry him. Her mother says she will consider but decides to flee for America. Esperanza and her mother have to leave her abuelita behind because she is too old to travel. When they arrive in America it is a huge change for them and they are forced to work for nearly nothing. Their whole lives changed within days. Esperanza's mother becomes very ill because of the dust storms and Esperanza is left alone while her mother is hospitalized. Esperanza has to work hard to make enough money to send for Abuela and pay her mother's medical bills. This is very hard to do because Mexican workers were paid nearly nothing at all. Esperanza's friend, Miguel steals all of her money and she is very upset. It turns out he stole it to run away in order to return back to Mexico to bring abuela to America. Her mother gets better and her abuela is with her. She is finally content. In the end, Esperanza learns it is ok to live without being rich and to not be afraid of starting over.


Theme:
Money is not everything. As long as you have family and are healthy you can be happy.


About the author:
Pam Munoz Ryan has written over 30 books for young readers. Her work has ranged from picture books to young adult novels. She graduate from San Diego University and current lives in Northern San Diego with her family. She received the Pura Belpre Medal for Esperanza Rising.


Pre-reading activities:
KWL chart of lives of Mexican workers during the American Revolution.


Post-reading activities:
Students will write about a time they were afraid of change. Was the change positive or negative? Did the change leave a lasting impression on their life?

Source used:
http://www.pammunozryan.com/

The Very Hungry Catepillar

The Very Hungry Catepillar
By: Eric Carle
Genre: Science Fiction
Ages: 4-8

This story is about the life cycle of a butterfly.  It teaches children how the life cycle includes egg, larva, pupa and then adult butterfly. The book teaches children about each life cycle and what occurs during the different parts of the life cycle. Students will love seeing the different cycles a caterpillar goes through before becoming a beautiful butterfly!


Theme:
A butterfly is not born a butterfly. A butterfly goes through a life cycle to become an adult butterfly. It starts off as an egg. The egg turns into a larva which is another word for a caterpillar. The caterpillar then makes a pupa, or a cocoon. After being in the cocoon for awhile it turns into an adult butterfly.


About the author:
Eric Carle was born in Syracuse! He is a famous author and illustrator of children's literature. His most famous book is The Very Hungry Catepillar. It has been translated into 45 languages and sold over 30 million copies. His art work makes his work recongnizable and engaging for students. Many of his books have themes about nature. He is an author and illustrator who will be remembered for years to come.


Pre-reading activities:
Students will color and decorate a butterfly template that is given to them. They will cut it out and tape it to a Popsicle stick. They will bring the projects to the carpet to hold on to during the reading.


Post-reading activities:
The students will make their own booklets about the life cycle of a butterfly. There will be a page for each cycle and they will write one sentence about what happens during the cycles. They also will draw a picture of what that cycle looks like.

Source used:
http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html

The Way I Feel

The Way I Feel
By: Janan Cain
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 5-11

This story teaches children about all of the different emotions people feel. The book helps children learn vocabulary to describe the way they are feeling. It also teaches children that different emotions are a part of life. The fun illustrations that go along with the different feelings really help students understand what the different feelings are like. Children will fall in love with the colorful and fun illustrations in this book! A great way to teach emotions!


Theme:
There are many different emotions we can have. One day we might be happy but the next day we might be sad. When we have trouble doing something we become frustrated and when we cannot stop laughing we feel silly. It is very normal to have different feelings. We experience different feelings every day.


About the author:
Janan Cain was not always a children's author. She began her career as a graphic designer. She has always loved to draw. It was not until she had her own children that she began to write children's books. She wanted to create a book to use with her own children to teach them about the different emotions they may experience. That was her inspiration for The Way I Feel. She continued to write from there!


Pre-reading activities:
The names of different emotions such as frustrated, scares, sad, happy, etc will be written on index cards. The cards will be placed in a jar and the students will choose a card from the jar. They have to act out the emotion they picked from the jar so that the other children can try and guess what emotion they are acting out.


Post-reading activities:
Write a letter to an imaginary friend telling about a time you really felt good about something. Describe the feeling as fully as possible. Do the same for a time you really felt bad about something.

Source used:
http://www.janancain.com/

Margaret and Margarita

Margaret and Margarita
By: Lynn Reiser
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 4-8

Margret is a little girl who only speaks English and Margarita is a little girl who only speaks Spanish. They both go to a park one day and they meet each other. They play and have fun together even though they speak different languages. They accept each other’s differences. Children will love being able to learn new words in Spanish. This book is a  great way to not only teach a new language but to teach the importance of diversity!


Theme:
It is very important for us to be accepting of other cultures. Every person has feelings, and is alike no matter what language they speak. It is also very important to be able to communicate with others who speak different languages. It is good to be accepting to all cultures and show appreciation for different cultures by taking part in their activities and speaking their languages.

About the author:
Lynn Reiser is known for her bi-lingual children's books. When she was younger she preferred to draw pictures instead of writing. Her first book, Bedtime Cat was a picture book but the publisher convinced her to add words! This experience taught her how fun connecting words and pictures can be!


Pre-reading activities:
Write the word “languages” in the center of the board. As a class, brainstorm different languages people speak. Then brainstorm ideas about why it is important to accept and appreciate those languages onto a second tier.


Post-reading activities:
Students will together, make a classroom “friendship wreath.” Have the students trace and cut out one of their hands. Have the students write their names on their hands. After the students have all finished their hand, the class will put all of the hands together around a paper plate to make wreath. Explain to the students that a friendship wreath shows appreciation and love for each other.

Source used:
http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/18175/Lynn_Reiser/index.aspx

I Am Me

I Am Me
By: Karla Kuskin
Illustrated by: Dyanna Wolcott
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 4-8

This is a story about a little girl who everyone tells her she reminds them of someone else. She has her mother’s hands, her father’s skin, and her aunt’s smile. These things are all true but they forget that she is her own person. She is herself and that it very important. This is a cute story to use at the primary level to teach the importance of accepting who you are and being proud of the person you are!


Theme:
Everyone is different in their own ways. We all have characteristics of our family members like our mother’s eyes or our dad’s hair. The important thing to keep in mind is that we are all individuals. We are us and we are important. We cannot forget that we are our own persons and that it a great thing!


About the author:
Karla Kuskin is an award winning author and illustrator. Along with children's books she also enjoys writing poetry. She loves to write children's books because of the strong connection she has with her own childhood. She wants to share her positive childhood with young readers.


Pre-reading activities:
Students will sit in a circle and each student will share one thing they love about themselves.


Post-reading activities:
Each student will create an acrostic poem using their name. For each letter of their name they will come up with an adjective to describe how they are. The poems will be hung in the classroom for all to see.

Source used:
http://www.karlakuskin.com/?page_id=5

The Coin Counting Book

The Coin Counting Book
By: Rozanna Williams
Genre: Non-Fiction
Ages: 4-8

The book is about pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and more. It is an introduction to math and coins. The book teaches children what value coins have and what coins add up to make other values. This book should be used to help children practice their math skills with money. Children will love the idea of learning about money. This is a fabulous way to incorporate literature into math!


Theme:
Each coin has its own value. A penny is worth 1 cent, a nickel 5, a dime 10 and a quarter 25. There are different ways to get different values. For example, you can take 2 nickels and make the same worth as a dime.


About the author:
Rozanna Williams has written over 180 books! Most of the books she has written have been geared towards children who are beginning to read. She also has written books for teachers to give educators various activities for literacy instruction. She loves to write, visit schools to talk about her books, and spend time with her family.


Pre-reading activity:
I would simply have fake money before reading the book and hold up each coin and ask the students how much each coin was worth. I would also ask them questions about which coins can be used to make certain values.


Post-reading activity:
I would set up a mock store in the classroom and give each student one dollar of fake money. When purchasing items they will demonstrated their knowledge of adding up coins to make values.

Source used:
http://www.magicbookgarden.com/about_roz.html

Four Seasons Make a Year

Four Seasons Make A Year
By: Anne Rockwell
Pictures by: Megan Halsey
Genre: Science Fiction
Ages: 4-8

This is a story about a young girl who lives on a farm. She teaches the readers about all of the changes that occur during the different seasons. For example, she shows the readers how it snows in winter, leaves fall of the tree during fall, flowers bloom during spring and how it is hot during the summer. She also teaches the readers the dates of the first day of each season. This is a really fun way to teach students all about the four seasons. Students get to visually see what each season looks like.


Theme:
The year is divided up into four seasons. These seasons are fall, winter, spring and summer. The weather is different during each season and each season brings about different changes to our earth.


About the author:
Anne Rockwell has written over 100 children's books. People always said she was born reading. She also loves to paint. Her own daughter has also illustrated a picture book called Apples and Pumpkins which became very famous.


Pre-reading activity:
The teacher will have pictures of things that happen during different seasons such as snow, rain, leaves falling, sun shining, etc. The teacher will hold up one picture at a time and the students will call out which season they think the picture belongs to.

Post-reading activity:
After reading the book and discussing what we learned, the students will compose a writing piece about their favorite season. The students will use descriptive words to describe their favorite season and why it is their favorite season. Students will also write about one activity they like to do during that season. 

Source used:
http://www.annerockwell.com/

Chryanthemum

Chrysanthemum
By: Kevin Henkes
Genre: Fiction
Ages:

This is a story about a little girl named Chrysanthemum who loved her name until she went to school. When she got to school all of the children giggles at her name. Her parents tell her that her name is beautiful but she is still upset because the kids make fun of her. Her teacher comes to her rescue and tells the class that she too is named after a flower and has a long name. The children then become accepting of her name and she is happy again. Bullying in schools has become a very serious issue. Many children can relate to how Chrysanthemum feels when she is made fun of. This a great story to use when teaching the importance of acceptance.


Theme:
Acceptance of others helps people feel good and liked. It is important to accept everyone no matter what their differences. Choosing to accept people can save people from feeling hurt and left out.


About the author:
Kevin Henkes became an author and illustrator at the age of 19. He enjoys creating picture books, novels and his famous mouse books. He also loves to experiment with words, paints and ink.


Pre-reading activities:
Has there ever been a time when someone did not accept you? What was it they did that made you feel not accepted? Was something different about you that they did not want to accept? Activity: Role play situations as a class to encourage students to be accepting of students. Students should be given roles that would make situations in which acceptance would be needed.


Post-reading activities:
Students will write an acrostic poem for a partner using their partner’s name. Students will come up with nice words to describe good qualities about their partner. 

Source used:
http://www.kevinhenkes.com/

Coraline

Coraline
By: Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by: Dave McKean
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 9-up

Coraline by Neil Gaiman is a graphic novel about a girl named Coraline who just moves into a new house with her parents. The house is way to big for one family so they rent it out to other families as well. One of the families that lives in the house is a ghost family. The ghost family tries to convince Coraline to live with them in their part of the house. The story takes the readers on an adventure with Coraline to see if the ghost family will trap her forever or if Coraline will realize what is happening. I think children will love the adventure the book brings as well as the detailed pictures the graphic novel offers! Be prepared to be spooked!


Theme:
In the story, Coraline is always bored with her family. She is never satisfied with what her parents buy her or make her for dinner. It is not until she almost loses her family that she realizes sometimes things are not as bad as you think. The theme of this novel would be to never wish for something because it may happen and it may make you feel worse than before.


About the author:
Neil Gaiman is famous for his work with comics. He also has written several books. He is listed in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as one of the top ten living post-modern writers, and is a creator of works of  poetry, film, journalism, comics, song lyrics, and drama. Most of his work is "dark" and "spooky," including Coraline. His work for Coraline was later turned into a movie.


Pre-reading activities:
Talk about the quote "you never know what you have until it's gone." What does this quote mean? Give examples and ask students to share personal experience they have had.


Post-reading activities:
Students will create their own mini graphic novels. The themes should be "dark" just like Coraline. Explain what a graphic novel should look like and use Coraline as an example.

Source used:
http://www.neilgaiman.com/

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas
By: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrated by: Sucie Stevenson
Genre: Fiction
Ages: 3-7

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas is about the adventure Henry and Mudge go while visiting Henry’s grandfather at a nursing home. Henry, Mudge, and Henry’s parents visit Great Grandpa Bill who is very old and lives in a house with a lot of other old grandpas. The grandpas pass the time playing checkers and eating spaghetti. Henry and Mudge go looking for an adventure in the woods, when the boy and his dog discover a pond nearby. Henry, his dad, and all the grandpas then head out for the pond.


Theme:
We never know what an experience will be like. Henry did not want to go visit his grandfather because he thought it would be boring. It turned out to be a great adventure. We never want to be negative about something before we give it a try.

About the Author:
Cynthia Rylant has written numerous children's book, including several other Henry and Mudge adventures. Other series that she created are Poppleton and Mr. Putter and Tabby. She has received book awards of all kinds, including the Theodore Giesel Award for Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas.

Pre-Reading Activities:
Discuss with students what an adventure is. Share with each other stories of adventures students have taken before.

Post-Reading Activities:
Have students take a field trip to a local senior citizens home. Students will be able to interact with the senior citizens just like Henry and Mudge did. Students and senior citizens could even read books together.

Source used:
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/tnc/mtai/rylant.html