Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story

Written by: Kevin Noble Maillard

Illustrated by: Juana Martinez-Neal

Genre: poetry, informational

Awards: 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

               American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book                          Honor Winner 2020

            NCTE Notable Poetry Book

Summary:

This story embraces the significance of fry bread in Native American culture. It is about more than fry bread as a food; it enchants readers with the history of fry bread and its importance to the perseverance of a people. Through lyrical poetry, readers gain an in-depth understanding of the many roles of this dish to the Native American community. The illustrations help readers acknowledge the struggles of the Native American people and identify how far the people have come. The book ends with a recipe and more information about the history of fry bread. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book as a read-aloud for a fifth-grade classroom. This would be a supplemental text in my class in a unit on American history. We would consider the progression of the country beginning with Native American people's initial development of the land. Students would research the contributions of this group to the country and create a poster showing their traditions and other valuable information. I would use this book as an introduction to the culture and for discussion about what we know/need to learn. Students could also consider foods that are important in their cultures and create their own story similar to "Fry Bread."

Pecan Pie Baby

 

Written by: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrated by: Sophie Blackall

Genre: realistic fiction

Awards: ALA Notable Books

               Booklist Best Book

               Ebony Magazine’s favorite children’s books of 2010

              New York Library’s 100 Titles for Reading & Sharing 

              Bank Street Best Book 

              CCBC Choices

Summary:

Gia is about to become a big sister, only she cannot stand that "ding-dang baby." Everywhere she looks, people are talking about the baby and she is not at all interested. Gia is sure that the baby will change everything in her life, especially her relationship with her mom. There is only one good thing: the baby loves pecan pie just as much as she does. After a rough thanksgiving dinner, Gia feels very lonely and separated from the rest of her family. Her mom encourages her to hold on to memories of life before the new baby and share those times with everyone.

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for a third-grade classroom to begin teaching text analysis. This story leaves room for prediction and textual connections which would be a good starting point for third graders. After the read-aloud, I would ask students to share some things they identify with from the book. We would consider how Gia dealt with her feelings and think of ways the students deal with theirs. Once we've made connections, I would have students predict what happened for Gia after the baby's arrival. Students would create a short story to extend this book and explain what they believe will happen. This activity would allow students to practice writing skills and literary analysis. 

Lola Levine is Not Mean!

Written by: Monica Brown

Illustrated by: Angela Dominguez

Genre: realistic fiction

Awards: We Are Kid Lit Summer Reading List 2017

Summary:

This story follows second-grader Dolores "Lola" Levine who's been dubbed 'mean' after accidentally injuring another kid while playing soccer. She is an enthusiastic young girl and her love for soccer is sometimes expressed a little too zealously. Lola struggles to connect with her peers after the accident and is banned from playing by the school principal. Her family offers her support and advice which boosts her confidence and guides her as she makes amends. Her family does not try to change her personality but encourages her to be more careful. Throughout the book, Lola demonstrates her Latin and Jewish heritage through her diary entries and other cultural references. 

Teacher Evaluation:

This book is a great transitional story from picture books to chapter books for first and second graders. It's not text-heavy and includes some unique black and white drawings to keep students engaged. I would use this book for character analysis since each character is charismatic in a variety of ways. We would create a character trait chart with textual evidence to support our findings. We would also consider how the character descriptions help readers create a picture of these characters in their minds. 
 

Bee-bim Bop!

 Written by: Linda Sue Park

Illustrated by: Ho Baek Lee

Genre: realistic fiction

Awards: Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year

New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Summary:

This story follows a young girl as she makes bee-bim bop, a traditional Korean dish, with her mother. They begin at the store getting all the ingredients. Then, they go home where they prepare the rice, eggs, beef, and veggies to go into the dish. The girl helps to set the table and calls her family into the dining room. In the end, they all enjoy the time spent eating with each other. This book also includes a recipe at the end, which teachers could copy and send home with students. 

Teacher Evaluation: 

I would use this book for a kindergarten classroom since it's told using rhyming and repetitive poetry. I would use it to help students answer questions about the text and practice story sequencing. While reading, I would ask students to answer questions based on the information we read. Students would answer orally using a prompt from the teacher, which allows them to practice expressive language skills. For story sequencing, I would create a worksheet for students to cut and paste the events in the correct order. I would use the ingredients in bee-bim bop as different plot points for students to build the story. 

Under my Hijab

Written by: Hena Khan

Illustrated by: Aaliyah Jaleel

Genre: multicultural

Awards: Amelia Bloomer book list 2020

               Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year

Summary:

As a young girl observes all the women in her life, she dreams of the possibilities for her life. She considers all the ways these women wear their hijabs then compares it to how they wear their hair underneath. The girl notices how each woman's hijab reflects the wearers' personality, like her aunt's fun one and her sister's stylish one. She dreams of a bright future where she can do anything, in life and with her hijab. This book also includes information about the religious and cultural significance of the hijab for readers at the end. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book in a first-grade classroom; their are several social and academic learning activities this book can supports. I would use it to teach comparing/contrasting and point of view. My classroom would create venn diagrams to share similarities and differences between two women in the book. Students would write two sentences using a sentence stem that explains the features they pointed out. To promote social awareness, I would ask students to explain how they can be kind to women in hijabs. I would also show real women who where hijabs and they contributions they've made to the world. 

Way Too Many Latkes: A Hanukkah in Chelm

 

Written by: Linda Glaser

Illustrated by: Aleksandar Zolotic

Genre: multicultural

Awards: N/A

Summary:

In Chelm, the village of fools, latkes are very important in the Hanukkah celebration. Faigel makes the best latkes in the village, but this year she forgot the recipe! She asks her husband Shmuel for help remembering and he insists on going to the rabbi. He asks the rabbi how many potatoes, eggs, and onions to use for the meal. Each time, the rabbi tells the couple to use all their ingredients. Consequently, there are tons of latkes, too many for anyone to eat. The rabbi has one final idea: invite everyone in the village to eat and celebrate Hannukkah.

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for pre-k through second-grade classrooms. Students could work on counting or measuring by following a latke recipe. Teachers can use stickers or magnets to represent the different ingredients discussed (potatoes, onions, eggs). Students can build latkes by following different recipes to get different amounts of completed latkes. Teachers could also talk about how other cultures celebrate during the holiday season. Students could draw pictures and describe how they celebrate and find similarities in this book. 

New Kid

Written & Illustrated by: Jerry Craft

Genre: realistic fiction, graphic novel

Awards: Newbery Winner 2020

               Coretta Scott King Author Award 2020

               #1 New York Times Bestseller

              Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature 2019

Summary:

Jordan Banks is a seventh-grader who loves drawing. Though he wants to attend art school, his parents send him to the prestigious Riverdale Academy Day School. Here, Jordan is one of few kids of color and struggles to fit in with the other students. His new school also causes issues with his friends from the neighborhood, furthering his confusion. Jordan takes a variety of classes, gets involved, in some sports, and of course continues to draw. He deals with racial stereotypes and a bully, along with the common struggles of school. Along the way, Jordan finds friends whom he can relate to and learns more about himself and life. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for a sixth-grade class and add it to my classroom library for a secondary classroom. I would use this for a book discussion while reading. We would split the book in half and do two Socratic seminars. Students would create seven discussion questions (one for each chapter in the half) and present them to their peers. While reading, I will ask students to keep track of themes that stand out to them. At the end of the book, students will create a comic strip using one of the themes they noticed. Students will present their comic strips and explain their chosen theme in detail, using evidence from the book to support their themes. 

Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen

Written by: Niki Lenz

Genre: realistic fiction

Awards: Texas Bluebonnet Master List 2020-2021

            Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee 2020

            Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award NOMINEE 2021

           Missouri Mark Twain Master List 2019

Summary:

Fifth-grader Bernice Buttman has a reputation as a fearsome bully, but really, she is a kind-hearted girl who's faced some difficult things in her life. Her mother is selfish, and her older brothers are protective but unruly, meaning Bernice has very little guidance in her life. She dreams of having friends and becoming a stuntwoman for movies, even if her methods for achieving this are unusual. A kind librarian encourages Bernice to research a stunt camp, and she devises a plan to get donations to get there. Unfortunately, her mom steals the money and runs off to California, leaving Bernice with her Aunt Josephine, better known as Sister Mary Margaret of St. Drogo's church. Bernice takes this surprising turn of events and makes a great personal change. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for third through fifth-grade classrooms to discuss characterization. The author differentiates the characters by emphasizing the types of language they use. My class would analyze different character quotes and identify key features that reemphasize the characters' personalities. We would also look at descriptions of the characters to create a character profile. To assess knowledge of characterization, I would ask students to write a journal entry as if they are a character from the book. The information from the profiles would help them get in the mindset of their person.

Wonder

Written by: R.J Palacios

Genre: realistic fiction

Awards: Texas Bluebonnet List 2014

                NAPPA Gold Award 2012

                Great Stone Face Book Award

                Black-Eyed Susan Award

Summary:

Since he was born with a craniofacial condition, 10-year-old August "Auggie" Pullman has struggled to find his place in society. He is in fifth grade, and it's his first time being a student at a real school. At Beecher Pre, Auggie feels like an outsider, but he makes the best of a bad situation with his few friends. We follow Auggie's triumphs and struggles from the perspective of his sister and other people who've grown close to Auggie over the school year. Auggie stands tall in the face of adversity and conquers the struggles of fifth grade.

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book in a fifth or sixth-grade classroom. Teachers can use this story for a book club or Socratic seminar discussion. The main goal with these activities would be for students to practice critical thinking while creating questions and answering other people's questions. While reading, students would create three to five discussion questions for each chapter. These questions will be used for the cumulative discussion activity at the end of the unit.

Follow Those Zebras: Solving a Migration Mystery

Written by: Sandra Markle

Genre: nonfiction, informational text

Awards: Texas Bluebonnet 2021-2022

Summary:

In Namibia, Africa, a herd of plains zebras leave their grazing land near the Chobe River. This migration mystified scientists since the field near the Chobe is not affected by the dry season in Africa. Scientist Robin Naidoo formed a team of researchers in 2012 to figure where these zebras were going. By placing tracking collars on mares, female zebras, researchers determined that the herd traveled over 155 miles to Nxai Pan National Park in Botswana. This yearly trip allows nursing mares access to more nutritious grass for grazing. Unfortunately, Naidoo also learned that the climate change crisis is negatively impacting zebra's access to water a nutrient-rich grass along their migration route. This information helped conservation groups preserve the land and water holes along the plains zebra's route. 

Teacher Evaluation:

This book would be well-suited for second through fourth-grade classes since it is a high-interest story. I would use this story to discuss environmental climates and how animals are dependent on the climate zone in which they live. We would analyze different climate zones and explain the defining features of the climates. We would find animals that live in each climate by finding available resources that support survival. Students will build a resource booklet of the climates and the animals that live there. The booklet would be added into their interactive notebooks for students to refer to over the semester. 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Written & Illustrated by:  Brian Selznick

Genre: historical fiction

Awards: Caldecott Winner 2008

               Quill Award Winner 2007

               New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2007

               Los Angeles Times Favorite Children's Book of 2007

Summary:

12-year-old Hugo Cabret is an orphan living above a Parisian train station. He is the timekeeper for the clocks in the stations and is very skilled with mechanical devices. His dad left him an automaton designed to write messages, but it needs fixing. Hugo follows the work log left in his father's notebook to determine how to start the machine. Hugo gets parts from toys at a kiosk in the train station until the booth owner, Georges Méliès, catches him stealing. The man is especially interested in Hugo's journal and promises to return the notebook if Hugo works in his shop to cover the cost of the things he stole. Soon they realize the automaton needs a heart-shaped key to start, similar to the one Georges' goddaughter wears. The group gets the automaton to work making a shocking discovery about its function. Together, they rediscover the magic of automation and filmmaking. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this story for a sixth-grade classroom to research skills. This story takes place in 1931 Paris and comments on how World War 1 affected the city and its people. After reading this book, my class would study Georges Méliès, the toy booth owner in the book. We would look at his accomplishments and contributions to the filmmaking industry. We would compare the information we find through research to how the story portrays him. To assess student knowledge, I would assign a group project where students would create a poster about George Méliès to share with the class. 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: A Pop-up Adaptation

Written by: Lewis Carroll

Illustrated by: Robert Sabuda

Genre: fantasy

Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book 2004

Summary:

This story retells the tale of Alice's time in wonderland using stunning 3D images. The book is true to Lewis Carroll's original tale and, the paper engineering enhances the reading experience. Readers follow along as Alice is drawn down the rabbit hole, shrunk, enlargened, and meets a unique group of characters. The pop-up images allow readers to immerse themselves in Alice's adventure and imagine what the journey may have been like.

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for a sixth-grade classroom, and we would use it while we study the original Alice in Wonderland novel. While we read the book, we would look at the pop-up adaptation and compare how the images add or detract from the overall story. We would focus on literary analysis using the chapter book and dissect pop-up image creation using the adapted version. Students would use the two stories to create pop-up scenes of the themes found in the story. 

A Ball for Daisy

Written & Illustrated by: Chris Rashka

Genre: Wordless Picture Book

Awards: Caldecott Winner 2012

Summary:

In this wordless story, we meet Daisy, a dog who loves the ball her owner gave her. She plays with the red ball everywhere she goes. At the dog park, Daisy and her owner play fun games with the ball until it flies to the other side of the gate. A kind park visitor gave the ball back to her, and Daisy began to play with her brown dog. Unfortunately, the brown dog accidentally pops Daisy's red ball, leaving Daisy very sad. Daisy loses the spark and energy she had before. Daisy and her owner run into the brown dog and his owner the next time they go to the park; the owner is very sorry for what happened to the red ball. She surprises Daisy with a brand new ball, and Daisy gets her high-energy back.

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book in a second-grade classroom for a language arts lesson. My class would do a reading/writing project over several class meetings. To start the project, we would read and discuss the book as a class. Next, we would create a word bank of descriptive language that we could use while looking at the story. Finally, students would work in small groups to write a story for "A Ball for Daisy." They would need to write at least a sentence for each page using the word bank we created as a group.

Flora and the Flamingo

Written & Illustrated by: Molly Idle

Genre: picture book

Awards: Caldecott Honor 2014

Summary:

This wordless tale demonstrates the timeless dance of friendship. Flora is a little dancer who meets the Flamingo as he practices his moves. Much to the Flamingo's dismay, Flora starts to copy his movements, though she is not as successful. After a few falls, Flora begins to feel discouraged and gives up on her dreams to dance. The Flamingo encourages Flora to try again, and soon the two are dancing together seamlessly. 

Teacher Evaluation:

This book would be best for pre-k through first-grade classes. The book doesn't have words, so students would have to use their imaginations to think of the story's plot. Early learners could use this story to discuss friendship and the meaning of being a good friend. Teachers can discuss ways to express emotions; students could create a chart of emotions and how people communicate them. First-grade students could use this story to learn verbs by creating a list of words that describe Flora's actions. Classes could then practice plot construction and storytelling by creating their own story based on the pictures. 

The Crossover

Written by: Kwame Alexander

Genre: realistic fiction, poetry

Awards: Newbery Winner 2015

               Coretta Scott King Honor 2015

Summary:

The story follows 12-year-old Josh Bell as he experiences life in seventh grade. He loves playing basketball and longs to have a successful time playing. Josh adores his twin brother, Jordan, and his dad, Chuck, and loves to spend his time playing basketball with them. Unfortunately, things begin to change when Jordan begins hanging out with other people and Chuck gets sick. Josh and Jordan's relationship further deteriorates when Chuck goes to the hospital. After their father dies, Josh and Jordan realize that they need to lean on each other in hard times. 

Teacher Evaluation:

This book would be best for fifth and sixth-grade classrooms. The story uses a variety of poetic forms, so teachers could use this for a unit on writing and analyzing poetry. I would use this book to study characterization and how language helps readers understand who characters are and what they represent. We would compare and contrast Josh and Jordan using a graphic organizer and find text evidence that supports our findings. For a group project, students would create a character snapshot for each of the main characters then share their findings with the class. 

The War That Saved My Life

Written by: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Genre: Historical Fiction

Awards: Newbery Honor 2016

               Schneider Family Book Award 2016

               Odyssey Award 2016

                Wall Street Journal Book of the Year

Summary:

Author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley analyzes World War 2 through the eyes of a disabled child. Ada has never left her small apartment home in London; her mother is very ashamed of her clubbed foot and treats her poorly at every turn. When her mother ignores the threats of a bombing in the city, Ada takes matters into her own hands. She leaves to board the train with her little brother Jamie, so they'll be safe from the bomb. In Kent, they stay with a woman named Susan Smith, who helps them overcome the challenges of their life in London. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would recommend this book for grades four through six, and I think it would be fun for a cross-curricular unit in ELA and social studies. First, we would study vocabulary and determine how geographic location affects the language that people use. We would study the effects of descriptive language in this story and explore how it shapes the reader's understanding of the events. Students could complete a presentation that demonstrates the causes and effects of World War 2 on world languages. While reading this book, I would ask students to journal about their thoughts while reading so they can track how they changed over the story.