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.