Picture Book #26

Title:  Jazzy Miz Mozetta

Author: Brenda C. Roberts

Illustrator: Frank Morrison

Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Picture Book

Characters: Miz Mozetta, Mister Brown, Miz Lou Lillie,

Themes: Dancing, African Americans, Jazz

Publishing Date: 2004

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Summary: Miz Mozetta is something alright. She is a lady who loves music and loves to dance! She loves jazz in particular. One day her and her friends went out dancing. They danced the night away until she had holes in her shoes.

I would use this book along with an English lesson on dialogue. This book is all dialogue between Mizz Mozetta and her friends. I would also have students act out the parts and talk just like her. That would be great to explain how dialogue works.

Picture Book #25

Title:  A Symphony of Whales

Author: Steve Schuch

Illustrator: Peter Sylvada

Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Picture Book

Characters: Glashka

Themes: Whales, Winter, Kindness, Music

Publishing Date: 1999

Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company

Summary:  Glashka lived in a village which was visited by a whale named Narna. One day Glashka went out to sled with the dogs and, and they headed straight for the bay. When she got there, she spotted tons of Beluga whales. They were trapped under the ice. The village chipped away at the ice to allow the whales to breathe one at a time. They try to save them until the Icebreaker can reach them. They whole village worked to feed the whales with their own food that was stored up for the winter. A ship came and tried to lead the whales out by playing a recording of other whales singing. It didn’t work. They tried all kinds of music to see if they would follow. Finally they find one that works and lead them away from the bay and ice.

I would use this book for entertainment in the classroom. This would be a good book to read before doing a lesson on Beluga whales. The book will get the children interested in learning about the whales. I would then ask the students if they would like to sponsor a whale to keep it from extinction. The class will raise money to support the whales.

Picture book #24

Title:  A Band of Angels

Author:  Deborah hopkinson

Illustrator: Raul Colon

Genre: Historical Fiction

Sub genre: Picture book

Characters: Aunt Beth, Grandma Ella,

Themes: music, Black history, Passion, Freedom, Slavery

Publishing Date: 1999

Publisher: Antheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Aunt Beth tells a story about Grandma Ella. She was fourteen in the Civil War and trying to find a way to Nashville to go to school. The only thing she took with her was a small trunk the size of a small pie box. Ella did everything she could to get money to get an education. Ella was a singer and a good one. The Chorus she was in traveled up North to sing to raise money to save the school. Many times the singers were turned down because they were black. They even tried singing white songs. Ella and her band sing their last song about slavery, and the audience loved it. They said that they sounded like a band of angels. The band is now called the Jubilee Singers. The little girl decides she want to graduate and be a Jubilee Singer just like her grandma.

I would use this book to supplement the study of Black History. It would be a great way to show how blacks were treated after slavery ended and the confidence they had in themselves to succeed.

Picture Book #23

Title: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Author: Deborah Hopkinson

Illustrator: Jmaes Ransome

Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: picture book

publishing date: 1993

publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Summary:  Clara is seperated from her mother while working on a plantation. She is a seamstress who just so happens to like to quilt. One day her aunt tells her about the route to freedom, the Underground Railroad. Clara gets so excited she decides to make a secret quilt with a hidden map to the land of freedom.

I would use this book in the classroom to introduce the underground railroad with a history unit. At the end of the lesson the students will draw their own map to get to freedom with iron on transfer crayons. I will then iron them onto a quilt I make with large white squares that will have all the students' maps on them. The quilt will go for display in the hallway.

Picture Book #22

Title: A Walk in the Deciduous Forrest

Author: Rebecca L. Johnson

Illustrator: Phyllis V. Saroff

Genre: Science Non Fiction

Sub genre: picture book

Themes: nature, science

Publishing Date: 2001

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Summary: This book will leap you into the world of the deciduous forrest. It tell you what plants, animals, and weather is all accounted for in this terrain. Readers can enjoy the various pictures and drawings of animals and anture scenes. This book is filled with facts about the deciduous forrest and all it's inhabitants.

I would use this book to supplement a science lesson on the different types of forrests. This will give students an idea of what aspects make this forrest different from another one.



Chapter Book #14

Title: Diary of  Wimpy Kid



Author: Jeff Kinney

Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Chapter book

Theme: Bullying, friendship

Characters: Greg Heffley

Publication Date: 2007

Publishing Company: Amulet Books

 

Summary: A student Gregg Heffley writes a diary of events that happen to him during middle school. This book is very popular among middle school and elementary school readers. It even has illustrations to keep readers interested. Gregg's friend is becoming popular, and he thinks that he can hang out with them. The friendship is interesting that's for sure.

 

I would use this book to show students how illustrations can go with your writing. I would have students write a story about their school experiences and draw illustrations for every page of writing. The books would then be bound together as a class diary and read to the class as a story.

Chapter Book #13

Title: One Crazy Summer

Author: Rita Williams-Garcia

Genre: fiction

Sub genre: chapter book

Theme: Abandonment, family, racism, the Black Panthers

Characters: Delphine,her sisters, Vonetta, and Fern

Awards: Coretta Scott King

Publication Date: 2010

Publishing Company: Harper Collins

 

Summary: Delphine is an eleven year old girl who is the now mother of her two younger sisters. Their father still takes care of them, but the younger ones can't even remember their mother. The girls' father put them on a plane across the country to live with their mother for the summer. The girls dream of all the things they will be doing with their mother. They soon come to find out that their mother is not what they were expecting to be.

 

I would use this book during black history month. There are many historical references, and it would be a great reference to learn about black history.

Chapter Book #12

Title: The Next-Door Dogs

Author: Colby Rodowsky

Illustrator: Amy June Bates

Genre: fiction

Sub genre: Chapter Book

Theme: Overcoming Fears, dogs

Characters: Sara Bake

Publication Date: 2005

Publishing Company:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux

A brave girl named Sarah is not so brave anymore when she is around dogs. She doesn't like dogs at all. Ms. Harrington moves in next door. She has two very large dogs. This is a nightmare for Sarah. Srah tries her hardest to avoid the dogs, but it just isn't possible forever. She now has to face her fear.

 

I would use this in the classroom to address fears that students have. I will start the discussion by reading the book, then I will get students to explain their fear and why they are scared of it. The class will then raise their hand if they have the same fears too.

 

 

. Sarah tries to avoid her dogs, but one day the time comes where she has to face her fear. Any student would be able to relate to Sarah because most everyone of them more than likely has a fear that they are unable to overcome.

Chapter book #11 Robert F. Sibert Winner #1

Title: Surviving Hitler

Author: Andrea Warren

Genre: Historical Non Fiction

Sub Genre: Chapter Book

Awards: Robert F. Sibert Winner

Publishing Date: 2002

Publisher: Harper Collins

Summary:  Jack is a 12 year old boy who is living in a concentration camp in Poland. He was a Jew, but he didn’t know much about his religion. Jack and his family hid from Hitler for three years before they found them and put him in a concentration camp. He lived through terrible living conditions and terrible food. Jack manages to help others along the way and make new friendships during the hardships. He was let out of the camp at the age of 18. He decided to move to the US to start a new life.

I would use this book along with a history lesson that teaches about the Holocaust. This will give students an idea of what concentration camps were really like. The book will make students appreciate history and our country because we never had to go through that.

Chapter Book #10 Newberry Winner #3

Title: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

Genre: Fiction

Sub Genre: Chapter Book

Characters: Jonas, the Giver

Awards: Newberry Winner

Publishing Date:1993

Publisher: Bantam Books

Summary: Jonas is living in the year 2065 in a futuristic society. There is no prejudice, and everyone is very respectful towards one another. When  he turns twelve, he is given a job to do. He is now considered an adult. Jonas doesn’t know it, but he is the only one who can see in color. He is very different from everyone else. He has pale eyes and skin while everyone else has dark eyes. When he goes to his ceremony to receive his job, he is given the task of the Receiver of Memory. He is the only one who can remember pain, war, and other things that happened in the past because someone has to remember those things so they don’t happen again. Jonas receives these memories from the Giver. He experiences many memories that are both good and bad.

I would have the students get in groups and discuss what jobs they would have for their society if they were chosen just like the ones in this book. They would have to explain how they all work together and why they chose them. This will get the students thinking critically about the story and using their imagination.



Chapter Book #9 Newberry Winner #2

Title:  Shiloh

Author:  Phyllis Naylor

Genre: Fiction

Sub Genre: Chapter Book

Characters:Marty, Judd, Shiloh

Awards: Newberry winner

Publishing Date: 1991

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary: Shiloh is about a young boy and an abused dog. Marty find his neighbor’s dog  who is abused and hides him. He tells many lies to be able to keep it a secret, and he names him Shiloh. Marty finds his neighbor shooting a deer out of season which is the perfect reason to get the dog back after he was caught. Marty doesn’t have enough money to buy Shilho, so he does numerous chores to get him back. Marty is stuck between two choices: lie and keep Shiloh or give him back and let the owner keep abusing him.

I would use this in the classroom to expand the students’ critical thinking skills. I would ask the students the question of “What would you do if you were in Marty’s position? Why?” Students will get in cooperative learning groups and discuss their reasoning.