A Fine, Fine School

Creech, Sharon. (2001). A Fine, Fine School.

Genre: Fiction
Awards: New York Times Best Seller
Lexile Measure: AD300L
DRA: 18
AR: 2.7

Sharon Creech Offical Site

Summary: Mr. Keen, the principal at the school, is proud of the fine students, the fine teachers, and the fine school that decides to have school on the weekends, holidays, and in summer. The students don't like the idea, but don't know how break the news to Mr. Keen. Tillie, a student at the school, decides to tell the principal how students don't have the time to learn kid things like climbing a tree, skipping, swing, and train their dogs. Mr. Keen decides that kids are missing out on being kids and decides to give the school back the weekends and summer offs.

Read aloud by Andrea Chavarria

Reader Response: This book is a great book to read to students before a holiday break or before summer. Students can write in their journals reasons why their school is such a fine school and/or pros and cons of extending the school year. You can also extended and write the pros and cons of closing or opening year round different buildings in the community. This book can also be use to help write a persuasive letter to the principal convincing him to either extend or shorten the school year, just how Tillie gave valuable reasons to her principal.

Other books by Sharon Creech:

BabyMouse: Beach Babe

Holm, Jennifer. (2006). BabyMouse: Beach Babe. New York, NY: Random House Children's Books.

Genre: Fantasy
Format: Graphic Novel
Lexile Measure: N/A
DRA: N/A
AR: 2.0


Baby Mouse by Random House

Jennifer Holm Official Site

List for using graphic novels in the classroom by Mathew Holm


Summary: Baby Mouse wants to be a surfing star so she heads down to the beach, but encounters a shark which puts a stop to her dream. During her trip at the beach her baby brother, Squeak, just wants to play with her but she thinks his too young. She then finds a magic lamp in a trash can and wishes for some random wishes. At the end she realizes she doesn't have anybody to play with and sees the importance of Squeak companionship.

Reader Response: Baby Mouse graphic novels give young readers a nice bridge between picture books and long novels. Graphic novels develop a reading habit, because they're long enough to practice fluency, but short enough for young readers to finish on their own.

Books included in the Baby Mouse Series:

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

Bragg, Georgia. (2011). How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous. New York, NY: Walker.

Genre: Non-fiction

Lexile Measure: 950L

DRA: 50

AR: 5.0

Georgia Bragg Official Site

Summary: The book opens with "If you don't have the guts for gore, don't open this book". The book tells the story of many famous people in history and how they had a disgusting death. George Washington got the beetle blister treatment and Henry the VIII eat himself to death. The book also provides about the place, traditions, and culture of that time period.

Reader Response: This book is great for getting students interested in history. It contains disgusting and gross details and illustrations, but that's exactly what kids enjoy. The book is not to scare kids, but to get them interested in reading and to make a connection between history, science, medicine, and cultures. The book can be use as a resource in a biography research project. The author also provides a bibliography reference for students to search more information about the awful ends of the awfully famous, as well as definitions for scientific terms and history vocabulary. 

Another book by Georgia Bragg:

The Crossover

Kwame, Alexander. (2014). The Crossover. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Format: Poetry

Awards: Newberry Medal and Coretta Scott Award

Lexile Measure: 750L

DRA: M/A

AR: 5.0

Alexander Kwame Official Site

Poetry Foundation.org

Summary: Josh and JB are 13 year old twins, that come from a professional and educated African American family. Josh admires his father and wishes to grow up like him, a respected and admire professional basketball player. JB gets a new girlfriend and spends less time with Josh, making Josh feel jealous of his brother. The father has poor eating habits leading him to have a heart attacks. Josh has trouble coping with his father's sickness and takes his anger out on his JB, making them fight and distance away from each other. When the boys loose their father they realize they need each other. 

Reader Response: I enjoy how the novel is written in poetry format. The author uses free verse to convey the characters thoughts and feelings, some haiku poetry from the boys' mother, and rap and hip-hop to convey the energy of a basketball game. The 10 rules of basketball are also expressed in verse. This book will get all of the basketball fans reading and pondering about the author's life message in the story. Teachers can use The Crossover to teach cross curriculum activities like fiction reading skills and poetry.

Other Books by Alexander Kwame:

Good Master! Sweet Ladies!

Schlitz, Laura Amy. (2007). Good Master! Sweet Ladies! Boston, MA: Candlewick Press. 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Drama

Awards: Newberry Medal Award

Lexile Measure: N/A

DRA: 70

AR: 7.6

Reading Guide by Candlewick Press

Summary: The setting is England in 1255 in a medieval manner. All 24 characters are children that tell their own personal story of survival in the Middle Ages. The characters are sons or daughters of the nobility, people that make the community. Even though each character has its own monologue they all have a relationship or know one another in some way, since they all live in the same manor. There is Hugo, the lord's nephew, who is forced to prove his manhood by hunting a wild boar; Nelly who supports her family by selling live eels; and Mog who gets a lesson from her mother on how to save a cow from a greedy landlord; and many more. 

Reader Response: To be honest I wasn't interested in Middle Times until I read this book. One of the best things I like about this book is the fact that it was written by a librarian to her students. The book gives information about the daily life and struggles of children in the Middle Times, usually when we learned about that time period we focus on the life of adults. Because all characters are children it gives students opportunities to make text to self connection. I also like how is written in monologue and dialogue given students or a whole class to act out the book. Another positive for this book is the side notes with background information about the characters, their actions, and motives. 

Skulduggery Pleasant

Landy, Derek. (2007). Skulduggery Pleasant. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Genre: Fantasy

Lexile Measure: 760L

DRA: 60

AR: 5.2

Darek Landy Website

Summary: Skulduggery Pleasant is a throwing fire detective skeleton that teams up with a very talented 12 year old girl name Stephanie Edgley to save the world. Together they fight against an evil Adept name Nefarian Serpine who wants to get his hands on the Sceptre of the Ancients and bring back the Faceless Ones. With magic allies Skulduggery Pleasant and Stephanie will prevent Nefarian Serpine from unleashing a powerful weapon of destruction to the world.

Reader Response: This book is full of mystery, magic, humor, action, and adventure! It's a fast pace book complete with dry humor. This will be a great book to include in the classroom library when teaching fantasy, is something different to expose children besides the traditional literature. It's a great book to encourage students that are into zombies, vampires ect, to read.

Other books by the author:

It's So Amazing

Harris, Robie H. (1999). It's So Amazing. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

Genre: Informational/Non-Fiction

Format: Graphic

Interest Level 2nd-5th grade

Robie H. Harris Official Site

Summary: It's so amazing helps parents and their children together answer questions about babies, bodies, love, and family reproduction. It is a child-friendly book that uses humor to comfortably and appropriately teach students the language many times parents find hard to explain.

Reader Response: It's So Amazing has been approved by science, health, and child development experts, but it has also has been challenged or banned by libraries because of its content. It depends how much of an open mind the reader has and to truly understand the author's purpose for writing the book. I personally think it helps answer questions our children have anyways and it gives us parents a child-friendly way of answering them. 

Other books by Robie H. Harris:

Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon. (2008). Rapunzel's Revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

Genre: Fantasy

Format: Graphic Novel

Lexile Measure: GN500L

DRA: 50

AR: 2.7

Shanon Hale Offical Site

Graphic Novels Suggestions for Librarians and Teachers by the ALA

Summary: Rapunzel is raised by her stepmother that keeps her inside the walls of the castle. Curious Rapunzel decides to jump over the wall of her tower-prison to see what the walls hide behind them. She finds a world of people starving for food and desperate for help. She discovers her stepmother kidnapped her and took her away from her real mother. Rapunzel is determined to rescue her real mother with the help of Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, and together they win justice for the entire town. 

Image by WordPress.com

Reader Response: This is not your ordinary Rapanzul prisoned in a tower waiting for her prince charming. No, no, this is Rapunzel that got in shaped to escape her prison-tower all on her own. She is not waiting for her prince to save her, she is going to save herself and others. Shannon Hale shows Rapunzel not as a princess but as a heroin, a girl that can stick up for herself and solve her own problems. This graphic novel brings a new twist to the traditional Rapunzel that we all grew up knowing. This book can be use when teaching about traditional fairy tales vs. fractured fairytales. 

Other books by Shannon Hale:

The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, Neil. (2008). The Graveyard Book. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Genre: Fantasy

Awards: Newbery Medal Award

Lexile Measure: 820L

DRA: 60

AR: 5.4

Neil Gaiman's Website

The Graveyard Book Reading Guide by Garrett Christopher

Summary: Nobody "Bod" Owens became an orphan when he lost his family to a tragic event, fortunately he was able to walk out the door to escape the disaster. Bod, a toddler at the time, walked to the cemetery where he found comfort and safety.  He was adopted and raised by supernatural occupants of a graveyard. At 12 years old he learns about his past,  the secret to his family's tragedy, and what he needs to do to finally leave the graveyard and continue with his life.

Reader Response: The graveyard is the last place someone wants to go visit, but Gaiman's cemetery is like no other, full of magic, full of life. Even though Bod's family was in a tragic event the book does not go in to full detail so is ok for children to listen or read the story. The author uses sophisticated language and humor, but never talks down to the reader. This will be a great book to read in class or at home in a gloomy day, close to Halloween, or Dia de los Muertos. 

Other books by Neil Gaiman:

Snakes

Bishop, Nic. (2012). Snakes. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Lexile Measure: 850L

DRA: 40

AR: 5.5

Nic Bisop Website

Summary: Naturalist and photographer Nic Bishop explores the world of snakes. All snakes are predators. Some prey by hunting and others ambush their victims. Some snakes kill with venom, others kill squeezing their prey to death. All snakes swallow their victims whole, even if it is much bigger than the snake's head. 

Reader response: The photographs by Nic Bishop are astonishing. They capture the beauty and horror of  snakes. The photographs give the readers a chance to see fine details of snakes such as the large scales of the viper of Africa, the Asian sand viper camouflaging in the desert, and the fangs of the viper of Central America. In the author's notes, Nic provides information of his experience photographing snakes. Books by Nic Bishop can be use as resources during a research project about animals. They are full of facts and text features useful to teach reading and writing expository text. 

Other books by Nic Bishop: 

Almost Home

Bauer, Joan. (2012). Almost Home. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Lexile Level: 590L

DRA: 70

AR: 3.3

Joan Bauer Website

Summary: Sugar Mae Cole is in the 6th grade, she is very mature for her age,  a street smart, and more mature than her father and mother. Most of the time she has to act older than she is to keep her mom from failing and loosing the house. She can only do so much as such a young age, when she can do no more she finds herself homeless living in a shelter and a foster home. She keeps in touch with her teacher Mr. B who advices her to write about her life. Sugar is to busy surviving to have fun, but poetry helps her cope with being homeless and hungry. She can't wait for the time when she can stop being responsible for her mother and her mother be responsible for her.

 Reader Response:  What I like most about this book is that it mixes realistic fiction with poetry. Joan Bauer writes the story in 1st person and also adds entire poems written by the character, Sugar Mae Cole. The story hits on the subject of poverty and homelessness, but the thrive for survival and making a second chance for oneself. This story can be use as a text to text connection with Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate who teaches similar themes.

14 Cows for America

Deedy, Carmen Agra. (2009). 14 Cows for America. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Lexile Level: AD540L

DRA: 40

AR: 2.2

Carmen Agra Deedy Website

Summary: Kimeli returns to his remote village in Kenya, where news travel slowly. He comes from New York, where he's learning to be a doctor. He brings heartbreaking news to his people, the Maasai, the attack of 911 in America. The Maasai are fierce warriors, but they are easily moved by kindness. They decide to offer America 14 cows as a gift of friendship, comfort, and peace. Cows for the Maasai represent life. The cows are their most value possession because it keeps the tribe alive. The American ambassador travels to Kenya to receive the precious gifts and a connection between the two cultures was made. 

Reader Response: I first learned about this true story when I visited the 911 Memorial in NYC. The museum displays a picture of the American Flag commemorating the gift of the Maasai cows and the story behind it. I was moved by the story in the museum, so when I found the Deedy's book, I was overjoyed to share it with my students and teach them about 911 in a way that shows friendship and making sacrifices for others in need. Carmen Deedy does a great job of explaining 911 events to children, but at the same time teaching love, respect, and friendship.

This special flag commemorating the gift of Maasai cow is on display at the U.S Embassy in Kenya and at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center in NYC.

Other books by Carmen Agra Deedy:

Text to Text: Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

Crenshaw

Applegate, Katherine. (2015). Crenshaw. New York, NY: Faiwel and Friends.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Lexile Measure: 540L

DRA: 40

AR: 4.0

Katherine Applegate's Website

Crenshaw Reading Guide by MacMillan

Summary: Jackson is in the 5th grade and has an imaginary friend, a huge purple cat name Crenshaw. Jack knows Crenshaw is there when purple jellybeans start to appear. Jack is a very observant boy, he notices his dad's sclerosis, the pile of bills, parents whispering, parents arguing, and the selling all of their belongings in garage sales. He wishes his parents will talk to him like an adult. Before they know it the family gets evicted and are living in their minivan, again. Crenshaw appears when Jack feels stressed, he never leaves, his always on call. Jack's best friend Marisol offers him a place to stay until his parents get back on their feet, meanwhile Jack will enjoy having an imaginary friend while he can. 

Book Trailer by MacMillan

Reader Response: I was very exited to read this story when I saw a huge purple cat in the cover, I thought it would be more like a fantasy story, but I was wrong. Crenshaw tells the story of so many people that find themselves struggling to keep a place to live, it hits on the subject of homelessness and poverty. Crenshaw gives us a window to see through the world of the working-class poverty, and to admire their determination to move forward. It also teaches us not be afraid, ask for help, and be honest with our love ones. Students reading this book can write about their own imaginary friend they had or have. They can also start a social project to feed the hungry, start a food drive or help the homeless.

Other books by Katherine Applegate:

The book Almost Home by Joan Bauer has a similar subject, homelessness and poverty.

Knuffle Bunny

Willems, Mo. (2004). Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

Genre: Realistic Fiction Picture Book
Award: Caldecott Honor Winner
Lexile Measure: 120L
DRA: 18
AR: 1.0

Mo Willems Website

Summary: Trixie and her dad are off to the laundromat. While walking through the park and past the school, Trixie holds on tight to her beloved stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny. At the laundromat Trixie helps her dad to insert coins in the machine and load the laundry. On their way back home, Trixie realizes she left poor Knuffel Bunny in the laundromat. She is too young to talk and has a hard time explaining to her father what has happened. She tries everything from pointing, making facial expressions, body movements, and throwing tantrums to get her point across.

Reader Response: This is a perfect story for reading together. The speech bubbles are simple to read, but contain so much expression, specially from Trixie. The black and white photographs of New York City complement the color illustrations of the characters, a great combination of art and text. Readers of all ages will identify with the characters and mirror themselves either as Trixie, trying to articulate words, or as Dad, trying to understand a toddler.

Knuffle Bunny Free is the sequal that shows Trixie at pre-school age.

Bridge to Terabithia

Paterson, Katherine. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. New York, NY: Crown.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Awards: Newberry Medal, ALA Notable Children's Book

Lexile Measure: 810L

DRA: 50

AR: 4.6

Katherine Paterson Website

Reading Guide by Harper Collins

Summary: Jess is a small town boy entering the 5th grade. He's been practicing running all summer long to be the fastest boy in school. Leslie is the new girl in town, and to everybody's surprise she outruns everyone, including Jess. Even though Jess is mad at Leslie for beating him in the races, they instantly become best friends. They make up an imaginary world in the woods, Terabithia, where they make themselves rulers. Terabithia lets them escape their troubles at home and bullies at school, there they can be their true selves. Soon Jess will have to use the magic of Terabithia to face a tragic event and face life alone.

Reader Response: Friendship is the central theme of the story. The author does a great job describing how Leslie's actions and conversations with Jess, makes him take off the pressure from home at least when they're together. Through their friendship they discover new things about themselves and make each other discover new things about themselves. The book also touches on childhood, both characters come from different home styles and upbringings, but together they feel comfortable with themselves. Another theme in the story is individuality, Jess likes to draw, but his dad disapproves it, he says it's a girls hobby. Leslie has trouble fitting in in the small town because she's a girl and wears pants, has short hair, and plays sports. The story also touches grief and loss, readers will feel Jess's pain of losing a best friend and learn that memories help the heart heal. 

Other books by Katherine Patterson: 

We Are the Ship

Nelson, Kadir. (2008). We Are the Ship. New York, NY: Hyperion.

Genre: Non-fiction

Awards: Coretta Scott King Award, Sibert Medal, and New York Times Best Seller

Lexile Measure: 900L

DRA: 60

AR: 5.0

Summary: This is the history of the Negro League Baseball and the untold stories of its professional baseball  players. It describes the humble beginning of the league thanks to the management of Andrew Rube Foster who managed the First Colored World Series. African-American players suffered from discrimination, under pay and unfair treatment all through the 1800's and 1900's. They played for the love of the game despite the challenges and disrespect from the segregated country. Then came Jackie Roberson, the first African-American to be sign by a professional baseball team and his crossover open the door to so many and the Negro League Baseball declined.

Reader Response: The book is narrated by an Everyman player and it includes famous quotes from the team members as well as original photograph in the author's notes.The oil paintings in the book are extraordinary, each page illustrates a baseball player that was part of the Negro League Baseball Team, men that paved the road for so many. The book is modeled after a baseball game with nine chapters, each one being an inning. It will sure be a hit for all the baseball fan students. It can be share with students to teach about segregation and integration, tolerance and experiences.  

Other baseball books with similar themes:

Other books by Kadir Nelson:

This is Not My Hat

Klassen, Jon. (2012). This is Not My Hat. Boston, MA: Candlewick. 

Genre: Fantasy
Awards: Caldecott Medal and New York Times Notable Children's Book
Lexile Measure: AD340L
DRA: 16
AR: 2.0

Summary: A small fish steals the hat of a much larger fish, "It was too big for him anyway", he smirks. The hat fits him just right. He tries to hide in the secret places of the deep ocean, except a crab sees him with the hat and confirms to the big fish where the thief is hiding. 

Reader Response: This easy to read book is full of humor. The illustrations are simple with a dark background that illustrates the darkness of the deep sea. The illustrations tell parts of the story the narrators don't dialogue to us. Jon Klassen has created an illustration trilogy that include animals that desire a hat, even though they find no use for it.  In all three book sarcasm is use to cause humor.


Jon Klassen's Hat Trilogy include:

This is Not My Hat,

I Want My Hat Back and 

We Found a Hat.