5th+&+6th+grade

=Novels:=



//Esperanza Rising// by Pam Munoz Ryan
**Genre**: Realistic fiction

‍**Lexile Level: 750 L**
**Description: An insightful tale about a young girl,** Esperanza, who life quickly changes when her father is killed. Esperanza and her mother are forced to flee their idealic lifestyle in Mexico to start over as immigrants and farm workers in the US. Esperanza struggels to accept her new way of life and eventually rises above her situaiton to help her mother in the fight to win immigrant rights for the farmworkers. **Theme:** Assimilation, im migration and human rights **Rationale and connections:** A wonderful story to open up a dialogue on immigration, why people emmigrate to the US, and the struggles immigrants face living in a new country.



Lexile Level: 750
**Description:** The story follows two teenage rival groups, the Greasers (lower-class) and the Socs (upper-class), who are divided by their socioeconomic status. The story is narrated by fourteen-year old, Ponyboy Curtis, who lives parentless with his older brothers - Sodapop and Darry - all members (along with others) of the Greaser gang who are deemed to be societies' juvenile delinquents. The Greasers not only struggle socially and economically, but feel the added physical and psychological threats of their rivals, the Socs - the rich and snobby gang from the west-side of town. In a heated altercation between the two groups, a member of the Greasers, Johnny, kills a member of the Socs, Bob, while he is trying to protect Ponyboy. Johnny and Ponyboy are forced into hiding, but get caught up in a church fire where Johnny finds himself in critical condition, and dies. Through a series of other difficult hurdles, Ponyboy is forced to examine his life and find ways to help others from falling into trouble.

**Themes: Socioeconomic differences, lawlessness, male/female relations, appearance, coming-of-age.** **Rationale:** This is a good story to open discussions about social and economic status in schools and how that directly and indirectly affects adolescents. How do we bridge those worlds, and how does the story address this issue? It can help students explore their own prejudices, and examine how appearance may or may not influence their judgements. It is also a good book to encourage discussions around violence, loyalty, and communication**.**

**Media Resources:** []

=Illustrated Books and Graphic Novels:=

**//Middle School Is Worse than Meatloaf// by Jennifer Holm; illustrated by Elicia Castaldi** **‍Genre: Graphic Novel/Altered Book/Collage**
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XaagnilqL._AA160_.jpg caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Middle-School-Worse-Than-Meatloaf/dp/B002E9M01W/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318748458&sr=1-2"]] ||

**‍Description:** This is a completely different type of storytelling -- it's "a year told through stuff." Ginny is a 7th grader who loves ballet and wants to improve lots of things about her life. The book is set up like a scrapbook or portfolio of very ordinary things: post-it notes from her mother, lists, shopping receipts, a few newspaper clippings, school assignments and other assorted items. Jennifer Holm has gathered exactly the right combination of items that tell a cohesive story about a girl who makes mistakes, occasionally does the right things, dreams, laughs, loves and everything else.

**Theme: Coming of age; bullying, death of a parent,**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rationale and connections:** Inference, inference, inference! What DOES our “stuff” say about us? Good for struggling readers; more “girl” than “boy” appeal but important male characters. Could also be used in Health with discussion of getting to know self; circles of influence, etc… Would be a good choice for a lit circle book for struggling readers. The more involved themes, and emotions are included but without a text heavy story.

// **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Persepolis ** // **by** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Marjane Satrapi **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/037571457X.jpg width="156" height="235" caption="Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood"]] ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Genre: ** Biography
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Lexile Level: 380 **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Description:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Satrapi's autobiography is a timely and timeless story of a young girl's life under the Islamic Revolution. Descended from the last Emperor of Iran, Satrapi is nine when fundamentalist rebels overthrow the Shah. While Satrapi's radical parents and their community initially welcome the ouster, they soon learn a new brand of totalitarianism is taking over. Satrapi's art is minimal and stark yet often charming and humorous as it depicts the madness around her. She idolizes those who were imprisoned by the Shah, fascinated by their tales of torture, and bonds with her Uncle Anoosh, only to see the new regime imprison and eventually kill him. Thanks to the Iran-Iraq war, neighbors' homes are bombed, playmates are killed and parties are forbidden. Satrapi's parents, who once lived in luxury despite their politics, struggle to educate their daughter. Her father briefly considers fleeing to America, only to realize the price would be too great. "I can become a taxi driver and you a cleaning lady?" he asks his wife. Iron Maiden, Nikes and Michael Jackson become precious symbols of freedom, and eventually Satrapi's rebellious streak puts her in danger, as even educated women are threatened with beatings for improper attire. Despite the grimness, Satrapi never lapses into sensationalism or sentimentality. Skillfully presenting a child's view of war and her own shifting ideals, she also shows quotidian life in Tehran and her family's pride and love for their country despite the tumultuous times. Powerfully understated, this work joins other memoirs-Spiegelman's //Maus// and Sacco's //Safe Area Goradze-//that use comics to make the unthinkable familiar.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rational and connections:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">//Persepolis// is an illustrated book, which makes it a great choice for middle school readers. The story is easy to read but has complex themes and ideas that are presented in a Young Adult friendly manner. In addition, the book is a great way to tie in a relevant history lesson on a topic that many students have little knowledge of.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Media resources:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">//Persepolis// (2007) Film



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Lexile Level: BR**
===<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Description:** This is the Algonquin’s version of Cinderella. A young disfigured girl is ridiculted and outcast by her peers because of her appearance. RoughFace girl is later chosen for her inner beauty to be the wife of a mysterious and powerful invisible spirit ===

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Theme: I**nner beauty vs external beauty
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rationale and connections:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Almost all countries have a Cinderella story. This text can be used as part of a cross-cultural study of different cultures while also addressing gender stereotypes. Cinderella stories from other cultures include: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal” by Paul Fleischman (worldwide), Cinderella“Yeh-Shen, ” by Ai-Ling Louie (Chinese) “Angkat,” by Jewell Reinhart Coburn (Cambodia) “Jouanah”by Jewell Reinhart Coburn and Tzexa Lee (Hmong), “The Egyptian Cinderella” by Shirley Climo and the Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo. ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">**Social Studies**: This text can also be tied to a unit on Native American culture, or used to explore social justice issues, such as discrimination and stereotypes. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Media resources:**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">A video of a reading by Jennifer Warren: []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Genre: Graphic Novel**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OXWgwkycL._SL500_AA300_.jpg width="210" height="210" caption="The Savage" link="@http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B002BWQ55Y/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books"]] ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">//The Savage// by D ****<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">avid Almond, Illustrated by Dave McKean **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Description:** //The Savage//, with its vivid drawings and simple but insightful prose, explores the idea of finding within oneself the means of overcoming adversity and loss. Narrated by a boy on the cusp of young adulthood, looking back on stories he wrote as a child coming to terms with his father’s death as well as torment at the hands of a local bully, this story-within-a-story focuses on developing with age a greater understanding of the world and relating to the people in it: people who are not black and white but rather vary from “more good than bad” to “more bad than good.” David Almond expertly captures the voice of Blue at two different ages and stages of maturity. The younger version of Blue writes stories about “the Savage,” a boy remarkably similar to Blue himself, only primal, violent, and incapable of expressing himself in words. As the stories progress they begin to have an effect on the world, both in the form of violence toward those he hates, and tenderness toward those he loves. And over time, Blue and the Savage learn from each other the qualities of strength and temperance, respectively. Later, the older Blue reflects on the Savage’s place in his life.This book will appeal to young readers who tend to avoid longer books and who enjoy the visual aspect of graphic novels, as well as fans of authors such as Neil Gaiman.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Theme: Coming of age; bullying, death of a parent**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rationale and connections:**Would be a good choice for a lit circle book for struggling readers. The more involved themes, and emotions are included but without a text heavy story. High “boy” appeal.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍**

=Informational Texts:=

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**//An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793// by** **Jim Murphy** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Genre: Informational** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Lexile Level: 1130L** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Description:** __An American Plague__ mines similar territory as Anderson’s __Fever 1793__ - the impact of the yellow fever outbreak - but presents those events without the aid of a fictional narrative. Murphy incorporates vintage illustrations and documents, but what really drives the text is Murphy’s narrative style. Murphy pulls in information about the role of the “Free African Society” and the competing camps of medical practitioners. He explains how the Plague directly impacted the government – the Constitution was revised to allow the President to convene Congress in a place other than the Capitol in times of need. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Theme: Race relations; development of democratic government; medical forensics** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rationale and connections:**This is a great companion piece to L.H. Anderson’s __Fever__. It pulls in information about role of African-Americans, social class, the level of understanding (lack thereof) of the natural world, and the development of US government
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51J8tbEVDxL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/American-Plague-Terrifying-Epidemic-Newbery/dp/0395776082/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318748172&sr=8-1"]] ||

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Media resources****: (caution: random “searching” for “yellow fever” will result in hits from the Urban Dictionary – sexual content)** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[|**http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002341/**] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Overview/description of Yellow Fever from the Medical Encyclopedia <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Jim Murphy has written a number of wonderful informational texts; he is a solid source for “tie-in” material to expand on a literary work, or to integrate with social studies and a good example of non-fiction writing – how to turn facts into a narrative.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**//The Kid’s Guide to Money: Earning It, Saving It, Spending It, Growing It, Sharing It//.**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Steve Otfinoski.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Genre:** Informational Text <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Lexile Level:** N/A

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Description:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A book that clearly explains money in terms that will interest children and encourage them to behave responsibly. After presenting practical moneymaking ideas, Otfinoski covers budgeting and standard consumer advice. Other useful information includes the difference between simple and compound interest; a succinct explanation of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds; and the three golden rules of using a credit card. A chapter on sharing encourages charitable giving of both cash and personal effort. The author avoids fictionalizing; all of his examples are from the "real world." Illustrations are limited to a few black-and-white cartoons and diagrams of deposit slips, newspaper stock reports, etc. Appendixes include lists of consumer protection agencies and volunteer organizations, an explanation of how to read stock tables, and a slightly dated bibliography.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rational and connections:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This is a great book for middle school because so often students have little to no knowledge about money. The kid friendly discussion makes it an easy read for students who are struggling with reading while the content keeps it interesting for everyone.



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Lexile level:** none available
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Description of book:** Grade 4-6. Navigating the challenging world of middle school is the focus of this humorous and practical guide for preteens. Reassuring anecdotes and facts help readers to succeed at this stage of their lives. Addresses all aspects of middle school and includes interactive quizzes. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rationale and connections:** This book is useful for students in the middle grades, as it addresses specific topics that affect this age group. It includes interactive quizzes which makes it engaging and relatively easy to assess comprehension. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Media resources:** n/a


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41mTo-sCtDL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="172" height="156" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Kids-Secrets-Behind/dp/0803735006/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318747809&sr=8-1"]] ||

=
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍ ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">//The Omnivore’s Dilemma// by Michael Pollan and adapted by R. Chevat **=====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Lexile Level: 930L **
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Description: **Michael Pollan takes you on a journey through the food chain in //The Omnivore’s Dilemma//. He becomes a “food detective” and investigates where food really comes from for four different types of meals: The Industrial Meal, The Industrial Organic Meal, The Local Sustainable Meal, and The Do-It-Yourself Meal. The Young Readers Edition adapted by Richie Chevat is easy to understand without sacrificing the integrity of the arguments brought forth by Michael Pollan. His concern with highly processed foods and their effects on our bodies and the environment are clearly presented and well-discussed. The pictures and sidebars add to the content. The text is chunked appropriately and the subheadings enhance the clarity of the topic being discussed. This book will appeal to readers concerned with health and the environment. Grades 5 -12** ‍ ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Theme: Health, environment, food politics ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Rationale and connections: ** Omnivore’s Dilemma can be read across multiple content areas – it could be read in LA as a strong example of clear, impassioned informational text; read in Health as a way to consider “food-ways” and how those decisions effect our lives; read in SS for a discussion of grass-roots activism; or read in science as a study of the interplay of different systems. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Media resources: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[|**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFpjskn3_Pc**] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** YouTube video of M.Pollan discussing book **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[|**http://michaelpollan.com/resources/**] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Michael Pollan’s website - FAQ’s, articles, etc: **

=Poetry:=

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**“Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Genre: Poetry** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Lexile Level: NP, Ages 8-12**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61mlpdqXSVL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA160_.jpg caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Casey-Bat-Ballad-Republic-Caldecott/dp/1929766009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318748650&sr=1-1"]] ||

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Description of book:** Iconic American poem; dramatic story of the closely fought game, and the potential of a win if only Casey can make it to bat…then, when he does, the gut-wrenching, unbelievable strike-out.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rationale and connections:** American classic; part of the cultural iconography

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Media resources:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**[]**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">James Earl Jones reading: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**[]** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This is a reading with poor sound but the images are from the “Jackie Robinson story” so the crowd scenes are good. Would be cool to blend the James Earl Jones reading with this video.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**“The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert Service** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Genre: Poetry** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Lexile Level: NP, Ages 8-12**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V79nT4YRL._AA160_.jpg caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Cremation-Sam-McGee-Robert-Service/dp/155453092X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318748620&sr=1-1"]] ||

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">‍Description: **"<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Cremation of Sam McGee" is a narrative poem about two companions in the cold of the great North, find out what being a friend really means. Sam is always cold, so much so that he persuades his friend to cremate him if he dies. He perishes and his friend tries to take Sam’s body back to civilization for a proper cremation, but finds the trail too rough and long, so he cremates Sam in an abandoned boat. The great lines come when the friend just has to peak in to see if the corpse is finally gone, but instead sees his friend, basking in the warmth of the raging fire, who tells him "it's the first time I've been warm since I left Tennessee.”

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Theme: Friendship, promises kept**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rationale and connections:** Long, narrative poem – often read in sort of a sing-song voice, but the video below is a fantastic, creepy take instead. The macabre elements of the “corpse lashed to the sled“ and the “greasy smoke” enthrall the young listener, while the humorous twist at the end keeps the horror at bay. This poem is packed with literary elements of character, setting, figurative language, rhyme, meter, etc… Could be part of a social studies unit on the Gold Rush/western expansion.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**‍Media resources:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**[]**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**[]**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**[]**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**//Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices// by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Eric Bedows** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Genre: Poetry ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Lexile Level: NP **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ax5elEKLL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA160_.jpg caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Joyful-Noise-Poems-Two-Voices/dp/0064460932/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318748491&sr=1-1"]] ||

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Description: ** //Joyful Noise// is a children's book of poetry about insects that was designed for two readers to enjoy together, sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneously... On each page are two columns of verse celebrating the insect world, from the short life of the mayfly to the love song of the book louse. Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise. Eric Beddows's vibrant drawings send each insect soaring, spinning, or creeping off the page in its own unique way.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Theme: Natural world; close observation, interplay of multiple voices ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Rationale and connections: ** Dramatic readings; makes poetry come alive – multiple voices, playing off the other

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Media resources: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** [] **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**“Love that Dog” by Sharon Creech** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Genre: Poetry ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Lexile Level: 1010, Ages 8-12 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41v13OGXDIL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA160_.jpg caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Love-That-Dog-Sharon-Creech/dp/0756913802/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318748514&sr=1-1"]] ||

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Description: ** An exchange between a boy and his teacher about a poetry study; all written in poetry; the story of how the boy gets and loves, and loses his beloved yellow dog... and how he learns to appreciate poetry.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Theme: Love, loss, learning to appreciate the power of poetry **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Rationale and connections: ** Intro to narrative poetry – includes a character that is opposed to poetry, who, through writing, comes to appreciate it….helps explicate what poetry is…language of grief, boys and poetry.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** ‍Media resources: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** [] **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Interview with Sharon Creech; focus on how the editorial process works: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** [] **

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (Sonnet 130)" by** ** William Shakespeare ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Genre: ** Poetry <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Lexile Level: ** none available

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Description: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**T**** heme: ** love, humor, satire <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Rationale and connections: ** This is a good introduction to sonnets. It can be used to teach the characteristics of the Shakespearean sonnet, to show that Shakespeare's language is not really as difficult to understand as one might think. Can be used to teach literary devices: simile, metaphor, hyperbole. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Media resources **** : **Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) reads Sonnet 130 (kids might like this because of the popularity of the //Harry Potter// movies. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">************************************************************************************************************************************** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">__**The Surrender Tree (poetry)**__ (I Wrote this review for a Library Studies class this term and feel it is relavant for this section--Ben G.) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Author: Margarita Engle

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Title: “The Surrender Tree” --This is an Epic Poem

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Publisher: Holt/Square Fish

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Publication Year: 2008


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">* Who are the main characters in this book, and what kinds of struggles are they dealing with? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Rosa is the primary character in this poem/story. She is a nurse in the jungles of Cuba aiding, healing and assisting rebel soldiers who are fighting against Spanish troops for their independence. Jose is Rosa’s Husband and he is a freed slave and also a nurse working alongside his wife in caves and thatch roof huts, or makeshift hospitals, helping to heal injured rebel soldiers. Lieutenant Death is a slave hunter turned mercenary of sorts who is hunting Rosa on behalf of Spanish forces—ironically when he was a boy he was healed by Rosa. There are many other side characters but one, Sylvia, becomes somewhat of a primary character by the story’s end when she becomes Rosas protégé or understudy. Also two rebel generals called the Fox and the Lion are somewhat important in that they are the inspirational leaders of the Rebel forces who are referenced often.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">* What do you consider to be the main plot points of this book, and overall theme? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> This story takes place over many decades and chronicles the life of Rosa from a child living as a slave through adulthood where she learns how to be a healer in the jungle and aides revolutionaries/rebels through three wars with the Spanish—the initial rebellion which includes some plantation owners turned dissidents does not have a specific name in the book but the following two wars are called the “Ten Year War” and the “Little War.” Some important plot points of this book are the opening of the book where we are provided with many details of slave life. Also during this time Rosa is learning how to be a healer from nameless slave elders—all women. After the initial rebellion when Rosa and many slaves are freed we get an exposition about life living in the jungle and the formation of a second rebellion where the rebels embraces the derogatory term //Mambi//: “we catch the rhythmic word, and make it our own, a name for our newly invented warrior tribe.” Right around this same time “Lieutenant Death,” who is grown from a boy to man, who has transformed from a slave hunter in the image of his father, who now works for the Spanish crown hunting Rosa and the Mambi Rebels, this spiteful man, at this point becomes the antagonist of the story because he will hunt and haunt our protagonist for the rest of the story: “Swamps, mountains, jungle, caves… I search without resting, I seek the reward I will surely collect, just as soon as I kill the healer they call Rosa La Bayamesa, a witch who cures wild Mambi Rebels so they can survive to fight again.” It is from this point on where we are dramatically ferried through two wars with Rosa and the rebels moving locations and being hunted intensely by the Spanish and Lieutenant Death. In the end the Spanish cede Cuba to Americans after the Spanish-American War and we are left with Rosa and the Mambi feeling that the Americans are just another occupying force that will try to impose their will or inhibit Cuban independence. The overarching theme of this story in my opinion is one of survival or surviving since Rosa and the rebels endured so many hardships hiding out in caves and jungle relentlessly engaging the occupying Spanish. There is also an emphasis placed on healing because over and over again Rosa is revered and relied on for her healing capacity. Thus, I would say that the power of healing, or intense human compassion, are also equally important themes that are recurrent in this story. The many motifs that support the latter themes are the hands of Rosa, the flowers, herbs and wild foods she uses frequently to help not only rebel soldier but enemy soldiers as well—many Spanish troops change sides after being healed.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">* What new understandings or insights did you gain from reading this book? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> I had no clue how America got involved in Cuban affairs or how it is they were able to build a military base their, Guantanamo, and this story explains in the end that the result of the Spanish-American war meant an agreement between the Cubans and Americans which stated that America could build a base there in exchange for its help with eradicating the Spanish from the island. I also did not know anything about Cuban independence and how slaves, Spanish dissidents, plantation owners and native islanders came together to fight for their freedom. It is interesting that Cubans today are an amalgamation of these many varied peoples.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">* Would you use this book in your classroom? If so why? If not, why not? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> This book would be a perfect story to use in a unit on dissent, civil disobedience or revolution. While Cubans fought many bloody wars fighting for their independence and their struggle perhaps is not the most seminal example of revolution, it is an important one because of how compassionately they treated their injured opposition. This story is a good example of how empathy and compassion for the enemy can be integral in winning over converts to the cause. There is a great lesson on Compassion in this book among other important themes.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">* What is your overall appraisal of this book? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> An interesting feature of this story that I have not addressed yet is its interesting story/poem format. The writing is in the form of an epic poem but the grammar and convention operate in the form of a narrative most of the time feeling more like a story than a poem—though on the page it looks like a poem. There are some very poetic moments that created wonderful scenes in the theatre of my mind: “The child tells me her grandmother show her how to cure sadness by sucking the juice of an orange, while standing on a beach.” Most of the description like this is simple but very effective especially when surrounded by episodes of horrific warfare. I am grateful that I read and purchased this book because I will use it someday in the classroom and read it to my children some day. So, overall, I was impressed by this book because while it was about struggle, warfare, revolution, suffering and rebellion it balanced itself out with great moments of compassion, description, and dynamic character growth.

=Plays:=

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**//The Bear// by Anton Chekhov** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Genre: ** Plays - One Act, Russian Farce <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Lexile Level: ** none available <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Description: ** The play explores the absurd events that unfold as a debt collector confronts a rueful widow about her husband's lingering debts. When she attempts to defer, the man refuses to leave, provoking a battle of wits, wills, and ultimately, the sexes. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**T**** heme: ** grief, mourning, lonliness, anger, love, human relationships <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">** Rationale and connections: ** This is a fun, quick read and it opens up exploration of how humans interact with each other. It provides an opportunity to look at Russian literature and it can be used to teach about dialogue and/or comedic plays.

=Short Stories:=

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">// **The October Country** // by Ray Bradbury <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Genre:** Short Stories <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Lexile Level:** 780

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Description (from Lexile.com):**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Welcome to a land Ray Bradbury calls "the Undiscovered Country" of his imagination--that vast territory of ideas, concepts, notions and conceits where the stories you now hold were born. America's premier living author of short fiction, Bradbury has spent many lifetimes in this remarkable place--strolling through empty, shadow-washed fields at midnight; exploring long-forgotten rooms gathering dust behind doors bolted years ago to keep strangers locked out.. and secrets locked in. The nights are longer in this country. The cold hours of darkness move like autumn mists deeper and deeper toward winter. But the moonlight reveals great magic here--and a breathtaking vista.The October Country is many places: a picturesque Mexican village where death is a tourist attraction; a city beneath the city where drowned lovers are silently reunited; a carnival midway where a tiny man's most cherished fantasy can be fulfilled night after night. The October Country's inhabitants live, dream, work, die--and sometimes live again--discovering, often too late, the high price of citizenship. Here a glass jar can hold memories and nightmares; a woman's newborn child can plot murder; and a man's skeleton can war against him. Here there is no escaping the dark stranger who lives upstairs...or the reaper who wields the world. Each of these stories is a wonder, imagined by an acclaimed tale-teller writing from a place shadows. But there is astonishing beauty in these shadows, born from a prose that enchants and enthralls. Ray Bradbury's //The October Country// is a land of metaphors that can chill like a long-after-midnight wind...as they lift the reader high above a sleeping Earth on the strange wings of Uncle Einar.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Themes:** Magic, Mystery, Fear, the Unknown <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Rationale and Connections:** Ray Bradbury is an amazing writer. He is also a very accessible writer who creates simple stories with hidden depths. You can read them on several different levels. For instance, one story in this collection "The Small Assassin" is about a baby who decides to go on a killing spree. You can read it just as a quirky, creepy horror story. Or you can read it as a believable psychological study about why a baby might be driven to do such a thing. You can also read it as a meditation on how adults care deeply about their children, but they are also terrified and worried about them all the time. Every single story in this book can be read on multiple levels like that, and it's a great way to introduce 10-12 year old kids to deeper reading techniques than they might be used to.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**Media Resources:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[|//Ray Bradbury Theater Presents The Small Assassin//]: This is an anthology series adaptation of one of the creepier stories in the book. There is a really great introduction by Bradbury himself.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">[|//Ray Bradbury Theater Presents The Man Upstairs//:] Here is another installment from the same series. It's another adaptation of a story from the book. There are many of these available online, so you could see which stories your students like the most and show them the adaptation of their favorites.