Wagon Train Adventure

Wagon Train Adventure is a graphic novel by John Kelly about the struggle of a girl named Sarah on her way along the California Trail in 1849. Sarah and her family were on the California trail and along the way she was almost killed by a stampede of buffalo, her father was killed, and she was attacked and helped by Indians.

I really liked this book. I have always been a big fan of comics and I am a firm believer in letting children read what interests them. This book combines both a good story and the comic book style. I think that letting reluctant readers read graphic novels may lead them to be more motivated to read.

In the classroom I would use this book along side a unit on the Oregon/California Trail. Both of those topics are discussed during the fourth grade year and this book would be a great read for that grade level. I think this book could be used in multiple ways. It can be used by an independent reader or as a read aloud in the classroom. 

Many topics about the dangerous trail are brought about in this book and it would be a great way to get students to start thinking about the dangers and hardships that young children faced during that time period. I also like that the story is told from the perspective of a girl but is a book that many would consider geared more toward boys. I think that because of this mixture it will do a good job at engaging both girls and boys int he classroom.

I think that this book would be great to start a lesson where the students could create their own comic strip with a creative writing story about what they would encounter on wither the Oregon or California Trail. This book is also available through wegivebooks.com.  

Eye Wonder: Rivers and Lakes

Eye Wonder: Rivers and Lakes is a great informational book about the different types of water on the planet. The book covers  topics like how water reaches the sea, what types of animals live in the water, what types of animals receive food from the water and wetlands. The book also discusses topics like dams, flooding, droughts, and pollution. There are many great facts in this text along with a glossary at the back of the book.

I think this book could be used when teaching a unit on water. It has great information that could be read aloud to the class or used in a research project independently by students. I really like that the books discusses topics like pollution a drought. I have not seen many books that discuss these topics but I think should be addressed when teaching about the Earth's water supply, especially a topic like pollution. 

The book has great real life photos that will also support any second language learners or children with special needs in the classroom. The text in the book is small but the language used would be appropriate for children in grades 3-5. 

I like that this book can also be read in sections that correlate to other topics, i.e. water habitats, preservation, or the water cycle. If you have access to the internet with projector or smartboard capabilities this book is also available through wegivebooks.org. This gives the capability of presenting the book to the whole class on a larger scale.

Full House: An Invitation to Fractions

Full House: An Invitation to Fractions is a great book by Dayle Ann Dodds. The book is about an inn keeper that wants to fill her inn for the night. As customers check-in the book uses fractions to describe how much of the inn is full. As each customer is introduced the book adds the fractions together. It has a fun rhyme that kids can follow along with.

I would not have thought of this book as one I would use in a fifth-grade classroom until I saw how another teacher utilized it. The class was having trouble grasping how to add fractions together. Before the lesson the teacher read this book aloud to the students and made it interactive. This was easy to do since it followed a repeating pattern through out. The teacher used it as a scaffolding tool to make the concept of adding fractions less complicated. To my surprise the class of fifth-graders were engaged and saying there parts in unison when they came.

This book is easy enough for younger students and could be used as a way to introduce fractions as well. I liked that the teacher used it as a way to get the students to engage in the activity of learning to add fractions. I too can see using the text in the same way. This book would also be easy enough that the class could revisit the story independently for extra support.

Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic

Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic is a part historical fiction part sci-fi/fantasy novel written by Suzanne Weyn. The story is set in the 19th century and centers around five sisters, Jane, Mimi, Amelie, Emma, and Blythe, and their mother, Maude, who is a medium. After the father/husband dies Maude is forced to find a way to support herself and her five daughters. She discovers that she can communicate with the dead. Though out the book Jane and her sisters travel to different parts of the world and meet many people. One person that is vital to the plot of the story is a scientist named Nikola Tesla, who is based on an real-life scientist. Through a series of events the sisters and Nikola end up on the Titanic and one of Nikola's inventions is said to be the cause of the iceberg hitting the ship. Nikola then claims he can save the sisters through a time machine. Does Nikola save the sisters? Does the time machine work?

I am personally a huge fantasy/sci-fi fan and enjoyed this book. Even though the book had some historical events tied into the book I think that it was more fantasy/sci-fi based. I was a little thrown of by the title as well. The book doesn't mention the Titanic until the book is over half done, I expected the setting to be the Titanic. 

For my classroom I am not sure that I would use this book. While I personally liked the book and I would allow my children to read it once they were age appropriate I don't think all parents would approve of the subject matter. I think that if I taught in high school I would feel comfortable recommending this book to students I don't think I would feel quite the same way if I taught middle school. I definitely don't think I would be able to use it in my classroom curriculum. This book is most suited for high school students.

Flipped

Flipped is a young adult book written by Wendelin Van Draanen. This book is written from both the view point of a girl, Julianna (Juli), and a boy, Bryce. The story starts out with Bryce describing how from the moment he and his family moved into the neighborhood Juli, "barged and shoved and wedged her way into [his life]," (Van Draanen, p. 1). During the first parts of the book Juli obsesses over Bryce following him every where. Bryce, however, hates that she will not leave him alone and tries everything to get rid of her. During middle school is when the story gets "flipped". Juli over hears Bryce's friend talking badly about her and when Bryce laughs at the comments Juli is furious. She then starts to hate Bryce much the way he hated her before. What Juli doesn't know is that Bryce was actually furious with his friend but was afraid to say something at the risk of losing the friend. After that the story has the main characters flip so that Bryce is now chasing Juli. Do they become friends or even a couple? The story has a very sweet ending that I thought was age appropriate.

I thought that this book was a well written book that would be an age appropriate book for grades 6 and up, even though the book is recommended for grades 5 and up. I think that book gives a great insight to how different the thinking is between boys and girls and how that changes with age. I think that the book would be a great addition to my classroom library that would probably target girls more than boys but I could see boys enjoying the book as well. I do not see using the book as part of my curriculum because I think that some parents might feel differently about introducing a book about a teenage romance into the mainstream classroom. I would recommend it to the girls in my classroom because I think that the insights into how boys feel, think, and act can be valuable to girls who are trying to figure out the opposite sex during those awkward middle school years and vice-versa. I also think that it has a very thoughtful ending that both boys and girls could learn compassion from.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is an award winning chapter books for grades 5 and up by Kimberly Willis Holt. The book is set in the Vietnam era Texas. The book has the main character, Toby, and his best friend, Cal, dealing with Cal's older brother, who joins the Army, dying in the war. Toby also has to deal with an absentee mother who has fled to Nashville to pursue her singing career. On top all of this Toby and Cal befriend a boy they met in a sideshow who is "The Fattest Boy Ever". 

When reading this book I thought that it would be a great book to add to my classroom library. I don't think that I would use this book in my curriculum because I don't think that it would reach the interest level of many students. As an adult reader I liked it but it is not something that I would have wanted to read as a fifth-grade student. I think that it would be a great book to use on a list of required reading where the students could chose but not in a way where all students would have to read it. I think that it has great topics like the Vietnam War and what people had to deal with when a loved one was lost in the war which is something I think that this generation of students doesn't quite understand like the older generations. I think that it could spark a discussion between me and the students who read it about that era in American history.   

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw is the third book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. In this book Greg Heffley deals with his father, Frank Heffley, trying to "toughen up" his son. Though Greg tries to convince his dad he doesn't need to toughen up, he tries to no avail. Greg's dad threatens to send him to military school. Does Greg get shipped out? Read and find out.

I do love this series. I think that many children can relate to how Greg Heffley feels as a new middle schooler and as he progresses through the experience. I also think that many children can relate to being the middle child in a family and the trouble that comes from being older but not quite old enough. I think that this book would be a great addition to my classroom for students to read at an independent level from the third-grade up to fifth-grade. 

I could see using this book with the others in the series to do an author study or book clubs in my classroom. I could also see using this book to spark a creative writing session where the students write journal of their own about their school year experience much like Greg Heffley does in this series. I think that having the students journal about their school year can help them to process much of the difficulties and triumphs they experience. I also think that as the students get older they will have something that they can reflect on that will remind them of that experience. They can use the book as a guide of topics that they can write about from siblings and parents to friends and relationships. I think that students, especially boys, will be more interested in writing a journal using this book as a reference.

Unlikely Friendships

Unlikely Friendships is not a typical book you would see in a classroom, more like a coffee table at a friends house. However, I used this book with my reading buddy that loves animals and aspires to be a veterinarian. Now that I have used the book I have been made aware of all the ways a teacher can use it in the classroom.

The book is filled with 46 stories about different animals that found friendship in each other. The tales of friendship range from a lion, a tiger, and a bear to a snake and a hamster (which would be more thought of as dinner not a friendship). The stories and the photos in this book are sure to capture children and adults alike.

Aside from using this book on an individual basis with children I also thought it would be a great read-aloud book for the whole classroom. Many of the tales are so beautiful and inspiring. I think that the stories could be read aloud for many different reasons and purposes. One idea I had was that I could introduce the book by reading a story. On the next days I thought I could introduce just the title and have the children use their critical thinking to write about how they think that animals met and why they became friends. I think that it could get older children thinking about friendships and why they are are so important. I also think that the book shows many different types of tolerance so it could be used when teaching students about being tolerant. I think that this book would be appropriate for independent reading at the middle school level but the concepts would be appropriate for children down to third-grade.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief is the first in a series of five books by Rick Riordan. The book is about a boy named Percy Jackson who is a demigod, his mother is a human and his father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Percy grows up unaware that he is so special until he is forced into reality when someone has stolen Zeus' lightening bolt. Zeus claims that only the son of one of the "Big Three", Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, have the power to do so. Since it was Zeus who had something stolen and Hades is an unlikely suspect all attention is turned to Poseidon's son Percy, who has no idea his father is the god of the sea. This information has been hidden from him for his protection since it is rare that one of the "Big Three" has a child on Earth. When Percy's mother and protector find out he is in danger they bring him to Camp Half-blood for demigod training. On their way to the camp they are attacked by a Minotaur, sent by Hades in an attempt to get Zeus' lightening bolt, and Percy's mother is taken. Percy eventually sets out on a quest with his protector, Grover, and the daughter of Athena, Annabeth. Does Percy and his friends save his mother, find the lightening bolt and prevent a war between the gods?

This book was excellent. I watched the movie first and was happy with how much better the book was. The book went into so much more detail. When I was young I had an obsession with Greek mythology and I would have loved if a book like this was available for me to read. I think it would have definitely sparked my interest. I think that his book along with the others in the series would be a great book to have in the classroom library available to students. I think that students with an interest in mythology and/or fantasy adventure would love this read.

I also think that this book would be a good book club book to assign my students. With the choices between the series children could read any one they want or have an ongoing series book club where they read the whole series over the year.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is  the second book of seven in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Of the series of books three of the books, including this one, have been made into major motion pictures. In this book the children, Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy are sent back to Narnia to aid Prince Caspian in retaking the throne. Prince Caspian's uncle, King Miraz, killed his brother, Prince Caspian's father, in an attempt to rule. Prince Caspian was allowed to remain aire to the throne until King Miraz's wife had a son. Once King Miraz has a son to continue the blood line he orders Prince Caspian dead. After he escapes he uses Susan's horn to call their aid to his side and yet another great adventure and battle are under way.

There are slight differences in the text and the movie which is expected when a great book is adapted into a movie; however, I do think that the motion picture was closely related to book. While I am always hesitant when hearing a book was made into a movie I think that in this case it gave new life to an old series. The original books were published in the early to mid- 1950's and I think that the movies have introduced this series to a whole new generation to some really great adventure books.

When using this series in my classroom I thought that it would be a great series to use in an author study for the class. I would have children sign-up to read the different books in the series and then have a groups divided so that each group would have one student that read a different book in the series. I think that it would provide a chance to see the similarities/differences in the style between the books and the development of characters throughout the series.

There are a couple of things I would be concerned with in using these books in a classroom setting. One is that when they were written C.S. Lewis wrote them with some biblical references. I would send a letter home to parents to let them know I would be using this book as part of the curriculum to try and avoid any problems. Also the language used in these books is a bit old fashioned. Much of the vocabulary and/or terminology is out dated and may be hard for the students to understand, especially any children where English was their second language. I do not think that it would be bad enough that I would not utilize book. I remember reading the first book as a child and I think that this book is just as good as the first.