(Spinelli, J. (2012). Jake and Lily. New York: Balzer + Bray)
Summary: Like Flipped (by Wendelin Van Draanenas), Jake and Lily shows two sides of the same story. Written by Jerry Spinelli (the wonderful author of Stargirl. Love, Stargirl and Eggs), he describes twins, Jake and Lily Wambold summer vacation. The twins share a deep connection and memories but as they enter adolescence, Jake begins hanging out with who Lily views as the neighborhood bully, Bump and his group of friends. Although it appears Jake is more mature and Lily is struggling behind, both characters by the end of the book have learned lessons about who they are as people, separate and together as twins.
Reading Level: Ages 8 -10; Lexile 480L
Suggested Delivery: Independent Read
Technology Resources:
1. In this Youtube video, Meet the Author, Jerry Spinelli talks about his books and his experience winning the Newbery Medal for Maniac Magee.
2. This book, Jake and Lily, is also available as an audio book.
(Boyce, F., & Berger, J. (2012). Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flies again. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press. )
Summary: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again is a stay-up-late-to-finish-reading-it page turner. Besides the fantastic British lexicon and the interesting illustrations that are sprinkled throughout the text, the characters are well developed (Lucy!) and interesting. This book details the Tootings vacation adventures and begins with the father recently losing his job. He takes to using his creativity to fixing things around the house (toys that play with you, motion sensor front doors that turn on the teapot) to mixed results. The ultimate project for him, and his family, is the restoration of a camper van. Once they begin traveling, they discover their van has some interesting abilities. This book is a supplement to the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming and is inspired by the author's childhood experience watching the movie.
2. The Candlwick Site for this book offers a plethora of resources for teachers and students.
3. Ian Fleming's website highlights his books and includes a page on the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, including information about the sequel to Flies Again, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time, published in 2012.
(Hannigan, Katherine. Ida B: --and her plans to maximize fun, avoid disaster, and (possibly) save the world. China: Greenwillow Books, 2004. Print.)
Summary: Ida B is the only child of Ida and Evan Applewood. She is homeschooled and feels most at home exploring the woods around her house, nature and her apple trees, not in a classroom with other students and no control or knowledge of her plans for the day. When her mother becomes sick with cancer, her father has to sell part of the land she treasures so much and her mother no longer has the energy to teach Ida B. She is sent to school, where in Ms. Washington’s class she is the angriest and meanest student they have ever seen. Through tutoring another student in math, running races, reading aloud, and being asked everyday if there is anything she want to talk about by the persistent Mrs. Washington, Ida B. slowly breaks out of her shell. But what happens when she’s mean to the most popular girl in school who just happens to be moving onto Ida B’s old land?
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Key words/phrases:
1.Cancer
2.Nature
3.Homeschool
4.Family
5. Friendship
Suggested Delivery: Individual, but other students are reading the book at the same time.
Electronic Resources:
1. "Resources for Educators, Kids, and Just About Anybody” is a page by the author which provides additional resources such as websites, books, and movies which supplement the book Ida B.
2. “What You Can Do” provides over twenty tips that the reader can live out in relation to the environment and sustainability that relate to the book Ida B.
Before: Students will read the book jacket, read the back of the book as well as the inside flap and pose open ended questions about the book that they think will be answered when reading the book.
During: Students select a passage that they find challenging, interesting, or confusing while they read reading and write an response to the passage, including questions and opinions. They then share their response to the text with a partner after the partner has read up to that point. The partner will then write a response offering further insights or questions that they too have.
After: After students have complete the entire book, they will answer the open ended questions that were posed before reading, connecting the text to prior knowledge, sharing feelings and justifying opinions. If there are still questions left over from the during reading activity dialogue, the students can share the passage they analyzed, their opinions and questions, and have the rest of the group add their own insight.
Student will create a wordle. They will first create a paragraph defining the characters, plot, setting, conflict, resolution, and theme. They will type this paragraph then copy and paste it into http://www.wordle.net/create and then create their wordle. The students will analyze their Wordle and see if the most important concepts are the biggest concepts that they want to present in the wordle. If they are not then they can add the words they feel are most important more often to have the world represent their understanding of the book.
(Raskin, E. (1978). The Westing game. New York: Dutton.)
Summary: Upon Samuel W. Westing’s death, a game begins between the sixteen residents of the SunsetTowers. They are paired up and given scraps of appear with words written on them. The pairs work together to decipher their own clues and attempt to gain other people’s clues as well. This story progresses to be about more then just the puzzle itself and the resulting inheritance as family members and neighbors work together and come to conclusions that are larger then the game itself.
Reading Level: Ages , Lexile 750L
Key words/phrases:
1.Mystery
2.Puzzle
3.Death
4.Family
5.Heirs
Suggested Delivery: Small Group
Electronic Resources:
1. This Prezi on The Westing Game provides the student with information on this book which might help hook them into reading it.
2. The Westing Game Manuscript provides information of the writing of The Westing Game which would be of interest during or after reading this book to see the process of writing a novel.
Before: Introduce the book to a small group though a book talk, explaining the characters, the problem, and the basic plot. Outline the characters and give at least one identifying attribute for each character. The chart can serve as a reference for when the students are reading.
As the story is read students can add more derails about the characters.
Main Characters
Description
Sam "Windy" Windkloppel
Samuel W. Westing's birth name
Sam Westing
Self-made millionaire and started Westing Paper Products Corporation
Otis Amber
Delivery boy for SunsetTowers
Flora Miller Baumbach
A dressmaker
Judge Josie-Jo Ford
Judge who resides in Tenant in 4D
George Theodorakis
Owner of the coffee shop in the lobby
Catherine Theodorakis
Runs the coffee shop with her husband George
Theo Theodorakis
older son of George and Catherine , a high school senior who wants to be a writer, friends with Douglas Hoo
Christos "Chris" Theodorakis
Younger son of George and Catherine, he suffers from a neurological disease which confines him to a wheelchair.
Sydelle Pulaski
the secretary to the president of Schultz Sausages
Jake Wexler
a podiatrist who keeps his office on the first floor
Grace Windsor Wexler
a social climber and self-professed decorator
Angela Wexler
Older daughter of Jake and Grace, known for her beauty and her engagement to Denton Deere.
Turtle Wexler
Younger daughter of Jake and Grace, Interested in the stock market.
Denton Deere
A medical intern engaged to Angela Wexler
Barney Northrup
Realtor who convinces most of the residents to move into SunsetTowers
James Shin Hoo
owner of Shin Hoo's Restaurant on the fifth floor
Sun Lin Hoo
James' second wife, she came from China to marry and wishes to return to her homeland. She begins the novel unable to speak English.
Douglas Hoo
son of James and stepson of Sun Lin, he is a talentedhigh school runner, friends with Theo Theodorakis
Julian R. Eastman
Newly-elected chairman of Westing Paper Products Corporation
Berthe Erica Crow
Tenant in the maid's apartment on the fourth floor
Alexander "Sandy" McSouthers
Doorman at SunsetTowers
During: Have the students participate in a regular small group literary discussion where they will discuss the text. They will discuss the plot, the events that occurred, the motivations, for the characters actions, and how the characters are all related. This time should also be used by the students to clarify any parts of the text that are confusing, relying on other students interpretations to create clearer meaning.
After: Discuss with a partner the role Sandy played in the book, especially with solving the puzzle. Also reflect on the character of Sam Westing and how the multiple characters he assumed influenced the events that occurred. Then share their reflections with the whole group.
Ellen Raskin
Writing activity demonstrating inferential comprehension: Have students respond to the following writing prompt: What do you think Samuel W. Westing set out to accomplish with the game? Do you think he accomploshed it? Do you think he was happy with the end results?
(Grove, V. (1999). The starplace . New York: Putnam's Sons.)
Summary: Frannie accepted her town as it was until Celeste, an African-American, moves with her family to the white part of town and Celeste attends the all white school. Frannie resists being friends with Frannie but a shared hideout and membership in a special choirs brings them together and reveals to Frannie the ugly past, in some cases not too past, of her hometown.
Before: To have students better understand this book, historical background knowledge should be built on school segregation and the laws and controversy surrounding it, as well as the environment and political climate of the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. This can be accomplished by wither reading several shorter picture books, such as The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, and having students watch clips of actual historical events in this time period, such as students desegregating the schools, political leaders and their opinions on desegregation, and the peaceful protests . Some examples are:
1.“Berkeley Public School Desegregation: Gabrielle” This video Highlights the role Carol Sibley had as a member of the Board of Education in desegragating the Berkely Public Schools, as told by Gabby Morris who was the PTA president during this time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aw194sEeCQ
2.“Desegregating Baltimore City Schools” This is A longer video which gives the perpectives of vaiorus people who experienced the desegrefation of the Baltimore Schools. It gives backgorund onBaltimore beofre degregation and history of the process of degsegration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzfg0RGJnV8
3.“School Desegregation” This video begins with Martin Luther King Jr, but tehn branches out to focus on the role students had in ending desegration and the reaction of the public to the desegregation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UHWtwW8Qh0&feature=related
4.“1960-Civil Rights Movement” This video essay focuses on the desgration of schools and includes similar material as the above video but alos incldues a more broader perepstive on the civil rights movement in general which would build general backgorund helpful to seeing the enviroment in desgeration was ocuring. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGihycVy0B4&feature=fvsr
During:Have students record on a sheet (their “moral compass”) whether they would do what Frannie did. Have the student record the important decisions Frannie made and then write whether they would make the same decision as Frannie did. A column for character motivation can be used to explain what motivated Frannie in each situation. Before students are given the assignment, outline examples of such events to ensure that the students have a complete understanding of the assignment.
Writing activity demonstrating inferential comprehension: Create a Voki (http://voki.com/) as either Frannie or Celeste summarizing the story, or as themselves describing the event in the story sticks with the students the most? How do they connect this event with experiences they have had? Or does this event not connect with your experiences?
(Barnett, M., & Rex, A. (2009). The case of the case of mistaken identity. New Yourk: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. )
Summary: Steve Brixton is a 12 year old who aspires to be a detective. His mom’s boyfriend, a police officer, doesn’t believe in Steve’s abilities even though Steve solves a troubling mystery of the boyfriends in minutes at the dinner table. Steve’s innocent school research project then hurtles him head first into a mystery involving librarians who are really secret service agents and books on that hold national secrets. He is wanted by the police and on the run trying to prove his own innocence. It’s Steve’s dream come true.
Key Vocabulary: gingerly, greasepaint, library of congress, walkie-talkie, elated
Reading strategies to increase comprehension:
Before: Discuss the components of a mystery novel and brainstorm with the students parts of a mystery novel. Create a chart outlining these parts before reading.
Story Parts
How story parts are used in a mystery
Examples from books
Characters
Setting
Plot
Problem
Solution
During: Have students mark book with Thinkmarks (http://in2books.epals.com/content/strategy.aspx?caid=Reading_Strategy&plankid=2&divid=Thinkmarks) as the book is being read. On the Thinkmarks, the students can jot down any questions, comments, or noting an interesting phrase or sentence, in general, or which adds to the genre of mystery. The students can then share their Thinkmarks with a partner, or the whole class at designated times (such as when you are done reading for the day). During the reading of this book, the students can add examples and parts of the mystery genre that arise unmentioned in the “Before” activity.
After: Have the students create a story map of the book outlining the major characters and events in the story and showing the progression of the story from beginning to end. The students’ story map can take any form, such as a chart, drawing, collage, or mural.
Mac Barnett
Writing activity demonstrating inferential comprehension: After the class has read several other books which fall into the genre of mystery, have students complete a comparison matrix.
The Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity
Book #2
Book #3
Characters
Setting
Plot
Conflict
Solution
The matrix will be used to help students write their own mystery story. One suggestion is to have students take a central theme from each of the mysteries highlighted and imitate it. For this book, they could take something ordinary (for this book, the Library of Congress call numbers) and changing the reason for it. The students should be encouraged to use the “before” chart, the story map, and the story comparison matrix in the formation of their story. They could also use the planning your mystery chart form Scholastic (http://printables.scholastic.com/printables/f.jsp?id=41122) to help them map out their story. The “Tips and tricks on writing your own suspenseful mystery!” from the Brixton Brothers website (http://www.brixtonbrothers.com/extras.php) would also be helpful for the students while brainstorming ideas or for imitating the language used in this book.
