Genre: Realistic Fiction
Publishing Information: Random House Children's Books, Sept. 1987 (64pp.)
Awards/Honors:
Summary:
Gregory finds himself moving on his birthday. His father has lost his job, and they had to relocated closer to his new one. At first Gregory had his own room in his new house, but he wasn't able to keep it to himself. His Uncle Max came and took over. At his new school, things weren't going well for Gregory either. The only place Gregory felt at peace was the burn-out chalk factory behind his house.
Personal Rating: This is a great book. The book is so realistic that any child can find a way to relate to Gregory or one of the other character in the book.
Reading Level: 3.2
Interest Level: 3-5
Integrated Unit:
Science: Make chalk, learn about vegetable, and plant a vegetable garden
Reading and Writing: make and write about connections
Social Studies: Character Traits - Bullying
Math: Measuring ingredients for making chalk
Potential Problems of Difficulties: Difficult for students below reading level to read
Showing posts with label Mary Little. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary Little. Show all posts
Monday, June 15, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Year of The Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston
Genre: General Fiction
Publishing:Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, Oct. !996 (32pp.) reprint
Awards/Honors:
Summary:
In this story, a little girl is sharing with the readers the story of how her grandma Ruthie and her family had to choose the perfect Christmas tree to give to Pine Grove Church for Christmas. Before Ruthie's father was send off to war, he took Ruthie up into the mountains and they tied her red ribbon around the tree they had chosen to give to the church at Christmas time. Since it was Ruthie's family time to give the tree, Ruthie had the honor of being the heavenly angel in the Christmas play. On Christmas Eve, Ruthie and her mother went up into the mountains where her father and her had marked their Christmas tree and cut it down. They took it to the church and left it. On Christmas day, Ruthie got to play the angel, received the gifts she asked for from Santa, and her father came home from the war.
Rating: Good The story is entertaining and heart-warming.
Reading Level: 3.8
Interest Level: 3-5
Integrated Units:
Social Studies: Discuss Past and Present
Science: Trees - different types, life cycle
Math : Graph - Where do you get your Christmas Tree?
Writing: My favorite Christmas...
Reading: make predictions and inferences
Problems/Difficulties: lengthy
Publishing:Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, Oct. !996 (32pp.) reprint
Awards/Honors:
Summary:
In this story, a little girl is sharing with the readers the story of how her grandma Ruthie and her family had to choose the perfect Christmas tree to give to Pine Grove Church for Christmas. Before Ruthie's father was send off to war, he took Ruthie up into the mountains and they tied her red ribbon around the tree they had chosen to give to the church at Christmas time. Since it was Ruthie's family time to give the tree, Ruthie had the honor of being the heavenly angel in the Christmas play. On Christmas Eve, Ruthie and her mother went up into the mountains where her father and her had marked their Christmas tree and cut it down. They took it to the church and left it. On Christmas day, Ruthie got to play the angel, received the gifts she asked for from Santa, and her father came home from the war.
Rating: Good The story is entertaining and heart-warming.
Reading Level: 3.8
Interest Level: 3-5
Integrated Units:
Social Studies: Discuss Past and Present
Science: Trees - different types, life cycle
Math : Graph - Where do you get your Christmas Tree?
Writing: My favorite Christmas...
Reading: make predictions and inferences
Problems/Difficulties: lengthy
Little Bunny's Sleepless Night by Carol Roth
Genre: Animal Stories, Bedtime Stories, and General Fiction
Publishing: North-South Books, Dec. 2002 (32pp.)
Awards/Honors:
Summary: One night Little Bunny was loney and couldn't fall asleep. Since he didn't have any brothers or sisters, he decided to sleep over at one of his friends' house. Every friend he visited, he soon discovered he couldn't sleep over at their house for some reason or another. Little Bunny, taking the advice of his wise friend, Owl, went home, went to bed, and went to sleep.
Personal Rating: This is a good book. I talk about friendship and each friend willingness to help his friend out. I believe the students will be able to relate to this story.
Reading Level: 4.2
Interest Level: K-2
Integrated Units:
Lang./Arts - inflectional -ed, story map - sequencing
Writing - write about a sleep over or bedtime ritual
Science- animal habitat
Math: Telling time - morning, noon, night - hours and minutes
Problems/Difficulties: some students can be afraid of the bark or had a bad experience with a sleep over.
Publishing: North-South Books, Dec. 2002 (32pp.)
Awards/Honors:
Summary: One night Little Bunny was loney and couldn't fall asleep. Since he didn't have any brothers or sisters, he decided to sleep over at one of his friends' house. Every friend he visited, he soon discovered he couldn't sleep over at their house for some reason or another. Little Bunny, taking the advice of his wise friend, Owl, went home, went to bed, and went to sleep.
Personal Rating: This is a good book. I talk about friendship and each friend willingness to help his friend out. I believe the students will be able to relate to this story.
Reading Level: 4.2
Interest Level: K-2
Integrated Units:
Lang./Arts - inflectional -ed, story map - sequencing
Writing - write about a sleep over or bedtime ritual
Science- animal habitat
Math: Telling time - morning, noon, night - hours and minutes
Problems/Difficulties: some students can be afraid of the bark or had a bad experience with a sleep over.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni
Book Genre: Fable, Fantasy, Folk Tales and Myths
Publishing: Random House Children's Books, Sept. 1974 (32 pp.)
Awards/Honors: Caldecott Honor, ALA Notable Book, and New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
Summary:
Alexander the mouse always got screamed at or chased by a broom every time he went looking for crumbs to eat. One day when no one was at home, Alexander found another mouse in the house. It wasn't an ordinary mouse, but a wind-up mouse named Willy. Alexander and Willy became good friends even though Willy couldn't move and play with Alexander. Alexander came to wish he was like Willy because he wanted to be cuddled and loved. One day Willy told Alexander about a magic lizard who lives in the garden and who could change one animal into another. Alexander went to see the lizard who told him to bring him a purple pebble. Alexander looked but couldn't find one.When he return home, Alexander found Willy in a box with old toys. Annie his owner was throwing him away. While talking to Willy, Alexander found a purple peddle and ran to the garden to give it to the lizard. When the lizard asked for his wish, Alexander wished that Willy would be a mouse like him instead of him becoming a wind-up mouse like Willy. Alexander return home to find that the box was empty. He believed he was too late until he saw Willy in the hold in the wall.
Personal rating and Why?
This is a good book. I enjoy the story and the pictures. The reading has an easy flow to it.
Reading Level: 4.7
Interest Level: K-2
Integrated units of study:
Science: Talk about animals and their habitat
Reading: Make connection and predictions
Writing: Write about a special friend and the things they like doing together
Potential Problems or Difficulties: The font too small
Publishing: Random House Children's Books, Sept. 1974 (32 pp.)
Awards/Honors: Caldecott Honor, ALA Notable Book, and New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
Summary:
Alexander the mouse always got screamed at or chased by a broom every time he went looking for crumbs to eat. One day when no one was at home, Alexander found another mouse in the house. It wasn't an ordinary mouse, but a wind-up mouse named Willy. Alexander and Willy became good friends even though Willy couldn't move and play with Alexander. Alexander came to wish he was like Willy because he wanted to be cuddled and loved. One day Willy told Alexander about a magic lizard who lives in the garden and who could change one animal into another. Alexander went to see the lizard who told him to bring him a purple pebble. Alexander looked but couldn't find one.When he return home, Alexander found Willy in a box with old toys. Annie his owner was throwing him away. While talking to Willy, Alexander found a purple peddle and ran to the garden to give it to the lizard. When the lizard asked for his wish, Alexander wished that Willy would be a mouse like him instead of him becoming a wind-up mouse like Willy. Alexander return home to find that the box was empty. He believed he was too late until he saw Willy in the hold in the wall.
Personal rating and Why?
This is a good book. I enjoy the story and the pictures. The reading has an easy flow to it.
Reading Level: 4.7
Interest Level: K-2
Integrated units of study:
Science: Talk about animals and their habitat
Reading: Make connection and predictions
Writing: Write about a special friend and the things they like doing together
Potential Problems or Difficulties: The font too small
The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow
Genre: Fiction
Publishing: Harper & Row Publishers 1989 (32 pp.)
Awards/Honors: Caldecott Honor and Horn Book Fanfare
Summary: A little boy watches a storm come up in the country while a young man in the city looks at the storm out his window. An old fisherman feels the rain from the storm splatter against his skin at the sea and in the mountains a farmer herds his sheep to shelter. Evenly the storm rolls over and the sun returns and the little boy sees a rainbow in the sky and asked his mother "What's that?"
Personal rating and Why:
This is a good book to read. It is an interesting book and it is a great to use to make connection. The pictures are very detail and realist.
Reading Level: 4.2
Interest Level: K-2
Integrated Units:
Science: Introduce the water cycle
Geography: Discuss physical features of a region
Lang./Art: - Make connection to the story
Writing: Have the students share an experience that have had with storms
Potential Problems or Difficulties: Students fear of storms
Publishing: Harper & Row Publishers 1989 (32 pp.)
Awards/Honors: Caldecott Honor and Horn Book Fanfare
Summary: A little boy watches a storm come up in the country while a young man in the city looks at the storm out his window. An old fisherman feels the rain from the storm splatter against his skin at the sea and in the mountains a farmer herds his sheep to shelter. Evenly the storm rolls over and the sun returns and the little boy sees a rainbow in the sky and asked his mother "What's that?"
Personal rating and Why:
This is a good book to read. It is an interesting book and it is a great to use to make connection. The pictures are very detail and realist.
Reading Level: 4.2
Interest Level: K-2
Integrated Units:
Science: Introduce the water cycle
Geography: Discuss physical features of a region
Lang./Art: - Make connection to the story
Writing: Have the students share an experience that have had with storms
Potential Problems or Difficulties: Students fear of storms
Monday, June 1, 2009
Frederick by Leo Lionni
Genre: Animal Stories, Classics
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Awards/Honors : Caldecott Honor
Pages - 28
Summary:
While the other field mice were busy working day and night gathering food for the upcoming winter. Frederick sat in the sun, staring at the meadow gathering words. When winter came and the food supplies started running low, the other mice remembered that Frederick was gathering words ,and encouraged him to share with them. Frederick shared his words and the other mice realized that Frederick is a poet.
Personal rating and explanation:
Great Book: This book is very entertaining. It is easy for the children to understand the concept of others working hard and others setting around and doing nothing.
Reading level: 3.8
Interest level: K-2
Integrated unit:
Reading: This book can be used in guided reading to teach the students how to read phrase or chunk together parts of sentences in order to read with expression.
Potential problem or difficulties:
This book will be too hard for a low level reader
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Awards/Honors : Caldecott Honor
Pages - 28
Summary:
While the other field mice were busy working day and night gathering food for the upcoming winter. Frederick sat in the sun, staring at the meadow gathering words. When winter came and the food supplies started running low, the other mice remembered that Frederick was gathering words ,and encouraged him to share with them. Frederick shared his words and the other mice realized that Frederick is a poet.
Personal rating and explanation:
Great Book: This book is very entertaining. It is easy for the children to understand the concept of others working hard and others setting around and doing nothing.
Reading level: 3.8
Interest level: K-2
Integrated unit:
Reading: This book can be used in guided reading to teach the students how to read phrase or chunk together parts of sentences in order to read with expression.
Potential problem or difficulties:
This book will be too hard for a low level reader
Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda D. Williams
Genre: Fable, Folk Tale, Myths
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Sept. 1988
Awards/Honors:
Pages: 32
Summary:
A little old woman who was not afraid of anything went for a walk into the forest to gather herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds. On her way back to her collage, she met a pair of big shoes, pants, shirt, gloves, hat, and a pumpkin head. Each item made a sound as they followed the old woman home. The old woman created a scarecrow with the items to scare off the crows.
Personal rating and explanation:
Great Book - The book has a nice steady pace. The students enjoy acting out each part - clapping their hands, nodding their head, stomping their feet, etc.
Reading Level: 3.4
Interest Level: K-2
Writing: A good book to introduce onomatopoeia words. As a group have the children identify other onomatopoeia words and write a sentence using the words. Example: I heard a knock at the door.
Potential Problems or Difficulties:
None
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Sept. 1988
Awards/Honors:
Pages: 32
Summary:
A little old woman who was not afraid of anything went for a walk into the forest to gather herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds. On her way back to her collage, she met a pair of big shoes, pants, shirt, gloves, hat, and a pumpkin head. Each item made a sound as they followed the old woman home. The old woman created a scarecrow with the items to scare off the crows.
Personal rating and explanation:
Great Book - The book has a nice steady pace. The students enjoy acting out each part - clapping their hands, nodding their head, stomping their feet, etc.
Reading Level: 3.4
Interest Level: K-2
Writing: A good book to introduce onomatopoeia words. As a group have the children identify other onomatopoeia words and write a sentence using the words. Example: I heard a knock at the door.
Potential Problems or Difficulties:
None
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
Genre: Animal Stories, Fables, Folklore, Myths
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Awards/Honors: Caldecott Honor Book
Page: 40 pages
Summary:
Seven colorful blind mice discover a SOMETHING by their pond. Each mice according to the day of the week goes and explore only one part of the SOMETHING and comes back a share with the other mice what he/she thinks the SOMETHING is. As each mice explore the SOMETHING their perspective is different. It takes the seventh mice which is white to tell the rest of the mice what the SOMETHING, an elephant, is.
Personal rating and explanation:
I rate this book as being great. The book hascoloring pictures on a dark background, large print, and easy flowing.
Reading Level: 3.3
Interest level: K-3
Integrated Level:
Science: Place an object in a feeling box. Have one child at a time feel the object and tell one thing about the object such as it has four legs, etc. until seven people have shared something about the object. Then let the class guess what it is.
Math: Placed seven colorful mouse (one per each color represented in the book) on the wall. Pass out color word and have students match the color word to the right colored mouse.
Use this activity to do ordinal numerals, too.
Writing: Share Writing - Using the book as a springboard , choose an animal (giraffe) and write a sentence for each day of the week describing how the blind mice would state what certain part of that animal would be, Example, On Monday the first mice said the Something was a leaf (ear) and continue using the days of the week and ordinal numerals in each sentence
Potential Problems or Difficulties:
Students might have a hard time understanding the concept of blindness.
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Awards/Honors: Caldecott Honor Book
Page: 40 pages
Summary:
Seven colorful blind mice discover a SOMETHING by their pond. Each mice according to the day of the week goes and explore only one part of the SOMETHING and comes back a share with the other mice what he/she thinks the SOMETHING is. As each mice explore the SOMETHING their perspective is different. It takes the seventh mice which is white to tell the rest of the mice what the SOMETHING, an elephant, is.
Personal rating and explanation:
I rate this book as being great. The book hascoloring pictures on a dark background, large print, and easy flowing.
Reading Level: 3.3
Interest level: K-3
Integrated Level:
Science: Place an object in a feeling box. Have one child at a time feel the object and tell one thing about the object such as it has four legs, etc. until seven people have shared something about the object. Then let the class guess what it is.
Math: Placed seven colorful mouse (one per each color represented in the book) on the wall. Pass out color word and have students match the color word to the right colored mouse.
Use this activity to do ordinal numerals, too.
Writing: Share Writing - Using the book as a springboard , choose an animal (giraffe) and write a sentence for each day of the week describing how the blind mice would state what certain part of that animal would be, Example, On Monday the first mice said the Something was a leaf (ear) and continue using the days of the week and ordinal numerals in each sentence
Potential Problems or Difficulties:
Students might have a hard time understanding the concept of blindness.
Tell Me Again about the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Awards/Honor: School Library Journal Best Award
Pages: 40
Summary:
This story is about a little girl who enjoys her parents telling her about the night she was born. The little girl was adopted but her parents tells her about how cute she was as a baby, how they flew on a plane to go pick her up when they received the call that she was born, and even why her real mother gave her up.
Personal rating and explanation:
I rate this book as being great because it shows children that even though they may or may not have a tradition family each and everyone of them is special.
Reading level: 3.9
Interest level: K-2
Integrated Units:
Writing: Have the children make a booklet about their family using number words in their writing to represent the number of family members. Math and Science: After reading this book we'll talk about our body parts and what each part does. The children will then draw a picture of themselves and label each part using number and/or number words (ex. one hand, five fingers, one right foot with five toes...).
Potential Problems or Difficulties:
This can be a sensitive topic.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Awards/Honor: School Library Journal Best Award
Pages: 40
Summary:
This story is about a little girl who enjoys her parents telling her about the night she was born. The little girl was adopted but her parents tells her about how cute she was as a baby, how they flew on a plane to go pick her up when they received the call that she was born, and even why her real mother gave her up.
Personal rating and explanation:
I rate this book as being great because it shows children that even though they may or may not have a tradition family each and everyone of them is special.
Reading level: 3.9
Interest level: K-2
Integrated Units:
Writing: Have the children make a booklet about their family using number words in their writing to represent the number of family members. Math and Science: After reading this book we'll talk about our body parts and what each part does. The children will then draw a picture of themselves and label each part using number and/or number words (ex. one hand, five fingers, one right foot with five toes...).
Potential Problems or Difficulties:
This can be a sensitive topic.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
If You Were a Verb by Michael Dahl
Book Genre: Fiction and Informational Book
Publisher: Picture Window Books - 2006
Awards/Honor: None
Reading Level: 2th - 4th (I am using this for 4th grade)
Interest Level: 2th - 4th
Publisher: Picture Window Books - 2006
Awards/Honor: None
Reading Level: 2th - 4th (I am using this for 4th grade)
Interest Level: 2th - 4th
Summary:
This is an excellent book to use to introduce or talk about verbs. This book share the different kinds and forms of verbs. I talk about helping verbs, linking verb, and verb tense. Not only does this book present different types and forms verbs, but it also give example through the colorful illustrations. Plus, in the book the verbs are presented in big, bold print.
Rating: Great!
I read this book with my son who is in the second grade and we enjoy every part of the book. As a teacher, I really like the visual that is goes along with the print.
Integrated unit of study:(this Idea is from the book) Language Arts/ P.E.
Directions: Think of an action verb, such as swimming, walking, etc and let one student act it out. Have the rest of the students write down what they believe the verb is and share. After doing this for awhile, have the students go to their desk and write about which one of the role play they enjoyed in great detail and/or write a story with a lot of action in it.
Potential Problems or Difficulties:
One difficult might be the children trying to do some of the movement seen in the book and hurt themselves.
Grand Conversation
Grand conversatons are students centered discussions as compared to teacher led conversations. The students are able to support their views with examples from the stories, make connections, question ideas, reflecting on their feelings in the connection with the story. They make connections; self to text, text to other texts, and text to world.
Students do not raise their hands, they take turns speaking, and they encourage their classmates to participate.
This is a two part process. Student centered and teacher , responding to the students , asking questions and providing information. Part two, the teacher focuses the student's attention on one or two topics thath they did not cover during the first discussion
Students do not raise their hands, they take turns speaking, and they encourage their classmates to participate.
This is a two part process. Student centered and teacher , responding to the students , asking questions and providing information. Part two, the teacher focuses the student's attention on one or two topics thath they did not cover during the first discussion
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Summer Fun
I am looking forward to learning everything I can, especially information about different reading levels. I want to be able to find out what my students' reading level are and match them to the correct books. Another plus for me is the fact that I love reading children book, and reading new books will be a joy.
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