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include component="navigation" Lisa Poirier Reading Wiki assignment

Boelts, M. (2010). //The PS brothers.// New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 978-0-547-34249-8. This KY Bluegrass Award winner is the perfect book for boys. PS Brothers stands for Pooper Scooper Brothers and what boy won’t get into a book that references this. This book is about two poor boys that are best friends and believe that they deserve a dog to protect them from bullies. Through scooping poop they earn the money for a dog and learn about a dogfighting ring. One of the boy’s lives in his uncle’s pop-up RV, but learns through the story how much his uncle really loves him. I liked this book because it was interesting and I could see the appeal to student’s interest.  Genre: Realistic fiction  Audience: grades 4-5  Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Literature, Key Ideas and Details - RL.5.2  Classroom activity: Strategy # 21 - Story mapping  Promotion activity: Through a monthly newsletter, focus one month on books that will be of specific interest to boys.

Cole, J. (2011). //Poppy the purple turtle.// California: Smashwords, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-987-72950-7 This eBook is a short, touching book about being unique and the acceptance of people’s differences. Poppy is born purple and all her siblings are the color turtles are supposed to be. Poppy’s mom is saddened to learn that she is unhappy with her color because she had always wanted a purple child. Eventually, with mom’s help, Poppy learns to see the positive and the beauty she possesses and to touch other lives with that same message. Although it is an extremely short book, it’s perfect for the younger children and I think it works for those who feel self-conscious or maybe slightly embarrassed. I loved the message.  Genre: Picture Book  Audience: grades Pre- 2  Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Foundational Skills, Phonics and Word Recognition- FS.K.3a  Classroom activity: Strategy #2 – Multisensory Mapping (letter p)

Curtis, C.P. (2007). //Elijah of Buxton.// New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0-439-02344-3. This Coretta Scott King winner is about a young boy who is the first baby born free in the settlement of Buxton, Canada. The story shows the lives of these free slaves and how Elijah grows up and in the process learns what it really meant to be a slave. Prior to his trip into Michigan, he never really understood what freedom really meant to his parents and the other adults who had managed to reach Buxton. I liked this book because it was a different take on slavery. It showed the lives from the side of freedom and trying to stay that way and teach those born free to appreciate that freedom.  Genre: Historical fiction  Audience: grades 3-5 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Literature, Key Ideas and Details – RL.4.3 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom activity: Strategy # 24 – Character Mapping <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Promotional activity: Host a soup and sandwich open house and invite the teachers to a presentation on books on the topic of slavery.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Evans, R. (2012). //Gone with the wind, number four.// California: Smashwords, Inc. ISBN: 978-0- 890-66983-9 //Gone with the Wind// is number 4 in the series of eBooks written by R Evans. In the town of Darlinia the kids are out trying to fly kites when Violet makes a wish for wind. The wish comes true and the kids get to ride the wind in amazing ways. They hear a bell calling them to the wind. Their teacher begins to disappear at lunch and then one day they notice all the parents are missing for a while. Eventually all the parents do in fact disappear and they find a note saying they are gone with the wind. This was a short, cute tale about the fantasy of soaring in the skies without the assistance of any technology. I liked it and think the children will too. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Fiction/ fantasy <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: grades K-2 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Literature, Key Ideas and Details – RL.1.3 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom activity: Strategy # 36 – Anticipation Guides

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Gaiman, N. (2008). //The Graveyard Book.// New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 978-0- 06-053092-1 //The Graveyard Book// is a Newberry Award winner about Nobody Owens. The book starts with the gruesome murder of Nobody’s family. He winds up in a cemetery where he is protected and raised by ghost at cemetery. His life depends upon his staying in the graveyard since the murderer Jack is still seeking him. Through his friends he is able to do away with the Jacks and return to the world of the living. This book starts out sort of dark and scary, but winds up being about friendship and family. This book was okay, but not great. I would personally use it to read to the class and not necessarily for the students themselves to read. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Fantasy <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: ages 8 and up <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Foundational Skills, Fluency – FS.3.4a <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom activity: Strategy #23 – Book Talk

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Huseinovic, A.P. (2001). //The Blue Sky.// Croatia: Kasmir Promet. ISBN: 953-6613-37-7. This international book is similar to a Cinderella story in that she has no living parents. The little girl lives in her own world where she was always looking for her mother in the clouds. Upon making friends with a bird, she begins to find happy memories from her past as the clouds seem to represent these memories. Eventually a blackbird with a set of stairs in its chest comes along and takes her to her mother. I didn’t really care much for this book although young children might like it. I would rather that she found happiness through the clouds and eventually joined in the world around her rather than disappearing up the stairs. I didn’t like this book at all. I’m all for a book that children who have lost a parent or parents can relate to, but I couldn’t get past the disappearing into the staircase to meet up with the dead mom. Kids are too literal for this. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Picture book <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: grades Pre-K – 4 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Foundational Skills, Phonics and Word Recognition – FS.1.4c <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom activity: Strategy #10 – Picture it

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Litwin, E. (2012). //Pete the cat and his four groovy buttons.// New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books. ISBN: 978-0-06-211058-9 This eBook is the idea way to introduce subtraction to young children. The audio that can be downloaded so the catchy tune can be heard as just that instead of just being read is perfect for the kinesthetic and audio learners. This is the first Pete the Cat book I’ve had the opportunity to read and I’m sold. I would find a way to incorporate these into any classroom in which I taught Pre-K to first grade. I loved this book. The audio tune is catching and I caught myself singing it days later. I can’t wait to read the other one that won an award. The catchy tune, simplicity, and cross over to teach beginning subtraction made this a winner in my mind. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Picture book <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: grades Pre-2 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Literature, Key Ideas and Details – RL.K.2 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom activity: Strategy # 14 – Radio reading <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Promotion activity: Finding a book to make subtraction interesting is a bonus for a teacher. Host donut and coffee to demonstrate this book and others that have cross curriculum benefits.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Litwin, E. (2011). //Pete the cat: Rocking in my school shoes.// New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books. ISBN: 978-0-545-50106-4. The KY Bluegrass Award winner comes with the option to download it so that the song Pete is always rocking about his school shoes can be heard as the book is read. The audio along with the book is the perfect way to grab and hold the children’s attention. This book introduces school to new students with the typical Pete phrase that he doesn’t worry “goodness no”. At the end of the first day he tells mom that everything is good and he’s returning the next day. After reading the Pete the Cat book about the buttons, this one did not disappoint. It also had a catchy tune and I would definitely use it on the first day of school if I taught preschool or kindergarten. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Picture book <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: grades Pre-2 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Foundational Skill, Phonological Awareness – FS.K.2a <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom activity: Strategy #1 – Rhyme generation <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Promotion activity: Prior to the start of school, email teachers with books promoting the first day or start of school. Stress the audio component of the book and catchy tune that is sure to catch the student’s attention and wind up stuck in their heads.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Perez, A. I. (2000). //My very own room.// United States: Children’s Book Press. ISBN: 0-89239 -164-2 //My Very Own Room// is an international book that is based upon the author’s life. This bilingual book is about a nine year old girl who wants her own room. This theme is one that many children, especially those from large families, can relate to. The story shows how she managed to get her own space within the crowded home. I liked this book and the fact that it is bilingual. It is a great book to speak to the Spanish culture of having many family members often living under one roof. I liked the fact that this book was bilingual. It is great for children from different cultures to find books they not only relate to but can read in their primary language along beside the English. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Realistic fiction <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: ages 6-9 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Strategies for Literature, Craft and Structure – RL.1.4 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom connection: Strategy #12 – Choral reading <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Promotional activity: I would send out a monthly newsletter and one month would focus on bilingual books with an emphasis on this one.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pinkney, J. (2009). //The lion and the mouse.// New York: Little, Brown & Co. ISBN: 978-0-316-01356-7. This Caldecott winner is a new take on one of Aesop’s Fables. Although this book is wordless it is priceless and needs no words to tell the story. The lion shows mercy on the mouse and in return the mouse saves the lion from a trap. The value of helping someone shines through and the pictures are illustrated in a way that the children will be able to infer the meaning and basically tell the story themselves. I loved this book. The illustrations are wonderful and tell the story and children can be successful in understanding the story regardless of their reading ability. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Picture book <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: grades Pre – 2 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Literature, Key Ideas and Details – RL.1.2 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom connection: Strategy # 38 – Discussion web <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Promotional activity: I would email the teachers and present this wordless book where the poorest readers can find success. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Stead, P.C. (2010). //A sick day for Amos McGee.// New York: Roaring Book Press. ISBN: 978-1-59643-402-8. This Caldecott winner is a story about friendship. Amos is a zookeeper who goes out of his way to spend time with some of the animals at the zoo. One day he is sick and the animals go to his house and return the favor to him and spend the night. I like the theme of friendship the book conveys. I also like the pages that just have illustrations as the animals make their way to visit the zookeeper. This was a sweet book about friendship that the younger grades can relate to. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Picture book <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: grades Pre-2 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Speaking and Listening Standards, Comprehension and Collaboration – SL.1-1c <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom connection: Strategy # 32 – My web of questions

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Stead, R. (2009). //When you reach me.// New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN: 978-0-385-73742-5. This Newberry Award winner consists of short chapters that won’t frustrate even the most reluctant readers. The story is about a little girl whose favorite book is about time travel. Through some scary notes she finds and an accident that nearly kills her best friend since childhood, she realizes that time travel actually took place. She comes to the realization that the crazy man that lives on her corner was Marcus, the person who almost got her friend Sal killed and that he has traveled back in time to prevent Sal being ran over by a truck. I really liked this book, but I’ve always liked a good mystery. I love the fact that it wasn’t until the very end that you discover that it involves time travel. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Fiction/mystery <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: ages 9-12 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Speaking and Listening Standards, Comprehension and Collaboration – SL.4.1d <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom connection: Discussion web, strategy # 38.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Stein, D.E. (2010). //Interrupting chicken.// New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-545-39192-4. This Caldecott winner is a sweet story about a father trying to read his daughter a bedtime story but she keeps interrupting him. Dad makes three attempts to read a story before bed, but each time the daughter jumps in and hurriedly completes the story. Each time she promises she won’t interrupt again. Dad decides that she can read him a story and he goes right to sleep. The book ends with her sleeping with him. I loved this book. I think it is a creative way to explain interrupting to a child. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Picture book <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: grades K-2 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Literature, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas – RL.K.7 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom connection: Strategy # 48 – Entrance slips <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Promotional activity: I would email the teachers and introduce this book as a cute way to introduce the social skill of not interrupting.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Tanaka, S. (2008). //Amelia Earhart: The legend of the lost aviator.// New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-0-8109-7095-3. This Orbis Pictus Award winner tells about the life of Amelia Earhart. The book begins with her growing up and seeing her first airplane. It goes on to tell of her first ride in an airplane, being the first woman to cross the Atlantic, her solo flight across the Atlantic, and the flight where she was lost. The book not only speaks to her story but adds information such as other woman pilots and advances made in aviation during her lifetime. The author also mentions her passion for speaking up for women. This is a well written short book that gives details to her life without being dull. I also liked the added information along the margins of a couple of pages. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Non-fiction picture book <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: ages 9-12 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Informational Text, Craft and Structure - RI.3.5 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom activity: Strategy # 46 – All-about books (could do first people to accomplish other things, or other famous ladies) <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Promotional activity: Create and distribute a flyer advertising this and other informational text about individuals that accomplished great things.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). //One crazy summer.// New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books. ISBN: 978-0-06-076088-5. In this Newberry Award winner, three little girls go to California to visit a mom they haven’t seen since the youngest was born. The girls are no more excited about visiting their mom than she is about them coming. She sends them to a summer school ran by the Black Panthers to keep them out of the house. Through their month long visit they not only learn about their heritage and the civil rights movement, but who their mom is. They begin to develop a relationship with her and she begins to appreciate that she has three daughters. I really enjoyed this book. I thought it did a good job in combining the civil rights part of the story with the runaway mom side. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Genre: Historical fiction <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Audience: grades 4-5 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Curriculum connection: Reading Standards for Informational Text, Key Ideas and Details- RI.5.3 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Classroom activity: Strategy # 27 – Discussion circles