A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time
By: Madeleine L' Engle
Newberry Medal
Science Fiction
L, M. (1974). A wrinkle in time. (1973 ed.). New York: Yearling Books.

This is an interesting story.  The main character, Meg Murry, develops over the story, from awkward to strong and determined.  This book is about Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin O' Keefe's journey to save her father.  The children are able to travel in time because of the "tesseract" which is the 5th dimension also known as a "wrinkle" in space.   This book is unlike any book I have ever read because it opens up a world in which time traveling is possible and there are different planets (Camazotz).  But this book is similar in that good overcomes evil and love saves the day. 
This book is a great example of Science fiction.  After reading this book it would be great to have an activity in which students compare and contrast the information presented in this book and known facts about various planets and scienctific information. It would also be a great tool to clear up science misconceptions with a group discussion. Example questions would be, "Is their life on other planets?" and "What would be needed to support life on other planets?"

Favorite Quote:  "Yes. it's a frightening as well as an exciting thing to discover that matter and energy are the same thing, that size is an illusion, and that time is a material substance.  We can know this, but it's far more than we can understand with our puny little brains.  I think you will be able to comprehend far more than I.  And Charles Wallace even more than you."

The Wright Brothers

The Wright Brothers
By: Lewis Helfand
Graphic Novel
Nonfiction
Helfand, L. (2010). The wright brothers. Kalyani Navyug Media.

At the beginning of this graphic novel the author describes his passion for cartoons and animation.  He also describes the research he did to create this novel. The book starts with Wilbur testing the "flying machine".  Wilbur's trial failed.  Next the book described Wilbur and Orville's past and what lead them to create this innovative machine. The two boys were very innovative and creative.  Orville dreamed in class of adventures and flying.  After school Wilbur and Orville started a printing company that did not work out and then they opened Wright Cycle and Company. Finally in the end the boys machine finally worked in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.  This book is full of fun and interesting facts about Wilbur and Orville.  

This book would be a great research source in the classroom. This is also a great book for students who are interested in comic books.  This book is in comic book form but it is also full of important and interesting facts. 

Favorite Quote:  "Flight- true- flight was not something man was not capable of."

Mrs. Katz and Tush

Mrs. Katz and Tush
By: Patricia Polacco
Multicultural Literature
Polacco, P. (1994). Mrs.katz and tush. New York, NY: Random House Children's Books.
This is a beautifully illustrated book. This book has a great story about a little boy named Larnel who befriends Mrs. Katz after her husband past away.  Mrs. Katz is from Poland and Larnel is African American. Larnel saves a kitten and gives it to Mrs. Katz to keep her company.  This story describes interactions between Mrs. Katz and Larnel through the years. Larnel attends passover at Mrs. Katz house and learns about the jewish tradition.  Mrs. Katz tells Larnel stories about life in Poland and her deceased husband.

 This is a great book to use to talk about diversity and the importance of accepting people with different backgrounds.  It is important for students to realize that different cultures have different customs and traditions.  Students can learn from one another.  Both the races discussed in this book suffered a lot in the past.  The polish were persecuted during the holocaust and Africans were forced into slavery.  This book could lead to discussions about the holocaust and slavery.

Favorite Quote:  " Like your people, my people were slaves, too.  They lived in a country where they didn't want to be.  They wanted freedom so much that they prayed to God to help him."

The Girl Who Married the Moon

The Girl Who Married the Moon

By: Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross

Traditional Literature

Bruchac, J., & Ross, G. (2006). The girl who married the moon, tales from native north america.  

Fulcrum Publishing.

February 9, 2013 (4 pages)

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This is a great book that describes the role of women in North Carolina, Native American communities. There are various stories from different regions in North Carolina.  Most of the stories talk about girls entering womanhood, ability to create life and women's role in society. 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
By: Freya Littedale
Traditional/ Folk Literature
Littledale, F. (1992). The legend of sleepy hollow. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

This is a book about the legend of Sleepy Hollow.  This book begins by describing the setting as, " Sleepy Hollow, the most enchanted place on earth." The main character Ichabod Crane is a school teacher who disappears after an encounter with the headless horseman.  After Ichabod disappears he still has a lasting impact on the community of Sleepy Hollow. 

This would be a great read aloud around halloween.  This is a fun ghost story.  This is a folk tale that has different variations.  It would be a great activity for students to compare this story to the other variations.  

Favorite Quote: "People still gather around a crackling fire and tell tales of this phantom called the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow."

The Watson's Go to Birmingham 1963

The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Historical Fiction/ Multicultural literature
Newberry Honor Book
Curtis, C. P. (1995). The watsons go to birmingham-1963. New York: Scholastic

This is a well written book that contains both humor and historical information from the time period.  The book is narrated by Kenny Watson.  Kenny is the middle child and has a interesting perspective on life.  He describes his family as the "weird" Watsons.  He also tells great stories to keep the reader interested.  An example is when Byron gets his lips stuck to the cold mirror.   Kenny develops during the story.  He is full of life and gradually he realizes the hatred in the world. 

I will use this book in my future classroom as a read aloud.  I believe this story would be a great read aloud because it has a great storyline that flows very well.  I will tie this story into our social studies lesson about civil rights.  Reading this story would also be a great introduction to an activity in which students research other historical events that happened in 1963. 

Favorite Quote: " I ain't never heard of no sickness that makes you kill little girls just because you don't want them in your school.  I don't think they're sick at all,  I think they just let hate eat them up and turn them into monsters."

Coming to America

Coming to America
By: Betsy Maestro
Historical Fiction
Maestro, B., & Ryan, S. (1999). Coming to america, the story of immigration. Scholastic.

Timeline Maker

I created a time line with some of the information in this book.  Even though this book is fiction it does have some historically accurate dates and facts.  The dates I included in the timeline were the most popular dates in which people immigrated to the United States from their various countries.  This would be a great website to use in my future classroom.