Multicultural Picture Book #3: Abuelo by Arthur Dorros
Target Audience: Primary elementary Genre: The genre of this book is realistic fiction because tMulticultural Picture Book #3: Abuelo by Arthur Dorros
Target Audience: Primary elementary Genre: The genre of this book is realistic fiction because the author writes a story with made-up characters in a story line that could realistically take place.
Text-to-Self: I connected this book to myself because in the book, the boy moves away from his grandpa and the country to the city. In his new life, the boy remembers his memories with his grandfather to help him adjust to city life. I can relate to this because I have always been close to my grandparents and it was hard to say goodbye when my family moved to Malawi. However, I agree with the boy that it helped to remember fun memories that I had shared with my grandparents and other family members as well as looking at pictures in the scrapbooks.
Text-to-Text: I connected the book Abuelo to a book called Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina because both books are about children who form valuable memories with their grandparents. Children will love reading about the strong bond between the children and their loving grandparents. I like how the authors of both books depict the grandchild-grandparent relationship in a positive light. They show how grandparents can teach their grandchildren new things and also how grandchildren can show their grandparents a different view on modern life.
Text-to-World: I connected this book to the world because children all over the world can connect to the story in their relationships with their grandparents. I feel like after reading this book, children will make more of an effort to spend quality time with their grandparents. For children who live far away from their grandparents, this book will show them that they can hold onto the memories that they have made with their grandparents....more
Multicultural Picture Book #2: Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim
Target Audience: Primary elementary Genre: The genre Multicultural Picture Book #2: Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim
Target Audience: Primary elementary Genre: The genre of this book is historical nonfiction because the author writes a fictional story that takes place in a particular time period in the past. This book is about Booker T. Washington who was a real person in history, born a few years before the Civil War began.
Text-to-Self: I connected this book to myself because Washington and I share a love for reading and learning. As I child, I loved words and how they form sentences, which form paragraphs, which form books. I enjoyed school, especially when I found a good book to read. In this book, the author describes how Booker T. Washington gains this love for words and reading. He watches the other children learn to read and he longs to read for himself. Later in the book, Washington embarks the long journey toward a college degree. Obviously, I can identify with this as well since I am currently in college.
Text-to-Text: I connected the book Fifty Cents and a Dream to the book A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver by Aliki. Both books are about young boys who are born slaves before the Civil War. Both authors tell the stories of young boys who long to learn more about the world around them. After reading these books, children will gain a greater understanding for what life was like for children who were slaves. Readers will also gain a greater appreciation for learning and reading.
Text-to-World: I connected this book to the world because although the Civil War only took place in the United States, the slave trade affected the continents of Europe, Africa and South America. Slaves were transported all around the world and then treated like objects by their slaveowners. Children will sympathize with Young Washington and the inhumane ways he was treated....more
Multicultural Picture Book #1: My Friend Suhana by Shaila Abdullah
Target Audience: Primary elementary Genre: The genre of this book is biography nonfiMulticultural Picture Book #1: My Friend Suhana by Shaila Abdullah
Target Audience: Primary elementary Genre: The genre of this book is biography nonfiction because the author writes a true story that is based on the story of a real person's life.
Text-to-Self: I connected this book to myself because there in a man in our church, Kent, who has cerebral palsy. I enjoyed reading this book because it is a great example of how we should treat people with unconditional love. Although this is extremely difficult, every person, regardless of their differences, deserves our love and respect. I can take what I learned in this book and apply it to how I act toward Kent, loving him the way Jesus loves him.
Text-to-Text: I connected the book My Friend Suhana to the children's book titled Don't Call Me Special: A First Look at Disability by Pat Thomas. Both of these book communicate to children that disabilities are not something to be ashamed or scared of. Both children's books show great examples of how we should treat people with disabilities. After reading these books, I feel like children will be better able to approach people who are different from them and treat them the way they deserve to be treated.
Text-to-World: I connected this book to the world because every county in the world has citizens with disabilities. This book brings people from every nation together in the goal of equal treatment for people with disabilities. Also, the author who is Pakistani-American, has an broad worldview which she brings into her writing. Children from all over the world will be able to connect and be challenged by this book....more
Multicultural Intermediate Book #1: Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia
Target Audience: Intermediate elementary Genre: The genre of this booMulticultural Intermediate Book #1: Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia
Target Audience: Intermediate elementary Genre: The genre of this book is historical fiction because the author writes a fictional story that takes place in a particular time period in the past. The setting of this book is Alabama around the time of the Civil War.
Questions from each level of Bloom's Taxonomy:
Level 1- Knowledge: At the beginning of the book, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern Gaither travel from Brooklyn to Alabama. Why do the Gaither sisters go to Alabama for the summer?
Level 2- Comprehension: Explain why the girls experience culture shock when they first arrive in Alabama?
Level 3- Application: Was there a time when you or your family moved from one state, region or country to a very different place? Did you experience cultural shock? Explain what it was like.
Level 4- Analysis: Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern Gaither are sisters, but they are very different from each other. Compare and contrast their personalities and how they interact with their extended family members during their summer in Alabama.
Level 5- Synthesis: Imagine that each of the three girls is grown up. Predict how each sister will tell her children about their family history.
Level 6- Evaluation: If you were Vonetta, how would you feel about being the go-between between two of your relatives who disagreed on almost everything? How would you handle this situation differently than Vonetta did?...more
Book #2: Graphic Novels El Deafo by Cece Bell, copyright 2014 Genre: The genre of this book is realistic fiction because although the characters are notBook #2: Graphic Novels El Deafo by Cece Bell, copyright 2014 Genre: The genre of this book is realistic fiction because although the characters are not real, the events that take place in this graphic novel could take place in real life. Target Audience: Upper elementary
Text-to-text: I connected El Deafo to a book called Cosmo Gets an Ear by Gary Clemente. This story is about Cosmo, who is upset at first that he has to wear a hearing aid in school. Then, when his teacher lets him show his class his hearing aids for show and tell, he starts to appreciate them. Both characters in these stories eventually discover the benefits of having hearing aids. Children will love reading these books and realizing that everyone has something special and unique about him or her.
Text-to-self: I connected this graphic novel to myself because although I do not have anything like hearing aids, I do know what it feels like to start at a new school where I am different from everyone else. After being in Africa for four years, we came back to Nebraska for a year and I started seventh grade at Norfolk Middle School. There were many changes and my classmates didn't know how to interact with me since I had not grown up with the same experiences that they had. Like Cece, I longed for a friend to understand me for who I was.
Text-to-world: This graphic novel can be connected to the world in the sense of learning how to relate to people who are different than us. It is important for children to learn that even if one of their classmates has something different like a hearing aid, every child deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. Children with hearing aids will love reading about how Cece uses her hearing aids as a superpower!...more
Book #1: Graphic Novels Drama by Raina Telgemeier, copyright 2012 Genre: The genre of this book is realistic fiction because it has made-up characters, Book #1: Graphic Novels Drama by Raina Telgemeier, copyright 2012 Genre: The genre of this book is realistic fiction because it has made-up characters, but the story could happen in real life. Target Audience: Upper elementary
Text-to-text: I connected this graphic novel to another graphic novel called Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova. This graphic novel is also about middle school drama and the different cliques that exist. Peppi, the main character in Awkward, just moved to a new school and on her first day, she dropped her books and was teased by the "mean kids." Despite all the drama, both characters make it through and the stories end well.
Text-to-self: I can connect this book to my life because I have experienced some drama in middle school and high school. I attended small Christian schools for most of my schooling so there really wasn't much drama. However, when I went to a large public school in seventh grade, I was shocked with all the cliques and drama that existed. I was not used to seeing different groups of kids who excluded others and I didn't like the pressure of trying to find a group where I could fit in and express myself.
Text-to-world: This book can be connected to the world because it deals with middle school drama. It is inevitable that every child will experience sometime in middle school or high school. I think it is important for elementary children to be prepared for the changes, drama and cliques that they will face in high school. It will be helpful for children to know what to expect and to realize that not fitting into the "popular" group is not the end of the world....more
Book #2: Wordless Books A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka, copyright 2011 Genre: The genre of this book is Target Audience: Primary elementary
Text-to-teBook #2: Wordless Books A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka, copyright 2011 Genre: The genre of this book is Target Audience: Primary elementary
Text-to-text: This wordless book made me think about the classic book Corduroy. This book is about Corduroy losing his button. Likewise, Daisy's ball pops and she is very sad. However, both stories end happily because Daisy gets a new ball and Corduroy's new owner sews a new button on his shoulder strap. Both characters go through loss and gain friendship as a result of their loss.
Text-to-self: This book about a dog who loves his ball immediately made me think about my own two dogs who love playing catch. There is nothing like a dog and his ball and I like how the author used this connection to relate to loss and how to deal with it. Primary elementary children will love flipping through the pages and looking at the pictures of Daisy and her ball.
Text-to-world: Children who read this book will be able to see that it is not the end of the world when a toy gets lost or breaks. Although Daisy was sad when her ball popped, she became happy again when she got a new ball. I love how this simple story about a dog and its ball can help children make connections to their life and the world around them....more
Book #2: Caldecott Award Winner 2014 Locomotive by Brian Floca, copyright 2013 Genre: The genre of this book is historical fiction because it explores tBook #2: Caldecott Award Winner 2014 Locomotive by Brian Floca, copyright 2013 Genre: The genre of this book is historical fiction because it explores the time in history when the locomotive was invented and how the Union Pacific Railroad changed the way of life for many Americans. Target Audience: Primary elementary
Text-to-text: I connected this book to a book called Train by Elisha Cooper. Train is also about the Union Pacific Railroad. Both books tell the history of the locomotive and how this invention greatly changed the lives of Americans in the 1800s. Children will love reading about this exciting time in history when families were able to travel across the country much quicker than before. I think it is good for children in the modern age to see how people traveled before air travel.
Text-to-self: I have never been on a train, but I definitely connected to this story in the sense of travel. I have traveled a lot in my life. I used to live in Malawi, Africa so we always took the eighteen hour flight across the ocean. I could identify with most of the descriptions about life on the train. Although our travel time was much shorter, we were served three meals, we had to figure out how to sleep on the plane and use the bathroom while the plane was in the air.
Text-to-world: As I have already mentioned, this book definitely made me think about the past and the reality of what life was like for the people who lived during this time in history. It is easy for us to take our modern technology for granted and our amazing ability to be able to travel by air. However, when I read this book, I realized how different travel was in the past. For example, I had never thought about how the lack of plumbing affected travel. ...more
Book #1: Caldecott Honor 2015 Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, copyright 2014 Genre: This fiction book falls under the category of fantasy since Book #1: Caldecott Honor 2015 Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, copyright 2014 Genre: This fiction book falls under the category of fantasy since the ending of the story is clearly something that is impossible, although we are never told what actually happened. Target Audience: Primary elementary
Text-to-text: As I was reading this book, I thought about the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. I made this connection because both books feature characters trying to find treasure beneath the earth. Although these two books are very different, they share the themes of adventure, mystery and suspense. This children's book ends with the reader wondering what really happened to Sam and Dave.
Text-to-self: I connected this book to myself because like Dave and Sam, I love adventure and I am always ready for a challenge. However, as Dave and Sam soon found out, sometimes adventures or things in life are not as we expect them to be. We can infer that Sam and Dave expected to find some sort of buried treasure, but something else spectacular happened. Somehow, Sam and Dave feel down and down until they landed at their house. I can connect this to my life because there have been numerous situations in the past year where the outcome turned out completely different and better than I could have imagined.
Text-to-world: This story has a few very important applications for real life. This book communicates to children that often times, something will happen that we never expected to happen. The author highlights the importance of remaining flexible in every circumstance and making the most out of every outcome. I like how at the end of the story, Sam and Dave say, "That was pretty spectacular." Although the boys may not have found what they thought they would find, they still found something spectacular!...more
Book #1: Wordless Books Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle, copyright 2013 Genre: The genre of this book is fantasy because flamingos do not dance in Book #1: Wordless Books Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle, copyright 2013 Genre: The genre of this book is fantasy because flamingos do not dance in real life. Target Audience: Primary elementary
Text-to-text: I connected Flora and the Flamingo to the book Frog and Toad are Friends because both books are about friendship despite differences. Frog and Toad were very different, but despite their differences, they became good friends. Likewise, Flora and the flamingo are obviously very different, but they became friends and had fun together. This touching wordless book will teach children that they can be friends with anyone as long as they are kind and caring.
Text-to-self: I made some connections from this book to my own life. One of the themes of this book is growing up and of course I can identify with this as I look back at my childhood and my transition to adulthood. I liked how Flora was wearing a swim suit and a swim cap because I remember when I first joined the swim team. Like Flora, I was nervous to try swimming and I cried the first few days of practice. The next week, when I finally got used to swim team, I was able to have fun and enjoy myself. Children will love how this book brilliantly shows the joy and reward of jumping into new things.
Text-to-world: Although this book has no words, it alludes to the theme of growing up and trying new things. These are great themes for children of all ages. Children will love how the book starts off sad and ends with Flora making a new friend and taking the risk to explore new things. This wordless book also illustrates the fact that everyone messes up and that this is just a natural part of growing up and exploring the world. ...more
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander Genre: Realistic Fiction Target Audience: Intermediate elementary
Questions from each level of Bloom's Taxonomy
Level 1- The Crossover by Kwame Alexander Genre: Realistic Fiction Target Audience: Intermediate elementary
Questions from each level of Bloom's Taxonomy
Level 1- Knowledge: Josh and Jordan Bell are twin brothers who are both star basketball players. They have always been close and played basketball well together until something happens. What happens to cause the brothers to spend less time together?
Level 2- Comprehension: Although Josh and Jordan are twins, they are very different. We know that they both play basketball and that they are both very competitive in this sport. In other areas, the twins think and act differently. Contract the boys' personalities, goals and feelings toward basketball.
Level 3- Application: At the end of the book, Chuck Bell has a massive heart attack. The boys hear about their father's attack right before they are about to leave for the championship basketball game. Josh decides to go to the game to help his team win the championship, while Jordan goes to the hospital to be with his dad before he dies and to comfort his mom. If you were in this situation, would you have decided to go to the championship game or to the hospital? Why?
Level 4- Analysis: Chuck and Crystal Bell have very different parenting styles. Mr. Bell was a professional basketball player and Mrs. Bell is the assistant principle at the junior high school where Jordan and Josh attend. Compare and contrast the parenting styles of Chuck and Crystal Bell. Use information and inferences from the text to support your answer.
Level 5- Synthesis: After the traumatic death of their father, Josh deals with his grief by shooting free throws. Jordan comes out and gives their father's championship ring to his brother. This simple interaction demonstrates to the reader that the twins have forgiven each other. Create a short story with your predictions for the next year of the twins' lives. How do you think their relationship with each other and with other people will change as a result of their father's death?
Level 6- Evaluation: In the middle of the book, Jordan starts dating a girl named Alexis. Josh writes about how Jordan starts to spend more time with Alexis and less time with his family. If you were in Josh's place, how would you feel and how would you deal with this situation?...more
This nonfiction biography by Bonnie Christensen combines facts and detailed illustrations to tell the story of young ElvNonfiction/ Twin Text Entry #5
This nonfiction biography by Bonnie Christensen combines facts and detailed illustrations to tell the story of young Elvis Presley and his rocky road to become the Rock and Roll King. This book would be good for any elementary student, but the story and choice of words is geared toward the early elementary grades.
The twin text for this book is titled Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly. Kelly tells the realistic story of Apple, a middle school girl who is bullied in school. Apple turns to music to find her identity.
Both of these books share the common theme of individuals expressing themselves through music. Elementary students will enjoy reading about how Elvis became famous and how Apple follows her heart and learns how to play the guitar. ...more
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