The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is the first in a science fiction trilogy  by Suzanne Collins.  The book is based on a fictional dystopian society where children are forced to fight to the death, in the annual Hunger Games.  The games are a reminder of the Capitol's control and power over the districts.  The main character, Katniss, is revered as a hero after her victory in the games and her selfless protective nature over her younger sister, Prim, who was originally picked to participate in the games.  I love this series by Collins!  I did not think I would enjoy it as much, due to the somewhat graphic image of the novel, but it is really about so much more.  Katniss is on a mission to survive, spark a revolution, and bring change to her district and family.  There is also a love story thrown in the plot that keeps readers turning every nail biting page! 
NOTE:  THIS BOOK AND SERIES IS INTENDED FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE, DUE TO ITS CONTENT.

Response questions...
1.  Why is Katniss so angry with her mother?
2.  Who do you think Katniss should be in a relationship with, Gail or Peeta?

In the classroom...
1.  Have students role play scenes from the book and play a classroom version of the Hunger Games without the violence.
2.  Students can pretend to be Katniss and write a letter to another character in the book explaining the need to revolt against the Capitol.

About the author...
Suzanne Collins has written two books precluding The Hunger Games that bring the series together, full circle.  Readers do not want to miss out on Catching Fire and Mockingjay! Collins grew up the youngest of four children and spent a great deal of time travelling, as a military family.  The plot of The Hunger Games series began when she was watching television one night, and became inspired by the war portrayed versus comparisons/differences in reality television.

References...

Collins, Suzanne. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York:  Scholastic Co.
www.biography.com


 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Advanced Historical Fiction

This classic Pulitzer Prize winner is a must read for all mature audiences.  This book is about racism and abuse in the Deep South.  The story is told by Scout Finch, an intelligent and feisty young girl.  In the novel, Scout's father (Atticus Finch) is a lawyer and asked to defend an African-American who is accused of a crime he did not commit.  I remember reading this book in high school and it deal with many delicate issues under the eye of a scrutinizing jury.  Atticus is deemed a hero, in this story, and I love the book because of the emotional attachment the reader feels for the characters.  Lee does a wonderful job of painting a picture for the audience.  It is a powerful story that loosely represents real events from history and portrays a message of courage for the audience.  I also personally love the quotes in the book, too!  This famous piece of literature has also been interpreted into a film.

Response questions...
1.  Why is Boo Radley related to a mockingbird, at the end of the story?
2.  Do you think the story would have unfolded differently if Scout's mother was alive?

NOTE:  THIS BOOK DEALS WITH ADULT THEMES AND SHOULD ONLY BE READ BY MATURE AUDIENCES.  TEACHERS MUST BE AWARE OF THIS WHEN INTRODUCING IT TO STUDENTS.

Atticus Finch

In the classroom...

1.  Have students choose a personal hero, and write a letter to him/her explaining what qualities they value in him or her.

2.  Students can develop a collage, while collaborating in a group, and it must depict scenes from the novel, as the students see it.

About the author...

This is the first and only novel that Harper Lee has written, but is still as much of a success today, as it was when it was first published.  An interesting fact about Lee is that she is a descendant of the General, Robert E. Lee!

References:

Lee, Harper. (1960). To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: JB Lippincott & Co.

http://www.harperlee.com/bio.htm
http://en.wikepedia.org/wiki/To_kill_a_Mockingbird

 

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor



Historical Fiction

This Newberry Award winner was written in 1976 and tells the story of racism in the deep south during the Depression era.  The novel is unique because it narrates the story from Cassie Logan's point of view, an adolescent African-American girl who is naïve to the racism of white people.  The Logan children live on a farm in Mississippi, their Mama is a school teacher, and they have to walk an hour to and from school each day.  This is a powerful story of determination through the eyes of discrimination. I remember reading this book in middle school, and it is still a classic today.  It's motto of perseverance rings true, despite the attempts to ban the book due to censorship.  This is great piece of literature for our youth because it teaches compassion, hard-work, and equality for all people. 

Response question...
1. Why didn't Mama defend her children when Miss Crocker disciplined them in the beginning of the story?
2. Why doesn't Papa live on the farm with his children?

In the Classroom...
1.  Start a chain letter to a member of the Logan family, stating how you would do things differently if you lived in the same time era when racism was rampant throughout the south.
2.  Play a game with the map of Mississippi, because this is where the story takes place.  Ask students to pinpoint the geographical location, on the map, of specific events in the book.
About the author...
Mildred Taylor grew up in similar conditions, although this is a fictional story, it is drawn from her own experiences.  Taylor is famous for her exploration of African-American struggles in the Deep South.  Check out these other books by Taylor, The Land and Let the Circle Be Unbroken.  She currently lives in Colorado with her daughter.

References:

Taylor, Mildred. (1976). Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.  New York:  Dial Books.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends is a book filled with fantasy inside through the use of poetry by Shel Silverstein, author and illustrator.

Poetry with a hint of fantasy

This classic poetry book addresses many common childhood concerns and is engaging for the audience to read.  Silverstein uses black and white cartoon type animations in his drawings and is famous for playing with the white space to make his pictures and words more alluring to readers.  I loved many of his poems when I was little because they were simple and fun to read.  I could relate to the author's message easily, which is why I think Silverstein's books are so popular.  This book could easily be introduced during poetry week in the class, and students would love it!

In the classroom...
1.  Have students re-write their least favorite poem in the book, with a picture explaining why.
2.  Put various poem titles in a hat and have children pick a title and play charades with the class.  This can be done in teams, but no words can be used.

This is one of my favorite poems in the book, and I love the details in the stack of pancakes.  I can just picture little Theresa smiling mischievously when she tries to pull her pancake from the middle!
Response questions...
1.  Why do you think Silverstein typically illustrates in black and white?
2.  How do the illustrations enhance or detract from the words in the poem?
About the author...
Shel Silverstein is famous for his work in children's literature, especially poetry, and loved to draw!  Check out these other books by Silverstein, The Giving Tree and A Light in the Attic.

References:
Silverstein, Shel.  (1974). Where the Sidewalk Ends.  New York:  Harper Collins Children's Books. 
www.shelsilverstein.com

Superfudge by Judy Blume

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

This is a great intermediate contemporary realistic fictional book, that some people consider historical fiction because it was published in 1980.  Superfudge is part of a series of books, written by Judy Blume, and follows Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  This book is about Peter Hatcher and his younger brother, Farley, who is nicknamed Fudge because he does not like the sound of his name.  Fudge is a nuisance to Peter, but never seems to get into trouble by their parents.  This comical book is filled with adventure on every page.  I remember reading this series when I was younger, and I loved it because I felt like I could relate to the plot.  In Superfudge, Peter is distraught because he finds out that his parents are going to have another baby and his worried that it will be like Fudge!  It is a must read for any middle school student with younger siblings!

Response questions...
1.  How do you think Fudge will react when the new baby arrives?
2.  Why does Fudge create some of the mishaps that continue to annoy Peter? 
In the classroom...
1.  Have the children take a personality quiz that reveals who they relate more to, Peter or Fudge, then write about it. 
2.  Create a prompt for students, that is the beginning of a new book in the series, from Fudge's point, once the new baby is born.

About the author...
Judy Blume has written many children's books including Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great.  She lives on the east coast with her husband, has three children, and continues to write books that keep her readers exploding with laughter.

References:

Blume, Judy. (1980). Superfudge.  New York:  Dutton Children's Books.

www.judyblume.com

We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Historical Non-fiction

This Coretta Scott King Award winner is a wonderful illustration about the love of the favorite American past time, baseball!  This non-fiction intermediate book is about the negro league of baseball and it discusses how the league paved the way for African-American's today.  It talks about the great Jackie Robinson and introduces many players from the early twentieth century, who I had never heard of.  I love this book because of the beautiful and realistic oil paintings done by Nelson and for its story of perseverance.  African-Americans were treated badly then, but they kept on playing because they loved baseball.  I think the author does a great job of retelling the strength of African-American players because they kept on pushing forward, no matter what the consequences were, which is a great lesson for students!  This is actually the first book Nelson wrote.  Before We are the Ship he only illustrated books.

Response questions...
1.  Who was Rube Foster and why was he significant?
2.  How are the major leagues of baseball different today than in the past?

In the classroom...
1.  Have children play an indoor game of baseball and sequence or retell the story with each base they run.
2.  Do a writing prompt where students discuss a similar struggle they faced, and how they came through it.

About the author...
Kadir Nelson was first known as an artist, but has recently written books such as Baby Bear and Nelson Mandela.  It took him eight years to complete this book, and he currently lives in California with his wife and children.

References:
Nelson, Kadir.  (2008). We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.  New York:  Jump at the Sun Hyperion.

www.kadirnelson.com

The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Tonya Bolden

Multicultural Biography

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!"  This biography about Muhammad Ali, one of the world's most famous boxers is great for primary to intermediate readers.  It tells how Ali grew up in the Louisville, KY and came to love boxing.  He was so fast, he used to ask his brother to throw rocks at him, so he could dodge them!  His brother said he could never hit Ali.  He was named after his father, Cassius Clay, and later changed his name when he became a Muslim.  This is a great story of strength and perseverance because Ali faced many struggles along his journey to becoming the Champ, but kept on moving forward with joy in his heart.  He was forced to retire when his health was threatened from boxing too long, but people continue to revere him today.  The different hues and skewed lines within the illustrations create an abstract version of reality that add a lighthearted sense to the serious nature of the story.  I especially enjoy this story because my brothers grew up with boxing and I love how Ali keeps the faith amidst his trials and tribulations.  This would be a great story to introduce during black history month or to motivate a struggling student. 

Response questions:

1.  What event sparked Ali to become a boxer?
2.  How did people respond to Ali converting to the Islam faith and why?

A look inside the book!

In the classroom...

1.  Have children share about a time when they had to stand up for something they believed in, and how they felt afterwards.
2.  Create a timeline of events in Ali's life and compare these events to society today versus society in the past.

About the author:
Tony Bolden has written many books featuring the lives of African-Americans, including MLK: Journey of a King and Searching for Sarah Rector.  The author is a native to New York and a known for her work in education and children's literature.

References:

Bolden, Tonya.  (2004).  The Champ:  The Story of Muhammad Ali.  New York:  Alfred A. Knopf.

Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth

Multicultural Folktale

This folklore has been retold in a modern version, with an Asian setting, by Jon J. Muth.  It is about three monks who travel the land in hopes to spread happiness.  They stumble upon a village that is leery of strangers due to hardships the people have experienced in the past.  These experiences have caused them to keep to themselves, become famished, and reluctant to share what little they do have.  The monks reunite the village over a combined effort to make some Stone Soup!  I remember hearing a version of this story as a child and I thoroughly enjoyed Muth's version, as well.  It conveys a timeless message of perserverance and trust that goodness will prevail.  I believe that it relays St. Leo University's Common Value of Respect because the villagers must face their fears and share to ignite a community again based on peace and a mutual respect in each other.  They must all give to benefit the greater good of the society, which in turn benefits each individual.  It is a great story for primary aged children and the author's watercolor illustrations add meaning and depth to the story.

In the classroom...
1.  Have children work together to make stone soup by each bringing in an essential ingredient.
2.  Examine teamwork by showing students how much quicker a project can be finished when people work together versus individually.

Response questions...
1.  Why is it important to share?  Tell me about a time when you did not want to share, but did it anyways.
2.  How did the monks spread happiness among the villagers?
About the author:  Jon J Muth was born in Cincinnati, OH and has traveled all over the world.  Stone Soup was inspired by his love of Buddhism and Zen.  He began writing children's books when he became a father and decided to shift his style of writing.  He has written and illustrated many books, including Zen Shorts and Three Questions.

References:

Muth, Jon J.  Stone Soup.  (2003).  New York:  Scholastic Press

www.browardcenter.org/articlemedial

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

Nursery/Primary Picture  Book

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault is a fun and interactive picture book that is a great way to reinforce the alphabet to young children.  This book is engaging because of its use of nonsense rhyming words and I like how the story flows from front to cover, along with its beautiful illustrations by Louis Elhert.  Elehert's use of bold colors and rounded shapes is enticing for emerging readers.  Throughout the story, the alphabet centers around climbing a coconut tree and the audience can find excitement in every page of this exotic theme.  One reason I love this book is because of the rhymes and there are so many ways to apply it within the classroom! 

In the class...
1.  Students can make a classroom book that introduces each classmate while building on the alphabet letters.  The student's picture would be placed at the top of a coconut tree and each page is laminated for protection.  This take home book is a great way for parents to meet their child's peers because it puts a face to the classmate's name!  Parents in our class loved these classroom books last year!
2. Students can act out the story as teacher read it aloud.  This will promote classroom participation and enhance the vocabulary in the book through repeated and engaging practice of the alphabet.  It will also promote phonemic awareness due to the books alphabetic theme.  While acting the book out, children can also think of words with similar vowel sounds.


A great idea for a bulletin board!

Response questions:
1.  What letter in the alphabet had a loose tooth?
2.  How many letters are in the alphabet?

About the author(s):

This book was co-written by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault.  Bill Martin, Jr. has written many children's books and spent time as an elementary school principal.  Other books by the author include:  Chicka, Chicka 123 and Brown Bear, Brown Bear (which was illustrated by Eric Carle).  John Archmambault is best known for his children's music. 

References:
Martin, Bill Jr. & Archambault, John.  (1989). Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  New York:  Simon & Schuster.
www.billmartinjr.com
www.johnarchambault.com

 

The Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora

Multicultural Fairy Tale

The Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora is a fantastic version of this beloved story retold with an African setting.  The setting was inspired by Isadora after spending almost ten years in Africa.  In this book, a prince travels the land in hopes of finding a princess to marry.  Along his journey, he meets many women, but is skeptical of their claims to be a princess.  One night, a princess arrives at his door step, disheveled by the harsh weather.  The queen has a trick to test the validity of the princess.  I always loved this story as a little girl, and I think this version is awesome, too!  I like the different African greetings introduced while the prince is on his quest to find a princess.  This would be fabulous book to add to your classroom collection because it is a fairy tale with a multicultural aspect, making it appealing to a variety of different children.  The illustrations are bright and alluring to the target audience, primary aged children.

In the classroom...

1.  Put words with different vowel sounds on peas made of construction paper, and have the students sort the words according to the vowel sounds.  Teachers could work on long vowel sounds one day, and short vowel sounds the next.

2.  When introducing the parts of a letter, have students write a letter to the queen, asking her about the story behind why only real princesses can feel the pea.

Response questions...

1.  What words were spoken in an African language (in the story) and what do the words mean?
2.  Did the queen reveal her "pea trick" to any of the other characters that night?  Why or why not?

About the author...
Rachel Isadora has written and illustrated many children's books that have received honors.  She has traveled all over the world and been inspired by people or places she was encountered along the way. Isadora currently resides in New York where she continues to find new ideas to write about.

Check out these other books by the author...
Ben's Trumpet (her most famous piece) and Uh-Oh!

References:
Isadora, Rachel. (2007). The Princess and the Pea.  GP Putnam Sons: New York

We Had a Picnic This Sunday Past by Jacqueline Woodson

Multicultural Realistic Fiction

This awesome Coretta Scott Honor winner is an excellent book for primary aged children that describes the relationships between an African-American family at an annual picnic.  The rounded illustrations are vibrant and bring the story to life through the eyes of Teeka and her grandmother.  I love this book because of the dynamics presented throughout the characters in the story, especially the grandmother.  She reminds me of my grandmother and how she always use to dote on me, just like Teeka's grandmother does with her.  The grandmother is also funny how she talks about each family member upon arrival at the picnic.  I think this book aligns with the Core Value of Respect from St. Leo University because of the diversity among the family dynamics, and the unity that is presented amidst the differences in individuality.  For example, everybody talks about how bad Martha's cooking is, but they still eat her apple pie every year at the picnic because they are family and families support each other through the good and bad.  They respect Martha as a person and family member so they eat her pie!

 



In the class...

 

1.  Have children create a place mat that represents the different food groups and correct portion sizes, as part of a balanced, healthy diet.

 

2.  Create a classroom cookbook that consists of student's favorite recipes to share with the class and their families.

 

Response Questions:

 

1.  Who is Teeka's favorite relative in the story?

 

2.  Why do the character's eat Martha's pie, even though they think it does not taste good?

 

About the author...

Jacqueline Woodson has a son and daughter and was born in Ohio (like me!) and grew up in South Carolina.  She has written many children and young adult books. 

 

Check out these other books by Jacqueline Woodson:  Pecan Pie Baby (written for her daughter, while she was pregnant with her son), and Sweet, Sweet Memory (a book written in memory of her grandfather).

 

References:

 

Woodson, Jacqueline. (1997). We Had a Picnic This Sunday Past.  New York:  Hyperion Books for Children.

 

www.jacquelinewoodson.com



A Chair For My Mother by Vera B. Williams

 

Multicultural Realistic Fiction

This book is a excellent Caldecott Honor winner about family and friends working together towards a common bond.  The book is about a family consisting of three generations of women; daughter, mother, and grandmother.  This family lost all material possessions when their last house was engulfed in flames.  The  mother works as a waitress, and saves her change every night by placing the remains of her tips into a shared jar for the family.  The daughter and grandmother also contribute to the jar, in hopes to buy a big, comfy chair they can all use to relax and prop their feet up in after a long day of work.  I especially loved the book because I have personally worked as a waitress throughout my college career, and I know how the mother feels when she just wants to rest her feet, at the end of the day.  Serving is hard work!

Vera B. Williams is the author and illustrator of this book, and she does a fabulous job of using vivid colors and slightly abstract paintings to express the flair and individuality of the cultural, while engaging the reader through words and beautiful pictures.  The way she describes and paints the picture of the chair helps the reader to visualize lounging in the lovely armchair.

In the classroom:

This book can be geared towards primary age children, preferably in grades K-2nd.

Teachers can...

1.  Create a classroom jar and have the children  save coins and donate the money.

2.  Create a brainstorming web for a writing prompt about something student wants to save money and buy.

3.  Children can create a replica of a favorite chair, explain why on card stock, and set the chairs out on desks for open house, or another event.

Response questions for children:

1.  Why does the family want a chair?
2.  Is there something worth saving your money for?
3.  Why is it important that they save for the chair as a family?

About the author:

Vera B. Williams was born in California, graduated from college with a degree in graphic art, and has three children.  Check out these other great books by Vera B. Williams;  Cherries and Cherry Pits, "More, More, More," said Baby, and Something Special For Me (The last book is an extension of A Chair For My Mother).

References:

 

Williams, Vera B. (1982). A Chair For My Mother. New York:  Green Willow Books