Feathers' # 40

 
1.      Author: Jacqueline Woodson
2.      Title: Feathers
3.      Genre: Juvenile Fiction
4.      Subgenre: Chapter Book
5.      Theme: Race relation, African American, Schools, Deaf, Family life, and religion
6.      Primary and secondary Characters: Frannie with Samantha, Sean, and Jesus Boy
7.      Awards: Newberry Honor Book
8.      Date of Publication: 2007
9.      Publication Company: The Penguin Group
10.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

    In 1971 Frannie is living in an apartment on her side of the highway.  Her brother Sean was older and she looked up to him but became very angry when they encountered people who wouldn’t give him the time of day when they found out he couldn’t hear.  Their mother had a history of miscarrying and Frannie became frustrated at the thought of going through the tragedy of losing a baby again.  Frannie was in class, in the middle of a winter that seems like it will never end, when a white boy walks in there class with long dark curly hair.  Jesus boy along with her other thoughts caused Frannie to view the faith of some of the people around her and sometimes made her envious.  As it turns out to Samantha’s disappointment that this new boy is no Jesus after he stands up to the bully.   Frannie and him become friends and realize that her own faith is something she is proud of.  I would use this book to read to third through sixth grade students to help them realize it is ok that people are different.  Students need to be able to respect the differences of other people but also respect themselves because they are different.

Missing May # 39

 
1.      Author:  Cynthia Rylant
2.      Title: Missing May
3.      Genre: Juvenile Fiction
4.      Subgenre: Chapter Book
5.      Theme: Death, Grief, West Virginia, and Aunts
6.      Primary and secondary Characters: Summer with Uncle Ob, and Cletus
7.      Awards: Newberry Award Medal
8.      Date of Publication: 1992
9.      Publication Company: Orchard Books
10.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

Summer was in the seventh grade and had lived with her aunt May for the past six years of her life.  She admired her aunt May because of the happy life they lived together and the love they shared, so when her Aunt May suddenly passes her and her Uncle Ob are left to grieve her loss together.  Summer missed her Aunt May and now is contently worry about her Uncle Ob.  One of her classmates Cletus becomes involved when he and Uncle Ob start talking about the spirit world and May coming back.  Summer thought they were crazy and wasn’t sure that she even believed in the spirit world.  Despite her beliefs Uncle Ob, Cletus, and Summer set off to find a medium to see about the return of May.  I would read this to my class to help them understand that people have different beliefs and that it is okay to be friend with people who believe different things than you.  I would also hope for many students to relate to Summer or her Uncle Ob if they are grieving themselves.  This book shows that people deal with things different as well which is also something students need to learn.

A Faraway Island # 38

1.      Author:  Annika Thor
2.      Title: A Faraway Island
3.      Genre: Historical Fiction
4.      Subgenre: Chapter Book
5.      Theme: World War, years 1939-1945, refugees, sisters, Jews, Sweden, islands, and  history
6.      Primary and secondary Characters: Stephanie with Nellie, Auntie Alma, Aunt Marta, and Sylvia
7.      Awards: Mildred L. Batchelder
8.      Date of Publication:  Original 1996/ Translated 2009
9.      Publication Company: Delacorte Press
10.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

During the World War II time period Stephie and her younger sister Nellie are forced to go to Sweden by there parents for safety.  Stephie and her family are Jewish and it had become too dangerous for the girls to stay.  Stephie and her younger sister have plans with their parents to meet in Amsterdam but when the Nazis took control of Europe the girl had no other choice but the settle on a small island of Sweden.  Nellie and Stephie are separated into two different households.  Nellie likes the family she is staying with and begins to learn the Swedish language.  Stephie was place with a couple that was childless and seemed to be bitter.  To make matters worse Sylvia, a girl from school teased Stephie about being Germans and other resources.  I would use this book to introduce World War II to the class and show them how families were separated and torn apart. Students should hear the side of a child raised in a different country especially when their culture was the one threatened like this book.

Pirates Don't Change Diapers # 37

1.      Author: Melinda Long
2.      Title:  Pirates Don’t Change Diapers
3.      Illustrator:  David Shannon
4.      Genre: Adventure
5.      Subgenre: Picture Book
6.      Theme:  Pirates, baby, sisters, teamwork, babysitting, and friendship
7.      Primary and secondary Characters: Jeremy with Bonney Anne, Braid Beard, and other pirates
8.      Date of Publication: 2007
9.      Publication Company: Harcourt
10.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

Jeremy was told to keep his sister happy until his mother returned home but in the mean time his old pirate friends Braid Beard and his crew returned to find a treasure they had buried long ago.  There was only one problem Bonney Anne, his baby sister.  She wanted to play and eat and worse of all she needed a new diaper!  Jeremy and the pirates kept Boney Anne quiet until she finally fell asleep but when they checked on her she was gone!  I would read this book to first through third graders.  This book will allow those students who also have smaller siblings to relate the Jeremy.  With older students this book could promote creativity in writing.  I might have an writing assignment after the book for students to write a story using only their immediate family and imaginary characters.

Snow # 36

1.      Author: Uri Shulevitz
2.      Title:  Snow
3.      Illustrator: Uri Schulevitz
4.      Genre: Fiction
5.      Subgenre: Picture Book
6.      Theme: Snow, City and Town life, radio, and television
7.      Primary and secondary Characters: Boy with dog along with Grandfather, man with hat, and women with umbrella
8.      Awards: Caldecott Honor Book and named Best Book of the Year by A Booklist Editor’s Choice and A School Library Journal
9.      Date of Publication: 1998
10.  Publication Company: Farrar Straus Giroux
11.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

A little Boy who lives in a city is hoping for snow.  When he sees the first few snowflakes he get really excited, everyone tells him the snow will melt and that it is not going to snow.  The Boy waits and wait until he finally get what he has been hoping for.  I would read this book to Kindergarten or first grade students during the winter to teacher them about the winter season.  I would also read this book to second through fourth grade students to provide an example of descriptive writing.  This could help students how to use different words to describe something.

My Senator and Me # 35

 
1.      Author: Senator Edward M. Kennedy
2.      Title: My Senator and Me
3.      Illustrator: David Small
4.      Genre: Informational (Washington D.C & Government)
5.      Subgenre: Picture Book
6.      Theme: Legislators, United States, Anecdotes, Splash, Dog, and Congress
7.      Primary and secondary Characters: Splash with his Senator (Edward M. Kennedy)
8.      Awards: Caldecott Medal Winning Artist
9.      Date of Publication: 2006
10.  Publication Company: Scholastic Press
11.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

My Senator and Me is about a dog named Splash and his Senator, Edward Kennedy.  Splash explains Washington D.C through his everyday adventures with his senator.  A dog’s point of view puts a fun and interesting twist on government issues. Splash also identifies monuments and important government buildings that are occupied by people who are changing things in our country.  I would use this while teaching a lesson over government and bill passing.  In the back of the there is a page that explains the process of passing a bill step by step along with a short paragraph about Splash and Edward M. Kennedy.

Root Beer and Banana # 34

 
1.      Author: Sarah Sullivan
2.      Title: Root Beer and Banana
3.      Illustrator: Greg Shed
4.      Genre: Diverse Literature
5.      Subgenre: Picture Book
6.      Theme: Friendship and Sharing
7.      Primary and secondary Characters: Molly with Miracle and Grandpa
8.      Date of Publication: 2005
9.      Publication Company: Candlewick Press
10.  A summary about the book and how you will use it in your classroom.

Molly or as Grandpa called her “squirt” had just ended her fishing trip with Grandpa by stopping by a local general store for ice cream.  As Grandpa caught up with his old friends Molly could not decide what kind of ice pop she wanted.  She met a little girl her age that seemed to be less fortunate.  The girl was so excited about the nickel she found so that she could by an ice pop.  Molly knew the girl did not have enough but she and Grandpa made sure they both got an ice pop one banana, and one root beer.  The girls sit and shared their ice pops while talking like old friends.  I would use this book to express that people who are less fortunate are not different and can be great friends.  I would read this book to kindergarten through third grade students.  In all public schools there are students that are less fortunate than the majority of most of the student these students should be accepted by their peers.  I believe that this book does a great job of expressing this exact message.