Sabrina Carnesi Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA

2013 VRC FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLVAASL York Regional

March 22, 2013

You’ll Like It Here (Everybody Does) by Ruth White

While Meggie and David Blue are from another planet, they're a lot like Earth kids, with similar hopes and dreams, and can't wait to grow up. BUT they also have GROSSLY UNIQUE qualities, such as blue streaks in their hair that pop up randomly and language skills that sound like nothing on this planet…

Running Themes: Uniqueness, being different, aliens, oppression, race, dystopian, coming-of-age, perfection, euthanasia

Author Contact: http://www.ruthwhite.net/

Author’s Website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/ruth-white

Review w/discussion questions - http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com/2011/11/youll-like-it-here-everybody-does-book.html

Synopsis

…The story takes these alien kids, along with their mother and grandfather, by accident, to a far planet in which the society is not only oppressive but hostile to individual freedom. People are kept submissive through drugs and brainwashing. The Blues, who have spent time in free societies recognize the upside-down-ness of this world. They're almost helpless to do anything, but do what they can, plan their escape, and vow to help others

Fashion City – Controlled by the Fathers

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Diana Reinhardt

Thirteen-year-old Drew starts the summer of 1986 helping in her mother's cheese shop and dreaming about co-worker Nick, but when her widowed mother begins dating, Drew's father's book of lists, her pet rat, and Emmett, a boy on a quest, help her cope.

Author Dana Reinhardt’s Website - http://danareinhardt.net/

History of Humboldt Fog Cheese (His Excellence Lord High) http://laurawerlin.com/american-cheese-corner-happy-birthday-humboldt-fog

Directions for origami paper cranes http://www.wikihow.com/Fold-a-Paper-Crane

The Warwick Cheese Shoppe – Newport News, VA http://www.warwickcheese.com/

Picture and List of Gourmet Cheese types from around the world - http://www.gourmet-food.com/gourmet-cheese/gourmet-cheese-alphabetically-10081.aspx

Mice as pets (how to choose a pet mouse) http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/careofmice/a/mousecare.htm

Supply and Demand

It's 1977, and twelve-year-old Ben has recently lost both his mother and his hearing. He leaves Minnesota for New York City, hoping to find his long-lost father, and meets Rose, another seeker, on the way

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Book’s Website - http://www.wonderstruckthebook.com/

Author’s Website - http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_bio.htm

Scholastic Site with Virtual Field Trip to the NYC Natural Museum of History based on the book’s storyline - http://www.scholastic.com/teachbrianselznick/assets/video.htm

Animated ASL Site for practice - http://www.scholastic.com/wonderstruck/signs.html

Scholastic Discussion Site w/downloadable guide - http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/amazing-world-brian-selznick-discussion-guide

Book Browse Questions and guide - http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/amazing-world-brian-selznick-discussion-guide

Vermont Department of Libraries – Copy / Paste / Download – page 31: -http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=11&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAAOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Flibraries.vermont.gov%2Fsites%2Flibraries%2Ffiles%2Fcbec%2FDCFBookReviews%2526Questions12-13.pdf&ei=QMJAUZSdDqTb0wGrmoCYDw&usg=AFQjCNGUqEyhisK0p77DH2jpy8CTrJGNWA&sig2=BEKNqmOWAgDcmjEkNaT89g

In the country of Carthya, a devious nobleman engages four orphans in a brutal competition to be selected to impersonate the king's long-missing son in an effort to avoid a civil war. One of the orphans is a defiant boy named Sage. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

The Ascendance Trilogy (Volume 1)

Book 2 in the Ascendance Trilogy

Mother/Daughter Discussion Questions – Copy-Paste-Download http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scholastic.com%2Fmotherdaughterbookclub%2Fpdf%2FScholastic_MDBC_FalsePrinceQA.pdf&ei=dqc_UcjSO8fM2gX3toHgAg&usg=AFQjCNEJ1fRQzWJXb0YiDdGtTMMTFzKn4A&sig2=WN2z2z-cjbc7f2w6lIRFhA&bvm=bv.43287494,d.b2I

Goodreads Multiple Choice Quiz http://www.goodreads.com/quizzes/17122-the-false-prince-by-jennifer-a-nielsen

Mixed-Up Files Blog http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2012/04/false-prince-interview-jennifer-nielsen/

When fourteen-year-olds Wren and Darra meet at a Michigan summer camp, both are overwhelmed by memories from six years earlier when Darra's father stole a car, unaware that Wren was hiding in the back

Hidden by Helen Frost

Poetic Form

Vermont Department of Libraries – Copy – Paste – Download – page 13: -

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=11&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAAOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Flibraries.vermont.gov%2Fsites%2Flibraries%2Ffiles%2Fcbec%2FDCFBookReviews%2526Questions12-13.pdf&ei=QMJAUZSdDqTb0wGrmoCYDw&usg=AFQjCNGUqEyhisK0p77DH2jpy8CTrJGNWA&sig2=BEKNqmOWAgDcmjEkNaT89g

Author’s Website

http://www.helenfrost.net/item.php?postid=23

Haywood Union is a site filled with loads of study guides for middle school titles, arranged alphabetically by author’s last name https://sites.google.com/a/harwood.org/2012-2013-dcf/home/frost-helen-hidden

Lee B. Hopkins Poetry Award Teaching Toolbox http://leebennetthopkinsaward.blogspot.com/2012/02/2012-honor-book-hidden.html

Coming Soon--July, 2013

Twelve-year-old Chase Masters travels the country with his father, a "storm runner," but he is tested in ways he never could have imagined when he and a new friend are caught in a hurricane near St. Petersburg, Florida.

Storm Runners by Roland Smith

Storm Chasers on Discovery - http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/storm-chasers Stormchasers Showcase - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/imax/stormchasers.html 33 page guide on author’s curriculum page. http://www.rolandsmith.com/curriculum.php Natural Disasters Requirements for effective Public Service Announcements

Copy/Paste/Download http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CIIBEBYwBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchs.smuhsd.org%2Fbigue%2Fart_of_video%2Findex%2Fdocs%2Fpsa_project.doc&ei=yXNDUcmrIuvi4AOtv4DgCA&usg=AFQjCNG8vSjaVYBuswPQkR7cZVdTOqbF5g&sig2=K2-lsHvSlRQMEiLVQLA5UA&bvm=bv.43828540,d.dmQ

Vermont Department of Libraries – Copy / Paste / Download – page 36: -http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=11&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAAOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Flibraries.vermont.gov%2Fsites%2Flibraries%2Ffiles%2Fcbec%2FDCFBookReviews%2526Questions12-13.pdf&ei=QMJAUZSdDqTb0wGrmoCYDw&usg=AFQjCNGUqEyhisK0p77DH2jpy8CTrJGNWA&sig2=BEKNqmOWAgDcmjEkNaT89g

Roland Smith’s Website

Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Click on picture below to go to the author’s website:

Quizlet – A Whole Page of Activities including Flashcards

http://quizlet.com/subject/a-long-walk-to-water/

Sedgwick Library Media Center Learning Commons – West Hartford, CT - Resources for School-wide Reading

http://blog.whps.org/sedgwicklibrary/a-long-walk-to-water/ http://www.pearltrees.com/#/

N-f=1_6064066&N-fa=5304765&N-p=55744582&N-play=0&N-s=1_6064066&N-u=1_669715

University of Grassland Press Teacher Notes (pdf Download – copy/paste link /click for download) This is a middle school in Australia

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uqp.uq.edu.au%2Fskins%2Fuqp%2F_uploads%2FTeachersNotes%2FA%2520Long%2520Walk%2520to%2520Water.pdf&ei=4M8_UYmZC8iu2AWE6YCQBQ&usg=AFQjCNHoTDqVNJgHGzgRAgshLVRWR7X6aQ&sig2=I7x9ylmszM8_qV2tpZN6jg&bvm=bv.43287494,d.b2I

Click on the picture to go to the Water for South Sudan site./

1968. While Doug struggles to be more than the thug that his teachers and the police think him to be. He struggles with his family problems, a dad who is abusive, a brother who is a bully. Doug also has an older brother Lucas, who returns from Vietnam a different person. Despite all this Doug learns that he can rise above his home situation and still have a future, especially when he finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer, as they explore John James Audubon's art.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

The Artic Tern

Author’s Website:

http://www.hmhbooks.com/schmidt/

PDF Download: Copy/Paste/Click Download http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hmhbooks.com%2Fschmidt%2FOkayForNow-educatorsguide.pdf&ei=6NI_Ue2FEsej2QXM54CgDA&usg=AFQjCNEVztDGkZ5sU2rIy_kF27HKn6a_yA&sig2=mhurcu8H82p2anLkedpLMA&bvm=bv.43287494,d.b2I

Publisher’s Study Guide for Educators http://www.teachervision.fen.com/literature-guide/printable/69858.html

Allen Public Library Discussion Questions http://www.allenfriends.org/allenreads20122013/okayfornowdiscussion.html

King’s Wing Website http://suzyred.com/2012-Okay-for-Now.html

The National Audubon Society http://www.audubon.org/john-james-audubon

Apollo 11

http://www.kidport.com/reflib/science/moonlanding/moonlanding.htm

Vermont Department of Libraries – Copy / Paste / Download – page 30: -http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=11&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAAOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Flibraries.vermont.gov%2Fsites%2Flibraries%2Ffiles%2Fcbec%2FDCFBookReviews%2526Questions12-13.pdf&ei=QMJAUZSdDqTb0wGrmoCYDw&usg=AFQjCNGUqEyhisK0p77DH2jpy8CTrJGNWA&sig2=BEKNqmOWAgDcmjEkNaT89g

John James Audubon

The Apollo 11 Crew Joe Pepitone

Prof. Gary D. Schmidt

Eighth-grader Matt Monroe keeps a journal about his team's football season. As the fall football season unfolds, the team has more than its share of surprises and unexpected challenges, as well as plenty of victories and upsets on and off the field - all of which Matt records and analyzes in a journal he keeps for his English class. By the last kickoff of the season, Matt has learned that a team is only as good as the sum of its parts and that playing together is the only way to win.

Quarterback Season by Fred Bowen

The Fred Bowen Sports Story Series

Written in Journal Form / Good for the Reluctant Readers / Fast Read / Good Role Models

Instant Replay by Green Bay Packard Jerry Kramer

4-page Study Guide that connects to Common Core Standards QB Season Writing Lessons - Fred Bowen

Author’s Website http://www.fredbowen.com

Green Bay Packard Jerry Kramer’s Diary, as mentioned in the story, Instant Replay (1968) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2GDF5uTQjc

Integrity Book Blog feedback http://integritybooksforboys.blogspot.com/2011/11/quarterback-season-by-fred-bowen.html

Ten-year-old Auggie, born with extreme facial abnormalities, must struggle with the taunting and fear of classmates as he enters a private school in Manhattan in an attempt to live a normal life.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

R. J. Palacio’s Webpage:

http://rjpalacio.com/index.html

Links and support in “Kids” Wing’ site http://suzyred.com/2013_Wonder.html

From author’s site http://rjpalacio.com/for-teachers.html

Literacy Midsouth Organization http://www.literacymidsouth.org/our-programs/reading-campaign/discuss-the-book/

Random House Guide – download - /url?sa=t&rct=j&q=wonder%20discussion%20questions&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.randomhouse.com%2Fteachers%2Fwp-content%2F%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F05%2FWonder_EG_WEB.pdf&ei=BstIUaOzLtG14APe24CIBA&usg=AFQjCNE7i8CPr7Y-SxztA3ZFuHVg_75x6A

Discussion Questions on About. http://bestsellers.about.com/od/bookclubquestions/a/Wonder-By-R-J-Palacio.htm

Take the Choose Kind Pledge Now!

Auggieisms“Everyone deserves a standing ovation because we all overcometh the world."