Motivating Readers WithMissouri’s Reading Incentive Award Programs

The Mark Twain Nominees

Missouri Association of School LibrariansSpring Conference April 18-20, 2010

Presented byThe 2009-2010 Mark Twain Award Committee

Barbara Beattie, Columbia, ChairLisa Johnson, Vandalia, Vice ChairRobin Gibbons, Belton, Secretary

Cindy Matzat, Branson, Permanent MemberSheri Cox, Columbia, One Year Member

Linda Cox, Independence, One Year MemberToni Howe, Malden, One Year Member

Lynn Bosso, Fenton, MLS/CSRT MemberRebecca Forbes, Bismarck, Past Chair

Mark Twain Award 2010-20110 NomineesGrades 4-6

In 1971, the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL) and the Missouri Library Association (MLA) created a children’s choice reading program, the Mark Twain Award program, named after Missouri author Mark Twain. Since 1981, the program has been sponsored solely by MASL. Each year readers representing library and educational organizations in Missouri, including a large number of students, compile a list of nominated books. The Mark Twain reader/selectors have nominated a list of twelve books which appeal to students in grades four through six.

Books on the Mark Twain Award list are chosen to meet the following criteria:

Published two years prior to nomination on the Mark Twain Award Master List

Appeal to students in grades four through six Written by an author living in the United States Of literary value which will enrich students’ lives.

Books on the Mark Twain Award list are selected to provide quality reading for a variety of tastes and interests.

The winning title will be chosen by fourth through sixth grade Missouri students who have read at least four of the twelve books on the list and will vote in the spring of 2011. The winning author will be honored at the Missouri Association of School Librarians’ annual spring conference in 2012.

2010-2011 Mark Twain Award Nominees(Note: There are 2 activity sheets for each book; the second set of sheets was created by the

Saturday Morning Book Club at MU)Avi, Seer of ShadowsHorace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes tangled in a plot to create fake spirit photos, but when he accidentally frees the real ghost of a girl, his life takes a fearful turn.

Barrows, Annie. The Magic HalfMiri Gill feels left out in her family, which has two sets of twins and her, until she travels back in time to 1935 and discovers Molly, her own lost twin, and brings her back to the present day.

Duey, Kathleen. Margret and Flynn In the Colorado Territory in 1875, orphan Margret and her older sister Libby stay with Mrs. Fredrickson and nurse an injured horse back to health. Haddix, Margaret Peterson. FoundWhen Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane full of babies that came out of nowhere, they uncover a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces trying to repair the fabric of time.

Hobbs, Will. Go Big or Go HomeFourteen-year-old Brady and his cousin Quinn love extreme sports, but nothing could prepare them for the aftermath of Brady's close encounter with a meteorite after it crashes into his Black Hills, South Dakota bedroom.

Kehret, Peg. Stolen ChildrenAmy, babysitting for little Kendra, must use her wits to save herself and the child after they are kidnapped by two thugs who are demanding money from Kendra's wealthy parents in exchange for the lives of the girls. (Summary from Follett Titlewave)

Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody. School SpiritKat has been seeing the dead since thirteen, and she and her best friend come to terms with their talents while helping free the spirit of a girl trapped at their school.

Lupica, Mike. Safe at HomePlaying baseball was the one thing that made Nick Crandall feel at home until he was adopted, but he faces a new challenge when he becomes the youngest member of the varsity baseball team.

Mills, Claudia. The Totally Made Up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeishAmanda works out her anxiety by writing a diary from the point of view of a ten-year-old girl whose brothers fight on opposite sides in the Civil War.

Nelson, N.A. Bringing the Boy HomeTwo young boys from the same Amazon tribe embark on a vision quest in order to achieve manhood.

Nuzum, K.A. The Leanin' DogIn wintry Colorado during the 1930s, 11-year-old Dessa Dean mourns her mother's death, but she befriends an injured dog, which changes their lives forever.

Diane Stanley. The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy, Eighth-grader Franny and her friends investigate why most of the students at their exclusive boarding school are brilliant, beautiful, and perfectly behaved.

All summaries from Bound to Stay Bound unless otherwise noted

Seer of ShadowsBy Avi

HarperCollinsIL: 3rd-6th RL: 6.1

http://www.avi-writer.com/

Summary:It is 1872 in New York City, and Horace Carpetine has been apprenticed to society

photographer Enoch Middleditch. Horace has been taught to believe in science and rational thought, but when wealthy Mrs. Frederick Von Macht requests a photographic portrait to be put on her daughter Eleanora’s grave, strange things begin to happen.

Mr. Middleditch plans to trick Mrs. Von Macht by superimposing a picture of the dead girl that Horace took into her portrait. However, when Horace sees the picture, he realizes it is not the one he took, but an angry, frowning Eleanora. Pegg, the Von Macht’s servant girl, leads Horace to the truth about who Eleanora really was and how she actually died. Horace’s pictures bring back the ghost of the dead girl, and she returns to punish those who treated her so badly.

Why is Horace the seer who brought Eleanora forth and can he stop Eleanora before she exacts her revenge? Read Seer of Shadows by Avi and find out.

Themes: Ghosts, Horror Stories, Swindlers and Swindling, Photography History, New York History: 1865-1898

Activities From http://www.avi-writer.com/books/books/seer.htmlClick on Teaching Guide

1. Photography. (Art/Science)Provide an opportunity for young readers to explore photography. Invite them tobring cameras to share with a partner or give pairs of students cameras (disposableones are fine). Have them take pictures in different lighting conditions, such asbright, dim, direct, and shadowed. Develop or print the images for the groupto view and discuss. Alternatively, invite a local photographer to be a guest todemonstrate and answer questions about his or her profession. Another possibilityis to bring your group to view a local photography exhibit. Prepare a digital photo display of photos from the group or import into PowerPoint.2. Storytelling. (Language Arts)Ghosts! Bring in a selection of short ghost stories or have your group search forsome in the library. Turn down the lights to set a spooky mood while everyoneshares their ghost stories.3. Debate. (Language Arts)

Divide readers into two groups to debate a topic based on The Seer of Shadows,such as “Every occurrence has a rational explanation” or “Ghosts exist.” Onegroup is the proponent of the topic and the other group is the opponent. Establishthe procedure and rules for the debate and give the groups time to research andprepare before beginning the debate.

4. History. (Social Studies/Language Arts/ Information Skills)Guide readers in learning about Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.Research can include the cemetery’s website, www.green-wood.com. Or lead yourgroup in learning about well-known or long-established cemeteries in your area.

5. History. (Social Studies/Language Arts/ Information Skills)Assign small groups to choose a historical research topic from the novel. Theymight focus on Horace Greeley, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown, JohnEricsson, spirit photography, the Tammany Democrats, the radical Republicans ofthe nineteenth century, or Edwin Booth. Charge them with presenting their topicto the group in a way that helps depict the time period of the novel.

6. Science: Research how cameras work; use print or online encyclopedias or websites such as www.biglearning.com/treasure-photography-for- kids .htm

Questions for DiscussionFrom http://www.avi-writer.com/books/books/seer.html Click on Teaching Guide

1. Before reading the book, take a look at the cover. What do you think the book is about? What do you think its title means?2. Do you believe in ghosts? Do you think there are people who can see ghosts? Horace’sinitial disbelief in ghosts comes from his parents. Explain where your beliefs comefrom.3. Horace and his father consider photography to be a science. They see photographs asfactual. Do you agree? Why or why not?4. What is the difference between science and religion? Can a person believe in both?5. Horace decides he has to take the secret pictures Mr. Middleditch asks him to take.

Why? How do you think you would handle a situation like this one?6. Horace has a very different relationship with Pegg than the Von Machts or Mr.Middleditch do. Why? What makes people think differently about the same person?7. What happens to Mr. Von Macht? How do you know?8. Consider the idea of revenge. Do you think what happens to the Von Machts is just?Explain.9. Throughout the novel the author uses foreshadowing—he suggests that something isgoing to happen before it happens. How did this make you feel as you read?10. What do you imagine happens to Eleanora after the end of the story?

Other Books by Avi (Check out Avi’s website above for all of them!)Adventure: Poppy series, Crispin, Windcatcher, No More MagicAnimal Tales: Poppy series, The Good Dog, The Mayor of Central ParkFantasy: Book without Words, Christmas Rat, Perloo the Bold, Bright ShadowGhosts: Something Upstairs, Midnight Magic, Devil’s Race

The Magic Half

By Annie Barrows

Bloomsbury Children’s Books

IL: 3-6 RL: 4.2 

Summary: The middle child between two sets of twins, Miri often feels left out, overlooked, and unremarkable. When her family moves to a new home, she feels lonelier than ever. She soon learns from an elderly neighbor of a legend surrounding her house. According to town lore, many years earlier a thief left buried treasure somewhere on her property. Quickly, the siblings race to uncover it. Soon after the hunt begins she notices a small piece of glass taped to her wall. Looking through the lens, Miri finds herself still in her room, but in 1935. It is here that she meets Molly, a girl badly in need of help to escape her abusive situation, but Miri accidentally returns to her own time before she can save her new friend. Alone again, she must figure out how to rescue Molly before it's too late. – School Library Journal

Themes: Time travel, Twins, Magic, Siblings

Activities: 

In the story Miri traveled back in time to 1935. Research what life in America would be like in 1935 and create a poster on Glogster (http://edu.glogster.com/) that compares life for Miri and Molly in the two time periods (i.e. clothing styles, vehicles, food costs, entertainment, current events).

Write an alternate ending for the story if Miri had been trapped back in 1935.

Discussion Questions:All siblings have times when it is hard to get along with each other. What would be the challenges of being an “only” in between two sets of twins?What could be the possible effects of traveling back in time and changing events that happened? Did the author demonstrate this by her choice of ending in the book?Did Grandma May really understand that Miri was there to save Molly? Explain your reasoning.Would you have made the same choice as Miri to travel back in time to save Molly? Why?Additional Resources: Author’s Website - http://www.anniebarrows.com/magichalf/Author Interview - http://www.anniebarrows.com/magichalf/interview/Author Name Pronunciation - http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronounce.cgi?aid=4908Other Books Written by the Author:Ivy and Bean series

The following activity sheet came from the publisher who said author Annie Barrows had

edited and approved it.

“1935! Right in the middle of the Great Depression! I have to get stuck in the Depression! Sheesh!”

“I never heard anybody call it ‘great’ before,” said Molly.“Great like big, not like terrific.” “Oh.”

Page 179Homograph: Cool

“How do I work it?” Molly asked, frowning at the CD player.Miri knelt besides her. “See, just press this button, right here—” She pressed,

and Deathbag’s howls and screams came, very quietly, from the speaker.Molly was fascinated. “What’s that? Why are they screaming like that?”“It’s music. Robbie and Ray think it’s supercool.” Miri rolled her eyes.“What do you mean, cool?”“Cool means --um--good, popular.” Molly nodded, but Miri wasn’t sure she got it.

Activity:Create a homograph list or graph. List other homographs you can think of. Here’s one to start: Lick = taste, eat or defeatNow use them in sentences to show different meanings and context:You can lick an ice cream cone or lick someone in a fight.

VISUAL ARTS/SOCIAL STUDIES

Comparing Periods in TimeVisuals can communicate information without words. In The Magic Half, the reader and characters travel between modern-day twenty-first century and the year 1935—or the decades of the 2000’s and 1930’s. Author Annie Barrows gives the reader clues to help him/her have a sense of what these time periods look, sound and smell like. For example, she uses an old iron bed, old doll carriage, a pigpen by the barn and books on the shelf like Little Women and Eight Cousins to give a sense of time and place to the reader. She also uses the sense of smell and sound: “Nothing buzzed or beeped or rang. The air smelled less like cars and more like animals.”

Imagine you were transported back in time and landed in your house and neighborhood. Choose one of the following: 25, 50, 75 or 100 years ago. What year is it? Research details from the internet, books in the library or old magazines from that period of time.Were there cars and if so, what did they look like? What type of clothing was worn? What did product packaging look like (for example, gum or Coca Cola)? Hair styles? What were the popular books?

Folding a piece of construction paper in half, create a collage featuring the current time period on one side and the period from the past on the other. Cut out, photo copy or print out illustrations and images you find. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences.

Using the same media above, research details from present time vs. the period from the past. What was the cost of 1 gallon of milk? Cost of 1 dozen eggs? A car or bicycle? A suit or pair of shoes?

Make a chart or Venn diagram to illustrate the differences between current day and the time period chosen.

Creating a Time CapsuleCreate a time capsule for someone your age in the future. What would you include in the capsule? What items could you include to give that person a sense of history, popular food or drink, literature, environment, clothing, pop culture like music or TV and activities you like?

MATH

On the website, www.anniebarrows.com/magichalf/stuff/ author Annie Barrows wrote interesting facts about twins including the mathematical probability of having twins. The odds of having two sets of twins in one family is roughly 1 in 50,000.

Although it’s not very common for this to happen, let’s imagine your family had two sets of twins plus you:

Think about the last 5 things that were purchased for you. For example, the last pair of sneakers, the last birthday present, or the last book you bought.

Create a chart listing the last 5 things that were purchased for you. Research the cost of each item and list that. Calculate how much money would be needed to purchase all of these items for your new big family with two sets of twins.

Take this exercise further. Calculate how much your family’s grocery bill would expand if you now had two sets of twins in your family. Would your current car fit all of you? If not, how much would a new car cost? What about your house? Is there enough room?

Hoofbeats: Margret and Flynn, 1875by Kathleen Duey

www.kathleenduey.comDutton Children’s Books

Grades 3-7 Reading Level 4.6

Summary:Margret and her older sister, Libby, have been traveling for years, ever since their parents died. They walk for days at a time and do chores to earn food and lodging until Libby decides to move on.

Now they are staying with Mrs. Fredriksen in her sod house in Littleton, Colorado. Twelve-year-old Margret loves living with Mrs. Fredricksen because of the trust and respect she gives the girls and is afraid that Libby, who is distrustful of everyone, will soon have them moving on again. Margret yearns for stability and wants to stay in this home. She increasingly realizes that she is old enough to have a say in the decision to move.

A tornado sweeping through the community brings with it an injured horse and Margret claims the animal, naming him Flynn. Margret nurses Flynn back to health and teaches herself to ride. She makes a new friend, Cory, who loves horseback riding as much as Margret does. Now, more than ever, Margret wants to stay and make Flynn hers, but it seems that the more Margret establishes a new life, the more Libby is anxious to leave. Can Margret convince Libby to let go of their old life and settle down here?

Themes:OrphansSistersHorsesFrontier and Pioneer LifeColorado History

Activities: 1. Check out A to Z Kids Stuff—Colorado at

www.atozkidsstuff.com/colorado.html , an online multimedia museum, for a variety of information and activities about Colorado and its history.

2. Sod houses were common on the plains. Smithsonian’s History Explorer has Building a Sod House, an interactive lesson, at americanhistory.si.edu/ourstory/f/sodhouse.html.

3. Students can get a feel for horsemanship with the Equine Games at www.coolhorsestuff.com and find out about wild mustangs at www.mustangs4us.com .

Discussion Ideas:1. Discuss Libby and Margret’s family situation. How do they provide for

their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter? Could they live alone now? Are there young people today living in a similar way to Libby and Margret?

2. Why is Libby not as trusting as Margret? What are her usual reasons for moving on?

3. Why do you think Mrs. Fredriksen wants the girls to stay? What is her relationship with her own daughter and grandchildren?

4. What does the behavior of the three main characters before, during, and after the tornado tell you about each of them?

5. Why is Flynn so important to Margret?6. What does the appearance of the cowboy Eli’s horse say about his character?

How does this influence Mrs. Fredriksen’s decision not to tell the cowboys about Flynn? What else do you think influenced her decision? Do you think Mrs. Fredriksen made the right decision? Why or why not?

7. How does meeting Cory and her family change Margret? What are similarities and differences between the two girls?

8. Why do you think Libby finally tells Margret about their parents? What else do we find out about Libby in that conversation?

9. At the end of the book, Margret is happy to be “home.” What makes Mrs. Fredriksen’s soddy a “home” now?

Other books you may enjoy by Kathleen Duey:Other Hoofbeats titles:

Lara and the Gray MareLara and the Moon-Colored FillyLara and the Silent PlaceLara at Athenry CastleSilence and Lilly, 1773

Katie and the Mustang seriesFlood: Mississippi, 1927Forest Fire: Hinckley, Minnesota, 1894Swamp: Bayou Teche, Louisiana, 1851Train Wreck: Kansas, 1892BlizzardEarthquakeTitanic

FoundThe Missing: Book 1

By Margaret Peterson HaddixScholastic Press New York

IL 5th – 8th RL 5.0http://www.haddixbooks.com/home.html

Summary (from the Margaret Peterson Haddix website):

Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adopted, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says, "Beware! They're coming back to get you."

Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere -- and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives.

Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying?

Themes: Adoption, Time Travel, Science Fiction

ACTIVITIES taken from the following link: http://oh.webjunction.org/ohctrofoundext Language Arts:Write a letter to Jonah’s parents about the most important aspects of the mystery and what they learned. Reveal everything that you think may help them discover where Jonah, Chip and Katherine have gone. Art:Design a set for the movie version of the novel. You can use photographs, collage or any other art form that you please just be sure to include a paragraph about your choices for color, lighting and other design elements. Music:Create a playlist of music that should accompany the soundtrack of the movie. Explain your choices.

Discussion Questions taken from the following link: http://oh.webjunction.org/ohctrofounddis

1. Describe the opening scene. Why do you think Haddix decided to start her story here. As you read, make predictions about what you think will happen next.

2. If you received those letters what would you do? To whom would you show them? Would you, like Jonah, keep them from your parents? Why or why not?

3. What does Chip learn about himself? Do you think a kid has the right to know whether or not they are adopted? Why or why not? Defend your answer. Do you think you would want to know about your birth parents or would you be content as Jonah seems to be? 

4. Katherine tells Jonah, “…If you’re going through some adolescent ‘Who am I?’ phase, it’s not because you’re adopted. Everyone goes through that. I don’t know who I am either.” (p. 54) Do you feel like this? Do you wonder how others will define you? Do you care?

5. How do Chip and Jonah rule out the letters being a simple prank?6. Jonah and his parents feel threatened by their meeting with James Reardon at the FBI.

How would your parents react? How would you? Would you keep looking for answers even though deportation could happen? 

7. What odd events happen at the FBI? Would you have believed Katherine about the disappearing man? Would you have had enough guts to open the file and snap a picture like Katherine did? What do they discover?

8. Create a list of questions you would want to ask the witnesses or survivors if you were Jonah or Chip. Katherine says, “…but when you’re not talking, sometimes you notice things more.” (p. 113)  What does Katherine notice about Mr. Reardon? Now you try it. What do you notice that you might’ve missed?

9. What do the kids learn from Angela DuPre at the library? Do you agree with her theory about the babies? How hard would it be for you to believe her?

10. When the kids are sorted at the adoption conference what does Katherine decide to do? Would you have made the same decision? Who are the other kids? How do you think Jonah and Katherine’s parents will react?

11. Explain what happens inside the cave. Is this what you expected from your predictions or were you surprised? Can you figure out who is actually good and who is evil? Why is it so confusing to Jonah and the others? Is it always easy to tell in real life or not?

12. Explain the problems of paradox, ripple and age reversal. Which one would scare you the most? How difficult do you think these issues would be for a novelist in writing the book?

13. Who are the babies? Why were they left on the plane? Whose side do you actually believe? Why? How would you feel if you were Jonah and Chip? Do you think Katherine wishes she stayed behind?

14. Who do you think Jonah is in history? Do you like to read series books? Why?15. How does the novel end? Was it satisfying? What do you think will happen next in

the series? What questions does Haddix leave in your mind for the next book?

Other books by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Shadow Children Series The House on the Gulf Escape from MemoryClaim to Fame Just Ella The Girl with 500 Middle NamesBecause of Anya Leaving Fishers Say What?Dexter the Tough Palace of MirrorsDouble Identity Running out of Time

Go Big or Go HomeBy Will HobbsHarperCollins

IL: 5th-8th RL: 4.7http://www.willhobbsauthor.com/meet.html

Summary:Fourteen-year-old Brady Steele and his cousin Quinn love all things extreme and their

summer vacation turns out to be the most extreme ever when a meteorite crashes right into Brady’s room late one night. Brady and Quinn take it to Professor Rip Ripley at the museum in Hill City, South Dakota, who wants to study a piece of it in search of extraterrestrial bacteria and prove that life on other planets does exist. Brady finds himself now endowed with super powers; he can run faster, bike harder, and dunk a basketball. He even saves a child from a stampeding buffalo.

During a wild week of extreme bicycling, fishing, and caving in the Halls of the Dead Cave, Brady and Quinn battle their arch enemies, the Carver brothers, for possession of the meteorite. Then suddenly, Brady finds himself in a darker battle as his own body starts to shut down and go dormant. Will Professor Ripley be able save Brady before the Carver brothers’ father, the local coroner, thinks he’s dead and performs an autopsy? Read Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs for an extreme adventure!

Characters:Brady Steele-14-year-old boy who loves extreme things and finds a meteorite that crashes through his roof and into his room. After being endowed with super powers from the ET bacteria, he then finds out the bacteria may cause him to go dormant and people will think he died.Quinn-Brady’s cousin who comes to join his adventures and participates with him in extreme caving and fishingCarver Brothers-Cal, the oldest, Max and Buzz, the twins who give Brady a hard timeProfessor Rip Ripley- astrobiologist who studies meteorites and outer spaceBrady’s dad-works on the Crazy Horse statue for his jobQuinn’s dad-lost his job and thinks about moving to Wyoming to work in the gas fields

Setting: Black Hills, South Dakota

Themes: Meteorites, astronomy, cousins, extreme sports, Black Hill, science fiction

Activities:From the link http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0060741422.pdf1. Letter to the LivingAfter explaining both the paralysis and his nightmare about having an autopsy performed on him while stillalive, Brady makes Quinn promise that if Brady becomes dormant from the alien bacteria, Quinn will not allow Mr. Carver to perform an autopsy. Assuming the voice of Brady, write a letter to his parents explaining his theory of alien bacteria taking over his body and asking them to protect him from an autopsy.

2. Broadcast NewsProfessor Ripley wants the discovery of life on Mars to be kept secret. Assume that one of the Carver boys leaks the information to the press. Write a front page news story, videotape

a news broadcast, or record a radio news report exposing the discovery and explaining the phenomenon of the long-dormant and disease-causing bacteria.3. Missing PersonsThe well-developed characters in Go Big or Go Home have some unusual characteristics. Create a missing persons poster focusing on one of these characters. Include information centering on the Perseid meteor shower as well as unusual characteristics of the missing person.4. Web PageDesign a home page for a character in the novel. Based on information in the text, include appropriate facts about the character’s personality and interests, as well as links and graphic images. Produce and display the web page on-line for others in the group to view.

Websites:Will Hobbs: http://www.willhobbsauthor.com/ Information about the author and where he got his ideas for this bookBlack Hills: http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/ Information about things to do and see in the Black Hills including Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, caves, and the national parks there

Questions:1. How does Brady find the meteorite? Crashes through his roof and mattress2. How big was the meteorite? About the size of a baked potato3. What kind of effect does it have on Brady? First gives him super strength and then causes

him to go numb4. Describe an extreme event that the boys participated in-fishing for trout, exploring the

Halls of the Dead Cave, watching the catapult work, bike ride where Brady overtook the two adult riders and saved the boy from a stampeding buffalo

5. What did Professor Ripley use as an antidote? Vinegar6. What do they do with the meteorite? Drop into the pit in the Halls of the Dead Cave7. What happens to Quinn and his dad at the end of the story? They move to Brady’s town;

his dad dates Maggie at the Grabba Java, Quinn goes to high school with Brady

Questions for Discussion from the link http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0060741422.pdf1. Brady risks his life to save a little boy from a charging buffalo. Why do the tourists ignore the signs warning them of the danger of getting too close? How do the tourists put lives at risk? Why does Brady refuse the reward for saving the little boy’s life?2. When Brady and Quinn visit with the professor to discuss the meteorite they name Fred, the professor comments, “There’s a world of difference between the improbable and the impossible” (page 69). How does this statement prove to be correct in light of Fred’s effect on Brady? Is what happens more improbable or impossible? Why?3. Quinn’s and Brady’s fathers feel comfortable leaving their boys alone for several days. What does this say about their relationships? In what ways have Quinn and Brady acted to deserve this trust?4. Brady and Quinn both love being outdoors and biking, fishing, and camping. How does their experience with these sports help them when they get into trouble? What skills do they have that help save Brady’s life?5. Brady’s increased strength and athletic ability surprise both him and Quinn, but when the tingling and paralysis begin, Brady refuses to go to the

doctor or to talk to Professor Ripley. Of what is he most afraid? Why doesn’t he confide in his father or uncle?6. When Brady slips and almost falls into the cavern, how does Quinn react? What does Quinn’s reaction say about his character? How does Brady react when Attila saves his life? Why does Attila save Brady?7. When Brady and Quinn take Fred to Professor Ripley, they are thrilled about what they learn. What information makes them the most excited? Why? Why does Professor Ripley discount any danger that Fred might cause Brady?8. Google the word astrobiology. Does this new science described by Professor Ripley (page 108) really exist, and is NASA involved in its study?9. On page 127, Brady reminds himself about the saying on Quinn’s T-shirt: “Go big or go home.” What does this saying mean to him? How does the book’s title relate to the story?10. Quinn does not want to leave the Black Hills to live in Wyoming, and his father gives him permission to stay with Brady. Why does Quinn refuse the offer and move to Wyoming with his

Stolen Children By Peg Kehret

Dutton Children’s Books New YorkIL 5th – 8th RL 5.0

http://www.pegkehret.com/ Summary:

Fourteen year old Amy is hired to fill in for the nanny one afternoon for the wealthy Mrs. Edgerton. While three year old Kendra is a joy to take care of and Amy finds herself dreaming this job would continue all summer, kidnappers arrive and take Kendra. In her efforts to protect the young girl, Amy goes with them and both are taken to a shack in the woods. There, she must find a way to keep herself and Kendra safe while trying to find a way to send clues to those looking for her.

Themes: Babysitting, Kidnapping, Survival, Mystery

ACTIVITIES:

Language Arts:

Create a story scenario where you would need to communicate with someone without using the exact words. What cryptic clues could you create.

 Art:Design a set for the movie version of the novel. You can use photographs, collage or any other art form that you please just be sure to include a paragraph about your choices for color, lighting and other design elements.

 Music:Create a playlist of music that should accompany the soundtrack of the movie. Explain your choices.

Discussion Questions:

1. Mrs. Nordlund hires Amy without having met her first. Would you babysit for someone you didn’t know?

2. Why do you think the author had Amy’s father die?

3. When Amy woke up and realized Kendra was gone, she went looking for her and tried to stop the men from taking her. Do you think she should have hidden instead?

4. What would you have done if you were Amy when they stopped at the Saddle Stop Country Store?

5. Should Amy have tried to escape without Kendra?

6. Do you think the nanny is partly responsible and should be charged with a crime?

7. How many days are Amy and Kendra held captive?

8. When Amy and Kendra return home, Mrs. Nordlund offers the nanny job to Amy. Would you take it?

Other books by Peg Kehret:

Abduction Backstage Fright The HideoutThe Blizzard Disaster Bone Breath and the VandalsMy Brother Made Me Do It CagesCat Burglar on the Prowl Runaway Twin Desert Danger Don’t Tell Anyone Searching for Candlestick ParkEarthquake Terror Escaping the Giant WaveSmall Steps: The Year I Got PolioThe Ghost Followed us Home The Ghost’s GraveThe Stranger Next Door My Brother Made Me Do ItNightmare Mountain Runaway Twin Saving Lily Searching for Candlestick ParkShelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted StraysSmall Steps: The Year I Got Polio Spy CatThe Stranger Next Door Terror at the Zoo

Trapped The Volcano Disaster

Suddenly Supernatural: School Spiritby Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

www.CodyKimmel.comLittle, Brown & Company Books for Young Readers

Grades 3-7 Reading Level 4.6 Lexile 790

Summary:All Kat Roberts wants is to be normal—or to at least look that way to the other students at her new school. That’s not easy when your mom is a medium who sees spirits and communicates with them. To make matters worse, Kat discovers that she has inherited her mother’s gift. Of course, Kat tries to hide this fact from everyone—including her mother and her popular project partner Shoshanna.

Kat’s world at school includes the Satellite Girls, who want to stay on Shoshanna’s good side, Kat’s new friend Jac, a gifted musician, and a ghost in the school library. Kat wants to help the flutist haunting the school library, whose living aunt is also Jac’s music teacher. Can she help the spirit without forever damaging her reputation at school?

Themes:SpiritualismMother-daughter RelationshipsIndividuality and self-acceptanceMusiciansPopularitySchool stories

Activities: 1. Engage in a debate on the paranormal. The Paranormal Research Society

website at www.paranormalresearchsociety.org maintains forums for debate, as well as a Data & Evidence Review.

2. Have students prepare a slide show of haunted places. For fourth graders, this could tie into their Missouri study. Try these sites:

www.missourighosts.net

www.prairieghosts.comwww.realhaunts.com

3. Students can make a movie of themselves retelling ghost stories. Theabove sites also have stories. Try www.yourghoststories.com for shared tellings of real ghostly experiences.

4. Jac is a gifted musician. See www.playmusic.org for a fun way to experience all aspects of the orchestra--you can listen to Yo Yo Ma play the cello.

Discussion Ideas:There is an excellent Reading Group Guide available at www.hachettebookgroup.com/KRG_9780316066839.pdf .

Other books you may enjoy by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel:Balto and the Great RaceCrossing OverGlamstersLily B. on the Brink of CoolLily B. on the Brink of LoveLily B. on the Brink of ParisMary Ingalls on Her OwnScaredy Kat (sequel to School Spirit)The Top Job

Safe at Home: Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids

Nick Crandall feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere. He never has felt like he belongs, really. He doesn’t fit in this new family with his new foster parents, both of whom are professors. They don’t know the first thing about sports—and he’s not exactly a model student. It’s only a matter of time until they realize he’s not the right kid for them. And Nick certainly doesn’t belong playing varsity baseball. He’s only twelve years old! His teammates want a catcher their own age, not some kid. But Nick needs to prove something. He needs to prove that he belongs—to his parents, to his team, and to himself.

Themes:

Adoption, Baseball, Fitting In

Activities:

Go to www.theteacherscorner.net and type in baseball as a theme and find tons of things to teach related to baseball!

Read either Summer Ball or Travel Team by Lupica. All three of these books relate to the underdog and giving 100%. Make a Venn diagram using the books. Compare and Contrast different aspects of the book(s).

Make a baseball journal and write a summary after each chapter.

Discussion Questions:

1. How did Nick end up playing varsity baseball as a seventh grader?

2. What kind of reception did Nick receive from his varsity teammates when he joined the team? Why did they treat Nick this way?

3. Nick felt that his adoptive father did not understand him. How did his father prove he was wrong? What efforts did Nick make to connect with his father?

4. How did Gracie help Nick through his baseball slump? Use specific examples from the book to support your answer.

5. Nick felt connected to the comic book character Captain Marvel. What did Nick and Captain Marvel have that Nick envied? Why did Nick want this power?

Other Books by Mike Lupica:

HeatTravel TeamSummer BallMiracle on 49th StreetThe Big FieldMillion-Dollar Throw Hot HandLong ShotTwo-Minute Drill

The Totally Made-up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish

Claudia Mills

Ages 9-12, reading level 4.7

197 pages

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (March 18, 2008)

http://www.claudiamillsauthor.com/

Summary: 

Amanda MacLeish is studying the Civil War in school, but the war really tearing her apart is the one in her own home. Amanda’s parents fight regularly, and she and her sister Steffi worry about whether or not their parents will divorce; and if the family will be split in two like the country under Lincoln’s presidency. As an assignment in her fifth grade class, Amanda is given a character to portray in a Civil War diary. She uses the story of her character, Polly, and the fact that her two brothers are fighting for opposite sides in the war to help her deal with the events unfolding in her own family. Amanda works out her feelings about her parents’ divorce through the diary entries she writes about the struggles of Polly’s family. As Polly’s family resolves their problems, Amanda wonders if her own family can do the same.

Themes- Divorce/separation, race, friendship, family/sibling relationships, change

Vocabulary/ key phrases- goober peas, Civil War, Battle of Bull Run, Dixie Land, Clara Barton, Abraham Lincoln, African American, Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln

ACTIVITIES:  

Language Arts:

*Create your own character to portray in a Civil War diary. Think about a name, how old you would be, what your family would be like, and whether or not you supported the North or the South. Write about what happens to your family and what your life is like during the war.

*Write a newspaper article about a Civil War battle. Write as if you were a journalist that actually witnessed the battle.

*Make a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Amanda’s and Polly’s lives. Which of these characters are you most like? Tell why.

Art:

*Use a tea bag to make a piece of paper look antique. When it dries, write a diary entry about the Civil War.

* "My greatest aim has been to advance the art of photography and to make it what I think I have, a great and truthful medium of history."

- Mathew B. Brady

Research Mathew Brady, known as the father of photojournalism. (Also said to be Abraham Lincoln’s favorite photographer!) Use this website to help you learn about him and the history of photography: http://www.mathewbrady.com/about.htm

Create a poster or Glog to show what you have learned.

Music:

Two Civil War songs are sung by Amanda’s class at the program. Research the music of the Civil War. Try to find songs from the Union as well as the Confederacy. Choose one to share and discuss the meaning of the lyrics. Try this website to listen to songs from both sides:

http://pabucktail.com/songs.htm

Discussion Questions: 

1. Amanda and her sister react differently to the news of their parents’ separation throughout the book. With which character do you more closely identify?

2. How do you think Amanda should have reacted when the students find out about the auditions and Lance calls James Jonah?

3. What do you think was going through Polly’s mind when she read her brother Jeb’s name in the newspaper under “wounded soldiers”?

4. Do you think Amanda should have invited her father to the program? Tell why or why not, and support your answer.

5. Were you surprised when Amanda’s father came to the field trip at the end of the story? How would you have felt if you were in Amanda’s place?

6. How are Polly and Amanda similar? How are they different?

7. How do you think Amanda’s writing of Polly’s story helped her through a difficult time in her family?

8. Do you think that Polly should have gone off to look for her brothers, or waited at home with her parents? What would you have done?

Other books by Claudia Mills: 

Being Teddy Roosevelt Trading Places Makeovers by Marcia Gus and Grandpa and the Piano Lesson (Gus and Grandpa) Perfectly Chelsea Gus and Grandpa Go Fishing (Gus and Grandpa) Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume (Gus and Grandpa) Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell How Oliver Olson Changed the WorldLosers, Inc . You're a Brave Man, Julius ZimmermanLizzie at LastAlex Ryan, Stop That!

Bringing the Boy HomeAuthor: N.A. Nelson

http://www.ninanelsonbooks.comHarper Collins Publishers, 2008

Pages: 211

Summary: A great adventure tale.  Nelson alternates between the stories of 2 boys.  Tirio was born in the Amazon jungle, but raised in the United States.  As he approaches his 13th birthday, he feels the strong call to return home.  Luka was also born in the Amazon.  His approaching 13th birthday brings a test that will determine his and his family’s place in the tribe.  Both boys must face challenges beyond their imagination.www.bookpikks.com

Themes: Adventure, Coming of Age, Disability, Nature, Survival

About the Author: N.A. Nelson was born in London, England and grew up on a cattle farm in rural Missouri. Living on a thousand acres of wilderness provided plenty of opportunities for adventure, but it also created a sense of wonderment about what else was out there. After graduating with a degree in tourism, the author strapped on a backpack and has been exploring the world ever since. Recent journeys include the jungles of the Amazon and the glaciered peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Bringing the Boy Home is the author's debut novel and the winner of the 2005 Ursula Nordstrom Fiction contest. www.ninanelsonbooks.com/

Discussion Questions:1. In the opening pages of the story, Tirio says, ". . .Now more than anything, I want to go back. I

want to prove to my father that I am strong enough to be a Takunami man." Why do you think Tirio wants to prove something to a father he has never known? If you were Tirio, would you want to go back? Why or why not?

2. Why is the soche seche tente so important not only for Luka, but his whole family?3. What ceremonies does our society have that mark the entrance into adulthood? In your opinion,

why is it that so many societies feel it is important to observe these ceremonies at all? Explain your answer.

4. What do Joey and Tirio have in common that hurts them both? 5. Why do you think it is so important to the Takunami people to be strong? Do you agree with Luka

when he says, ". . .from the strongest men, come the strongest offspring. . ."? Explain your opinion.

6. At first, as Tirio struggles to reach the village, how does he respond to his father’s advice? 7. Why is Tirio’s return to the village the exact opposite of how he’d hoped to return? 8. What does Mr. Carter’s story have in common with the relationship between Luka and Tirio? 9. The Takunami believe in the survival of the fittest. Weak children are often killed or banned from

the village. This culling occurs in many real jungle tribes today. Explain why you agree/disagree with this practice as it pertains to life in an unforgiving environment. Do you think Tirio would have passed his test if he had been allowed to stay with the tribe? Now imagine this: You are the captain of soccer team; would you pick the handicapped Tirio as one of your players? What if it was a championship game?

10. During Luka's training, he must use each of his five senses to pass a specific test. Which of the five senses: hearing, smell, taste, touch, vision, did Tirio use the most to find his way home to the Takunami village? Which sense do you use the most everyday? Which would you never want to live without? Why?

11. Throughout the story, a lot of mistakes are made because people do not talk to each other. Who do you think was to blame the most for Tirio being put into the corpse canoe? Why? Give three examples from the story when Tirio himself did not communicate with people in his life.

12. The author uses animal comparisons to help us get to know both the appearance and the personality of the characters: Tirio imagines himself as an injured ant, Sulali is compared to a monkey, Weru is likened to a peccary (jungle pig.)

a) What animal are you?b) Luka imagined his sister as a poisonous spider with eight braids instead of legs. Later,

she became a jaguar. Explain which animal you think she best embodies. http://www.ninanelsonbooks.com/schools.html

Activities: Plot and Conflict in Bringing the Boy Home: Use the guide at http://www.ninanelsonbooks.com/CurriculumFiles/15PlotandConflict.pdfto explore the multiple conflicts occurring in the book Bringing the Boy Home.

Make a Rainforest Postcard: Have students choose a rainforest of the world and research 5 interesting facts. Students design a postcard with pictures of their chosen rainforest; students use the back of the postcard to write to a friend telling what they learned. http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Interdisciplinary/INT0011.html.

Creative Writing: Have students pick a rainforest animal. Ask them to write a journal as if they were that animal living in the rainforest. What is its day and life like? Students can work independently or in groups.http://www.ran.org/new/kidscorner/teachers_lounge/teachers_resources/rainforest_lesson_plan_ideas/

Art: The Takunami people in the book are a fictional tribe. Many indigenous tribes still inhabit Brazil. Visit http://pib.socioambiental.org/en to read about some of these people. Art created by many of these groups uses geometric design. Visit http://pib.socioambiental.org/en/c/no-brasil-atual/modos-de-vida/mitos-e-cosmologias to view some of this diverse art. Have students create their own piece of geometric art.

Math: Identify how many acres of rainforest are being destroyed in a day. Have students figure out how many acres are destroyed in a week, month, year. How many acres get destroyed an hour, minute, second? At this rate of destruction, when might all of the rainforests disappear if no one does anything to save them? (Hint: 100 acres of rainforests are being destroyed every minute)http://www.ran.org/new/kidscorner/teachers_lounge/teachers_resources/rainforest_lesson_plan_ideas/

Science: Put rainforest fruits (banana, orange, tomato) and non-rainforest fruits (apple, peach, grapes) each in separate glasses of water. How long does it take for them to decompose? Which ones decompose faster? Why? Since it rains a lot in the rainforest, what qualities help a fruit survive in all that water and humidityhttp://www.ran.org/new/kidscorner/teachers_lounge/teachers_resources/rainforest_lesson_plan_ideas/

Other Books: This is a first book by N.A. Nelson. Suggested titles for further reading:Bearwalker by Joseph BruchacPorcupine Year by Louise ErdrichAlabama Moon by Watt KeyInto the Wild by Sofia NordinHatchet by Gary Paulsen

The Leanin’ Dog

By K. A. Nuzum

Joanna Cotler Books New York

IL: 4-8 RL: 5.4

http://www.kanuzum.com/leanin_dog.html

 

Summary:

Dessa Dean is trapped inside her house.  Ever since Dessa Dean was witness to the horrifying death of her diabetic mother when they were caught in a snowstorm, she has been unable to take step outside the safety of her home.  Whenever she tries, her frost-bitten ears grip her with a paralyzing fear which forces her back inside.

Plagued with nightmares, Dessa Dean’s greatest fear is that she is becoming daft and that her father believes so as well.  Each day Dessa Dean is left alone in the isolated cabin as her father, a trapper, goes out into the wilderness.  She spends her time working on the schoolwork her father has left for her to do.  And as the snow continues to fall, she wonders if there will even be a Christmas now that her mother is gone.

One day an injured dog scratches at the front door of the cabin. One of its legs is sticking out away from its body. Dessa Dean decides to try to tame it.  But the skittish creature won’t come in more than half-way through the door.  When her father comes home, the dog is frightened away. 

Will the dog make its way back to the cabin?  If so, will Dessa Dean be able to convince it to come all the way inside?  Will her father remember Christmas? And most importantly, will Dessa Dean ever be able to overcome her fears and leave the confines of the cabin?

Themes:

Death of a parent, grief, phobias, animal rescue

ACTIVITIES: 

Science:

Dessa Dean’s inability to step outside her home is a phobia. Learn about phobias and the many different types there are by checking out http://phobialist.com/ and its reversed list at http://phobialist.com/reverse.html

Dessa Dean’s father makes a living and provides food for the table through trapping. Learn about Missouri’s trapping rules and regulations here: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/trap/index.htm

A leading factor in Dessa Dean’s mother’s death was that her mother suffered from diabetes. Diabetes affects millions of people every day. Learn more about the disease and how to prevent it at http://www.diabetes.org/

Social Studies/Art:

Research and learn about the history and variety of advent calendars. Create an original advent calendar of your own to celebrate Christmas.

Research and learn about Christmas decorations. Create your own natural or recycled decorations.Create a piñata of what you think the Leanin’ Dog looks like. Math: Dessa Dean has to write problems that show she knows her multiplication tables. How well do you know yours? Find out at http://www.multiplication.com/interactive_games.htmDiscussion Questions:

1. Dessa Dean is scared to step outside her home. How does this fear affect her and her father? Has a fear of doing something ever prevented you from doing something you wanted to do?

2. The setting of this story is in an isolated rural area. In what ways does the setting affect the plot of the story. Could this story have taken place in an urban area?

3. With the winter weather and the isolated setting, Dessa Dean isn’t able to go to school. Give examples of how she manages to

continue with her learning and uses it to cope with her daily activities.

4. Just like Dessa Dean is afraid to go outside, the dog is afraid to come inside. How do they both help each other overcome their fears?

5. Dessa Dean’ relationship with her father is strained because of what has happened in the past and the dog using up all their resources to live on. What do you think he could have done differently?

Additional Resources:A Reader’s Guide for The Leanin’ Dog with additional discussion questions and activities can be found at http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0061139351.pdf.

Learn more about the author, hear her read excerpts, and discover her inspiration for writing the book at http://www.kanuzum.com/.Other Books Written by the Author:A Small White Scar, a 2008-2009 Mark Twain Award nominee

The Mysterious Case of the Allbright AcademyDiane Stanley

http://www.dianestanley.com/HarperCollins, 2008

258 pages

SUMMARY:Eighth-grader Franny, along with her sister Zoe and Zoe’s twin brother, J.D., have all been asked to attend prestigious Allbright Academy, where everyone is on their way to a very bright future. When her best friend from home and even J.D. comment on how much she and her school friends have changed (and not always in good ways), Franny starts investigating why. Together the friends uncover a sinister plot that not only affects the students, but ultimately aims to overthrow the American government. How they manage to bring everyone to justice will appeal to mystery and CSI fans everywhere.

IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine, Diane StanleyThe Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee StewartChasing Vermeer, Blue Balliet

Thought questions and activities:1. What would the perfect school be like?

2. Compare your school and the Allbright Academy. What are the pros and cons of each.

3. Should drugs that make students smarter be legal? Why and why not. Make a power point to state your views.

4. The children act illegally in order to find out the secrets of the Allbright Academy. Is there ever a good reason to perform illegally? Why or why not.

5. Film a re-enactment of your favorite part of the book.

6. If you could interview someone from the story who would it be and what questions would you ask them? (A minimum of 8 questions,)

Topics:Boarding Schools, gifted children, behavior modification, brainwashing, schools, mystery and detective stories

Other titles by Diane Stanley:The Trouble with Wishes, Bella at Midnight, The Giant and the Beanstalk, Goldie and the Three Bears, Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter, The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine, A Time Apart, Saving Sweetness, Raising Sweetness, Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise, Sleeping Ugly (illustrator), Saving Sky, Mozart: The Wonder Child: A Puppet Play in Three Acts

Sources:Jill Q. Altman, jaltman@saluda.k12.sc.usDiane Stanley homepage: http://www.dianestanley.com/

The Totally Made-up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeishBy Claudia Mills

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Reviewed by Linda Wycoff

Author’s website: www.claudiamillsauthor.com

Summary: For a school assignment, fifth grader Amanda is writing a Civil War diary from the point of view of fictional Polly, a young girl whose brothers are fighting on opposite sides - one for the North, one for the Confederacy. Like Polly, Amanda’s own family is experiencing a civil war of its own. Her family is splitting up and Amanda’s loyalties are torn as she and her family struggle with hard questions and tough issues. Can a house divided still stand? Amanda learns a lot about her family, her friends, and herself in this realistic and touching novel.

Themes: family, Civil War, friendship, transition, prejudice, racism, conflict

Discussion Questions: Amanda compares her family to what she calls “normal” families, like

Beth’s. What advice would you like to give her about the way she thinks about families?

Do you think Mr. Abrams’ assignment of writing civil war diaries is a good one? Why or why not? If you had this assignment, from whose point of view would you like to write? Why?

Was Lance’s diary of the slave boy racist? Why or why not? What did Amanda think? What did James think?

How do you think James felt about having to write from the point of view of Robert E. Lee for the diary assignment? Why do you think so? How do you think Lance felt about having to write from the point of view of the slave? Why do you think so?

What is “betrayal”? Tell about acts of betrayal in the book. What were the effects of the betrayals?

Compare/contrast Amanda’s family to Polly’s family. What was the importance of James’s friendship to Amanda in the book?

Why do you think so? How did Amanda’s relationship with Beth change over the course of the

book? Was it a stronger or weaker relationship at the end? Why do you think so? Support your thinking with examples.

How did Amanda’s relationship with her parents change over the course of the book? Were they stronger or weaker relationships at the end? Why do you think so? Support your thinking with examples.

How did Amanda’s relationship with her sister change over the course of the book? Was it stronger or weaker in the end? Why do you think so? Support your thinking with examples.

How did the writing of the civil war diary possibly help Amanda with her own problems? Explain your thinking.

What was your biggest surprise as you were reading the book? Why?

Activities: Did you think the author’s decision to end the book with a journal entry by

Polly was effective? Why or why not? If you could rewrite the ending, what would it sound like?

Make a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast Polly’s experiences and Amanda’s.

Divide into three groups. Hold a class discussion with each group taking a different point of view: slave, slave owner, abolitionist.

Research a topic from the Civil War era and present it to the class: (a battle, music of the era, a specific person, etc.) Presentations might include drama, dance, song, art, time-line, etc.

Make a T-chart of conflicts and resolutions in the book. Have each student represent the theme of the book with an object, quote,

excerpt, illustration, art project, etc. and present to the class with an explanation.

Other books by Claudia Mills:Dinah ForeverLosers, Inc.Standing Up to Mr. O.

You’re a Brave Man, Julius ZimmermanLizzie at Last7 x 9 = Trouble! Alex Ran, Stop That!Perfectly ChelseaMakeovers by MarciaTrading PlacesBeing Teddy Roosevelt

Mysterious Case of the Allbright AcademyBy Diane Stanley

Harper Collins Publishing

Reviewed by Linda Wycoff

Author’s website: www.dianestanley.com

Summary: Franny and her sister and brother are accepted into an elite private boarding school, which seems practically perfect – maybe too perfect. Franny and friends notice all the hand-picked students seem to begin looking and acting more and more alike. Suspecting something sinister, these young sleuths set out to find the source of the mystery and find themselves in some suspenseful scenarios with many twists and turns before the questions are answered.

Themes: friendship, self-worth, boarding schoolDiscussion Questions: Compare and contrast Frannie and Zoë. What was significant about the cottage assignments? How did Franny, Zoë,

and J.D. feel about their cottage assignments? Why? Which of the cottages do you think you might be assigned to? Why?

The first teamwork activity in the book was based on working together and working alone on the assigned task. Ms. Lollyheart described it as “independence and interdependence, just like in the real world.” Tell what you think that means and why you think it was a good or not so good project.

How was Beamer like and different the kids at Allbright? Which of the kids are you most like? How so? Which one would you

choose as a friend? Why? Which one would you choose as a learning partner on a class project? Why? Support your thinking with examples of their actions.

Are the secret formula brownies and their effects on the kids an example of realism or fantasy? Why do you think so?

Many of the adults involved at Allbright were convinced they were doing the world a big favor. Were their decisions about the students right or wrong? Why or why not?

What was your biggest surprise in the book? Explain. At the end of the book, Franny says: “How nicely he put things, I thought,

old Mr. Dickens. For at that moment I knew that all of us had become the heroes of our own lives.” What do you think she meant by that? Explain.

What questions do you still have at the end of the book? What do you think might happen if a sequel were written to this book?

How did your thinking change as you read the book? Explain your thinking.

Activities: Brooklyn frequently wrote haiku to express himself. Write a haiku to share

your interpretation of the theme. As a news reporter, write questions you would ask the author if you could

interview her. Write a letter to the head of the newly opened Allbright Academy giving

advice on how you think students should learn that will affect the future of the world in a positive way.

Have students use independence and interdependence to work in groups to research a topic and produce a presentation or product. They will divide into individual tasks and then put the parts together as a team.

There are a number of references to Charles Dickens. Read a biographical sketch, excerpts from some of his better known works, research websites, etc.

Have students list topics or references from the book that they were confused about or would like to know more about to clarify the reading. (i.e. Dickens, Jim Crow, Calpurnia, pogroms, Alzheimer’s, etc.) Discuss or research further.

Other books by Diane Stanley:Saving Sky (fall, 2010)The Mysterious Matter of I.M. FineMozart: the Wonder Child: a Puppet Play in Three ActsTrouble with Wishes (a retelling of a classic myth)Good Queen Bess: the Story of Elizabeth of EnglandBard of Avon: the Story of William ShakespeareMichelangelo

Stolen ChildrenPeg Kehret

Dutton Juvenile

Reviewed by Sharon Schneeberger

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

Summary: This suspenseful thriller takes place in 6 days and 165 pages. Amy, a fourteen year old accepts a babysitting job and along with Kendra, the 3 yr old who she is babysitting is kidnapped. Hugh, with cold-blooded intentions and Smokey, with a volatile temper take the 2 girls to a remote cabin. To obtain a ransom they create daily DVDs of the girls. Amy uses her head to send secret clues on the videos. Peg Kehret creates a spunky heroine who uses both her wits and her courage to save the three-year-old and herself.

Themes: Courage, tenacity, friendship, love, kindness, independent thinking

Com Arts: Discuss safety with your parents. Make a code word and emergency action

plans in case they’re ever needed. Create identity cards and have emergency numbers for parents, grandparents and neighbors to be kept in backpacks or shoes. Talk to younger children about how bad guys use lies to get them to do what they want.

Math: How could you measure time without a calendar or a daily routine like going

to school and having a weekend?

Fine arts: Draw or paint a scene from the book. On the back explain why you picked

this scene to illustrate.

Other Discussion Questions: The children, Amy and Kendra, were being held for a ransom. What is a

ransom? Have you ever been in a situation where you feared for your personal safety? How do you decide whom you should trust? If you were ever in a situation where you were concerned about a person's

behavior, what would you do?

Amy got the villain's gun and dropped it down the outhouse hole. Did she do the right thing?

Comparable books: Abduction; Nightmare Mountain; both by Peg KehretSavvy by Ingrid LawThe Last Straw by Jeff KinneyEleven by Patricia Reilly GiffAlong Came Spider by James PrellerLittle Sister Is Not My Name (Sassy) by Sharon DraperZoobreak by Gordon KormanEllie McDoodle: New Kid in School by Ruth McNally Barshaw

Websites: http://www.pegkehret.com/http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000300.shtmlhttp://www.missingkids.com/

The Leanin’ DogK.A. NuzumScholastic

Reviewed by Pam Riggs

Author’s Website: www.kanuzum.com

(2008). ISBN: 9780545202121, 250 pages.Illustrator: Katy Schneider

Summary: Dessa Dean is an eleven-year-old girl, deeply scarred by the loss of her mother when they were caught in a blizzard. As her dad tries to help her cope, especially with Christmas approaching, a dog comes to their cabin and captures Dessa’s heart. Set in the mountains of Colorado in 1930, this story keeps us reading as Dessa and her dad grieve their loss, but are strengthened by the leanin’ dog who, although frightened, learns to trust and love. Their growing friendship helps both Dessa and the dog overcome their fears. This is a wonderfully heartwarming story that explores many emotions.

Other books by Author: Nuzum, K. A. (2006). A Small White Scar. New York: Harper Collins.ISBN: 9780060756413, 208 pages.

Themes: Love, trust, friendship, loss of parent, hope

Interest level: Ages 9 - 12

Author’s Website: www.kanuzum.com

Activities: 1. As a prereading activity, students could discuss/research life in the 1930’s in Colorado. Others could research blizzards so they would have a better understanding of how the tragedy occurred. By better understanding the setting, the story will have more meaning.2. K. A. Nazum’s website, www.kanuzum.com, gives more insight into the book. It has information about this book, as well as her other novel. There is information about a Leanin’ Dog poetry contest, the author, videos, author contact, interview questions and answers, and links to other websites. 3. This book would be a great read aloud, providing lots of opportunity for discussion about many emotions and experiences common to young adolescents. It would also be a valuable addition to a literature circle with a theme of relationships with dogs. It reminded me of Because of Winn-Dixie. Although quite different, there are many commonalities: both girls lost their

mothers, both girls live with their dads; both gain confidence, trust, and love through bonding with the dogs that have drifted into the girls’ lives. If both books are read, many comparisons could be made. Other books that would be good choices for a literature group are included in the bibliography.4. Most children have wonderful stories of their own dogs or pets. This would be a good introduction to the sharing of these stories, verbally or in writing. Perhaps a class book of their personal stories and photographs or drawings could be developed.5. References are made throughout the book to the various Christmas decorations Dessa Dean’s mother had made. Although they may seem very primitive to today’s children, they were so precious to this family. Students could possibly make their own decorations, patterning them after the ones in the book, including the Christmas stars made from tin cans and buttons, pinecones with ribbons, and the angel. 6. Dessa describes Leanin’ Dog as being fudge-brown in color. Later in the story she makes fudge, a very special treat for her dad for Christmas dinner. Cooking is always a wonderful opportunity for children to read to follow directions. Making fudge would be a delicious extension of this story.

Discussion topics:1. Blizzards2. Daymares/Nightmares3. Naming the dog, Leanin’ Dog4. Family/holiday traditions5. Overcoming fears6. Developing love and trust7. Dessa’s homework compared with today’s

Bibliography of Dog BooksDiCamillo, Kate. (2004). Because of Winn-Dixie. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9781763625580, 192 pages.Gipson, Fred. (1956). Old Yeller. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.ISBN: 9780064403875, 208 pages.Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. (1991). Shiloh. New York: Simon and Schuster.ISBN: 9780689835827, 144 pages.Paulsen, Gary. (1999). My Life in Dog Years. New York: Random House.ISBN: 9780440414711, 144 pages.Rawls, Wilson. (1961). Where the Red Fern Grows. New York: Random House.ISBN: 9780553274295, 256 pages.Wallace, Bill. (1992). A Dog Called Kitty. New York: Simon and Schuster.ISBN: 9780671770815, 176 pages._____. (2004). Goosed. New York: Simon and Schuster.ISBN: 8780689866814, 128 pages._____. (2005). No Dogs Allowed. New York: Simon and Schuster.ISBN: 9781416903819, 224 pages.

_____. (2006). Pick of the Litter. New York: Simon and Schuster.ISBN: 9781416925118, 176 pages._____. (2002). Red Dog. New York: Simon and Schuster.ISBN: 9780689853944, 192 pages.

HoofbeatsMARGRET AND FLYNN

1875Kathleen Duey

Dutton Children’s Books

Reviewed by Pam Riggs

Author’s Website: www.kathleenduey.com

(2008). ISBN: 9780525479369, 172 pages.

Summary: Set in 1875 in Colorado, Hoofbeats: Margret and Flynn is the story of two orphaned sisters trying to survive. After going from place to place, earning their keep as they go, they finally stay with a kind lady in her sod home. The younger sister, Margret, is very content, especially after she befriends a horse she names Flynn who was injured during a tornado. But she encounters great difficulty in convincing her sister Libby that this is a home where they can be comfortable and become a family. This is a very touching story of friendship, love, and trust.

Kathleen Duey has written numerous other books. Margret and Flynn is just one of ten books in the Hoofbeats series. She has also written:

twenty books in the American Diary series four in the Alone in the Dark series seven in the Time Soldiers series nine in the Unicorn’s Secret series four in the spirit of the Cimarron series two in the Resurrection of Magic series.

Her other works include novels, picture books, and nonfiction books.

Themes: Trust, siblings, love, friendship, horses, coping with tragedy, growing up.

Interest level: Ages 8 to 12.

Activities: Kathleen Duey’s website offers not only her biography, bibliography,

and news of her upcoming works, but also her Facebook, Myspace, blog, and Twitter. These websites are for teachers to explore as she includes in them a plethora of information about writing books and

many other topics. She includes a list of the 100 greatest books ever. It might be interesting to develop a class website patterned after hers that could include students’ works in progress, favorite books, a blog about books, or whatever might capture the interest of the students.

As a pre-reading activity, students should read/discuss life in America in 1875, also becoming familiar with what life might have been like living in Littleton, Colorado in a sod house. Setting the background of the story strengthens understanding.

Create a drawing or model of a sod house. Margret and Libby lived with Mrs. Frederiksen, a widow, on her farm.

Compare the life of these young girls with present day life considering the responsibilities and chores that were a part of every day life.

Margret and Flynn could be an integral part of a literature circle study with the theme of orphans. A list of books that would provide interesting discussions and comparisons of the plight of orphaned children can be found in the bibliography.

Discussion topics: Orphans Developing love and trust Tornadoes Horses Comparison of Flynn, the horse being orphaned, with the girls’

experience Family relationships between Mrs. Frederiksen’s family and Libby and

Margret Flynn’s ability to do tricks

Bibliography of Books Concerning Orphaned ChildrenAvi. (2004). Crispin the Cross of Lead. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.ISBN: 9780786816583, 320 pages.Creech, Sharon. (2003). Ruby Holler. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.ISBN: 9780060560157, 336 pages.Giff, Patricia Reilly. (2004). Pictures of Hollis Woods. New York: Dell Publishing.ISBN: 9780440415787, 176 pages.Nixon, Joan Lowery. (1987). A Family Apart (and all of the Orphan Train Adventures Series). Toronto: Bantam Books.ISBN: 9780440226765162, 162 pages.Philbrick, Rodman. (2009). Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 9780439668187, 224 pages.Ryan, Pam Munoz. (2009) Paint the Wind. New York: Scholastic Inc.ISBN: 9780545101769, 352 pages.Spinelli, Jerry. (1999). Maniac Magee. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.ISBN: 9780439668187, 192 pages.

_____. (2005). Milkweed. New York: Random House Children’s Books.ISBN: 9780440420059, 240 pages.

The Seer of ShadowsAvi

Scholastic, Inc.

Reviewed by Pam Riggs

Author’s Website: www.avi-writer.com

(2008). ISBN: 9780545176071, 202 pages.

Summary: Avi lovers will be thrilled by this captivating tale of a young boy apprenticed to a photographer in New York in 1872. This photographer who is less than ethical comes up with a scheme to try to extort money from a wealthy lady whose daughter has died. While taking her photograph, he is able to evoke an image of the daughter’s ghost. Full of suspense, the story also focuses on the difficulties that Horace the apprentice has in the deception. The story is entrancing as it is full of ghosts, mystery, and revenge, as well as revealing much history of early photography.

Themes: Early Photography, ghosts, business ethics, apprenticeship, friendship, magic

Interest Level: Ages 9 – 12

Activities: To develop background knowledge before reading, students should

discuss/research life in the 1870’s in America, including apprenticeships, servitude, scientific beliefs, and photography.

Horace feels his beliefs and values are compromised by the deceptions of Mr. Middleditch. A panel discussion could be held to develop introspection concerning ethical business practices and how employees, or in this case an apprentice, can feel trapped in unethical situations.

A mock trial could be held for Mr. and Mrs. Von Macht to determine if they are guilty of murder from the cruelty they had shown to Pegg and Eleanora.

The book reveals much information about early photography. For students who are interested in photography, it would be intriguing to study the history of photography and how it has developed. Scientific demonstrations could be given to show some of the early processes that were used.

This book lends itself to the visualization of the photographs. Drawings could be made of the photographs including the presence of the ghosts.

Avi has written over 70 books of several genres, including historical fiction, animal tales, adventure, comedy, fantasy, ghosts, and mysteries. He would be an excellent author for an author study, allowing students to read various books in literature circles, comparing the genres and his writing style in each. Titles from each genre can be found on Avi’s website.

Discussion Topics: Servitude Apprenticeships Business ethics Seers Revenge Friendship Trickery in photography

Other books by the Author:Series Tales from Dimwood Forest

Poppy (1995) Poppy and Rye (1998) Ragweed (1997) Ereth’s Birthday (2000) Ragweed Poppy Poppy and Rye and Ereth Alone (omnibus) (2000) Poppy’s Return (2005) Poppy and Ereth (2009)

Beyond the Western Sea The Escape From Home (1996) Lord Kirkle’s Money (1996) Beyond the Western Sea (omnibus) (1996)

Crispin The Cross of Lead (2002) At the Edge of the World (2006) The End of Time (2010)

Novels Snail Tale: The Adventures of a Rather Small Snail (1972) No More Magic (1975) Emily Upham’s Revenge: A Massachusetts Adventure (1978) The History of Helpless Harry: To Which is Added a Variety of

Amusing and Entertaining Adventures (1980) Shadrach’s Crossing (1983) Bright Shadow (1983)

Devil’s Race (1984) Wolf Rider (1986) The Fighting Ground (1987) Something Upstairs (1988) The Man Who Was Poe (1989) The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (1990) Who Stole the Wizard of Oz? (1990) Windcatcher (1991) Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel (1991) Blue Heron (1992) Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway? (1992) City of Light, City of Dark: A Comic-book Novel (1993) The Bird, the Frog, and the Light: A Fable (1994) Smuggler’s Island (1994) The Barn (19994) Sometimes I Think I Hear My Name (1995) Tom, Babette, and Simon: Three Tales of Transformation (1995) A Place Called Ugly (1996) Finding Providence: The Story of Roger Williams (1997) Night Journeys, Homework Set (1997) Perloo the Bold (1998) Man from the Sky (1999) Midnight Magic (1999) Punch With Judy (1999) Amanda Joins the Circus (1999) Keep Your Eye on Amanda (1999) Abigail Takes the Wheel (1999) Romeo and Juliet – Together (And Alive!) at Last (1999) Captain Grey (2000) Encounter at Easton (2000) SOR Losers (2000) The Christmas Rat (2000) Night Journeys (2000) The Secret School (2001) The Grow Home (2001) Don’t You Know There’s a War On (2001) Prairie School (2001) The Good Dog (2001) Silent Movie (2003) The Mayor of Central Park: A Told Tale of Many Tails (2003) Never Mind!: A Twin Novel (2004) (with Rachel Vail)

The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) (2004)

The Book Without Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic (2005) The Traitors’ Gate (2007) Iron Thunder (2007) A Beginning, a Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing

(2008) The Seer of Shadows (2008) Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 (2009) Murder at Midnight (2009)

Collections Things That Sometimes Happen: Very Short Stories for Little Listeners

(1970) What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? (1997) Talk to Me: And Other Stories (2000) Transformation Tales (2005) Strange Happenings: Five Tales of Transformation (2006)

The Missing: Book 1 FOUNDMargaret Peterson Haddix

Scholastic, 2008

Reviewed by Missy Morrison

Author’s Website: www.margaretpetersonhaddix.com

Summary: Jonah and Chip, both 13 and both adopted as infants by their respective families, discover a supernatural secret that changes both of their lives forever. This new series proves to be every bit the page turner as Haddix’s series, Among the Hidden. This is a great book for students who like suspense, mystery, and the supernatural. It would also make a great read aloud in middle school.

Themes: time travel, adventure, mystery, adoption

Interest Level: grades 3-5

Communication Arts: At the end of the story, Chip, Katherine, and Jonah end up being transported

to the 15th century. Share predictions about what is going to happen, then read Book 2: Send and reflect upon your prediction and how Haddix continued the story.

Choose five characters from the story and list descriptive characteristics of each.

Math: Using the list of missing children from history, choose three and tell how old

they would be today. We know they’re not 13!

Science: Is time travel possible? Look up current research and explain whether it will

be or not in the future. Part of the story is set in a cave. Go on a field trip to a cave and describe

how the characters would use it. If no cave is available, create a diorama showing what the inside of a cave would look like.

Social Studies:

Several children missing in history are listed on page 285 and elsewhere in the book. Look up information about three of the missing children and provide a brief

description of who the children were and the circumstances surrounding their disappearances.

Chip, Katherine, and Jonah are transported to the 15th century. Using a variety of sources, find out information about life in the 15th century. Using the information, describe what you think Chip’s, Katherine’s, and Jonah’s experiences will be like when they arrive.

Fine Arts: Using what you know about the characters, choose one and create an image

using collage, paint, markers, colored pencils, or whatever medium you choose.

In a small group, choose a dramatic scene from the story and act it out.

Suggested works to complement this book: Skye, Obert. (2008). Pillage. Shadow Mountain Publishers. Gordon, Roderick. (2010). Freefall. Scholastic Press. Other books by the author: Shadow Children series Claim to Fame Double Identity

TECHNOLOGY IDEAS

Photo Story 3 Step by Step

1. Choose “Begin a New Story” and click Next.

2. Click “Import Pictures” and browse to find your pictures. You may insert several pictures at once. The pictures will show up in the bar across the bottom.

3. Click and drag the images to reorder if you would like. Use the buttons to edit images, rotate, remove red eye, etc. Click Next when finished (you can always come back if you find more to edit).

Click “Import pictures” to find your pictures.

Reorder pictures by dragging and dropping

Use these buttons to edit images.

4. Add titles to your pictures, if desired. Choose effects for images (black & white, sepia, etc.). Click Next when finished.

5. Record narration, if desired. Mics that connect with a usb port are not recognized. Click “Customize Motion” for next step!

6. Customize the panning/zooming for each picture. Change how long the picture is shown. Change how the pictures transition from one to

Type titles here; use the buttons to change alignment, color, etc.

Choose effects from this drop down menu.

Use these buttons to record. Click preview to hear. You can record one slide at a time, or record in one long take, clicking on each slide when you’re ready to record for it. Use the undo button to delete a recording.

Click Customize Motion for next step.

another. Click Save to save your changes (you’ll have to do that for each picture). Use the arrows at the bottom to move through your pictures. When done, click Close, then Next.

7. Click Select Music to upload music from your computer. Click Create Music to create your own music from Photo Story. Choose the feel, the type of music, etc. for the music you want.

To change panning/ zooming, click this box and drag boxes to desired start/end position.

To change how long a picture is shown, click the circle and change the number of seconds.

Click Save to save changes.

Use these arrows to move from picture to picture.

Click Close

Select Music to upload your own MP3.

Create Music to use their music

Use this slider to change the volume.

8. Choose the format you want for your video (typically the default- for playback on your computer) and the location you want to save it in (by default it is in the My Videos folder, but you can browse for a new folder). Click “Next” to create your movie!

Your movie is done!

A note on saving your video, and working with it on different days:

At any point during the process you can choose to “Save Project” using the button on the bottom. When you do that, you save it as a Photo Story PROJECT, and it can be opened back up in Photo Story and edited. The file type is a .wp3.

Once you finalize your movie by completing Step 8, your movie will be finished- you won’t be able to go back and edit it. The file type will be a .wmv.

If you have saved your PROJECT (.wp3) and finalized your MOVIE (.wmv) and then you find a mistake, you can always open the project back up, fix it, and finalize the movie again. Just make sure you keep track of which is the correct movie!

GOOGLE LIT TRIPS

Browse for a new location to save your file.

How Do I Begin Building a Google Lit Trip?

Building a Google Lit Trip is a little like learning to play chess. It really only requires a few basic skills to get started, while at the same time like chess, one can also spend many hours learning the “craft” of designing and developing more sophisticated projects.

However, it is important to realize that the Google Lit Trip concept is quite broad. Google Lit Trips for elementary use are quite different from Google Lit Trips for university use.

Also, Google Lit Trips developed by “professional educators” are significantly different from Google Lit Trips developed by students.

First Things First: Install Google Earth on your Computer

If the Google Earth application isn’t already installed on your computer, you can neither build nor view a Google Lit Trip file. Google Earth is free and can be downloaded at: http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html. Simply download the application, install it, and you’re good to go.

Basic Skill-Set for Working with Google Earth

Though there are several levels of mastery, the basic Google Earth skills necessary for building a Google Lit Trip are having the ability to find locations on Google Earth, being able to mark those locations with place marks and being able to draw paths representing the characters’ movements from one location to the next.

An easy way to begin getting up to speed on using Google Earth is to watch the 12 short videos found here: http://earth.google.com/tour.html.

Additional short videos can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/GoogleEarthVideoHelp.

There are also links to several other Google Earth resources available on the Google Lit Trip website. Clicking on the Downloads etc. link at the top of any page and then clicking on the Google Earth Resources link in the sub-menu leads to a list of these resources for those wishing more information about the Google Earth application.

Also in the Downloads etc. area is a section called Lit Trip Tips. In this area are several 1-2 page step-guides focused on specific Google Earth skills useful for building Google Lit Trips.

But, For Those Wanting to Get Really Serious...

Though it is certainly not necessary and many people pride themselves on never doing so, if you really want to get the answers to all questions regarding Google Earth, I’d suggest that sooner or later you read the entire Google Earth user’s manual which is available here: http://earth.google.com/userguide/v5/. There is a link at the top of the page if you’d like to download and print it, but be sure you have lots of printer ink!

Although the skills required for building Google Lit Trips are not difficult, most people find their first effort more challenging than they had expected. I always advise that potential developers practice with a single chapter from a favorite novel or with a short story until they have a comfort level with the basics of the entire process.

Selecting an Appropriate Title

Since the heart of a Google Lit Trip is marking the locations of a story’s settings, simply make certain that the story is set in locations that can be found in Google Earth. Thus, Dante’s Inferno and The Hobbitt are out. Make Way for Ducklings and The Kite Runner are in.

Another basic consideration is whether the characters “travel enough.” If the story line does not move around a bit, there is little potential value in creating a Lit TRIP. The range of the trip is not important. The Google Lit Trip for Candide has the characters globe trotting over three continents while the Lit Trip for Make Way for Ducklings has its characters traveling entirely within the city of Boston. But, some movement is necessary. Stories like Of Mice and Men or To Kill A Mockingbird pose problems since although the locations can be found, the characters spend the vast majority of their respective stories in a relatively static location.

Additionally, it is important to remember that there are stories that use “fictionalized” locations that represent real locations such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn where the scholarship informs us that Mark Twain’s St. Petersburg is a fictitious name for Hannibal, Missouri and that Jackson’s Island

is a fictitious name for Glasscock’s Island. These titles can certainly be considered, though they may be more challenging in that additional research might need to be done to discover the true locations being masked by fictitious names.

It is important to also note that Google Earth is constantly updating its resources and therefore adding new possibilities for Google Lit Trips. The Sky layer now makes it possible to consider titles set “anywhere” in the known universe! And, after all, since there are at least a couple of resources in Sky that overlay the ancient constellations, it is possible to even consider the possibility of employing the Google Lit Trip concept to ancient mythology! Google Mars and Ocean now open up several additional possibilities for Google Lit Trips.

Collecting Content for a Google Lit Trip

Once you have an understanding of how to use Google Earth’s basic navigation controls, place marks, and path tools, and have selected a suitable title to develop, it’s time to collect the “content” for your Google Lit Trip.

My particular process for collecting content is to reread the book with a couple of colors of post-its or highlighters. I reserve one color just for references to any locations or hints at locations that will help me pinpoint them on the Google Earth globe where I can set place marks for the journey. I use the other color(s) to mark any reference for which I think I might be able to find:

• interesting images on the internet that might enhance or extend students’ appreciation of the story.

• interesting websites that could provide supplementary information on historical or geographical

references, biographical information, or cultural connections, etc. appropriate to the story,

• spots where the author is providing good material for thought-provoking questions and class

discussion.

• interesting vocabulary use

Actually the possibilities are endless for pop-up window content. But, as a general rule I try to stay away from considering plot summaries as quality pop-up content at least for teacher-generated Google Lit Trips as this tends to remove the students’ first opportunity to engage their own minds in appreciating the story.

This is one of the distinctions I make between Google Lit Trips developed by educators and those developed by students. For some students, being able to demonstrate the basic skills of decoding by including plots summaries might have value. Though even in these cases, I like to advise teachers to also encourage students to consider including higher level contents such as speculations about characters’ motives or possible future plot developments. Even for the youngest readers, having them include information about “new words” and information that “tells more about” historical events, and locations, and people referenced in the story helps them develop their reading skills beyond decoding levels.

Creating Place Marks

Sometimes, I collect all the content information for a title before beginning to create the actual place marks. Other times I “toggle” back and forth between collecting the content information and creating the place marks. For example, in complex works, I prefer to work chapter by chapter or “scene by scene.”

In the Lit Trips Tips section of the Google Lit Trip website, the following step-guides are useful during this phase:

• Finding Hard Location on Google Earth

• Making the Most Out of Place Marker Icons

• Formatting Place Marker Descriptions

• Capturing the Best Location View

Other good resources for creating Place Marks include the following video clips available on the Internet:

• Fly to any place

• Marking locations in Google Earth

Including Images in Google Lit Trip Pop-Up Windows

The basic technical aspects of including images in a Google Lit Trip place mark pop-up window are explained in the Formatting Place Marker Descriptions step-guide found in the Lit Trip Tips section of the GoogleLitTrips.com website.

However, including images also raises ethical considerations regarding copyright issues. For this reason, when I am looking for appropriate images for a Google Lit Trip, I like to begin my search in the following websites since they are vast collections of images that provide clear information on the images copyright status, and they feature images that have some degree of copyright free permissions.

• Flickr’s The Commons.

• Creative Commons

• Wikipedia and Wikipedia Commons

If you have your own images to use, it is easy and free to post them to Flicker or Picassa and then to reference them in your place mark pop-up windows using the information available in the Formatting Place Marker Descriptions Step Guide.

Organizing Place Marks

It is important to begin organizing place marks early on using Google Earth’s folder creation resources. Use the ADD menu in Google Earth to add a new FOLDER. A window will appear. Since this is the main folder within which all of your place marks will be located, give it a brief name that identifies the title of the book you’re working with. For example, a good brief name for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, might simply be “Huck Finn.” However, try to avoid baffling abbreviations. For example, ” Adv_oHF” would not be a good name since the abbreviation, though clear to you, would not be intuitive to another person.

Within the Main folder, you can create any sort of internal folder system. For example, you might create an internal folder for each chapter or an internal chapter for each location the characters move to.

Cool Tip: Sometimes there seems to be neither rhyme nor reason as to where new place marks “land” in Google Earth’s side bar. The good news is that once you find a place mark in the sidebar it can be dragged to the appropriate folder. However, if you select the “target” folder by clicking once on it and then create the place mark, it will automatically land inside the folder you have “pre-selected.”

Once you have created all the place marks that you intend to have in a given folder, double check to see that they are arranged in “chronological order.” By this I mean, arranged in the order that you want users to view each of the place marks. The first “stop” place mark should be the top place mark in the folder and the “final stop” for that collection of place marks should be the last place mark in that folder.

Creating the Path

Though there are situations where a Google Lit Trip might benefit from not having a path marking the “itinerary” of the characters as they move through the story, those situations are quite rare. It is the path marking the itinerary that gives a Google Lit Trip a beginning, middle and end. It indicates the chronology of the travel and visually indicates where the characters are at a given point in the story as well as a clear indication of where they have been and where they are going next.

A collection of place marks without a path looks sort of like a dart board where there are no visual indicators of which of the many other place markers is the “next stop” on the journey.

The path tool is “easy once you get it.” However, it can seem a bit hard to manage until then. There is a simple step-guide called “Adding Route Paths to a Lit Trip” in the Lit Trips Tips section of the Google Lit Trip site that can help you wrap your head around this tool.

About Saving Google Lit Trips

It is unlikely that a completed Google Lit Trip can be developed in a single sitting. Whether you are “in progress” or ready to save a completed Google Lit Trip, it is important to understand Google Earth’s available options for saving files. I can not emphasize enough the value of keeping the place marks, paths and any other elements organized in folders and in the “chronological order” you feel a user should follow. When ready to save, like all applications, there is a Save command under the FILE menu. However, Google Earth offers four Save options rather than the typical Save and Save As... options.

Once you have developed all of the elements for a Google Lit Trip (place marks, paths, overlays etc, and organized them into folders, Google Earth provides the following four SAVE options under the File menu:

Save to My Places: This is generally not used when developing your own project. When opening any downloaded Google Earth file, by default it opens in the Temporary Places section at the bottom of the Places portions of Google Earth’s Side Bar. The purpose of this Save option is to give users an opportunity to decide whether they want that file to be kept available within the Google Earth My Places section of the Side Bar or not. Essentially, this gives users the option of saving a file “inside” Google Earth, or saving it externally on their hard drive.

Save Place As... : This option allows the saving of a Google Lit Trip to any location external to the Google Earth application. Once a file is saved external to Google Earth it can then be emailed, burned to CD to be transferred via any of the normal file transfer methods. For those creating Google Lit Trips with the intention of submitting them to the Google Lit Trip project, this is the way to create a file that can be emailed.

When choosing this option it is critical to have selected the main folder of the project you have created. This way you will save the folder and all of its contents. If you have one element of a project selected such as a single place mark or one of your “sub-folders” then only that selected item will be saved.

When using this option, there is a choice of two file formats. The first is as a .kmz file. the second is as a .kml file. The difference is that , kmz files are “zipped.” In truth, unless you are including elements that do not exist on the internet such as photos that actually live on your hard drive, either format will work fine.

But, I again suggest that including images or other elements such as videos that do not live on the the internet is risky and dramatically increases the size of your file possibly making them too large to transfer via email.

Save My Places: This option simply insures that changes made t anywhere in the My Places section of the Side Bar will be saved within Google Earth.

Save Image... : This option saves an image of the 3D section of the Google Earth viewer. Since Google Lit Trips are always viewed on the internet, this function or any simple screen capture process will save images of sufficient quality.

This document is taken directly from Google Lit Trips, titled, Basics of Building a Google Lit Trips, http://www.GoogleLitTrips.com

XTRANORMALhttp://www.xtranormal.com/

Xtranormal is a fun and easy way to create movies. Please be careful when having students work on this site as it is similar to youtube in that it has many wonderful videos as well as questionable ones.

To create a movie in xtranormal, you must first create a free account. Click on Make Movies

Choose a show pack Select 1 or 2 characters Design the scene (near the bottom of the screen)

o Select your backgroundo Select your characterso Select your voices

Click apply

From this point, you will be writing the script and directing the action. It’s as easy as typing what you would like the characters to say and inserting action. To insert actions and expressions, you simply drag the icon and then select from the drop down menu.To start a new line or to change who is speaking, click on the plus sign in the grid.HINT: Click on the magicam to make camera navigation easier. This way, you don’t have to adjust camera angles.When you are finished, click on action. To view your movies, click on my movies and then you can select and watch your film.To share with others, you may either upload to YouTube, use the html link, embed the video in a presentation or download the film.Remember, this project requires close supervision and would best be done with a small number of students.

Xtranormal Action ChoicesThese are actions the characters can do.

1. blow a kiss2. Bye3. That’s crazy4. Oh really! (cross arms)5. Hands on hips6. Hands in front7. Legs apart8. One hand on hip9. Relaxed10. Clap11. Hmmm (tap chin)12. Counting 113. Counting 214. Counting 315. Yes16. No17. Come here

18. C’mon19. D’oh (hits head)20. No! Stay away!21. I’m so tired (Yawn and stretch)22. Oh well (shrug)23. Air Quotes24. This big (hands out wide)25. Too hot26. Head scratch27. OK28. Peace sign29. Rock on30. Hurl (hand on stomach)31. Yo!32. Listening

Xtranormal Pointing ChoicesThese are actions where the characters point towards something.

1. What’s that over there? (points away)2. Over here (points over shoulder)3. Ew. What’s that? (point at floor)4. Who? Me? (point at self)5. It’s a bird, it’s a plane… (pointing up)

Xtranormal Expression Choices These change the expression on the character’s face.

1. Ooh, that makes me happy!2. Oh, that makes me sad3. Oh good heavens!4. Stop it!5. Ew, gross6. Don’t hurt me!

Xtranormal Sound ChoicesThese are background sound that can be added to your movie.

1. Laughter (2 choices)2. Applause3. Applause and Laughter4. Aah5. Bells

6. Bird (crow)7. Alarm clock8. Car crash9. Church bell10. Clock chime11. Bottle open12. Door bell13. Bottle break14. Door Close15. Door open16. Door unlock17. Feedback18. Harp (2 choices)19. Buzzer20. Cash register21. Motor whir22. Laser gun23. Chainsaw24. Metal sheet25. Phone ring (2 choices)26. Phone busy27. Dying man28. Pluck29. Rimshot (drums- 2 choices)30. Running (2 choices)31. Door knock32. Film projector33. Flatline34. Sci-fi (4 choices)35. Show theme (2 choices)36. Siren (2 choices)37. Strings (3 choices)38. Tub Thump39. Gagging40. Walk (2 choices)41. Game over42. Game show buzzer43. Game show bell44. Wawah45. Whistle (2 choices)46. Yeeha!47. Disco

48. Guitar49. Happy swing50. Rock intro51. Suspense52. Rock drums53. Gunshot54. Blues harmonica55. Techno (2 choices)56. Deep breath57. Kiss58. Magic59. Chimes60. Crickets

Booktalks

What is a booktalk?A booktalk is a commercial designed to get someone to read a book. It is a

way of selling your merchandise, a performance to get the audience excited about your book.

Why should you booktalk? It increases circulation. It increases cooperation and communication. It promotes your collection efficiently. It is an activity whose primary audience is the nonuser. It is the most effective way to motivate reading. It builds relationships with students. It sells the idea of reading for pleasure. It gets listeners to look past the cover.

Essential elements of a good booktalk The Hook—presenting something that will grab the listener’s

attention The Content—tell about the characters and/or plot The Cliffhanger—don’t tell the ending; leave listeners wanting more

so that they’ll want to read the book

Tips for Writing Booktalks Choose only books you like and that you can be enthusiastic about. Be sure to read all of the books before booktalking. When reading the book, look for exciting or humorous incidents,

special character portrayals, etc. to find the hook. After reading the book, ask yourself what the book made you think of

and what appealed to you about the book. Don’t give away the ending or any other secrets. Don’t give a book review—it should not include evaluations or

critical material. Think of different ways to begin—with a question, setting the scene,

telling a little about the plot, or setting a mood. Don’t tell too much about the book. Leave the listener wanting more. Don’t read from most books you booktalk. Keep talks from two to four minutes in length. Prepare what you are going to say about each book. You don’t need

to memorize, but you do need to know the points you are going to make.

Tips for Planning and Presenting Booktalk Programs

Know your audience. Ask the group’s teacher about your audience’s reading interests, personal interests, and attention spans and plan your presentation accordingly.

Don’t try to elevate the audience’s tastes. Include some titles that you know are super popular. This will give you credibility, thus making the group pay more attention.

Accept that a booktalk is a performance and learn how to best influence the audience.

Variety is key. Since you may be covering fifteen books in one shot, vary the types of books you present as well as the lengths and styles of the booktalks.

Remember to repeat the title. Think accessibility. Select books for your talk that are available in

multiple copies. Have a system ready so that listeners can check out books on the spot. Start and end strong. Maintain eye contact with the audience. Consider creating additional interest by adding props or by wearing a

costume. Always prepare more than you will need.

Booktalking Tips

From Joni Richards Bodart

Booktalking is the best way of sharing the excitement of books and stories, and encourages people to read for pleasure. Booktalking is not about reviewing books, but a way of generating excitement and interest in books. This is a special form of reader’s advisory can help generate interest in your collection, and connect you to patrons of all ages in your library.

What is a Booktalk?

A booktalk is best thought of as a commercial advertisement for a book. A booktalk is not evaluative and is not a review. It’s not a book report that tells the ending of the book. It is an intriguing glimpse of what's between the covers of a book, waiting for the reader to discover it. Booktalks should be fun, exciting, suspenseful, or whatever it takes to convince someone else to read the book.

The Unbreakable Rules of Booktalking1. Never talk about a book you haven't read. 2. Never talk about a book you don't like. 3. Never tell the ending. 4. Always remember to do your own thing--create your own style.

Preparing to Write a Talk1. READ! READ! READ! And then read some more!! 2. Take notes on what you read. 3. Write your talk, or look for a published talk on the book. 4. Decide which approach to take. What was the most exciting part of the book and why?

From Joni Richards Bodart at http://www.thebooktalker.com

Booktalking Tips from The YA YA YAs at http://theyayayas.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/booktalking-tips-2008/

Trisha’s Booktalking Tips:

1) It gets easier. I hated giving oral presentations when I was in school, so of course, the first few times I went booktalking by myself, I was more than a bit overwhelmed and intimidated by the whole thing. But it got better, especially once I figured out what worked for me and found my own style.

2) Find your own style. Different librarians have different styles, so if you can, observe other librarians booktalking. Some have their booktalks memorized, some do everything off the top of their head. Some use props, some don’t. Some spend a couple of minutes talking about one book, some tend to do shorter booktalks. Try out different techniques and see what comes most naturally and works the best for you.

3) Remember, you’re not just promoting books. You’re also promoting the library and its services. So tell the students about upcoming programs and recent programs you’ve held. Remind them you have DVDs and online resources that’ll come in handy when they’re doing homework or searching for colleges or need to practice taking the SAT. Just try to do it in an interesting way.

4) You can find booktalks online. Scholastic and Random House offer booktalks on their sites. Nancy Keane’s Booktalks Quick and Simple has tons of booktalks, sometimes two or more talks for one book. I find the sites useful, because though I almost always write my own booktalks (usually months after I first read the book, because I can never force myself to write a booktalk right after I’ve read a book that would be great for booktalking. Instead, I wait until I’m asked to go booktalking, start freaking out and after looking at the booktalks I’ve already written, go to my shelves to find newer books to supplement the ones I know I can do effectively, and start writing. But I don’t recommend this method), I sometimes find it hard to find that initial flash of inspiration. The booktalks I end up writing may look nothing like the ones I found online, but just seeing the different approaches others have taken is often enough to get my creative juices flowing.

Other handy links:http://www.motherreader.com/2006/06/book-hooks.htmlhttp://www.motherreader.com/2007/10/teen-booktalking.htmlhttp://www.motherreader.com/2006/03/extreme-booktalking.html

Gayle’s Booktalking Tips:

1) Have fun! In most cases you are in the classroom during some lull in standardized testing so make the most of it.  The students will be receptive if you are enthusiastic.

2) Interact! I’ve found the quickest way to engage a class is to ask them questions.  It doesn’t hurt if you share a little about yourself too.  It gives you more credibility and makes you more real when you personalize booktalks.  Of course, don’t personalize too much, you are a professional so conduct yourself in a professional manner.

3) Choose Books You Like! If you’ve been reading about booktalking, you’ve no doubt heard this tip numerous times.  And I can’t stress too much how important this is.  It’s hard to booktalk a book you feel indifferent about.  In direct contrast it’s easy to gush about a book you love.

4) Practice, practice, practice! You don’t need to memorize, but practice makes perfect.  Try to practice on a forgiving audience to see if your booktalk makes sense.

5) Variety is the Spice of Life! Even if your reading preferences are very specific try to step out of your reading comfort zone for the sake of booktalking.  Non-Fiction books are easier than you think to booktalk–many of them sell themselves with their quirky content.  Books from different genres appeal to different sorts of readers.  And hey if you’re a big chick-lit fan and love a science fiction book, it gives it that much more credibility that you think it’s a winner.

6) Keep it Simple Smarty! Don’t try to over-explain a plot or a book.  Keep it simple and it’ll be smooth sailing.

7) Be Flexible. (No exclamation point here.)  It’s important to be flexible because schedules change, people get sick, memories are faulty, and there are some things in life you can’t control so roll with the punches.

Read a lot! The more you read, the more you have to booktalk.  If you don’t find that this is the case, try reading something different.

9) Smile! A smile makes you more approachable and breaks down a lot of barriers.

10) There’s always room for improvement! If you can learn from your mistakes then you’ll be that much better then next time. Remember to project your voice and speak clearly. One of my biggest challenges is to slow down.  I tend to speak very quickly and I’m constantly struggling to slow down.

Great Ideas to Promote Reading

Recommended Reads by members of the staff—have their photos and book choices displayed and have all recommended books available in the library.

Display photos of members of the staff reading their favorite book or their favorite book from their childhood.

Display new titles—the best way is to have the books on display and give readers the choice of the new books.

Display books with book reviews by students. Get kids to suggest/request titles. Offer to get the book on the condition that

they review it for display. Share enthusiasm about books—talk about them. Be an example. Let the students see you as a positive example of reading.

If families with children visit your home, let the kids browse your book collection. Never lecture or force kids to read—just let them see your enthusiasm and catch the reading bug!

Start a lending library. Offer to let students borrow the books in your collection.

Give books as gifts. Instead of giving toys, consider giving books to the children in your life.

Position Statement on the Value of Independent Reading in the School Library Media Program

In an information age, literacy demands not only the ability to read and write, but also the ability to process information and communicate effectively. Research suggests that reading proficiency increases with the amount of time spent reading voluntarily. Unfortunately, independent reading is often a casualty in our fast paced, media-oriented society. Today's students know how to read but have little or no interest in doing so. They have failed to catch the love of reading; therefore, they choose not to read.

The adoption of Goals 2000 has made literacy an issue of national importance; therefore, a primary goal of the school library media program must be to create life-long readers. It is imperative that school library media specialists work with teachers and parents to find ways to instill in students the joy of reading while helping them build the reading habit.

To become life-long readers, students must have . . .

access to current, quality, high interest, and extensive collections of books and other print materials in their library media centers, classrooms, and public libraries;

contact with adults who read regularly and widely and who serve as positive reading role models;

certified school library media specialists and classroom teachers who demonstrate their enthusiasm for reading by reading aloud and booktalking;

time during the school day dedicated to reading for pleasure, information, and exploration;

opportunities specifically designed to engage young people in reading; schools that create an environment where independent reading is valued, promoted, and

encouraged; and opportunities that involve care givers, parents and other family members in reading.

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.Mark Twain

(adopted June 1994; revised July 1999)

Library Media CentersReading Promotion Ideas

Submitted by Missouri Library Media Specialists

GRADE PROMOTION IDEA 

3 KC3 Books1-2 Show Me Books3-4 Authors' Birthday Drawing3-4 KC Win Reading Challenge

4-8

Buy 20 copies of every Mark Twain Award book on next year’s list -- must be printed in paperback.  Take these to each classroom the last week of school -- students can check out for summer reading.  Talk about using public library over the summer.  Take any books left to the public library -- they keep the books in a separate place for checkout.  Pick the books up the first week of school and send reminders to students who need to return their books.  Lost a few books but very few.

5-12 Discussion of theme, requirements and rewards of the Ozark Regional Library's summer reading program.  

ALL Barnes and Noble Reading Charts -- complete the chart - get free bookALL Local business coupons / money for reward

HS"READ" posters made in-house -- photographs of faculty members holding their favorite book with READ on the posters -- assistance from the business department -- frame them all over the library.  Students are now asking to be pictured on the READ posters.

HS Book displaysHS Bookmarks with the names of suggested titles

HS Bronco Book Club -- meet monthly to discuss chosen title.  Some sessions at school - some at local coffee house.  Includes faculty

HS Gateway Readers Award

HS Outstanding Promotion of Reading  Award -- given to several teachers each month and an annual award given at Honors assembly

HS OutstandiAugust 12, 2008om each grade level -- each month)

HS Poetry Contest twice during the school year -- prizes awarded and entries bound into book form to become part of the collection

HS

Read MAIL -- HS students are paired with collection education students.  HS student selects book to read -- A  party was held at the HS LMC at the beginning of the project for people to meet.  Each pair read the same book with the college student taking the lead on guiding an email discussion of the book.  At the end of a set amount of time, students met again.  This party was held on the college campus. Could partner HS and JR students

HS School Wide Reading List -- suggestions from classroom teachers -- teachers give credit for reading selections and participating in reading contests and activities

JR2003 Katy Trail Ride -- sponsored by the Mo. Dept. of Conservation (235 miles in 5 days) -- librarian and spouse rode -- took pledges of # of pages for each mile she rode and then celebrated at the beginning of school.

JR Book talks with milk and cookies  before schoolJR Trivia contests (seasonal and tied to special weeks)JR Paperback book swap

JR take digital pictures of students holding a book and then display it with their printed recommendation

K-4 Caldecott Challenge

K-4 Children's Book WeekK-4 Kinder KlassicsK-4 Missouri Building BlocksK-4 National Library WeekK-4 Read Across America

K-5

January and February -- library staff issues the Read Around the Library Challenge.  -- ends early March -- challenge students to meet a goal or help us answer a question.  Last year we asked, Who reads more, boys or girls?  No prizes are awarded - emphasize the prize is knowing you participated and did your best -- other years - read more fiction or nonfiction?  Can we read enough books to make a trail of titles around the library and down the hall to the office.

K-6 1000 page summer reading challengeMS Banned book weekMS Book TalksMS Current EventsMS Library WeekMS Teen Read Week

Secondary Gateway Readers Award

Secondary SSR in seminar classes -- 10 block schedule and one class in seminar.  Students read the book of their choice the first 23 minutes of each seminar class. 

SecondaryStudy halls transformed into reading classes -- students must read books and receive a grade on the basis of how many book quizzes they successfully pass.  Use Scholastic Reading Counts.  Third year and successful.  443 students passed 3000 quizzes

 

Email: Library Media Centers Phone: 573-526-4219

Last Revised: July 31, 2008

Note To Our Users | Online Privacy Policy | Non-Discrimination Policy

Book Report Ideas

91 Ways to Respond to a Bookhttp://gretchenle.com/bookreports.html#anchor89424

Book Float and Popcorn Bag Book Reporthttp://www.successlink.org/gti/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=3566 Book report suggestions for upper elementary students, complete with assessment rubrics.

Book Report Alternative: Comic Strips and Cartoon Squareshttp://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=195Includes planning sheet and rubric.

Book Report Wizard, presented by Corey Greenhttp://www.coreygreen.com/bookreport.htmlKeys to success and an index of book report terms and questions.

Book Reports at pppst.comhttp://languagearts.pppst.com/bookreports.html Free presentation in PowerPoint format.

How to Write a Book Reporthttp://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsbookreportelem.htmlSteps to follow in the introduction, body, and conclusion. This is for upper elementary, but there is another for middle/high school.

Just for Kids Who Love Books: A Website for Kids 8 to 14http://www.alanbrown.comStudents can send and read messages about books. Site is administered by a retired school librarian.

Kathy Lee’s Alternatives to Book Reportshttp://gretchenle.com/bkrpts1to100.html

Nonfiction Book Report: Adding Interest and Relevance Through Choicehttp://www.successlink.org/gti/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=4005 Rationale, steps to implement, learning objectives, evaluation. Geared toward high school, but could be modified to elementary or middle school.

Pack Rat Book Reportshttp://www.successlink.org/GTI/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=4028This can be done as an oral or written report. Students select items to display in the class “museum” that connect to the book they read.

Web English Teacher Book Report Ideashttp://www.webenglishteacher.com/bookreports.html This website has links to a variety of alternatives to the traditional book report including:

10 Questions 20 Ways of Looking at the Book 91 Ways to Respond to Literature Alternatives to the Traditional Book Report Better Book Reports: 25 Ideas and Better Book Reports: 25 More Ideas Book Party: Creating Festivals to Honor Works of Literature Book Report Form Book Report Ideas Book Report Sandwich Station Book Reports for the Bored Books Alive! A Bookish Proposal Get Down and Book-ie! More Ideas Than You’ll Ever Use for Book Reports Multimedia Book Report Rubric Not Your Same Old Book Report Novel Appreciation Student Book Talk with a Student Created Book Jacket Three Books Project Twitter Book Reports? What Do You Need? A Google Meme Game Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick Writing an Approach Paper

MISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS

READER/SELECTOR AGREEMENT FORM

I, ______________________________________________representing (Please circle one) Children’s Services Roundtable, College & University Instructors, IRA, MASL, Middle School Association, MNEA, Missouri State Library, MSTA, Missouri Assn. of Elementary Principals, Past Mark Twain Chair, PTO/PTA, Retired Teachers, Student Readers),

am willing to serve as a Reader/Selector for the 2011-2012 Mark Twain Award List of Nominees. I understand that I will receive the Reader/Selector list of approximately 25 titles by the middle of August 2010. I will return my rating sheet to the 2011-2012 Mark Twain Award Committee Chair by December 1, 2010.

Signature ____________________________________________________________________

Home Address: ________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: _________________________________________________

Work Address: _______________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________

Home Phone: ___________________ Work Phone: ___________________

E-Mail: ______________________________________________________

Fax: _________________________________________________________

Please return this form IMMEDIATELY to:Robin Gibbons

1208 Elm St., West Greenwood, MO 64034