South Carolina
Junior Book Award Nominees
2003 - 2004
All The Answers
Anne C. LeMieux
Avon Books, 2000
160 pages
SUMMARY: Failing algebra and being grounded
for talking back to his father are bad enough, but when he faces a beautiful
new eighth grader and her bullying twin brother, Jason is forced to take
another look at his life.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY….
Fruit Flies, Fish & Fortune Cookies
by A. C. Lemieux
Dare to Be, M.E.! by Anne C. Lemieux
The Fairy Lair: A Hidden Place by A. C.
Lemieux
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Math:
Play computer solitaire and keep the stats for
a particular number of games with wins and losses, points, time, cards
up and games played. Then find the odds for winning.
Guidance:
Discuss conduct in all situations of life.
Making decisions at school as well as at home. Relationships – proper and
improper.
Language Arts: Discuss the importance
of reading. Write a paper on the pros and cons of reading.
BOOKTALK:
All the Answers is about a twelve year
old named Jason. Jason is very good with computer solitaire.
In fact, he is so good that he uses it as a daily horoscope. His
dad is very critical and does not appreciate Jason's athletic talent.
He wants him to excel academically and be more like him. Jason becomes
desperate because he is failing math. His desperation causes him
to cheat, but when he gets caught it forces him to confront some difficulties,
truths, and inspires great positive changes. The book will appeal
to girls as well as boys because of the challenges and struggles this young
man encounters Will Jason pass algebra and win a girlfriend in the
process? Read and find out in All the Answers.
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Artemis Fowl
Eoin Colfer
Miramax, 2001
277 pages
SUMMARY:
Twelve-year-old genius and criminal mastermind,
Artemis Fowl, seems to have a fail-safe plan for getting his hands on fairy
gold, but Captain Holly Short, an elf in the LEPrecon Special Forces, has
a plan of her own.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident (sequel
to Artemis Fowl) by Eoin Colfer
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horrowitz
The Series of Unfortunate Events Series
by Lemony Snicket
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J. K. Rowling
Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Guidance:
Artemis has the advantages of superior intelligence,
many skills, and wealth. Discuss whether he should be using these
advantages to help others rather than to get his way and commit crimes.
Have students make up their own stories about what they would do if they
had the same benefits as Artemis.
Language Arts:
Read some folktales and legends about fairies,
trolls, and leprechuns. Compare the ways that these creatures are
presented in the original tales and in the book Artemis Fowl.
Create a powerpoint presentation to present what is discovered.
Social Studies:
Artemis and Butler travel to several different
countries and cities as they carry out Artemis's plans. Research
those locations. Make posters presenting what is learned about each
place.
Science:
The fairies in this book travel from their homes
deep in the earth to the surface in special elevators powered by magma
vents from the earth's core. Using what we know about earth science,
discuss the possibility of this type of travel. Create a model of
what it might look like, if it were possible.
Math:
The heart of Artemis's plan is decoding the language
of the golden fairy book. Use mathematics to create a secret code.
Have students write and decode messages in their secret language.
Art:
The book, Artemis Fowl, is filled with
fanciful creatures and places. Ask students to create pictures of
the way they imagined these things as they read the book.
Technology: Many different computer
programs and devices are used by both humans and fairies in Artemis
Fowl. Have students research these types of programs and devices
and determine what was fact and what was fiction about their use in the
book. Create a powerpoint to present the findings.
WEBSITES:
Official
Artemis Fowl Website by Miramax Books
Artemis
Fowl Fun Site
Guardian
Unlimited Interview with the Author
BOOKTALK:
What would you do if you were a twelve-year-old
genius with a large supply of technological gadgets, a bodyguard at your
beck and call, plenty of money, a long family history of crime, and unsupervised
free time? Artemis Fowl's answer is to devise a plan to get his hands
on fairy gold. He is not silly enough to believe that it can be found
at the end of the rainbow. Instead, he perpetrates an unusual kidnapping
in hopes of gaining a golden ransom. His plan is so well crafted--down
to the slightest detail--that it seems sure to succeed. However,
he didn't plan on Captain Holly Short, a spunky elf from the LEPrecon Special
Forces. Will Artemis get his gold? Or will the fairies defeat
this seemingly unbeatable criminal mastermind? Read Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer to find out!
Prepared by: Suzanne M. Zeller
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Being Dead: Stories
Vivian Vande Velde
Harcourt, Sept. 2001
203 pages
SUMMARY:
Seven short stories that range from a few pages
to sixty pages with a ghost in each story. This collection is geared
at teenagers with stories they can easily relate to, and also feel a little
unnerved at the same time!
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY
Never Trust a Dead Man by Vivian Vande
Velde
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Language Arts:
Use this book to introduce story collections,
science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and horror stories. This would
be a wonderful read aloud during the month of October when students are
interested in Halloween activities.
WEBSITES:
Vivian
Vande Velde Web Site
This
website lists all books by Vivian Vande Velde with a summary for each.
BOOKTALK:
Just imagine being in sixteen-year-old Brenda's
shoes when a disembodied hand touches her through her waterbed mattress
on the first night in her new house! Other clues slowly appear such
a a little girl, an awful smell from the woods and even a ghost....you
must read the first short story in this book...it will leave you shocked
in the end!
Prepared by: Linda R. Hall
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The Edge on the Sword
Rebecca Tingle
Putnam, 2001.
277 pages
SUMMARY:
Aethelflaed, the 15 year old daughter of King Alfred the Great of England,
must uncover the people behind the plot to destroy her father's alliances
while facing the realization that she will soon have to marry.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
The Forestwife by Teresa Tomilson
The Trials of Merlin (series) by T.A Barron
The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf by Gerald Morris
Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
The Enchanted Forest series by Patricia Wrede
The Dove and the Sword by Nancy Garden
Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett
A Proud Taste of Scarlet and Miniver by E.L Konigsburg
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Language Arts:
Study of Beowulf, writing structure of Aethelflaed's time, the development
of language and literature in early England
Math:
Early mathematicians, principals behind early war machines
Science:
Medicine of the early middle ages / weapon crafting
Social Studies:
Medieval Britain, Danes and Germanic tribes, history of education and
the schooling of women
Fine Arts:
Music and art of the early middle ages
WEBSITES:
Alfred
the Great Web Site
Alfred the Great
Web Site
The Venerable
Bede
Internet Medieval
Sourcebook
Medieval History Web Site
Book
Review
BOOKTALK:
The king sighed, "I cannot keep all my precious firsts." He reached
out and took her hand. "Before poetry distracted me, we were speaking of
new responsibilities. Edward must return from the woods to his schooling.
And, you too, must prepare for a change. Flaed, before the end of the summer
you will marry Ethelred of Mercia, my friend and ally. Today I have
received this acceptance from him."
Flaed sat fixed on her stool as the king took a sheet of parchment
from the table and gave it to her. Ethelred of Mercia , a man she had never
met. "I can no longer allow you to go about alone, even within the boundaries
of the estate. There are enemies who would injure this alliance by injuring
my daughter." Still, she said nothing. "You will have a personal guardian,"
she heard her father say, "who will always be with you. He will sleep by
your door. He will watch and keep you safe always. You are dear to me,
and to the West Saxon kingdom. We must not lose you Aetheflaed."
In that one moment, Aethelflaed's life changed. She must marry a stranger,
she loses all of her privacy, her brother becomes a stranger and
unknown enemies are trying to assassinate her. What is there to do, other
than learn to be a queen on her own terms by becoming like the edge on
the sword.
Prepared by: Amanda S. LeBlanc
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Fair Weather: A Novel
Richard Peck
Dial Books 2001
139 pages
SUMMARY:
The year is 1893. Rosie Beckett, her brother,
and sisters get a glimpse into the future when their Aunt Euterpe, a recent
wealthy widow, invites her poor relatives to visit Chicago to attend the
great 1893 Columbian Exposition, the first world’s fair. Despite
the fact that Aunt Euterpe tells Grandpa not to come since he doesn’t need
the educational experience at his age and doesn't possess any manners,
he surprises everyone by showing up at the train station and turning the
meeting with Euterpe, the visit to Chicago, and the Columbian Exposition
into a hilarious cultural affair.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
A Year Down Under by Richard Peck
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck
The Ghosts Belong to Me by Richard Peck
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Buffalo Bill
The1893 Columbian Exposition
WEBSITES:
Richard
Peck Home Page
Carol
Hurst’s Biography of Richard Peck
Yahoo’s
Richard Peck Tribute Site
Columbian
Exposition
BOOKTALK:
Fair Weather takes the reader back to
the days when Buffalo Bill, Susan B. Anthony, and Lillian Russell were
the big celebrities of the day. When electricity, the hamburger,
and the Ferris Wheel were first introduced to the world. Euterpe,
the wealthy aunt, invites her rural relatives to Chicago to experience
the cultural events of the 1893 world's fair. Chicago, the city that
begins to help redefine America as a land of urban sprawl instead of a
land of farmers, plays host to a rambunctious backwards Grandpa, his grandchildren,
and a wealthy aunt. Richard Peck cleverly weaves the reader into this era
with loveable characters who epitomize the clash of cultures in the United
States—a dying agricultural society versus an emerging urban society.
The World’s Columbian Exposition is where the two cultures collide with
celebrities of the past and present and the foods and attractions of the
future. This is a novel that will make you want to read more as the
story and characters are unveiled.
Prepared by: Terry Atkin
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Flipped
Wendelin Van Draanen
Alfred A. Knopf, 2001
212 pages
SUMMARY: In alternating chapters, two
teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and
their families have changed over the years.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Princess in Love by Meg Cabot
All American Girl by Meg Cabot
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
by Ann Brashares
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Science:
Research the life span of a sycamore tree, its
leaf structure, and other characteristics.
Research the differences between a hen/rooster/chicken/fowl/pullet/capon/poultry.
Learn about a hygrometer, which Judi used to
check the humidity inside of the incubator.
Recreate Judi’s science project of an embryo’s
development.
Guidance:
Discuss that there are two sides to every story,
appearance vs. reality. The importance of looking beneath the surface should
be stressed.
Math:
Find out the price of a dozen eggs. Figure the
percentage of increase for a dozen eggs in the last fifty years.
Drama:
Write and produce a short skit based on “The
Basket Boys” scene.
Language Arts:
Discuss the theme of chickens and how it was
carried out in the book. Other themes that lend themselves to discussion
and journal writing are friendship, honesty, coming of age, and family
life.
Ask students to pretend they are Bryce and write
a letter to Judi, or pretend they are Judi, and write a letter to Bryce.
WEBSITES:
A
Conversation With Wendelin Van Draanen
Flipped
Book Review
Wendelin
Van Draanen
BOOKTALK:
You will absolutely “flip” over the book Flipped.
Bryce moves in across the street from Judi when they are both in second
grade, and Bryce decides right then and there that Judi is someone he needs
to avoid. She does her best to follow him around and he does his best to
avoid her. Eventually, the unlikely pair is in eighth grade. Will Bryce
continue to avoid Judi on a daily basis? Told through Judi and Bryce’s
alternating viewpoints, you will “flip” as you learn about the hilarious
and poignant situations in which they find themselves. Read
Flipped,
by Wendelin Van Draanen for a sure he loves me, he loves me not experience,
and a whole lot more!
Prepared by: Betty Neal
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Ghost Soldier
Elaine Marie Alphin
Henry Holt and Company, 2001
216 pages
SUMMARY:
Alexander, a 13 year-old boy who sees ghostly
scenes of the past, travels to North Carolina with his father who is considering
marrying again. Alexander attempts to get along with this woman's
children while he becomes embroiled in an adventure with a Civil War ghost
who needs to find out what happened to his family.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Ghost Cadet by Elaine Marie Alphin
Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
Who Comes with Cannons? by Patricia Beatty
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Language Arts:
Dramatize or read-aloud (with students reading
the various characters) the battle scenario at the seige of Petersburg.
Social Studies:
Create a timeline of the major events of the
Civil War. This can be done on paper or as a powerpoint presentation.
Math:
How far did Richeson Chamblee have to travel
from his hometown to Petersburg? How did he travel?
Science:
During the war, people in the south made their
own ink as described on page 152. Experiment with making your own
ink and test to confirm which ink is the most water-resistant.
Plant a rosebush.
WEBSITES:
The
American Civil War Home Page
Offers links to hundreds of resources, including
general resources such as timelines and overviews, images, letters, accounts
and diaries, bibliographies, state studies, specific battles, and rosters,
among others. It is a comprehensive page, and a good place to start for
Civil War information.
Library
of Congress American Memory Project -- Civil War Maps
Selection of about 2,240 Civil War maps and charts
and 76 atlases and sketchbooks.
BOOKTALK:
My name is Alexander. I'm thirteen years
old. I live in Indiana with my dad who is a computer geek.
My mom left us three years ago. I'm waiting, like Penelope did for
Odysseus in Ancient Greece, for my mom to come back. I play the recorder
and work in the garden because these were things she liked to do.
I've got a couple of problems that I'm dealing with. Problem number
one is that my dad likes this lady, Paige Hambrick, who is a professor
at Duke University. That's in North Carolina. I think he likes
her a lot. She's got a couple of kids, a teenager named Nicole and
a little boy named Carleton. Dad and I are spending spring break
with them while he looks for a job there. I want to stay in Indiana
so my mom can find us. Problem number two is my friend, Richeson
Chamblee. He wants me to help him find out where his family is.
The problem with Rich is--he's a ghost. I can't even find my mom
and she's alive. How can I find Rich's sister who left their home
almost two hundred years ago? How can I leave my home? How
can I get along with these two kids without them thinking I'm crazy for
talking to ghosts? Read Ghost Soldier and try to help me solve
my problems.
Prepared by: Sheri Carpenter
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Girl in Blue
Ann Rinaldi
Scholastic Press, 2001
308 pages
SUMMARY:
To escape an abusive father and an arranged marriage,
fourteen-year-old Sara, dressed as a boy, leaves her Michigan home to enlist
in the Union Army. She becomes a soldier on the battlefields of Virginia
as well as a Union spy working in the house of Confederate sympatherizer
Rose O'Neal Greenhow in Washington, D.C.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Amelia's War by Ann Rinaldi
Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of
Emma Edmonds by Seymour Reit
The Boy's War: Confederate and Union Soldiers
Talk by Jim Murphy
Gentle Annie: The True Story of a Civil War
Nurse by Mary Francis Shura
Here and Then by George Ella Lyon
Jayhawker by Patricia Beatty
No Bugles Tonight by Bruce Lancaster
Rebel Hart by Edith Morris Hemingway
Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen
With Every Drop of Blood by James Lincoln
Collier
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Home Arts:
Study the art of tapestry creation. Design
and sew a simple tapestry. Find information at Tapestry
History
Study the creation of samplers. Design
and sew a sampler. Find information at Needlework
Samplers
Science:
Delve into the art of medicine as it would have
been during the Civil War. Find information at Civil
War Medicine
Social Studies:
Study the Battle of Bull Run. Discuss the
role both North and South played in the battle. Discuss the impact
of such people as spy, Rose O'Neal Greenhow, on such battles.
Guidance:
Discuss the impact that lying or being deceitful
can have on relationships. Discuss when, if ever, it may be necessary to
hide your true motives.
Discuss Sarah's conflicted feelings for Sheldon
that were created because neither of them could reveal the truth.
Role play a final conversation between Sarah and Sheldon, where they reveal
the truth about themselves and their role in the war.
Language Arts:
Throughout the novel, Sarah wishes she could
write a letter home to her family about her new life. Write a letter
telling Sarah's mother about her life from Sarah's point of view.
Devise a secret code like the one Rose Greenhow
used. Write messages to classmates and have them try to decode them.
WEBSITES:
Civil
War Treasures from the New York Historical Society
America's
Story from America's Library-Civil War
Rose
O'Neal Greenhow Papers
Allan
Pinkerton and His Detective Agency
Women's
History: Sarah Emma Edmonds
The American
Civil War
BOOKTALK:
Fourteen-year-old Sarah Wheelock has a plan.
A very dangerous plan. Sarah has grown tired of the abuse she receives
at the hand of her father. She cannot tolerate the desperate, hopeless
look she sees in her mother's eyes another moment. And now, she has
discovered her father's plan to marry her off to a man more than twice
her age just to increase the size of his farm! Sarah's plan began
to develop the first time she read a book about the pirate captain Fanny
Campbell. Fanny cut off her curls, put on a short blue jacket, and
went aboard ship as a man. Nevermore was Fanny beholden to anyone.
Now it's Sarah's turn. Sarah has her mom's scissors at the ready,
her beloved Winchester rifle at her side, and a plan that will get her
away from Casey 's Mill, Michigan once and for all. Now all she needs
is the courage to see it through.
**Special note: Ann Rinaldi based her character
Sarah Louisa Wheelock on the Civil War spy Emma Edmonds, so you may
wish to pair this historical novel with its equally exciting and readable
nonfiction counterpart Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story
of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy by Seymour Reit.
Prepared by: Samantha McManus
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The Graduation
of Jake Moon
Barbara Park
Atheneum Books for Young People, 2000
115 pages
SUMMARY:
Jake Moon and his mother have always lived with
his grandfather, Skelly. Because Jake's mother worked, Skelly was
an important part of Jake's life and friendships. Skelly had "a way
of believing in you, that made you want to believe in yourself."
When Skelly is diagnosed with Alzheimer's and his behavior becomes more
and more erratic, Jake is so embarrassed by it that he begins to distance
himself from his classmates rather than have them learn about Skelly.
In this book of laughter and tears, Jake realizes how much he loves his
grandfather, especially after Skelly disappears for a while; and he comes
to terms with the disease and the effect that it has on him and on the
entire family
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Doc by Richard Graber
After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer
A Figure of Speech by Norma Fox Mazer
Petey by Ben Mikaelsen
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly
Willis Holt
The Summer of Swans by Betsy Byars
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Science:
Research Alzheimer's disease.
WEBSITES:
Alzheimer's Association
Biography
of Barbara Park
Barbara
Park Teacher Resource File
Activites
for Graduation of Jake Moon
BOOKTALK:
Jake Moon's grandfather has Alzheimer's and Jake
is hopelessly embarrassed by Skelly's increasingly forgetful and bizarre
behavior, to the point that Jake has alienated himself from his schoolmates
rather than have them learn about Skelly. Once Skelly was Jake's hero,
from cooking sweets as a "Room Mother" to making the shyest of Jake's friends
feel wonderful because Skelly "had a way of believing in you that made
you want to believe in yourself." Now, in Jake's eighth-grade year,
Skelly is just an embarrassing, crazy old man. Narrated by Jake in
a fresh, humorous tone, the book is peopled with vivid characters:
Jake's seemingly obnoxious cousin James and James's mother who received
so much money in her divorce settlement "that you can't count the zeros."
The latest caretaker, Mrs. Russell, is oddest of all the way she can"say
something so freaky it scares you" and her very odd hats. When Jake,
Skelly and his mom pick up Mrs. Russell to attend eighth-grade graduation,
"she was wearing a small mixing bowl." Jake looked at his mother
and groaned, "Please, just get a gun and shoot me." During
the graduation ceremony, Skelly wanders onto the auditorium stage and in
his confusion begins to cry. Jake runs to comfort his grandfather
and guide him back. With laughter and tears, this believable novel with
its well-rounded characters portrays the terrible effects of Alzheimer's
disease on the patient and on everyone in the family. Jake comes
to terms with the disease and realizes how each person within his family
is changed by it "not in huge, drastic ways,but in personal little ways
that didn't make much noise."
Prepared by: Patricia W. Hartley
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A Hole
in the World
Sid Hite
Scholastic, 2001
204 pages
SUMMARY:
During his summer vacation, fifteen year old
Paul Shakelford who lives in the city, is being sent to work on a relative's
farm in the middle of nowhere. He decides to try his best and work hard.
Paul unravels a mystery with the help of a dog named Einstein and a girl
named Rebecca.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
Mick Harte was Here by Barbara Park
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Have students write a paper/journal entry expressing
their feelings about some person or pet who was close to them who died.
WEBSITES:
Book
Review
BOOKTALK:
Fifteen year-old Paul Shakelford has made a slight
error in judgement. Because of his mistake his father, a lawyer, decides
to send Paul to work on a farm. This farm is owned by relatives whom he
met when he was two years old. Paul must work on this farm during
his summer vacation to get a different perspective on life. When
Paul arrives at the farm Einstein, the dog, tries to attack him. He notices
a green pick-up truck in the yard. His aunt looks at him strangely
but is friendly. Paul makes friends with the other farm hands and
works hard. Some of the farm hands talk about ghosts. Paul
doesn't see any ghosts, but he realizes there is a mystery to be solved.
As he unravels the truth, he meets a beautiful girl named Rebecca. For
a book about love, death, and growing up read A Hole in the World
by Sid Hite.
Prepared by: Roberta Rivers
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The Land
Mildred Taylor
Phyllis Fogelman Books, c2001
375 pages
SUMMARY:
In this prequel to the Newbery Medal winning Roll of Thunder Hear
My Cry, Paul-Edward is the son of a white plantation owner. His story
is filled with exciting sometimes heart-breaking adventures. Paul-Edward's
dream of land-ownership, almost impossible for a black person to accomplish
in the Post-Civil War South, becomes a reality.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Send One Angel Down by Virginia Schwartz
Because We Are by Mildred Walter
The Friendship by Mildred Taylor
The Gold Cadillac by Mildred Taylor
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred Taylor
Mississippi Bridge by Mildred Taylor
The Road to Memphis by Mildred Taylor
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Song of the Trees by Mildred Taylor
The Well by Mildred Taylor
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Social Studies:
Research the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.
How did they affect the lives of people like Paul-Edward Logan and his
half brothers?
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1875 establish in the United States?
How was the act affected by the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy vs. Ferguson?
Discuss Segregation - the causes, the definition, synonyms, types and
results.
Guidance:
Discuss the differences and the similiarities of gender and racial
bias.
WEBSITES:
Teacher's
Guide to The Land
Mildred Taylor
Teacher Resource File
List
of Mildred Taylor Web Sites
BOOKTALK:
The story of Paul-Edward Logan is the prequel to the Logan saga.
The story begins when Paul-Edward is nine years old in Georgia. Born
of a part-Indian, part African slave mother and a white plantation owner,
he is raised by both parents. His father treats him as an equal to
his white sons, and Paul-Edward grows accustomed to the treatment.
He eats at his white father's table except when there are guests.
He learns to read and his best friend is his white brother, Robert, who
is the same age. Paul-Edward offers to teach Mitchell to read
and write in exchange for Mitchell teaching him to fight. This begins
a friendship that will last throughout their lives. The novel concludes
with "Legacy," a brief epilogue where Paul-Edward brings readers up to
date on events that happened in the years after he bought his land and
his reconciliation with his father back in Georgia.
Prepared by: Anita W. Robinson
Lizzie at Last
Claudia Mills
Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2000
152 pages
SUMMARY:
In the sequel to Losers, Inc. and You're
a Brave Man Julius Zimmerman, Claudia Mills spotlights Elizabeth Bennet
Archer. Lizzie discovers that common sensibilities and interests form the
basis of lasting friendship and that we must always be true to ourselves.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Losers, Inc. and You're a Brave Man
Julius Zimmerman by Claudia Mills
Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Dork in Disguise by Carol Gorman
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Language Arts:
Have students write poetry expressing their feelings.
Research the life of the poet Emily Dickinson
and the type of poetry she wrote.
Research William Shakespeare and his plays.
Study the Victorian period and its influence
on writers of the time.
Research sports of the Victorian period and compare
them with current sports.
Gudiance:
Discuss peer pressure and being yourself.
WEBSITES:
Claudia
Mills Website
Victorian
Poets
The
Emily Dickinson International Society
Rules
of Football
Shakespeare
Site
Peer
Pressure
Victorian
America
BOOKTALK:
Elizabeth Archer's parents are college professors:
Geeks. Can you imagine the clothes they wear? Lizzie wears clothes
that are different, too. She wears long flowing white, lacey things and
her clothes never look like anyone else's. When Lizzie's aunt realizes
that she has not been shopping for school clothes, and school starts tomorrow,
she comes to the rescue and takes her shopping at a stylish store to help
Lizzie change her image. Do you think new clothes helped? Read Lizzie
at Last by Claudia Mills to find out!
Prepared by: Kathleen McTeer
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Odysseus in
the Serpent Maze
Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris
HarperCollins, 2001
248 pages
SUMMARY:
Thirteen-year-old Odysseus, who longs to be a
hero, has many opportunities to prove himself during an adventure which
involves pirates and satyrs, a trip to Crete's Labyrinth, and the two young
girls, Penelope and Helen, who play a major role in his future life.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
The Legend of Odysseus by Peter Connolly.
Hippoolyta and the Curse of the Amazons
by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris
Bulfinchs's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
Greek Myths :Ulysses and the Trojan War
retold by Anna Claybourne and Kamini Khanduri
Heroes by Don Nardo.
The Iliad and the Odyssey retold
and illustrated by Marcia Williams 1996
The Adventures of Ulysees by Bernard Evslin
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Language Arts:
Have students complete the webquest http://allabery.com/courses/webquest/mccolley/
Social Studies/Character Education:
Have students complete the webquest http://www.iwebquest.com/greece/greece.htm
Art:
Daedalus was a great inventor and designer of
the elaborate maze called the Labyrinth. Have students design a maze
to "a-maze" others.
Science:
Compile a list of Daedalus's inventions listed
in the book and compare them to modern inventions.
The Ancient Greeks were renown for great scientists.
Research one of them and prepare a display showing something for
which the scientist was famous.
Math:
In order to be a great inventor, Daedalus had
to be an excellent mathematician. Make a list of Greek mathematicians
and prepare a chart showing their areas of expertise.
WEBSITES:
Complete
text of the Iliad (generates popups)
Great
site of Greek myth resources for educators
Classical
Myth Homepage
BOOKTALK:
"Snakes, it had to be snakes." Just like
the fabled Indiana Jones, snakes are just one of the horrors Odysseus and
his best friend, Mentor, must face on their journey home. Odysseus,
noble prince of Ithaca is bored! The great wars are over. All
the great monsters, like the Minotaur have been slain. What’s a guy
to do? Odysseus and his best friend Mentor are longing for heroic
adventures of their own. Be careful what you wish for, however.
On what should have been a peaceful, boring trip home by sea, Odysseus
and Mentor are kidnapped by pirates, who have already captured a pair of
cousins, Penelope and the beautiful Helen. The four share several
thrilling adventures together including fighting a monster in the Labyrinth
even more deadly than the Minotaur. The boy who is destined to fight
in the Trojan war and survive the perilous voyage home is discovering the
hardest part of being a hero: living to tell about it.
Prepared by: Heidi Lewis
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The Other Side
of Truth
Beverley Naidoo
HarperCollins Publisher, 2000
248 pages
SUMMARY:
As Sade is packing her book bag for school, she
hears gunfire. Her mother has been murdered in the family’s driveway.
Fearing for the lives of his children, Sade’s father, a noted Nigerian
journalist, quickly arranges for them to be smuggled into England.
After the children arrive in London, the children are abandoned and left
to survive on their own.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Three Days by Donna Jo Napdi
Torn Thread by Anne Isaacs
Dream Freedom by Sonia Levitin
To Grandmother's House We Go by Willo
Davis Roberts
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Language Arts:
Imagine you were abandoned in a foreign country.
Write a narrative explaining what you would do to survive in this situation.
Brainstorm, using a web, about what it would
be like to live in a country where one could not express one’s opinions.
Develop the web into a descriptive paragraph or paper.
Social Studies:
Use an atlas to find Nigeria.
Look up Nigeria in an almanac to learn more about
the country. Use either a bound almanac or go to DISCUS and use the on-line
version.
Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast Nigeria
to the United States.
Math:
Calculate the miles from Nigeria to London, the
flying time, and the time change.
Estimate how much money one would need for food
and shelter for a day, a week, and a month
WEBSITES:
Beverley
Naidoo's Website
Nigeria
Daily
CIA
Factbook Site on Nigeria
BOOKTALK:
My morning began just like any ordinary day.
I was packing my books for school, and then I heard a sound that would
shatter my life. Someone had shot my mother! Someone was getting
back at my father for writing stories about the corrupt Nigerian government.
Before I could think straight, my father put my brother and me on a plane
with a strange woman. We were pretending to be her children.
Once we were in London, the woman disappeared and just left us to survive
on our own.
Prepared by: Barbara Satkowski
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The Ransom of
Mercy Carter
Caroline B. Cooney
Delacorte Press, 2001
249 pages
SUMMARY:
In 1704, in the English settlement of Deerfield,
Massachusetts, eleven-year-old Mercy and her family and neighbors are captured
by Mohawk Indians and their French allies, and forced to march through
bitter cold to French Canada, where some adapt to new lives and some still
hope to be ransomed.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison
by Lois Lenski
Echohawk by Lynda Durrant
I Am Regina by Sally M. Keehn
Dear America: Standing in the Light: The Captive
Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 by
Kathryn Lasky
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Social Studies:
Have students map out the two month journey from
Deerfield, Massachusetts to Montreal. Have students keep a mock journal
of their travels, noting places of special interest, such as: rivers,
lakes, etc.
Have students research the French and Indian
War. What were the ramifications of this war. Why were the
French and Native Americans allies?
Have students compare and contrast the lifestyles
of the English Settlers and the Mohawk Indians.
WEBSITES:
Caroline
Cooney Teacher Resource Page
Teacher's
Guide to The Ransom of Mercy Carter
Official
Site for Deerfield, Massachusetts
BOOKTALK:
Dear Lord, do not let us be murdered in our beds.
This is the prayer of Mercy Carter on the night of February 28, 1704.
The night her family's home was raided by Mohawk Indians. That fateful
evening, the Indians led Mercy and other survivors on a two month trek
from Deerfield, Massachusetts to Kahnawake, Montreal. There Mercy
sees the many differences between the English settlers and Native Americans.
As she waits to be ransomed home, she begins to wonder: Will I accept
ransom? To find out more about Mercy Carter, read this accurate depiction
of the raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts.
Prepared by: Julie Moody
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Silent to the
Bone
E. L. Konigsburg
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000
261 pages
SUMMARY:
When he is wrongly accused of gravely injuring
his baby half sister, thirteen-year-old Branwell loses his power of speech
and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth about
what really happened.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Father's Arcane Daughter by E.L. Konigsburg
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher
Green Boy by Susan Cooper
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Social Studies:
Research and compare holidays in foreign countries
compared to that of the United States.
Research the process of "green cards" and "exchange
visitors", as to how, where, why, and when. Do a comparative study
on the different countries requirements for each of the above.
Research communication skills and processes used
in the ancient civilizations up to the present day.
Language Arts:
Study different communication skills and use
them in a class display or performance which will show the effects of each
on the user, the listener and the learner. Play scrabble, charades,
use flash cards, sign language, written word, signals.
Math:
Develop grids and make rating charts to use with
the different communication skills used in the Language Arts classes.
Research the time difference with each country and how that would effect
communication in today's world.
Science:
Research vocal cords, speech and mutism under
behavorial science.
Study the time zones on each continent.
Study the signal communications with electronics
and how that has evolved through time.
Guidance/Health:
Research the requirements,obligations, qualifications,
etc. to be a babysitter.
Discover what a juvenile center is and why youth
would be placed there.
Discuss selective mutism and dysfunctional familes.
WEBSITES:
Selective
Mutism Foundation
E.
L. Konigsburg - Teacher Resource File
E.
L. Konigsburg
How
to Play Charades
BOOKTALK:
It isNovember 25th at 2:43 p.m. when my best
friend, Branwell Zamborska is struck dumb. He cannot speak, he cannot
explain what is wrong or utter a sound. As his best friend, I, Connor,
have been sent to visit Branwell at the Behavioral Center - to see if I
can break the silence. During one of our visits I discover a way
to communicate with Branwell - through flash cards !! It is my sister
Margaret who helps me investigate the events which lead up to the silence
of Branwell. Slowly we discover the truth and what the problem really
is and what it took to get Branwell to silence. We pinpoint the minute
it began with the tape of the 911 call…..
Operator: Epiphany 911. Hobson speaking.
SILENCE.
Operator: Epiphany 911. Hobson. May I help
you?
SILENCE [voices are heard in the background.]
Operator: Anyone there?
A woman's voice [screaming in the background]:
Tell them. Tell them.
This is more than a detective story - it explores
basic human needs and emotions with suspense, excitement, and deep understanding.
Prepared by: Kelly M. Brown
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Torn Thread
Anne Isaacs
Scholastic, 2000
197 pages
SUMMARY:
Eva is living with her father and sister in a
Jewish ghetto in Poland during WWII, until Eva's sister is taken to a Nazi
labor camp in Czechoslovakia. Eva's father struggles to reunite the girls,
and Eva joins her sister in the camp only to endure Nazi cruelty for two
years.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Under a War-Torn Sky by Laura Elliott
After the Holocaust by Howard Greenfeld
The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss
The Island on Bird Street by Uri Orlev
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Language Arts:
Use as a complementary novel when teaching The
Diary of Anne Frank
Social Studies:
Research World War II.
Research the Holocaust.
Research Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust.
Science:
Research living conditions and diseases in the
the ghettos and workcamps
WEBSITES:
Children
of the Holocaust
A Teacher's
Guide to the Holocaust: The Children
Remember.org
- Holocaust Links
The
Making of Torn Thread: An Interview with the Author
Anne Isaacs
Web Site
BOOKTALK:
In 1943, Eva, her sister and their father are
living in a Polish ghetto until Eva's sister, Rachel, is seized by the
Nazis and taken to far off Czechoslovakia. In an effort to save both of
his daughters, Papa sends Eva to join her sister in a Nazi labor camp,
where the girls spin thread on treacherous machinery to make blankets for
the German army. As Eva struggles among ever-worsening dangers to save
her life and that of her sick sister, her world tears apart like the weak
threads on her spinning machine. In this exciting account based on a true
story, two teenagers fight to survive in a world where living doesn't seem
possible.
Prepared by: Mollie Carter and Amanda S.
LeBlanc
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Under a War-Torn Sky
L.M. Elliott
Hyperion Books for Children, 2001
284 pages
SUMMARY:
After his plane is shot down behind enemy lines
by Hitler's Luftwaffe , nineteen-year-old Henry Forester of Richmond, VA,
walks across occupied France, with the help of the French Resistance, in
hopes of rejoining his unit.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura E. Williams
Torn Thread by Anne Isaac
Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Social Studies :
Research the French Resistance, the Holocaust,
and the Nazis.
Plot Hank's escape route on a map of France.
Language Arts :
Write a letter to Hank's mother telling about
his capture.
WEBSITES:
French
Resistance
American
Aces of World War II
Book
Review
BOOKTALK:
Henry Forester is shot down during his fifteenth
mission into enemy territory. Facing the prospect of spending the
rest of his life in a POW camp, he is approached by someone offering to
help him escape and return to duty. Aided by the French Resistance,
Henry has an eight month adventure across occupied France. He is
helped by peasants, priests, and a wealthy aristocrat. When
Henry is captured by Germans, can he escape just one more time before he
is taken out to be shot? Read Under A War-Torn Sky to find
out.
Prepared by: Kay Herbster
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The Wayfinder
Darcy Pattison
Greenwillow Books, 2000
200 pages
SUMMARY:
Win, an eleven year old boy with the gift of
"Finding," must overcome his doubts about his abilities in order to go
into the Great Rift and find a cure for the plague striking his land.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
Hidden Talents by David Lubar
Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander
Dragon Song by Anne McCaffery
The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende
Of Two Minds by Carol Matas
The Gathering by Virginia Hamilton
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Folkkeeper by Franny Billingsley
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Science:
Research plagues, fog and unusual weather phenomenon.
Math:
Compile statistics on plagues and droughts throughout
history.
Language Arts:
Design a class newspaper from Win's village.
Explore fantasy as a genre.
Compare and contrast Win's fears with other characters
in stories.
Home Arts:
Plan menus for Win's travels through the Rift.
Health/PE:
Study first aid procedures.
Explore the pleasures of camping and hiking.
WEBSITES:
Dan's
Wild, Wild Weather Page
PSC
Meteorology Program Cloud Boutique
The
Black Death
The
Black Plague
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
Camping
USA
BOOKTALK:
Win is a Finder, someone who could find anything,
anywhere. He can lead people safely home and even find people who are lost.
He's always believed in his finding skills, until he's call to "Find" his
sister Zanna. "Win's finder sense told him two things: Zanna was very near,
and so was the Rift's edge. Win inched forward, unsure of his footing.
The lantern light caught her face. Zanna was two steps in front of him,
and the mists swirled around her feet. They were on the very brink of the
Rift itself, and his sister stood on a small rock that curved and jutted
out over the Rift. Between them was empty space."Zanna, don't move!" "Win,
I knew you'd come." She reached out to catch his hand and took a single
step through the billowing clouds. Without a sound, she plunged out of
sight." No one can get a finding on Zanna, and her family is forced to
accept the fact that she is dead. Win decides to put aside his gift completely,
at least until the Prince comes to town, convinced that only Win
can guide him into the Rift to find the cure for the plague that has struck
the land. Win decides to look for sister, knowing that no one has ever
returned from the Rift alive, but hoping that he can at least find out
what happened to his sister.
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Witch Child
Celia Rees
Candlewick Press, May 2002
304 pages
SUMMARY:
Mary Nuttall reveals in her diary what it is
like to live in a climate of mistrust and piety because she is a healer.
She describes in detail her beloved grandmother's trial and hanging as
a witch, her own rescue by a mysterious noblewoman that later turns out
to be someone from her past, and her eventual passage to the New World
and the forest settlement of Beulah. Mary falls under a curtain of suspicion
when she willingly chooses to explore the dark woods shunned by the fearful
colonists and makes friends with some of the spiritual native Indians.
When several girls in the community begin to shriek and swoon, and the
same minister who damned Mary's grandmother comes to search for signs of
witchcraft, Mary is subjected to the same close and deadly scrutiny her
Grandmother endured.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth
Speare
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
Social Studies:
Use as a read aloud when studying the Thirteen
Colonies or the Salem Witch Trials.
Language Arts:
Use as a book to illustrate journal/diary writing.
Science:
Research healers and natural remedies used during
the United States Colonial period.
WEBSITES:
The
Salem Witch Trials
Salem
Witch Museum
Salem
Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project University of
Virginia
Salem
Witch Trials: The World Behind the Hysteria by Discovery School.com
BOOKTALK:
Prepared by: Linda Hall
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