Picture booksKatie Smith Milway/Eugenie Fernandes, One Hen:How One Small Loan Made A Big Difference,2008, fifth-sixth grade,realistic fiction
With its beautiful, vivid colorful illustrations this book invites the reader to consider the importance that one small person can make by just taking one action. This can be another resource for exposing children to global communities and the concept of a global economy. Useful with students in younger grades as a read aloud to teach elements of narrative and content but the lexile level makes it best for higher grades when using it as a learning tool. The students can summarize the cause and effect elements or create an alternate ending through writing a version that would apply in America. Here they might sell something or barter for something that has worth in their city. An interesting source to compare cultural norms. Nerdy Book Club gives a well written review. Rosemary Wells/ Yoko, 1998, K-2, storybook , fantasy Uses animals as characters in a story about bullying someone because they come from a different culture. Lesson is to give everyone a chance as they be someone you like. The animals will capture the younger readers and draw them in while listening. For older readers, the characters provide a great means of comparing and contrasting while introducing authentic food ideas from Asian culture. The teacher may pair recipes with this storybook to practice reading math and learning common foods vocabulary. Maybe have students write opinion pieces about the foods in question or write a letter to the character about how they feel or how they reacted to Yoko. The text is supported by the illustrations directly therefore the book offers support for younger readers but the technical vocabulary specific to the food may create difficulty. Still an independent first grader may be able to tackle the text alone. Dialogue is authentic for young children. A-Yuvi Morales/Photographs- Tim O'Meara,Viva Frida, 2014,k-2,biography As you take a picture walk, the illustrations should remind you of the Christmas specials from days of old and capture your senses. It is as if Frida will pop out of the book along with her friends. Bilingual text to familiarize readers with Frida Kahlo's native language. Use this to create interest in learning who she was or just a study of text format/type and inferring meaning. As a reading, the youngest can tackle this book alone. Truly it is more of an eye opener and to create curiousity as to who Frida was. |
Chapter Books for primary grades While this is a focus on Global/Multicultural resources, sometimes reading an American title is very enriching especially if it is a typical characterization of that culture.
Sara Pennybacker,Clementine, 2006, second grade - fifth grade, realistic fiction Our fourth grade team had originally read this in the Battle of the Books one year, and I fell in love with her. I found her to be endearing and just a typical kid. So much like my students. I had a long debate with my neighbor teacher about how intellegent she was and resourceful while he found her disrespectful. Since that moment, I have used this book in class and was pleasantly surprised to see it in Literature and the Child in the Contemporary Realistic Fiction section. I have used it as a read aloud, independent read etc. Useful in introducing a lot of vocabulary of common items. Great dialogue and the plot develops in an organized fashion. Helpful for the students who are always getting int trouble and are outspoken. Use as a read aloud until about fourth grade as it is dense, without many illustrations as it is a chapter book, and the dialogue may be difficult at times for the modern student. Great to compare with another like the one below. Could bring up many great discussions about children's common personality traits thoughout the world or ask students what they would do if they were her. Maybe discuss how the students' parents would act compared to the character's parents. Antinuke,Annie Hibiscus,2010, first-fourth grades, realistic fiction Another endearing book about a young girl and her daily adventures in her home country in Africa. A great source to practice comparing and contrasting the student's experiences with Annie's or with another character as it is an easy beginner chapter book. Text dominates the pages but the language is common with little technical vocabulary and illustrations. She can be compared to other characters like Clementine. The teacher can read aloud Clementine while the students read Annie Hibiscus in pairs or in Guided Reading groups as they are able. Helpful for practicing narrative elements like dialogue and order of events, can ber read aloud to the emerging reader or used in groups, independently etc. A wonderful resource to add to any library or to use as a unit study on the peoples of Africa, communities, and citizenship. A model text for writing narrative as students can write their own episode from their lives modeling after the format of this book. A- Patricia Mac Lachlan/I-Lloyd Bloom, Arthur, for the very first time,1980, fiction,second - fifth grade, realistic fiction A story about life on a farm with interesting character's. A quick moving story which tells of how animals and nature help a 10 year old young man to heal from his loneliness. Mom is having a new baby and the paprents drop him off at his aunt and uncle's farm for the summer. Very insightful about how animals and nature heal us. Great as a read aloud as it uses more traditional literary language and does not have many illustrations, a more advanced chapter book, to start conversation about how to cope with conflict and staying calm in the face of pressure. Also, characters can be studied as the main character changes as he develops maturity through his experiences. Read with Sarah Plain and Tall, one for he boys the other for the girls and do comparing and contrasting of each characters situation and era. |
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