Yum! MmMm! Que rico!: Americas' Sproutings/Haiku by Pat Mora

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Mora, Pat. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!. ill. Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc. ISBN 9781584302711

SUMMARY:

With each turning of the page, readers' mouths will water as they learn about various types of foods and their origins. Mora crafts this fabulous collection of haiku to celebrate native American foods. Viewers will enjoy the magnificent artwork from Lopez as they view the playful colors that add to the enjoyment and celebration of each of the fourteen different types of foods.


QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  4 years and up
Grade Level:  Pre-K and up
This book would be a wonderful tool to introduce children to various types of foods.  Readers will learn how chocolate is made, why tomatoes are considered a fruit, and how huge the largest pumpkin ever grown weights.  The illustrations throughout the book feature multicultural characters that are bright and appealing.  The haiku poems use creative sensory language that capture both feelings and imagery.  Each poem has a catchy rhythm that will appeal to readers of all ages.  Great mentor text that children can use to explore syllables as they create their own haiku.

Educators will find this book a useful tool for their classroom as they introduce topics such as haiku, various types of food, celebration of colors, and art.  Great discussions on many levels will be inspired by the pages of this wonderfully playful book.  Readers will be ready for a yummy healthy snack after each reading.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

PAPAYA

Chewing your perfume,

we taste your leafy jungle.

Yum!  Juicy tropics.

Side note about Papaya:

Papaya, also known as tree melons,

are believed to have originated in

southern Mexico and Central America.

When ripe, the fruit is juicy and sweet.

Shaped somewhat like a pear,

a papaya can weigh as much as twenty pounds.

CONNECTION:

To extend the learning before, during, or after reading INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai, teachers can share the poem PAPAYA, the side notes, and the beautiful illustrations on the two pages it is presented on.  This would be a wonderful addition to Lai's historical fiction novel that is written in verse. Students will enjoy seeing a visual of a papaya fruit.  

• To expand on both books, students could have the opportunity to taste papaya.  
• They could then discuss the fruit's characteristics using their five senses.  
• Then, using Mora's poem PAPAYA as a mentor text, students can create their own haiku about papaya.
• Create their own illustration, inspired by Lopez's work to display along with their self-created poem.
• Student participate in a gallery tour to view and discuss their peer's haiku creation and their illustration.

LINK:

• http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=2192&a=1

Poetry for Young People by Maya Angelou

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Angelou, Maya. 2007. POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. ill. Jerome Lagarrigue. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 9781402720239

SUMMARY:

This inspiring compilation of Dr. Maya Angelou's work includes twenty-five of her thought provoking poems.  Each captures the reader's emotions from cheerful and spirited to superior poems that will invoke pride.

Series:  "Poetry For Young People"

QUALITY & APPEAL:
Age Range:  8 and up
Grade Level:  3rd and up
Great discussions are inspired by each of the twenty-five poems found in this beautifully illustrated picture book.  Students will be able to examine how imagery can be use to represent many poetry elements as well as themes, ideas and the voices from history.  Various types of connections can be made with each poem and share with others for deeper connections than the personal text-to-self connections that students find easier to make.

Educators and readers will find a table of contents, index, and poem titles (headings) for easy access to specific poems found within the book's pages.  The high quality of Dr. Maya Angelou's work may be unfamiliar to today's 21st century audience.  Use the valuable poetry breaks throughout the learning day to introduce a new group of learners to her inspiring and thought provoking words that will stimulate their thoughts and emotions.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from pages 34-35)

CAGED BIRD

by Maya Angelou

...But a caged bird stands on the graves of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

CONNECTION:

This poem would be a perfect addition to the Harriet Tubman:  What Was Her Greatest Achievement? Data-Based-Questioning Mini-Q.  During discussions about Harriet Tubman risking her life to be a conductor and assist other escaped slaves reach freedom, this poem could be read slowly to enrich the discussion with thought provoking imagery.  The poem can be revisited at the end of the Mini-Q for additional connections as students prepare to write their essay conveying their thoughts and opinions of what her greatest achievement was. 

Students work in groups to create their own poem expressing the thoughts and feelings they have about Harriet Tubman and her miraculous success in escaping slavery, but also her brave and selfless years she helped others reach freedom and start new lives outside of the "cage". Students will share their poems with the whole group and add them to their final essay.  

Amazing Faces by Lee Bennett Hopkins

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2010. AMAZING FACES. ill. Chris Soentpiet. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 9781600603341

SUMMARY:

Amazing Faces is an anthology.  The various poems were selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins to express the universal emotions people feel from very diverse backgrounds.  Poem authors include Lee Bennett Hopkins, Janet S. Wong, J. Patrick Lewis, to name a few.


QUALITY & APPEAL:

Wonderful book to enrich a diverse community classroom where all feel welcomed, safe, and acknowledged.  Students from various backgrounds will enjoy seeing and hearing words, phrases, and pictures that symbolize "home" to them.  Students will be drawn in by the beautiful artwork of Chris Soentpiet.  The familiar childhood experiences, no matter the cultural background, will bring students together as they share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings about the many interesting topics found within this inspiring book.  Great discussions from the poems that will extend and enrich each students' insight and knowledge about themselves, the fellow students in their classroom, and the world around them.  Stimulating students in such a meaningful way will expand their imagination and their overall learning.

Educators will enjoy this picture book's poems as they are consistent in their high quality.  Each poem and illustration consistently reinforces the purpose of the book.  

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from poetry picture book)

ABUELA

by Patrick Lewis

Her face, a lacework of courage;

Her brow, brown as settled earth;

Her chin, worn thin, a point of pride;

Her cheeks, soft antiques of the sun;

Her smile, a profile in mischief,

Latina, abuela, she is everyone

Of us come from otherwhere,

Happy to call another stratosphere 

Home.

NOTE:  abuela:  grandmother

CONNECTIONS:

After reading ESPERANZA RISING by Pam Munoz Ryan, share this powerful poem with students to introduce an author's study.  Students work in small groups researching the author Pam Munoz Ryan, focusing in on key information related to the novel ESPERANZA RISING.  Students will create an informational poster, citing their sources.  They will present their group's information to the class and display their posters.  After all presentations, students will revisit the ABUELA poem and begin brainstorming ideas to create their own poem about their grandmother.  Students will create their own poem, and go through the whole writing process to revise, edit, and publish their work.  Their final publication will have a picture (one drawn by the student or a photograph brought from home) attached and displayed for all to see with the original ABUELA mentor poem in the center of the display.

Question and Answers with author Pam Munoz Ryan:  https://www.scholastic.com/esperanza/popups/authorqa2.htm

AWARDS:

• Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist
• Starred Review by Publishers Weekly
• Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street College of Education
• Great Lakes Great Books Awards Nominee by Michigan Reading Association

LINKS:

• Activities:
• http://www.rif.org/documents/us/Amazing-Faces_All.pdf
• http://www.soentpiet.com/amazing.html

Revenge of the Lunch Ladies: The Hilarious Book of School Poetry by Kenn Nesbitt

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Nesbitt, Kenn. 2007. REVENGE OF THE LUNCH LADIES: THE HILARIOUS BOOK OF SCHOOL POETRY. ill. Mike and Carl Gordon. Minnesota: Meadowbrook Press. ISBN 0881665274

SUMMARY:

This compilation of 45 sassy poems guides readers through a school year, from beginning to end, in a humorous manner that will make school seem more fun. From the sadness that summer is over, to the smells in a classroom, students will relate to the poems and the feelings they portray.  

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  6-12 years

Grade Level:  1st - 6th Grade

Educators will find the layout of the poems beneficial as lessons are planned for during a full school year. The arrangement is suitable for school use from beginning to end, in a logical order  The book also has a table of contents, an index, and poem titles (headings) for easy access to specific poems.  Educators will also enjoy the tune suggestions for many poems to add sound to the poems as they are shared in the classroom. The poems will provide great breaks in the day for learning.  Great discussions will come from the poems as teachers guide students' learning about a poem's meaning, types of rhythm and rhyming found, various types of figurative language, sensory imagery, and the emotional impact they see and feel.  

Students will connect to the topics and be drawn in by the familiar childhood experiences and interesting topics the poems explore in connection to school.  The tunes will add to the enjoyment as students sing along to newly learned poems and their learning is stimulated.  The basic black and white art work found throughout the book will also be appealing to students, especially those that enjoy doodling.  

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from page 24)

What I told Mrs. Morris When She Asked How I Was Feeling Today

"Grumbly, grouchy, groggy, grumpy, sleepy, slouchy, 

fussy, frumpy, whiny, wearly, cranky, crazy, 

dingy, dreary, loopy, lazy, dizzy, drowsy, 

crusty, crummy, loony, lousy, scruffy, scummy, 

bleary, batty, shaky, shabby, rusty, ratty, cruddy, crabby.  

That describes it, Mrs. Morris.  

Thank you for the new thesaurus."

CONNECTIONS:

Educators can share this poem with students and discuss all the words the author uses. Students can discuss and brainstorm words that describe how they are feeling under different circumstances (today, birthday, Christmas morning, before a big performance like a play or game, etc.). Once students have identified their "event" and their basic list of adjectives describing how they feel, they can begin looking up their basic words in a thesaurus.  They can add to their list of adjectives describing how they feel.  Students will share their new list with peers, showing the new creative adjectives they found using the thesaurus.  Then, students will create their own poem, using the original poem as a mentor text, using their creative adjectives to show their feelings on their chosen event.  Students will eventually go through the full writing process where they will peer edit each other's writing, revise to clarify ideas, and publish their poem to be displayed with the mentor text in the center of the display with lesson objectives (TEKS) listed that students' are mastering.  For added visual appeal, students could personalize their newly published poem with basic pencil drawings to continue emulating the mentor text.  

LINKS:

• www.gigglepoetry.com  
• Kenn Nesbitt's poems appear on this popular children's poetry website.
• www.poetry4kids.com
• Kenn Nesbitt's funny poems can be found here as well.  
• www.poetryteachers.com
• Ideas for educators on teaching poetry in a fun and interesting way.

Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys (LS5623 ~ Mod. 7)

Bibliography:  

Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY. New York, NY: Philomel Books. ISBN 9780141335889                              

Plot Summary:  

Lina is a fifteen year old Lithuanian girl, safe in her home getting ready for bed.  That peace is shattered when Soviet officers burst in, and tear them from the only home she has ever known.  Before they are forced to leave, they are allowed only a few moments to grab their belongings.  Lina packs a family photo.  Her mother, a coat that holds many hidden secrets that are revealed as time passes.  The soldiers take them, along with her little brother, and load them onto dirty cattle trains headed across the Arctic Circle to work camps in Siberia.  Once in Siberia, they endure long days digging up beets and potatoes as ordered by Stalin, who requires hard work with little food to survive.   

Lina’s father was sent to another camp.  She risks her life to write and send drawings to him, hoping they reach him to let him know they are still alive.  Along the way, Lina sees and experiences unimaginable things, and looses more than she ever thought she would.  Will Lina survive and get out of the work camp?  If so, who will be standing by her side? 

Critical Analysis:  

Sepetys has brought the past to life in such a tangible way that readers will connect with the characters and their struggles from the very beginning.  The questioning from Lina and her brother will be similar to questions they will be asking themselves as they read.  The cruelty of the Soviet soldiers will be shockingly obvious as readers travel through the pages of time with Sepetys.  The hope that Lina feels for the future is inspiring after all the struggles and loses she has seen and experienced.  As this story is firmly connected to history, students will have memories they will never forget.   

Weakness: 

Some students will be turned off by the sad nature of this book, but should be encouraged to learn from our past so that history never repeats itself.   

Also, title is entirely too similar to a very inappropriate book for young adult readers.   

Reviews/Awards:  

·        New York Times:  “This superlative first novel by Ruta Sepetys demonstrates the strength of its unembellished language.  A hefty emotional punch.”

·        Entertainment Weekly:  “Brave Lina is a heroine young and old readers can believe in.”

·        Laurie Halse Anderson (bestselling author:  “Speak” and “Wintergirls”):  “A brilliant story of love and survival.”

·        Booklist:  “An important book that deserves the widest possible readership.”

·        Kirkus:  “Sepetys’ flowing prose gently carries readers through the crushing tragedy of this tale that needs telling.”

·        2012 William C. Morris Award

·        2012-2013 Texas Lonestar Reading List (Middle School)

·        2012-2013 Texas TAYSHAS Reading List (High School) 

Connections:  

Age Level:  13 and up
Reading Level:  6.0
Pages:  352
Genre:  Historical Fiction 

·        Introduce book with book trailer

o   http://youtu.be/xnrTd2fyfdg

·       Students work in groups to do an author study – Focus study on how Sepetys came to write this historical fiction book, and the process/steps she took to ensure she told as realistic of a story as she could.

·       Locate and study geographical cities and countries mentioned in story.

·        Study history elements seen in story.

o   WWII

o   Stalin’s exile of people to Siberia during war, and the sad fact that even after the war was over, prisoners were not released till 15 years later.  20 million people were killed, over 14 million starved to death.

o   Political climate in Lithuania in 1941

·       Discuss author’s purpose for writing.

·       Discuss the author’s use of flashbacks seen throughout book and how they help the reader connect to its characters.

·       Discuss how Lina used art to try and stay connected with her father.

·       Students write a persuasive essay arguing against the cruel treatment of Lina, her family, and others using textual evidence to support their argument.

INSURGENT by Veronica Roth (LS5623 ~ Mod. 5)

Bibliography:

Roth, Veronica. 2012. INSURGENT. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780062114457
                      
Plot Summary:

Tris learns that she is a Divergent during the Aptitude Tests.  Coping with her new found identity is hard.  Tris and Four grow closer as he helps protect her identity as a Divergent.  Guilt weighs heavy on her as she moves forward.  Lives are in danger, and she fights hard to save those that she loves.  With many action-packed victories comes tragedies and grief.  Tris is determined and brave as she makes her choices that could destroy everything she loves.  In the end, will it be her that is destroyed?    

Critical Analysis:

Female young adult readers will love the brave female lead character, Tris.  They will cheer her on as she fights hard to protect those that she loves, as well as her secret.  Male readers will enjoy the action-packed battles that are descriptive and very detailed.  The author’s chooses wording that provides the reader with great imagery as the story unfolds.  Roth creates an alternative world in Chicago that will provide readers with a great escape. 

Weakness:

It is best for readers to read “Divergent” (Book 1) before “Insurgent”.  If not, readers may feel lost at the beginning of the book as the story seems to pick right up where book one left off.
Profanity:  Minor
Violence:  Heavy
Sexual Content:  Mild

Reviews:

·        USA Today (Serena Chase):  “Veronica Roth has a precision in her world building that is uncommon in such a fast-paced story.”

·        Hollywood Crust, MTV.com:  “This is one fast-paced read that sticks in your head for days after you put it down, both because of its video-game-like scenes and its thought-provoking premise.”

·        Kirkus:  “In this addictive sequel to the acclaimed Divergent, a bleak post-apocalyptic Chicago collapses into all-out civil war.  Another spectacular cliffhanger.  Anyone who read the first book was dying for this one months ago; they’ll hardly be able to wait for the concluding volume.”

·        Rolling Stone:  “The next big thing.”

·        Publishers Weekly:  “Roth knows how to write.  The novel’s love story, intricate plot, and unforgettable setting work in concert to deliver a novel that will rivet fans of the first book.” 

Connections:

Age Level:  14 and up
Reading Level:  5.4
Pages:  525
Genre:  Fantasy Fiction 

·        Read “Divergent” (Book 1 ~ Divergent Trilogy) to begin series

o   Read to students at the beginning of the school year, and suggest following books in the series throughout the school year and at the end of the year for summer reading.

·        Introduce book with official book trailer

o   http://youtu.be/NqfvAyuxPeU

·        Read “Allegiant” (Book 3 ~ Divergent Trilogy) when it comes out in 2013