Primates by Jim Ottaviani

Ottaviani, J. (2013). Primates.NY: FirstSecond.


Interest Level  12 years+



Summary 

Another book with an interesting design is Primates by Jim Ottaviani.  In this book, Ottaviani covers three women researchers, Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas, as they observe and document different primates.  He wrote it as a graphic novel.  All three of their stories are told through comic pictures type illustrations and dialogue bubbles.  What a great way to get students to read a biographies or nonfiction books in general! He also includes a bibliography to document the accuracy of his research and lists other good books that students might be interested in.    

Example pages from the book

Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis

Pastis, S. (2010). Timmy failure. NY: Candlewick Press.



Interest Level 3rd grade - 8th grade


Summary
 Timmy Failure is just that a failure. He attempts to run a detective agency namedTotal Failure Detective Agency Inc. with his sidekick, Total (a polar bear). Hecompletely misses the most obvious of clues for every case that he is hired for. Thisbook has humorous black and white illustrations on every page. This book isdesigned for students leaving pictures books and venturing into longer chapterbooks. The illustrations help those reluctant readers to feel more confident inreading a longer book. Older students can appreciate the comedy and sillinesssprinkled through the plot line of the book.



This book is the first in a series of 5 books.




Timmy Failure Website

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

 

 Summary and Analysis

Paterson, K. (2010). Bridge to Terabithia. NY: Crown.Jess is the only son and middle child in his family. He loves draw, but usually does itin secret because it make him a “sissy” in his father’s eyes. As school approaches, heis determined to be known as the fastest kid in 5th grade. However, when a new girl,Leslie Burke, moves in next door, his life changes. The two create a magical,imaginary land called Terabithia, where they are royalty and good always wins.Written in first person, readers will cheer him on as he struggles with life at home,deals with bullies, and discovers true friendship. Children will relate with thedynamic protagonist as he matures and realizes there is more to life than just beingthe fastest kid in 5th grade. The author intricately weaves the theme finding onesplace in life throughout the story. This touching story will by children and adultsalike.
Book is now a movie

Teacher's resourceshttp://www.readworks.org/lessons/grade5/bridge-terabithia
http://librarysparks.com/pdf/librarysparks/2007/lsp_jan07_lessons.pdf
Book Study Guide

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schultz

Schlitz, L.A. (2007). Good masters, sweet ladies. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.


Interest level 5th grade and up

Summary and Analysis

In the foreword of this book, the author explains she wrote this books for the students in her school.  The students were studying the Middle Ages and needed a play to perform.  Like most children, they all wanted to be the star of the play.  To accommodate this desire, she wrote seventeen monologues belonging to seventeen different people that lived in an imaginary town.  Readers will enjoy how many of the characters are involved with the others in the story as well.  Social classes are obviously evident as well.   This is a different style for a historical fiction.  She maintains historical accuracy in the monologues with the language used.  There are footnotes explaining different vocabulary used in the speeches.  The author also includes segments that elaborate on a topic or situation that occurred in the previous story.  There is a four page bibliography available at the end of the book. 

     Video based on the book - from Youtube

Wonder Struck by Brian Sleznick

Selznick, B. (2007). Wonderstruck. NY: Scholastic.

Interest Level 8 years old and up

Summary and Analysis 

This book appeals to readers for a few reasons.  The first thing that will catch the reader’s eye will be the captivating illustrations.  Originally, a reader might be overwhelmed with the size of this book, but once they flip through the pages they will realize that half of the book is illustrations.  Also, readers will be attracted to the fact that there are two stories being interwoven together and told simultaneously.  I read this book in my class during a DEAR day.  After I finished a students asked if she could read it.  She then recommended it to another student.  I believe the appeal to many books is the word of mouth recommendations from others.  I would use the art work and word of mouth from other student to “sell” this book to my students.

Books by Brian Selznick

1.     The Houdini Box

2.     Frindle

3.     The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Wonderstruck  is similar to these other books due to the amazing art work. There are real historical events involved in the stories, such as the World’s Fair and that Houdini was a real person.  However, the similarities end there. 

Wonderstruck website

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

Sweet, M. (2011).  Balloons over Broadway: The true story of the puppeteer of Macy's parade. NY: 

        Houghton.

Interest Level  4 years and up

Summary

Tony Sarg was a wonderful puppeteer.  Once he started working for Macy's Department store, he tried to bring his puppets to the parade.  The problem was that many people in the crowd couldn't see the puppets.  Through trial and error, Tony Sarg invented the balloons/puppets that have become a tradition for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  

Analysis 

Melissa Sweet, author of Balloons Over Broadway, took a different approach to catching the eye of her reader than many author's of nonfiction chose to do.  The style she used when writing this biographical piece makes it feel like a fiction book.  You can feel not only the passion of subject of the book, Tony Sarg, but the passion of the author.  The pictures are bright, colorful, and cartoonish.  It is written in a manner that informs the reader of Tony’s life experiences and gives the reader an uplifted feeling. Most children have seen a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on their television and have experienced the wonder of the balloons as they fly above the streets of New York City. They can connect to the material and now understand how this national tradition started.  

Activity Kit
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=27322&a=1
http://ksbillmartinaward.wikispaces.com/Balloons+over+Broadway-+activities
http://www.rif.org/documents/us/Balloons-Over-Broadway_RIF-Extension-Activities-for-Educators.pdf

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

Interest level: 4th grade and up

Urban, L. (2009). A crooked kind of perfect. NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.Zoe Elias (10 years old) has big dreams; she dreams of owning the perfect piano andone day playing at Carnegie Hall. As an only child, she spends most of her time withher father who has a fear of leaving the house. He spends large amounts of thefamily’s money on frivolous programs from the Living Room University. When daddoes brave going out in public, he purchases Zoe an organ, along with free musiclessons to help her reach her dream. This realistic fiction follows the typical plotformat reaching its climax when Zoe competes in an organ competition call thePerform –O-Rama. Readers will cheer Zoe on as she reaches for her goal. Throughher lessons and determination, Zoe realizes that her life may not be perfect, butthere is nothing wrong with it either (theme).