Abe Lincoln at Last! Magic Tree House Series #47

Written by: Mary Pope Osborne

Illustrated by: Sal Murdocca

Age Level: 6+

Themes:

Adventure, Government Structure, Fictional Biography

Summary:

Annie and Jack are in search of the third item which will help them bring Penny back. The next item they must find must come from President Lincoln. They travel back in time to when President Lincoln was in office. They meet Tad and Willie along the way and form friendships. They travel even farther back in time and meet Sam, who promises to take them to meet Lincoln. After helping Sam, they travel to the time when Lincoln was president and finally meet the President. It runs out Sam was the president and they have already received their gift from Lincoln. 

Pre-Reading Activity:

Students will complete a graphic organizer of the parts of government.

Post-Reading Activity:

Students will use the graphic organizer to write an essay of the parts of the US government, Students will write a one page paper on the parts of the government.

About the Author:

MARY POPE OSBORNE is the author of the New York Times number one bestselling Magic Tree House series. She and her husband, writer Will Osborne (author of Magic Tree House: The Musical), live in northwestern Connecticut with their three dogs. Ms. Osborne is also the coauthor of the companion Magic Tree House Fact Trackers series with Will, and with her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce.

SAL MURDOCCA has illustrated more than 200 children's trade and text books. He is also a librettist for children's opera, a video artist, an avid runner, hiker, and bicyclist, and a teacher of children's illustration at the Parsons School of Design. Sal lives and works in New York with his wife, Nancy.

From: Amazon.com

Reflection:

This is a great book for kids to read because they are entertained and captivated by the story while gaining insight into historical facts. It is a great way to get kids interested in history. There is also another Tree House Series  book which mirrors this book in an autobiography of Abe Lincoln.  

Peaceful Pieces

Written by: Anna Grossnickle Hines

Grade Level: 1-5

Themes:
Peace, understanding, tolerance and friendship

Summary:

This book was written over a period of months and inspired by all of Anna's friends. This book shows all different perspectives, for instance the story of the father who came back from war a changed man. Children will be fascinated by the illustrations showing the intricate stitching, bold colors, and poignant imagery. This book is a collection of poems about peace. The illustrations are made of homemade quilts. Quilts representing peace at home, to peace on the world wide scale, to peace in oneself. Pondering the meaning of peace and all of its nature this book compels us to discover and try to find peace ourselves.

Pre-Reading Activity:

What is a poem? Have you ever read one? Have you ever written a poem. What does it look like?

Post-Reading Activity:

Have the students write a poem about friendship or peace. Make a quilt of the final products to be displayed in the classroom.

About the author:

Anna Grossnickle Hines started drawing as a little girl, and as early as 1st grade was getting recognized for her drawings by her teachers. She recalls telling her mother that she wanted to write children's books when she grew up, and her mother telling her that if that is what she really wanted to do she should persue it.

Reflection:

This was a wonderful book which would be a great addition to a lesson on poetry or peace. It is very well written so students will engage in it. The illustrations are beautiful and captivating. A great addition to any classroom library.

Feathers For Lunch

Written by: Lois Ehlert

Ages Level: Preschool-Grade 2

Themes: Exploration, Perseverance, Different types of birds, Cats

Summary:

The house cat got out and is trying very hard to get a bird to eat. The birds know he is coming and keep getting away. The cat keeps trying over and over, but all he gets are feathers. The end of the book includes a guide to all the birds included in the book. 

Pre-Reading Activity:
Discuss different types of birds the students know. What do you know about this bird? Where does it live? Have you seen it around your house?

Post-Reading Activity:
Pick a bird from the back of the book and do some research about it. Write a research essay about this bird and include: where it lives, what it eats, how big it gets and a picture. The essay should be 3-5 paragraphs.

About the Author:

LOIS EHLERT has created many picture books, including Leaf Man, Pie in the Sky, In My World, Growing Vegetable Soup, Planting a Rainbow, and the bestselling Waiting for Wings. She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

From Amazon.com

Reflection:

This is a great book with excellent illustrations. The colors and layout are so inviting to students. The story is interesting to students and they want to see if the cat ever gets a bird. It is a nice example of how the cat does not give up even though he keeps failing! The collection of birds in the back of the book is an excellent reference for students to use.

Tough Boris

Written by: Mem Fox

Illustrated by: Kathryn Brown

Themes: Everyone has feelings, crying is ok

Age Level: 4+
Summary: 
This is a simple story which tells about how tough and brave pirates are. Until Tough Boris' parrot dies, and he cries. Pirates cry and so does everyone. Sweet story to show kids that it is alright to cry.

Pre-Reading Activity:

Talk about how you would describe a Pirate. Write the words in your journal. Have the students share the list and write this list on the board.

Post:Reading Activity:
Complete a character web of Tough Boris. Compare and contrast, using a Venn diagram,  the list we made as a class to the character web of Tough Boris. Write an essay using the Venn diagram.

About the Author:

MEM FOX is the author of many acclaimed books, including Possum Magic, Koala Lou, Time for Bed, and, for adults, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever. She lives in Adelaide, Australia.

From: Amazon.com

Reflection:
This is a sweet book which any child can relate to. It contrasts the stereotypical pirate behavior to the sad pirate in the book. It is a nice book to draw from using the characteristics of pirates and how this book shows another side.

Nobody Knew What to Do: A Story about Bullying

Written by: Becky Ray McCain

Illustrated by: Todd Leonardo

Age Level: 7-9
Grade Level: 2-4

Theme: Trust an adult, Help friends

Summary:
When Ray gets bullied in school, a classmate watches but doesn't know how to stop it. Ray didn't show up to school and the bullies were proud of themselves. The classmate decides to tell the teacher about Ray getting bullied. The teacher took action and the bullies were sent to the principal and Ray was protected from the bullies. 

Pre-Reading Activity:
Write down a time when you have seen someone being bullied. What did you do? What could you have done?

Post Reading Activity:
Act out the scene of telling a bully to stop. Practice telling a teacher someone is being bullied. Write down in your journal 4 things you can do when you see someone being bullied.

Reflection:
I think this is a wonderful book to use during a lesson on bullying. Sometimes kids don't know they can stand up for themselves and friends. This gives students the information that they can go to an adult and this will help. I will use this in my classroom.

Not Norman: A Goldfish Story

Written by: Kelly Bennett

Illustrated by: Noah Z. Jones

Age level: 4+

Themes: Friendship, Don't judge

Summary:

When the boy gets Norman, the goldfish as a present, it wasn't the pet he wanted. He kept thinking about how he wanted a different kind of pet that would run and play. Eventually, he decides that Norman is a wonderful pet and he grows to love him.

Pre-Reading:

Discuss: Have you ever received a gift you didn't like? How did you react? What did you do with the gift? Did you eventually grow to love it?

Post-Reading:

Draw a picture of your pet or favorite stuffed animal or toy. Write a sentence about what you like to do most with it.

About the Author:

Kelly Bennett writes for children--both fiction and non-fiction--mostly picture books. A native of California, Kelly graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 1976. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College.

"I write what I know about--friendship, pets, family life, adventure," says Kelly, "But I also write about things I want to know about. While I'm writing, every story is a mystery--a mystery waiting to be solved. And who doesn't love a good mystery?" Sometimes, the real mystery is what name will Kelly use on this book? Her bylines include: Kelly Goldman, Kelly Goldman Bennett, Patty McAndrews, Kate Donelly, and Jill Max, the pseudonym used for work co-written with Ronnie Davidson. (For more about "Jill Max" go to www.jillmax.com.)

Kelly divides her time between Port of Spain, Trinidad; Westhampton Beach, New York; and Houston, Texas.

From: Amazon.com

Reflection:

I found this book and fell in love with it. I brought it home and my kids loved it. I brought it to my classroom and the kids loved it. They like to talk about pets and can relate to getting a gift they did not want. The repeating of Not Norman through out the book is fun for the kids. The happy ending of the boy loving Norman is delightful for all!

Cora Cooks Pancit

Written by: Dorina K, Lazo Gilmore

Illustrated by: Kristi Valiant

Themes: Helping, Family, Cooking, Growing up, Independence

Summary:

Cora wants to help her mom, but always gets the kid jobs. When her siblings are all out, her mom asks her to help make her favorite dish, pancit, a Filipino noodle dish. She gets to do the grown-up jobs of shredding chicken and stirring the noodles in the pot. She is so excited to hear what everyone thinks of her cooking!

Pre-Reading Activity:

Have a discussion about things the students wish they could do at home. Talk about how some things are dangerous and kids can't do them. Show pictures of dangerous things that only adults can do and have the students talk about why it would be unsafe for kids to do. Examples: fire, cooking on stove, swimming alone, driving!

Post-Reading Activity:

Students will list the ways they help out at home. They can write a sentence and then illustrate with a picture of what they wrote. These papers will be displayed around the room.

About the Author:

Dorina Lazo Gilmore grew up in a Filipino-Italian family in the kitchen with her mama, aunties and grandmas. She loves to create healthy recipes and share stories in the kitchen with her friends and daughters. Dorina has a B.A. in English and Journalism and is completing an M.F.A. degree in Children s Literature at Hollins University. She is also the author of two other children s books, Children of the San Joaquin Valley and Stone Soup: A Hmong Girl s Journey to the United States. Dorina is originally from Chicago and lives with her husband and two daughters in Fresno, California.

Reflection:

This is a lovely book about families that all children can identify with. Wanting to help out, and then waiting to hear everyones reaction to what one did is a universal theme. Wanting to be grown up enough for big-kid jobs is a theme all kids can relate to. I think this is a nice way to bring in another culture into the classroom, while identifying all the similarities we all share.