Frindle

Frindle

By: Andrew Clements

Published by Simon and Schuster, 1996

Quirky, Imaginative, Upbeat, Positive Teacher/Student Relationship, Promotes Language & Word Study

Awards:

• 1997 Christopher Award
• Rhode Island Children's Book Award 1998 
• Judy Lopez Memorial Honor Book (L.A.)Award 97 
• Great Stone Face Book Award (NH)1997-1998 
• Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award (IL)1999 
• Massachusetts Children's Book Award 1998-1999 
• William Allen White Children's Book Award (KS)1998-1999 
• Georgia Children's Book Award, 1998-1999 
• 1998-99 Maud Hart Lovelace Award, MN Youth Rdg. Award 
• Sasquatch Children's Book Award (WA) 1999 
• 1999 South Dakota Prairie Pasque Award 
• Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, (AR)1998-99 
• Premio Cassa di Risparmio di Cento di Letteratura per Ragazzi, 1998, Cento, Italy 
• 1998-99 Nevada Young Readers'Award 
• 1998-99 North Carolina Children's Choice Award 
• Pacific NW Lib.Assn.- Young Reader's Choice 1999 (WA,OR,MT,AK,ID,AB,BC) 
• 1999 Texas Children's Crown Award 
• Young Hoosier Book Award (IN) 1998-99 
• 1998-99 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 4-6 
• Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award 1999-2000 
• Utah Children's Choice Award, 2000

Summary: (Found on the inside flap): Nicholas Allen has plenty of ideas. Who can forget the time he turned his third-grade classroom into a tropical island, or the times he fooled his teacher by chirping like a blackbird? But now Nick's in fifth grade, and it looks like his days as a troublemaker are over.

Everyone knows that Mrs. Granger, the language arts teacher, has X-ray vision, and nobody gets away with anything in her classroom. To make matters worse, she's also a fanatic about the dictionary, which is hopelessly boring to Nick. But when Nick learns an interesting tidbit about words and where they come from, it inspires his greatest plan yet: to invent a new word. From now on, a pen is no longer a pen -- it's a frindle.

Grade Level: Lexile Framework, 830L, Grade Level Equivalent, 4.8

Suggested Delivery: Small Group or Read Aloud

Key Vocabulary: (by page number): monopoly (6), etymological (20), "plays for keeps" (23), oath (38), fad (61), trademark (72)

3 Teaching Suggestions

1. Use this text to explore word origins and the dictionary. Explore the different parts of the dictionary - syllables, pronunciation key, etc.
2. Use this text to inspire students to be creative and invent their own words for objects they see and use in their everyday lives.
3. Use this text to explore the character development of Nick and Mrs. Granger at the beginning of the novel, the middle and at the end of the novel.

Before Reading: Engage students using this scenario or a scenario similar - 

Teacher - "Students, will you please take out you koob?" (book)

Repeat this phrase several times until the students understand what the teacher means. Discuss the students reaction to this. Questions to ask - What was your initial reaction? How did you figure out what I meant? What clues did you use to help you understand? Then explain to students that you will be reading a story about a 5th grader who decides to invent his own word for the word pen.

During Reading: Students will keep a running character development chart of the two main characters, Mrs. Granger and Nick. The will explain their character at the beginning of the novel, halfway through the novel and at the end of the novel. 

After Reading: Author Andrew Clements writes that Frindle "is about discovering the true nature of words, language, thought, community and learning." Take each of these ideas and discuss how each of these is explored in Frindle. What do students think the true nature of Frindle is?

Writing Activity: Have students invent their own word for a word that already exists and have them write up a plan on how they would spread the use of their new word to others in the school, the state and the country.

3 Electronic Resources:

1. Lessons/Activities/Ideas for Teachers: This blog gives teachers a handful of activities to do with this novel prior to reading it, while reading it and after reading it. If teachers are struggling with ideas, this is a great blog to check out.
2. Get A Word in the Dictionary: This is a link that will bring students to a website that will explain how a word gets included in a dictionary. It will give them a better understanding of how words are chosen for the dictionary as well. This may inspire students to try and get their own word included in the dictionary.
3. FunBrain: FunBrain is a great educational website for kids, teachers and parents. This link will direct students to several word games that they can play. Since the book has such a literal use of words, word activities are only fitting. They can be completed before or after reading the novel.

Clements, A. (1996) Frindle. New York: Simon and Schuster

 

Scat

Scat

By: Carl Hiaason

Published by Random House Children's Books, 2009

Humorous, Relates to Current Events, Courageous, Sacrifice, Turning over a new leaf

Awards:

• Rebecca Caudill young Reader's Book Award Nominee (2011)
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2011)
• Iowa Teen Award Nominee (2011)
• Voya Perfect Ten (2009)
• Goodreads Choice Nominee for Children's Book (2009)

Summary: Bunny Starch is the most feared teacher in all of Truman School. But after attending a field trip to Black Vine Swamp, Ms. Starch suddenly vanishes. The school receives message stating that had a family emergency and is unsure of her return, two of her students, Nick and Marta don't buy it. They believe that one of their classmates is somehow involved in her disappearance and begin to dig for information. However, what they find is something they could not have never predicted.

Grade Level: Lexile Framework, 810L, Grade Level Equivalent, 5.3

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read/Small Group Read

Key Vocabulary: (by page number) anvil (2), cultivate (7), bromeliad (31), embezzling (50), arson (61), trepidation (67), traipse (76), maim (118), menagerie (136), cadence (140), speciation (162), pseudonym (164), crestfallen (205), grousing (213), ornery (249), jargon (269), shrapnel (296), imperial (334), beseeched (353), ominously (356)

4 Teaching Suggestions:

1. Use this text to teach students about the Florida Everglades - the animals found there and why the land is protected.
2. Use this text to teach students about the endangered species in our world - The Florida Panther is one to focus on initially and then build off of this.
3. Use this text to start a discussion about the Iraqi war. This can be a sensitive topic with some students, so tread lightly. They are also only 10-12 years old, so remember to keep the discussion age appropriate.



The Florida Panther

4. Use this text to teach students about current conservation issues in the environment. Allow them to inquire further by performing their own research.

Before Reading: Prior to reading this text, ask students if they know anything regarding The Endangered Species Act or The Conservation Act. Also what do they know about the Florida Everglades? Are students aware of the issue of oil drilling and oil usage? These questions are meant to activate their knowledge and to see what they already know about these different issues.

During Reading: As stated earlier, there are several important messages/themes/issues covered in this novel even though it is considered a humorous novel. Have students keep track of all of these serious issues and what they have learned about them through the novel.

Some of the issues can be as follows: The War in Iraq, Bullying, Conservation, Endangered Species, Illegal Drilling.

The Florida Everglades

After Reading: Upon completion of the text, talk about the changes in Ms. Starch's character and Duane's character from the beginning of the novel to the end of the novel. This would also be an ideal time to talk more about any of the serious topics that are mentioned in the novel.

Writing Activity: Have students write a newspaper article about what happened at the end of the novel. Pretend you are a reporter, reporting all of these important events that have recently occurred. If they need to perform further research regarding any of the issues mentioned in the text, encourage them to do so. 

3 Electronic Resources:

1.  Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: This website informs students of the conservation issues that are going on in Florida, which is the main setting of the story. Students can explore the species that are endangered in this area.  They can also learn about how they can conserve and how they can help these animals and their habitats.
2. Defenders of Wildlife: This is another site where students can educate themselves on many of the endangered species (animals and plants) found in our country and around the world. It allows students to understand the threats that are facing our wildlife and what the defenders are doing to protect the wildlife.
3. Everglades Foundation: Provides numerous facts about the Everglades, the threats to the Everglades, and how the foundation is working to save the Everglades. The Florida Everglades is a key setting in the novel, so I believe it is important that the students get a better understanding of what the Everglades are. 

Hiaason, C. (2009). Scat. New York: Random House Children's Books

Poppy

Poppy

By: Avi

Published by Orchard Books, 1995

Adventure, Courage, Fable, Descriptive, Intriguing  

Awards/Honors:

• Booklist, Best Books of the Year, 1995
• School Library Journal, Best Books of 1995
• New York Public Library Best Books of the Year, 1995
• Publishers Weekly, 1995, starred review
• Booklist, 1995, starred review
• ALA Notable, 1996
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Best Fiction Award, 1996
• National Christian School Association, Crown Classic, 1998
• Maryland's Children's Choice Award, 1998
• New Mexico's Children Choice Award, 1999

Summary: This is a wonderful tale that demonstrates bravery and courage. Poppy, a deer mouse and the rest of her family, live in a forest ruled by the great-horned owl, Mr. Ocax. He tells the mice that he protects them from the porcupines living amongst the forest, but at a cost. The mice must ask permission before entering his territory or they will be his dinner.

Mr. Ocax

But one night two mice sneak up to the hill without receiving Mr. Ocax's permission. Poppy escapes, but her boyfriend, Ragweed does not escape the evil owl. When Poppy's father declares that they must move to find a new home, Poppy must come face to face once again with Mr. Ocax who denies them permission to move. From this moment on the trouble begins and Poppy must face her worst fears to save her family.

Grade Level: Lexile Framework: 670L, Grade Level Equivalent: 5.8

Suggested Delivery: 4th grade read aloud

Key Vocabulary: ebony (1), savory (2), talons (3), ghastliness (8), ill-mannered ruffian (12), haven (17), careening (19), avenge (21), deputation (36), deluge (41), fra
ilty (42), calamity (52), succulent (65), effrontery (68), cannonade (83), dilapidated (109), jubilation (126), convulsively (136), ignominiously (137), roisterous (141), ossified (142)

4 Teaching Suggestions:

Poppy

1. Use this text to teach students about heroes/heroines and the characteristics one must have to be one. 
2. This text offers a number of abstract concepts related to right & wrong and good & evil. Take these many opportunities to explore these concepts and choices that each of the characters face throughout the novel.
3. Use this text as an intro to a science unit about animals. Particularly, a unit regarding prey and predators. (Owls & mice).
4. Use this text as an example of descriptive, sophisticated writing. Pick out certain paragraphs in the text to focus on with students and then have them practice their descriptive writing.

Before: Have students think of characters from popular movies, they must think of both heroes and villains. Construct a list of heroes and a list of villains. (To make this more interesting and engaging, google movie heroes/villains from children's movies to show students visuals). After listing as many heroes and villains as they can think of ask them what makes the person a hero or a villain - what qualities and characteristics do they have?

During: While reading the text aloud, ask students to pay close attention to the main character, Poppy and follow her character development throughout the story. Is she always brave? How does she overcome her fears? Also discuss if her perceptions of other characters changed during the novel and at what point.

After: Upon completion of the novel, ask students to compare Poppy with the heroes/heroines that they listed during the "Before" activity. Does she fit the definition of a hero? What about Mr. Ocax? Does he have any characteristics of a villain? Ask about all other important characters in the story. Students can do this activity in small groups and then defend which characters are heroes and which are villains. (Or assign a character to each group and state that they have to come up with 3-5 reasons of why that character is a hero or a villain). 

Author of Poppy - Avi

Writing: Write the word "misconception" on the board and have a discussion about what the word means. Keep an open discussion flowing while students share if they believe there were any misconceptions in the book. Have students write about one major misconception that occurred in the novel. Prompt them with questions such as - Why was there this big misconception? Why would someone intentionally give others a distorted perception of others? Have students make a personal connection as well. Have they ever had a misconception about someone or something? How did it change?

2 Electronic Resources:

1. Author's Webpage: This is a link to Avi's own personal page. There are several different tabs to select. One of the first tabs has a list of all of his different books listed by genre. There are several other tabs including one that offers writing tips for kids and ideas for teachers when reading his books in the classroom. 
2. Animal Diversity: Students can go to this page to research the animals in the story - Deer mice, great horned owls and porcupines. They can educate themselves about their habitat, their appearance, their diet, etc. This will be especially useful if a teacher plans to use this novel as an introduction to a science lesson/unit.

Amelia Lost

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

By: Candace Fleming

Published by Schwartz and Wade Books, 2011

"Amelia Earhart helped the cause of women by giving them a feeling that there was nothing they could not do."
 - Eleanor Roosevelt

Biographical, Informational, Educational, Determination, Courageous, Captivating 

Awards:

• Cybils Award for Young Adult Non Fiction (2011)

Summary:  Amelia Lost! tells the fascinating and thrilling true story of the most famous woman pilot, Amelia Earhart.  This text alternates between Amelia's life - from her childhood  up until her last flight - and the search for her missing plane. Filled with photographs, maps and handwritten notes from Amelia herself, this unique informational text is perfect for middle-grade readers or to use as a whole class read aloud.



                     Grade Level: Lexile Framework - 930L, Grade Level Equivalent - 6.6

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud (to 4th or 5th grade)

Key Vocabulary: (by page number) hastily, beacon, tailwind (1), bearing, frequency (3), mournful (5), precocious, diphtheria (7), instigator (9), belly whopper (10), hackles (13), affluence (18), menial (21), aviation (31), undercarriage, propeller (39), altitude (41), deicer (48), dignity (50), hoopla (58), pragmatic (61), vagabond (61), finagled (66), reputation (67),  countenance (69), laurels (77), safeguard (85), celestial (91), bullheadedness (94), precarious (101), legacy (110)




4 Teaching Suggestions:

1. Use this text to provide students with the accurate information about Amelia Earhart and clarify any misconceptions. 
2. Use this text to educate students about women's rights and the treatment of women in the early 1900's. Explain to them the role that Amelia Earhart played in changing the image of women.
3. Use this text to teach students about the history of flying.
4. Use this text as a part of a geography lesson - Pinpoint all of her flights (completed or failed) on a world map to help students visualize.

Before: Prior to reading, ask students to name famous people from history. Make a list on the board. Discuss what these figures contributed to history. 

OR create a KWL chart. Ask students what the already know about Amelia Earhart and what they would like to know about her. 

During: Have students keep track of interesting facts about Amelia Earhart as they read. For each chapter require a certain number of facts. If you want a more narrow focus, ask students to keep track of important moments where Amelia contributed to women's history. 

After: Start a whole group discussion (or break students into small groups). Did they like the way the story was told, alternating between her life and the day her plane went missing? Have students discuss any facts they found particularly interesting. What do they think ever happened to Amelia? Do they have their own theory?

Writing: What is a legacy? What was Amelia Earhart's legacy? She accomplished many things in her lifetime, but what do you believe she would most want to be remembered for? 

3 Electronic Resources:

1. Amelia Earhart: The Official Website: This is a great website to visit before, during or after reading the text. It has a short biography about Amelia Earhart, photographs, videos, quotes, a list of her achievements, and a list of fast facts about her. It can further reinforce the points told in the story or perhaps provide some facts that were not published in the book.
2. History of Airplanes: This link brings you to a site that provides a concise history of airplanes. This would be a great source to visit when you reach page 30 in the text which gives a history of airplanes as well. It will help to expand the student's knowledge and will provide some extra information not included in the text.
3. Women in History: Prior to reading the text or after completing the text, this site is a great one to visit! It explains the history of women decade by decade and how women eventually gained equal rights. There is also a tab called "Phenomenal Women in History." This will give students the opportunity to see how many other women contributed to our history.

Fleming, C. (2011). Amelia lost! the life and disappearance of amelia earhart. Schwartz and Wade Books: New York

Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck

By: Brian Selznick

Published by Scholastic Press, 2011

Awe-inspiring, Beautifully intertwined, Wondrous, Stunning Artwork, Determination

Awards:

• Schneider Family Book Award for Middle School Book (2012)
• Buckeye Children's Book Award for 3-5 (2012)

Summary: This novel tells the separate tales of a young boy named Ben and a young girl named Rose. Ben's story is told through words while Rose's story is told through pictures. Brian Selznick does a fantastic job bouncing back and forth between one story and the other, ultimately catching the reader off guard when these two stories, set more than fifty years apart, surprisingly intertwine. 

Reading Level: Lexile Framework, 830L, Grade 4/5

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read

Key Vocabulary: (by page number) scavenged (10), drone (17,) ejecta (21), overcast (27), heavenward (56),  silhouette (57), peculiar (68), indentation (86), curator (96), smoldering (157), disintegrated (308), undulating (344), non-circulating (381), portages (393), acquisition (409), carbon copy (450), revelation (483), incomprehensible (485), cavernous (551), radical (571)

4 Teaching Suggestions:

1. Use this text to improve and further develop student's inferential comprehension. Rose's story is told only through pictures, so readers must infer what is happening through the drawings. 
2. Use this text to improve student's prediction skills.  This book offers a lot of opportunities to where students can predict what will come next. It is important that teachers take advantage of those opportunities.
3. One of the main settings in this text is the American Museum of Natural History. This text allows teachers to tie in the concept of museums and their purpose through a history lesson. Students can go in depth and research all different museums located around the world.
4. The main characters in this story are deaf. Take the opportunity to discuss this disability in depth with students as well as other disabilities such as blindness.

Before Reading: Prior to reading this book, students will read the inside flap of the novel. After doing so they will make predictions about how they think these two world's will collide. They will also skim quickly through the text and discuss their thoughts on the whole "story-telling through pictures" concept. 

A "Cabinet of Wonders" Exhibition

During Reading: While reading the novel, students will keep a journal. Every time they come across the drawings depicting Rose's story, they will briefly write down what they believe is happening in her story. (Remember to write down page numbers!) This will help students when making predictions and it also allows them to reflect back on what is happening in Rose's story in case they forget or something is not making sense to them.

After Reading: Ben has his own "museum box" (or Cabinet of Wonders) where he keeps items that he believes represents him and his life so far. They are also particularly meaningful to him. Students will create their own version of a museum box, (ex. a shoe box), and place items in the box that are meaningful to them and that they think represent them.

Another option is to teach students fingerspelling and some simple sign language. There are a surplus of videos, websites and books that teach people how to sign. This activity will allow students to better understand the deaf community and one of the most common ways that they communicate.

Writing Activity: The very first illustration drawn in this novel is of two wolves. Explain the significance of wolves throughout the novel and how this "symbol" is carried out from the beginning of the novel until the end. How does Ben initially feel about the wolves? Does this change? Why and how? What is the connection between the wolves and Ben's life?

3 Electronic Resources:

1. Scholastic: This link will bring you to a discussion guide created by Brian Selznick to help readers better understand and comprehend what is happening throughout the novel. This is a great tool to use either during or after reading. They are thoughtful, multiple part questions that will make the reader really think and provide in depth responses.
2. American Museum of Natural History: This is a great website for students to explore. It lists all of the different exhibitions that is has, including the Wolf diorama. Students can learn more information on the Wolf diorama or research other exhibitions that interest them.
3. Sounds of Silence: This link is a great source to check out before, during or after reading the novel. It explains what it is like to be deaf in a clear and simple manner. It also explains the causes of deafness and describes the different techniques the deaf community uses to communicate. 

Selznick, B. (2011). Wonderstruck. New York: Scholastic Press