The Trolls

Title: The Trolls

Author: Polly Horvath

Illustrator: None

Genre: Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre: Realistic

Theme: Importance of family & Resentment

Characters: Melissa, Amanda, Pee Wee, Aunt Sally, Great Uncle Louis, Robbie, John, Edward, Lyla, Grandma Evelyn, Grandpa Willy

Awards: None

Date of Publication: 2001

Publication Company: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Summary: The kids (Melissa, Amanda, and Pee Wee) parents go on a trip to Paris  for a week and their babysitter is sick, so they have to call Aunt Sally to come and stay with the kids.  The kids come to find out all kinds of things about their family by the eccentric stories told by Aunt Sally.  And in the stories told by Aunt Sally the kids learn the true meaning of family.

Use in Classroom: This book can be used in a literature circle or a book talk for 4^th or 5^th grade. This is a wonderful book when talking about the importance of family. All students can relate to having some eccentric family members.

26 Fairmount Avenue

Title: 26 Fairmount Avenue

Author: Tomie dePaola

Illustrator: Tomie depaola

Genre: Non-fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre: Biography

Theme: Sometimes you have to go through struggles in life to get what you want.

Characters: Tomie, Tom, Mom, Dad, Buddy, Carol

Awards: Newbery

Date of Publication: 1999

Publication Company: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers

Summary: This book is a biography of Tomie dePeole’s childhood. He tells about the struggles his family went through before getting into their new house. This story has sad, funny, and heart wrenching memories that Tomie does a great job describing and illustrating.

Use in Classroom: This is a great book for studnets in upper elementary school. It could be used as an independent read for a literature circle.  The book provides stories that can relate to students lives. This book can be used as an introductory to chapter books.

Coraline

Title: Coraline

Author: Neil Gaiman

Illustrator: P. Craig Russell

Genre: Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre: Fantasy

Theme: Happiness is not about how much stuff you have it is about family and friendships

Characters: Coraline, Wybie, Mother, Father, Cat, Other Mother, Other Father, Other Wybie, Miss Forcible, Miss Spink, Mr. Bobinsky, Ghost Girl, Other Ghost Girl, Ghost Boy

Awards: None

Date of Publication: 2008

Publication Company: Harper Collins

Summary: A young girl, Coraline, finds a secret door in her new house. This door leads her to a world like her own but only better and everyone has button eyes. She realizes that the world is corrupt and has to save everyone from evil Other Mother before she is trapped there forever.

Use in Classroom: This book can be used for students in middle school. It would be great for independent reading then get students together for a literature circle and a book talk.

Criss Cross

Title: Criss Cross

Author: Lynne Rae Perkins

Illustrator: Lynne Rae Perkins

Genre: Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre: Realistic

Theme: Teens relating to other teens & Friendship

Characters: Debbie, Hector, Phil, Lenny, Patty

Awards: Newbery

Date of Publication: 2005

Publication Company: Greenwillow Books

Summary: This story is about two 14 year olds and the paths in life they take.  It is about friendships, crushes, and adolescent lives. Debbie wants something to happen to make her different and hector feels there is something more to come for him.

Use in Classroom: This book can be used for a literature circle for middle school and high school students.

The School Story

Title: The School Story

Author: Andrew Clements

Illustrator: Brian Selznick

Genre: Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre: Realistic

Theme: Social Issues and Friendship

Characters: Natalie, Zoe, Mom, & Hannah

Awards: None

Date of Publication: 2001

Publication Company: Simon and Schuster

Summary: Natalie is a 12 year old girl who has written a wonderful school story and her best friend wants her to get it published. But how can a 12 year old girl get a book published? Well, her mother is an editor but she does not want any favors from her.  So Zoe becomes a self-styled literary agent and Natalie invents a pen name for herself.

Use in Classroom: This book can be used for upper elementary and middle school students. They could read this book independently and have a class discussion about some of the struggle that Natalie and Zoe face.

The Tiger Rising

Title: The Tiger Rising

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Illustrator: None

Genre: Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre: Realistic

Theme: It is not good to keep your feeling locked up & Friendship

Characters: Rob, Sistine, Mr. Beauchamp, Rob’s Dad, and Willie May

Awards: National Book Award Finalist

Date of Publication: 2001

Publication Company: Candlewick Press

Summary: Rob meets the new girl Sistine and they find a tiger in the woods and plan to set it free.  Both Rob and Sistine have hidden feelings locked up inside them and become good friends.

Use in Classroom: This book can be used for middle school student for literature circles.

The Secret Footprints

Title: The Secret Footprints

Author: Julia Alvarez

Illustrator: Febian Negrin

Genre: Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre: Folktale

Theme: Family

Characters: Ciguapas, Guapa,

Awards: None

Date of Publication: 2002

Publication Company: Dragonfly Books

Summary: A story based on Dominican folktale, about ciguapas, a tribe of beautiful underwater people whose feet are attached backwards, with toes pointing in the direction from which they have come.

Use in Classroom: This book can be read aloud to an elementary school class. This book can be used in the classroom about different cultures.