Day of Tears

Author:  Julius Lester

Title:  Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue

Illustrator:  None

Genre:  Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre:  Historical

Theme:  Hardships

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Emma, George Jow, Mattie, Rebecca,Will, Charles, Sampson, Winnie, Fanny, Frances, Pierce, Sarah Butler, Mistress Henfield, Rodney, Jeremiah, Jenkins, Jake, Sam, George, Jessie, and Sarah

Awards:  Coretta Scott King

Date of Publication:  2005

Publishing Company:  Jump At the Sun

Brief Summary:  This book is about a slave named Emma who goes through many hardships.  This book really captures the emotions of characters and gives great depictions of the life of African slaves.

Use in the Classroom:  This would be  good for middle school classes learning about slavery.  The students could learn more than just the history behind slavery but he emotions and understanding for those who suffered.

A Year Down Yonder

Author:  Richard Peck

Title:  A Year Down Yoner

Illustrator:  Ashlea Shaffer

Genre:  Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre:  Historical

Theme:  You never know what you will like unless you try it.

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Mary Alice, Grandma Dowel, Mary Alice's parents, Bootsie, Mildred Burdick, August Fluke Jr, Joey, Royce McNabb, Carleen, Ina-Rae, Arnold Greene, Maxine Patch, Ms Butler

Awards:  Newbery

Date of Publication:  2000

Publishing Company:  Penguin Putnam Inc.

Brief Summary:  This book is centered around the Great Depression and Mary Alice has to go live with her Grandma in a country town. Mary Alice is from Chicago, so it is a little hard for her to adjust to the country life. Grandma Dowel shows her the rope and Mary Alice starts to like it there.

Use in the Classroom:  This book can used to talk about the Great Depression and how people had to live during that time.

An American Plague

Author:  Jim Murphy

Title:  An American Plague:  The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic

Illustrator:  Maps: Kayley LeFaiver

Genre:  Non Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre:  Informational/History

Theme:  To educate students about the epidemic in 1793.

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Matthew Clarkson, Charles Willson Peale, Absalom Jones, Richard Allen, Benjamin Rush, Israel Israel, Stephen Girard, Reverend J Henry C. Helmuth, Dolley Madison, and William Cobbett.

Awards:  Newberry and Orbis Pictus

Date of Publication:  2003

Publishing Company:  Clarion Books

Brief Summary:  This book tell about the Yellow Fever Epidemic that centered in Philadelphia, PA.  It provides photos and newspaper articles of the time.  The people in the African Society were immune and helped nurse the ill and dying people who ever infected by mosquitoes.

Use in the Classroom:  This book is great for literature circles in grades 6-10.  Students can independently read and then discuss the information they are learning with their group.  This book would be appropriate to tie history and reading together.

The Pull of the Ocean

Author:  Jean-Claude Mourlevat

Title:  The Pull of the Ocean

Illustrator:  None (Jacket Illustrations 2006 John Hendrix)

Genre:  Fiction Chapter Book

Subgenre:  Adventure

Theme:  Brotherhood & Different points of view

Primary & Secondary Characters: Yann Doutreleau, Nathalie Josse (social worker), Martha Doutreleau (mother), Louis Doutreleau (father), Fabien Doutreleau (14 year old twin), Remy Doutreleau (14 year old twin), Daniel Saz (truck driver), Jean-Michel Heyckens (writer), Agathe Merle (74 year old lady), Victor Doutreleau (11 year old twin), Max Doutreleau (11 year old twin), Michele Moulin (baker), Pierre Doutreleau (13 year old twin), Paul Doutreleau( 13 year old twin), Dominique Elcheverry (police officer), Pascal Josse (Nathalie's husband and mechanic), Colette Faure (retired man), Valerie Massamba (young student on the train), Genard Famangean (shop keeper), Emile Ducrocg (grocer),and Thierry Viard (unemployed & house watcher).

Awards:  The Batchelder Award

Date of Publication:  Text Copyright 1999 & Translation Copyright 2006

Publishing Company:  Delacorte Press (an imprint of Random House Children's Books)

Brief Summary:  This book is based on Charles Perrault's "Tom Thumb."  Seven brothers, three sets of twins and then the youngest Yann flee their parents house.  The youngest Yann is a mute and unusually small for his age but is very wise beyond his years. This book is set in modern day France.

Use in the Classroom:  This book will be a good book to get boys interested in reading.  Also there are many points of view in the book.  It is like a jigsaw puzzle on trying to figured out what happened.

Team Moom

Author:  Catherine Thimmesh

Title:  Team Moon:  How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon

Illustrator:  Photos courtesy of NASA

Genre:  Non Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre:  Space

Theme:  Team work

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Michael Collins, Charles Mars, President JFK, Joe Gavin, Max Faget, Erin Reyers, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin. (There are many more people in this book)

Awards:  Robert F. Sibert

Date of Publication:  2006

Publishing Company:  Houghton Mifflin Company

Brief Summary:  Team Moon tells about what happened in Apollo 11 and what happened behind the scenes at Mission Control.

Use in the Classroom:  This book can be used in a science classroom for middle school.  This is the kind of work that will get boys interested in reading.

All the World

Author:  Liz Garton Scanlon

Title:  All the World

Illustrator:  Marla Frazee

Genre:  Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre:  Picture Book

Theme:  What happens all around the world in one day.

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Little Boy and Little Girl

Awards:  Caldecott

Date of Publication:  2009

Publishing Company:  Beach Lane Books

Brief Summary:  This book is about things in the world.  It talks about gardens, beaches, climbing trees, animals, weather, cooking, and family. It is set in one day. a quote from the book "All the world is everything, Everything is you and me."

Use in the Classroom:  This book can be used for early elementary school students.  The illustrations in this book are very beautiful.  It can be use to talk about what you do in a day.

Gobble Gobble Crash!

Author:  Julie Stiegeyer

Title:  Gobble Gobble Crash! A barnyard Counting Bash

Illustrator:  Valeri Gorbachev

Genre:  Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre:  Adventure

Theme:  Counting & Rhymes

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Four Wild Turkeys, Mr. Farmer & Mrs. Farmer, Mama Hen, Mrs. Maggie Mouse, and the Barnyard Team.

Awards:  None

Date of Publication:  2008

Publishing Company:  Penguin Group

Brief Summary:  Four wild turkey come in the middle of the night to the barnyard and start to make a ruckus. This causes a barnyard bash.

Use in the Classroom:  This book can be used for early elementary school students.  Students can count along with the book and it has rhymes for them to notice.

Jungle Drum

Author:  Deanna Wundrow

Title:  Jungle Drum

Illustrator:  Susan Swan

Genre:  Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre:  Children's Picture Book

Theme:  Sounds of the rain forest

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Mosquitoes (and other insects), Tree Frog, Parrots, Moneys, Wild Boars, Jaguar,

Awards:  None

Date of Publication:  1999

Publishing Company:  The Millbrook Press Inc.

Brief Summary:  This book is about the sounds of the rain forest.  The sounds of animals, water dripping, and of the jungle drum. "Ba-da doom doom"

Use in the Classroom:  This book can be used in a preschool or kindergarten classroom to teach them about the jungle.  For example what kinds of animals live in the jungle and the sounds of the rain forest.

Michael Recycle

Author:  Ellie Bethel

Title:  Michael Recycle

Illustrator:  Alexanolra Colombo

Genre:  Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre:  Action and Adventure

Theme:  Recycling

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Michael Recycle, Miss Moonkotch, Mr. Crew, and the other people of Abberdoo-Rimey.

Awards:  None

Date of Publication:  2008

Publishing Company:  Meadowside Children's Books

Brief Summary:  Michael Recycle comes to the town of Abberdoo-Rimey to help to make the town clean and green.

Use in the Classroom:  This book can be used in the classroom to teach student about recycling and can be used on Earth Day.  There are even Michael Recycle Go Green Tips in the back of the book.

My Friend Rabbit

Author:  Eric Rohmann

Title:  My Friend Rabbit

Illustrator:  Eric Rohmann

Genre:  Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre:  Fantasy

Theme:  Friendship and Sharing

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Rabbit, Mouse, and other animal friends

Awards:  Caldecott

Date of Publication:  2002

Publishing Company:  Roaring Book Press

Brief Summary:  This short story is about Rabbit and his friend Mouse.  Trouble seems to follow Rabbit and Mouse still plays with him.  Mouse believes that Rabbit means well and is a good friend.
Use in the Classroom:  This book can be used to read aloud to preschoolers.  It will help teach students about friendship and sharing.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

Author:  Mordicai Gerstein

Title:  The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

Illustrator:  Mordicai Gerstein

Genre:  Non Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre:  Autobiography and Biography

Theme:  Believing in yourself

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Street Performer Philippe Petit and friends

Awards:  Caldecott

Date of Publication:  2003

Publishing Company:  Scholastic Inc by arrangement with Roaring Book Press

Brief Summary:  This book is about Philippe Petit on August 7th, 1974 when he walked between to the towers of the World Trade Center.

Use in the Classroom:  This book can be used in the classroom to talk about the history of September 11th, 2001

Stranger in th Woods

Author:  Carl R. II & Jean Stoick

Title:  Stranger in the Woods

Illustrator:  Carl R. II & Jean Stoick

Genre:  Fiction Picture Book

Subgenre:  Photographic Fantasy

Theme:  Courage and Investigation

Primary & Secondary Characters:  Animals in the woods and two children

Awards:  Benjamin Franklin

Date of Publication:  2000

Publishing Company:  Carl R. Sams II Photography Inc

Brief Summary:  The animals of the woods react to a snowman appearing after a winter storm.  Two children made a snowman and the animals try to figure out who or what it is.

Use in the Classroom:  This book can be use in elementary schools to show students the wonderful photos of animals.  And to make a snowman.