Lunch-Box Dream

Lunch-Box Dream

Lunch-Box Dream was written by Tony Abbott, this book is intend for children between the ages of 6-12 years old.  Abbott's writing style is fast, compelling and engaging, which you will discover upon reading this book. This book has a lot of history with in so at times it could get boring to a child but this is information a child should be taught. Tony Abbott uses an interesting technique for the book's narration. Rather than having just one narrator, he uses multiple ones. The story is told from the points of view of Bobby, Jacob, Hershel, Louisa, Cora, Grandma, Frank, James and Ruth, with Bobby. A list of characters and their relationship to each other is given at the beginning to avoid confusion, which  makes it easier for the children to picture each character. This Story presents racism, and segregation from multiple perspectives. In this story of witnessing without understanding, a naïvely prejudiced boy, in brief flashes of insight, starts to identify and question his assumptions about race. Bobby and his family are visiting Civil War battlefields on the eve of the war's centenary, while inside their car, quiet battles rage. When an accident cuts their trip short, they return home on a bus and witness an incident that threatens to deny a black family seats. Long after the Civil War ended, but before the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 became law, segregation was alive and well in the South. This story takes place in 1959, a time when the South had separate water fountains, entrance doors, service counters, bus seats, and schools for blacks or "coloreds people," as they were called. People with dark skin weren't permitted to mingle with the "white folk" in public. Slavery is a huge topic that should be addressed to young child so that they understand that everyone is equal. 

Watch this video for help understanding!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-tiWi8j31U

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the different themes throughout the book? 
2. How do you think the cost of living differs from then to now?

Class Activity:

• Since He starts the book with a poem, have the children make up their own poem to go along with the theme of the book. 
• The whole class should research the cost of living in 1959. What was the average price of every day Items? Things to include should be: gasoline, candy bar, loaf of bread, ice cream cone, milk, first-class postage stamp. Make a chart.

Others book written by Tony Abbott are:

• Firegirl 
• The PostCard 
• The Golden Wasp
• The Great Ice Battle 

Abbott, Tony. Lunch-Box Dream. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Charlie and the Great Class Elevator is a science fiction children's book written by British author Roald Dahl. The illustrations were done by Joseph Schindelman on the first US edition.It as first published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in 1972, and in the United Kingdom by George Allen & Unwin in 1973. This book is the sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, continuing the story of young Charlie Bucket and eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka as they travel in the Great Glass Elevator.

The story picks up immediately where the previous book left off, with Charlie and his whole family aboard the flying Great Glass Elevator, en route to the Chocolate Factory which Mr. Wonka intends to give to him. The height to which the Elevator ascends frightens Charlie's family sending the Elevator in the wrong direction. As a result, the Elevator goes into orbit, where Wonka docks them at a Space Hotel. While checking into the space hotel the President of the United States  get a notification and thinks that it is an invader. Things start to tense up. Mr Wonka wants to give Charlie's and his family secret info into the business. Along the journey there was fights and a wide mix of emotions. The follow up book to this book is called Charlie in the White House.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you like this book written to follow the story of Willy Wonka? 
2. What do you think happens in the White House?
3. Why do you think that Mr.Wonka wants to give his factory away to Charlie? 

Classroom Activity:

• Have the children make up and act out their on extend scene to this movie? Children will be placed into specific groups.

{"isAjaxInProgress_B000AQ0WGQ":"0","isAjaxComplete_B000AQ0WGQ":"0"} Roald Dahl (Author) › Visit Amazon's Roald Dahl Page Find all the books, read about the. “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator Paperback – August 16, 2007.” Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator: Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake: 9780142410325: Amazon.com: Books, Alfred A. Knopf, 1972, www.amazon.com/Charlie-Great-Glass-Elevator-Roald/dp/0142410322.

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream

*Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream* 

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream was written by Jenny Han, illustrated by Julia Kuo and published by Little Brown in 2011. This is an award winning contemporary realistic fiction/biography book that us intended for children in the grades 3-6. Jenny Han won the Horn Book Award back in 2011.

One day little Clara Lee wakes after having a dream that her Grandpa has been killed by the mustache man. When she reveals her fear of the dream to her grandfather, Clara discovers that in her Chinese culture dreams where people die are actually a sign of good luck. So Clara sets to counting all of the good things that happen to her throughout the day, and most importantly giving a speech for the Little Miss Apple Pie contest. The contest is something that she wanted to wind so badly. The only thing that was making Clara feel insecure was the fact that she was not American like her other classmates. She was worried that she would not be able to find history on her family like her other classmates. With a little luck on her side and some encouragement from Grandpa, Clara Lee discovers that she may actually be more American than she thinks. This novel explores the challenges of being a minority in small town America and is appropriate for young readers who enjoy a little comedy and a heart-warming story.

This story can teach children how to have confidence in loving yourself and where you are from. With the support from her family she gained the cofindence and knowledge she needed to succeed.

Discussion Questions:

1. How many children do you think this happens to daily? 
2. How would you have dealt with the situation? 
3. What did you like the best about this book? What did you like the least? Why?
4. Clara Lee is Korean American. What did you learn about Korean American culture from reading this book? 

Classroom Activity: 

• Make a contest for the children to create something from their culture and present it to the class and the best things wins. The student with vote anonymously and the teach with anncouce the winner. 

If you liked this book, check out other books by Han:

• Burn for Burn
• Shug
• Always and Forever, Lara Jean 

Han, Jenny, and Julia Kuo. Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream. Little, Brown, 2011.

A Light in the Attic

A Light in the Attic..

A Light in the Attic is a book of children's poems written  and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. Silverstein is famous for her poems and have written over hundreds. The first poems were published by Harper & Row in 1981. In this book there is over 100 poems, a few of them are named: 

1. A Light in the Attic
2. How Many, How Much
3. Moon-Catchin' Net
4. Hammock
5. How Not to Have to Dry the Dishes
6. Stop Thief!

It was received serval awards and it a book read to your children. It helps expand their imagination and sparks of conversation where you could teach your child new things. “A Light in the Attic” is an excellent book about silly poems and silly people who do crazy stunts and it will surely be an instant for many children young and old. I would recommend this book to children ages six and up since smaller children might be a bit disturbed by the suggestive and morbid content displayed in this book. Parents should definitely supervise if their children are reading this book but I think most of the poems throughout the book are very funny. 

Honestly i don't think the poems are bad I think that the illustrations are weird and thats why children might think they are odd and get scared by them. Overall, I think this book of poem is great for children that are older and interested in poetry. 

Discussion Questions:

1. How many poems do you think are in the book before even opening it to read it.
2. What is you reaction to the poems and the illustrations? What do you think the illustrator could change?
3. Do you think the book should add color or do you like it black and white?

Classroom Activity:

• Have the children write their own poems about whatever they want and then at the end put the poems together in a book and read them aloud to the class.  

If you liked this book of poems check out Silverstein's other poem books:

• Falling up 
• Where the SideWalk Ends
• Different Dances 

Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic: Particular Books, 2011.

Mr. Wuffles

Mr. Wuffles

Mr. Wuffles is a picture book written and illustrated by David Wiesner. This book had barely any words to it but the detail in the illustrations are great. I have posted a video below of the author explaining how it came to making and finishing this book, it was very interesting to watch. The topics of this book are great to keep a child entertain, some of the topics are animals, cats, dog, outer space, toys, aliens. The age level for children reading this book was be around 5-9, being read with the children will make this book more interesting for the children. The book was the winner of the 2014 Caldecott Award and was recognized way thousands of people.

The cat in the story is about the authors real cat in real lifeboat he just added more of a spin to the story. Mr. Wuffles does not want anything to do with the hundreds of cat toys we was bought because he found a cooler toy. He is more interested playing with a little spaceship full of aliens. The aliens were not prepared to deal with a cat ten times the size of them hitting their space ship so they were frightened. The aliens are trying to think fast and get away from the cat and they meet different types of insects that live  the walls of the house. Throughout the story the aliens and the insect help each other to get away from the cat. Mr. Wuffles wants to just play but the aliens are more frightened than ever.

Discussion Question:

1. Who do you think wins the fight?
2. Wh do you think Mr.Wuffles only picks one toy to play with?
3. What is your favorite type of animal?

Classroom Activity:

• Ask students to tell the story from the perspective of Mr. Wuffles and then to switch and tell the story from the perspective of one of the travelers, or one of the insects.

• Ask students to design, plan, and create their own comic or graphic novel. How do the pictures tell the story? If they choose to add dialogue, how does the dialogue move the story along. (use limited dialogue)

If you liked this picture book by David check out the other one he wrote: 

• Fish Girl
• SPOT
• Tuesday
• Art & Max 

Here is David the author explaining some of the reasoning behind this story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjNSxn3MVaM



Wiesner, David. Mr Wuffles! Andersen Press, 2014.

Seven Blind Mice

Seven Blind Mice

Seven Blind Mice was written and illustrated by Ed Young. This this a popular folktale that is loved by many children and their families. This is a good read for children between the grades of Pre-K to 5th grade. This folktale is about seven different mice who go on an adventure to explore something, they each think that it is something different so each of the mice tell there own story. 

Each mouse is a different color, each mouse to to explore this "strange something" that is near their pond but come to find out that they need all the pieces of the story to know the whole truth about something. The illustrations and colors used will help and children stay more interested throughout reading the book. Along with the pictures standing out the book can teach children a few different things. It can help with improving days of the week, colors, numbers and even introduce the idea of themes. ( For children who are old enough to understand)

Each mouse is a different color helping the children remember colors as well as what they thought the strange something was. As well as being colorful the mice are also blind so they have to work harder to find out what the something is. This book is great for teacher to use at story time to read to their students and get them to be engaged with what is going on in the story. 

Discussion Question:

1. What did you like best about the illustrations throughout the book?
2. What do you think help the mice find out what the strange something was?
3. How do you think the mice felt after looking for so long and finally found out what the strange thing was?

Classroom Activity:
A classroom activity that would be helpful for the kids would be once which i explained earlier.
Read this book at story time on the rug and have the children interact with each other.
Or you could have the students create a similar story with all seven mice and have them make up their own ending --- then share at story time.



If you like this folktale read more books written by Ed Young:

• The Cat from Hunger 
• Lon Po Po
• Hook
• Beyond the Great Mountains 

Here is a Book Trailer of Seven Blind Mouse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3vMvfAdW88




Young, Ed. Seven Blind Mice. Philomel Books, 2012.

The Skin You Live In

 "The skin you laugh in; the skin you cry in; the skin that you look to the sky and and ask, why in." 

This quotes gives an example of the rhyming scheme that will entertain and engage children while still teaching a very strong message. 

The Skin You Live In is a multicultural nonfiction story written by Michael Taylor and illustrated by David Lee Csicsko. This book is intended for new young readers between the ages of 4 to 6. It shows the relationship that people can have no matter what the color of their skin is and what culture they are from. This a a very rhymed filled text and it helps children explore all the diverse skin colors of people while promoting different actives for children from different cultures. Some actives being hugging, playing tag, catching different types of insects, jumping in puddles, and sharing different foods. Throughout the book you will see a various amount of different skin colors, ranging from different shades of black to white. I think its good for children to learn about this type of thing earlier on because they will understand that everyone is a person and has feelings. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What was your favorite thing about this book?
2. how does this book make you feel about other children cultures that are different from your own?
3. How do you think you can make a difference is someone else life? 
4. How you ever had a conflict with someone who practiced a different culture than your own?

This picture here shows the different types of skin colors the author and illustrated present in the book. All of the kids are getting along and have happy smiles on their faces. When children at the young age learn that everyone is equal it has a huge impact on their outlook of life. The rhyming keeps the children interested and the book promotes self esteem in every child.

Classroom Activity:

Children could be put into small groups and they would all be from different cultures. (if possible). They will chose a topic, for example, music. And each student would explain their cultures music type or favorites. Then at the end each student will present another students culture. 

If you like this kind of book check out more books that are similar:

• The Color of Us by Karen Katz
• Whose Knees are Those by Jabari Asim 
• Whoever You Are by Merri Fox

Tyler, Michael, and David Lee Csicsko. The Skin You Live In. Chicago Children's Museum, 2016.

The Moon and I

The Moon and I 

The Moon and I was written and illustrated by Besty Byars. This is a memoir and Betsy starts in out like any of her other novels, a potential problem which she is going to solve. This is written for ages of children between the 3rd and 6th grade. The first problem that Betsy comes across is a snake. She is sitting on her porch and a snake is crawling through the rafters. She starts the beginning with a problem ad throughout the book you get to learn about her life and how she loves to write.

When Betsy began writing this narrative she started telling us about her subsequent adventures with the snake, whom she named Moon, while the subplot so to speak contains flashbacks about her life. For example, in the first few chapters Byars relates the snake to when she was growing up and how she wanted to work at a zoo. While growing up her and her best friends would play 'zoo' and they would pretend to take care of baby animals who were abandoned. It also meant they were always on the alert for new acquisitions. she explains that one day the two girls came across some eggs and brought them home. When her egg hatched into a snake, Byars wanted to keep the snake but her mom made her give it away. And so now as an adult, she kind of wants to keep that overhanging blacksnake she saw on her porch as a pet.

Byars tells us that she loves to type title pages. And so even before she has figured out how her memoir will transpire, when all she has the characters and the setting, she types a title page: The Moon and I. For Byars, there is no single moment in her life that brings her more satisfaction than a title page. Personally, I think its harder to right the title first, for me I have to write the story before i write the title. But even with having the title, she still doesn’t know how to develop The Moon and I and so she begins to research. While doing doing some research, she reads many charming and not-so charming stories about snakes. She also decides to try and touch Moon ( a snake). As part of her becoming an authority on her topic, which all authors must do. And in the course of getting to know Moon, Byars discovers his dark side. The dark side bites her.

The elements of her story are: plot, characters, setting, and scraps. Byars says that “Plenty of good scraps are important in making a book as in the making of a quilt,”. Now that Moon had bit her, she has her first scrap. For Byars she has a hard tie letting go. Eventualy the snakes that she finds have to go into hibernation and she begins to feel a mix of emotions. At the end she finds a solution to deal with the snakes going away for a away.

Classroom Actives:

For each student have them choose something that is very important to them and have them write a paragraph explaining the importance and relating it back to a specific event in their life. After they are done writing, if they would like to share with the class they can.

If you liked reading this book, check out more written by Byars:

• The Golly Sister Books
• The Ant Books
• The Joy Boys
• The Little Horse Books

Byars, Betsy. The Moon and I. Beech Tree Bks, 1997.

The Princess and the Pea

The Princess and the Pea

The Princess and the Pea is a children's literally fairytale written by Hans Christian Anderson. The story is a in the danish language. The tale was first published in Copenhagen by C.A. Reitzel on May 8 1835. This was one of the most famous fairytales in the world, the more present versions of this story is more popular for children.

Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a  real princess. He was so determined to fine love he travelled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were princesses enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones. So he came home from his travels very upset to find a young lady outside the gates of his castle standing in the pouring rain. It was thundering and lighting, the girl looks horrible from the rain, after a few minutes he let the girl in and she said he was a real princess.  

The Queen set up a bedroom for the princess and set up 20 mattresses with a little pea on the bottom. The Princess finally fell asleep after hours of tossing and turning. The next morning the Queen asked the princess how she slept and she responded “Oh, very badly!” said she. “I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, so that I am black and blue all over my body. It’s horrible!”. Now they knew that she was a real princess because she had felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds. Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that. So the prince so very excited and took her in as his wife. Happy with his new wife,or now that  he knew that he had a real princess; they put the  pea in the museum, where it may still be seen by others.

Classroom Discussion:

1. Why do you think that the queen used that test to see if the girl was a young princess?
2. Why is the princess so desperate to find love?
3. How do you think that the young girl found the castle in the rain storm?

Classroom Activity:

1. Have the children make their own version of the princess and the pea by switching up the ending. It can have any type of ending they want 
2. Put the children in groups and have them act out the real versions of the story and some using alternative endings
3. Have the children put together the setting of the story using materials in the classroom. The main thing being the 20 mattresses', the pea, prince and princess
4. Make a chart using the 20 mattresses and stick stickers or crafts on them according to the number, to help the children learn how to count.

If you liked this book by Hans Christian Andersen check out this other books:

• The Snow Queen
• The Little Mermaid 
• The Jumper
• The Money-Box 
• A Leaf from Heaven 

Anderson, Hans Christian. "The Princess and the Pea." Hans Christian Andersen: The Princess and the Pea. C.A. Reitzel, 8 May 1835. Web. 23 July 2017.

James and the Giant Peach

James and the Giant Peach 

James and the Giant Peach was a children's literature fanastsy novel that was written by Ronald Dahl. This was the first of his novels to be for children. The first illustrations were done by Nancy Ekholm Burkert, over the years the book as reillustrated but serval different people including Michael Simeon for the first British edition, Emma Chichester Clark, Lane Smith and Quentin Blake. A few years later there was a movie produced in 1996. The novel is for children ages 9 through 12.

James and the Giant Peach is the story of a young boy who escapes an abusive home in a magical peach. Along the way, he makes new friends, and discovers the joys of freedom and friendship, which he never thought he would experience.

In summary, James is a young boy who lost this parents in a tragic accident at the zoo, upon the death of his parent he is sent to live with his two terrible aunts. Moving in with his aunts changed his life dramatically, the started to be abused but them immediately. His aunts treat him terribly, forcing him to work all day long, denying him any friends or schooling, and calling him names. He became very lonely and lost all hope. to his surprise  he finds a mysterious old man hiding in the bushes one day after work. The man gives James a bag full of magic beans and warns him to be very careful with them as they are extremely powerful. While he is running back to his house, James trips and spills the beans in his Aunts' garden. Shocked and scared he just sat there wondering how is was going to explain this to his aunts. Surprisingly, the beans immediately burrow their way into the ground and produce a massive peach at the top of the peach tree. When no one is around, James sneaks up to the peach and finds a magical tunnel there. Confused and interested he climbs inside and is greeted by a host of giant insects, including a Grasshopper, a Ladybug, a Spider, and a Centipede.

 

He encounters a lot of adventures with his new friends and the giant peach, fighting all sharks and other animals in the ocean. he magically arrives in New York City and starts a new life for himself. He starts a great future for himself, he made the giant peach into his home and told his story to visitors that would come through daily. He once had no friends, was lonely and scared but now is has too many friends to count and he is the happiest he has ever been.

Class Questions:

1. How long did James live with his aunts before he met the old man who gave him the seeds?
2. How did James parents die?
3. What were the names of Jame's aunts and how did he describe them?

Classroom Activity:

Have the class of students explore metaphors and similes in the descriptions of Aunt Sponge
and Aunt Spiker and the rest of the characters in the book.

If you liked this story check out more stories written but Ronald Dahl:

• Over you 
• Kiss Kiss
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• The Twits 

Dahl, Roald, and Lane Smith. James and the Giant Peach: A Children's Story. New York: Penguin Puffin, 1996. Print.

The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. This picture book was first published in 1964 byHarper & Row. 

                                              

Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.

It has become one of Silverstein's best known titles and has been translated into numerous languages for children all over the world. The illustrations in the book were done by Silverstein her self, Harper & Row stated that Silverstein had made the original illustrations "scratchy". The illustrations look like the writing from a scary stories which could catch the eye of a child.


In this book the little boy found a tree and they both adored each other. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, and slide down her trunk. This made the tree very happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave. The tree gave and gave to the boy throughout its life and eventually it realize that the boy was taking advantage of it. After the boy grows into an old man he comes back to the tree and asks to just sit in a quiet place and the tree became happy again. They were both happy to be peacefully sitting with each other, spending quality time together.


                                             


Discussion Questions:

1. What does the illustrations mean to you? 
2. Why do you think the tree still gave and gave to the young boy after he stopped coming around for a while? 
3. How do you think the characters in the story felt or felt about each other at certain points in the story? What makes you think so?

Classroom Activities:

One activity that the students could do would be to build a huge tree with construction paper and write thing that they were thankful for in life. Through out the year each student can add and add things then at the end of the year the teacher can read them aloud.


If you like this book from Silverstein check out these books:

• A Light in the Attic 
• Falling Up 
• The Missing Piece 
• ABC BooK 
• Runny Babbit 

Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. New York: HarperCollins, 2014. Print.

The Other Side

The Other Side is a multi-cultural children's picture book intended for ages 5 and up. This story was written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B Lewis in 2001. The author, Woodson is able to bring such a deep subject to life while the illustrator portrays such beautiful pictures to show the differences.

This book did a great job of showing children that get to you get to have your own opinion and own thoughts. This is such a deep subject to teach and tell children about, books like this make it easier from children to understand. Clover wanted to learn more about Anna and why she could not cross the fence, she was asking herself why? Just like any other child would. Clover knew that deep down Anna was just as much as a person as her and she wanted to be her friend no matter what her mother or other friends thought.

Clover was a young black girl who always wondered about why her mother refused to let her go on the other side the fence. The fence separated the black and the white. Clover met Anna, who was a young white girl and she would always sit on the fence and look across to the other side. Clover became very curious.The girls would still listen to their parents and would not cross the fence but they sat on the fence together and grow a friendship like no other. This book was very powerful and a must read to people who have not read it yet. 

Discussion Questions:

1. If you were in Clovers position, would you be friendly with Anna?
2. Why were the black and white separated but a fence? How does that make you feel?
3. Do you enjoy learning about other people's culture?


Motivational Activity:

How your student or child make friends with people with different cultures or interests. Have the children write a short paragraph or two on their new friends explain key things that learn about each other. At the end of the activity the student can come together in a small group and tell everyone alit about their new friends. This activity will help children open up with each other and not be shy. It will also help everyone understand where people come from.


**If you enjoyed this book, check out other books written by Jacquline Woodson!
Here are some of her most famous**

• This is the Rope
• Each Kindness
• Pecan Pie Baby
• Coming on Home Soon
• We had a Picnic This Sunday Past

Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other Side. N.p.: Weston Woods Studios, 2014. Print.