Elijah of Buxton

Elijah of Buxton

By: Christopher Paul Curtis

Published By: Scholastic Inc.

Copyright: 2007

Elijah is an eleven year old, African-American boy who lives in Buxton, Canada. Buxton is known as a place or settlement for runaway slaves coming from America. Elijah is well know in this town for two reasons; being the first child to be born in the town and for throwing up, as a baby, on Fredrick Douglass. He struggles in convincing those around him that he is ready to be considered a grown-up. In this town he is also known for being "fra-gile" and a bit of a talker. As the story progresses Elijah takes an eye opening journey in order to help a friend who was robbed of money that he was going to use to save his family from slavery in the South. In Canada, Elijah had only heard stories of slavery and the treatment of African-Americans. Along his journey to help his friend he experiences first hand the horror of slavery in America and the life that his parents left behind.  Elijah puts his life on the line by crossing the border into America. During his journey his life changes as he encounters escaping slaves and witnesses slaves being re-captured. He also becomes a conductor of the Underground Railroad as he tries to save others by bringing them back to Buxton. He must find his way back to Canada; he must find his way back home.

Reading Level: Grade 6; Lexile: 1070

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read, Guided Reading, Read Aloud (Content Specific - Social Studies)

Web Resourses:

Author's Site: This is Christopher Paul Curtis's website where you can learn more about the author of this text, you can learn about his other award-winning novels, and find out what the author is up to (new books on the way!?!). 

The following links are examples of lessons and activities that you can use to help students stay engage in the text while expanding their knowledge of slavery in America.

Example 1 

Example 2

Example 3

Key Vocabulary:

• Tormentation
• Haints
• Daft
• Felling
• Brogans
• Blaspheming
• Tithing
• Fretting
• Contempating
• Parlour
• Scallywags
• Questers
• Diversion
• Environs
• Dexeterity
• Mesmerist
• Augmented
• Broadaxe
• Slew
• Persnickety
• Bevy
• Prestidigitation
• Seritude
• Remunerate
• Rigors
• Retaliation
• Pickaninnies
• Missive
• Enquirerys
• Paddy
• Smote
• Abolitionists
• Calamity
• Manumission
• Carousing
• Rapscallion
• Sullied
• Tarry
• Jacklegging
• Bushwhacks
• Shackles

Suggestions for Activities for Students:

After Reading:

As Elijah is trying to get back to Buxton, Canada he tries to help others escape to freedom. One of the ways slaves escaped to the North was through the Underground Railroad. To help students understand how the Underground Railroad worked, students can be exposed to this interactive link that will guide them on a journey through the Underground Railroad.
Student can also do a narrative essay from the perspective of someone who experienced the Underground Railroad. They can use primary or secondary sources to create a narrative that expresses the dangers of escaping, the fears or problems that people experienced while traveling the Underground Railroad, the encounters that people had as they traveled along the Underground Railroad, and what it was like for people to reach Canada.

Awards and Acknowledgements: 
Newbery Honor, 2008
Coretta Scott King Award, 2008
A School Library Journal Best Book.
A Parent's Choice Gold Award Winner.
IRA Notable Book For A Global Society.
A Publisher's Weekly Best Book.
A Booklist Editor's Choice.
A Scott O'Dell Award Winner.
A Kirkus Best Book.
A Horn Book Fanfare Book.
A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book.
A Booklinks Lasting Connections Book.
A TD Canadian Children's Literature Award Winner.
A Governor General's Award Children's Text Finalist.
A Canadian Library Association Book Of The Year.
An NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book For Young People.
A White Ravens by the International Youth Library of 2008, Germany Award.
A Geoffrey Bilson Award For Historical Fiction For Young People Award Winner.
A Jane Addams Peace Association of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Book for Older Children Honor Award.
A Great Lakes Book Sellers Association's Children's Chapter Book Award.
A Red Maple Award Nominee.
An NAACP Image Award Nominee.
A 2008 Michigan Notable Author Award Winner


Booklist Review:

*Starred Review* After his mother rebukes him for screaming that hoop snakes have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that "there ain't nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being so doggone fra-gile." Inexperienced and prone to mistakes, yet kind, courageous, and understanding, Elijah has the distinction of being the first child born in the Buxton Settlement, which was founded in Ontario in 1849 as a haven for former slaves. Narrator Elijah tells an episodic story that builds a broad picture of Buxton's residents before plunging into the dramatic events that take him out of Buxton and, quite possibly, out of his depth. In the author's note, Curtis relates the difficulty of tackling the subject of slavery realistically through a child's first-person perspective. Here, readers learn about conditions in slavery at a distance, though the horrors become increasingly apparent. Among the more memorable scenes are those in which Elijah meets escaped slaves—first, those who have made it to Canada and, later, those who have been retaken by slave catchers. Central to the story, these scenes show an emotional range and a subtlety unusual in children's fiction. Many readers drawn to the book by humor will find themselves at times on the edges of their seats in suspense and, at other moments, moved to tears. A fine, original novel from a gifted storyteller. Phelan, Carolyn

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

By: Jacqueline Kelly

Published by: Scholastic Inc.

Copyright: 2010

Calpurnia Virginia Tate or "Callie Vee" as she is called is an eleven year old girl who is far from what her mother and society want her to be. Instead of being interested in her future as a future wife who knits and cooks, Callie is an explorer of the world around her and wants to spend her time studying plants, insects, and evolution.With six brothers and a mother who disapproves Callie finds comfort in spending time with her naturalist grandfather who goes along with Callie in her exploring of the world. As the world is changing around them Callie's grandfather questions the future for young women and the traditional expectations that have been around for so long.

Reading Level: Grade 5-6; Lexile: 830L

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read

Web Resources: 

Author's Site: Here is a link to author Jacqueline Kelly's website. Here you will find out more about her, where she will be making appearances,  and how to purchase her book.

The following list of sites are examples of discussion guides to help students focus on their inferential and literal comprehension.

Discussion Guide #1

Discussion Guide #2

Discussion Guide #3

Key Vocabulary:

• Benzene
• Chemise
• Scrutiny
• Swelter
• Eddies
• Pestiferous
• Chivvy
• Torpid
• Loiter 
• Envisaged 
• Torrid
• Excelsior
• Dilapidated
• Consternation
• Malacca 
• Laburnum
• Morass 
• Transom 
• Cadge 
• Octoroon 
• Aborning 
• Dissonant 
• Pedagogic 
• Protuberant 
• Salvo 
• Ostentatious 
• Petulant 
• Interminable 
• Bonhmonie 
• Pargon 
• Daguerrotype 
• Codger 
• Prodigious 
• Prerequisite 
• Inane 
• Uncinate 
• Desiccated 
• Deference 
• Ensconced 
• Expunge 
• Kowtow 
• Onerous 
• Veritable 
• Dross  
• Distaff 
• Tumbrel 
• Quagmire 
• Efficacious 
• Detritus 
• Noxious 
• Aspics 
• Assiduously 
• Futile 
• Convivial  
• Cannily 
• Pompously 
• Rota 
• Tetchy 
• Dyspeptic  
• Redolent 
• Tarpaulin 
• Foofaraw 
• Insipid 
• Odious 
• Citadel 
• Perspicacious 
• Deckled 
• Tepid

Check out this neat interactive vocabulary game set provided at this link!!

Suggestions for Activities for Students:

During Reading -
This novel is definitely for a higher level read due to the mature vocabulary that the author presents. Therefore, for a novel like this I would suggest focusing on the vocabulary to fully understand what the character of Callie is talking about. By using the ability to use context clues first have the student or students trying think of what the word means only by using what the other words in the sentence are. Then, they can find a dictionary or use one online to figure out the actual definition.

Awards and Acknowledgements:
Newbery Award, 2010
IRA Children's Book Award, 2010
North Carolina Young Adult Book Award, 2010
TN YA Volunteer State Book Award, 2010
Law Book Award, 2009

School Library Journal:

*Starred Review* Growing up with six brothers in rural Texas in 1899, 12-year-old Callie realizes that her aversion to needlework and cooking disappoints her mother. Still, she prefers to spend her time exploring the river, observing animals, and keeping notes on what she sees. Callie’s growing interest in nature creates a bond with her previously distant grandfather, an amateur naturalist of some distinction. After they discover an unknown species of vetch, he attempts to have it officially recognized. This process creates a dramatic focus for the novel, though really the main story here is Callie’s gradual self-discovery as revealed in her vivid first-person narrative. By the end, she is equally aware of her growing desire to become a scientist and of societal expectations that make her dream seem nearly impossible. Interwoven with the scientific theme are threads of daily life in a large family—the bonds with siblings, the conversations overheard, the unspoken understandings and misunderstandings—all told with wry humor and a sharp eye for details that bring the characters and the setting to life. The eye-catching jacket art, which silhouettes Callie and images from nature against a yellow background, is true to the period and the story. Many readers will hope for a sequel to this engaging, satisfying first novel. Grades 4-7. --Carolyn Phelan

Booklist Review:

Starred Review. Grade 5–8—A charming and inventive story of a child struggling to find her identity at the turn of the 20th century. As the only girl in an uppercrust Texas family of seven children, Calpurnia, 11, is expected to enter young womanhood with all its trappings of tight corsets, cookery, and handiwork. Unlike other girls her age, Callie is most content when observing and collecting scientific specimens with her grandfather. Bemoaning her lack of formal knowledge, he surreptitiously gives her a copy of The Origin of Species and Callie begins her exploration of the scientific method and evolution, eventually happening upon the possible discovery of a new plant species. Callie's mother, believing that a diet of Darwin, Dickens, and her grandfather's influence will make Callie dissatisfied with life, sets her on a path of cooking lessons, handiwork improvement, and an eventual debut into society. Callie's confusion and despair over her changing life will resonate with girls who feel different or are outsiders in their own society. Callie is a charming, inquisitive protagonist; a joyous, bright, and thoughtful creation. The conclusion encompasses bewilderment, excitement, and humor as the dawn of a new century approaches. Several scenes, including a younger brother's despair over his turkeys intended for the Thanksgiving table and Callie's heartache over receiving The Science of Housewifery as a Christmas gift, mix gentle humor and pathos to great effect. The book ends with uncertainty over Callie's future, but there's no uncertainty over the achievement of Kelly's debut novel.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

By: Rodman Philbrick

Published By: Scholastic

Copyright: 2009

Homer is a twelve year old boy who is living in Maine at the time of the Civil War. He and his brother Harold live with their Uncle Squinton Leach who treats the boys poorly and provides them with little to eat. In order to gain some profit Uncle Squint illegally sells Harold to the Union Army although he is underage. Homer decides to run away to save his brother. In his adventures he experiences multiple modes of transportation for the first time including a steamship, a train, and even a hot air balloon in order to escape the Confederate Army. Homer also encounters run away slaves and helps them escape and travels with a Medicine Show where he is put on display as the Pig Boy. In all his adventures he finally finds his brother in the midst of the Battle of Gettysburg. In order to save his brother from a sure death he must fulfill the difficult task of putting himself in mortal danger. This is a wonderful book full of adventure and historical aspects. This text will engage children from beginning to end. 

Reading Level:  Grades 3-6; Lexile: 950L

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read; Guided Reading

Web Resources:

Author's Site: Here is a link to Rodman Philbrick's website. You will be able to read about other books from this author and access study guides for his books among a number of other pieces of information. 

Literature Circle Guide: Here is a guide for a literature circle for this particular text. These questions will help ignite discussions about the book that will require students to use their explicit and implicit comprehension. For this activity will also require students to use textual evidence to participate in this discussion. 

Lesson Plan Idea: Here is a lesson plan idea from a woman named Lisa Kelley. She combines this text with primary sources to help students realize the significance of the Civil War and make connections with this novel.

Activities: Here is a link to a number of worksheet activities that will engage the students while their read this adventurous novel.   

Key Vocabulary:

• Scalawag
• Perish
• Pestilence
• Aggrieve
• Pummel
• Deliberate
• Prodigious
• Complicated
• Livery
• Conscription
• Abundance
• Valise

Suggestions for Activities for Students:

During Reading -

Whether you decide to use this text as a read guided reading text or an option for students to read as an independent read, students could be given this Sequencing of Events worksheet that will be used as a way to map out the sequence of events in this novel. Since this is a novel based on historical events, this worksheet could help the students begin to understand one perspective of how the events of the Civil War unfolded. As the students follow Homer on his adventure they should record on this sheet the major events that are occuring. After they have completed this sheet the teacher could connect Homer's accounts to primary sources from the Civil War and students can see how they are similar or different by filling out this Venn Diagram worksheet.

These graphic organizers can be found at ReadWriteThink.org.

Awards and Acknowledgements:

Maine Lupine Award, 2010

Newbery Honor, 2010

 

Publishers Weekly Review:

Starred Review. Philbrick (Freak the Mighty) offers rip-roaring adventure in this Civil War–era novel featuring a mistreated orphan who doesn't let truth stand in the way of spinning a good yarn. When his guardian, Uncle Squinton—the meanest man in the entire state of Maine—sells off Homer P. Figg's older brother, Harold, to take a rich man's son's place in the Union army, Homer can't just stand around doing nothing. Determined to alert the authorities (and his brother) that Harold is too young to be a soldier, the plucky narrator traces the path of the regiment. He faces many dangers, including an abduction or two, and being robbed and thrown in with the pigs, and joining the Caravan of Miracles before landing smack in the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg, where he reunites with his brother and more or less drives the Confederates away. The book wouldn't be nearly as much fun without Homer's tall tales, but there are serious moments, too, and the horror of war and injustice of slavery ring clearly above the din of playful exaggerations. Ages 9–12. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 

School Library Journal Review:

Grade 5–8—When his older brother gets conscripted into the Union Army, Homer runs away from his uncle, "the meanest man in the entire state of Maine." He sets out after Harold but has multiple misadventures along the way. He survives thanks to courage, luck, and his talent for telling lies when needed, since "old Truth ain't nearly as useful as a fib sometimes." Homer relates his own adventures in colorful language as he crosses paths with con men, rogues, and scoundrels of various types. The comic tone is reflected in character names, such as Stink and Smelt, the cold-blooded slave catchers, and the kind but shifty Professor Fleabottom. Things take a more somber tone when Homer sees the horrors of the battlefield up close. The final reunion of the brothers during the Battle of Gettysburg is bittersweet. Homer's escapades introduce some interesting features of the year 1863, including the Underground Railroad, a traveling medicine show, Civil War spies, and an early version of the hydrogen balloon. Homer runs into plenty of danger, but there's more comedy than suspense in most episodes. He also deals with some moral dilemmas as he tries to make sense of the wide world and find people and ideas to believe in. The engaging protagonist and mixture of humor and adventure make this a strong choice for fans of Sid Fleischman's tales.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 

Booklist Review:

After his older brother Harold is forced to join the Union Army, Homer runs away from their wicked uncle’s farm to save him. His southward journey divides easily into episodic adventures: outwitting two slave-hunting scoundrels with the help of a wealthy abolitionist; traveling south with an easily duped young clergyman; joining a medicine show led by a mysterious man; fleeing in a hot-air balloon with a disastrous flaw; and arriving at Gettysburg in time for the battle. If these adventures seem a little too colorful to be quite believable, first-person narrator Homer begins his tale by saying, the truth don’t come easy to me. The narrator’s humor and folksy charm bubbles to the surface from time to time, despite a streak of cruelty that runs straight through the story, from the farm to the battlefield. Notes on the period and a glossary are appended. This eventful, episodic novel is accessible to a younger audience than many others set during the Civil War. Grades 4-7. --Carolyn Phelan

Now We Are Six

Now We Are Six

By: A.A. Milne

Published By: Puffin Books

Copyright: 1955

Now We Are Six is a collection of poems to be shared with children who can use their imagination and find a love for rhymes. Boys and girls might find some familiar characters in these poems such as a cuddly bear who loves honey. 

Reading Level: Grades K-3

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

Web Resources:

How to teach Poetry: This link includes suggestions on how to teach poetry to students. It provides a definition of poetry, how to introduce poetry to beginner and middle poetry readers, examples of poems to share with students and so much more. One of the examples comes straight for the book Now We Are Six called "Forgiveness". 

Poetry in Centers: Here is a link from a reoccurring lesson for centers from ReadWriteThink.org. Although this lesson includes other aspects of reading and writing, there is a specific center for poetry where students will read and identify rhyming words. Now We Are Six would be a great collection of poems to include in this center.

Key Vocabulary:

• Supercilious
• Fortune
• Minstrels
• Tribute
• Particular
• Humbly
• Descending
• Seized
• Hurtled
• Mumps
• Conjurer
• Blips
• Buffetings
• Frequent
• Battlements
• Triumphant
• Knickers
• Sulky
• Murmur

Suggestions for Activities for Students:

During Reading/ After Reading -

This collection of poems would work great as a way to introduce poetry to young students. After reading one or two poems a day aloud the teacher and students could discuss the rhyming words in the poem(s), what the poem is about, and what specific words in the poem mean. Have students discuss their interpretations of the poem based on words, expressions, or phrases. If possible, it would be a great idea to have the students create a Poem Journal where they can write responses to the poems and exercise their ability to communicate through writing their thoughts of the poems and respond to the poem by stating what each was about. In their journals they can also record vocabulary words and record definitions of those words to expand their vocabulary.  

For students who are working with poems at an accelerated pace, they could begin practicing writing their own poems that follow the same format or structure as the poem or poems that were read that day.

Awards and Acknowledgements:

School Library Journal Review -

Grade all levels?Penguin's production amplifies the fact that A.A. Milne has created some of the most memorable poetry and prose in children's literature. Charles Kuralt narrates all the tapes. When We Were Very Young resounds with Kuralt's lively reading of the nonsensical and onomatopoetic rhymes that fill the heads of toddlers. Opposite these poems, the narrator reads, with loving care, the verses about the real and imaginary playmates that warm youngsters' hearts. Now We Are Six reflects the growing complexity of a child's world. The narrator's voice is soft and vulnerable when reading of the innocent, inquisitive thoughts that preoccupy children, yet Kuralt speaks with a touch of exasperation when reading the poems depicting the young's struggle to understand the adult world. He does equally as well with Milne's stories. All the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood are introduced and their humorous escapades chronicled in Winnie-the-Pooh. While portraying the characters, Kuralt's child-like tone reflects their goodness, innocence, and wee intellect. The House at Pooh Corner continues the adventures of Pooh and introduces the bouncing, pouncing, lovable Tigger. Besides the delight children will experience when listening to the light-hearted, captivating stories, young listeners will also identify with the universal hopes, fears, and wishes of the characters. Kuralt's deep, learned-sounding voice gives the narration a fatherly, comforting feel. Libraries will want to acquire these high quality productions.?Mark P. Tierney, William B. Wade Elementary School, Waldorf, MD

Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean

By: Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle

Published by: Hyperion Books

Copyright: 2010

Grace is a young writer of the local newspaper. She takes an interest in a new arrival to her town of Trepassey, Newfoundland. That newcomer's name was Amelia Earhart and she was trying to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Through these words and illustrations the authors give the reader a glimpse at the story how Earhart's determination to not only fly, but also to serve as a leader in equal rights for women.  

Reading Level: Grades 3-5; Lexile: 1080L

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read, Whole Class Read. Guided Read

Web Resources:

Author's Site: This is a link to Sarah Stewart Taylor's website. Here you can look at other books that this author has written and more about who she is. You can also check out where she will be visiting.

Discussion Guide: This link is to a discussion guide specifically for this text. Here you will find helpful discussion questions, information about the book, and also how you can incorporate this text across the curriculum.

Key Vocabulary:

• Ambition
• Trepassey
• Newfoundland
• North Atlantic
• Halifax
• Risk
• Dangerous
• Calculations
• Petrol
• Brolly
• Newfie

Suggestions for Activities for Students:

After Reading -

This graphic novel has a lot to do with Geography. After reading this story students could use their research and map skills to identify the different places Amelia Earhart flew to and then they could use a map to mark all of the places she went in her short career. This could help the student make a text to world connection and could spark some interest to learn more about aviation, women's rights, or more about Amelia Earhart herself.  

Awards and Acknowledgements:

School Library Journal Review -

Grade 5 Up—In a dramatic prologue, a ship offshore of the tiny harbor town of Trepassey, Newfoundland, is dashed to pieces as a plane flies safely overhead, an image that skillfully sets the tone of the book while also presaging the events that will one day claim Earhart's life. The story begins in 1928, with the intrepid Earhart coming to Trepassey in hopes of becoming the first woman to pilot a plane across the Atlantic. After being grounded by several failed flight attempts, she meets a kindred spirit in Grace, a plucky local girl with dreams of becoming a journalist. Earhart gives Grace (and readers) some background into her earlier life and motivations. It is with great joy that Grace receives news of the aviatrix's successful flight. Flash forward nine years and Grace, inspired by Earhart's accomplishments, is now working for a newspaper in Halifax when she learns of the pilot's sudden and mysterious disappearance. Readers are left knowing that Earhart's legacy will give Grace the strength to try to break down the barriers that prevent her from becoming a reporter. Taylor's thoughtful, deliberately paced storytelling may seem slow to some readers, but it allows for a less-sensationalized accounting of the pilot's life. Towle's black, white, and mono-color illustrations have a classic feel that enlivens the tale with casual grace. Endnotes provide insight into the story for those looking for more information. An excellent choice for comic fans, history buffs, and anyone looking for a strong female role model.—Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

 

Booklist Review -

*Starred Review* Although this first woman of flight has been the subject of many juvenile biographies, Taylor and Towle have combined their talents for research, narrative, and image to offer a fresh view of one particular chapter of her life. In June 1928, Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic—not as the pilot but as a passenger. The bulk of the story takes place in a small Newfoundland village, the takeoff point for the historic flight, and is told from the point of view of a young girl. The unromanticized depiction portrays the drunkard pilot and reveals the often-harsh preconceptions that both the locals and reporters had of this unconventional woman. As Earhart invested in her own dreams, in the end so too does the young girl she inspires. Endnotes authenticate the underlying historical significance and accuracy of some images, including those of her last, apparently failed, flight, 10 years later. Towle’s black-and-white cartooning, washed with aqua blue, nicely suits the period and displays the excellent work of James Sturm’s Center for Cartoon Studies, through which this book was developed. This is a true sequential art narrative, requiring the reader to attend to the visual as well as the verbal components; but it is also a well-told story of an episode in Earhart’s life that has particular appeal to readers looking for insight on how celebrity is both made and misunderstood, and how it matures. Grades 4-7. --Francisca Goldsmith

Rules

Rules

By: Cynthia Lord

Published by: Scholastic Inc.

Copyright: 2006

Reading Level: Grade 4-6; Lexile: 780L

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud, Independent Read

Web Resources: 

Author's Site: This is Cynthia Lord's website where you can find out information about this text and others that she has written, as well as her own blog, and ways to contact her or set up a visit.

All You Need on Rules: This is a pdf guide that will help a teacher with chapter by chapter discussion questions, how to incorporate this book across the curriculum, before reading questions, activities, etc. If you are having trouble figuring out how to use this novel in your classroom, just look here. 

Discussion Guide: Here is a link to a very helpful discussion guide specifically for this novel.  

Key Vocabulary:

• autism
• crude
• surefire
• fray
• vinyl 
• wayward 
• anthropological
• avenger
• corridor 
• therapist
• aquamarine
• accommodate
• linoleum 
• thrashing
• cassette 
• realtor
• bowlegged 
• varmint 
• bureau
• receptionist 
• murky
• quarreling 
• flicker
• minnows
• gangplank
• acoustic
• whirr
• pry
• embarrassed

Suggestions for Activities for Students:

During/After Reading:
In a lesson guide specifically made for the book Rules, I was able to find an activity that could make a text to world connection by looking at famous or well known figures in history or in present time that have disabilities. In this guide, found HERE, there is an activity called "Remarkable People Research". Students are given a list of well known people to research. As they research their assigned person the students will fill out the given worksheet about the person. An example of the worksheet and a blank copy of the worksheet can be found on page 6 and 7 of this document. The description of this lesson is on page 2. This activity can open students' eyes to a number of other disabilities that everyday people struggle with. It can also be used across the curriculum in science and social studies.

Awards and Acknowledgements:

Newbery Honor Medal
Schneider Family Book Award
Mitten Award (Michigan Library Association)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan)
Maine Student Book Award
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award (Vermont)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Great Stone Face Award (New Hampshire)
Buckeye Children's Book Award (Ohio)

School Library Journal Review:

Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review: 

Gr. 4-7. "No toys in the fish tank" is one of many rules that 12-year-old Catherine shares with her autistic younger brother, David, to help him understand his world. Lots of the rules are practical. Others are more subtle and shed light on issues in Catherine's own life. Torn between love for her brother and impatience with the responsibilities and embarrassment he brings, she strives to be on her parents' radar and to establish an identity of her own. At her brother's clinic, Catherine befriends a wheelchair-bound boy, Jason, who talks by pointing at word cards in a communication notebook. Her drawing skills and additional vocabulary cards--including "whatever" (which prompts Jason to roll his eyes at his mother)--enliven his speech. The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother. In the end, Jason helps Catherine see that her rules may really be excuses, opening the way for her to look at things differently. A heartwarming first novel. Cindy Dobrez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Feathers

Feathers

Jacqueline Woodson

Published by Scholastic, Inc. 

Copyright: 2007

"Hope is the thing with feathers…" ~ Emily Dickinson

 In the early 1970's, Frannie's world is separated by highway that divides where the blacks live and where the whites live. She goes to a school where only black kids go, so when a white student appears in class many feel he has made a wrong turn. Many kids pick on him and he becomes known as "Jesus Boy" because of his long hair. Frannie feels a connection with "Jesus Boy" because she once knew what it felt like to be the new kid in school and how awkward it was for her. She also has a connection with him because, like Frannie, he knows American Sign Language as well. Frannie's brother, Sean, is deaf and struggles with trying to understand and fit into the hearing world. On top of that Frannie and Sean must wait with anticipation for a new addition to the family. Sadly, for their family, and especially for their mother, new additions to the family have come and gone too early and there is worry that another baby will come and go so quickly. 

After hearing an Emily Dickinson poem about hope Frannie uses her imagination understand the words and produce an optimistic outlook for the future. She learns to let take the challenges that may present themselves and let hope float.  

Reading Level: Grade 5-6; Lexile: 760L

Suggested Delivery: Whole Class Read Aloud, Independent Read, Guided Reading Group

Web Resources: 

Author's Site: This is the author's site where you can find information about other texts that Jacqueline Woodson wrote as well as videos, teacher guides to her other texts, and information about the author herself.  

Lesson Planning: This website provides a number of links that will guide the instruction of this novel. There are discussion questions, quizzes, worksheets, descriptions, etc. This could be an excellent source for teachers looking to use Feathers in their classrooms. 

Interview with the author about "Feathers": This is an NPR interview with author Jacqueline Woodson.  

The following links are more examples of helpful teaching guides for this text. These links include discussion questions, activities, vocabulary study, etc. 

Feathers Lesson Example  

Feathers Reading Guide 

Discussion Question Examples 

Key Vocabulary: 

• Jive
• Segregation
• Surreal
• Miscarriage
• Thriving

Suggestion for Activities for Students:
After Reading:
It is apparent that Frannie has been inspired greatly by Emily Dickinson's poem Hope is the Thing with Feathers. After reading Feathers and responding to some discussion questions about the text the teacher could have the students reflect on what they think hope is and what kind of hopes they have. Since Frannie was inspired by a poem, have the students create a poem themselves about Hope. Here is a an example worksheet for the creation of an Acrostic Poem. Have the students think of a word or phrase for each letter of hope and have them write their own poem. This will encourage students to connect to the text and reflect on how Frannie views hope and how they, as individuals, view hope as well. (Worksheet came from ReadWriteThink.org) 

Awards and Acknowledgements: 

Newbery Honor Medal

Publishers Weekly Review:

Starred Review. Looking forward" is the message that runs through Woodson's (The House You Pass on the Way) novel. Narrator Frannie is fascinated with Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope is the thing with feathers/ that perches in the soul," and grapples with its meaning, especially after a white student joins Frannie's all-black sixth-grade classroom. Trevor, the classroom bully, promptly nicknames him "Jesus Boy," because he is "pale and his hair [is] long." Frannie's best friend, Samantha, a preacher's daughter, starts to believe that the new boy truly could be Jesus ("If there was a world for Jesus to need to walk back into, wouldn't this one be it?"). The Jesus Boy's sense of calm and its effect on her classmates make Frannie wonder if there is some truth to Samantha'a musings, but a climactic faceoff between him and Trevor bring the newcomer's human flaws to light. Frannie's keen perceptions allow readers to observe a ripple of changes. Because she has experienced so much sadness in her life (her brother's deafness, her mother's miscarriages) the heroine is able to see beyond it all—to look forward to a time when the pain subsides and life continues. Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam War, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch. Ages 8-up. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review:

Starred Review. Grade 4–7—"Stepped through that door white and softly as the snow," notes sixth-grader Frannie, on the arrival of a pale, long-haired boy to her predominantly black middle school on a winter day in 1971. He is dubbed the Jesus Boy by the class rowdy, and the name seems to suit the newcomer's appearance and calm demeanor. Frannie is confused, not only by declarations that he's NOT white, but that her friend Samantha, daughter of a conservative Baptist minister, also seems to believe that he is Jesus. In light of this and other surprises in her life, Frannie questions her own faith and, most of all, the meaning of the Emily Dickinson poem that she is studying in class, "Hope is a thing with feathers/that perches in the soul/…." How does she maintain hope when her newly pregnant mother has lost three babies already? She also worries about her deaf older brother, Sean, who longs to be accepted in the hearing world. She sees the anger in the bully intensify as he targets Jesus Boy. With her usual talent for creating characters who confront, reflect, and grow into their own persons, Woodson creates in Frannie a strong protagonist who thinks for herself and recognizes the value and meaning of family. The story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice. They will appreciate its wisdom and positive connections.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH 

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.