The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

The Name Jar

Written by Yangsook Choi

Publisher: Dragonfly Books

Copyright date: October 2003

Number of pages: 40

Age Level: 3-7
Multicultural
Awards: Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Master List 2003

This book is about a young girl named Unhei who just moved to the United States from Korea. Unhei is nervous about the other children liking her but she is even more nervous they will not be able to pronounce her name so she decides she will choose an American name to go by and will announce it to the class the following week. All the other kids are very intrigued by this no-name girl and come up with the name jar where everyone can write in suggested names. She practices going by these different names: Suzy, Amanda, Lucy. None seemed right. One of her classmates goes to visit Unhei in her neighborhood and discovers her real name and the special meaning behind it. When she goes back to school to reveal the name she has chosen, the naming jar has disappeared. Will Unhei choose a new name or stick with her real name? 

This book would be great to help teach students about empathy. I would flip the idea a little bit so the students can see how it feels to have a name forced on them. I would ask students to contribute a few names form their respective cultures while trying not to include names of students in the class. Then I would place the names in a "Name Jar" and ask volunteers to choose new names that they will use for the rest of the day. This would not be forced on any students, just use volunteers. In the process, some students may refuse to forfeit their birth names. Other students may giggle a bit and joke about the chance to rename themselves, but they will quickly feel the effect of losing the identity their reals names created for them. I would have all students write in their reflection journal a summary of the book and what they learned from it and the exercise that followed. 

Who Was Helen Keller? by Gare Thompson

Who Was Helen Keller?

Written by Gare Thompson

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Copyright date: August 2003

Number of pages: 107

Age Level: 8-12
Biography

This is a biography about Helen Keller who became deaf and blind at the young age of two. She spends many of her early years with internal conflict and a lot of hatred toward her disabilities. However, Helen learns to read, write, and do sign language from her teacher Annie Sullivan. Helen is self-motivated, intelligent, and ambitious. Helen ended up graduating from college, meeting multiple Presidents, and became an inspiration to those with disabilities. 

For a lesson using this book, I would have students create a timeline that included at least eight important events in Helen Kellers life. Before beginning the book I would show students how to take Cornell Style Notes. This would help them learn how to organize the important events in the book. The will be taking notes throughout our readings. Once we finish the book, they will create a timeline that include the dates, the important event, why it was significant, and an illustration. 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Written by Mark Twain

Publisher:Chatto & Windus/ Charles L. Webster and Company 

Copyright date: 1884

Number of pages: 327

Age Level: 13+
Historical Fiction

A young Mississippian boy, Huck, gets kidnapped by his father who is the town drunk. His father kidnaps him because he wants the $6000 that Huck was awarded from the treasure he found previously. Huck ends up escaping from a deserted house in the woods and finds a canoe to ride down the river. He comes across Jim, Miss Watson's slave, and they float down the river together in search of freedom. The have many adventures during their journey and become best friends. Huck learns a lot about life through these adventures and through his many talks with Jim. 

While The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn did not win any awards, I think it is important to acknowledge all the achievements and accomplishments the book had. This book had been banned just one month after its publication. It had been challenged, banned, and defended for many years. Decades after Twain's death, the book gained the status of a masterpiece. Many famous novelists and poets such as Ernest Hemingway, Ralph Ellison, and T.S. Eliot had high praises for the book. The novel has been adapted to a musical numerous times. It won 7 Tony Awards over the years for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book of a Musical. It also won 8 Drama Desk Awards. The novel was also made into a movie in 1993.

For a lesson, I would have students create two storyboards. The first would be a character map. For each character they would include a drawing of the character based on the description in the book, a list of physical traits, a list of character traits, and how that character impacted the story. Their next storyboard would be of the plot. The storyboard must include an exposition, conflict rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. 

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rain Reign

Written by Ann M. Martin

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends 

Copyright date: October 2014

Number of pages: 226

Age Level: 9-12
Realistic Fiction

Rose Howard is a young girl with Asperger's Syndrome and an obsession with homonyms. Rose has special rules and obsessions that not everyone understands, including her single father. Her father brings home a lost dog who Rose calls Rain, a name that has two homonyms (Reign, Rein). Rose and Rain are basically inseparable and have a deep connection. One evening her father goes to a bar because he does not have the patience to handle his special needs daughter. Before he leaves for the bar, he lets Rain out. A huge storm ends up rolling through the town causing flash floods everywhere and Rain goes missing. Rose has to leave behind her safe home and routines to set out on a search for her best friend, Rain. 

During the beginning of the book, I would do a lesson on homonyms. Students would create small poster for different homonyms including rain-reign, allowed-aloud, bald-balled-bawled, coral-chorale, and flea-flee. On each poster students will write the word, use each word in a sentence and illustrate each word. I would have students place their posters around the classroom and all the students would participate in a gallery walk to view all of the posters.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda

Written by Roald Dahl
Illustrated by Quentin Blake

Publisher: Puffin

Copyright date: June 1988

Number of pages: 240

Age Level: 8-12
Fantasy

Matilda is a gifted school-aged girl who grew up in a family with parents that did not care much about her. Matilda taught herself to read and used books as a way to escape the harsh reality of her home life. She attended a school with a very cruel Principal, Miss Trunchbull, whose tactics are beyond questionable. Matilda becomes very close with her teacher, Miss Honey who shows Matilda what it is like to be loved and appreciated. One day Miss Trunchbull attacks Matilda and that is when Matilda finds out she is more than just intellectually gifted; she learns she has powers. Matilda uses her powers to fight back against the Principal and her own family. 

There are many ways to create lessons based on this book. After students finish reading the book, I would create groups of 3-4 students and assign each group a different set of chapters from the book. Each group will create a script for the chapters they were assigned. The script will need to have at least three characters and a narrator. Students will use the writing process to write these scripts. They will then need to assign a specific part to each in their group. I would give them time to rehearse then they will do a read through their scripts one group at a time. The groups will go in sequential order according to which chapters they have so that by the end, they have basically retold the story. 

Fritz and the Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett

Fritz and the Beautiful Horses

Written and Illustrated by Jan Brett

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers 

Copyright date: 1981

Number of pages: 32

Age Level: 4-7
Folklore

Fritz does not look like the other horses. He has short legs, his coat was not shiny, and his mane is a mess. He can barely keep up with the other horses and does not look the same when prancing. The other horses carry very important people to the walled city where only beautiful horses can go into. The people inside the city just laugh at poor Fritz. But Fritz is hard working and dependable. He proves to all the city people that there is more to a horse than just being beautiful. He becomes well loved after rescuing the children of the city.

This book uses a lot of adjectives to describe different characters and settings. I would reinforce the use of adjectives and use this opportunity to explain that beauty is what is on the inside, not the outside. I would have students write a list of adjectives that describe Fritz then they can all put their lists into a box that is ugly. I would explain that even though this box is ugly on the outside, what's on the inside is beautiful. Then each student would receive a box and they will write adjectives describing themselves on the inside of the box. They may then decorate the box on the outside as well. Once all students are done, they can walk around and see what the other students wrote about themselves.

Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart by Pat Mora

Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman
With a Big Heart

By Pat Mora
Illustrated By Raul Colon

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Copyright date: October 2005

Number of pages: 40

Age Level: 3-7
Folklore

Dona Flor is a giant woman who lives in a very small village of normal-sized people. All the people in the village really like Flor and she likes them as well. She loves reading to the children of the village and often gives the villagers items such as tortillas to use as rafts. One day they all heard a very loud and terrifying sound coming from right outside their village; it sounded like a large animal. Everyone is afraid except for Flor who is very protective of her friends. She sets off with other animals to go investigate the noise. When she finds the source of the noise, she does not do what you would expect her to do, instead, she uses her heart. This book features Spanish words and phrases throughout the book which really reinforces the bicultural characters and setting of the book.

 I think this would be a great book to use during Women's History Month. I would read this book to my class after we have learned about a few women who have had a positive impacted on history. I would then have the students compare and contrast Dona Flora with one of the women we have learned about. Students would create a poster comparing and contrasting the two women. They can choose to show this in a venn diagram, drawing pictures, creating lists or any other way they can think of as long as the information is apparent. I would want to give some freedom on how this assignment is completed to allow students to express their opinions in their own way and show their own strengths. We would also discuss what are some characteristics that make someone a good person and what does a good leader look, sound and act like? This lesson will incorporate reading, writing, character education, Spanish and art into one. 

Awards: Pura Belpre Award for Illustration