Ian Wheeler
Blackburn
TEDU 386
Literary Tool Kit
Genre/Type
Title
Author
Diversity
Alphabet (1)
The Human Alphabet
Author - Pilobolus
Dance Company
(The dancers
form the different
shapes of the
alphabet with
their bodies)
Photographer John Kane
Pictures
represent
men and
women of
different
racial
backgrounds.
Number (1)
The Very Hungry
Caterpillar
Author/Illustrator
– Eric Carle
None
Grade
Level
K-1
K-2
Summary/Review/Response
Summary – The book has dancers
sculpt and position themselves to form
different things to represent each
letter of the alphabet and they also
are positioned in the shape of each
letter. For example, three people in
black leotards are positioned so that
they look like an ant and then in the
corner of the page, two people are
positioned so that they form the letter
A. The book is great because it doesn’t
tell the student what the picture
represents on each page (but there is a
key in the back) so students have an
opportunity to guess and make
connections on their own.
Summary – There is a caterpillar that
hatches and he is very hungry. He eats
through a variety of different foods
including 1 apple, 2 pears, 3 plums, 4
strawberries, 5 oranges, and a variety
of other foods. He then spins a cocoon
and become a beautiful butterfly.
Predictable (1)
The Very Busy Spider
Author/Illustrator
- Eric Carle
None
K-2
Historical (3)
This is the Dream
Authors – Diane
Z. Shore & Jessica
Alexander
Illustrator –
James Ransome
AfricanAmerican
1-3
Summary – The book tells the story of
a very busy spider that is busy spinning
her web. Throughout the course of the
book, various animals including a
horse, dog, cat, cow, pig, and sheep
ask her if she wants to do various
activities (The activities are great
because some of them relate to the
various behaviors the animals exhibit
such as the pig who wants to roll
around in the mud or the cow who
eats grass and teach students about
their behaviors.) but she declines each
invitation the same time by not
responding and continuing to be very
busy spinning her web. There is a fly in
each picture and in the end of the
book, she uses her web to catch the
pesky fly.
Summary – The book is about the
American Civil Rights Act of the 1960s
and it simply and poignantly details
the oppression faced by AfricanAmericans and how they were
segregated against during the time. It
talks about separate drinking
fountains, the segregated buses, the
sit-ins at the lunch counter, the
separate libraries and schools,
integration of schools, and how
African-Americans fought for their
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Author – Patricia
MacLachlan
Rural
3-5
Elijah of Buxton
Author –
Christopher Paul
Curtis
AfricanAmerican/
Canadian
4–5
freedoms. It then switches to the
present day and it displays how things
have changed.
Summary – Sarah, Plain and Tall tells
the story of Anna, her father Jacob,
and her little brother Caleb. Anna and
Caleb’s mother loses her life while
giving birth to Caleb and the story
mainly discusses how the family deals
with the passing and Jacob putting an
ad in the newspaper looking for a new
wife. Sarah Wheaton from Maine
responds and Jacob and the children
soon begin correspondence with her.
Anna becomes excited when Sarah
says that she sing because this is
something her father used to do
before her mother passes. Sarah then
comes to visit to see if she can form a
bond with the family and she stays
from winter to spring to summer. At
the end of the story, Jacob intends to
marry Sarah.
Review – I think this book is a great
one for students because Elijah is an
11-year old boy who is the first child
born into freedom in a settlement of
runaway slaves in Canada during the
time of American slavery. It gives
students a different view of AfricanAmericans during this time period as
Realistic (3)
The Landry News
Author – Andrew
Clements
None
4–5
empowered and industrious as one of
the characters, Mr. Leroy is earning
money to buy his family’s freedom in
the South. Elijah then accompanies
Mr. Leroy back to the South to reclaim
his family and Elijah then observes the
horrors of slavery. Elijah is also around
the same age as elementary aged
children so students can relate to him
as someone who is their age and has
never seen the horrors of slavery. It
can really help them to put things into
perspective and develop informed
opinions and ideas. A teacher could
plan activities where they put
themselves in Elijah’s shoes and
explain how they would handle the
situations and difficulties he faced.
Summary – This is a really great book
written by Andrew Clements, who also
wrote Frindle. I remember reading it
when I was in the 5th grade. It talks
about fifth grade student Cara Landry,
who publishes her own newspaper
called The Landry News. She is a
student in Mr. Larson’s 5th grade
classroom and she writes an article
about how Mr. Larson, a former
Teacher of the Year, is now careless
and messy. He is rejuvenated by the
scathing editorial and begins to return
The Voyage of the
Frog
Author – Gary
Paulsen
None
5
to his old ways and becomes a good
teacher again. Things go awry when
one of Cara’s classmates writes a story
about his parents’ divorce and Mr.
Larson allows Cara to publish it in The
Landry News. The principal of the
school wants to fire Mr. Larson and
uses the story which he believes is too
revealing as his reasoning. Mr. Larson
has a hearing and is then found not
guilty. Cara, who is inspired by Mr.
Larson, writes an article where she
proclaims that Mr. Larson will soon be
Teacher of the Year again.
* I think this is a great book for
students who are dealing with divorce
or who are interested in journalism. If
a teacher doesn’t want to read the
whole book, a portion of the book
could be used as a segue into a unit on
journalism.
Review – This is a great book that I
remember my 5th grade teacher
reading aloud to my class. It’s about a
14-year old boy who sails out on his
deceased Uncle Owen’s boat named
the FROG. Uncle Owen’s last wish is
for him to sail out alone and scatter his
ashes amongst the sea but chaos
ensues thereafter and the book
beautifully discusses isolation and
Traditional (3)
Joey Pigza Swallowed
the Key
Author – Jack
Gantos
None
3-5
The Tale of the
Mandarin Ducks
Author –
Katherine
Paterson
Japanese
K-2
survival. It is very similar to Hatchet as
there is a male protagonist who learns
about himself through a traumatic
experience dealing with nature but I
think this is a great option for students
because it is less well-known and will
hopefully give students a new
experience. I think it work great for
male students or students who enjoy
nature.
Review – Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
is a great novel about a young boy
who struggles with ADHD. I remember
reading it when I was young and I
didn’t really like it because it didn’t
feel like a traditional book and I didn’t
really like kids who were like Joey
Pigza (loud, boisterous, and messy)
when I was in school but I can now see
the genius in the story because it was
meant to feel very realistic and to help
kids like Joey have someone to relate
to and to validate their experiences.
It’s a really fun book with a lot of gross
references that kids like and the
language is also very kid-like and
relatable so I think a lot of kids will
enjoy it!
Response – This is a great story about
a couple who is sentenced to death by
a cruel lord for rescuing a sad
Illustrators – Leo
and Diane Dillon
Rumpelstiltskin
Retold and
None
Illustrated by Paul
O. Zelinsky
K-2
mandarin duck who longs for his lost
love. The duck hopes to repay their
kindness by saving the couple’s lives
and being cleverer than the lord. I
would have the students complete
Mandarin duck graphic organizers in
which I would give them several
events from the sequence of the story
but I would mix them up so that the
students would then cut them out and
paste them in the right order. The
book speaks about the beautiful
plumage (feathers) of the Mandarin
ducks so the students would then be
able to color in the plumage. This
would help the students with reading
comprehension and ensure
understanding of the story.
Review – I think this particular version
is great for classroom story time
because the pictures are beautiful and
the story is a great version that does
not involve violence or a gruesome
ending (i.e. – Rumpelstiltskin rips
himself in two or sets himself on fire).
The story is a cautionary tale and I
think teaches children about the
importance of not making promises
you cannot keep and bragging and I
think it is just as important to educate
students about good character as it is
How the Leopard Got
His Claws
Author – Chinua
Achebe with John
Iroaganachi
Illustrator – Mary
GrandPré
African
1-3
to educate them on what is in the
curriculum.
Response – Since the paintings in this
retelling are so great and there are so
many alternate endings of
Rumpelstiltskin, I would have the
students create their own ending of
the story and illustrate it using
watercolors.
Summary: This is a story with mostly
animal characters in which they all get
along and work in harmony under
their benevolent ruler, the Leopard.
However, the Dog is mean and has
sharp teeth and takes over as ruler
after his cave floods. Leopard then
goes to see a blacksmith and is given
new claws and is tested by knocking
on Thunder’s door. He then returns to
his kingdom to take his throne back
from the vicious and unruly Dog.
Review: I think this is a great story
because it introduces children to a
new type of animal and I remember
reading Things Fall Apart in high
school and I think this book is a great
way to introduce children to an author
who is typically known for literature
for older people.
Response: Even though the book is a
fable, it could be used as an
Science Fiction (1) A Wrinkle in Time
Author –
Madeleine
L’Engle
None
introduction to help students
understand adaptations. I would have
students pick an animal with a
particular attribute or characteristic
and have them write a story about
how that animal obtained that
particular characteristic.
4 – 5 (For Summary – The book is about Meg
very
Murry, her twin brothers, Sandy and
mature
Dennys, and her baby brother Charles
students. Wallace, who is a genius. The story
Portions starts on a dark and stormy night
of the
when the Murry siblings’ father, who is
book can a scientist, goes missing. Along with
be used
Calvin O’Keefe and their eccentric
as
neighbor, Mrs. Whatsit, they all set out
opposed to find Dr. Murry. Mrs. Whatsit
to the
employs the help of her friends, Mrs.
entire
Who and Mrs. Which, who all turn out
novel.)
to be supernatural centaur creatures
in disguise. They travel to various
planets and then they get to
Camazotz, which is the evil planet
where Dr. Murry is trapped. All of the
people on Planet Camazotz behave
and act exactly the same because their
minds are controlled by a giant, evil
brain named IT. They eventually
rescue Dr. Murry but Charles Wallace
is left behind, under the control of IT.
Mrs. Which gives Meg a powerful gift
Fantasy (2)
Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire
Author – J.K.
Rowling
Illustrator – Mary
GrandPré
British
3–5
that IT cannot possess which can be
used to defeat IT. It is love and Meg
focuses all her on love on Charles
Wallace and breaks IT’s mind control.
They all return to Earth safely.
Summary – This is the fourth
installation in J.K. Rowling’s Harry
Potter series. The story begins mainly
at the Quidditch World Cup, where the
Dark Mark, a symbol noting the
coming of the Dark Lord Voldemort is
shot into the air. Protagonist Harry
Potter and deuteragonists Ron
Weasley and Hermione Granger then
return to Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardly to begin their
fourth year, where the Triwizard
Tournament, a tournament between
magical schools used to encourage
harmony and friendly competition, is
scheduled to take place. Students from
Beauxbatons Academy in France and
Durmstrang Institute in Northeastern
Europe come to participate and Viktor
Krum and Fleur Delacour are chosen to
represent their respective institutions
along with Cedric Diggory and Harry
Potter from Hogwarts. The
tournament has three tasks, to
retrieve a golden egg from a dragon,
to save a drowning loved one from a
The Wide Window
Author – Daniel
Handler a.k.a.
Lemony Snicket
None
lake, and to reach the center of a maze
filled with deadly creatures. Cedric
gets there first but the trophy is a
magical device used to transport the
winner to a cemetery where Lord
Voldemort and his followers are
waiting for Harry. Harry comes there
second and he finds Cedric dead. Harry
and Lord Voldemort duel and Lord
Voldemort plans to kill Harry but Harry
manages to escape and live another
day.
* It is important for all teachers
because it is a cultural phenomenon
that has encouraged millions of
children to read.
4–5
Summary – This is the third installation
(Reserve in Lemony Snicket’s 13-book Series of
for more Unfortunate Events. This story
mature
chronicles the three Baudelaire
students) orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny who
are sent to live with a distant relative
known as Aunt Josephine, who has a
love of grammar and many irrational
phobias. She even makes the children
eat all of the meals cold because she is
afraid of the oven. Their first guardian,
the nefarious Count Olaf comes to
their new town, disguised as the
owner of boat rental company and
continues his plan to rob the
Informational (2)
The Magic School Bus:
Inside the Earth
Author: Joanna
Cole
None
3-4
Baudelaire children of his inheritance.
Though the children see through his
disguise immediately, Aunt Josephine
is enamored with the captain. They
later find Aunt Josephine’s suicide
note but it is filled with grammatical
errors. The children decipher the
errors and it takes them to a cave
where Aunt Josephine is hiding. Aunt
Josephine is convinced to come out of
hiding to save the children but Count
Olaf foils their plan and pushes Aunt
Josephine in the lake where she is
devoured by leeches. When they
arrive back on shore, the children’s
banker finally sees through Count
Olaf’s disguise, he escapes and evades
capture.
Review: I particularly enjoy these
books because though they are told
through fictional characters, they
provide factual and accurate
information that can definitely help
students learn about things they
would not remember otherwise. This
one discusses rocks, volcanoes, and
the various layers of the earth and it
provides clues and memory tools to
help students remember more difficult
vocabulary words like stalactite and
stalagmite.
Biography (1)
Actual Size
Author: Steve
Jenkins
None
K-3
Nelson Mandela
Author/
Illustrator:
Kadir Nelson
South African
K-2
Author/
Illustrator:
Tomie dePaola
None
2-3
Autobiography (1) 26 Fairmount Avenue
Response: I think this is an amazing
book because it helps students to get a
more accurate picture of animals they
probably will never get to see up close.
I would incorporate this book in the
classroom by having students making
their own “actual size” pictures of
things in their own lives. I would have
the students make collages of their
actual size items in a similar format to
the book.
Response: I would hope that the
students would be inspired by Mr.
Nelson’s story of Mr. Mandela and
how he can be viewed as a hero. I
would have them come up with a list
of characteristics of what they feel
makes a hero. They would then write a
fictional biography of an individual
using the characteristics that believe
make a hero.
Review: I think that this is a great story
told by one of the foremost children’s
book authors and it is nice that to
learn about his childhood experiences.
Mr. dePaola tells very innocent and
ordinary stories about his childhood
including moving, experiencing a
hurricane, and seeing Snow White at
the movies and children can relate to
these things. Though Mr. dePaola
Poetry (2)
A Pizza the Size of the
Sun
Author: Jack
Prelutsky
Illustrator: James
Stevenson
None
2–4
Where the Sidewalk
Ends
Author/
Illustrator: Shel
Silverstein
None
3-5
grew up to be very successful, it is
important to see that famous people
and their heroes are normal and do
normal things Students can begin to
make connections between his life and
their own, which is very important in
ensuring that students continue to
hope for their own lives and strive for
better.
Review: I think this a great way to
introduce students to poetry because
these are fun and nonsensical poems
that are also clever and smart. Many
of the poems read like stories and that
makes it easier for students to write
and like poetry. I think books like this
and Love that Dog really helps
students see how easy and fun it can
be to write poetry.
Response: The titular poem deals with
a pizza and various toppings. I would
have the students create another
poem based on their favorite food.
Review: It’s important to children’s
literature because it has proven it is
timeless over its 40-year history. Many
of the poems address concerns that
children of all generations have had
and I think some of them could serve
as great bibliotherapy for children who
have issues with feeling accepted or
Caldecott (2)
The Lion and the
Mouse
Jerry Pinkney
None
K-2
Joseph Had A Little
Overcoat
Simms Taback
None
K-2
are just experiencing the normal
difficulties that come with growing up.
Response: I would have my students
keep a journal about their life and
their feelings about their experiences
for three weeks. They would then be
responsible for composing a variety of
different poems (acrostics, alphabet
poems, haikus, tankas, couplets,
limericks, free verse, etc.) about their
experiences.
Summary: This is the classic story of
the mouse that runs into a mighty and
powerful lion. The lion catches the
mouse with the intent to eat him but
the mouse begs and pleads for him not
to eat him. The mouse says that he
promises to return the kindness one
day. The lion acquiesces because it
finds it so funny that the small mouse
thinks he can do anything for him. One
day, the lion gets caught in a trap and
the hunters intend to take him to the
king. The lion is so fearful but the
mouse sees the scared lion and gnaws
him of the rope. The moral of the story
is never to doubt who you will have to
ask for help.
Summary: Joseph has an old overcoat
that he loves. The overcoat gets older
and becomes worn out so he turns it
Newbery (1)
Holes
Author: Louis
Sachar
None
4-5
BBOAT (1)
Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone
Author: J. K.
Rowling
Illustrator: Mary
GrandPré
British
4-5
into a jacket. The jacket then becomes
worn and he makes it into a vest. Each
time the clothing becomes too worn,
he turns it into a new item of clothing.
The vest becomes a scarf, the scarf
becomes a necktie, the necktie
becomes a handkerchief, and the
handkerchief becomes a button. He
then loses the button. He then makes
a book to commemorate his
experiences.
* This is my second place book for
BBOAT – It shows how one can roll
with the punches and always make
something out of nothing!
Response: After reading the book, I
would have the students watch the
movie and compare and contrast the
differences. I would then have
students take short stories and tried to
write screenplays and justify why they
either omitted scenes or added things.
Review: It’s a really great book that
has gotten numerous children
interested in reading. It teaches
children about hope and the
importance of bravery.
Response: There are four houses at
Hogwarts based on certain
characteristics. I would have the
students create a fifth house based on
certain attributes that they would feel
are important.