Motivating Readers With
Missouri’s Reading Incentive Award Programs
The Mark Twain Nominees
Missouri Association of School Librarians
Spring Conference
April 18-20, 2010
Presented by
The 2009-2010 Mark Twain Award Committee
Barbara Beattie, Columbia, Chair
Lisa Johnson, Vandalia, Vice Chair
Robin Gibbons, Belton, Secretary
Cindy Matzat, Branson, Permanent Member
Sheri Cox, Columbia, One Year Member
Linda Cox, Independence, One Year Member
Toni Howe, Malden, One Year Member
Lynn Bosso, Fenton, MLS/CSRT Member
Rebecca Forbes, Bismarck, Past Chair
Mark Twain Award 2010-20110 Nominees
Grades 4-6
In 1971, the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL) and the
Missouri Library Association (MLA) created a children’s choice reading program,
the Mark Twain Award program, named after Missouri author Mark Twain. Since
1981, the program has been sponsored solely by MASL. Each year readers
representing library and educational organizations in Missouri, including a large
number of students, compile a list of nominated books. The Mark Twain
reader/selectors have nominated a list of twelve books which appeal to students in
grades four through six.
Books on the Mark Twain Award list are chosen to meet the following
criteria:
 Published two years prior to nomination on the Mark Twain Award Master
List
 Appeal to students in grades four through six
 Written by an author living in the United States
 Of literary value which will enrich students’ lives.
Books on the Mark Twain Award list are selected to provide quality reading for
a variety of tastes and interests.
The winning title will be chosen by fourth through sixth grade Missouri
students who have read at least four of the twelve books on the list and will vote in
the spring of 2011. The winning author will be honored at the Missouri
Association of School Librarians’ annual spring conference in 2012.
2010-2011 Mark Twain Award Nominees
(Note: There are 2 activity sheets for each book; the second set of sheets was created by the
Saturday Morning Book Club at MU)
Avi, Seer of Shadows
Horace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes tangled in a plot to create fake spirit photos, but when he
accidentally frees the real ghost of a girl, his life takes a fearful turn.
Barrows, Annie. The Magic Half
Miri Gill feels left out in her family, which has two sets of twins and her, until she travels back in time to
1935 and discovers Molly, her own lost twin, and brings her back to the present day.
Duey, Kathleen. Margret and Flynn
In the Colorado Territory in 1875, orphan Margret and her older sister Libby stay with Mrs. Fredrickson
and nurse an injured horse back to health.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Found
When Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane full of babies that
came out of nowhere, they uncover a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces trying to
repair the fabric of time.
Hobbs, Will. Go Big or Go Home
Fourteen-year-old Brady and his cousin Quinn love extreme sports, but nothing could prepare them for
the aftermath of Brady's close encounter with a meteorite after it crashes into his Black Hills, South
Dakota bedroom.
Kehret, Peg. Stolen Children
Amy, babysitting for little Kendra, must use her wits to save herself and the child after they are kidnapped
by two thugs who are demanding money from Kendra's wealthy parents in exchange for the lives of the
girls. (Summary from Follett Titlewave)
Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody. School Spirit
Kat has been seeing the dead since thirteen, and she and her best friend come to terms with their talents
while helping free the spirit of a girl trapped at their school.
Lupica, Mike. Safe at Home
Playing baseball was the one thing that made Nick Crandall feel at home until he was adopted, but he
faces a new challenge when he becomes the youngest member of the varsity baseball team.
Mills, Claudia. The Totally Made Up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish
Amanda works out her anxiety by writing a diary from the point of view of a ten-year-old girl whose
brothers fight on opposite sides in the Civil War.
Nelson, N.A. Bringing the Boy Home
Two young boys from the same Amazon tribe embark on a vision quest in order to achieve manhood.
Nuzum, K.A. The Leanin' Dog
In wintry Colorado during the 1930s, 11-year-old Dessa Dean mourns her mother's death, but she
befriends an injured dog, which changes their lives forever.
Diane Stanley. The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy,
Eighth-grader Franny and her friends investigate why most of the students at their exclusive boarding
school are brilliant, beautiful, and perfectly behaved.
All summaries from Bound to Stay Bound unless otherwise noted
Seer of Shadows
By Avi
HarperCollins
IL: 3rd-6th RL: 6.1
http://www.avi-writer.com/
Summary:
It is 1872 in New York City, and Horace Carpetine has been apprenticed to society
photographer Enoch Middleditch. Horace has been taught to believe in science and rational
thought, but when wealthy Mrs. Frederick Von Macht requests a photographic portrait to be put
on her daughter Eleanora’s grave, strange things begin to happen.
Mr. Middleditch plans to trick Mrs. Von Macht by superimposing a picture of the dead
girl that Horace took into her portrait. However, when Horace sees the picture, he realizes it is
not the one he took, but an angry, frowning Eleanora. Pegg, the Von Macht’s servant girl, leads
Horace to the truth about who Eleanora really was and how she actually died. Horace’s pictures
bring back the ghost of the dead girl, and she returns to punish those who treated her so badly.
Why is Horace the seer who brought Eleanora forth and can he stop Eleanora before she
exacts her revenge? Read Seer of Shadows by Avi and find out.
Themes:
Ghosts, Horror Stories, Swindlers and Swindling, Photography History, New York History:
1865-1898
Activities
From http://www.avi-writer.com/books/books/seer.html
Click on Teaching Guide
1. Photography. (Art/Science)
Provide an opportunity for young readers to explore photography. Invite them to
bring cameras to share with a partner or give pairs of students cameras (disposable
ones are fine). Have them take pictures in different lighting conditions, such as
bright, dim, direct, and shadowed. Develop or print the images for the group
to view and discuss. Alternatively, invite a local photographer to be a guest to
demonstrate and answer questions about his or her profession. Another possibility
is to bring your group to view a local photography exhibit. Prepare a digital photo display of
photos from the group or import into PowerPoint.
2. Storytelling. (Language Arts)
Ghosts! Bring in a selection of short ghost stories or have your group search for
some in the library. Turn down the lights to set a spooky mood while everyone
shares their ghost stories.
3. Debate. (Language Arts)
Divide readers into two groups to debate a topic based on The Seer of Shadows,
such as “Every occurrence has a rational explanation” or “Ghosts exist.” One
group is the proponent of the topic and the other group is the opponent. Establish
the procedure and rules for the debate and give the groups time to research and
prepare before beginning the debate.
4. History. (Social Studies/Language Arts/ Information Skills)
Guide readers in learning about Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
Research can include the cemetery’s website, www.green-wood.com. Or lead your
group in learning about well-known or long-established cemeteries in your area.
5. History. (Social Studies/Language Arts/ Information Skills)
Assign small groups to choose a historical research topic from the novel. They
might focus on Horace Greeley, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown, John
Ericsson, spirit photography, the Tammany Democrats, the radical Republicans of
the nineteenth century, or Edwin Booth. Charge them with presenting their topic
to the group in a way that helps depict the time period of the novel.
6. Science:
Research how cameras work; use print or online encyclopedias or websites such as
www.biglearning.com/treasure-photography-for-kids.htm
Questions for Discussion
From http://www.avi-writer.com/books/books/seer.html
Click on Teaching Guide
1. Before reading the book, take a look at the cover. What do you think the book is about? What
do you think its title means?
2. Do you believe in ghosts? Do you think there are people who can see ghosts? Horace’s
initial disbelief in ghosts comes from his parents. Explain where your beliefs come
from.
3. Horace and his father consider photography to be a science. They see photographs as
factual. Do you agree? Why or why not?
4. What is the difference between science and religion? Can a person believe in both?
5. Horace decides he has to take the secret pictures Mr. Middleditch asks him to take.
Why? How do you think you would handle a situation like this one?
6. Horace has a very different relationship with Pegg than the Von Machts or Mr.
Middleditch do. Why? What makes people think differently about the same person?
7. What happens to Mr. Von Macht? How do you know?
8. Consider the idea of revenge. Do you think what happens to the Von Machts is just?
Explain.
9. Throughout the novel the author uses foreshadowing—he suggests that something is
going to happen before it happens. How did this make you feel as you read?
10. What do you imagine happens to Eleanora after the end of the story?
Other Books by Avi (Check out Avi’s website above for all of them!)
Adventure: Poppy series, Crispin, Windcatcher, No More Magic
Animal Tales: Poppy series, The Good Dog, The Mayor of Central Park
Fantasy: Book without Words, Christmas Rat, Perloo the Bold, Bright Shadow
Ghosts: Something Upstairs, Midnight Magic, Devil’s Race
The Magic Half
By Annie Barrows
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
IL: 3-6 RL: 4.2
Summary: The middle child between two sets of twins, Miri often feels left out,
overlooked, and unremarkable. When her family moves to a new home, she feels
lonelier than ever. She soon learns from an elderly neighbor of a legend surrounding
her house. According to town lore, many years earlier a thief left buried treasure
somewhere on her property. Quickly, the siblings race to uncover it. Soon after the hunt
begins she notices a small piece of glass taped to her wall. Looking through the lens,
Miri finds herself still in her room, but in 1935. It is here that she meets Molly, a girl
badly in need of help to escape her abusive situation, but Miri accidentally returns to her
own time before she can save her new friend. Alone again, she must figure out how to
rescue Molly before it's too late. – School Library Journal
Themes: Time travel, Twins, Magic, Siblings
Activities:
In the story Miri traveled back in time to 1935. Research what life in America would be
like in 1935 and create a poster on Glogster (http://edu.glogster.com/) that compares life
for Miri and Molly in the two time periods (i.e. clothing styles, vehicles, food costs,
entertainment, current events).
Write an alternate ending for the story if Miri had been trapped back in 1935.
Discussion Questions:
All siblings have times when it is hard to get along with each other. What would be the
challenges of being an “only” in between two sets of twins?
What could be the possible effects of traveling back in time and changing events that
happened? Did the author demonstrate this by her choice of ending in the book?
Did Grandma May really understand that Miri was there to save Molly? Explain your
reasoning.
Would you have made the same choice as Miri to travel back in time to save Molly?
Why?
Additional Resources:
Author’s Website - http://www.anniebarrows.com/magichalf/
Author Interview - http://www.anniebarrows.com/magichalf/interview/
Author Name Pronunciation - http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronounce.cgi?aid=4908
Other Books Written by the Author:
Ivy and Bean series
The following activity sheet came from the publisher who said author Annie Barrows had
edited and approved it.
LEARNING COMES ALIVE!
Resources and Ideas for Using The Magic Half with Students
WRITING PROMPTS:
These prompts can help you use The Magic Half to inspire writing. By making text-toself connections in writing, children can interact creatively with literature. These writing
prompts are suitable for papers or journaling.
1. On page 116, Miri imagines having to describe Astroturf to Molly:
She looked at the bright Astroturf in front of the fast-food place. Now that was totally
weird. She imagined trying to explain Astroturf to Molly --it’s a fake grass that doesn’t
look like grass, and everybody knows it’s fake, but they put it on the ground and
everyone pretends it’s real.
Think about something that has been invented or become popular in the last ten years
(for example: iPods, cellphones, tapioca drinks). How would you describe it to someone
who has never seen or experienced or even heard of it?
2. In Chapter 12, Miri thinks about time and whether the present day as she knows it
would be different if she could go back in time and change something. She thinks
about the chip in her kitchen floor caused by a frying pan that had been dropped in
the past. She wonders “But if the past changes, wouldn’t that make everything
different in the present?”
If you could change something in the past, what would it be? Would it be something
historical or personal? How would that change affect the present day as you know it?
Would things be better or worse? Describe.
LANGUAGE ARTS
In The Magic Half, author Annie Barrows uses homographs (a word with the same
spelling as another or others but with a different meaning, and sometimes, a different
pronunciation) to show differences between the eras in which characters Miri and Molly
live.
Page 51:
Homograph: Great
Miri tried to remember what she had learned in fifth-grade history. 1935. What was
going on in 1935? Was it flappers and the Charleston? No, that’s the twenties, she
thought. Uh-oh. The Depression. The thirties were the Great Depression. “Great!” she
moaned.
Molly looked at her with interest. It was the first non-sobbing noise she had made
in a long time. “What?”
“1935! Right in the middle of the Great Depression! I have to get stuck in the
Depression! Sheesh!”
“I never heard anybody call it ‘great’ before,” said Molly.
“Great like big, not like terrific.”
“Oh.”
Page 179
Homograph: Cool
“How do I work it?” Molly asked, frowning at the CD player.
Miri knelt besides her. “See, just press this button, right here—” She pressed,
and Deathbag’s howls and screams came, very quietly, from the speaker.
Molly was fascinated. “What’s that? Why are they screaming like that?”
“It’s music. Robbie and Ray think it’s supercool.” Miri rolled her eyes.
“What do you mean, cool?”
“Cool means --um--good, popular.” Molly nodded, but Miri wasn’t sure she got it.
Activity:
Create a homograph list or graph. List other homographs you can think of. Here’s one to
start:
Lick = taste, eat or defeat
Now use them in sentences to show different meanings and context:
You can lick an ice cream cone or lick someone in a fight.
VISUAL ARTS/SOCIAL STUDIES
Comparing Periods in Time
Visuals can communicate information without words. In The Magic Half, the reader and
characters travel between modern-day twenty-first century and the year 1935—or the
decades of the 2000’s and 1930’s. Author Annie Barrows gives the reader clues to help
him/her have a sense of what these time periods look, sound and smell like. For
example, she uses an old iron bed, old doll carriage, a pigpen by the barn and books on
the shelf like Little Women and Eight Cousins to give a sense of time and place to the
reader. She also uses the sense of smell and sound: “Nothing buzzed or beeped or
rang. The air smelled less like cars and more like animals.”
Imagine you were transported back in time and landed in your house and neighborhood.
Choose one of the following: 25, 50, 75 or 100 years ago. What year is it? Research
details from the internet, books in the library or old magazines from that period of time.
Were there cars and if so, what did they look like? What type of clothing was worn?
What did product packaging look like (for example, gum or Coca Cola)? Hair styles?
What were the popular books?
Folding a piece of construction paper in half, create a collage featuring the current time
period on one side and the period from the past on the other. Cut out, photo copy or
print out illustrations and images you find. Compare and contrast the similarities and
differences.
Using the same media above, research details from present time vs. the period from the
past. What was the cost of 1 gallon of milk? Cost of 1 dozen eggs? A car or bicycle? A
suit or pair of shoes?
Make a chart or Venn diagram to illustrate the differences between current day and the
time period chosen.
Creating a Time Capsule
Create a time capsule for someone your age in the future. What would you include in
the capsule? What items could you include to give that person a sense of history,
popular food or drink, literature, environment, clothing, pop culture like music or TV and
activities you like?
MATH
On the website, www.anniebarrows.com/magichalf/stuff/ author Annie Barrows wrote
interesting facts about twins including the mathematical probability of having twins. The
odds of having two sets of twins in one family is roughly 1 in 50,000.
Although it’s not very common for this to happen, let’s imagine your family had two sets
of twins plus you:
Think about the last 5 things that were purchased for you. For example, the last
pair of sneakers, the last birthday present, or the last book you bought.
Create a chart listing the last 5 things that were purchased for you. Research the
cost of each item and list that. Calculate how much money would be needed to
purchase all of these items for your new big family with two sets of twins.
Take this exercise further. Calculate how much your family’s grocery bill would
expand if you now had two sets of twins in your family. Would your current car fit all of
you? If not, how much would a new car cost? What about your house? Is there enough
room?
Hoofbeats: Margret and Flynn, 1875
by Kathleen Duey
www.kathleenduey.com
Dutton Children’s Books
Grades 3-7 Reading Level 4.6
Summary:
Margret and her older sister, Libby, have been traveling for years, ever since
their parents died. They walk for days at a time and do chores to earn food and
lodging until Libby decides to move on.
Now they are staying with Mrs. Fredriksen in her sod house in Littleton,
Colorado. Twelve-year-old Margret loves living with Mrs. Fredricksen because
of the trust and respect she gives the girls and is afraid that Libby, who is
distrustful of everyone, will soon have them moving on again. Margret yearns
for stability and wants to stay in this home. She increasingly realizes that she is
old enough to have a say in the decision to move.
A tornado sweeping through the community brings with it an injured horse and
Margret claims the animal, naming him Flynn. Margret nurses Flynn back to
health and teaches herself to ride. She makes a new friend, Cory, who loves
horseback riding as much as Margret does. Now, more than ever, Margret
wants to stay and make Flynn hers, but it seems that the more Margret
establishes a new life, the more Libby is anxious to leave. Can Margret
convince Libby to let go of their old life and settle down here?
Themes:
Orphans
Sisters
Horses
Frontier and Pioneer Life
Colorado History
Activities:
1. Check out A to Z Kids Stuff—Colorado at
www.atozkidsstuff.com/colorado.html , an online multimedia museum, for a
variety of information and activities about Colorado and its history.
2. Sod houses were common on the plains. Smithsonian’s History Explorer
has Building a Sod House, an interactive lesson, at
americanhistory.si.edu/ourstory/f/sodhouse.html.
3. Students can get a feel for horsemanship with the Equine Games at
www.coolhorsestuff.com and find out about wild mustangs at
www.mustangs4us.com .
Discussion Ideas:
1. Discuss Libby and Margret’s family situation. How do they provide for
their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter? Could they live alone now?
Are there young people today living in a similar way to Libby and Margret?
2. Why is Libby not as trusting as Margret? What are her usual reasons for
moving on?
3. Why do you think Mrs. Fredriksen wants the girls to stay? What is her
relationship with her own daughter and grandchildren?
4. What does the behavior of the three main characters before, during, and after
the tornado tell you about each of them?
5. Why is Flynn so important to Margret?
6. What does the appearance of the cowboy Eli’s horse say about his character?
How does this influence Mrs. Fredriksen’s decision not to tell the cowboys
about Flynn? What else do you think influenced her decision? Do you think
Mrs. Fredriksen made the right decision? Why or why not?
7. How does meeting Cory and her family change Margret? What are
similarities and differences between the two girls?
8. Why do you think Libby finally tells Margret about their parents? What else
do we find out about Libby in that conversation?
9. At the end of the book, Margret is happy to be “home.” What makes Mrs.
Fredriksen’s soddy a “home” now?
Other books you may enjoy by Kathleen Duey:
Other Hoofbeats titles:
Lara and the Gray Mare
Lara and the Moon-Colored Filly
Lara and the Silent Place
Lara at Athenry Castle
Silence and Lilly, 1773
Katie and the Mustang series
Flood: Mississippi, 1927
Forest Fire: Hinckley, Minnesota, 1894
Swamp: Bayou Teche, Louisiana, 1851
Train Wreck: Kansas, 1892
Blizzard
Earthquake
Titanic
Found
The Missing: Book 1
By Margaret Peterson Haddix
Scholastic Press New York
IL 5th – 8th RL 5.0
http://www.haddixbooks.com/home.html
Summary (from the Margaret Peterson Haddix website):
Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it
was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adopted, begin receiving
mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says,
"Beware! They're coming back to get you."
Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI,
a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere -- and people who
seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between
two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives.
Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when
both alternatives are horrifying?
Themes:
Adoption, Time Travel, Science Fiction
ACTIVITIES taken from the following link: http://oh.webjunction.org/ohctrofoundext
Language Arts:
Write a letter to Jonah’s parents about the most important aspects of the mystery and what they
learned. Reveal everything that you think may help them discover where Jonah, Chip and
Katherine have gone.
Art:
Design a set for the movie version of the novel. You can use photographs, collage or any other
art form that you please just be sure to include a paragraph about your choices for color, lighting
and other design elements.
Music:
Create a playlist of music that should accompany the soundtrack of the movie. Explain your
choices.
Discussion Questions taken from the following link:
http://oh.webjunction.org/ohctrofounddis
1. Describe the opening scene. Why do you think Haddix decided to start her story here.
As you read, make predictions about what you think will happen next.
2. If you received those letters what would you do? To whom would you show them?
Would you, like Jonah, keep them from your parents? Why or why not?
3. What does Chip learn about himself? Do you think a kid has the right to know whether
or not they are adopted? Why or why not? Defend your answer. Do you think you
would want to know about your birth parents or would you be content as Jonah seems to
be?
4. Katherine tells Jonah, “…If you’re going through some adolescent ‘Who am I?’
phase, it’s not because you’re adopted. Everyone goes through that. I don’t know who
I am either.” (p. 54) Do you feel like this? Do you wonder how others will define
you? Do you care?
5. How do Chip and Jonah rule out the letters being a simple prank?
6. Jonah and his parents feel threatened by their meeting with James Reardon at the FBI.
How would your parents react? How would you? Would you keep looking for
answers even though deportation could happen?
7. What odd events happen at the FBI? Would you have believed Katherine about the
disappearing man? Would you have had enough guts to open the file and snap a
picture like Katherine did? What do they discover?
8. Create a list of questions you would want to ask the witnesses or survivors if you were
Jonah or Chip. Katherine says, “…but when you’re not talking, sometimes you notice
things more.” (p. 113) What does Katherine notice about Mr. Reardon? Now you try
it. What do you notice that you might’ve missed?
9. What do the kids learn from Angela DuPre at the library? Do you agree with her theory
about the babies? How hard would it be for you to believe her?
10. When the kids are sorted at the adoption conference what does Katherine decide to
do? Would you have made the same decision? Who are the other kids? How do you
think Jonah and Katherine’s parents will react?
11. Explain what happens inside the cave. Is this what you expected from your
predictions or were you surprised? Can you figure out who is actually good and who
is evil? Why is it so confusing to Jonah and the others? Is it always easy to tell in real
life or not?
12. Explain the problems of paradox, ripple and age reversal. Which one would scare you
the most? How difficult do you think these issues would be for a novelist in writing
the book?
13. Who are the babies? Why were they left on the plane? Whose side do you actually
believe? Why? How would you feel if you were Jonah and Chip? Do you think
Katherine wishes she stayed behind?
14. Who do you think Jonah is in history? Do you like to read series books? Why?
15. How does the novel end? Was it satisfying? What do you think will happen next in
the series? What questions does Haddix leave in your mind for the next book?
Other books by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Shadow Children Series
Claim to Fame
Middle Names
Because of Anya
Dexter the Tough
Double Identity
The House on the Gulf
Just Ella
Escape from Memory
The Girl with 500
Leaving Fishers
Palace of Mirrors
Running out of Time
Say What?
Go Big or Go Home
By Will Hobbs
HarperCollins
IL: 5th-8th RL: 4.7
http://www.willhobbsauthor.com/meet.html
Summary:
Fourteen-year-old Brady Steele and his cousin Quinn love all things extreme and their
summer vacation turns out to be the most extreme ever when a meteorite crashes right into
Brady’s room late one night. Brady and Quinn take it to Professor Rip Ripley at the museum in
Hill City, South Dakota, who wants to study a piece of it in search of extraterrestrial bacteria and
prove that life on other planets does exist. Brady finds himself now endowed with super powers;
he can run faster, bike harder, and dunk a basketball. He even saves a child from a stampeding
buffalo.
During a wild week of extreme bicycling, fishing, and caving in the Halls of the Dead
Cave, Brady and Quinn battle their arch enemies, the Carver brothers, for possession of the
meteorite. Then suddenly, Brady finds himself in a darker battle as his own body starts to shut
down and go dormant. Will Professor Ripley be able save Brady before the Carver brothers’
father, the local coroner, thinks he’s dead and performs an autopsy? Read Go Big or Go Home
by Will Hobbs for an extreme adventure!
Characters:
Brady Steele-14-year-old boy who loves extreme things and finds a meteorite that crashes
through his roof and into his room. After being endowed with super powers from the ET
bacteria, he then finds out the bacteria may cause him to go dormant and people will think he
died.
Quinn-Brady’s cousin who comes to join his adventures and participates with him in extreme
caving and fishing
Carver Brothers-Cal, the oldest, Max and Buzz, the twins who give Brady a hard time
Professor Rip Ripley- astrobiologist who studies meteorites and outer space
Brady’s dad-works on the Crazy Horse statue for his job
Quinn’s dad-lost his job and thinks about moving to Wyoming to work in the gas fields
Setting: Black Hills, South Dakota
Themes: Meteorites, astronomy, cousins, extreme sports, Black Hill, science fiction
Activities:
From the link http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0060741422.pdf
1. Letter to the Living
After explaining both the paralysis and his nightmare about having an autopsy performed on him while still
alive, Brady makes Quinn promise that if Brady becomes dormant from the alien bacteria, Quinn will not allow Mr.
Carver to perform an autopsy. Assuming the voice of Brady, write a letter to his parents explaining his theory of
alien bacteria taking over his body and asking them to protect him from an autopsy.
2. Broadcast News
Professor Ripley wants the discovery of life on Mars to be kept secret. Assume that one of the Carver boys leaks the
information to the press. Write a front page news story, videotape a news broadcast, or record a radio news report
exposing the discovery and explaining the phenomenon of the long-dormant and disease-causing bacteria.
3. Missing Persons
The well-developed characters in Go Big or Go Home have some unusual characteristics. Create a missing persons
poster focusing on one of these characters. Include information centering on the Perseid meteor shower as well as
unusual characteristics of the missing person.
4. Web Page
Design a home page for a character in the novel. Based on information in the text, include appropriate facts about
the character’s personality and interests, as well as links and graphic images. Produce and display the web page online for others in the group to view.
Websites:
Will Hobbs: http://www.willhobbsauthor.com/ Information about the author and where he got
his ideas for this book
Black Hills: http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/ Information about things to do and see in the
Black Hills including Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, caves, and the national parks
there
Questions:
1. How does Brady find the meteorite? Crashes through his roof and mattress
2. How big was the meteorite? About the size of a baked potato
3. What kind of effect does it have on Brady? First gives him super strength and then causes
him to go numb
4. Describe an extreme event that the boys participated in-fishing for trout, exploring the
Halls of the Dead Cave, watching the catapult work, bike ride where Brady overtook the
two adult riders and saved the boy from a stampeding buffalo
5. What did Professor Ripley use as an antidote? Vinegar
6. What do they do with the meteorite? Drop into the pit in the Halls of the Dead Cave
7. What happens to Quinn and his dad at the end of the story? They move to Brady’s town;
his dad dates Maggie at the Grabba Java, Quinn goes to high school with Brady
Questions for Discussion from the link
http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0060741422.pdf
1. Brady risks his life to save a little boy from a charging buffalo. Why do the tourists ignore the
signs warning them of the danger of getting too close? How do the tourists put lives at risk? Why
does Brady refuse the reward for saving the little boy’s life?
2. When Brady and Quinn visit with the professor to discuss the meteorite they name Fred, the
professor comments, “There’s a world of difference between the improbable and the impossible”
(page 69). How does this statement prove to be correct in light of Fred’s effect on Brady? Is what
happens more improbable or impossible? Why?
3. Quinn’s and Brady’s fathers feel comfortable leaving their boys alone for several days. What
does this say about their relationships? In what ways have Quinn and Brady acted to deserve this
trust?
4. Brady and Quinn both love being outdoors and biking, fishing, and camping. How does their
experience with these sports help them when they get into trouble? What skills do they have that
help save Brady’s life?
5. Brady’s increased strength and athletic ability surprise both him and Quinn, but when the
tingling and paralysis begin, Brady refuses to go to the doctor or to talk to Professor Ripley. Of
what is he most afraid? Why doesn’t he confide in his father or uncle?
6. When Brady slips and almost falls into the cavern, how does Quinn react? What does Quinn’s
reaction say about his character? How does Brady react when Attila saves his life? Why does
Attila save Brady?
7. When Brady and Quinn take Fred to Professor Ripley, they are thrilled about what they learn.
What information makes them the most excited? Why? Why does Professor Ripley discount any
danger that Fred might cause Brady?
8. Google the word astrobiology. Does this new science described by Professor Ripley (page
108) really exist, and is NASA involved in its study?
9. On page 127, Brady reminds himself about the saying on Quinn’s T-shirt: “Go big or go
home.” What does this saying mean to him? How does the book’s title relate to the story?
10. Quinn does not want to leave the Black Hills to live in Wyoming, and his father gives him
permission to stay with Brady. Why does Quinn refuse the offer and move to Wyoming with his
Stolen Children
By Peg Kehret
Dutton Children’s Books New York
IL 5th – 8th RL 5.0
http://www.pegkehret.com/
Summary:
Fourteen year old Amy is hired to fill in for the nanny one afternoon for the
wealthy Mrs. Edgerton. While three year old Kendra is a joy to take care of and
Amy finds herself dreaming this job would continue all summer, kidnappers arrive
and take Kendra. In her efforts to protect the young girl, Amy goes with them and
both are taken to a shack in the woods. There, she must find a way to keep herself
and Kendra safe while trying to find a way to send clues to those looking for her.
Themes:
Babysitting, Kidnapping, Survival, Mystery
ACTIVITIES:
Language Arts:
Create a story scenario where you would need to communicate with someone
without using the exact words. What cryptic clues could you create.
Art:
Design a set for the movie version of the novel. You can use photographs, collage
or any other art form that you please just be sure to include a paragraph about your
choices for color, lighting and other design elements.
Music:
Create a playlist of music that should accompany the soundtrack of the movie.
Explain your choices.
Discussion Questions:
1. Mrs. Nordlund hires Amy without having met her first. Would you
babysit for someone you didn’t know?
2. Why do you think the author had Amy’s father die?
3. When Amy woke up and realized Kendra was gone, she went looking
for her and tried to stop the men from taking her. Do you think she
should have hidden instead?
4. What would you have done if you were Amy when they stopped at the
Saddle Stop Country Store?
5. Should Amy have tried to escape without Kendra?
6. Do you think the nanny is partly responsible and should be charged
with a crime?
7. How many days are Amy and Kendra held captive?
8. When Amy and Kendra return home, Mrs. Nordlund offers the nanny
job to Amy. Would you take it?
Other books by Peg Kehret:
Abduction
Backstage Fright
The Blizzard Disaster
Bone Breath and the Vandals
My Brother Made Me Do It
Cages
Cat Burglar on the Prowl
Runaway Twin
Don’t Tell Anyone
Searching for Candlestick Park
Earthquake Terror
Escaping the Giant Wave
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio
The Ghost Followed us Home The Ghost’s Grave
The Stranger Next Door
My Brother Made Me Do It
Nightmare Mountain
Runaway Twin
Searching for Candlestick Park
Shelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio
The Stranger Next Door
Trapped
Disaster
The Hideout
Desert Danger
Saving Lily
Spy Cat
Terror at the Zoo
The Volcano
Suddenly Supernatural: School Spirit
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
www.CodyKimmel.com
Little, Brown & Company Books for Young Readers
Grades 3-7 Reading Level 4.6 Lexile 790
Summary:
All Kat Roberts wants is to be normal—or to at least look that way to the other
students at her new school. That’s not easy when your mom is a medium who
sees spirits and communicates with them. To make matters worse, Kat
discovers that she has inherited her mother’s gift. Of course, Kat tries to hide
this fact from everyone—including her mother and her popular project partner
Shoshanna.
Kat’s world at school includes the Satellite Girls, who want to stay on
Shoshanna’s good side, Kat’s new friend Jac, a gifted musician, and a ghost in
the school library. Kat wants to help the flutist haunting the school library,
whose living aunt is also Jac’s music teacher. Can she help the spirit without
forever damaging her reputation at school?
Themes:
Spiritualism
Mother-daughter Relationships
Individuality and self-acceptance
Musicians
Popularity
School stories
Activities:
1. Engage in a debate on the paranormal. The Paranormal Research Society
website at www.paranormalresearchsociety.org maintains forums for debate,
as well as a Data & Evidence Review.
2. Have students prepare a slide show of haunted places. For fourth graders,
this could tie into their Missouri study. Try these sites:
www.missourighosts.net
www.prairieghosts.com
www.realhaunts.com
3. Students can make a movie of themselves retelling ghost stories. The
above sites also have stories. Try www.yourghoststories.com for shared
tellings of real ghostly experiences.
4. Jac is a gifted musician. See www.playmusic.org for a fun way to
experience all aspects of the orchestra--you can listen to Yo Yo Ma play the
cello.
Discussion Ideas:
There is an excellent Reading Group Guide available at
www.hachettebookgroup.com/KRG_9780316066839.pdf .
Other books you may enjoy by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel:
Balto and the Great Race
Crossing Over
Glamsters
Lily B. on the Brink of Cool
Lily B. on the Brink of Love
Lily B. on the Brink of Paris
Mary Ingalls on Her Own
Scaredy Kat (sequel to School Spirit)
The Top Job
Safe at Home: Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids
Nick Crandall feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere. He never has felt like
he belongs, really. He doesn’t fit in this new family with his new foster
parents, both of whom are professors. They don’t know the first thing about
sports—and he’s not exactly a model student. It’s only a matter of time
until they realize he’s not the right kid for them. And Nick certainly doesn’t
belong playing varsity baseball. He’s only twelve years old! His teammates
want a catcher their own age, not some kid. But Nick needs to prove
something. He needs to prove that he belongs—to his parents, to his team,
and to himself.
Themes:
Adoption, Baseball, Fitting In
Activities:
Go to www.theteacherscorner.net and type in baseball as a theme and find
tons of things to teach related to baseball!
Read either Summer Ball or Travel Team by Lupica. All three of these books
relate to the underdog and giving 100%. Make a Venn diagram using the
books. Compare and Contrast different aspects of the book(s).
Make a baseball journal and write a summary after each chapter.
Discussion Questions:
1. How did Nick end up playing varsity baseball as a seventh grader?
2. What kind of reception did Nick receive from his varsity teammates
when he joined the team? Why did they treat Nick this way?
3. Nick felt that his adoptive father did not understand him. How did his
father prove he was wrong? What efforts did Nick make to connect
with his father?
4. How did Gracie help Nick through his baseball slump? Use specific
examples from the book to support your answer.
5. Nick felt connected to the comic book character Captain Marvel. What
did Nick and Captain Marvel have that Nick envied? Why did Nick want
this power?
Other Books by Mike Lupica:
Heat
Travel Team
Summer Ball
Miracle on 49th Street
The Big Field
Million-Dollar Throw
Hot Hand
Long Shot
Two-Minute Drill
The Totally Made-up Civil War Diary of
Amanda MacLeish
Claudia Mills
Ages 9-12, reading level 4.7
197 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (March 18, 2008)
http://www.claudiamillsauthor.com/
Summary:
Amanda MacLeish is studying the Civil War in school, but the war really tearing
her apart is the one in her own home. Amanda’s parents fight regularly, and she
and her sister Steffi worry about whether or not their parents will divorce; and if
the family will be split in two like the country under Lincoln’s presidency. As an
assignment in her fifth grade class, Amanda is given a character to portray in a
Civil War diary. She uses the story of her character, Polly, and the fact that her
two brothers are fighting for opposite sides in the war to help her deal with the
events unfolding in her own family. Amanda works out her feelings about her
parents’ divorce through the diary entries she writes about the struggles of Polly’s
family. As Polly’s family resolves their problems, Amanda wonders if her own
family can do the same.
Themes- Divorce/separation, race, friendship, family/sibling relationships,
change
Vocabulary/ key phrases- goober peas, Civil War, Battle of Bull Run, Dixie Land,
Clara Barton, Abraham Lincoln, African American, Emancipation Proclamation,
President Lincoln
ACTIVITIES:
Language Arts:
*Create your own character to portray in a Civil War diary. Think about a name,
how old you would be, what your family would be like, and whether or not you
supported the North or the South. Write about what happens to your family and
what your life is like during the war.
*Write a newspaper article about a Civil War battle. Write as if you were a
journalist that actually witnessed the battle.
*Make a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Amanda’s and Polly’s lives.
Which of these characters are you most like? Tell why.
Art:
*Use a tea bag to make a piece of paper look antique. When it dries, write a
diary entry about the Civil War.
* "My greatest aim has been to advance the art of photography and to make it
what I think I have, a great and truthful medium of history."
- Mathew B. Brady
Research Mathew Brady, known as the father of photojournalism. (Also said to
be Abraham Lincoln’s favorite photographer!) Use this website to help you learn
about him and the history of photography:
http://www.mathewbrady.com/about.htm
Create a poster or Glog to show what you have learned.
Music:
Two Civil War songs are sung by Amanda’s class at the program. Research the
music of the Civil War. Try to find songs from the Union as well as the
Confederacy. Choose one to share and discuss the meaning of the lyrics. Try
this website to listen to songs from both sides:
http://pabucktail.com/songs.htm
Discussion Questions:
1. Amanda and her sister react differently to the news of their parents’
separation throughout the book. With which character do you more
closely identify?
2. How do you think Amanda should have reacted when the students find
out about the auditions and Lance calls James Jonah?
3. What do you think was going through Polly’s mind when she read her
brother Jeb’s name in the newspaper under “wounded soldiers”?
4. Do you think Amanda should have invited her father to the program? Tell
why or why not, and support your answer.
5. Were you surprised when Amanda’s father came to the field trip at the
end of the story? How would you have felt if you were in Amanda’s
place?
6. How are Polly and Amanda similar? How are they different?
7. How do you think Amanda’s writing of Polly’s story helped her through a
difficult time in her family?
8. Do you think that Polly should have gone off to look for her brothers, or
waited at home with her parents? What would you have done?
Other books by Claudia Mills:
Being Teddy Roosevelt
Trading Places
Makeovers by Marcia
Gus and Grandpa and the Piano Lesson (Gus and Grandpa)
Perfectly Chelsea
Gus and Grandpa Go Fishing (Gus and Grandpa)
Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume (Gus and Grandpa)
Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell
How Oliver Olson Changed the World
Losers, Inc.
You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman
Lizzie at Last
Alex Ryan, Stop That!
Bringing the Boy Home
Author: N.A. Nelson
http://www.ninanelsonbooks.com
Harper Collins Publishers, 2008
Pages: 211
Summary: A great adventure tale. Nelson alternates between the stories of 2 boys. Tirio was born in
the Amazon jungle, but raised in the United States. As he approaches his 13th birthday, he feels the
strong call to return home. Luka was also born in the Amazon. His approaching 13th birthday brings a
test that will determine his and his family’s place in the tribe. Both boys must face challenges beyond
their imagination.
www.bookpikks.com
Themes: Adventure, Coming of Age, Disability, Nature, Survival
About the Author: N.A. Nelson was born in London, England and grew up on a cattle farm in rural
Missouri. Living on a thousand acres of wilderness provided plenty of opportunities for adventure, but it
also created a sense of wonderment about what else was out there. After graduating with a degree in
tourism, the author strapped on a backpack and has been exploring the world ever since. Recent
journeys include the jungles of the Amazon and the glaciered peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Bringing the Boy
Home is the author's debut novel and the winner of the 2005 Ursula Nordstrom Fiction contest.
www.ninanelsonbooks.com/
Discussion Questions:
1. In the opening pages of the story, Tirio says, ". . .Now more than anything, I want to go back. I
want to prove to my father that I am strong enough to be a Takunami man." Why do you think
Tirio wants to prove something to a father he has never known? If you were Tirio, would you
want to go back? Why or why not?
2. Why is the soche seche tente so important not only for Luka, but his whole family?
3. What ceremonies does our society have that mark the entrance into adulthood? In your opinion,
why is it that so many societies feel it is important to observe these ceremonies at all? Explain
your answer.
4. What do Joey and Tirio have in common that hurts them both?
5. Why do you think it is so important to the Takunami people to be strong? Do you agree with Luka
when he says, ". . .from the strongest men, come the strongest offspring. . ."? Explain your
opinion.
6. At first, as Tirio struggles to reach the village, how does he respond to his father’s advice?
7. Why is Tirio’s return to the village the exact opposite of how he’d hoped to return?
8. What does Mr. Carter’s story have in common with the relationship between Luka and Tirio?
9. The Takunami believe in the survival of the fittest. Weak children are often killed or banned from
the village. This culling occurs in many real jungle tribes today. Explain why you agree/disagree
with this practice as it pertains to life in an unforgiving environment. Do you think Tirio would have
passed his test if he had been allowed to stay with the tribe? Now imagine this: You are the
captain of soccer team; would you pick the handicapped Tirio as one of your players? What if it
was a championship game?
10. During Luka's training, he must use each of his five senses to pass a specific test. Which of the
five senses: hearing, smell, taste, touch, vision, did Tirio use the most to find his way home to the
Takunami village? Which sense do you use the most everyday? Which would you never want to
live without? Why?
11. Throughout the story, a lot of mistakes are made because people do not talk to each other. Who
do you think was to blame the most for Tirio being put into the corpse canoe? Why? Give three
examples from the story when Tirio himself did not communicate with people in his life.
12. The author uses animal comparisons to help us get to know both the appearance and the
personality of the characters: Tirio imagines himself as an injured ant, Sulali is compared to a
monkey, Weru is likened to a peccary (jungle pig.)
a) What animal are you?
b) Luka imagined his sister as a poisonous spider with eight braids instead of legs. Later,
she became a jaguar. Explain which animal you think she best embodies.
http://www.ninanelsonbooks.com/schools.html
Activities:
Plot and Conflict in Bringing the Boy Home: Use the guide at
http://www.ninanelsonbooks.com/CurriculumFiles/15PlotandConflict.pdf
to explore the multiple conflicts occurring in the book Bringing the Boy Home.
Make a Rainforest Postcard: Have students choose a rainforest of the world and research 5 interesting
facts. Students design a postcard with pictures of their chosen rainforest; students use the back of the
postcard to write to a friend telling what they learned.
http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Interdisciplinary/INT0011.html.
Creative Writing: Have students pick a rainforest animal. Ask them to write a journal as if they were that
animal living in the rainforest. What is its day and life like? Students can work independently or in groups.
http://www.ran.org/new/kidscorner/teachers_lounge/teachers_resources/rainforest_lesson_plan_ideas/
Art: The Takunami people in the book are a fictional tribe. Many indigenous tribes still inhabit Brazil. Visit
http://pib.socioambiental.org/en to read about some of these people. Art created by many of these
groups uses geometric design. Visit http://pib.socioambiental.org/en/c/no-brasil-atual/modos-devida/mitos-e-cosmologias to view some of this diverse art. Have students create their own piece of
geometric art.
Math: Identify how many acres of rainforest are being destroyed in a day. Have students figure out how
many acres are destroyed in a week, month, year. How many acres get destroyed an hour, minute,
second? At this rate of destruction, when might all of the rainforests disappear if no one does anything to
save them? (Hint: 100 acres of rainforests are being destroyed every minute)
http://www.ran.org/new/kidscorner/teachers_lounge/teachers_resources/rainforest_lesson_plan_ideas/
Science: Put rainforest fruits (banana, orange, tomato) and non-rainforest fruits (apple, peach, grapes)
each in separate glasses of water. How long does it take for them to decompose? Which ones
decompose faster? Why? Since it rains a lot in the rainforest, what qualities help a fruit survive in all that
water and humidity
http://www.ran.org/new/kidscorner/teachers_lounge/teachers_resources/rainforest_lesson_plan_ideas/
Other Books:
This is a first book by N.A. Nelson. Suggested titles for further reading:
Bearwalker by Joseph Bruchac
Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich
Alabama Moon by Watt Key
Into the Wild by Sofia Nordin
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Leanin’ Dog
By K. A. Nuzum
Joanna Cotler Books New York
IL: 4-8 RL: 5.4
http://www.kanuzum.com/leanin_dog.html
Summary:
Dessa Dean is trapped inside her house. Ever since Dessa Dean was witness to the
horrifying death of her diabetic mother when they were caught in a snowstorm, she has been unable
to take step outside the safety of her home. Whenever she tries, her frost-bitten ears grip her with a
paralyzing fear which forces her back inside.
Plagued with nightmares, Dessa Dean’s greatest fear is that she is becoming daft and that her
father believes so as well. Each day Dessa Dean is left alone in the isolated cabin as her father, a
trapper, goes out into the wilderness. She spends her time working on the schoolwork her father
has left for her to do. And as the snow continues to fall, she wonders if there will even be a
Christmas now that her mother is gone.
One day an injured dog scratches at the front door of the cabin. One of its legs is sticking
out away from its body. Dessa Dean decides to try to tame it. But the skittish creature won’t come
in more than half-way through the door. When her father comes home, the dog is frightened away.
Will the dog make its way back to the cabin? If so, will Dessa Dean be able to convince it to
come all the way inside? Will her father remember Christmas? And most importantly, will Dessa
Dean ever be able to overcome her fears and leave the confines of the cabin?
Themes:
Death of a parent, grief, phobias, animal rescue
ACTIVITIES:
Science:
Dessa Dean’s inability to step outside her home is a phobia. Learn about phobias and the many
different types there are by checking out http://phobialist.com/ and its reversed list at
http://phobialist.com/reverse.html
Dessa Dean’s father makes a living and provides food for the table through trapping. Learn about
Missouri’s trapping rules and regulations here: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/trap/index.htm
A leading factor in Dessa Dean’s mother’s death was that her mother suffered from diabetes.
Diabetes affects millions of people every day. Learn more about the disease and how to prevent it at
http://www.diabetes.org/
Social Studies/Art:
Research and learn about the history and variety of advent calendars. Create an original advent
calendar of your own to celebrate Christmas.
Research and learn about Christmas decorations. Create your own natural or recycled decorations.
Create a piñata of what you think the Leanin’ Dog looks like.
Math: Dessa Dean has to write problems that show she knows her multiplication tables. How well
do you know yours? Find out at http://www.multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm
Discussion Questions:
1. Dessa Dean is scared to step outside her home. How does this fear affect her and her
father? Has a fear of doing something ever prevented you from doing something you
wanted to do?
2. The setting of this story is in an isolated rural area. In what ways does the setting affect
the plot of the story. Could this story have taken place in an urban area?
3. With the winter weather and the isolated setting, Dessa Dean isn’t able to go to school.
Give examples of how she manages to continue with her learning and uses it to cope
with her daily activities.
4. Just like Dessa Dean is afraid to go outside, the dog is afraid to come inside. How do
they both help each other overcome their fears?
5. Dessa Dean’ relationship with her father is strained because of what has happened in the
past and the dog using up all their resources to live on. What do you think he could
have done differently?
Additional Resources:
A Reader’s Guide for The Leanin’ Dog with additional discussion questions and activities can be
found at http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0061139351.pdf.
Learn more about the author, hear her read excerpts, and discover her inspiration for writing the
book at http://www.kanuzum.com/.
Other Books Written by the Author:
A Small White Scar, a 2008-2009 Mark Twain Award nominee
The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy
Diane Stanley
http://www.dianestanley.com/
HarperCollins, 2008
258 pages
SUMMARY:
Eighth-grader Franny, along with her sister Zoe and Zoe’s twin brother, J.D., have all been asked
to attend prestigious Allbright Academy, where everyone is on their way to a very bright future.
When her best friend from home and even J.D. comment on how much she and her school
friends have changed (and not always in good ways), Franny starts investigating why. Together
the friends uncover a sinister plot that not only affects the students, but ultimately aims to
overthrow the American government. How they manage to bring everyone to justice will appeal
to mystery and CSI fans everywhere.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…
The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine, Diane Stanley
The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart
Chasing Vermeer, Blue Balliet
Thought questions and activities:
1. What would the perfect school be like?
2. Compare your school and the Allbright Academy. What are the pros and cons of each.
3. Should drugs that make students smarter be legal? Why and why not. Make a power point to
state your views.
4. The children act illegally in order to find out the secrets of the Allbright Academy. Is there
ever a good reason to perform illegally? Why or why not.
5. Film a re-enactment of your favorite part of the book.
6. If you could interview someone from the story who would it be and what questions would
you ask them? (A minimum of 8 questions,)
Topics:
Boarding Schools, gifted children, behavior modification, brainwashing, schools, mystery and
detective stories
Other titles by Diane Stanley:
The Trouble with Wishes, Bella at Midnight, The Giant and the Beanstalk, Goldie and the Three
Bears, Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter, The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine, A Time Apart, Saving
Sweetness, Raising Sweetness, Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise, Sleeping Ugly (illustrator),
Saving Sky, Mozart: The Wonder Child: A Puppet Play in Three Acts
Sources:
Jill Q. Altman, jaltman@saluda.k12.sc.us
Diane Stanley homepage: http://www.dianestanley.com/
The Totally Made-up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish
By Claudia Mills
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Reviewed by Linda Wycoff
Author’s website: www.claudiamillsauthor.com
Summary: For a school assignment, fifth grader Amanda is writing a Civil War
diary from the point of view of fictional Polly, a young girl whose brothers are
fighting on opposite sides - one for the North, one for the Confederacy. Like
Polly, Amanda’s own family is experiencing a civil war of its own. Her family is
splitting up and Amanda’s loyalties are torn as she and her family struggle with
hard questions and tough issues. Can a house divided still stand? Amanda learns a
lot about her family, her friends, and herself in this realistic and touching novel.
Themes: family, Civil War, friendship, transition, prejudice, racism, conflict
Discussion Questions:
 Amanda compares her family to what she calls “normal” families, like
Beth’s. What advice would you like to give her about the way she thinks
about families?
 Do you think Mr. Abrams’ assignment of writing civil war diaries is a good
one? Why or why not? If you had this assignment, from whose point of
view would you like to write? Why?
 Was Lance’s diary of the slave boy racist? Why or why not? What did
Amanda think? What did James think?
 How do you think James felt about having to write from the point of view of
Robert E. Lee for the diary assignment? Why do you think so? How do you
think Lance felt about having to write from the point of view of the slave?
Why do you think so?
 What is “betrayal”? Tell about acts of betrayal in the book. What were the
effects of the betrayals?
 Compare/contrast Amanda’s family to Polly’s family.
 What was the importance of James’s friendship to Amanda in the book?
Why do you think so?
 How did Amanda’s relationship with Beth change over the course of the
book? Was it a stronger or weaker relationship at the end? Why do you
think so? Support your thinking with examples.
 How did Amanda’s relationship with her parents change over the course of
the book? Were they stronger or weaker relationships at the end? Why do
you think so? Support your thinking with examples.
 How did Amanda’s relationship with her sister change over the course of the
book? Was it stronger or weaker in the end? Why do you think so?
Support your thinking with examples.
 How did the writing of the civil war diary possibly help Amanda with her
own problems? Explain your thinking.
 What was your biggest surprise as you were reading the book? Why?
Activities:
 Did you think the author’s decision to end the book with a journal entry by
Polly was effective? Why or why not? If you could rewrite the ending,
what would it sound like?
 Make a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast Polly’s experiences and
Amanda’s.
 Divide into three groups. Hold a class discussion with each group taking a
different point of view: slave, slave owner, abolitionist.
 Research a topic from the Civil War era and present it to the class: (a battle,
music of the era, a specific person, etc.) Presentations might include drama,
dance, song, art, time-line, etc.
 Make a T-chart of conflicts and resolutions in the book.
 Have each student represent the theme of the book with an object, quote,
excerpt, illustration, art project, etc. and present to the class with an
explanation.
Other books by Claudia Mills:
Dinah Forever
Losers, Inc.
Standing Up to Mr. O.
You’re a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman
Lizzie at Last
7 x 9 = Trouble!
Alex Ran, Stop That!
Perfectly Chelsea
Makeovers by Marcia
Trading Places
Being Teddy Roosevelt
Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy
By Diane Stanley
Harper Collins Publishing
Reviewed by Linda Wycoff
Author’s website: www.dianestanley.com
Summary: Franny and her sister and brother are accepted into an elite private
boarding school, which seems practically perfect – maybe too perfect. Franny and
friends notice all the hand-picked students seem to begin looking and acting more
and more alike. Suspecting something sinister, these young sleuths set out to find
the source of the mystery and find themselves in some suspenseful scenarios with
many twists and turns before the questions are answered.
Themes: friendship, self-worth, boarding school
Discussion Questions:
 Compare and contrast Frannie and Zoë.
 What was significant about the cottage assignments? How did Franny, Zoë,
and J.D. feel about their cottage assignments? Why? Which of the cottages
do you think you might be assigned to? Why?
 The first teamwork activity in the book was based on working together and
working alone on the assigned task. Ms. Lollyheart described it as
“independence and interdependence, just like in the real world.” Tell what
you think that means and why you think it was a good or not so good
project.
 How was Beamer like and different the kids at Allbright?
 Which of the kids are you most like? How so? Which one would you
choose as a friend? Why? Which one would you choose as a learning partner
on a class project? Why? Support your thinking with examples of their
actions.
 Are the secret formula brownies and their effects on the kids an example of
realism or fantasy? Why do you think so?
 Many of the adults involved at Allbright were convinced they were doing
the world a big favor. Were their decisions about the students right or
wrong? Why or why not?
 What was your biggest surprise in the book? Explain.
 At the end of the book, Franny says: “How nicely he put things, I thought,
old Mr. Dickens. For at that moment I knew that all of us had become the
heroes of our own lives.” What do you think she meant by that? Explain.
 What questions do you still have at the end of the book?
 What do you think might happen if a sequel were written to this book?
 How did your thinking change as you read the book? Explain your thinking.
Activities:
 Brooklyn frequently wrote haiku to express himself. Write a haiku to share
your interpretation of the theme.
 As a news reporter, write questions you would ask the author if you could
interview her.
 Write a letter to the head of the newly opened Allbright Academy giving
advice on how you think students should learn that will affect the future of
the world in a positive way.
 Have students use independence and interdependence to work in groups to
research a topic and produce a presentation or product. They will divide into
individual tasks and then put the parts together as a team.
 There are a number of references to Charles Dickens. Read a biographical
sketch, excerpts from some of his better known works, research websites,
etc.
 Have students list topics or references from the book that they were
confused about or would like to know more about to clarify the reading. (i.e.
Dickens, Jim Crow, Calpurnia, pogroms, Alzheimer’s, etc.) Discuss or
research further.
Other books by Diane Stanley:
Saving Sky (fall, 2010)
The Mysterious Matter of I.M. Fine
Mozart: the Wonder Child: a Puppet Play in Three Acts
Trouble with Wishes (a retelling of a classic myth)
Good Queen Bess: the Story of Elizabeth of England
Bard of Avon: the Story of William Shakespeare
Michelangelo
Stolen Children
Peg Kehret
Dutton Juvenile
Reviewed by Sharon Schneeberger
Author’s Website: http://www.pegkehret.com/
Summary: This suspenseful thriller takes place in 6 days and 165 pages. Amy, a
fourteen year old accepts a babysitting job and along with Kendra, the 3 yr old who
she is babysitting is kidnapped. Hugh, with cold-blooded intentions and Smokey,
with a volatile temper take the 2 girls to a remote cabin. To obtain a ransom they
create daily DVDs of the girls. Amy uses her head to send secret clues on the
videos. Peg Kehret creates a spunky heroine who uses both her wits and her
courage to save the three-year-old and herself.
Themes:
Courage, tenacity, friendship, love, kindness, independent thinking
Com Arts:
 Discuss safety with your parents. Make a code word and emergency action
plans in case they’re ever needed. Create identity cards and have emergency
numbers for parents, grandparents and neighbors to be kept in backpacks or
shoes. Talk to younger children about how bad guys use lies to get them to
do what they want.
Math:
 How could you measure time without a calendar or a daily routine like going
to school and having a weekend?
Fine arts:
 Draw or paint a scene from the book. On the back explain why you picked
this scene to illustrate.
Other Discussion Questions:
 The children, Amy and Kendra, were being held for a ransom. What is a
ransom?
 Have you ever been in a situation where you feared for your personal safety?
 How do you decide whom you should trust?
 If you were ever in a situation where you were concerned about a person's
behavior, what would you do?
 Amy got the villain's gun and dropped it down the outhouse hole. Did she do
the right thing?
Comparable books:
Abduction; Nightmare Mountain; both by Peg Kehret
Savvy by Ingrid Law
The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff
Along Came Spider by James Preller
Little Sister Is Not My Name (Sassy) by Sharon Draper
Zoobreak by Gordon Korman
Ellie McDoodle: New Kid in School by Ruth McNally Barshaw
Websites:
http://www.pegkehret.com/
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000300.shtml
http://www.missingkids.com/
The Leanin’ Dog
K.A. Nuzum
Scholastic
Reviewed by Pam Riggs
Author’s Website: www.kanuzum.com
(2008). ISBN: 9780545202121, 250 pages.
Illustrator: Katy Schneider
Summary: Dessa Dean is an eleven-year-old girl, deeply scarred by the loss of
her mother when they were caught in a blizzard. As her dad tries to help her cope,
especially with Christmas approaching, a dog comes to their cabin and captures
Dessa’s heart. Set in the mountains of Colorado in 1930, this story keeps us
reading as Dessa and her dad grieve their loss, but are strengthened by the leanin’
dog who, although frightened, learns to trust and love. Their growing friendship
helps both Dessa and the dog overcome their fears. This is a wonderfully
heartwarming story that explores many emotions.
Other books by Author:
Nuzum, K. A. (2006). A Small White Scar. New York: Harper Collins.
ISBN: 9780060756413, 208 pages.
Themes: Love, trust, friendship, loss of parent, hope
Interest level: Ages 9 - 12
Author’s Website: www.kanuzum.com
Activities:
1.
As a prereading activity, students could discuss/research life in the
1930’s in Colorado. Others could research blizzards so they would have a
better understanding of how the tragedy occurred. By better understanding
the setting, the story will have more meaning.
2.
K. A. Nazum’s website, www.kanuzum.com, gives more insight into
the book. It has information about this book, as well as her other novel.
There is information about a Leanin’ Dog poetry contest, the author, videos,
author contact, interview questions and answers, and links to other websites.
3.
This book would be a great read aloud, providing lots of opportunity
for discussion about many emotions and experiences common to young
adolescents. It would also be a valuable addition to a literature circle with a
theme of relationships with dogs. It reminded me of Because of Winn-Dixie.
Although quite different, there are many commonalities: both girls lost their
mothers, both girls live with their dads; both gain confidence, trust, and love
through bonding with the dogs that have drifted into the girls’ lives. If both
books are read, many comparisons could be made. Other books that would
be good choices for a literature group are included in the bibliography.
4.
Most children have wonderful stories of their own dogs or pets. This
would be a good introduction to the sharing of these stories, verbally or in
writing. Perhaps a class book of their personal stories and photographs or
drawings could be developed.
5.
References are made throughout the book to the various Christmas
decorations Dessa Dean’s mother had made. Although they may seem very
primitive to today’s children, they were so precious to this family. Students
could possibly make their own decorations, patterning them after the ones in
the book, including the Christmas stars made from tin cans and buttons,
pinecones with ribbons, and the angel.
6.
Dessa describes Leanin’ Dog as being fudge-brown in color. Later in
the story she makes fudge, a very special treat for her dad for Christmas
dinner. Cooking is always a wonderful opportunity for children to read to
follow directions. Making fudge would be a delicious extension of this
story.
Discussion topics:
1. Blizzards
2. Daymares/Nightmares
3. Naming the dog, Leanin’ Dog
4. Family/holiday traditions
5. Overcoming fears
6. Developing love and trust
7. Dessa’s homework compared with today’s
Bibliography of Dog Books
DiCamillo, Kate. (2004). Because of Winn-Dixie. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN:
9781763625580, 192 pages.
Gipson, Fred. (1956). Old Yeller. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN: 9780064403875, 208 pages.
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. (1991). Shiloh. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN: 9780689835827, 144 pages.
Paulsen, Gary. (1999). My Life in Dog Years. New York: Random House.
ISBN: 9780440414711, 144 pages.
Rawls, Wilson. (1961). Where the Red Fern Grows. New York: Random House.
ISBN: 9780553274295, 256 pages.
Wallace, Bill. (1992). A Dog Called Kitty. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN: 9780671770815, 176 pages.
_____. (2004). Goosed. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN: 8780689866814, 128 pages.
_____. (2005). No Dogs Allowed. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN: 9781416903819, 224 pages.
_____. (2006). Pick of the Litter. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN: 9781416925118, 176 pages.
_____. (2002). Red Dog. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN: 9780689853944, 192 pages.
Hoofbeats
MARGRET AND FLYNN
1875
Kathleen Duey
Dutton Children’s Books
Reviewed by Pam Riggs
Author’s Website: www.kathleenduey.com
(2008). ISBN: 9780525479369, 172 pages.
Summary: Set in 1875 in Colorado, Hoofbeats: Margret and Flynn is the
story of two orphaned sisters trying to survive. After going from place to
place, earning their keep as they go, they finally stay with a kind lady in her
sod home. The younger sister, Margret, is very content, especially after she
befriends a horse she names Flynn who was injured during a tornado. But she
encounters great difficulty in convincing her sister Libby that this is a home
where they can be comfortable and become a family. This is a very touching
story of friendship, love, and trust.
Kathleen Duey has written numerous other books. Margret and Flynn is just
one of ten books in the Hoofbeats series. She has also written:
 twenty books in the American Diary series
 four in the Alone in the Dark series
 seven in the Time Soldiers series
 nine in the Unicorn’s Secret series
 four in the spirit of the Cimarron series
 two in the Resurrection of Magic series.
Her other works include novels, picture books, and nonfiction books.
Themes: Trust, siblings, love, friendship, horses, coping with tragedy,
growing up.
Interest level: Ages 8 to 12.
Activities:
 Kathleen Duey’s website offers not only her biography, bibliography,
and news of her upcoming works, but also her Facebook, Myspace,
blog, and Twitter. These websites are for teachers to explore as she
includes in them a plethora of information about writing books and
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many other topics. She includes a list of the 100 greatest books ever. It
might be interesting to develop a class website patterned after hers that
could include students’ works in progress, favorite books, a blog about
books, or whatever might capture the interest of the students.
As a pre-reading activity, students should read/discuss life in America in
1875, also becoming familiar with what life might have been like living
in Littleton, Colorado in a sod house. Setting the background of the
story strengthens understanding.
Create a drawing or model of a sod house.
Margret and Libby lived with Mrs. Frederiksen, a widow, on her farm.
Compare the life of these young girls with present day life considering
the responsibilities and chores that were a part of every day life.
Margret and Flynn could be an integral part of a literature circle study
with the theme of orphans. A list of books that would provide
interesting discussions and comparisons of the plight of orphaned
children can be found in the bibliography.
Discussion topics:
 Orphans
 Developing love and trust
 Tornadoes
 Horses
 Comparison of Flynn, the horse being orphaned, with the girls’
experience
 Family relationships between Mrs. Frederiksen’s family and Libby and
Margret
 Flynn’s ability to do tricks
Bibliography of Books Concerning Orphaned Children
Avi. (2004). Crispin the Cross of Lead. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
ISBN: 9780786816583, 320 pages.
Creech, Sharon. (2003). Ruby Holler. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN: 9780060560157, 336 pages.
Giff, Patricia Reilly. (2004). Pictures of Hollis Woods. New York: Dell Publishing.
ISBN: 9780440415787, 176 pages.
Nixon, Joan Lowery. (1987). A Family Apart (and all of the Orphan Train Adventures Series).
Toronto: Bantam Books.
ISBN: 9780440226765162, 162 pages.
Philbrick, Rodman. (2009). Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. New York: Scholastic
Inc.
ISBN: 9780439668187, 224 pages.
Ryan, Pam Munoz. (2009) Paint the Wind. New York: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 9780545101769, 352 pages.
Spinelli, Jerry. (1999). Maniac Magee. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 9780439668187, 192 pages.
_____. (2005). Milkweed. New York: Random House Children’s Books.
ISBN: 9780440420059, 240 pages.
The Seer of Shadows
Avi
Scholastic, Inc.
Reviewed by Pam Riggs
Author’s Website: www.avi-writer.com
(2008). ISBN: 9780545176071, 202 pages.
Summary: Avi lovers will be thrilled by this captivating tale of a young boy
apprenticed to a photographer in New York in 1872. This photographer who is less
than ethical comes up with a scheme to try to extort money from a wealthy lady
whose daughter has died. While taking her photograph, he is able to evoke an
image of the daughter’s ghost. Full of suspense, the story also focuses on the
difficulties that Horace the apprentice has in the deception. The story is entrancing
as it is full of ghosts, mystery, and revenge, as well as revealing much history of
early photography.
Themes: Early Photography, ghosts, business ethics, apprenticeship, friendship,
magic
Interest Level: Ages 9 – 12
Activities:
 To develop background knowledge before reading, students should
discuss/research life in the 1870’s in America, including
apprenticeships, servitude, scientific beliefs, and photography.
 Horace feels his beliefs and values are compromised by the deceptions
of Mr. Middleditch. A panel discussion could be held to develop
introspection concerning ethical business practices and how employees,
or in this case an apprentice, can feel trapped in unethical situations.
 A mock trial could be held for Mr. and Mrs. Von Macht to determine if
they are guilty of murder from the cruelty they had shown to Pegg and
Eleanora.
 The book reveals much information about early photography. For
students who are interested in photography, it would be intriguing to
study the history of photography and how it has developed. Scientific
demonstrations could be given to show some of the early processes that
were used.
 This book lends itself to the visualization of the photographs. Drawings
could be made of the photographs including the presence of the ghosts.
 Avi has written over 70 books of several genres, including historical
fiction, animal tales, adventure, comedy, fantasy, ghosts, and mysteries.
He would be an excellent author for an author study, allowing students
to read various books in literature circles, comparing the genres and his
writing style in each. Titles from each genre can be found on Avi’s
website.
Discussion Topics:
 Servitude
 Apprenticeships
 Business ethics
 Seers
 Revenge
 Friendship
 Trickery in photography
Other books by the Author:
Series
Tales from Dimwood Forest
 Poppy (1995)
 Poppy and Rye (1998)
 Ragweed (1997)
 Ereth’s Birthday (2000)
 Ragweed Poppy Poppy and Rye and Ereth Alone (omnibus) (2000)
 Poppy’s Return (2005)
 Poppy and Ereth (2009)
Beyond the Western Sea
 The Escape From Home (1996)
 Lord Kirkle’s Money (1996)
 Beyond the Western Sea (omnibus) (1996)
Crispin
 The Cross of Lead (2002)
 At the Edge of the World (2006)
 The End of Time (2010)
Novels
 Snail Tale: The Adventures of a Rather Small Snail (1972)
 No More Magic (1975)
 Emily Upham’s Revenge: A Massachusetts Adventure (1978)
 The History of Helpless Harry: To Which is Added a Variety of
Amusing and Entertaining Adventures (1980)
 Shadrach’s Crossing (1983)
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Bright Shadow (1983)
Devil’s Race (1984)
Wolf Rider (1986)
The Fighting Ground (1987)
Something Upstairs (1988)
The Man Who Was Poe (1989)
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (1990)
Who Stole the Wizard of Oz? (1990)
Windcatcher (1991)
Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel (1991)
Blue Heron (1992)
Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway? (1992)
City of Light, City of Dark: A Comic-book Novel (1993)
The Bird, the Frog, and the Light: A Fable (1994)
Smuggler’s Island (1994)
The Barn (19994)
Sometimes I Think I Hear My Name (1995)
Tom, Babette, and Simon: Three Tales of Transformation (1995)
A Place Called Ugly (1996)
Finding Providence: The Story of Roger Williams (1997)
Night Journeys, Homework Set (1997)
Perloo the Bold (1998)
Man from the Sky (1999)
Midnight Magic (1999)
Punch With Judy (1999)
Amanda Joins the Circus (1999)
Keep Your Eye on Amanda (1999)
Abigail Takes the Wheel (1999)
Romeo and Juliet – Together (And Alive!) at Last (1999)
Captain Grey (2000)
Encounter at Easton (2000)
SOR Losers (2000)
The Christmas Rat (2000)
Night Journeys (2000)
The Secret School (2001)
The Grow Home (2001)
Don’t You Know There’s a War On (2001)
Prairie School (2001)
The Good Dog (2001)
Silent Movie (2003)
 The Mayor of Central Park: A Told Tale of Many Tails (2003)
 Never Mind!: A Twin Novel (2004) (with Rachel Vail)
 The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and
an Even Smaller Ant) (2004)
 The Book Without Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic (2005)
 The Traitors’ Gate (2007)
 Iron Thunder (2007)
 A Beginning, a Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing
(2008)
 The Seer of Shadows (2008)
 Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 (2009)
 Murder at Midnight (2009)
Collections
 Things That Sometimes Happen: Very Short Stories for Little Listeners
(1970)
 What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything? (1997)
 Talk to Me: And Other Stories (2000)
 Transformation Tales (2005)
 Strange Happenings: Five Tales of Transformation (2006)
The Missing: Book 1 FOUND
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Scholastic, 2008
Reviewed by Missy Morrison
Author’s Website: www.margaretpetersonhaddix.com
Summary: Jonah and Chip, both 13 and both adopted as infants by their respective
families, discover a supernatural secret that changes both of their lives forever.
This new series proves to be every bit the page turner as Haddix’s series, Among
the Hidden. This is a great book for students who like suspense, mystery, and the
supernatural. It would also make a great read aloud in middle school.
Themes: time travel, adventure, mystery, adoption
Interest Level: grades 3-5
Communication Arts:
 At the end of the story, Chip, Katherine, and Jonah end up being transported
to the 15th century. Share predictions about what is going to happen, then
read Book 2: Send and reflect upon your prediction and how Haddix
continued the story.
 Choose five characters from the story and list descriptive characteristics of
each.
Math:
 Using the list of missing children from history, choose three and tell how old
they would be today. We know they’re not 13!
Science:
 Is time travel possible? Look up current research and explain whether it will
be or not in the future.
 Part of the story is set in a cave. Go on a field trip to a cave and describe
how the characters would use it. If no cave is available, create a diorama
showing what the inside of a cave would look like.
Social Studies:
 Several children missing in history are listed on page 285 and elsewhere in
the book. Look up information about three of the missing children and
provide a brief
 description of who the children were and the circumstances surrounding
their disappearances.
 Chip, Katherine, and Jonah are transported to the 15th century. Using a
variety of sources, find out information about life in the 15th century. Using
the information, describe what you think Chip’s, Katherine’s, and Jonah’s
experiences will be like when they arrive.
Fine Arts:
 Using what you know about the characters, choose one and create an image
using collage, paint, markers, colored pencils, or whatever medium you
choose.
 In a small group, choose a dramatic scene from the story and act it out.
Suggested works to complement this book:
 Skye, Obert. (2008). Pillage. Shadow Mountain Publishers.
 Gordon, Roderick. (2010). Freefall. Scholastic Press.
 Other books by the author:
 Shadow Children series
 Claim to Fame
 Double Identity
TECHNOLOGY IDEAS
Photo Story 3 Step by Step
1. Choose “Begin a New Story” and click Next.
2. Click “Import Pictures” and browse to find your pictures. You may insert several
pictures at once. The pictures will show up in the bar across the bottom.
3. Click and drag the images to reorder if you would like. Use the buttons to edit
images, rotate, remove red eye, etc. Click Next when finished (you can always
come back if you find more to edit).
Click “Import pictures”
to find your pictures.
Use these buttons to
edit images.
Reorder pictures by
dragging and dropping
4. Add titles to your pictures, if desired. Choose effects for images (black & white,
sepia, etc.). Click Next when finished.
Type titles here; use the buttons
to change alignment, color, etc.
Choose effects
from this drop
down menu.
5. Record narration, if desired. Mics that connect with a usb port are not
recognized. Click “Customize Motion” for next step!
Use these buttons to record. Click preview to hear.
You can record one slide at a time, or record in one long
take, clicking on each slide when you’re ready to record
for it. Use the undo button to delete a recording.
Click Customize Motion for next step.
6. Customize the panning/zooming for each picture. Change how long the picture is
shown. Change how the pictures transition from one to another. Click Save to
save your changes (you’ll have to do that for each picture). Use the arrows at
the bottom to move through your pictures. When done, click Close, then Next.
To
change
panning/
zooming,
click this
box and
drag
boxes to
desired
start/end
position.
Use these arrows
to move from
picture to picture.
To change how long a picture
is shown, click the circle and
change the number of seconds.
Click
Save to
save
changes.
Click Close
when
finihsedffini
shfinished.
7. Click Select Music to upload music from your computer. Click Create Music to
create your own music from Photo Story. Choose the feel, the type of music,
etc. for the music you want.
Create
Music to use
their music
Select Music
to upload
your own
MP3.
Use this
slider to
change the
volume.
8. Choose the format you want for your video (typically the default- for playback on
your computer) and the location you want to save it in (by default it is in the My
Videos folder, but you can browse for a new folder). Click “Next” to create your
movie!
Browse for a new
location to save
your file.
Your movie is done!
A note on saving your video, and working with it on different days:
At any point during the process you can choose to “Save Project” using the button
on the bottom. When you do that, you save it as a Photo Story PROJECT, and it can
be opened back up in Photo Story and edited. The file type is a .wp3.
Once you finalize your movie by completing Step 8, your movie will be finished- you
won’t be able to go back and edit it. The file type will be a .wmv.
If you have saved your PROJECT (.wp3) and finalized your MOVIE (.wmv) and then
you find a mistake, you can always open the project back up, fix it, and finalize the
movie again. Just make sure you keep track of which is the correct movie!
GOOGLE LIT TRIPS
How Do I Begin Building a Google Lit Trip?
Building a Google Lit Trip is a little like learning to play chess. It really only
requires a few basic skills to get started, while at the same time like chess, one can
also spend many hours learning the “craft” of designing and developing more
sophisticated projects.
However, it is important to realize that the Google Lit Trip concept is quite broad.
Google Lit Trips for elementary use are quite different from Google Lit Trips for
university use.
Also, Google Lit Trips developed by “professional educators” are significantly
different from Google Lit Trips developed by students.
First Things First: Install Google Earth on your Computer
If the Google Earth application isn’t already installed on your computer, you can
neither build nor view a Google Lit Trip file. Google Earth is free and can be
downloaded at: http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html. Simply download
the application, install it, and you’re good to go.
Basic Skill-Set for Working with Google Earth
Though there are several levels of mastery, the basic Google Earth skills necessary
for building a Google Lit Trip are having the ability to find locations on Google
Earth, being able to mark those locations with place marks and being able to draw
paths representing the characters’ movements from one location to the next.
An easy way to begin getting up to speed on using Google Earth is to watch the 12
short videos found here: http://earth.google.com/tour.html.
Additional short videos can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/GoogleEarthVideoHelp.
There are also links to several other Google Earth resources available on the
Google Lit Trip website. Clicking on the Downloads etc. link at the top of any
page and then clicking on the Google Earth Resources link in the sub-menu leads
to a list of these resources for those wishing more information about the Google
Earth application.
Also in the Downloads etc. area is a section called Lit Trip Tips. In this area are
several 1-2 page step-guides focused on specific Google Earth skills useful for
building Google Lit Trips.
But, For Those Wanting to Get Really Serious...
Though it is certainly not necessary and many people pride themselves on never
doing so, if you really want to get the answers to all questions regarding Google
Earth, I’d suggest that sooner or later you read the entire Google Earth user’s
manual which is available here: http://earth.google.com/userguide/v5/. There is a
link at the top of the page if you’d like to download and print it, but be sure you
have lots of printer ink!
Although the skills required for building Google Lit Trips are not difficult, most
people find their first effort more challenging than they had expected. I always
advise that potential developers practice with a single chapter from a favorite novel
or with a short story until they have a comfort level with the basics of the entire
process.
Selecting an Appropriate Title
Since the heart of a Google Lit Trip is marking the locations of a story’s settings,
simply make certain that the story is set in locations that can be found in Google
Earth. Thus, Dante’s Inferno and The Hobbitt are out. Make Way for Ducklings and
The Kite Runner are in.
Another basic consideration is whether the characters “travel enough.” If the story
line does not move around a bit, there is little potential value in creating a Lit
TRIP. The range of the trip is not important. The Google Lit Trip for Candide has
the characters globe trotting over three continents while the Lit Trip for Make Way
for Ducklings has its characters traveling entirely within the city of Boston. But,
some movement is necessary. Stories like Of Mice and Men or To Kill A
Mockingbird pose problems since although the locations can be found, the
characters spend the vast majority of their respective stories in a relatively static
location.
Additionally, it is important to remember that there are stories that use
“fictionalized” locations that represent real locations such as The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn where the scholarship informs us that Mark Twain’s
St. Petersburg is a fictitious name for Hannibal, Missouri and that Jackson’s Island
is a fictitious name for Glasscock’s Island. These titles can certainly be considered,
though they may be more challenging in that additional research might need to be
done to discover the true locations being masked by fictitious names.
It is important to also note that Google Earth is constantly updating its resources
and therefore adding new possibilities for Google Lit Trips. The Sky layer now
makes it possible to consider titles set “anywhere” in the known universe! And,
after all, since there are at least a couple of resources in Sky that overlay the
ancient constellations, it is possible to even consider the possibility of employing
the Google Lit Trip concept to ancient mythology! Google Mars and Ocean now
open up several additional possibilities for Google Lit Trips.
Collecting Content for a Google Lit Trip
Once you have an understanding of how to use Google Earth’s basic navigation
controls, place marks, and path tools, and have selected a suitable title to develop,
it’s time to collect the “content” for your Google Lit Trip.
My particular process for collecting content is to reread the book with a couple of
colors of post-its or highlighters. I reserve one color just for references to any
locations or hints at locations that will help me pinpoint them on the Google Earth
globe where I can set place marks for the journey. I use the other color(s) to mark
any reference for which I think I might be able to find:
• interesting images on the internet that might enhance or extend students’
appreciation of the story.
• interesting websites that could provide supplementary information on historical
or geographical
references, biographical information, or cultural connections, etc. appropriate to
the story,
• spots where the author is providing good material for thought-provoking
questions and class
discussion.
• interesting vocabulary use
Actually the possibilities are endless for pop-up window content. But, as a general
rule I try to stay away from considering plot summaries as quality pop-up content
at least for teacher-generated Google Lit Trips as this tends to remove the students’
first opportunity to engage their own minds in appreciating the story.
This is one of the distinctions I make between Google Lit Trips developed by
educators and those developed by students. For some students, being able to
demonstrate the basic skills of decoding by including plots summaries might have
value. Though even in these cases, I like to advise teachers to also encourage
students to consider including higher level contents such as speculations about
characters’ motives or possible future plot developments. Even for the youngest
readers, having them include information about “new words” and information that
“tells more about” historical events, and locations, and people referenced in the
story helps them develop their reading skills beyond decoding levels.
Creating Place Marks
Sometimes, I collect all the content information for a title before beginning to
create the actual place marks. Other times I “toggle” back and forth between
collecting the content information and creating the place marks. For example, in
complex works, I prefer to work chapter by chapter or “scene by scene.”
In the Lit Trips Tips section of the Google Lit Trip website, the following stepguides are useful during this phase:
• Finding Hard Location on Google Earth
• Making the Most Out of Place Marker Icons
• Formatting Place Marker Descriptions
• Capturing the Best Location View
Other good resources for creating Place Marks include the following video clips
available on the Internet:
• Fly to any place
• Marking locations in Google Earth
Including Images in Google Lit Trip Pop-Up Windows
The basic technical aspects of including images in a Google Lit Trip place mark
pop-up window are explained in the Formatting Place Marker Descriptions stepguide found in the Lit Trip Tips section of the GoogleLitTrips.com website.
However, including images also raises ethical considerations regarding copyright
issues. For this reason, when I am looking for appropriate images for a Google Lit
Trip, I like to begin my search in the following websites since they are vast
collections of images that provide clear information on the images copyright status,
and they feature images that have some degree of copyright free permissions.
• Flickr’s The Commons.
• Creative Commons
• Wikipedia and Wikipedia Commons
If you have your own images to use, it is easy and free to post them to Flicker or
Picassa and then to reference them in your place mark pop-up windows using the
information available in the Formatting Place Marker Descriptions Step Guide.
Organizing Place Marks
It is important to begin organizing place marks early on using Google Earth’s
folder creation resources. Use the ADD menu in Google Earth to add a new
FOLDER. A window will appear. Since this is the main folder within which all of
your place marks will be located, give it a brief name that identifies the title of the
book you’re working with. For example, a good brief name for The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, might simply be “Huck Finn.” However, try to avoid baffling
abbreviations. For example, ” Adv_oHF” would not be a good name since the
abbreviation, though clear to you, would not be intuitive to another person.
Within the Main folder, you can create any sort of internal folder system. For
example, you might create an internal folder for each chapter or an internal chapter
for each location the characters move to.
Cool Tip: Sometimes there seems to be neither rhyme nor reason as to where new
place marks “land” in Google Earth’s side bar. The good news is that once you
find a place mark in the sidebar it can be dragged to the appropriate folder.
However, if you select the “target” folder by clicking once on it and then create the
place mark, it will automatically land inside the folder you have “pre-selected.”
Once you have created all the place marks that you intend to have in a given folder,
double check to see that they are arranged in “chronological order.” By this I
mean, arranged in the order that you want users to view each of the place marks.
The first “stop” place mark should be the top place mark in the folder and the
“final stop” for that collection of place marks should be the last place mark in that
folder.
Creating the Path
Though there are situations where a Google Lit Trip might benefit from not having
a path marking the “itinerary” of the characters as they move through the story,
those situations are quite rare. It is the path marking the itinerary that gives a
Google Lit Trip a beginning, middle and end. It indicates the chronology of the
travel and visually indicates where the characters are at a given point in the story as
well as a clear indication of where they have been and where they are going next.
A collection of place marks without a path looks sort of like a dart board where
there are no visual indicators of which of the many other place markers is the “next
stop” on the journey.
The path tool is “easy once you get it.” However, it can seem a bit hard to manage
until then. There is a simple step-guide called “Adding Route Paths to a Lit Trip”
in the Lit Trips Tips section of the Google Lit Trip site that can help you wrap your
head around this tool.
About Saving Google Lit Trips
It is unlikely that a completed Google Lit Trip can be developed in a single sitting.
Whether you are “in progress” or ready to save a completed Google Lit Trip, it is
important to understand Google Earth’s available options for saving files. I can not
emphasize enough the value of keeping the place marks, paths and any other
elements organized in folders and in the “chronological order” you feel a user
should follow. When ready to save, like all applications, there is a Save command
under the FILE menu. However, Google Earth offers four Save options rather than
the typical Save and Save As... options.
Once you have developed all of the elements for a Google Lit Trip (place marks,
paths, overlays etc, and organized them into folders, Google Earth provides the
following four SAVE options under the File menu:
Save to My Places: This is generally not used when developing your own project.
When opening any downloaded Google Earth file, by default it opens in the
Temporary Places section at the bottom of the Places portions of Google Earth’s
Side Bar. The purpose of this Save option is to give users an opportunity to decide
whether they want that file to be kept available within the Google Earth My Places
section of the Side Bar or not. Essentially, this gives users the option of saving a
file “inside” Google Earth, or saving it externally on their hard drive.
Save Place As... : This option allows the saving of a Google Lit Trip to any
location external to the Google Earth application. Once a file is saved external to
Google Earth it can then be emailed, burned to CD to be transferred via any of the
normal file transfer methods. For those creating Google Lit Trips with the
intention of submitting them to the Google Lit Trip project, this is the way to
create a file that can be emailed.
When choosing this option it is critical to have selected the main folder of the
project you have created. This way you will save the folder and all of its contents.
If you have one element of a project selected such as a single place mark or one of
your “sub-folders” then only that selected item will be saved.
When using this option, there is a choice of two file formats. The first is as a .kmz
file. the second is as a .kml file. The difference is that , kmz files are “zipped.” In
truth, unless you are including elements that do not exist on the internet such as
photos that actually live on your hard drive, either format will work fine.
But, I again suggest that including images or other elements such as videos that do
not live on the the internet is risky and dramatically increases the size of your file
possibly making them too large to transfer via email.
Save My Places: This option simply insures that changes made t anywhere in the
My Places section of the Side Bar will be saved within Google Earth.
Save Image... : This option saves an image of the 3D section of the Google Earth
viewer. Since Google Lit Trips are always viewed on the internet, this function or
any simple screen capture process will save images of sufficient quality.
This document is taken directly from Google Lit Trips, titled, Basics of Building a
Google Lit Trips, http://www.GoogleLitTrips.com
XTRANORMAL
http://www.xtranormal.com/
Xtranormal is a fun and easy way to create movies. Please be careful when having students work
on this site as it is similar to youtube in that it has many wonderful videos as well as questionable
ones.
 To create a movie in xtranormal, you must first create a free account.
 Click on Make Movies
 Choose a show pack
 Select 1 or 2 characters
 Design the scene (near the bottom of the screen)
o Select your background
o Select your characters
o Select your voices
 Click apply
From this point, you will be writing the script and directing the action. It’s as easy as typing
what you would like the characters to say and inserting action. To insert actions and
expressions, you simply drag the icon and then select from the drop down menu.
To start a new line or to change who is speaking, click on the plus sign in the grid.
HINT: Click on the magicam to make camera navigation easier. This way, you don’t have to
adjust camera angles.
When you are finished, click on action.
To view your movies, click on my movies and then you can select and watch your film.
To share with others, you may either upload to YouTube, use the html link, embed the video in a
presentation or download the film.
Remember, this project requires close supervision and would best be done with a small number
of students.
Xtranormal Action Choices
These are actions the characters can do.
1. blow a kiss
2. Bye
3. That’s crazy
4. Oh really! (cross arms)
5. Hands on hips
6. Hands in front
7. Legs apart
8. One hand on hip
9. Relaxed
10.
Clap
11.
Hmmm (tap chin)
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Counting 1
Counting 2
Counting 3
Yes
No
Come here
C’mon
D’oh (hits head)
No! Stay away!
I’m so tired (Yawn and stretch)
Oh well (shrug)
Air Quotes
This big (hands out wide)
Too hot
Head scratch
OK
Peace sign
Rock on
Hurl (hand on stomach)
Yo!
Listening
Xtranormal Pointing Choices
These are actions where the characters point towards something.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What’s that over there? (points away)
Over here (points over shoulder)
Ew. What’s that? (point at floor)
Who? Me? (point at self)
It’s a bird, it’s a plane… (pointing up)
Xtranormal Expression Choices
These change the expression on the character’s face.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Ooh, that makes me happy!
Oh, that makes me sad
Oh good heavens!
Stop it!
Ew, gross
Don’t hurt me!
Xtranormal Sound Choices
These are background sound that can be added to your movie.
1. Laughter (2 choices)
2. Applause
3. Applause and Laughter
4. Aah
5. Bells
6. Bird (crow)
7. Alarm clock
8. Car crash
9. Church bell
10.
Clock chime
11.
Bottle open
12.
Door bell
13.
Bottle break
14.
Door Close
15.
Door open
16.
Door unlock
17.
Feedback
18.
Harp (2 choices)
19.
Buzzer
20.
Cash register
21.
Motor whir
22.
Laser gun
23.
Chainsaw
24.
Metal sheet
25.
Phone ring (2 choices)
26.
Phone busy
27.
Dying man
28.
Pluck
29.
Rimshot (drums- 2 choices)
30.
Running (2 choices)
31.
Door knock
32.
Film projector
33.
Flatline
34.
Sci-fi (4 choices)
35.
Show theme (2 choices)
36.
Siren (2 choices)
37.
Strings (3 choices)
38.
Tub Thump
39.
Gagging
40.
Walk (2 choices)
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
Game over
Game show buzzer
Game show bell
Wawah
Whistle (2 choices)
Yeeha!
Disco
Guitar
Happy swing
Rock intro
Suspense
Rock drums
Gunshot
Blues harmonica
Techno (2 choices)
Deep breath
Kiss
Magic
Chimes
Crickets
Booktalks
What is a booktalk?
A booktalk is a commercial designed to get someone to read a book. It is a
way of selling your merchandise, a performance to get the audience excited about
your book.
Why should you booktalk?
 It increases circulation.
 It increases cooperation and communication.
 It promotes your collection efficiently.
 It is an activity whose primary audience is the nonuser.
 It is the most effective way to motivate reading.
 It builds relationships with students.
 It sells the idea of reading for pleasure.
 It gets listeners to look past the cover.
Essential elements of a good booktalk
 The Hook—presenting something that will grab the listener’s
attention
 The Content—tell about the characters and/or plot
 The Cliffhanger—don’t tell the ending; leave listeners wanting more
so that they’ll want to read the book
Tips for Writing Booktalks
 Choose only books you like and that you can be enthusiastic about.
 Be sure to read all of the books before booktalking.
 When reading the book, look for exciting or humorous incidents,
special character portrayals, etc. to find the hook.
 After reading the book, ask yourself what the book made you think of
and what appealed to you about the book.
 Don’t give away the ending or any other secrets.
 Don’t give a book review—it should not include evaluations or
critical material.
 Think of different ways to begin—with a question, setting the scene,
telling a little about the plot, or setting a mood.
 Don’t tell too much about the book. Leave the listener wanting more.
 Don’t read from most books you booktalk.
 Keep talks from two to four minutes in length.
 Prepare what you are going to say about each book. You don’t need
to memorize, but you do need to know the points you are going to
make.
Tips for Planning and Presenting Booktalk Programs
 Know your audience. Ask the group’s teacher about your audience’s
reading interests, personal interests, and attention spans and plan your
presentation accordingly.
 Don’t try to elevate the audience’s tastes. Include some titles that you
know are super popular. This will give you credibility, thus making
the group pay more attention.
 Accept that a booktalk is a performance and learn how to best
influence the audience.
 Variety is key. Since you may be covering fifteen books in one shot,
vary the types of books you present as well as the lengths and styles of
the booktalks.
 Remember to repeat the title.
 Think accessibility. Select books for your talk that are available in
multiple copies.
 Have a system ready so that listeners can check out books on the spot.
 Start and end strong.
 Maintain eye contact with the audience.
 Consider creating additional interest by adding props or by wearing a
costume.
 Always prepare more than you will need.
Booktalking Tips
From Joni Richards Bodart
Booktalking is the best way of sharing the excitement of books and stories, and encourages
people to read for pleasure. Booktalking is not about reviewing books, but a way of generating
excitement and interest in books. This is a special form of reader’s advisory can help generate
interest in your collection, and connect you to patrons of all ages in your library.
What is a Booktalk?
A booktalk is best thought of as a commercial advertisement for a book. A booktalk is not
evaluative and is not a review. It’s not a book report that tells the ending of the book. It is an
intriguing glimpse of what's between the covers of a book, waiting for the reader to discover it.
Booktalks should be fun, exciting, suspenseful, or whatever it takes to convince someone else to
read the book.
The Unbreakable Rules of Booktalking
1.
2.
3.
4.
Never talk about a book you haven't read.
Never talk about a book you don't like.
Never tell the ending.
Always remember to do your own thing--create your own style.
Preparing to Write a Talk
1.
2.
3.
4.
READ! READ! READ! And then read some more!!
Take notes on what you read.
Write your talk, or look for a published talk on the book.
Decide which approach to take. What was the most exciting part of the book and why?
From Joni Richards Bodart at http://www.thebooktalker.com
Booktalking Tips from The YA YA YAs at
http://theyayayas.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/booktalking-tips-2008/
Trisha’s Booktalking Tips:
1) It gets easier. I hated giving oral presentations when I was in school, so of course, the first
few times I went booktalking by myself, I was more than a bit overwhelmed and intimidated by
the whole thing. But it got better, especially once I figured out what worked for me and found
my own style.
2) Find your own style. Different librarians have different styles, so if you can, observe other
librarians booktalking. Some have their booktalks memorized, some do everything off the top of
their head. Some use props, some don’t. Some spend a couple of minutes talking about one book,
some tend to do shorter booktalks. Try out different techniques and see what comes most
naturally and works the best for you.
3) Remember, you’re not just promoting books. You’re also promoting the library and its
services. So tell the students about upcoming programs and recent programs you’ve held.
Remind them you have DVDs and online resources that’ll come in handy when they’re doing
homework or searching for colleges or need to practice taking the SAT. Just try to do it in an
interesting way.
4) You can find booktalks online. Scholastic and Random House offer booktalks on their
sites. Nancy Keane’s Booktalks Quick and Simple has tons of booktalks, sometimes two or
more talks for one book. I find the sites useful, because though I almost always write my own
booktalks (usually months after I first read the book, because I can never force myself to write a
booktalk right after I’ve read a book that would be great for booktalking. Instead, I wait until I’m
asked to go booktalking, start freaking out and after looking at the booktalks I’ve already written,
go to my shelves to find newer books to supplement the ones I know I can do effectively,
and start writing. But I don’t recommend this method), I sometimes find it hard to find that initial
flash of inspiration. The booktalks I end up writing may look nothing like the ones I found
online, but just seeing the different approaches others have taken is often enough to get my
creative juices flowing.
Other handy links:
http://www.motherreader.com/2006/06/book-hooks.html
http://www.motherreader.com/2007/10/teen-booktalking.html
http://www.motherreader.com/2006/03/extreme-booktalking.html
Gayle’s Booktalking Tips:
1) Have fun! In most cases you are in the classroom during some lull in standardized testing so
make the most of it. The students will be receptive if you are enthusiastic.
2) Interact! I’ve found the quickest way to engage a class is to ask them questions. It doesn’t
hurt if you share a little about yourself too. It gives you more credibility and makes you more
real when you personalize booktalks. Of course, don’t personalize too much, you are a
professional so conduct yourself in a professional manner.
3) Choose Books You Like! If you’ve been reading about booktalking, you’ve no doubt heard
this tip numerous times. And I can’t stress too much how important this is. It’s hard to booktalk
a book you feel indifferent about. In direct contrast it’s easy to gush about a book you love.
4) Practice, practice, practice! You don’t need to memorize, but practice makes perfect. Try to
practice on a forgiving audience to see if your booktalk makes sense.
5) Variety is the Spice of Life! Even if your reading preferences are very specific try to step out
of your reading comfort zone for the sake of booktalking. Non-Fiction books are easier than you
think to booktalk–many of them sell themselves with their quirky content. Books from different
genres appeal to different sorts of readers. And hey if you’re a big chick-lit fan and love
a science fiction book, it gives it that much more credibility that you think it’s a winner.
6) Keep it Simple Smarty! Don’t try to over-explain a plot or a book. Keep it simple and it’ll
be smooth sailing.
7) Be Flexible. (No exclamation point here.) It’s important to be flexible because schedules
change, people get sick, memories are faulty, and there are some things in life you can’t control
so roll with the punches.
Read a lot! The more you read, the more you have to booktalk. If you don’t find that this is
the case, try reading something different.
9) Smile! A smile makes you more approachable and breaks down a lot of barriers.
10) There’s always room for improvement! If you can learn from your mistakes then you’ll be
that much better then next time. Remember to project your voice and speak clearly. One of my
biggest challenges is to slow down. I tend to speak very quickly and I’m constantly struggling to
slow down.
Great Ideas to Promote Reading









Recommended Reads by members of the staff—have their photos and book
choices displayed and have all recommended books available in the library.
Display photos of members of the staff reading their favorite book or their
favorite book from their childhood.
Display new titles—the best way is to have the books on display and give
readers the choice of the new books.
Display books with book reviews by students.
Get kids to suggest/request titles. Offer to get the book on the condition that
they review it for display.
Share enthusiasm about books—talk about them.
Be an example. Let the students see you as a positive example of reading.
If families with children visit your home, let the kids browse your book
collection. Never lecture or force kids to read—just let them see your
enthusiasm and catch the reading bug!
Start a lending library. Offer to let students borrow the books in your
collection.
Give books as gifts. Instead of giving toys, consider giving books to the
children in your life.
Position Statement on the Value of Independent Reading in the School Library Media Program
In an information age, literacy demands not only the ability to read and write, but also the ability
to process information and communicate effectively. Research suggests that reading proficiency
increases with the amount of time spent reading voluntarily. Unfortunately, independent reading
is often a casualty in our fast paced, media-oriented society. Today's students know how to read
but have little or no interest in doing so. They have failed to catch the love of reading; therefore,
they choose not to read.
The adoption of Goals 2000 has made literacy an issue of national importance; therefore, a
primary goal of the school library media program must be to create life-long readers. It is
imperative that school library media specialists work with teachers and parents to find ways to
instill in students the joy of reading while helping them build the reading habit.
To become life-long readers, students must have . . .







access to current, quality, high interest, and extensive collections of books and other print
materials in their library media centers, classrooms, and public libraries;
contact with adults who read regularly and widely and who serve as positive reading role
models;
certified school library media specialists and classroom teachers who demonstrate their
enthusiasm for reading by reading aloud and booktalking;
time during the school day dedicated to reading for pleasure, information, and
exploration;
opportunities specifically designed to engage young people in reading;
schools that create an environment where independent reading is valued, promoted, and
encouraged; and
opportunities that involve care givers, parents and other family members in reading.
The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.
Mark Twain
(adopted June 1994; revised July 1999)
Library Media Centers
Reading Promotion Ideas
Submitted by Missouri Library Media Specialists
GRADE
PROMOTION IDEA
3
1-2
3-4
3-4
KC3 Books
Show Me Books
Authors' Birthday Drawing
KC Win Reading Challenge
Buy 20 copies of every Mark Twain Award book on next year’s list -- must be printed in
paperback. Take these to each classroom the last week of school -- students can check
out for summer reading. Talk about using public library over the summer. Take any
books left to the public library -- they keep the books in a separate place for checkout.
Pick the books up the first week of school and send reminders to students who need to
return their books. Lost a few books but very few.
Discussion of theme, requirements and rewards of the Ozark Regional Library's summer
reading program.
Barnes and Noble Reading Charts -- complete the chart - get free book
Local business coupons / money for reward
"READ" posters made in-house -- photographs of faculty members holding their favorite
book with READ on the posters -- assistance from the business department -- frame
them all over the library. Students are now asking to be pictured on the READ posters.
Book displays
Bookmarks with the names of suggested titles
Bronco Book Club -- meet monthly to discuss chosen title. Some sessions at school some at local coffee house. Includes faculty
Gateway Readers Award
Outstanding Promotion of Reading Award -- given to several teachers each month and
an annual award given at Honors assembly
OutstandiAugust 12, 2008om each grade level -- each month)
Poetry Contest twice during the school year -- prizes awarded and entries bound into
book form to become part of the collection
Read MAIL -- HS students are paired with collection education students. HS student
selects book to read -- A party was held at the HS LMC at the beginning of the project
for people to meet. Each pair read the same book with the college student taking the
lead on guiding an email discussion of the book. At the end of a set amount of time,
students met again. This party was held on the college campus. Could partner HS and
JR students
School Wide Reading List -- suggestions from classroom teachers -- teachers give credit
for reading selections and participating in reading contests and activities
2003 Katy Trail Ride -- sponsored by the Mo. Dept. of Conservation (235 miles in 5 days)
-- librarian and spouse rode -- took pledges of # of pages for each mile she rode and
then celebrated at the beginning of school.
Book talks with milk and cookies before school
Trivia contests (seasonal and tied to special weeks)
Paperback book swap
take digital pictures of students holding a book and then display it with their printed
recommendation
4-8
5-12
ALL
ALL
HS
HS
HS
HS
HS
HS
HS
HS
HS
HS
JR
JR
JR
JR
JR
K-4
K-4
K-4
K-4
K-4
K-4
K-5
K-6
MS
MS
MS
MS
MS
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Caldecott Challenge
Children's Book Week
Kinder Klassics
Missouri Building Blocks
National Library Week
Read Across America
January and February -- library staff issues the Read Around the Library Challenge. -ends early March -- challenge students to meet a goal or help us answer a question.
Last year we asked, Who reads more, boys or girls? No prizes are awarded - emphasize
the prize is knowing you participated and did your best -- other years - read more fiction
or nonfiction? Can we read enough books to make a trail of titles around the library and
down the hall to the office.
1000 page summer reading challenge
Banned book week
Book Talks
Current Events
Library Week
Teen Read Week
Gateway Readers Award
SSR in seminar classes -- 10 block schedule and one class in seminar. Students read
the book of their choice the first 23 minutes of each seminar class.
Study halls transformed into reading classes -- students must read books and receive a
grade on the basis of how many book quizzes they successfully pass. Use Scholastic
Reading Counts. Third year and successful. 443 students passed 3000 quizzes
Email: Library Media Centers
Phone: 573-526-4219
Last Revised: July 31, 2008
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Book Report Ideas
91 Ways to Respond to a Book
http://gretchenle.com/bookreports.html#anchor89424
Book Float and Popcorn Bag Book Report
http://www.successlink.org/gti/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=3566
Book report suggestions for upper elementary students, complete with assessment rubrics.
Book Report Alternative: Comic Strips and Cartoon Squares
http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=195
Includes planning sheet and rubric.
Book Report Wizard, presented by Corey Green
http://www.coreygreen.com/bookreport.html
Keys to success and an index of book report terms and questions.
Book Reports at pppst.com
http://languagearts.pppst.com/bookreports.html
Free presentation in PowerPoint format.
How to Write a Book Report
http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsbookreportelem.html
Steps to follow in the introduction, body, and conclusion. This is for upper elementary, but there
is another for middle/high school.
Just for Kids Who Love Books: A Website for Kids 8 to 14
http://www.alanbrown.com
Students can send and read messages about books. Site is administered by a retired school
librarian.
Kathy Lee’s Alternatives to Book Reports
http://gretchenle.com/bkrpts1to100.html
Nonfiction Book Report: Adding Interest and Relevance Through Choice
http://www.successlink.org/gti/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=4005
Rationale, steps to implement, learning objectives, evaluation. Geared toward high school, but
could be modified to elementary or middle school.
Pack Rat Book Reports
http://www.successlink.org/GTI/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=4028
This can be done as an oral or written report. Students select items to display in the class
“museum” that connect to the book they read.
Web English Teacher Book Report Ideas
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/bookreports.html
This website has links to a variety of alternatives to the traditional book report including:
 10 Questions
 20 Ways of Looking at the Book
 91 Ways to Respond to Literature
 Alternatives to the Traditional Book Report
 Better Book Reports: 25 Ideas and Better Book Reports: 25 More Ideas
 Book Party: Creating Festivals to Honor Works of Literature
 Book Report Form
 Book Report Ideas
 Book Report Sandwich Station
 Book Reports for the Bored
 Books Alive!
 A Bookish Proposal
 Get Down and Book-ie!
 More Ideas Than You’ll Ever Use for Book Reports
 Multimedia Book Report Rubric
 Not Your Same Old Book Report
 Novel Appreciation
 Student Book Talk with a Student Created Book Jacket
 Three Books Project
 Twitter Book Reports?
 What Do You Need? A Google Meme Game
 Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick
 Writing an Approach Paper
MISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS
READER/SELECTOR AGREEMENT FORM
I, ______________________________________________representing
(Please circle one) Children’s Services Roundtable, College & University
Instructors, IRA, MASL, Middle School Association, MNEA, Missouri State
Library, MSTA, Missouri Assn. of Elementary Principals, Past Mark Twain Chair,
PTO/PTA, Retired Teachers, Student Readers),
am willing to serve as a Reader/Selector for the 2011-2012 Mark Twain Award
List of Nominees. I understand that I will receive the Reader/Selector list of
approximately 25 titles by the middle of August 2010. I will return my rating sheet
to the 2011-2012 Mark Twain Award Committee Chair by December 1, 2010.
Signature ____________________________________________________________________
Home Address: ________________________________________________
City/State/Zip: _________________________________________________
Work Address: _______________________________________________
City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________
Home Phone: ___________________ Work Phone: ___________________
E-Mail: ______________________________________________________
Fax: _________________________________________________________
Please return this form IMMEDIATELY to:
Robin Gibbons
1208 Elm St., West
Greenwood, MO 64034