Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean

by: Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle

 An excellent choice for comic fans, history buffs, and anyone looking for a strong female role model.

-Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library,

 Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2010.

Published by: Hyperion Press copyright: 2010

This creatively informative graphic novel exemplifies Amelia Earhart’s time spent in Trepassey, Newfoundland trying to take off for her first transatlantic flight. Grace the protagonist of the story is an aspiring reporter who gets captivated in the valiant attempts of Amelia and her perseverance to do what she wants despite people putting her down. Despite a few failed attempts to take off Amelia remains hopeful that there trip will be coming soon and be successful. Amelia gives Grace an insider interview before she takes off the next day. Graces feels so fortunate to get the one on one interview with Amelia and even more fortunate when she receives a telegram from Amelia when she finally lands in Whales. The story then skips to nine years later and Grace hears about Amelia’s disappearance. She is then inspired to pursue a career as a reporter because of the message that Amelia represented, that woman should go after their dream.  

Reading level: 5th and up

Suggested Delivery: Small group, read aloud

Vocabulary: Intrigued, endeavors, aviation, triumphant, voyage, tenacity, manifested, moxy, circumnavigate, autonomy, aerobatic

Electronic Resources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/books/review/Stone-t.html Read a news paper article about this book.

http://disney.go.com/books/amelia-earhart-this-broad-ocean-1423113373 This is a great resource for teachers. This site gives great teaching tools such as discussion questions, lessons that you can use this book for, including art, math, history and science. This site also has an interview with the author.

Activities to increase comprehension:

Before reading: Have students research about Amelia Earhart. Teach them how to read a comic strip (how to follow the format). You can also ask them what they already know about Amilia Earhart and create a list.

During reading: Discuss why being a woman flying across the Atlantic Ocean was such an extraordinary thing at the time. Have the students write questions that they have about the story that they can try and answer after they read it. Students can also look up the vocabulary that they don’t understand as they read.

After reading: Have the students write a new list of things that they learned about Amelia and what they know now. Have the students compare the list the made before reading the book to the one after reading the book. They can then take what they learned about Amelia and her characteristics and create a Wordle at http://www.wordle.net/. You can also Have the students create their own comic strip story by using:  http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/games-tools/comic-creator-a-30237.html

The Boy Who Dared

 Bartoletti offers another perspective on the Holocaust, demonstrating that even if the effort proves unsuccessful, the courage and convictions of a minority should be motivation to speak the truth rather than remain silent. It's a message that must be continually emphasized as a lasting legacy of the Holocaust.-Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI (c) Copyright 2010.

Published by: Scholastic Press copyright:2008

As a part of Hitler youth Helmut Hübener was influenced by the other Nazi’s that he was around all the time and was strictly forbidden to communicate or listen to anything outside that confides of his own country. When given a radio, which is strictly forbidden, Helmut is able to listen to the views that the BBC broadcast. The BBC opens his eyes to the views of the people outside of Nazi Germany and he begins to see things differently. Hoping to make an influence on the people of Germany and make a difference to the people suffering from the Nazi Regime, Helmut begins to rebel. Helmut gets some of his friends to help him spread what he hears on the radio to the people in his hometown. The Gestapo, find him and arrest him for going against the rules. He is put in prison and awaits his execution. The story starts off with him in the cell and is written in mostly flashbacks of what happened to get him into that cell. Based off of a true story The Boy Who Dared is a great book to help teach about the holocaust and its affect on Germany, other countries and the people under the Nazi influence.

Reading level: 6-9 Lexil: 760L

Suggested Delivery: Independent read

Vocabulary: Treaty of Versailles, the Great War, Nazi, National Socialist Party, Communist, Reich, Parliament, Regime, Lieutenant, stoic, Fatherland, boycott, warmonger, brownshirt,weiman republic, U-boat, propaganda, blitzkrieg, defeatist, black market, ration, plutocracy, idealism, denounce, inflation, swastika, doctrine, dissent, inflammatory,

Electronic Resources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VunoYLVBon0 watch the author Susan Campbell Bartoletti, tell what the story is about as well as providing insight into the essential question, “what am I willing to stand up for?”

http://www.scbartoletti.com/ the authors’ website offers insight into the author including a biography, other books that she wrote as well as contact information to get in touch with her.

http://www.studystack.com/flashcard-610548 This website has flashcards with answers on them  about the book to practice and test knowledge about the book.

Activities to increase comprehension:

Before reading: This book should be read in a unit where the students are already learning about the Holocaust. There are a lot of historical references such as the treaty of Versailles, parliament, and Communist in this book that the students should learn about beforehand. Going over some key terms will help the students understand the book.

During reading: Have the students continue to learn about the Holocaust, throughout the book ask them questions and have them ask question about what is going on in the book to ensure that they are understanding the plot and keeping up with the reading.

After reading: Have the students answer the question “what am I willing to stand up for?” Helmut has to stand up for what he believes in knowing that he could get in a lot of trouble for it. Having the students think about what they are willing to stand up for will have them be able to connect with the protagonist in the story and really show them what he had so go through. Making a text to self connection will give them empathy for Helmut and a better understanding of the holocaust and the people that were affected by it. 

Swindle

This kids-versus-adults-themed story is pure plot-driven fun from top to bottom. If you read it aloud, don't be surprised when your listeners beg you for "just one more chapter."-Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI (c) Copyright 2010.

 Published by Scholastic Press Copyright 2008

After spending a night in an abandoned house, Griffin “The man with the plan” finds an old Babe Ruth baseball card. Hoping to get some money off of his unique find, Griffin and his best friend Ben bring the card to a pawn shop called “Palomino’s Emporium of Collectibles and Memorabilia” owned by S. Wendell Palomino. The boys are disappointed when Palomine sells them the card for one hundred and twenty dollars; griffin saw “visions of solving the family’s money woes popping like soap bubbles”. Later Griffin see’s Palomine on the television announcing that he is going to sell the card at an auction for an estimated 1 million dollars. Griffin realizes that he was s. Wendell Palomine “Swindled” him out of a valuable card. Feeling constantly overlooked and under appreciated by adults, Griffin gathers up a gang of his peers to reclaim what he things is rightfully his. Getting the card back won’t be as easy as they think when things don’t go according to plan.

Reading level: 4-7 Lexil: 710L

Suggested Delivery: Whole class read aloud, independent read

Vocabulary: eerie, eaves, mulling, speculation, rankled, keyed, haughtily, tirade, grimaced, assailant, withering, tantalizing, clamorous, appraisal, heckled, heist, solidarity, rapt, relentlessly, chastened, dubiously, treacherous, hostile, intercepted, elude, acetylene

Electronic Resources:

http://gordonkorman.com/ The author’s website give information about him as well as other books that he has written that the students may also enjoy reading.

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/video.jsp?pID=1640149541&bcpid=1640149541&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAFv844g~,BASb5BU03X-iSxP2xnUo82nI3lwCMiDm&bclid=1557820329&bctid=1562781814 Listen to Gordon Korman narrate the premise of the book and describe the characters. Great to show the kids before reading to get them interested.

http://kidshealth.org/kid/grow/school_stuff/bullies.html This book deals with bullies and the idea that a bully can even be an adult. This website is a good source to use for teaching kids how to deal with bullies.

Activities to increase comprehension:

Before reading: There are a lot of challenging vocabulary in this book, depending on the age of the students reading this, going over the vocabulary and/or doing a mini lesson on how to determine meaning of a word through context clues would be a useful things to do with the students to improve their comprehension when they read.

-This book is all about kids being cheated by an adult and wanting to get back what they were cheated out of, having the students think about a time in their life when they felt cheated or lied to by an adult, or a time when they didn’t have control is an activity that will get them thinking about the theme of the book before they read. This can be done through a writing assignment of a think pair share.

During reading: Griffin comes up with a lot of plans throughout the course of the book, when he comes up with a new plan have the students write down what they think might go wrong, and what they could do if that does happen.

After reading: The students could do a reflective writing assignment comparing a time when they felt like Griffin (unappreciated and swindled by an adult) and how it made them feel.

The Graveyard Book

"The Graveyard Book is endlessly inventive, masterfully told and, like Bod himself, too clever to fit into only one place. This is a book for everyone. You will love it to death."

 -- Holly Black, co–creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles

Published by: HarperCollins copyright: 2008

The 2009 Newbery Medal winner :The Graveyard Book  by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by HarperCollins Children's Books.

“A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose."

After the tragic death of his family by a man named Jack, Toddler, Nobody “Bod” Owens, escapes and seeks safety among the ghosts and ghouls of a nearby graveyard. After finding out that the Man named Jack is still out their looking for the escaped toddler, the residents of the graveyard promise to raise and protect him. Bod is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens and looked after by his guardian Silas. Throughout the book Bod learns valuable lessons of how to live in the world of the dead and the world of the living. Bod listens to tales of life long ago and makes priceless friendships with the spirits of the graveyard. We go along the journey with Bod as he explores the wonders of life, death, friendship, family and what it means to grow up. 

Reading level: 5/6 Lexil: 820L

Suggested Delivery: Independent read or small group read

Vocabulary: Oblige, gargantuan, zenith, antagonize, quarry, mausoleum, consternation, tangible, brooch, convocation, surreal, palpable, enormous, alter, tentatively, triumphantly, mercy, welling, debris, amphitheater, obelisk, inhabitants, gratitude, enthusiasm, historians, scrutinized, perplexed, immutable

Electronic Resources:

 http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx Listen to Neil Gaiman read the graveyard book aloud chapter by chapter and answer questions. Great to introduce the author to the students and watch and listen to him read his own work. Great for an after reading activity or a during reading activity.  

http://www.neilgaiman.com/works/Books/The+Graveyard+Book/ the author’s website gives information about him and all of his work. There is also frequently asked questions and information about tour dates. Great for before reading, getting to know the author and an after reading for any questions or information on his other work.

http://www.enotes.com/the-graveyard-book Summaries of the book and the chapters. During reading to help with what happened if there is confusion.

Activities to Increase Comprehension:

Before reading: Go over the vocabulary words that might be difficult for the students. This will get them prepared for the words that they might struggle with and it might give them glimpse of the reading before they start.

During reading: going over the vocabulary even when they are reading will help them learn how to look up words that they don’t know when they are reading and possibly use context clues to figure out the meaning of the words. Another activity to do during reading would be to have the students put together a character map of all the characters, who they are and a little bit about them. There are a lot of characters in this book and the students might get confused, having them organize the character will help them follow all the characters.

After reading:  Using questions can enhance the students understanding of the book. Some questions can be found at… http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=2184

Additional Resources:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_UUVwTaemk - watch a preview of the book