Historical Fiction: Meet Addy

Title: Meet Addy
Author: Connie Porter
Publisher: American Girl Publishing Inc.
Copyright date: September 1, 1993
Number of Pages: 88 pages
Awards: 1994 Book of the Year Award (Children), Blackboard African American Best Sellers, Inc. and 1994 Children’s Choice Award, Book Council/International Reading Association
Reading Level: Independent Reader Jr. "I am a Reader"
Generally appropriate for 4th Grade to 7th Grade
These books are appropriate for the independent reader who can retain and understand more elaborate and sophisticated story elements.
Lexile: 700L
Genre: Children’s Literature, Fiction, Historical Fiction
Summary:
This book is about a slave named Addy Walker and her family members, Momma, Poppa, her brother Sam, and her baby sister Ester. Addy Walker's family is planning a dangerous escape from slavery in the time of the Civil War. But before they can make the escape, the worst happens, her master decides to sell some of his slaves, including Poppa and Addy's brother, Sam. Addy and Momma take the terrible risk of escaping by themselves, hoping that the family eventually will be together again in Philadelphia. Will Addy and Momma make it safely to Philadelphia? Will their whole family be together again someday?

Academic Purpose:
American Girl books are usually made for girls. Boys are welcome to read them too, but it is not an interest to them. So how I would incorporate this book into my classroom is by having a unit of where students will participate in Literature Circles. I would then have the theme of all the different books, the children would be able to choose to read, be the genre of Historical Fiction. So for example, I might have four books for students to choose from (Meet Addy, Shoeless Joe and Me, Dash, Play Ball-Jackie). Students would be split into groups, and read and discuss the books together. The reading roles that the students would assign themselves would be the following: Discussion director, illustrator, connector, summarizer, vocabulary enricher, and travel tracer. Teachers can customize these roles to best fit their classroom. The students would switch roles each week. I would have students keep a folder of all their weekly projects and turn them in to the teacher at the end, for me to see how well each student comprehended and learned about the novel.

**The great thing about this book is that it is a series, so a teacher can recommend these books to her students to get them reading more. Also, there are many similar book series about young girls’ experiences, written by American Girl, in a time period in history.**

Rating System:

Categories:	5 Stars	3 Stars	1 Star	Comments
Style and Language	The book anticipates readers’ questions and uses great word choice for the age targeted. It has linear progression and communicates its point clearly.	The book follows a linear progression, with some unclear points. The word choice is okay.	The book is confusing as it doesn’t follow a linear progression at all. The vocabulary in the book is either too simple or too complex for the age group targeted.	This book uses great word choice for the age targeted. There is many vocabulary words such as, pallet, frantic, eerie, spurred, and secede. The books style and language creates a great book for independent readers. This book communicates its point clearly about the historical event that takes place (slavery, Civil War)The linear progression storyline is fantastic. 5 stars
Plot and Character Development	The plot is in depth and helps to create a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. The character development is strong.	The plot is okay. The book is organized with a beginning, middle, and end. The characters are well developed.	The book is confusing and doesn’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end.	This book does have a plot, which creates a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. This book does a great job of unfolding the characteristics of each character. Readers get know how strong, determined, and brave the characters are. Some girls may be able to relate to Addy as a young girl that just wants to be free and do everything else that young girls do. 5 stars
Interest	The book holds real life situations which draw the reader in. The word choice and story hold the reader’s attention. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book holds little interest and draws the reader in sometimes. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book is very boring and doesn’t hold the reader’s attention. The book is not suitable for the age group targeted.	This book definitely holds the reader’s attention. This book is intense, and with it being about the Civil War and slavery the readers don’t know what will or could happen when the characters escape.  The book does such a great job engaging the reader with its suspenseful storyline. This story definitely will keep its readers on their toes. The illustrations are detailed and engaging. 5 stars
Educational Value	The book is relatable to education. The book can be integrated into other content areas.	The book is relatable to education. The book may need further resources to help connect it to other content areas.	The book is not relatable to education whatsoever. The book is not appropriate to be integrated into other content areas.	This book is relatable to education. This book can teach students about slavery and the Civil War.           5 stars

Historical Fiction: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Title: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Copyright date: July 10, 1995
Number of Pages: 40 pages
Awards: International Reading Association Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Award for Younger Readers
Reading Level: Independent Reader Jr. "I am a Reader"
Generally appropriate for 4th Grade to 7th Grade.
These books are appropriate for the independent reader who can retain and understand more elaborate and sophisticated story elements.
Lexile: 680L
Genre: Children’s Literature, Fiction, Historical Fiction
Summary:
This book is about a slave named Clara who dreams of escaping the plantation she works on, and finding her mother. Using her seamstress skills, she designs a quilt that maps out the pathway to freedom. Fellow slaves help her by relaying information about the Underground Railroad to Clara, and she in turn sews the pathways and landmarks into a quilt. In the end does Clara and a fellow slave escape to freedom safely? Does Clara find her mother?
Academic Purpose:
To fulfill the social studies standards, the teacher could do an activity that involves creating a map. The teacher could hang a map of the school at the front of the classroom. Divide the map into squares and assign each student a square. Have them think of some sort of symbol that represents their individual square, for example the gym could be balls, a court, and some gym clothes and shoes. For the library, the symbols could be books, shelves, library cards, etc. Then, in color, the teacher would ask the students to design a quilt square that will combine with the other quilt squares in the classroom to create a giant quilt-map of the school. This map would turn out to be kind of abstract.

Another activity students could do is, sewing their own map on cloth materials. This would help them understand how Sweet Clara, in the book, had patience to sew together a whole map on a quilt. I would have students first map out their route to school on a piece of paper. I would want them to pay attention to details, such as stores, turns and curves in the road, their house, the school, and trees and bushes. Then, once they are done with their draft, I would provide cloth materials for students to sew together their map. Students will be able to learn a new skill too. (This activity would work best with upper elementary and middle school students)

This book would be a good way to show students some of the ways that the African-American slaves escaped to freedom. They may not have heard about anything but the Underground railroad so this book could further educate them.

Rating System:

Categories:	5 Stars	3 Stars	1 Star	Comments
Style and Language	The book anticipates readers’ questions and uses great word choice for the age targeted. It has linear progression and communicates its point clearly.	The book follows a linear progression, with some unclear points. The word choice is okay.	The book is confusing as it doesn’t follow a linear progression at all. The vocabulary in the book is either too simple or too complex for the age group targeted.	This book uses great word choice for the age targeted. There is many vocabulary words such as, plantation, seamstress, and squirrel. The books style and language creates a great book for independent readers. This book communicates its point clearly about the historical event that takes place (slavery, Underground Railroad). The linear progression storyline is fantastic. 5 stars
Plot and Character Development	The plot is in depth and helps to create a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. The character development is strong.	The plot is okay. The book is organized with a beginning, middle, and end. The characters are well developed.	The book is confusing and doesn’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end.	This book does have a plot, which creates a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. This book does a great job of unfolding the characteristics of each character. Readers get know how strong, determined, and brave the characters are. 5 stars
Interest	The book holds real life situations which draw the reader in. The word choice and story hold the reader’s attention. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book holds little interest and draws the reader in sometimes. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book is very boring and doesn’t hold the reader’s attention. The book is not suitable for the age group targeted.	This book definitely holds the reader’s attention. This book is intense, and with it being about the Underground Railroad and slavery the readers don’t know what will or could happen when the characters escape.  The book does such a great job engaging the reader with its suspenseful storyline. This story definitely will keep its readers on their toes. 5 stars
Educational Value	The book is relatable to education. The book can be integrated into other content areas.	The book is relatable to education. The book may need further resources to help connect it to other content areas.	The book is not relatable to education whatsoever. The book is not appropriate to be integrated into other content areas.	This book is relatable to education. This book can teach students about creating maps, slavery, and the Underground Railroad.   5 star

Contemporary Realistic Fiction: Stone Fox

Title: Stone Fox
Author: John Reynolds Gardiner
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright date: 1980
Number of Pages: 96 pages
Awards: New York Times Notable Book of the Year for 1980, named 100 Best Books for Children by Anita Silvey
Reading Level: Independent Reader Jr. "I am a Reader"
Generally appropriate for 4th Grade to 7th Grade
These books are appropriate for the independent reader who can retain and understand more elaborate and sophisticated story elements.
Lexile: N/A
Genre: Children’s Novels, Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Willy discovers that his Grandfather needs 500 dollars to pay off 10 years worth of taxes on the farm, or they will lose it. In a daring plan, Willy enters the National Dogsled Race, and places everything on the line, with a wild hope that he can outrun the best dogsled racers in the country. Who also includes the legendary Native American Dogsled racer, Stone Fox. Stone Fox has never lost a race. But, Willy refuses to give up. Will Willy and his dog, Searchlight, win the $500 dollars and save his Grandfathers farm?
Academic Purpose:
I would integrate this book into the classroom, as a class novel to read. This book is fantastic and will be great for upper elementary aged students. I would implement a reading strategy called Literature Circles for when my students read this book. What I would do is divide the students into groups, and each week the students would be responsible to read 1-2 chapters and complete their role. The reading roles that the students would assign themselves would be the following: Discussion director, illustrator, connector, summarizer, vocabulary enricher, and travel tracer. Teachers can customize these roles to best fit their classroom. The students would switch roles each week. I would have students keep a folder of all their weekly projects and turn them in to the teacher at the end, for me to see how well each student comprehended and learned about the novel.

Rating System:

Categories:	5 Stars	3 Stars	1 Star	Comments
Style and Language	The book anticipates readers’ questions and uses great word choice for the age targeted. It has linear progression and communicates its point clearly.	The book follows a linear progression, with some unclear points. The word choice is okay.	The book is confusing as it doesn’t follow a linear progression at all. The vocabulary in the book is either too simple or too complex for the age group targeted.	This book uses great word choice for the age targeted. There is many vocabulary words such as, palomino, bushel, clenched, tension, Amateur, and reservation. The books style and language creates a great book for independent readers. This book communicates its point clearly about friendship. The linear progression storyline is fantastic. 5 stars
Plot and Character Development	The plot is in depth and helps to create a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. The character development is strong.	The plot is okay. The book is organized with a beginning, middle, and end. The characters are well developed.	The book is confusing and doesn’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end.	This book does have a plot, which creates a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. This book does a great job of unfolding the characteristics of each character, to which to the point the reader can relate to them. 5 stars
Interest	The book holds real life situations which draw the reader in. The word choice and story hold the reader’s attention. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book holds little interest and draws the reader in sometimes. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book is very boring and doesn’t hold the reader’s attention. The book is not suitable for the age group targeted.	This book definitely holds the reader’s attention with the real life situation theme.  The book does such a great job engaging the reader with its suspenseful storyline. This story definitely will keep its readers on their toes. 5 stars
Educational Value	The book is relatable to education. The book can be integrated into other content areas.	The book is relatable to education. The book may need further resources to help connect it to other content areas.	The book is not relatable to education whatsoever. The book is not appropriate to be integrated into other content areas.	This book is relatable to education. This book can teach students how to collaborate with one another when reading this book together and participating in Literature Circles.   5 star

Contemporary Realistic Fiction: Fancy Nancy

Title: Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Banquet
Author: Jane O’Connor
Publisher: HarperFestival
Copyright date: August 23, 2011
Number of Pages: 24 pages
Awards: N/A
Reading Level: Picture Books "For all Ages"
These books can be read by or read aloud to children of all ages. The limited text will help to maintain a younger reader’s attention, however you will often find sophisticated language. Picture books are often works of art with extraordinary illustrations.
Or
Reader Jr. "I can do it"
Generally appropriate for 1st Grade to 3rd Grade
These books are appropriate for the fluent reader who is able to grasp and follow a simple story. The equal balance of text and white space creates an environment that won't intimidate a developing reader.
Lexile: 510L
Genre: Children’s Literature, Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Join Fancy Nancy and her family as they travel to her grandparents' house for Thanksgiving dinner, and although she thinks she is mature enough for the adults' table, Nancy is forced to sit with her sister and cousins at the kids' table. Will Fancy Nancy have a chance to sit with the grown-ups? Or will she realize that sitting with her cousins and sister is actually not that bad?
Academic Purpose:
I would integrate this book into the classroom, during the Thanksgiving season, and to meet the fiction writing standards. This book brings alive a realistic story of how Thanksgiving can be spent with your family and friends. In my classroom, I would read this book aloud to my students and we would have a discussion about all the different “Fancy” vocabulary words and talk about what they mean. I would then write down a list of the “Fancy” vocabulary words, used in the book, on the board, such as destination, Bonjour, banquet, mature, grateful, etc. Then, I would have the students create a fictional Thanksgiving story using these words in it correctly. The students would also be provided with materials to illustrate the story. To also reach the speaking and listening standards, I would have students participate in the “Author’s chair”, of where they can sit in a chair on the circle carpet, and read their stories aloud to one another.

Rating System:

Categories:	5 Stars	3 Stars	1 Star	Comments
Style and Language	The book anticipates readers’ questions and uses great word choice for the age targeted. It has linear progression and communicates its point clearly.	The book follows a linear progression, with some unclear points. The word choice is okay.	The book is confusing as it doesn’t follow a linear progression at all. The vocabulary in the book is either too simple or too complex for the age group targeted.	This book uses great word choice for the age targeted. There is many vocabulary words such as, destination, Bonjour, banquet, mature, grateful, etc. The books style and language creates a great book for beginning or independent readers. This book communicates its point clearly about the theme of Thanksgiving. However, the linear progression storyline is unclear at some points. 3 stars
Plot and Character Development	The plot is in depth and helps to create a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. The character development is strong.	The plot is okay. The book is organized with a beginning, middle, and end. The characters are well developed.	The book is confusing and doesn’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end.	This book does have a plot, which creates a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end.           5 stars
Interest	The book holds real life situations which draw the reader in. The word choice and story hold the reader’s attention. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book holds little interest and draws the reader in sometimes. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book is very boring and doesn’t hold the reader’s attention. The book is not suitable for the age group targeted.	This book definitely holds the reader’s attention with the real life situation.  The book does such a great job engaging the reader with its color, which is very important in this book, the illustrations, and the font choice, which appears to be set in Kristen ITC which fits the theme of this book.  The bends and curves of each letter add to the fanciness of the story. 5 stars
Educational Value	The book is relatable to education. The book can be integrated into other content areas.	The book is relatable to education. The book may need further resources to help connect it to other content areas.	The book is not relatable to education whatsoever. The book is not appropriate to be integrated into other content areas.	This book is relatable to education. This book can teach students to write a contemporary realistic story, and implementing enriching vocabulary correctly.     5 star