The Rainbow Fish

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish is the most beautiful fish in the ocean.  He has every shade of blue, green and purple scales along with some shiny, shimmery ones.  The other fish are amazed at his beauty, but is Rainbow Fish as beautiful inside as he is on the outside?  He eventually becomes the loneliest fish in the ocean, but what happens when he realizes he wasn't so nice to the other fish in the sea?

This is a great book about being kind to our friends and sharing.  I would use it in an early childhood classroom to help promote sharing and kindness among the classroom and community.  It's one of my favorite books and it's beautiful illustrations add to the words.  It also uses more advanced vocabulary words than an average kindergarten or first grader would normally use.


South Carolina State Standards for ELA

Standard K-1  The student will begin to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts in print and nonprint formats.

Indicator K-1.1 Summarize the main idea and details from the literary texts read aloud

In the kindergarten classroom, I would read the book aloud to the children. As I read, I would point out unfamiliar words and use context and visual clues to help the students understand.  Then, the class would discuss the main idea and theme of the story and ask, "What does it mean to be a good friend?"  Make a chart of kind words.  Add those words to a word wall.

Related Internet Resources

http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/activities-projects/share-story-30666.html?main-tab=2#tabs

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_content/free_resources/teachers_corner/lesson_plans/0310_lessonPlans.jsp

http://childcare.sc.gov/main/docs/gsgs_finalbook_022608.pdf

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Interest Level: 3-5 grade
Genre: Fantasy

Despereaux is a mouse who is in love with the Princess Pea. Chiaroscuro is a rat who is forced to live in darkness but longs to live in the light. Miggery Sow is a servant girl who wants to be a princess. The three stories of these characters will converge when Chiaroscuro, who is plotting revenge against Pea,  convinces Miggery that she can become a princess if she helps him kidnap the real Princess. Despereaux must go into the dungeon of the castle, a very dangerous place for a mouse, in order to save the Princess.

Yes, I would use this book in the classroom.  The story is divided into four books.  It would be a great book to introduce students to story structure.  The first three books give background information on three of the main characters from birth until the events that take place in book four.  Students could determine what order the events in each character’s life occurred relative to the other two characters. This story teaches a lot of good vocabulary words. The author defines them in the book and encourages the reader to look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary.

South Carolina State Standards for ELA

Standard 4-1 The student will read and comprehend a variety of literary texts in print and nonprint formats.
Indicator 4-1.5 Analyze the impact of characterization and conflict on plot

Using the above standards, the students would work on a character study in literature circles.  The students would discuss each character and their importance in the story.  With this being a compilation of four books, each student could take a character and analyze in their small group.

Lunch Bunnies

Lunch Bunnies by Kathryn Lasky

Interest Level: K-2 grade

Genre: Fantasy

Clyde is very nervous about his first day of school but what he dreads the most is lunch. He has heard about how mean the lunch ladies are and worries that he will drop his food on the way to the table. When lunch times rolls around Clyde finds that the lunch ladies are a lot nicer than he has been led to believe. He even makes a friend.

Yes, I would use this book in my classroom.  It would be a great book to read on the first day of kindergarten or first grade. The students are new to the school setting and this book would help ease their worries.  This book is also great for predicting.  The teacher can have the children predict what happens to Clyde when he enters the lunchroom.  It would lead into a discussion about the students fears as well.  It's very well illustrated, which helps students with visual literacy. 

South Carolina State Standards in ELA

Standard K-3 The student will learn to read by applying appropriate skills and strategies.

Indicator K-3.4 Recognize high-frequency words

The teacher will place high-frequency words onto the word wall.  The students can play a game called, "Word Wall, Beach Ball."  During this game, the students stand in a circle and the teacher calls out a word from the word wall and tosses the beach ball to a student.  The student has to say a word wall word, then throw the ball to another student, etc. 

Related Internet Resources

http://kreativeinkinder.blogspot.com/2012/02/word-wall.html

http://www.quia.com/jg/67424.html

http://www.itvs.org/educators/lesson-plans?gclid=CNG3oJPyhLYCFah9OgodxQQA9A

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Interest Level: PreK-K

Llama Llama is ready for bed.  He has brushed his teeth, put on his red pajamas, but where is Mama Llama?  In this delightful rhyming book, Llama Llama is patiently waiting for his mama to tuck him in.  But where is she? Thus begins the "Llama Drama!"

I would definitely use this book in my preschool or kindergarten classroom.  It is a simple, rhyming book that helps teach self control. The words are very simple and easy to understand.

South Carolina State Standards for ELA

Standard K-3 The student will learn to read by applying appropriate skills and strategies.
Indicator K-3.1 Use pictures and context to construct the meaning of unfamiliar words in texts read aloud.

The teacher will choose words from the book and have the students look at the context clues and pictures to figure out the meaning.  The words could also be placed on a word wall.

Related Internet Resources

http://www.llamallamabook.com/

http://www.annadewdney.com/Annas_website/Home.html

http://www.kinderzoo.net/2012/02/llama-llama-red-pajama.html


P.S.  This is one of my preschool class's favorite books!

Freckle Juice

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

Interest Level: 3-5 grade

Andrew Marcus wants freckles. Every day he must sit behind Nicky Lane who has more freckles than Andrew can count.  Andrew believes that his life would be so much better if he only had freckles. So when Sharon says that she has a secret family recipe that will give Andrew freckles he jumps at the chance. Does Sharon's secret family recipe for freckles work?  Does Andrew try the secret recipe?

Yes, I would use this book in my classroom.  One of my favorite children's authors is Judy Blume.  This book was one of my childhood favorites!  This book would be a great way to open up a discussion about self-image.  It would also be a great story for predicting.  Will Sharon's freckle juice work?  The students may also work on their own formula for freckle juice.  This would be a great Science tie-in.

South Carolina Standards for Science

Standard 4-1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry, including the processes,             skills, and mathematical thinking neccessary to conduct a simple, scientific investigation.

Indicator 4-1.4 Distinguish among observations, predictions, and interferences

In the classroom, the students could make their own formula for freckle juice, then they could observe, then predict the outcomes by a simple science experiment.

Related Internet Resources

http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1961.html

http://judyblume.com/books.php

http://www.gateschili.org/webpages/deni/news.cfm?subpage=36615  (freckle juice recipe)

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Interest Level: 3-5 grade

Genre: Historical Fiction

This Newberry Award winning book is set in the late 1800's in rural midwest.  It's about a young woman, Sarah Wheaton, who moves in with a widow, Jacob and his children, Anna and Caleb.  Anna is the narrator of the story, and her mother died during childbirth with Caleb.  Sarah decides to stay and help the family on their farm, but only for a trial period. Even though Sarah misses her home in Maine, she enjoys being on the farm with Jacob, Anna and Caleb.  Will she stay with the family or move back home to Maine?

I would use this book in a 3-5th grade classroom.  It is a great novel to use for a unit about Western Expansion. It would show what it's like to live in a place that has just been settled. the students could compare their lives to the children in the book.

South Carolina State Standard for ELA

Standard 4-3 The student will use word analysis and vocabulary strategies to read fluently.
Indicator 4-3.1 Generate the meaning of unfamiliar and multiple meaning words by using context clues( for example, those that provide an example or definition).

In order to connect this book with the above standards, the teacher will have students choose a few new vocabulary words from each chapter.  Then, the students can write about what they think the words mean, other words it reminds them of, and lastly, the actual meaning.

Related Internet Resources

http://www.quia.com/rr/475089.html

http://www.pierz.k12.mn.us/elementary/media%20center/reading/4th.html

http://www.proteacher.com/070102.shtml

Madeline and the Bad Hat

Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans

Interest level:  K-2nd grade
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Madeline is an intelligent young girl living in a boarding school in Paris under the care of the ever optimistic Miss Clavel. When the Spanish Ambassador and his family move in next door, everyone is enchanted with the Ambassador’s son except Madeline who promptly declares that Pepito is “bad hat”. Pepito enjoys playing tricks on the girl’s in Miss Clavel’s care and even has a tendency to mistreat animals. When Pepito gets injured he resolves to be a better person. Madeline tells him that he is now “the world‘s most wonderful boy”.

I would use this book in my kindergarten-2nd grade classroom.  It would be a great way to introduce different cultures since the book is set in Paris, France.  It's also a great book to help teach rhymes and word families. Another class discussion would be different family types because Madeline has a school family and Pepito has a nuclear family.  This is an overall great book and one of my childhood favorites. 

South Carolina State Standard for ELA

Standard 1-3 The student will learn to read by applying appropriate skills and strategies.

Indicator 1-3.8 Use appropriate voice level and intonation when speaking and reading aloud. 

In order to connect this book with the South Carolina ELA standard, the teacher can have reader's theater and allow the students to read aloud in small groups and practice their voice level and tone.  Another standard tie-in would be the study of Paris in a social studies or geography lesson.

      

Related Internet Resources

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/madeline-and-bad-hat

http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=4264

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/lesson-plans-grades-1-2/98771-second-grade-madeline-activities/