Choice Book

How I Became a Pirate
Written By: Melinda Long
Illustrated By: David Shannon

Summary:

This is the story of a little boy who is playing on the beach one day and "becomes" a pirate. While his father and mother don't believe him, he knows pirates are real. He goes off on a pirate ship with them, learning how to speak like a pirate and play pirate soccer. He goes to bed way past his bedtime but doesn't wear pajamas! He begins to miss real life when he doesn't get a bedtime story or a good-night kiss. He really misses real life during a storm when no one even notices him. When the storm is over he takes the pirates to find a buried treasure in his friends back yard and stays on the beach, waving goodbye to the pirates.

Application:

This story is a good example of imaginative writing and could be a good introduction to such writing styles. Students could be read such a text and then be asked to write their own pieces about other adventures dealing with various topics such as space, the ocean, etc. This piece gives beautiful imagary and tells the story with such detail that students can truly learn from its example.

Choice Book

The Story of Ferdinand
Written By: Munro Leaf
Illustrated By: Robert Lawson

Summary:

There was a bull named Ferdinand who lived in a pasture. He liked to sit quietly away from the other bulls and smell the flowers as a young bull. As he and the other bulls got older and larger, he still liked to sit and smell the flowers. One day some men came to pick a bull to bull fight in Madrid, and when they saw Ferdinand he had just sat down on a bee and began to buck and make a crazy scene. Because of this the men picked Ferdinand over the other bulls. When he got to Madrid, he just sat in the middle of the ring...and smelled the flowers. :) They took him back to his pasture.

Application:

This book shows the culture of Spain while also telling the story of a bull who is nothing but himself, all the time. This would be a nice introduction to Spain in that it discusses bull fighting, matadors, parades, etc. that go along with Spanish culture.

Historical Fiction

Meet Kirsten: An American Girl
Written By: Janet Beeler Shaw
Illustrated By: Renee Graef and Paul Lackner

Summary:

This book of historical fiction is the first in a series about the life a a girl named Kirsten, a girl who traveled with her family from Sweden to the fronteir of Minnesota. It takes place on the pioneer in the 1850's and begins with the trip overseas on a ship from Sweden to America with her Papa, Mama, older brother, Lars, younger brother, Peter, and baby sister, Britta. Once the family safely arrives they face the task of living in a new country and on the fronteir. Kirsten's father always offers hope to the family, while her mother always keeps their Swedish traditions aliveas they begin to make this country their home.

Application:

This book takes the student and allows them to experience a piece of history from the eyes of a child their age. It takes struggles and triumphs that they would relate to and allows them to experience those along with the story teller, Kirsten. This is a great book in that it is a part of a series and that students can grow right along side of the characters. I would use this as an option to introduce the 1850's and this stage of history to the class, allowing them to do some creative writing to go along with their reading about how they would feel during this time.

Graphic Novel

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Written By: Jeff Kinney
Illustrated By: Jeff Kinney

Summary:

Diary of A Wimpy Kid details the life of Greg Heffley and his middle school experience. He is an ordinary middle schooler discussing his every day experiences, from "The Cheese" a game of tag that the kids play, to experience with Halloween, Christmas, and Safety Patrol. Greg goes through the everyday events of his life with his best friend, Rowley, until the two begin to fall away due to a safety patrol incident. Rowley begins to replace Greg with another friend, Collin Lee. In the end the two make up when they work together to pay back the teenagers and give them the "Cheese Touch."

Application:

This book is an extremely popular book as of late with upper elementary aged students, especially the boys, and is a book that can be used to get students excited about reading when they are having a hard time in this area. It has a humorous story line and a comic-strip layout so students are drawn to its pages. Students who are struggling with an understanding for a love for reading could use this book as a spring-board to spark this love for reading.