Spiders

Bishop, N.  (2007).  Spiders.  New York, NY:  Scholastic Nonfiction.

Through beautiful close-up pictures of spiders, Nic Bishop informs the reader about the eating habits of a spider and the anatomy of the spider. Bishop also provides rare pictures of a spider molting. The reader also finds out about mating rituals of a spider.  Bishop provides a brief paragraph at the end explaining how he got his pictures on spiders.  He conveniently provided a glossary of terms relating to the spider.

Other books that Nic Bishop has written and provided photographs are the following:

Bishop, N.  (2010).   Lizards. New York, NY:  Scholastic Nonfiction.

Bishop, N.  (2012).  Snakes.  New York, NY:  Scholastic Nonfiction.

Bishop, N.  (2008).  Frogs. New York, NY:  Scholastic Nonfiction.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Selznick, B.  (2007).  The invention of Hugo Cabret.  New York, NY: Scholastics, Inc.

Hugo Cabret lost his father in a fire accident at the museum where he worked.  Hugo had to go live with his uncle because he was the only family he had.  He worked in a train station fixing the clocks.  One day, his uncle did not returned and Hugo took over his job.  He spent most of his days trying to fix an automaton his father had found at the museum.  He had to steal from Melies, who owned a toy shop at the train station.  He was caught and had to work off his debt at the shop.  He also lost his note book with the drawings of the automaton.  When his friend helps him get his notebook, they discover Papa Georges used to be a film director and Hugo finds a family in him.

Since a film was made of this book, the a lesson plan for students can be to see the film and read the book and make a comparison.  By using a Venn diagram, they can list all things the same and all things that are unique to each of the media.

7th Grade TEKS-Reporting Category 1 -Figure 19 F -RS -make connections between and across texts, including other media (e.g., film, play), and provide textual evidence.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village

Schlitz, L.  (2007).  Good masters!  sweet ladies! Voices from a medieval village.  Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick Press.

Good Masters!  Good Ladies!  was written by a librarian in a form of a monologue so that she could get her students interested in history.  We see the stories in the point of view of several people living during medieval times.  We find out some of their customs and rules while living in this time period.  The reader also learns something about the feudal system and how non-land owners had to grow crops and pay a Lord his chair.  Sometimes they were left without anything.

Other books that are similar to this book are as follows:

Willard, N.  (2008).  A visit to William Blakes inn. New Jersey:  Audible, Inc.

Fleischman, S.  (2003).  The Whipping Boy.  New York, NY:  Greenwillow Books.

Schlitz, L.A.  (2012).  Splendors and Glooms.  Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick.

Bridge to Terabithia

Paterson, K.  (1977).  Bridge to Terabithia.  New York, NY:  Harper Trophy.

Jess Aaron practices his running every morning before milking the cow.  He wants to be the fastest runner in fifth grade.  On the first day of school at the anticipated race, a new girl shows up and competes with the boys.  She turns out to be faster than all of them.  Jess becomes friends with Leslie, and together they have adventures in the woods in their "magical" kingdom.  One day after a hard rain, Leslie has an accident.  Aaron cannot believe he has lost his best friends and he must find a way to deal with what happened and how to go on without her, but he finds the courage.

If you liked to read this book, here are some books that are similar to the Bridge to Terabithia.

Rawls, W.  (2011).  Where the red fern grows.  New York, NY:  Random House LLC.

Babbitt, N.  (2010).  Tuck Everlasting.  New York, NY:  Macmillan

L'Engle, M.  (2010).  A wrinkle in time.  New York, NY:  Macmillan.

Rules

Lord, C.  (2006).  Rules.  New York, NY:  Scholastics, Inc.

Catherine finds it difficult to make friends because of her autistic brother, David.  She has to constantly remind him of the rules of how she wants him to behave.  When a new girls moves into the neighborhood, she thought she was finally going to have a friend, but she finds that she has a few prejudices against her brother.  When she meets Jason, who is in a wheelchair and cannot talk or move as he wants to, Catherine must decide if she wants their friendship be seen in public and possibly loose her friends.

To see a trailer on this book, go to the following link:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V3U5eNXIyQ

Landy, D. (2007). Skulduggery Pleasant. New York, NY:  HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Stephanie's favorite uncle has just past away, and in his will, he left her the biggest portion of his estates and properties.  One day as she tries to spend the night in her mansion, she is attacked by a man who broke into the house.  Skulduggery Pleasant comes to rescue her.  He introduces her to a world of magic and monsters.  Because of this, Stephanie and Skulduggery suspect that her uncle was murdered.  Stephanie decides to become part of this world as Skulduggery's side kick as they try to solve the mystery of her uncle's murder.

Skulduggery Pleasant is a mystery book and would work well to teach students inferences.  The teacher can choose sections of the book where students can infer what they think happened or is happening and provide textual evidence.

7th Grade Reading TEKS - Reporting Category 2 - Figure 19 D - RS SS -summarize, paraphrase, and synthesize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts. Readiness Standard (Fiction) / Supporting Standard.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Kinney, J.  (2007).  Diary of a wimpy kid.  New York, NY:  Amulet Books.

Greg Keffley is in middle school, his mother got him a journal so that he can write his "feelings" in his book.  Greg finds bullies in middle school and at home with his brother.  Greg does not seem to be always the victim.  He seems to always take advantage of his friend, Rowley.  He tricks him and convinces him to do things that he normally would not do.  When Rowley decides not to be his friend anymore, Greg realizes that things are not the same without his friend.

Many authors have taken the idea of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and created books similar to this one.  Some of the successful books are:

Russell, R.R.  (2009).  Dork diaries.  New York, NY:  Aladdin.

Peirce, L.  (2011).  Big Nate in a class by himself.  New York, NY:  HarperCollins Publishers.

Kinney, J.  (2013).  Diary of a wimpy kid:  hard luck.  New York, NY:  Amulet Books.

Babymouse Queen of the World!

Holm, J., & Holm, M.  (2005).  Babymouse:  queen of the world.  New York, NY:  Random House.

Babymouse is a daydreamer. She is late to class because a simple stuck locker will get her to imagine a wild story.  In this episode of Babymouse, Felicia Furrypaws is having a slumber party.  She wants to be invited so bad, that she gives her homework to Felicia.  Once at the party, she is very disappointed because she imagined they were going to have a lot of activities, but all Felicia and her friends want to do is put on polish, make-up, and talk.

By clicking on the following link, you will see a trailer created by Random House on Babymouse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPWcnSuYFoM

Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, S., & Hale, D. (2008).  Rapunzel's Revenge.  New York, NY:  Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books.

Rapunzel is stolen from her parents when she was still very young by Mother Gothel because her parents were not able to pay a debt.  Rapunzel lived a carefree life until she discovered the conditions under which her real mother had to live.  She tried to escape but Mother Gothel was able to capture her and put her in a magical tower.  When Rapunzel finds a way to escape the tower, she tries to go back to make sure her mother is released.

Rapunzel's Revenge can be used to teach students about summary writing and listing the events in sequential order.  Since the graphic novel is short, the students can read story and write a short summary about the story and list the events in chronological order as they happened.

7th Grade Reading TEKS - Reporting Category 2 - Figure 19E - RS SS - summarize, paraphrase, and synthesize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts. Readiness Standard (Fiction) / Supporting Standard (Literary Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama).

The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, N.  (2008).  The graveyard Book.  New York, NY:  HarperCollins Children's Books.

As Bod's family was being murdered, he unwittingly got out of the house.  When the man Jack, was done he noticed that there was one more family member left.  He followed the traces of Bod into the cemetery.  At the cemetery, the friendly ghosts, the Owens, adopt Bod as their son and Silas becomes his guardian. When Bod is fourteen, the man Jack traces him again and sets his plan to finish him off.  Thanks to his guardians at the cemetery Bod is able to escape him.

By clicking on the following link, you will see a trailer for the book narrated by Neil Gaiman himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_UUVwTaemk

Out of My Mind

Draper, S.M.  (2010).  Out of my mind.  New York, NY:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Melody can not talk, write, or walk, but feels and thinks like everyone else.  It is through the perseverance of her babysitter, her mother, and a students at school, she is able to communicate her ideas to the world.  When she gets a computer modified to her needs, she is able to prove to everyone that she was smart and felt the same as them.  She decides to compete for a spot in the Whiz Kids competition and makes it, but not everyone wants her on the team or wants to deal with a person like her.

If you liked this book, you might like to read the following books too:

Jacobson, J. R.  (2011).  Small as an elephant. New York, NY:  Candlewick.

Palacio, R.J.  (2012).  Wonder.  New York, NY:  Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Draper, S.M.  (2013).  Panic.  New York, NY:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

Curtis, C.P.  (1995).  The Watsons go to Birmingham - 1963.  New York, NY:  Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers.

Kenny's family lives in Flint, Michigan.  He has a thirteen year old brother, Byron, who has been  labeled as a "juvenile delinquent."  He is mean to his brother, but will defend him from bullies in the school.  Byron keeps getting into trouble so his parents decided to take him to live with his grandmother in Alabama.  As they travel south, they encounter racism especially when it came to restaurants and bathrooms.  As the family was staying in Alabama, the church the grandmother attended was bombed and four girls were killed.  This incident shook Kenny to the core.  Thanks to his brother Byron, Kenny was able to come out of his depression.

This book has been made into a film.  See the movie trailer by clicking the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMRPeTU6mc0

Dear Mr. Henshaw

Clearly, B.  (1983).  Dear Mr. Henshaw.  New York, NY:  Harper Trophy.

Leigh Botts first writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, when he is second grade as a project for class.  He writes to him the next year and until Mr. Henshaw writes back to him and asked him several questions.  Leigh does not want to answer his questions, but his mother made him answer them.  Mr. Henshaw suggests he keep a journal and write the things that are happening to him.  Since his parents have divorced ans his father became estranged, he finds that writing in this diary is very therapeutic.  He learns to deal with his parents divorce and being bullied in school.

Since this book deals with divorce, loneliness, and bullying, the students can write a personal narrative essay making connections to something that they read in the novel.  As they are writing the essay, the teacher is taking the students through the writing process.

7th Grade Writing TEKS - Reporting Category 1 -Composition-
14B RS Writing -develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of events, cause-effect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing;
14C RS Writing -revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point of view; use of simple, compound, and complex sentences; internal and external coherence; and the use of effective transitions after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;
14D RS Writing -edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling.
16A RS Writing - write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and communicates the importance of or reasons for actions and/or consequences.

The Underneath

Appelt, K. (2008).  The underneath.  New York, NY:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

A pregnant calico cat and a lonely bloodhound, Ranger, come together and become the best of friends.  They both found refuge underneath Gar Face's house.  After she has her kittens, they all become a very close family, but the kittens are warned never to leave the "underneath" because Gar Face will hurt them.  Puck did not heed the warning and must suffer the consequences of leaving the "underneath."  He must now find a way to rescue Ranger and his sister Sabine from the wrath of Gar Face.

The Underneath has wonderful figurative language and would be great to use with a lesson on similes, metaphors, personification, and symbolism.  After the teacher has gone over a lesson on figurative language, she can pull out sentences with an example of each.  Afterwards, the students can use novel to find their own figurative language.

7th Grade Reading TEKS - Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language 8A RS - determine the figurative meaning of phrases and analyze how an author's use of language creates imagery, appeals to the senses, and suggests mood.

We Are the Ship

Nelson, K.  (2008).  We are the ship: the story of Negro League Baseball.  New York, NY:  Hyperion Books for Children.

In this beautifully illustrated book, Kadir Nelson tells the story of the commencement of the Negro League Baseball through the eyes of a former athlete.  He tells of the struggles that African-Americans endured in order to play baseball.  He  also tells us about many of the unsung heroes of baseball and their fast methods of playing the game.  The Negro League Baseball lasted only until Jackie Robinson broke barriers and was recruited for the Major League Baseball and open the doors for other African American players to join the league.

If you liked reading this book, you might like reading the following:

Morelli, J. (2007). Heroes of the negro leagues.  New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.

Peterson, R. (1970).  Only the ball was white. New York, NY:  Oxford University Press.

Hogan, L.D., (2006).  Shades of Glory: the negro leagues and the story of African American baseball.  New York, NY:  National Geographic.

How They Croaked



Bragg, G.  (2011).  How they creaked:  the awful ends of the awfully famously.  New York, NY:  Walker & Company.

Bragg discusses the lives and gory of very famous people, such as George Washington and Cleopatra.  She gives us the gory details of how they really died with a bit of humor.  After the death description of each person, the author gives a facts and statistics relevant to that person's death.

Since this book is has very strange deaths for these famous people, I think that the students would have fun researching the some of the famous people mentioned int he book and try to prove the book right.  They would need to write an comparative essay with their findings and follow the writing process.

7th Grade Writing TEKS - Reporting Category 1 - 17 A RS -write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that (i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs; (ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea; (iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no extraneous information or inconsistencies; (iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; and (v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs.

Hitler's Youth

Bartoletti, S. C. (2005).  Hitler youth:  growing up in Hitler's shadow.  New York, NY:  Scholastic.

When Hitler came into power in the Nazi party, he began a program were he recruited the children of Germany to train them in his beliefs and to begin early military training.  We learn of their experiences through the point of view of several of the German youth.  Through their eyes we learned how life was under the Nazi party and how they treated those that went against them.

View the book trailer for Hitler Youth at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQzIQQcsXcE

As you watch video, you will be given several other options on the topic of  Hitler Youth.

It's So Amazing!

Harris, R.H. (1999). It's so amazing!:  a book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and family.  Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick Press.

If your children are having questions about the birds and the bees and you are having trouble answering them, this book is a great solution.  The author uses a bird and a bee to help you navigate through the book.  He uses humor and comics to help make such a difficult topic easier to explain.

Other books that you can use to explain those difficult topics are the following:

Harris, R.H.  (2008).  It's not the stork.  Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick Press.

Harris, R.H. (2009).    It's perfectly normal.  Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick Press.

Brown, L.K.  (2000)   What's the big secret?.  New York, NY:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Magic Windows

Lomas Garza, C.  (1999).  Magic windows.  San Francisco, CA:  Children's Book Press.

Carmen Lomas Garza tells us how she become interested in the art of paper-cuts and how her mother had thaught her the art.  Lomas Garza said she started off with simple things, but then as she got better, she was able to create beautiful, realistic scenes. She guides us to several of her creations and she explains how she came up with the ideas for her art and what each one meant to her.

If you want to read other books like this one or if you want to learn to make magic windows, you would want to read the following books.

Lomas Garza, C.  (1999).  Making Magic windows.  San Francisco, CA:  Children's Book Press.

Noble, M.  (2003).  Mexican Folk Art. New York, NY:  Dover Publications.

Rosa

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa.  New York, NY:  Harry Holt and Comapany.

Rosa is a seamstress working to make a living.  She would work late hours to complete her sewing assignments.  One day she is able to leave early.  She was tired and went home on the bus.  The bus was full, but since people were still getting on, she was asked to give up her sit for a white person.  This was during Civil Rights Movement.  She refused to give up her sit.  When people heard she was arrested, they decided to protest and boycott the buses. They continued until the Supreme Court ruled Segregation is wrong.

With this book, students can write a narrative essay making a connection to the events in Rosa's life.  They would need to follow the writing process for writing a narrative.

7th Grade Writing TEKS - Reporting Category 2 -16 A RS -write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and communicates the importance of or reasons for actions and/or consequences.

Balloons Over Broadway

•

Sweet, M.  (2011). Balloons over Broadway:  the true story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade.

How did those huge, floating balloons come about in the famous Macy's Parade?  In this book, you will find how Tony Sarg, loves making puppets and making them move.  He found a job  creating the displays at Macy's department store and was given the  task of creating a parade for the immigrant staff.  From there, you see the evolution of puppets going to balloon bags to high flying balloons.

The author of this book had a unique way of organizing her book on Tony Sarg.  The students can identify the organizational pattern so that they can use it as a guide to write an expository essay based on the book.  They will need to use textual evidence.

7th Grade Reading TEKS - Reporting Category 3 - 10 C RS - use different organizational patterns as guides for summarizing and forming an overview of different kinds of expository text.

Mirror, Mirror

Singer, M. (2010). Mirror mirror: A book reverso poems. New York, NY:Penguin Group.

Throughout this book, Singer creates poems based on the classical fairy tales that you can read forwards and backwards. The illustrations also creates the same dichotomy as depicted in the poems.

To see a book trailer on Mirror Mirror go to the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Ds1C-8FpQ

The Three Pigs

Wiesner, D. (2001). The Three Pigs. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

This story begins with the classic "Three Little Pigs." When the Big Bad Wolf blows the straw house of the first pig, the pig jumps right out of the story. He becomes 3D and decides to go help the other two pigs. As the pigs travel, they are able to go into a Mother Goose story and a story about a dragon. They save the dragon who was about to be slayed by a knight. The illustrations are different textures throughout the book.

If you liked reading this book, other books that are similar to this one are:

DePaola, T.  (2011).  Strega Nona.  New York, NY:  Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Brown, M.  (2011).  Stone Soup.  New York, NY:  Simon and Schuster.

It's a Book

Smith, L. (2010). It’s a book. New York, NY: Roaring Book Press.

Jackass is curious about the object Monkey has in his hands. He asks many questions in order to find out what it is. He asks if it is something that needs a password or if it needs a screen name. Monkey keeps telling him it's a book and finally lends it to Jackass. Jackass enjoys the story and says he will recharge it. This makes Monkey frustrated and decides to go to the library.

If you would like to see a sneak preview for this book, click on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4BK_2VULCU

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach

Deedy, C. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach: A Cuban folktale. Atlanta, GA: PeachtreePublishers.

Martina is a 21 year old beautiful cockroach. She is ready to get married. Her father announced the wedding so the suitors started coming in. Her grandmother told her to do the "coffee" test which was spilling hot coffee on the suitors feet. Depending on their reaction, she would know if he was the right husband for her. Several suitors came and failed the test but one little mouse. He shared the same customs and made her heart go "ti-ki-tin, ti-ki-tan."
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach can be used to analyze the variety of characters that appear in the story.  The students can analyze each of the suitors and make inference on the personality and motive of the each character.

7th Grade TEKS - Reporting Category 2 - 6B RS - analyze the development of the plot through the internal and external responses of the characters, including their motivations and conflicts.