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Literature Blog Chart
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Last Entry
The Water Princess
By: Susan Verde
Verde, S. The Water Princess. Penguin Random House, 2016.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/317197/the-water-princess-by-susan-verde-with-georgie-badiel-illustrated-by-peter-h-reynolds/9780399172588/
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Picture book- Realistic Fiction
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Princess Gie Gie's kingdom is a beautiful land! The sky is wide, and land is plenty. However, clean drinking water is scarce in her African village. Every morning, she rises before the sun to travel a long journey to the well. Instead of wearing a crown, she wears a pot on her head to carry the water. She voyages all the way home to bring back to her village to boil it for everybody to drink, However, she is already thinking of the trip again the next day. She dreams of a day that her village will have cool, crystal clear drinking water. This is based on a true story, which is even more touching because people actually have to endure these trips just for water- a source highly taken for granted in our country!
Target Audience:
The target audience for this story is for children between the ages of 5 to 8 years old, with a Readability Lexile of 480. This is a very touching story for young readers because it allows them to make comparisons to others' lives in different parts of the world. It is interesting, informative, and definitely eye opening for children with the privilege of having access to such a vital source of life.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements of quality literature for a picture book, this story provides excellent information and illustrations for readers to encompass on the experience of an entirely different lifestyle. There are no stereotypes listed, and the main character is simply sharing her routines and aspirations that she dreams her village will one day have,
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, students will listen to a read aloud of the story. After hearing it, one awesome activity could be for them to write the ways they take access to clean water in their every day lives- brushing their teeth, wasting water bottles, taking super long showers, having clean water to drink at all times, etc. They can write this on one big sheet of paper, on the whiteboard, or on small sheets of paper to post around the room as reminders to not only be conservative, but thankful! Even as an adult, I cannot imagine not having the access to our life source, and it is something we have to remember to be grateful for.
Where Does the Garbage Go?
By: Paul Showers & Randy Chewning
Showers, P. & Randy Chewning. Where Does the Garbage Go? HarperCollins, 2015
https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062382009/where-does-the-garbage-go/
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Picture book- Non-fiction
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Follow along on the exciting voyage of. . .garbage? That's right, from the garbage truck, to the landfill, to the to the incinerator where it is turned into energy, to recycling, this picture book provides excellent context and visuals for explaining what happens to our garbage after we dispose of it. It provides fun charts and diagrams to explain to children just how we handle having so much trash to dispose of!
Target Audience:
The target audience for this book is for children between the ages of 4 to 8 years old with a Readability Lexile of 580. This story is great for younger students because it opens them up to a process that children may not think of- which is where garbage goes! It is a great way to bring awareness to the important role it actually has in our daily lives, and the charts and graphs given is an extremely useful visual.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements of a quality picture book, this story serves as a great story because the context correlates well with the bright illustrations. The characters are diverse and the theme of the book is easily identifiable. Also, because there are such diverse characters, there are no stereotypes whatsoever, and children are simply focused on learning about, well, garbage!
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, students will be given a big sheet of construction paper and they will draw the cycle that the book discusses about disposal. This allows them to get creative, see the visual in front of them, and become more aware of the underground world of garbage. It may be helpful to list the steps on the board, then have them draw it, in case everybody can't look at the book. I have also included a link to a read aloud video as well for students to view!
Pass the Energy, Please
By: Barbara Shaw McKinney & Chad Wallace
Shaw McKinney, B., and Chad Wallace. Pass the Energy, Please! Scholastic, 2000.
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/pass-the-energy-please-by-barbara-shaw-mckinney/
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Picture book- Non-fiction
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Follow along on the food chain as energy gets passed from species to species. It is an upbeat rhythm story that connects herbivores, carnivores, insects and plants together in a full circle of life. Each species has its own unique way of passing energy, and the author beautifully portrays each animal with cool illustrations and the passing of energy.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this story is for children between the ages of 4 to 8 years old, with a Readability Lexile of 1010L. This story is great for elaborating on science topics relating to the food chain because it provides appropriate language that is easy for young readers to comprehend.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements of a quality picture book, this book is a great informative piece that connects each illustration to the context well to provide a clear understanding. The theme of the story is easily identifiable, and the appreciation of the way energy flows through the food chain is portrayed in a clever way.
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, students will create their own example of a food chain. They will need to use animals from the story and include it in their project. You can give them a template, which may be the most beneficial for younger readers. However, the older students may benefit by having the freedom to lay it out themselves, given examples. I have also included a "Kids Crash Course" video to further explain the concept of passing along energy within the food chain.
For this activity, students will create their own example of a food chain. They will need to use animals from the story and include it in their project. You can give them a template, which may be the most beneficial for younger readers. However, the older students may benefit by having the freedom to lay it out themselves, given examples. I have also included a "Kids Crash Course" video to further explain the concept of passing along energy within the food chain.
What If There Were No Bees? A Book About the Grassland Ecosystem
By: Suzanne Slade
Slade, S. What If There Were No Bees? A Book About the Grassland Ecosystem. Picture Window Books, 2010.
http://www.capstonepub.com/classroom/products/what-if-there-were-no-bees-/
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
http://www.capstonepub.com/classroom/products/what-if-there-were-no-bees-/
Genre: Picture book- Realistic Fiction
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Grassland ecosystems can be found on almost every continent, which house countless plants and animals. So what would happen if we lost just one species? Follow along with the chain reaction and the importance that honeybees actually make!
Grassland ecosystems can be found on almost every continent, which house countless plants and animals. So what would happen if we lost just one species? Follow along with the chain reaction and the importance that honeybees actually make!
Target Audience:
The target audience for this story is for children between the ages of 7 to 9 years old with a Readability Lexile of 890L. This book is great for readers heading into middle school, (and even adults!) to emphasize the importance of each species within our environment. Children may overlook the importance of even the tiniest insects and animals, however everything is here for a reason with a specific duty within our ecosystem.
The target audience for this story is for children between the ages of 7 to 9 years old with a Readability Lexile of 890L. This book is great for readers heading into middle school, (and even adults!) to emphasize the importance of each species within our environment. Children may overlook the importance of even the tiniest insects and animals, however everything is here for a reason with a specific duty within our ecosystem.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements of a quality picture book, this book is amazing! It takes readers on a journey through the chain reaction of life without one tiny insect- the honeybee. Each image correlates with the context, and the language is appropriate. Students are introduced to an entirely different perspective of an ecosystem that they most likely live in. The theme of the story is easily identifiable, and it connects children to the environment, which they already have a natural connection to since they, too, would be affected by the loss of bees. I think it offers them a greater appreciation for the world and species that surround them as well.
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, students will be creating PSAs about honeybees. They will be looking up facts on the internet or in books, and then will get the chance to decorate it the way they choose to raise awareness of the importance of this species. For example, they might find a statistic saying
"you have a bee to thank for every one in three bites of food you eat"
Then, they can draw a picture of their choice connecting to this quote underneath of it. It is a fun way to start challenging student to become environmentally conscious, and how to raise awareness.
For this activity, students will be creating PSAs about honeybees. They will be looking up facts on the internet or in books, and then will get the chance to decorate it the way they choose to raise awareness of the importance of this species. For example, they might find a statistic saying
"you have a bee to thank for every one in three bites of food you eat"
Then, they can draw a picture of their choice connecting to this quote underneath of it. It is a fun way to start challenging student to become environmentally conscious, and how to raise awareness.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Blog Entry 5
The Apple Tree- A Modern Day Cherokee Story
By: Sandy Tharp-Thee
Tharp-Thee, Sandy. The Apple Tree. The Roadrunner Press, 2015.
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Modern-Cherokee-Story-English/
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Bilingual Picture Book
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
This captivating story tells about a young Cherokee boy who plants an apple seed, envisioning the beautiful apple tree it will grow to be. However, the first fall that it lives through it does not produce apple, and the tree begins to doubt itself. The boy needs to find a way to convince the tree that he must be patient, and let the seasons perform their natural powers! This story includes both English language and Cherokee syllabary for readers of all ages to learn from!
Target Audience:
The target audience for this book is for children between the ages of 5-6 (no Readability Lexile given). This book teaches great morals to young children, such as holding a deep appreciation for nature and the importance of patience. It also exposes young children to a culture different then their own, since it is a Cherokee rooted story with the language included.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements for quality literature, this serves as a great picture book for children because the context flows well with the illustrations. The theme of the story is easily identified, and the cultural mixture offers children a valuable read. It also emphasizes cultural respect, since the story derived from the Cherokee nation.
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, students will be examining the Cherokee syllabary provided in the book. Students can learn some of their meanings, practice writing them on whiteboards, and working in partners to have fun learning a different language other than their own! This image is provided in the book already, too, so copies of it could be made for individuals to write on or it could be displayed on an over-head projector, too, as another option!
Why Should I Recycle?
By: Jen Green
Green, Jen. Why Should I Recycle? B.E.S Publishing, 2005.
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/why-should-i-recycle-by-jen-green/
Genre: Picture book- Online Materials
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Can you try to imagine what the world would look like if everybody threw away recyclables? Join Mr. Jones, a classroom teacher, on a field trip to the recycling plant to learn the value of recycling. Mr. Jones, himself, serves as a great example for the class of being environmentally conscious, because he has his students recycle in the classroom. Children learn and develop through asking various questions about the world around them, and this book will help answer the exact question of just why they should recycle. This book specifically focuses on the importance of protecting nature, and provides entertaining stories and illustrations page after page.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this book is for children between 4 to 8 years old, with a Readability Lexile of 690L. This is a great introductory story to exposing kids to environmental action because so many common questions get answered in one book, and teachers and parents could enact in a plethora of activities to follow the reading!
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements of quality literature, this book is fantastic for children who want to know more about the environment. It provides various questions that may be frequently asked which correlates beautifully with the colorful illustrations on every page. There are no types of stereotypes in the book, and it encourages people of all walks of life to participate in keeping the Earth clean.
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, you, as the teacher will be challenged to encourage recycling within the classroom! Put up more signs near the trash to enforce "recycling," so that it is not easily overlooked. Another fun challenge could be for the class to bring in as many cans as they can. After the given period of time, they can scrap the materials and use the money and apply it to a pizza party in celebration! I think this would be a great activity because since this book is focused on a younger audience, tying this action to a reward may stick with them more until it becomes a good habit. I also have included a read aloud for this book as well, because it may be fun for the class to listen to!
Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling
By: Alison Inches & Pete Whitehead
Inches, A. & Pete Whitehead. Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling. Little Simon, 2009.
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Adventures-of-a-Plastic-Bottle/Alison-Inches/Little-Green-Books/9781416967880
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Adventures-of-a-Plastic-Bottle/Alison-Inches/Little-Green-Books/9781416967880
Genre: Picture book
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Dive into a new perspective of recycling through the diary of a plastic bottle! Young readers will learn the timeline from its life in the refinery plant, moving to the manufacturing line, onto the store shelf, into the garbage can, and all the way to the recycling plant where it is able to be reused to create something new- a fleece jacket! This book offers kids the viewpoint and thoughts of a plastic bottle through his personal journey. While these entries are fun to read, they also offer useful information to young readers about the ecological significance of each product. Now, they may never think the same way about just a silly old plastic bottle!
Dive into a new perspective of recycling through the diary of a plastic bottle! Young readers will learn the timeline from its life in the refinery plant, moving to the manufacturing line, onto the store shelf, into the garbage can, and all the way to the recycling plant where it is able to be reused to create something new- a fleece jacket! This book offers kids the viewpoint and thoughts of a plastic bottle through his personal journey. While these entries are fun to read, they also offer useful information to young readers about the ecological significance of each product. Now, they may never think the same way about just a silly old plastic bottle!
Target Audience:
The target audience for this book is for children between the ages of 4 to 6 years old (no Readability Lexile given). This story is a great way to introduce the concept of recycling and being environmentally conscious to young children, because the process is explained to them through appropriate language which they would understand. It is also humorous, which makes it enjoyable instead of just being a mundane factual book.
The target audience for this book is for children between the ages of 4 to 6 years old (no Readability Lexile given). This story is a great way to introduce the concept of recycling and being environmentally conscious to young children, because the process is explained to them through appropriate language which they would understand. It is also humorous, which makes it enjoyable instead of just being a mundane factual book.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements for a quality picture book, this story excels! The context correlates so well with the colorful illustrations, and it is highly informative. It's character does not depict any kind of stereotyping, and encourages people of all ages to recycle. The theme of the story is easily identifiable, and a variety of activities could be paired with this book to further the understanding of the concept. Another element that this connects deeply to for children is the care for the environment that it encourages, which children already have a natural connection to.
Based on Donna Norton's elements for a quality picture book, this story excels! The context correlates so well with the colorful illustrations, and it is highly informative. It's character does not depict any kind of stereotyping, and encourages people of all ages to recycle. The theme of the story is easily identifiable, and a variety of activities could be paired with this book to further the understanding of the concept. Another element that this connects deeply to for children is the care for the environment that it encourages, which children already have a natural connection to.
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, give each student a large piece of construction paper. Then, have them attempt to draw the different places the plastic bottle made its journey to! Since this book is for younger readers, it may be easier to have them listed on the board in order. However, having them draw out pictures that they saw from the story and making connections to the words will further their understanding of the process, since it might be a little much to grasp. This is a fun activity that allows students to be creative while displaying an important ecological process!
All the Way to the Ocean
By: Joel Harper
Harper, J. All the Way to the Ocean. Freedom Three Publishing, 2006.
http://www.allthewaytotheocean.com/
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
http://www.allthewaytotheocean.com/
Genre: Picture book
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Join Isaac and James, two best friends, who discover the cause and effect of the relationship between city storm drains and the world's oceans, lakes and rivers. This story will inspire young readers about life lessons and real world issues, and if we all do our part, we can achieve a cleaner, safer environment.
Join Isaac and James, two best friends, who discover the cause and effect of the relationship between city storm drains and the world's oceans, lakes and rivers. This story will inspire young readers about life lessons and real world issues, and if we all do our part, we can achieve a cleaner, safer environment.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this class is for children between the ages of 6 to 8 years old (no Readability Lexile given). This story is great because it discusses the underground world of polluted waters that students may be unaware of. This is a great book because it has amazing graphics and appropriately introduces these challenging topics to a younger audience.
The target audience for this class is for children between the ages of 6 to 8 years old (no Readability Lexile given). This story is great because it discusses the underground world of polluted waters that students may be unaware of. This is a great book because it has amazing graphics and appropriately introduces these challenging topics to a younger audience.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements for a quality picture book, this story is a great read. The context flows well with each illustration, and children are able to easily identify the theme of the story. The characters do not depict any sort of stereotypes, and it encourages a great life lesson to children. It makes sure to emphasize the effects of the garbage in the ocean and the ways it impacts plants and animals, making them sick. Students will not only enjoy the story, but learn valuable information as well and how to keep their world healthy.
Based on Donna Norton's elements for a quality picture book, this story is a great read. The context flows well with each illustration, and children are able to easily identify the theme of the story. The characters do not depict any sort of stereotypes, and it encourages a great life lesson to children. It makes sure to emphasize the effects of the garbage in the ocean and the ways it impacts plants and animals, making them sick. Students will not only enjoy the story, but learn valuable information as well and how to keep their world healthy.
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, students will be watching the short film of this book! It is a great way to see the story come to life, and it is both humorous and informative. After the video is done, you can have a class discussion about the film, ask for individual thoughts and ideas, and then reinforce the importance of keeping our oceans clean.
You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Clean Water!
By: Roger Canavan & David Antram
Canavan, R. & David Antram. You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Clean Water! Scholastic, 2014)
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/you-wouldn-t-want-to-live-without-clean-water-by-roger-canavan/
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Picture book
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
The importance of having clean water is incredibly more important than many students (and even adults!) may think. It is a resource that often gets taken for granted. This book is bursting with essential facts about our very own life source. Readers will learn about the ways water keeps us healthy, the different ways it is used around the world, and the true importance of it! It includes appropriate diagrams, timelines, cartoon-style illustrations, and panels about conducting your very own water experiments. It is grade appropriate, so the context is easier to comprehend by determining academic words and phrases.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this book is for children between the ages of 8-12 years old, with a Readability Lexile of 1070L. This book is for early middle-grade readers who are looking for answers to different questions about water, which can be easily navigated throughout the book. Plus, they will walk away with knowledge on scientific events, too!
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements of a picture book, this book is the epitome of awesome! It has all of the right elements of meshing the illustrations with the context, and it provides students with evidence throughout the reading to help them determine academic language and phrases. It is humorous, provides different visuals, and even includes different activities for kids to experiment with, too! An enjoyable read, with fantastic opportunities for interaction and expansion beyond the book.
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, students will be following a polluted water experiment of their own! I found a fun activity online from a blogger named "JDaniel4's Mom." Her experiment includes filling up a bin or tub with clean water, then placing commonly found bits of garbage into it, such as plastic bottles, caps, empty containers, dirt, cans, etc. From here, students will see just how gross the water can get from a few items. After, they can take turns removing all of the objects from the bin. Then, they will try filtering the water to see how polluted it really was. Will it come out clean, or will it still remain a dingy color? That is for them to discover! Also, it would be great to have a discussion afterwards about everything that happened, to further allow students to comprehend the activity and it's purpose.
Monday, November 12, 2018
Blog Entry 4
Michael Recycle
By: Ellie Bethel & Alexandra Colombo
Bethel, E., and Alexandra Colombo. Michael Recycle. IDW, 2013.
https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Recycle-Ellie-Bethel/dp/1600102247
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Fiction - Picture Book - Online Materials
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
This is a story about a young superhero who's greatest power is to teach others about recycling! He has a plan: to save a lazy town, Abberdoo-Rimey, which is full of garbage and smelly air, and the rest of the world! Can he be the planets new savior, or as the towns people call him, the "green-caped crusader"? Follow along as everybody does their best to try and clean up their town, that once before was brown and slimy, and now is green and healthy thanks to Micheal Recycle!
Target Audience:
The target audience for this book is for children between the ages of 6-8, and it has a Readability Lexile of AD640L. This book is easy to follow and fun for children to read about how an individual can impact an entire town, especially somebody close to their age. This would be a great book to read aloud to a class, yet simple enough for children to read it on their own.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements for quality literature, this book is a great choice! The pictures correlate well with the text on each page and offers a variety of color and different looking people. The theme of this story can be easily identified, which is recycling, and each image helps embody this overall message. The book avoids stereotypes of race and sex, and concludes that everybody, no matter who you are, should help keep our world healthy and clean to live in!
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, I ask that students create a superhero of their own! However, their powers must do something that saves the Earth and keeps it healthy and clean. I decided to choose this activity because Michael Recycle, in our story, encourages all kids to become environmental superheros, so what better way to follow the book than to take a superhero's advice? This is a fun, hands on activity that evokes students to think about how they would want to change the world. I also included an online read aloud for students to hear and see the story by different means!
The Good Earth
By: Pearl S. Buck & Nick Bertozzi
Bertozzi, Nick, and Pearl S. Buck. The Good Earth. Simon & Schuster, 2017.
![The Good Earth by [Buck, Pearl S.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Fik4C7KnL.jpg)
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Earth-Pearl-S-Buck-ebook/dp/B01MG7O55M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542036671&sr=1-1&keywords=graphic+novel+about+earth
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
This moving story describes a Chinese farmer and his family trying to making a living off of their harvested crops during the 1920's with a strong dedication and love for the land. During this time, China is rapidly modernizing it's culture yet keeping the same traditions. However, they suffer through horrible environmental conditions, forcing them to seek work within the city. This is an award-winning, captivating story that beautifully portrays the cycles in life, as well as the environment and it's power.
Target Audience:
This graphic novel is for children ages of 12+, and has a Readability Lexile of 1530L. This book is much more challenging than the previous books I have posted about. It has an immense story with a serious plot regarding the environment, as well as struggles an individual has faced. There are many deep parts of the story, however it offers a great message to middle school readers about the importance of the impacts the environment has.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements for a quality graphic novel, this book does an exceptional job portraying a family's story from a different time period. The pictures accurately portray each text, and it offers students a visual version of the story. This shares the feelings and emotions of the characters as they pass through different phases of life, therefore giving meaning. The book is described as a “finely rendered showcase…that perfectly captures the story’s timeless subject matter while also underscoring the antiquity of the depicted world” (Kirkus Reviews).
Reader Response Activity:
For this assignment, I ask students to reflect on their own lives and how their world's might change if they were faced with environmental disaster. I used flooding for an example, and prompted them with different questions to show them how I want them to be thinking.
XOC: The Journey of a Great White
By: Matter Dembiki
Dembicki, Matt. XOC: The Journey of a Great White. Oni Press, 2012.
https://www.amazon.com/Xoc-Journey-Great-Matt-Dembicki/dp/1934964859
20&linkId=26d06fcbf4878d413d90eeef5b19631f
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Fiction- Graphic Novel
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Explore the wonders of Earth's oceans through the eyes of a Great White as he pursues a 2,300 mile trek from the Farallon Islands off the coast of California, to warm Hawaiian waters. Along the way, he faces natural encounters with predators and prey, however runs into a man-made impediment: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this book is for children between the ages of 9-12, with a Readability Lexile of GN700L. This is a great book for middle school students who have never been fully immersed into a different perspective. It offers them to see how different species are affected by the environmental issues that humans have created, and that sometimes it is an everyday obstacle.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements for a quality graphic novel, this book does a wonderful job portraying it's message through every illustration. Readers are taken on a journey through a different body and mind, and together it allows a fully immersed experience for young readers, especially. The images are augmented by the text, and it is full of bright, vibrant colors to enhance the beauty of the ocean. The language is appropriate for the targeted age group, and it is simple to follow.
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, I ask that students try writing from a different perspective other than their own, whether it be a different animal, person or plant, about an environmental problem they may face. This allows them to practice thinking about different points of view on their own, and envisioning the feelings of others and they face conflict.
The Massive
By: Brian Wood & Gary Brown
Wood, Brian, and Garry Brown. The Massive. Dark Horse Books, 2014.
https://www.amazon.com/Massive-Vol-Black-Pacific/dp/1616551321
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Fiction- Graphic Novel
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
Being the first book of Brian Wood's postapocalyptic series, readers go on a journey through the viewpoints of an environmentalist- after the world has already ended. Now, nothing is certain and ideologies are meaningless. However, follow along as a group of activists are determined to find out the source of the crash and how humans have pushed Earth's limits too far. This is a great book for students to think about the world as becoming something completely different- a very challenging concept to grasp, however intriguing.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this book is children between the ages of 11-13 with a Readability Lexile of 660L. This is a great book for students to challenge their viewpoints of the world. It is appropriate for this age range, includes thought provoking images, and offers a "warning" about pushing the Earth beyond it's environmental limits.
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements for a quality graphic novel, this book does an awesome job portraying it's messages. It sucks students in to a different world that is foreign to them, however is still the Earth they are familiar with. The images and text correlate well together, and the concepts are appropriate for middle school readers. I would highly recommend this book because it enforces the idea that the health of our planet is no joke- just imagine a world like the one in the story!
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, I ask students to fill in a Venn Diagram comparing the differences between Earth before and after the disaster, whether they make note on the landscape, buildings, cities, etc., I want them to recall elements from the story that they found to be noticeably different. They can look through both the text and images to find these details.
Anywhere Farm
By: Phyllis Root & Brian Karas
Root, Phyllis, and G. Brian Karas. Anywhere Farm. Walker Books, 2017.
https://www.amazon.com/Anywhere-Farm-Phyllis-Root/dp/0763674990
More About the Book and Author Found Here!
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Summary:
When most people think of farms, they imagine a barn, tractors, and pastures full of animals. However, farms can be anywhere! Anything can be a home for green, growing plants! The book offers a wonderful variety of ideas on where to start- whether it is on a window, balcony, or even your front step. The book combines cheerful urban illustrations with different ways to make your community a greener, healthier place.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this story is for children between the ages of 4-6, with a Readability Lexile of AD 490L. This book is great for children just starting in the school setting because it teaches them that farms don't always have to be in vast, country fields, but can also be included anywhere you could imagine! A Box, bucket, boot or pan, the opportunity to be green is endless in any community!
Evaluating the Story:
Based on Donna Norton's elements of a quality picture book, this story is fantastic at portraying its message! The colors of urban neighborhoods are vibrantly painted, and the combination between cheerful illustrations and text creates a very positive reading experience for young learners. The story is straightforward, and it feeds the need of children's connection to Earth and being apart of nature themselves. This book offers no type of stereotyping of any sort, and encourages that all people try their best to make use of their green thumbs!
Reader Response Activity:
For this activity, it would be fun if as a class, each student got to plant their own seeds and grow something! They could then be placed around the room, the school or even brought home. All that is needed would be a package of seeds (your choice), a spray bottle filled with water, some soil, and a plastic cup. As a group, you could pass out all of the necessary materials to each student. Then, you could review what is needed for a seed to grow- being sun, soil and water. After all of the students have completed this project, place them in front of a window and watch them grow! It is fun for students to check in on their plant each day to see how it is progressing, and how beautiful they can become from just a small seed!
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The Last Tree in the City Carnavas, P. (2017). Last Tree in the City . London: New Frontier Publishing. More About the Book an... -
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