When You Reach Me

Written by Rebecca Stead
Copyright ©2009
Published by Wendy Lamb Books
 Stead, Rebecca, and Kate Gartner. When You Reach Me. New York, New York: Wendy Lamb, 2009. Print.

Interest Level: Grades 6-8
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.8
Lexie Reading Level: 750L
Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading: W
DRA: 60

Awards: Newbery Award Winner 2010

Description:
Four notes change Miranda's life forever. This witty and touching story follows a young girl in the 1970's learning about friendship and time travel.

5 words/phrases to describe the book: Mystery, Science Fiction, Friendship, Coming of Age, Change.

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud to Grades 5&6

Technology to Enhance Learning:

An important part of the book is the concept of the $20,000 pyramid. Because the book takes place in the 70's students will most likely not know what this game show is. Before or during reading a good idea would be to show short clips of the game show so students can understand why Miranda's mother is studying for the game show. Here are two shot clips. One of the beginning round and one of the winners circle.










Before During and After Reading Strategies:

Before Reading have the students look at the cover of the book. Read to them the author's summary and ask them to write what they think this book will be about using evidence from the cover and description.

During Reading have students write predictions as to who is sending Miranda notes. This can be written in their writing journal of they have one.

After Reading
Here I have created a Voki. www.voki.com is a website where you can create an avatar that delivers a message. Students can create their own or you can use it to give directions in a creative way. In this Voki I created a prompt for students.

After reading When You Reach Me students should create an argument telling someone why they should read the book. This will serve as an exit slip. This enhances comprehension and writing because students at this age are starting persuasive writing and recommending a book makes the students think about the major events in the book and why they are significant.

Vocabulary:
Starches:a substance that is found in certain foods (such as bread, rice, and potatoes)
Clove: the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, used as a pungent aromatic spice.
Hypnotizing:capture the whole attention of (someone); fascinate.
Knapsack: a bag with shoulder straps, carried on the back, and typically made of canvas or other weatherproof material.
Diagram:a simplified drawing showing the appearance, structure, or workings of something; a schematic representation.
Categories: a class or division of people or things regarded as having particular shared characteristics.
Admires: regard (an object, quality, or person) with respect or warm approval.

The House Baba Built

Written and Illustrated by Ed Young
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Copyright ©2011

Young, Ed, and Libby Koponen. The House Baba Built: An Artist's Childhood in China. Little, Brown for Young Readers. Print.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir

Reading Level: Grades 4-6

Lexie Reading Level: 900L

Accelerated Reader: 5.6

Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading: W

Awards: 

• Booklist Top 10 Art Books for Youth, 2011 
• Booklist 2011 Editors' Choice, Books for Youth, Nonfiction, Middler Readers 
• Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books 2011, Nonfiction 
• SLJ Best Books of 2011, Nonfiction 
• ALA Notable Children 's Book 2012, Older 
• Booklist Top 10 Biography Books for Youth: 2012
• 2012 CCBC Choices
•  NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2012, Biography

Description:
In his memoir Ed Young recounts his time living with his large family in the house Baba built. He remembers difficult times during World War II and fun times playing with his family. This memoir takes a glimpse into what China was like during the second world war.

5 words/phrases to describe the book: World War II, Family, Shelter, Community, Struggles.

Suggested Delivery: Independent Reading or Informational Reading. 

Teaching Strategies: 

The book's website offers teaching strategies and projects to use with the book on the topic of World War II. The Website and link to the strategies is listed below.

The House Baba Built Website

Educator's Guide

Before Reading:

As outlined in the educator's guide a good place to start is by reading the forward and discussing the quote "crisis does carry a blessing within its curse." taking about this quote before reading the book, or having the students write what they think about being happy in difficult moments means to them. This would be a good chance for students to make connections to when they have been in a sad situation and tried to find a silver lining (or one they may have seen on television).

During Reading:

Students can use the "irregular fold" activity during reading. 

Students take a blank piece of paper and fold 2 opposite corners to the middle. In one section they list  6 words that amaze, amuse, or puzzle them from the text. In the second section students summarize what they just read (bonus points for using the above vocabulary words). And in the third section students draw a picture or a symbol of what they have just read. 

This activity is meaningful for learning because students are using vocabulary and comprehension to fill out the paper. 

After Reading:

www.blabberize.com

This website can be used by students to get creative. By inserting a picture of a person or animal students can record their voices to make the picture appear as if is it talking. This tool can be used as an extra step as well as used by the teacher to give instructions.

After reading students can go to the website to see the next assignment. The great thing is that the directions can be replayed anytime. 

The assignment I created was to have the students choose an event from The House Baba Built and create an original summary. After creating the summary students can choose an appropriate picture (could relate to the story or World War II) and create their own blabberize of the summary which can be shared with the class.
After Reading Instructions

Vocabulary:

Underdog: a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or contest; a person who has little status in society.

Embassy: a group of people who work under an ambassador and represent their country in a foreign country; the building where an ambassador lives and work

Torrents: a strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid.

Reprimand: to tell someone officially and in a serious way that something they have done is wrong

Patriotism: love for or devotion to one's country

Resonant: (of sound) deep, clear, and continuing to sound or ring

Refugee: a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Technology to Enhance Learning:

History.com is a great resource to learn about World War II. It has articles, primary sources, photos and videos relating to World War II in different countries. It is important for students to understand the context behind the story if they do not yet have a firm grasp on World War II







The BBC has a video and article about Author and Illustrator Ed Young about his time living in China during the war. It gives a never before seen insight into Young's art work and process of creating a book

Flora and Ulysses

Written by Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by K.G. Campbell
Copyright ©2013
Published by Candlewick Press
DiCamillo, Kate, and K. G. Campbell. Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Print

Awards: 2014 Newbery Medal Winner

When a self-proclaimed cynic meets an unassuming squirrel neither of them know what to expect. After cycling through an industrial vacuum cleaner the unassuming squirrel finds he has super powers. Together Flora and Ulysses find out what being a hero really means. 

Genre: Fiction, humor, graphic novel

Suggested Delivery: Independent, partner, or small group reading. 

Words/Phrases to describe the book: witty, funny, vocabulary, friendship, holy bagumba!

Vocabulary:
Cynic: a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons
Defiance:open resistance; bold disobedience.
Malfeasance: wrongdoing
Mundane:lacking interest or excitement; dull.
Disdain:the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect; contempt.
Positing: assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument
Hyperbole: exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
Obfuscation: Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible:
Surreptitious: kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.
Euphemism: a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

This book is bursting with rich vocabulary.
www.wordle.net is a website where students can create vocabulary word clouds for free. You can emphasize key vocabulary words and meanings and word families to get creative.
Having a student choose one or more vocabulary words to define, study, and share will not only help their own vocabulary, but if they can teach the word to other students it will improve the class vocabulary.



A Conversation With The Author
This link above takes you to a Q and A with author Kate DiCamillo on her inspiration for the book. Before reading students can read this interview to understand the author's point of view. Here is a video interview with Kate DiCamillo to support any accommodations needed. Read or watched finding out the inspiration of the book is a great way to hook students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQymCUPGl0Q

Before, During and After Reading Activities:

Before reading students can take a title and picture walk. Flora and Ulysses uses comic strips to show the heroic acts performed by Ulysses the squirrel. Students can form predictions based on the pictures.

During reading students can identify and fine unknown vocabulary words to enhance comprehension.

After reading
Students can write poetry. Ulysses the squirrel has a love of writing poetry. After reading Flora and Ulysses students can write poems from a squirrels point of view and share them with the class.