A Big guy Took My Ball!

Willems, M. (2013). A big guy took my ball!. New York: Hyperion Books. Gerald and Piggie are best friends! Piggie comes to Gerald all upset because a big guy took her ball. Can Gerald get it back for her even if he is big? Lesson plans:2.(3) Listening/speaking/audiences/oral grammar. The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions. After reading the book, the students will discuss what would happen if they lost their favorite toy? How would they feel and what would they do?

Lunch lady and the Leagueof Librarians

Krocoszka, J. (2009). Lunch lady and the league of librarians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. School lunch lady, a secret crime fighter, tries to stop a bunch of librarians who want to stop a shipment of videos. They think a library is no place for videos. They say children should read books! Hector, Terrence, and Dee, the Breakfast Bunch, are helping the lunch lady save the day. If you liked this book, you should read the following: Krosoczka, J. (2010). Lunch lady and the bake sale bandit. New York: Alfred A. Kropf. Lunch lady and the Breakfast Bunch are getting excited about their bake sale. They discover that all of the treats have disappeared. Now they can't go on the field trip. Who stole the treats and why? Krosoczka, J. (2009). Lunch lady and the cyborg substitute. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Someone is out to replace all of the popular teachers with robots. The lunch lady searches for the person who wants to do this evil deed! Krosoczka, J. (2009). Lunch lady and the author visit vendetta. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. The school is having a popular author come and visit.  Hector is a huge fan! They can't wait to meet this special author. Then they realize that there is something weird about him and their gym teacher disappears the day of the visit! What evil does this author have up his sleeve? Lunch lady wants to get to the bottom of it and quickly!

Invention of Hugo Cabret

Selznick,B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic. when twelve year old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks in the walls of a Paris train station meets toy seller and his goddaughter, Isabelle, his life is in jeopardy. Trailer:www.youtube.com/watch?v=EalF32fKgEw‎

Skulduggery Pleasant

Landry, D. (2007). Skulduggery pleasant. New York: Harper Collins. Skulduggery Pleasant, ace detective and skeleton, gets help from twelve year old Stephanie to save the world from the faceless Ones. She inherits her uncle's estate and is attacked in the house where she is staying by herself where she is swept into a world of magic an intrigue. Lesson plans:TEKS: (8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how authors create meaning through stylistic elements and figurative language emphasizing the use of personification, hyperbole, and refrains Students will create their own Skulduggery name and explain why they chose it by coloring a picture or writing reasons why.

Babymouse queen of the world

Holm, J+M. (2005). Babymouse: Queen of the world. New York: Random House. She dreams of being queen of the world when all she really wants is an invitation to the most popular girl's sleepover. Her best friend, Wilson, has plans for them on the same night as the sleepover, which she has finally been invited to. Is the party all she thought it would be? Will Wilson forgive her for missing the movie? If you liked this book, you should read the following: Holm, J. (2006). Babymouse: Beach babe. New York: Random House. Summertime adventures of Babymouse- she tries surfing and snorkeling and she learns a lesson when she wants someone else to play with besides her brother. Holm, J. (2005). Babymouse: Our hero. New York: Random House. Babymouse is terrified to face her enemy in dodgeball, but she proves herself a hero with the support of her best friend and mother.

Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York: Bloomsbury. Rapunzel, having grown up in a palace, finds out her mother is not her mother. She was taken from her real mother and raised as a princess. When she found out, she was locked into a very tall tree. with the help of Jack, she escapes and finds her real mother. If you liked this book, you should read the following: Hale, S. (2010). Calamity Jack. New York: Bloomsbury. This is an interpretation of Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack helped Rapunzel in Rapunzel's Revengeand now it is Rapunzel's turn to help Jack. They are trying to get his city back into the hands of the good people. Pearson, L. (2011). Hilda and the midnight giant. New York: Nobrow. Hilda's world is turned upside down when her mother gets a new job and they have to leave her birthplace for the city. She makes friends with elves as she pleads her case to stay in the snow-capped mountains.

The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: Harper Collins. When Bod becomes an orphan at 18 months old, the ghosts in the cemetery protect him from the man who wants to kill him. He lives in the cemetery until he is 18 tears old. He learns all of the customs of the graveyard. Can a boy raised by ghouls face both the living and the dead? Trailer:www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_UUVwTaemk

The Underneath

Appelt,K. (2008). The underneath. New York: Simon and Schuster. A calico cat, who is ready to have kittens, befriends an old hound dog named Ranger, who is mistreated by his owner, Gar-Face. Ranger protects Mama and the kittens until Puck gets caught by Gar-Face and he and Mama end up in the creek. Puck makes his way back to his sister and Ranger. It is a cute tale about the power of love and hate. Lesson plans: TEKS: 6.(12) Organisms and environments. The student knows all organisms are classified into Domains and Kingdoms. Organisms within these taxonomic groups share similar characteristics which allow them to interact with the living and nonliving parts of their ecosystem(E) describe biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem in which organisms interact; and (F) diagram the levels of organization within an ecosystem, including organism, population, community, and ecosystem. The students will research bayous and ecosystems and write a report answering specific questions about bayous and ecosystems in the report before reading the novel.

Good Masters, Sweet Ladies

Schlitz, L.A. (2007). Good masters, sweet ladies. Boston: Candlewick Press. This is a collection of one person plays with characters who are 13-15 years old, who live in a medieval village. Some of the characters are Hugo, the Lord's nephew; Taggot, the blacksmith's daughter; Will, the plowboy; Alice, the shepherdess, and many more characters. Readers can read the plays silently, or they can read out loud to the class. If you liked this book, you should read the following: Chanda, J.editor: (2008). Acting out: Six one-act plays!: Six Newbery stars!. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. This book contains six children's authors who have become playwrights in a collection of one-act plays. Robinette, J. (1991). Stuart Little: A play in one act for children. New York: Dramatic Publications. This book is based upon the book by E.B. White, Stuart Little.

We are the ship

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship. New York: Hyperion. This is the story of the Negro baseball league and all of the players who were not allowed to play in the major leagues until Jackie Robinson was drafted into the all white league. They talk about how hard it was for them to play, how players would not associate with them, and how the fans would boo them when they played. Trailer:www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=121311

The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963

Curtis, C.P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963. New York: Delacorte. Kenny and the "weird" Watsons live in Flint, Michigan, in 1963. Brother Byron, according to Mom and Dad, is becoming a "juvenile delinquent", so they decide to spend the summer in Birmingham, Alabama with Grandma in the most terrifying times in our history. Kenny is excited about being there until a tragic accident happens to his family. Lesson plans:TEKS:7. (17)B: Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to: write a letter that reflects an opinion, After the students read the book, they can come up with ideas and opinions about the civil rights movement and how life is different or the same today. They will then write a letter to the editor about how they feel about their life today compared to life in the 1960's.

Bridge to Terabithia

Paterson, K. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: Crown. Jess and Leslie become good friends in a magical place called Terabithia. They meet every day in their special place and both are very happy together. Then tragedy strikes and Jess is left to be in the real world. If you liked this book, you should read the following: Mass, W. (2010). 11 birthdays. New York: Scholastic. Amanda and Leo share the same birthday, and after sharing 9 of them together, they are celebrating their eleventh alone. Strange things begin to happen and their birthday repeats itself over and over again. Standiford, N. (2014). Switched at birthday. New York: scholastic. Lavender is the outsider at school and Scarlet is the popular one. The only thing they have in common is their birthday. when they wake up on their big day, they are in each others' bodies. what if this happened to you?

Rules

Lord, C. (2008). Rules. New York: Scholastic. Twelve year old Catherine wants a normal life, like any twelve year old. Her brother is autistic, so it is hard to have a normal life. She does not like going to her brother's therapist until she meets Jason. They become close and she becomes a different person when they come across her friends. Her life will never be the same with Jason around. Trailer:www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxNGaC-bbRA

Diary of a wimpy kid

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid. New York: Amulet Books. Greg, the wimpy kid, records his middle school experiences, where he and his puny friend, Rowley, hope to survive the middle school years. When Rowley becomes popular, Greg tries to save their friendship. Lesson plans:7.(15) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to: (A) write an imaginative story that: (i) sustains reader interest; (ii) includes well-paced action and an engaging story line; (iii) creates a specific, believable setting through the use of sensory details; (iv) develops interesting characters; and (v) uses a range of literary strategies and devices to enhance the style and tone After reading the book, the students will write their own diary of a... Students will choose something to write about and create a cover after writing the story.

Out of My MInd

Draper, S. (2010). Out of my mind. New York: Atheneum. 11 year old Melody has a photographic memory. She can take a picture in her mind and remember it. The only problem is she can't tell anyone. Melody is not able to speak and is in a wheelchair. In school, she is in the life skills class and hears the same lessons over and over again. Then a new teacher comes into Melody's life and it changes forever. She is put into a regular class and shows everyone what she can do. One girl in the class does not want her around and when she qualifies for the knowledge team, she learns who her real friends are. If you liked this book, read the following: Lord, C. (2010). Touch blue. New York: Scholastic Press. The author looks at how it feels to belong. Conner, L. (2010). Crunch. New York: Katherine Tegen Books. Dewey Marriss is stuck in the middle of a crunch. He said he would help with his family's bike shop, but then everything that can go wrong does. His parents are trapped up north and Dewey and his sister, Lil, have to watch the younger siblings. The author writes a goo book with humor and hope.

Dear Mr. Henshaw

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Morrow. A boy, Leigh Botts, writes a letter to his favorite author for a project at school. He is the new kid at school and his dad is no longer in the picture. Mr. Henshaw's answer will change Leigh's life. He writes to Mr. Henshaw for the project and continues after the assignment, which then turns into journal/ diary writing. trailer:www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A3Sa4gFGJA

Hitler Youth

Bartoletti, S. (2005). Hitler youth: Growing up in Hitler's shadow. New York:Scholastic. This book tells about the children that joined Hitler's Youth and how they changed. It tells about how they turned their parents into the authorities, not realizing what that entailed. Some of the children stayed with Hitler and others left his organization when they realized what was happening. Lesson plans: TEKS:6.11D Government. The student understands the concepts of limited, such as constitutional and democratic governments, and unlimited governments,D) review the record of human rights abuses of limited or unlimited governments such as the oppression of Christians in Sudan. After reading the book, the students can research other groups of people and present to the clas. They can choose any media that they would like. Such as: power point, research paper, poster, etc.

How they Croaked

Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous. New York: Walker. The author writes about the ways that the famous people died. If you like death and gore, this book is for you. The people in the book are King Tut, Henry the 8th, Cleopatra, to name a few. If you liked this book, you may like the following: Look, L. (2011). Alvin Ho: Allergic to dead bodies, funerals, and other fatal circumstances. New York: Schwartz and Wade. It talks about the fear of losing someone you love. Rivett, R. (2009). Are you sad, little bear?: A book about learning to say goodbye. New York: Lion Children's. Little bear goes to the wildwood with Mama bear and has to learn to say goodbye to Grandma bear who ha died.

Balloons over Broadway

Sweet, M. (2011). Balloons over Broadway. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. In this book, the author talks about the puppeteer who worked for Macy's department store. He made puppets and then began making the balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. It is watched by millions of people every year on Thanksgiving. Trailer:www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONXv...

Rosa

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York: Holt Publishing. A story about Rosa Parks and what happened during the Civil rights movement. The bus boycott and the other peaceful protests that occurred in the 1960's. Lesson plans:(2) History. The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. The student is expected to: (A) describe the order of events by using designations of time periods such as historical and present times; The students will listen to the story Rosa and then using the 1960's, they will make a timeline of the events of the civil rights movement.

It's So Amazing

Harris,R. H. (1999). It's so amazing. Boston: Candlewick Press. This book is a nonfiction book explaining the facts of life. It tells how the body changes as we grow and puts it in children's words so that they are able to understand it. It helps to understand how babies are developed and are born. If you liked this book, you should read these from Robie Harris: Harris, R. H.(2006). It's not the stork!. Boston: Candlewick Press. Harris, R.H. (2009). It's perfectly normal!. Boston: Candlewick Press. These books are discussing the same topics as the first book, It's So Amazing!. They are for the older children to read when old enough to understand after the first book.

Magic Windows

Garza, C.L. (1999). Magic Windows. San Francisco: Children's Book Press. The author shows how she has made paper windows. She learned it from her grandmother and now she is teaching her own children how to make "magic" windows. Lesson plans: Art 2.2(C) identify and practice skills necessary for producing drawings, paintings, prints, constructions, and modeled forms, using a variety of art materials. Students will make their own magic windows after reading the book and looking at the pictures.

Frogs

Bishop, N.(2008). Frogs.. New York: Scholastic. Nic Bishop spent days in the ponds and wetlands to find the frogs. He spent a lot of time in the rainforests. The pictures are bright and show all of the different frogs that Mr. Bishop found in his travels. If you liked this book, you should read the following: Schultz, K. (2013). Amphibians. New York: Bellwether Media. Silverman, B. (2012). Can you tell a frog from a toad?. New York: Lerner Publishers. Veitch, C. (2013). Amphibian babies. New York: Heinemann Library. These books are all nonfiction. They will give you information about amphibians, frogs, and toads.

This is not my hat

Klassen, J.(2012). This is not my hat.. Boston: Candlewick Press. The little fish takes the big fish's hat while he sleeps. He brags about taking it and hides in the seaweed. The little fish thinks no one will find him. The big fish finds the little fish and gets his hat back. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v...

It's a Book

Smith, L.(2010).It's a book.. New York: Roaring Book Press. The monkey is reading a book, and the donkey asks if it does the things that electronics does. The monkey says no, it's a book. The donkey keeps asking, then he reads it. While reading, the monkey says that he is going to the library to get another book. The humorous story shows what it is like when electronics fills our lives. Lesson plans: While the teacher is reading the book, the students will read the clock times in the illustrations. What is the difference between each time? TEKS: Math Measurement 2.10C describe activities that approximate one second, one minute, one hour

The Three Pigs

Wiesner, D.(2001). The three pigs.. New York: Clarion Books. The three pigs run from the wolf and go into other nursery rhymes and seem to jump off the pages. They very carefully get rid of the wolf and make friends with a dragon. If you liked this book, you should read the following: Thomson, B. (2010). Chalk.. New York: Amazon Children's Publishers. Willems, M. (2010). City dog, country frog.. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. Both books are about friendship just as The Three Pigs is.

Mirror, Mirror

Singer, M.(2010). Mirror, mirror.. New York: Dutton . These are stories that have tales both written up and down. The tales are fairy tales and then reversed. The pictures are wonderfully drawn to show the different fairy tales. Trailer:www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Ds1C...

Where the Wild Things Are

Sendak, M.(1963). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper Collins. Max gets sent to his room because he misbehaves. He imagines being in another place with the Wild Things. He returns to his room where his supper is waiting for him. This book explains how children are still loved even when they misbehave. Lesson plans for a 2nd grade class: After reading the book with the students, the teacher will have them write their own stories about the wild things using a beginning , a middle, and an end. TEKS: 2.18A Students will write a brief story with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet

dePaola, T.(1983). The legend of the bluebonnet. New York: Putnam. There is a drought and famine in the Comanche land. The little girl puts her warrior doll into the fire and scatters the ashes. When she wakes, the hills are covered with bluebonnets. Now, every spring in Texas, the flowers fill the hills and the valleys. If you liked this book, you might be interested in the following: dePaola, T.(1988). The legend of the Indian paintbrush. New York: Putnam. and dePaola, T.(1994). The legend of the poinsettia. New York: Putnam.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach

Deedy, C.A. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach.. Atlanta: Peachtree. This Cuban folktale is about Martina. She is looking for a husband. Her abuela tells her the coffee story to help her find a husband. The rooster, the pig, and the lizard were all rejected. The brown mouse was the one who was chosen and they both have Cuban grandmothers. www.youtube.com/watch?v...