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.