Chapter Book 40: Out of the Dust

Author: Karen Hesse
Title: Out of the Dust
Illustrator: None
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sub-genre: American History
Theme: Love, Death, Forgiveness, Resentment
Primary and secondary characters: Billie Jo, Ma, Pa
Award(s):
1998 Newbery Medal
Scott O'Dell Award
ALA Notable Children's Book
ALA "Best book"
School Library Journal "best book of the year"
Booklist "Editors' Choice" award
Book Links "Lasting Connection"
Publishers Weekly "best book of the year"
New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"

Date of publication: January 1, 1999
Publishing company: Scholastic Paperbacks
Brief summary: Billie Jo is just 14 when "the Dust Bowl" and "The Great Depression" are in full swing. She lives with her pregnant mother and her father. For the most she likes her life and she especially enjoys playing the piano. When "The Accident" occurs and her mother is badly burnt and dies soon after Billie Jo's life begins to crumble. Her father is distant and she has never felt so alone in the world. She can't even enjoy playing the piano anymore because her hands were burnt so badly during the accident. The book follows Billie Jo while she tries to forgive her mother for leaving and to forgive her father for, in her eyes, causing the accident to begin with.
How you would use the book with students.: This book could be used to teach about The Great Depression and The Dust Bowl. I could also discuss the themes of forgiveness and how it is more important to forgive other people for your own well-being. I would also use this book to discuss viewing the same situation from different person's perspectives.

Chapter Book 39: Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook

Author: Barbara Park
Title: Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook
Illustrator: Denise Brunkus
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Sub-genre: Comedy and Humor
Theme: Thieves, Growing up, Honesty
Primary and secondary characters: Junie B. Jones
Award(s):
Date of publication: June 24, 1997
Publishing company: Random House Books for Young Readers
Brief summary: Junie B. Jones is a very funny little girl with a lot to say. She especially has a lot to say on the day that her new favorite mittens go missing! Someone must have stolen them from the playground. She'd been wearing them all day, but it was simply just too hot outside. She sets them down and when she came back later they are no where to be found. She begins to search every where, which leads her to the lost and found box. Here she finds a very cool pen that writes four different colors! Who wouldn't want to take that from the lost and found box, even though it's not really their's? What will Junie do and will she find her mittens?
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this with very young readers to discuss the difference between right and wrong. We could also discuss different honesty rules such as just because you find something, does not mean it is yours to keep!

Chapter Book 38: An Innocent Soldier

Author: Josef Holub
Title: An Innocent
Illustrator: none
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sub-genre: War
Theme: Death, Friendship, European History
Primary and secondary characters: Adam and Lieutenant Konrad Klara
Award(s):
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
2006 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare Book
USBBY Outstanding International Book
Date of publication: October 1, 2005
Publishing company: Arthur A. Levine Books
Brief summary: This book is definitely for older reader. It follows a young farm hand, Adam. Adam is, in a way, forced to join the Napoleon's army. The farmer he works for enlists Adam under a fake name (the name of the farmer's son). He is extremely mistreated but he does his duty and trains as he was told. It was only when he was noticed by a younger Lieutenant did Adam's life in Napoleon's army seem get a little easier. This book is extremely descriptive of the time period and the clothes. It is a wonderful journey to watch as Adam develops along the way and too read about such trying times.
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book to teach about European history and culture. I would specifically tell about Napoleon's reign. I could also use this book to discuss the many hardships that accompany a time of war.

Chapter Book 37: Elijah Of Buxton

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Title: Elijah of Buxton
Illustrator: none
Genre: historical Fiction
Sub-genre: African American History
Theme: Slavery, South
Primary and secondary characters: Elijah, Right Reverend Zephariah W. Connerly the Third, Mr. Leroy
Award(s):
Coretta Scott King Award
Newbery Honor Book for 2008
Date of publication: August 6, 2007
Publishing company: Scholastic Press
Brief summary: This book focuses on the life of a young man named Elijah. It tells of what his daily life is like. He is one of the first in his family to be born out of slavery. His family has moved to Canada where they found freedom. Elijah does not understand the true terror his family faced during slavery, but that is all about to change. A man by the name of Reverend Zephariah W. Connerly the Third steals money from Elijah's friend, Mr. Leroy. Mr. Leroy was saving the money to buy his family out of slavery. Elijah goes on a quest to get the money. It is only then does Elijah experience the true horrors of slavery.
How you would use the book with students.: This is a wonderful book to use to teach children about slavery as well as what America and Canada were like in the past. It is told from such a young character that, I feel, it would be easy for the students to relate.

Chapter Book 36: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry
Title: The Giver
Illustrator: None
Genre: Science Fiction
Sub-genre: Society
Theme: Power, society, importance of being different
Primary and secondary characters: Jonas and the Giver
Award(s):
The 1994 Newbery Medal
The 1996 William Allen White Award[13]
American Library Association listings for "Best Book for Young Adults", "ALA Notable Children's Book", and "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000."
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
Winner of the Regina Medal
Booklist Editors' Choice
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Date of publication: September 10, 2002
Publishing company: Laurel Leaf
Brief summary: Jonas lives in a world unlike any other! In this world people do not know how to feel, they don't see color, and they don't make choices. Everything is done for these people. At the age of 12 everyone is assigned a job that they will do for the rest of their lives. Jonas is given the prestigious job of taking over the job of "the Giver". At first, Jonas has no idea what this means, but he soon discovers a world that he had no idea existed. The Giver begins transmitting memories to Jonas. It is through these memories that Jonas discovers what it means to feel and to love and to see color. While this world is wonderful he begins to compare it with his own. The comparisons make him realize just how bleak his world is.
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book to discuss the possibilities of a world like Jonas' existing. I would discuss the pros and the cons to living in such a plain world and the pros and cons to living in our world as we know it. I would use this to discuss the beauty of life, the ability to make your own choices, and the ability to love!

Chapter Book 35: Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures

Author: George Sullivan
Title: Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures
Illustrator: none
Genre: Nonfiction
Sub-genre: Biography
Theme: Helen Keller's life
Primary and secondary characters: Helen Keller
Award(s): 2008 Orbis Pictus
Date of publication: September 1, 2007
Publishing company: Scholastic Nonfiction
Brief summary: Helen Keller's life is very well-known, but this book offers a new view! This book, while technically a chapter book, is full of pictures of multiple aspects of Helen Keller's life. It even shows her pets and work she did, that many people may be unaware of. This is a great book that focuses on the wonderful things Helen Keller did with her life, rather than focusing on the fact the she was deaf and blind. It follows her life from her birth, schooling, activism, to her death.
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book to educate students about the life of Helen Keller. I could also use this book to show how pictures are often work a million words because so much can be captured in just one second of a person's life.

Picture Book 34: On the Night You Were Born

Author: Nancy Tillman
Title: On the Night You Were Born
Illustrator: Nancy Tillman
Genre: Fiction
Sub-genre:
Theme: Birth, Happy Birthday,
Primary and secondary characters: Self
Award(s):
Date of publication: January 15, 2005
Publishing company: Darling Press
Brief summary: Everyone is important, and no one is the same! This book celebrates the life of every person in the world and how the birth of each, individual person affects the people around them.
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book with students to teach them about their own self-worth. I would read this to students to see how everyone is loved by someone!

Picture Book 33: Giraffes Can't Dance

Author: Giles Andreae
Title: Giraffes Can't Dance
Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Genre: Rhymes
Sub-genre: Self-esteem
Theme: Dance, being different
Primary and secondary characters: Gerald Giraffe
Award(s):
Date of publication: September 1, 2001
Publishing company: Orchard
Brief summary: All Gerald wants to do is dance, but no one understands him! All of his jungle friends thinks he is crazy because clumsy giraffes can't dance. Gerald, with the help of a friend, finds a way to prove them all wrong! And boy, will they pay attention to him while he dances his wonderful dance.
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book to introduce students to the idea that everyone is different, even in the way they talk, walk, or even dance! This book could also be used to talk about different types of dances, or different types of animals.

Picture Book 32: Grandpa Green

Author: Lane Smith
Title: Grandpa Green
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Sub-genre: Family
Theme: Family History, Different roles in the family
Primary and secondary characters: Grandson
Award(s):
2012 Caldecott Honor
Date of publication: August 30, 2011
Publishing company: Roaring Brook Press
Brief summary: This book follow's Grandpa Green's great-grandson as he discovers just who is grandpa was! He discovers that his grandfather was much, much more than the ordinary gardener that the grandson thought he was! This is a must read for young readers discovering the people around them!
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book with young students to show them that the people who surround them are much more than they appear to be! I would explain to the students that everyone plays multiple roles and the roles can even change depending who is looking at them!

Picture Book 31: How I Became a Pirate

Author: Melinda Long
Title: How I Became a Pirate
Illustrator: David Shannon
Genre: Comedy and Humor
Sub-genre:
Theme: Family, imagination
Primary and secondary characters: Jeremy
Award(s):
Date of publication: September 1, 2003
Publishing company: Harcourt, Inc.
Brief summary: Jeremy was just a young boy, minding his own business, building a sand castle on the beach when all of a sudden he is surrounded by pirates! The pirates are all wonderful and fun guys who are in need of a digger to dig a hole for their treasure chest, and Jeremy just so happens to be a wonderful digger! Jeremy is having fun, but he soon misses his parents. What will he do next?
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book to discuss how imagination is a powerful thing. We could also discuss pirates and the importance of those who love us.

Picture Book 30: Little Owl's Night

Author: Divya Srinivasan
Title: Little Owl's Night
Illustrator: Divya Srinivasan
Genre: Animal Stories
Sub-genre:
Theme: Curiosity, nocturnal, life differences
Primary and secondary characters: Little Owl
Award(s):
Date of publication: September 1, 2011
Publishing company: Viking Juvenile
Brief summary: Little Owl is a very young, nocturnal owl. As the moon rises, he admires his surroundings and watches all of the animals in their habitat. He soon realizes that many animals sleeps at night, while he is awake. He becomes confused.
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book to teach students about poetry. I would use it to teach all about owls and the way they live. I would also use this book to address how every family lives differently, even animal families!

Picture Book 29: Stellaluna

Author: Janell Cannon
Title: Stellaluna
Illustrator: Janell Cannon
Genre: Animal Stories
Sub-genre:
Theme: Loving yourself, Being different
Primary and secondary characters: Stellaluna, Mama Bird
Award(s):
ABBY Award
California Young Reader Medal [California]
Keystone to Reading Book Award [Pennsylvania]
Reading Rainbow Feature Book
Southern California Council on Literature for Young People Award [California]

Date of publication: April 30, 1993
Publishing company: Harcourt Children's Books
Brief summary: One night Stellaluna, a fruit bat, was separated from her mother and left alone in a scary forest! She landed in a bird's nest and the birds began helping her, but everything they did was so weird and different to her! How is Stellaluna going to overcome these differences? And why is she so different from these birds? Will she ever find her own mother again?
How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book to help students understand that everyone is different and that is a wonderful thing! Without differences the world would be boring. I could also use this book to lead a lesson about fruit bats and how they are different from other animals. I could use this book to teach about nocturnal animals.

Picture Book 28: Silent Music

Author; James Rumford
Title: Silent Music
Illustrator: James Rumford
Genre: Diverse Literature
Sub-genre: Arabic Culture
Theme: music, other cultures, survival, war, coping
Primary and secondary characters: Ali
Award(s):
Date of publication: March 8, 2009
Publishing company: Roaring Brook Press
Brief summary: Ali is a young man who lives in Baghdad who loves soccer and playing with his friends. When bombs begin to drip there is little the can comfort the boy from the loud noises and shakes of his house. Late one night the boy begins writing "Silent Music". He is writing calligraphy in the beautiful and complicated language of Arabic.

How you would use the book with students.: This is a book that I could use to address many educational topics such as war, the Arabic Culture, and the art of calligraphy.

Picture Book 27: Yours Truly, Louisa

Author: Simon Puttock
Title: Yours Truly, Louisa
Illustrator: Jo Kiddie
Genre: Fiction
Sub-genre: Animal Fiction
Theme: Farms, cleanliness, do it yourself
Primary and secondary characters: Louisa and Farmer Jow
Award(s):
Date of publication: March 10, 2009
Publishing company: Harper Collins
Brief summary: Louisa is a pig who lives on farm. She is not like every other pig! She cannot stand the condition that the farm is in. So she decides that she is going to write an anonymous letter to Farmer Joe let him know exactly how she feels about the situation. She tells him how dirty and disgusting the farm is. When Farmer Joe receives the letter, he looks around and realizes that Louisa is right. He goes out of his way to clean up the farm, but it's still not good enough. Louisa rights Joe another letter, but his second clean up was still not clean enough. It continues this way until Farmer Joe gets fed up and tells the writer of the letter to clean it up them self! Louis is hurt and shocked by the letter and decides to move to the city. Will the grass be greener on the other side?

How you would use the book with students.: I would use this book with students to discuss cleanliness, how some places are meant to be dirty while other places aren't. I would also use the book to address the topic, if you're not happy with something, do something about it, but don't expect other people to clean up your mess! I would also discuss farm animals.

Picture Book 26: The Rainbow Fish

Author: Marcus Pfister
Title: The Rainbow Fist
Illustrator: Marcus Pfister
Genre: Fiction
Sub-genre: Vanity
Theme: Inner Beauty, Real friendship, loneliness
Primary and secondary characters: Rainbow Fish, Octopus, Blue fish

Award(s):The Christopher Award
the Bologna Book Fair Critici in Erba Prize
American Booksellers Association ABBY Winner
IRA-CBC Children's Choice title

Date of publication: September 1, 1992
Publishing company: North-South Books
Brief summary: Rainbow Fish is the most beautiful fish in the whole ocean! He has scales that glitter. Even though other fish try to befriend Rainbow Fish, he just ignores them. That is, until one day Blue Fish asks for one of Rainbow Fish's glittery scales. He then realizes how along he truly is. What will Rainbow Fish do now?

How you would use the book with students.: I would use this with students to teach about inner beauty and what it means to have real friends. These are both important topics for students to learn now with how vain most parts of the world are.

Picture Book 25: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Title: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sub-genre:
Theme: Slavery, underground railroad
Primary and secondary characters: Harriet Tubman
Award(s): Caldecott Honor
Date of publication: August 8, 2006
Publishing company: Hyperion Book
Brief summary: This book tells the classic tale of Harriet Tubman. It portrays her strength in the time that people needed her. She is hero the must not be forgotten. It begins with her living during slavery. It covers her first runaway, and her story of how she felt the deep need to go back for her family and friends who needed her.

How you would use the book with students.: I think that it is important to talk about diversity year round and not just during the day or month in which they are supposed to be celebrated. With that being said I would use this book with my students to teach them about slavery and diversity. More specifically I would use this book to educate students about Harriet Tubman's strength and bravery.