Temple Cat

Temple Cat
By Andrew Clements
Illustrated by Kate Kiesler
Published by Clarion Books (1996)

This is the story of a temple cat who dreams of living as a normal cat outside the temple walls. He slips out one night to follow his dream, and discovers what his heart desires at the edge of the sea. This is a great introduction to historical fiction for young readers in grades one and two. It presents the Egyptian culture from the unique perspective of a cat, which young readers will adore. The illustrations are very realistic, making Egypt come alive for readers.

While Andrew Clements is not always known for his picture books, he is a successful writer. Learn more about him on his website!


Clements, A., & Kiesler, K. (1996). Temple cat. New York: Clarion Books.

Frida

Frida: Long Live Life!
By  Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Published by Marshall Cavendish Corporation (2007)

This unique book tells the story of Frida Kahlo, a 20th century painter from Mexico, through poems and Frida's own artwork. I love the different perspective it takes on the biography of her interesting life. It is great to see the use of poetry and art together to create a piece of children's literature. This has many classroom applications. It could be used in a poetry unit where students must write poems about pieces of art they see in museums. They could also write a poem about their own lives and create self-portraits like Frida Kahlo. This is also a great multicultural book to have in your classroom library.

Bernier-Grand, C. T. (2007). Frida: Viva la vida = long live life. New York: Marshall Cavendish Children/Marshall Cavendish Corp.

Rosa

Rosa
By Nikki Giovanni
Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Published Henry Holt and Company (2005)
Caldecott Honor Book

Rosa Parks is an influential woman in American history, especially civil rights history. We have all heard her story countless times, but this book really makes you think and hear her story in a new light. The narrative keeps the reader engaged and eager to read more. It presents history is an easy to understand fashion. I love this version of the story, and I think students would also really enjoy it. It makes a connection to the Emmett Till case which is unique and important historically. At the end, there are two fold out pages that expand on the impact that Rosa Parks had on the United States. She is one inspirational woman!

The illustrations are a mix of collage and water color. In the illustrators note at the beginning, Collier said he wanted it to appear as if Rosa Parks is glowing or illuminating throughout because she is such a light of the world. I thought this was a beautiful tribute to a leading civil rig
hts leader.

This book would get great use in your classroom, whether through social studies, writing, or even art. This is an excellent piece of children's literature.

Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt.

My Brother Martin

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By Christine King Farris
Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2003)

My Brother Martin tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood from the perspective of his sister Christine. A unique take on his life, the book gives student's a perspective of how he began his journey in the Civil Rights Movement. My one critique would be that the story had a few additional pages on his adult life, but overall I love this book. The illustrations are beautiful, with very realistic images and vibrant colors. This would be a helpful piece in learning about the civil rights movement in social studies, or writing from different perspectives in language arts. Because many students have siblings, they would easily relate to the story and its look at siblings and childhood.

Farris, C. K., & Soentpiet, C. K. (2003). My brother Martin: A sister remembers growing up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Confetti: Poems for Children

Confetti: Poems for Children
(Confeti: Poemas para Niños)
By Pat Mora
Illustrated by Enrique Sanchez
Published by Lee & Low Books 1996

Confetti is a wonderful bilingual book for young children that gives them a taste of the southwest and its beautiful nature. The narrative, free verse poems are great for young readers. There is  mix of rhyming and free verse to show students that not all poems rhyme. It combines spanish and english in a great way, showing the experience of a young Mexican-American girl. They will especially connect with the young female perspective.  This vibrant illustrations of this book of poetry will be sure to keep students' attention. This would be an excellent book to have in your classroom library as many students have a hispanic background or are learning spanish in school. Poetry is a great way to share the culture of Mexican-Americans and the southwest.

Find out more about Pat Mora!

Mora, P., & Sanchez, E. O. (1996). Confetti: Poems for children. New York: Lee & Low Books.

The Hunterman and the Crocodile

The Hunterman and the Crocodile: A West African Folktale
retold and illustrated by Baba Wagué Diakité
published by Scholastic Press 1997

Coretta Scott King Award

This folktale tells the story of three crocodiles who leave their home in the river and eventually become tired and famished. They meet a crocodile who they convince to take them back home to the river. They promise they won't eat him up as most crocodiles would do. However, when they return to the river, they question their choice and argue with right over wrong with the hunterman. Various animals weigh in on their opinions of the situation. The animals say that the crocodiles should eat the hunterman because of various things man does to the animals. At the end, a rabbit tells the man to bring the crocodiles back home to his family instead. Th man learns a valuable lesson, as his wife has fallen ill and needs the tears of a crocodile to live. The lesson to be learned is that man and nature must live in harmony.

I very much enjoyed this piece of literature. It would be a great mentor text for teaching write and wrong or respect for nature. The abstract illustrations really keep your intention. There is a mix of color and black and white along with watercolor backgrounds. It is a great book to show students the West African culture.

Diakité, B. W. (1997). The hunterman and the crocodile: A West African folktale. New York: Scholastic.

One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer
By Rita Williams-Garcia
Published by Amistad (2010)

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award in 2011
Newberry Honor Book in 2011
(plus many many more!)

Our class read this award winning novel and created lesson plans based on the story. The moving story takes place during the civil rights movement in Oakland, California. Three young girls, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern fly out to visit their long lost mother. With few memories of her, it leads to an adventurous and crazy summer involving the Black Panthers. I can see why this book won so many awards. Rita Williams-Garcia keeps you engaged and laughing even during heavy topics.

It is a great way for young readers to see the civil rights movement from a child's perspective. Not all students may be ready for the hot topic, but it is important for all students to learn about. The book would be a great class read to connect to social studies. Thanks to my wonderful classmates I have some great lesson ideas too!

Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.

The Egyptian Cinderella

The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Illustrated by Ruth Heller
Published by Thomas Y. Crowell 1989

The Egyptian Cinderella puts a twist on the classic Cinderella fairytale most of us know. While the plot remains the same, characters from the historical past of Egypt are used instead. The book has many classroom applications whether it be through social studies and ancient Egypt, or comparing and contrasting in literature and fairytales.

The illustrations are vibrant and detailed, making you feel like you are in ancient Egypt. I would highly recommend this book for an upper elementary classroom. It is a sophisticated piece of children's literature that will appeal to older students.

Climo, S., & Heller, R. (1989). The Egyptian Cinderella. New York: Crowell.

A Wreath for Emmett Till

A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson
Illustrated by Philippe Lardy
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company 2005

Coretta Scott King Honor Award
Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature from the American Library Association

This book takes on an important issue of the civil rights movement: Emmett Till and his lynching. I feel the author's explanation of her purpose for wiring this story into poetry is best explained through her own words. Regarding the writing of the poem she says, "I was nine years old when Emmett Till was lynched in 1955. His name and history have been a part of most of my life. When I decided to write a poem about lynching for young people, I knew I would write about Emmett Till. he was lynched when he was the age of the young people who might read my poem. After revisiting what I knew about lynching, reading more about it, and growing increasingly depressed, I also knew that I would write this poem as a heroic crown of sonnets. A sonnet is a fourteen- line rhyming poem in iambic pentameter. The rhyme scheme I chose to use in these sonnets is called Italian, or Petrarchan. A crown of sonnets is a sequence of interlinked sonnets in which the last line of one becomes the first line, sometimes slightly altered, of the next. A heroic crown of sonnets is a sequence of fifteen interlinked sonnets, in which the last one is made up of the first lines of the preceding poem".

This novel was difficult to read, but it gave a new perspective on an important issue of America's history. It would be a great mentor text or contributing text for a study on the civil rights for older students. The novel contains abstract imagery with colors that set the mood for each of the sonnets. At the end, an acrostic poem is formed, showing another type of poetry that students can utilize. It also provides notes on each of the sonnets she references in her poetry along with a brief story of Emmett Till.

I found a great online resource for using this piece of poetry in the classroom!

This piece of literature shows that poetry has the power to express even the darkest of things in a new light.

Nelson, M., & Lardy, P. (2005). A wreath for Emmett Till. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.