Big Wolf and Little Wolf

Title: Big Wolf and Little Wolf
Author: Nadine Brun Cosme
Illustrator: Olivier Tallec
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Date of Publication: 2009
Award: Mildred L. Batchelder
Theme: Feelings and Friendship
Primary and Secondary Characters: Big Wolf/ Little Wolf
Summary: Big Wolf lives alone and one day he sees a Little Wolf approaching him. Without saying anything Little Wolf sits down next to Big Wolf. At first Big Wolf ios not to sure about Little Wolf, but he grows to like him. Then Little Wolf disappears and Big Wolf starts to become upset. Finally Little Wolf comes back and they agree to never leave each other again.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could help the students see how important friendships are. Students can see that having a friend can make a person happy and without a friend they can be lonely.

Through My Eyes

Title: Through My Eyes
Author: Ruby Bridges
Illustrator: Margo Lundell
Genre: Nonfiction Biography
Sub genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Date of Publication: 1999
Award: Orbis Pictus
Theme: Racism and Civil Rights
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Ruby Bridges/ Mother
Summary: Ruby Bridges was a six year old girl living in New Orleans during the the 1960s. She talks about the role she played in the integration of public schools. Ruby was the only black girl chosen to attend William Fretz public school. In the book she talks about the emotions, feelings, and situations she went through because of the circumstances.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used with students to help them understand more about racism and civil rights. Through this book students will be able to see what students went through back then. They will also be able to learn about the feelings and emotions they experienced during this time.

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachin Spring

Title: Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachin Spring
Author: Jan Greenbery and Sandra Jordan
Illustrator: Brain Floca
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sub genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Date of Publication: 2010
Award: Robert F. Sibert
Theme: Creating Appalachin Spring
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Martha Graham/ Aaron Copland and Isamu Noguchi
Summary: Martha Grahama had an idea to tell the story of America through movement and music. Martha was doing the choreography but she need people to help her with music and scene designs. So Aaron Copland does the music and Isamu Noguchi does the scenes. Together they create a great show that tells the story of America. The show is called Appalachin Spring.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used with students to show them that there are many ways to express themselves. They can see that they can use movement, music , drawing and many more things to express their feelings or ideas. An activity students could do is practicing expressing themselves using different ways.

One Crazy Summer

Title: One Crazy Summer
Author: Rita Williams Garcia
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Historical
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date of Publication: 2010
Award: Coretta Scott King
Theme: Equal Rights
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Delphine/ Big Ma, Pa, Cecile, Fern, and Vonetta
Summary: Delphine and her two younger sisters are being sent to their mothers for the summer. The girls do not know their mother because she left when they were younger and had nothing to do with them. When the girls got to their mothers they wanted to go back home because the mother was treating them badly. They were sent to camp during the day and then  had to fend for themselves night. While the girls are there they realize that the center where they are at was a rights activists group called the Black Panthers, which their mother was a part of. One night after camp when the girls got home and their mother was being arrested and they had to stay with friends. Later in the summer the girls participated in a festival for the Black Panthers where they read a poem about separate but equal rights. At the festival their mother heard the poem and it brings them all closer together. When it was time for the girls to leave they did not want to.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could help the students understand more about equal rights and life during this  point in history. It is important for students to know what people went through and felt during this time in history and this book does just that.

The African Safari Discovery

Title: The African Safari Discovery
Author: Josh Greenhut
Illustrator: Macky Pamintuan
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Adventure
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Date of Publication: 2011,
Theme: Going on an adventure
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Stanley/ Arthur, George Lambchop, Harriet Lambchop, Mr. Dart, Bisa, Odinga, Captain Tony, Dr. Livingston
Summary: Stanley, Arthur, and their dad go on a trip to Africa to see the recently found flat skull. They are hoping to find information to help Stanley. When they got to Africa Arthur met Odinga and Bisa who helped them get a flight to where they needed to go from their father. Captian Tony was flying the Lambchop family when he heard about a fire back home so the Lambchops had to jump off the plane. Once they landed they saw a safari as they traveled farther. They then reached the river and saw a canoe. The Lambchops borrowed he canoe and traveled down the river. Finally they found the site, but the skull was a fish skull not a human one. Stanley got upset because he made his family travel for no reason. Mr Lambchop and Arthur said it was ok because they had fun adventures that they would not of had.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could help students see how fun going on an adventure can be. If a teacher uses this book in class an exercises she or he could have the students create an adventure they would like to go on. This activity will let the students to use their creativity and imagination.

Surviving the Applewhites

Title: Surviving the Applewhites
Author: Stephine S. Tolan
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Chapter Book
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Date of Publication: 2002
Award: Newberry Honor Book
Theme: People are not always what they seem
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Jake Semple and E.D. Applewhite/ Aunt Lucille, Cordelia Applewhite, Destiny, Randolph, Zedediah Applewhite, Uncle Archie, Sybil Jameson, and Hal
Summay: Jake Semple has gotten in trouble and expelled from every school he went to. Now his only chance is the homeschool ran by the Applewhites. All of the Applewhites are artist except for E.D., who wants order and predictability. E.D. gets paired with Jake for the cooperative education experiment and neither are happy. As time goes on Jake becomes more involved and even participates in the Sound of Music performance. Jake and E.D. face many struggles, but end up developing a strong friendship and finding hidden talents.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used with students to help them see that you have to get to know a person before you judge them. Jake and E.D. ended up becoming friends which they thought would never happen because they were to quick to judge each other. Students   can learn from Jake and E.D. that they need to get to know people before they are quick to judge and make decisions about a person.

Hilary and the Troublemakers

Title: Hilary and the Troublemakers
Author: Katheleen Leverich
Illustrator: Lorraine Walter
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Chapter Book
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date of Publication: 1999
Theme: Making right decisions
Primary and Secondary Characters: Hilary/ Owl, Piggy Bank, Sheep, and Snow people
Summary: A homework-eating owl, an angry piggy bank, several talking sheep, and some snow people help Hilary to make the right decisions at home and at school.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used to help the students learn about making right decisions and telling the truth. It is important that the students know the importance of making right decisions and not telling lies and this book can do just that.