Wordless Book--Fossil

Fossil 

Bill Thomson
2013
 
A boy and his dog are hiking one day and finds fossils.  The fossils then come to life and reveals what they once were...an ancient plant, a dragonfly and pteranodon.  Once this happens, he has to figure out how to get things back to normal. 
 
Wow!  The illustrations in this book trigger the imagination, as well as leave the reader to wonder what's next.  Told from the boy's point of view, he has to figure out how to send the dragonfly and pteranodon back to the fossil for good.  This would be an excellent book to have older elementary students write captions or words for the text.  It is an entertaining story that would be interesting to a variety of ages.   Students could even write their own story of finding a fossil and imagine what happens next when their fossil "breaks open".

Wordless Book---The Umbrella

The Umbrella

Ingrid Schubert and Dieter Schubert

 2011

 

A little dog has a "blowing" experience when he finds an umbrella one windy day.  Once he grabs the umbrella, he is lifted up and taken on a trip around the world.

This story is well told through pictures.  The reader is able to "feel the adventure"  as the dog is whisked around the world and sees all types of biomes around the planet, including the North Pole.    The reader is taken on the adventure as well, as he travels throughout the planet.  The Umbrella is an entertaining book for all ages.  I would have students write the text from the dog's point of view within the classroom. 

 

Wordless Book--Unspoken: A Story of the Underground Railroad

Unspoken:  A Story from the Underground Railroad

Henry Cole
2012

This wordless picture book tells a powerful story of the underground railroad.

A young farm girl finds a runaway slave hiding in her families barn.  She struggles with doing the right thing and making a hard choice of whether to help the runaway or tell on him. 

Henry Cole tells a powerful story through the pictures of how a  simple farm girl helps a runaway slave.  The pictures touch on how the girl struggles to make the decision to help or not to help, knowing that it is against the law.  Cole shows the compassion of the girl through the emotion shown in the illustrations.  Its will truly touch your heart and how it must have felt for these two young children who were so different, yet so much the same. 

Newberry Honor Novel- One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer                                                    

Rita Williams-Garcia

2010

Newberry Honor Novel

Coretta Scott King Award

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction Winner

National Book Award Finalist

As a multiple award winning novel One Crazy Summer is a unique story about a girl and her 2 sisters.  They were abandoned by their mother when Delphine, the oldest, was 4 years old.  Now, 7 years later the girls travel across the country to spend a summer with the mother they barely know.  It truly is "one crazy summer" for these 3 girls. 
 
I can only imagine the anxiousness the 3 girls were feeling on the plane flying from New York to California.  How does one reconnect with someone who has abandoned them to pursue a "better life"?  How does a mother leave 3 young girls to be raised by a father and grandmother? The author creates a connection between the girls and their mother, even though their mother is complacent.  The author reveals the reasons why throughout the text in a sympathetic way, as to not paint her as a failure of a mother.  What an amazing story unveiled perfectly by the author, consisting of laughable moments as well as tearful moments. 

Historical Fiction--Freedom on the Menu

Freedom on the Menu:  The Greensboro Sit-Ins

Carole Boston Weatherford
2007

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins describes a day in the life of an 8 year old African American girl in Greensboro, North Carolina.  She is in the Woolworth Store downtown with her mother and knows that there are signs everywhere telling her where she can go, where she can sit, and what drinking fountain in which she can drink.  She sees that she is no different from other girls and boys her age.  She witnesses the brave sit in of 4 A & T students who choose to stand up for what they believe in.

I can't imagine how Connie feels when she is forbidden to eat at the lunch counter. Even so, she had to eat her snack in the back of the store, not at the lunch counter.   I am always amazed that the author mentioned how Connie (the 8 year old girl)  notices the white girl's purse is just like hers.   This is a great book to share during black history month.  It also outlines historic events that took place here locally. 

Historical Fiction Novel--I Survived, The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

I Survived, The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Lauren Tarshis
2010

I Survived, The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 is a historical story of a brother and sister who are sailing on this huge ship with their aunt.  They are having the time of their lives, until of course, the Titanic hits  an iceberg.  The chapter book moves on to discuss George's survival story and how he managed to survive this horrible nightmare, while rescuing and helping others.

I can only imagine how cold it was on the ocean in the shipwreck of the Titanic.  I was amazed at George's bravery and how he truly willed himself to survive the wreck.  I can't imagine being in George's shoes and choosing to stay behind and help others.  What a huge decision to make as a young boy?  This would be an excellent story to share with students who are interested in The Titanic or survival stories. 

Click on the link below to watch a trailer on the book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNoYYfI2lOQ

Historical Fiction--Latkes and Applesauce

Latkes and Applesauce

Fran Manushkin
1990

Latkes and Applesauce is a story about a Jewish family that is poor.  They hardly have any food but are not selfish when it comes to taking in 2 animals during a blizzard during Hanukkah.  The story explains the traditions of Hanukkah. 

Latkes and Applesauce tells a story but within the story it gives history about the celebration of Hanukkah.  The story discusses the customs and traditions they celebrate during the 8 nights of Hanukkah.  I found it interesting because I didn't know a lot about the history of Hanukkah.  We have such a melting pot of cultures and religions here in the United States.  This book would  be an excellent way to bring global awareness to the classroom. 

 

Historical Fiction---Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King

Jean Marzollo
1993

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King is a well told story of his life.  It outlines the major events of his life in "kid friendly"  wording from his birth to death.  The story explains the ways his used non-violent protests to speak up for civil rights for all.

This is an excellent story to share with students of all ages.  It helped me to understand more about Martin Luther King and his life and some of the important things he spoke about during the Civil Rights Movement.  Jean Marzollo very delicately goes through the events throughout Martin Luther King's life and tastefully explains them, even though they are not always happy instances.  This book would be a great choice to share with students around the Martin Luther King holiday. 

Historical Fiction---White Socks Only

White Socks Only

Evelyn Coleman

1996

White Socks Only is a story about an African American girl living in Mississippi in the midst of segregation.  On a summer day, she asked her grandmother is she can walk into town.  Her grandmother proceeds to tell her the story of her experience as a little girl of mistaking the meaning of the "whites only" sign at the drinking fountain.  The town is in uproar when she does drink from the "whites only" water fountain.  Innocently, she thought she could due to her wearing "white socks".

I can't imagine living being an African American child or adolescent through segregation.  I don't understand how this was even a fathomable lifestyle expectancy for so long.  I feel sorry for the girl in the story who is ridiculed by the townspeople for truly not understanding what "whites only" meant.  This is an excellent story to teach tolerance, as well as concepts of what segregation was like for so long.  Several reading strategies can be taught using this story as well.

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (Novel series)

Barbara Park

1993

Junie B. Jones is quite a character first grader.  In this book in the series, she is expecting to be a big sister at any time and she is not happy about it.  She is having some issues adjusting to everyone around her thinking that the new baby brother is great.   She tries everything she can to “show out” due to the new addition to the family. 

Thinking back to my childhood, I was about Junie B. Jones’ age when my brother was born also.  Junie also has a close family throughout the story, as well as she herself being close to her grandparents.  I, too, was close with my grandparents and I remember them trying to make me feel special when my brother was born.  I can see how this story in the series would be easily connected to many of the students we teach.  As a first grader, my son, who is now a fourth grader, loved Junie B. Jones and the series because his teacher had read aloud some of the texts in the series.  He would imitate the voice she would portray when reading Junie B’s part aloud to the students.  I remember this being his first experience with chapter books, which was a truly positive one. 

Millie Waits for the Mail

Millie Waits for the Mail
Alexander Steffensmeier
2007

Millie seemed like an ordinary cow, but she has some strange ideas of fun.  Millie enjoys lying in wait for the mailman to SCARE him.  She continually hides, day after day, and scares the mailman.  He, of course, drops the mail for the farmer, which doesn't make the farmer happy at all.  The mailman even has nightmares.  Both the mailman and the farmer try to find ways to solve the problem and think they have one day but it only brings around more damage to more property of the farmer and the mailman.  So, Millie ends of doing something she loves in the end because of all the mishaps.

 

This story is quite an entertaining story.  Steffensmeier, the author, must have an excellent sense of humor.  I can see this book fitting well into a themed unit on the farm or farm animals.  As a fifth grade teacher, this book would be a nice read aloud to model cause and effect, as well as problem and solution.  Teachers could also use the book as a read aloud to discuss text and how different characters reacted to the problem in the story.  I think it would be enjoyed by all ages of elementary students. 

A Kiss Goodbye by Audrey Penn

A Kiss Goodbye
Audrey Penn
2007

A Kiss Goodbye is a picture book in a series of stories about a raccoon and his relationships with his loved ones.  Chester, the little raccoon, has some separation anxiety throughout several major events in his life.  In this particular book in the series, he and his family are having to move from the home that he has always known because their tree was being cut down.  Chester's mother is always supportive and tries to find strategies to help him cope with what is worrying him at the time.  Chester finds a new friend at his new home and decides he will stay. 

As I reflect on this story, I can't help but have a connection with Chester's mother.  I, as a mother, know what it is like to try and help my sons through things that bother them.  We have never moved or had to move, however there are everyday worries that creep up.  I think this would be an excellent story to share with a young student who is having to move for some reason or is just going through a big change in their lives. 

Journey by Aaron Becker

Journey
Aaron Becker
2013

Journey is a wordless, picture book.  It is about a girl who feels neglected by her friends and family.  She retreats to her room, only to embark on an imaginary world where she does feel wanted.   She uses a read marker to draw her mode of transportation to take her where she wants to go next in her mind.  She uses a boat, hot air balloon, and a flying carpet as modes of transportation.  She moves through the adventure and meets up with lots of adventure on her journey.  In the end, her red marker saves the day and brings her back to reality.

Journey is a wordless book, as mentioned before.  I have only had experience with wordless books in graduate school, so I just began to use them in my classroom.  I am intrigued by them.  Very little color was used in the beginning of the book but as the lonely girl continued into her wanted world, the color in the pictures emerged.   As I read the pictures, I imagined myself as the lonely girl in the book.  At times as I child, I felt lonely because my brother was 5 years younger and we were always going to his baseball games.  At times, I would feel lonely and spent a lot of time in my room.  I am very intrigued by picture books with no words.  As an upper grades teacher, I haven't used picture books as much as some of the younger grades but I know that when I do use them in my teaching, my fifth graders love them.  I can only imagine the stories they will tell when I give them wordless books and have them write the text or script.