Class Antics – Inside Elementary Education

If your child likes one book in a series, encourage him to read all the books in the series.  Your child will feel more like he chose the book and he will be more vested in reading.  Teachers, librarians or booksellers can advise you on a series at the right age and reading level. 

My high readers in third grade loved the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, Children’s Choice Book Award Winner: Author of the Year. Their  enjoyment inspired other students in the class to raise their own reading levels so they could read the five books in the series about Greek mythology set in modern-day America.  More than 20 million copies of the books have been sold in more than 35 countries.

Available at Amazon.com:
The Lightning Thief (Book 1)
The Sea of Monsters (Book 2)
The Titan’s Curse (Book 3)
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Book 4)
The Last Olympian (Book 5)

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney started on Funbrain.com in 2004, appearing  as blog posts.  Now, the series tops the New York Times best seller lists.  My students love Poptropica, the online game that Jeff Kinney produces during his day job at an Internet company.  There are popular movies out for the first two books.  Share them with your kids!

Available at Amazon.com:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2)
The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3)
Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4)
The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5)

And of course, the Harry Potter series and movies are magnificent (available at Amazon.com).  I have read that series countless times, and before each new movie is released, my family watches all the old movies again so we don’t miss anything. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will be released on July 15, 2011.  I’ll be there! 

A bit of self promotion: my Buckley School Books series has 2 volumes available now.  I plan to write one book for each kid in Mr. Hoker’s class!

Zapped! (Buckley School Books #1)
Brainstorm (Buckley School Books #2)
Double Switched (Buckley School Books #3 coming soon)

I’m sorry to tell you a harsh truth: kids don’t read Beverly Cleary books.  Not like they used to, that’s for sure.

The Ramona & Beezus movie was wonderful, but the box office take was disappointing.  (I think it will have a long life as a DVD and Blu-Ray.)  All my students who saw the movie absolutely loved it, but none of them had read the books beforehand.

Kids don’t read Beverly Cleary!  Why?

You and I loved her books as children, but they’re a little old now.  Some elements are dated, particularly the books about Henry Huggins and the early Ramona books.

The main reason kids don’t read Beverly Cleary has to do with AR (Accelerated Reader).  Beverly Cleary’s books are written at a high reading level, according to AR.  (The formula is based on length of sentences, length of words, etc.  I’m not sure about the details because I think it’s top secret.)

For example, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is clearly written for a third-grade audience.  The book’s reading level is 5.6.   Most kids are not allowed to read above their AR reading level, so they can’t read the Beverly Cleary books when they are at the age the books are aimed for.  By the time kids reach the fifth and sixth grade reading levels, they want to move on to harder and more macho books, like Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.

I think it’s too bad.  Beverly Cleary books are wonderful.  I can’t imagine life without them, actually.

On the other hand, I have to say that in my experience, when kids read above their reading level, comprehension suffers and students rarely actually finish the book.  They just lug it around to look impressive.

Obviously, as a future writer and teacher, I was an advanced reader as a kid.  However, many of my classmates also read Beverly Cleary books.  I have to wonder if more of today’s students would read the books should AR downgrade the reading level.

As a teacher or parent, I hope you will read Beverly Cleary books aloud and recommend them to students who are ready for them.  If you teach fifth and sixth graders, try to push them into Beverly Cleary books.  You know they’ll like them!  You can also recommend the books Beverly Cleary wrote for teens.  My favorite is The Luckiest Girl, but I also loved Fifteen and Sister of the Bride.

A sampling of Beverly Cleary AR reading levels:  (This isn’t all her books.  There are soooo many!)

Ramona Quimby, Age 8: 5.6
Ramona Forever: 4.8
Beezus and Ramona: 4.8
Ramona and Her Father: 5.2
Ramona and Her Mother: 4.8
Ramona’s World: 4.8
Ellen Tebbits: 4.9
Henry Huggins: 4.7
Henry and the Clubhouse: 5.1
Mitch and Amy: 6.2
Emily’s Runaway Imagination: 6.1
A Girl from Yamhill (Beverly Cleary’s Autobiography): 6.5
Fifteen: 5.4
The Luckiest Girl: 5.9

by Barbara Cohen
AR book level 3.0   0.5 points
Available at Amazon.com

Molly’s Pilgrim is a classic that deserves a place in your classroom library.  It can be read any time, but it is particularly poignant in November.

In November, we think of pilgrims as the Puritans landing on Plymouth Rock.  However, Molly’s Pilgrim reminds us that other pilgrims came to this country for religious freedom.

Molly is a young Russian-Jewish immigrant who feels out of place in America.  Molly’s school assignment is to make a Pilgrim doll.  Molly’s clothespin Pilgrim doll resembles her mother rather than a Puritan Pilgrim, teaching her classmates an important lesson about religious freedom in America.

Molly’s Pilgrim was made into an Academy award-winning short movie.  It is available on Amazon.com.

Molly’s Pilgrim is great as a read aloud, but if you wanted make it into a unit of study, you might consider buying A Guide for Using Molly’s Pilgrim in the Classroom, from Teacher Created Materials.

We honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on Presidents’ Day.  In the classroom or at home, you can enjoy great books about Presidents’ Day.

My favorite Presidents Book!!!!  So You Want to be President? (AR Reading Level  4.8; 0.5 points)  This Caldecott-winning book has witty illustrations that perfectly complement the clever premise: analyzing what it takes to become president.  (Hint: it helps if your name is James.  Being born in a log cabin helps, too.)

Presidents’ Day by Robin Nelson (AR Reading Level  2.4; 0.5 points)  A simple introduction to Presidents’ Day.  This is easily read by students in second grade and up.

Presidents’ Day by Anne Rockwell.  This is a cute book for younger readers, about a class that puts on a play for Presidents’ Day.

Fun with Presidents’ Day:

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid (AR Reading Level 3.0; 1 point)  From the popular Stink Series, this book shows Stink, the shortest kid in second grade, learning about the shortest president as his class learns about Presidents’ Day.

Yo, Millard Fillmore! (And All Those Other Presidents You Don’t Know) (AR Reading Level 6.6; 1 point) A book of cartoons to help you remember all the presidents in order.  Kids love it!

Observation: Don’t let the reading level put you off.  This book is mostly cartoons.  Kids can read the mini-biographies of the presidents if they like, but most just want to see the cartoons and memorize the presidents.

About George Washington:

George Washington and the General’s Dog (AR Reading Level 2.5; 0.5 points) This lighthearted easy reader links two of kids’ favorite subjects: George Washington and dogs.  Children can learn little-known facts about Washington: did you know he named his dog Sweetlips?  Children will be impressed with Washington’s strength of character and how he could be kind to his enemies.

George Washington’s Socks (AR Reading Level 5.0; 6 points) An overnight campout turns into a time-travel journey to the Battle of Trenton.  Children will cross the Delaware River with Washington in a harrowing and thrilling adventure.  I love how this book shows the human side of war.  My fifth graders love it!  We have a class set.

 About Abraham Lincoln:

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman.  (AR Reading Level 7.7; 5 points.)  This Newbery Medal winner is the gold standard.  Combining elegant yet easy-to-read biography with stunning photographs, this book teaches kids everything they need to know about Lincoln.  This book is entertaining, educational, and moving.  I cannot recommend it too highly!

Observation: Lincoln: A Photobiography has an  AR level of 7.7 but because of the pictures, the book is accessible to fifth and sixth graders.   Parents or teachers might need to explain historical context.

Coretta Scott King Book Awards 2010

Author Award Winner – Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, is the King Author Book winner.  The book is illustrated by R. Gregory Christie.  AR Reading Level 5.2; 0.5 points.

Illustrator Award Winner – My People
, illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr., is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Langston Hughes.  Visit Amazon’s Langston Hughes page.

Author Honor Book – Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis.  AR Reading Level 4.9; 12.0 points.

Illustrator Honor Books – The Negro Speaks of Rivers, illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes.  Here is a video clip of Langston Hughes explaining the origin of his poem and then reading it aloud: 

John Steptoe New Talent Author Award – The Rock and the River, written by Kekla Magoon.  AR Reading Level 3.9; 8.0 points

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement – Walter Dean Myers is the winner of this first-ever Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.  The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. 

Myers’ books include: Fallen Angels,  (AR Reading Level 4.2; 11.0 points),  Monster, (AR Reading Level 5.1; 5.0 points),  and Sunrise Over Fallujah (AR Reading Level 5.3; 11.0 points).

From the American Library Association website:  Given to African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions, the Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream of a pluralistic society.  The award is designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.