Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat edited by Nikki Giovanni (Audio Book)

Summary
This is a compilation of poems by Nikki Grimes that have rhyme and rhythm. Poets and songwriters such as Langston Hughes, Kayne West, W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Lauren Hill, Mos Def, and A Tribe Called Quest are included along with colorful vibrant pictures. From Hughes' elegant gospel, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" to Elosie Greenfield's playful poem, "Books," there is a poem in here that is sure to reach everyone. There are more than 50 poems, 30 of which have performances on an accompanying CD (some performed by the author's themselves)! Children and adults alike will find themselves tapping along to the beat!

Discussion Questions
1. Which poem "spoke" to you the most? Why? Which poem was the most interesting? Why? Which poem was the funniest? Why? Which poem was the saddest? Why? Which poem really made you think? Why?
2. In Hip Hop Speaks to Children, there are poems about reading, words, and school. Which one do you most relate with? Why? (Poems include: Oh, Words; Books; For Word; from Principal's Office)

Other Books to Check Out
Poetry Speaks to Children edited by Elise Paschen and Dominique Raccah
Poetry Speaks Who I Am with CD: Poems of Discovery, Inspiration, Independence, and Everything Else by edited by Elise Paschen and Dominique Raccah

APA Citation
Giovanni, N. (2008). Hip hop speaks to children: A celebration of poetry with a beat, (Ed.). Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Inc.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney
(Series)

Summary
Greg Heffley, middle schooler, starts the New Year off on a not so great note - his family thinks he is too old for any cool presents for Christmas so he gets clothes and alegbra books and now he's taken on helping other people improve for his New Year's resolution (obviously he doesn't need any other resolution because he's practically perfect). For the next six months he follows a downward spiral in school, with his love Holly, his friends, and his family. Will he ever figure out who keeps eating his snacks? Is being the shag his destiny on the soccer field? Will Greg be shipped off to boarding school in June? Will Manny ever stop calling him Ploppy? And will Holly ever give Greg the time of day? Follow Greg's life tribulations through the Diary of a Wimpy Kid to find out.


Discussion Questions
1. Greg states at the beginning and end of the book that he is one of the best people he knows and doesn't really need to improve. What do you think? Is Greg "perfect"? What do you think Greg needs to work on? Why?

2. Is Greg a good friend to Rawley? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to help support your answer.


Author's Website
http://www.wimpykid.com/

Wimp Yourself (Create your own Wimpy Kid!)
http://www.wimpyourself.com/

Other Books to Check Out by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (#1)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules (#2)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (#4)

APA Citation
Kinney, J. (2009). Diary of a wimpy kid. New York, NY: Amulet Books

10 Little Penguins by Kate Toms
(Books for Young Readers)

Summary
This uniquely illustrated rhyme tells the story of what happens to 10 little penguins out on fun-filled day. Through the rhyme and the illustrations that were hand stitched and made from different fabrics and materials, kids of all ages can enjoy the humorous mischief these 10 penguins get in to from flying too high in the sky to having to eat sardines! This story may be short, but it is one that can be read again and again!


Discussion Questions
1. Throughout the book, 1 penguin leaves each time they do something new. What time would you have most likely wanted to leave too? Why?
2. At the end, the alst penguin thought she lost all of her friends. How do you think she felt? Have you ever felt like that before? Tell more!

Publisher's Website
http://www.makebelieveideas.com/

Other Books to Check Out
Read these other great books with colorful and vibrant illustrations by Kate Toms:
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Itsy Bitsy Spider
I Udderly Love You
The Bear Who Dares
Incy Wincy Spider

APA Citation
Toms, K. (2009) 10 little penguins. Hertfordshire, UK: Make Believe Ideas.

Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
(Non-Fiction Primary)

Summary
Sisters and brothers. Sometimes you love and sometimes you want to scream and shout at them! People aren't the only ones though with sibling issues...animals have them too! This uniquely illustrated book lets the reader into the lives of many different animals from armadillos to naked role rats and black widow spiders. Did you know that armadillos are born with in quadruplets that are identical or clones of each other? Can you imagine 3 more of you? Sisters and Brothers is a great book to find out more about animal sibling relationships in addition to learning about animal lives and animal behaviors!

Discussion Questions
1. What set of animals siblings to you most relate to? Why?
2. What was the most surprising thing you learned in Sisters and Brothers? What did you used to think before?

Author's Website
http://www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/

Other Books to Check Out
Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest by Steve Jenkins
Looking Down by Steve Jenkins
Slap, Squeak, Scatter: How Animals Communicate by Steve Jenkins
What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins

APA Citation
Jenkins, S. & Page, R. (2008). Sisters and brothers: sibling relationships in the animal world. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Harriet Tubman: A Photographic Story of a Life
by Kem Knapp Sawyer
(Biography)

Summary
Harriet Tubman is not a woman to be reckoned with. With her unexpected strength, courage, and cunning she escaped slavery, fought to free other slaves, helped loved ones, fought alongside abolitionists, and founded a home for the elderly. This colorful biography follows her remarkable life beginning with her mother's birth in 1822 on a plantation in Maryland and ends in 1903 when Harriet dies of pneumonia in 1913 at the Home for the Aged, which she herself founded and ran for many years. Along her life's journey you meet many people important to her life and important to America's history, many of which have short bios found within the text. Not only do you learn about all of the things that made Harriet great, this biography included numerous other fascinating, smaller details that really make you feel like you get to know her better as a real person.


Discussion Questions
1. William Seward once said speaking of Harriet, "A nobler, higher spirit, or a truer, seldom dwells in the human form." What does this mean? Do you agree or disagree? Why? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

2. Often times, biographies present people as being heroes with no real flaws and exaggerate the facts. Does this biography do this? If not, what are some of the flaws of Harriet? What do you think are some mistakes Harriet made? What consequences could there be in making people see like perfect heroes and in exaggerating the facts?

Author's Website
http://www.kemsawyer.com/

Other Books to Check Out
Time for Kids: Harriet Tubman: a Woman of Courage by the Editors of Time for Kids with Renee Skelton
Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Lead her People to Freedom (picture book) by Carole Boston Weatherford
Courage to Run: A Story Based on the Life of Harriet Tubman by Wendy Lawton

APA Citation
Sawyer, K. K. (2010). Harriet Tubman: A photographic story of a life. New York, NY: DK Publishing.

For the Love of Autumn
by Patricia Polacco
(Realistic Fiction)

Summary
When Danielle, a student teacher, held Autumn for the very first time, she knew it was love at first sight. The tiny kitten melted her heart every time she laid in the middle of the papers she graded at night and curled up next to her on the couch as they drifted off to sleep next to the T.V.

Then, Danielle gets offered a job in Port Townsend on the sea where Autumn keeps up her kitten mischief. She starts her job at loves her new school and loves her kids. They ask her, like all kids do, "Are you married?" She replies, "No, not yet...but someday when just the right man comes along, I will be. I'll hear the sound of thunder, smell jasmine, and the wind will blow his hair and I'll know that he is exactly the one!"

One terrible, stormy night, Danielle's life changes forever. Will Autumn survive the storm in her new, unfamiliar town? Will Danielle find the man she's been waiting for?

Discussion Questions
1. In this story, Danielle is scared, worried, and ultimately very sad when Autumn is gone. For weeks she hopes for Autumn's return. Why do you think she ends up putting away Autumn's things? Have you ever lost something/someone you loved? Explain how that made you feel and how you acted.

2. If you were Danielle, how would you have towards the end of the story when the third note came? Why? (Can't be more specific because it would ruin the end of the book!)

Author's Website
http://www.patriciapolacco.com/

Other Books to Check Out
O'Conner, J. (2007). Fanny Nancy and the posh puppy. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Polacco, P. (2007). Ginger and Petunia. New York, NY: Philomel Books.
Shannon, D. (2006). Good boy, Fergus. New York, NY: The Blue Sky Press.
Wilhelm, H. (1988). I'll always love you. New York, NY: Dragonfly Books.


APA Citation
Polacco, P. (2008). For the love of Autumn. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Discussion Questions
1. By the end of the story, Miranda finally recognizes that her friendship with Sam had started to decline before that day Marcus punched him on the street. Why didn’t she see it before? Where there any clues throughout the text that lead you to predict why Sam acted the way he did. Have you ever been in a situation like Miranda’s and Sam’s? How did you deal with it?


2. What changes does Miranda go through from the beginning to the end of the text? How does she grow as a friend? A daughter? A student? Or as a person in general? What are some important turning points for her throughout the text? What have been a couple important turning points in your life in regards to friendship, family and/or school?

Activity
Create a class book on friendship, choices, and/or family.
Throughout the text, the author uses various categories for chapter titles just like in the game show The $20,000 Pyramid. Type out the category titles and put into a hat or container. Have each student pull out one category and brainstorm 3 to 5 clues that go along with the category.

Students will be writing a personal narrative with one of the following themes: friendship, choices and consequences, and/or family. Encourage students to think about Miranda and her challenges throughout When You Reach Me for ideas. Within their personal narrative, the student must include three to five clues to support their category. Compile all students’ narratives into a class book. Each piece of writing will have the title of the student’s category.

Students should have the chance to read others’ writing, give feedback, and discuss the various themes/lessons learned in small groups. For an extra challenge, students should try to identify the clues in the writing that go along with the category.

Have students write a letter to someone you cannot reach.
Miranda receives multiple letters from someone that is unknown to her throughout most of the book. Marcus was able to travel back to time to send his letters to Miranda, someone who, in the “real world” he would not have been able to reach.

Write a letter to anyone at any point in time that you may not be able to reach. This could include: someone who has died or lived at a different time, someone in your life you may not know, someone you don’t know where he/she is, someone you may know but are afraid to tell him/her your thoughts/feelings, etc…

When writing your letter, consider what you want him or her to know about you, your life or even their life. Would you give them advice? Seek advice? Express feelings? Ask questions? Try to fix a wrong or redeem yourself for a mistake you had made?