Red Sings from the Treetops: A Year in Colors (Poetry)

Summary
This uniquely illustrated picture book is a collection of poems tied together by colors and the seasons. Joyce Sidman takes the reader on a journey through spring and summer to fall and winter by describing the world around her in colors. As the seasons change, so do the meanings of the colors. She writes, "In spring, red sings from the treetops: cheer-cheer-cheer, each note dropping like a cherry into my ear, " but in fall, "Red splashes fall tree, seeps into every vein of every five-fingered leaf." You start to see the world around you in a new way by her rhythmic tone, language, and word choice. Readers of all ages could love these colorful poems.

Discussion Questions
1. Which season's colors do you find most beautiful? Why?
2. If you were to add another color to spring, summer, winter, or fall, what would you add? Why? Where would this color be found?
3. Why do you think the author wrote this poem?

Other Books to Check Out
Salas, L. (2008). Flashy, clashy, and oh-so splashy: poems about color. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.
Sidman, J. (2006) Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Sidman, J. (2007). This is just to say: Poems of apology and forgiveness. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Sidman, J. (2010). Ubiquitous: Celebrating nature's survivors. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Yolen, J. (2003). Color me a rhyme: Nature poems for young people. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Author's Website


APA Citation
Sidman, J. (2009). Red sings from the treetops: A year in colors. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Smile by Raina Telgemeir (Graphic Novel)

Summary
Smile follows a 6th grade girl through her struggles with friends, school, boys, fitting in, and most of all, her dental problems for four years until she is a sophomore in high school. Raina's problems all start one dark night in 6th grade after leaving a Girl Scout Meeting. As she is racing her friends into her house, she trips and falls and consequently knocks one front tooth out and one front took up into her gums. From there, things only get worse. She has to deal with getting braces, false teeth, headgear, rubber bands, surgery with the many "-dontists" in addition to dealing with mean friends, a crush on the basketball star and a boy that likes her that she's not really into. Along her long and trying journey, Raina learns how to truly smile.

Discussion Questions
1. What do you think Raina's greatest challenge was? How did she overcome it?
2. Raina goes through many changes and has to learn how to deal with various problems associated with growing up from 6th grade to high school. What are some of the changes/problems you've had in your life? How did you deal with them? How is it similiar/different to the way Raina dealt with her problems in the book?
3. What part of the book (or what character) could you most connect to? Explain.

Author's Website:


APA Citation
Teglemeier, R. (2010). Smile. New York, NY: Graphix.

Other Books to Check Out:
Russel, R. R. (2009). Dork diaries: Tales from a not so fabulous life. New York, NY: Aladdin.

Teglemeier, R., & Martin, A. M. (2006). The babysitter's club: Kristy's great idea. New York, NY: Graphix.

Teglemeier, R., & Martin, A. M. (2006). The babysitter's club: The truth about Stacy. New York, NY: Graphix.

Teglemeier, R., & Martin, A. M. (2007). The babysitter's club: Mary Anne save the day. New York, NY: Graphix.

Teglemeier, R., & Roman, D. (2009). X-men misfits 1. New York, NY: Del Rey.

The California Gold Rush: An Interactive History Adventure (Historical Fiction)

Summary
This interactive chapter book draws the reader into the California Gold Rush within the first couple pages by having the reader decide to travel by land or by sea to California. Readers have to make choices throughout the book, allowing him/her to follow the different paths many gold seekers traveled with fourteen endings ranging from falling off a cliff and freezing to death while traveling through the mountains to striking it rich and becoming a millionaire. Readers are encouraged to go back and make different decisions to follow a different path with a different outcome. Along the journey, factual information is revealed pertaining to the California Gold Rush along with posters and drawings from the time. You just never know what is going to happen!

Discussion Questions
1. After following many paths and making numerous decisions throughout your journey, what types of actions or decisions lead you to the best/worst outcomes? Why do you think this is? How does this connect to your life today? What are some examples?
2. Why do you think most gold seekers never struck gold or became millionaires? If most never struck it rich, why did so many people decide to make the journey and try? Is there anything going on today that relates to this?

Author's Website
http://elizabethraum.net/files/Home.html

Other Books to Check Out
Interactive History Adventures:
The Boston Massacre: An Interactive History Adventure by Elizabeth Raum
Irish Immigrants in America: An Interactive History Adventure by Elizabeth Raum
World War II: An Interactive History Adventure by Elizabeth Raum
The Gold Rush:
The Klondike Fever: The Life and Death of the Last Great Gold Rush by Pierre Berton
The Gold Rush: California or Bust! by Emily Raabe
Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 - A Tale of the Old West by Avi

APA Citation:
Raum, Elizabeth. (2008) The California Gold Rush: An interactive history adventure. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Other Sources:
Books in Print. (2010). Retrieved from: http://www.patronbooksinprint.com.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/bowker_shared/detail
/FullDisplay.asp?navPage=1&FullText=&DataSource=&Market_Uid=65278870&