Historical Fiction

Title:  Henry’s Freedom Box

Author:  Ellen Levine

Publisher:  Scholastic

Copyright Date:  2007

What an incredible story about a slave who so desperately wanted freedom that he’s willing to travel in a box by mail to reach his destination.  This story tells readers just how poorly slaves were treated and how some people were willing to help them gain their freedom.

 

Henry’s Freedom Box is touching story to read for Black History month or any month where emphasis is being put on the treatment of slaves.  Students can easily understand and generate questions.  Teachers may want to create a K-W-L chart with students, ask comprehension questions, or discuss story element. 

 

 

 

Time Capsule

Here's an interview with the infamous, Jeff Kinney, author of the book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid!!  Children of all ages LOVE and relate to these books!! And...the link to website...Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Read Write Think

Looking for an awesome resource that contains an assortment of passages, passages already categorized by lexile level, and comprehension questions that coincide with each passage??  Explore this website that contains all the above!  http://www.readwritethink.org/

Poetry

Since April is National Poetry Month.....click on the link to gain access to a world of  poetry!  Here's the link...http://www.poetryteachers.com/index.html

Notable Children's Books

 

Look here for notable children's books!! Just click on the link-Children's Notable Lists...I use this website to find award winning books with meaningful text and illustrations. 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading Rockets

Check out this website Reading Rockets for  strategies, author websites, literacy blogs, and so much more!! This website is instrumental in staying up on current, best literacy practices and watching podcasts/videos.

John Henry

I recently discovered that Traditional Literature is one of my absolute favorite genres!  There are several types of traditional literature which are all exciting and insightful when introducing to children.  I’ve had the pleasure of exploring fables, tall tales, myths, and folktales.  The Tall Tale of John Henry, Steel Driving Man, enthralled my students so much that they wanted to continue exploring other characters of Traditional Literature. 

 

  

 

Engaging activities include making a character story map, reader’s theater, comparing and contrasting characters, and creating a tall tale wheel.  Below are some examples: