J.D. and the Great Barber Battle: An Excellent Kids Book About Perseverance

J.D. and the Great Barber Battle, by J. Dillard (Copyright 2021)

Summary

J.D.’s mom gives him a terrible haircut before his first day of third grade. He gets teased by his friends and classmates for days. Then J.D. decides to do something about it. He realizes his artistic talents could also help him cut hair. He gives himself a sharp new haircut that makes him feel proud. Then he starts cutting the hair of his classmates. It doesn’t take long for J.D. to have a long list of kids who want him to cut their hair. Unfortunately, the man who owns the local barbershop doesn’t like that J.D. is stealing so many of his clients. He threatens to shut down J.D.’s in-home barbershop, but J.D. refuses to quit doing something he loves. J.D. and a friend think of a creative solution that helps the local barbershop get more business and allows J.D. to continue giving amazing haircuts to the kids in town. It’s a wonderful example of how creative thinking can benefit lots of people.

Teachable Moments

J.D. earns good money cutting hair. I love how the author writes the math equations that J.D. uses to calculate his income. However, J.D. gets the most joy from seeing how happy people are after he cuts their hair. J.D.’s first haircut is on his younger brother, Justin. When he finishes, J.D. thinks, “Making Justin happy with something I did filled me with a warm feeling. Like I’d just finished a plate of fried fish and French fries that my mom made every Saturday in the summer.”

I also love how J.D. thought of ways to fix his terrible haircut instead of just complaining about it. As he brainstorms solutions in the first few chapters, he realizes he’s always been good at drawing. He wonders if this talent will help him cut hair — and it does! J.D.’s self-talk throughout the book is great for your students to read. I also love how he hypes himself up when he gives his first few haircuts.

Finally, I hope your students see how important it is to encourage others. J.D. appreciates the support from his family throughout the book. It means the world to him as he starts cutting hair and when he is in the competition with the local barber.

Resources

I’ve created writing prompts and quizzes to help you teach this awesome book. You can check them out in my TpT store.

I hope you will have a chance to read J.D. and the Great Barber Battle with your students. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you so much for all that you do for your students.

The Great Pet Heist and The Newspaper Club — Kids Books About Pets and Friendship

If you are around kids who enjoy reading books where animals do brave things and act like people — The Great Pet Heist is a wonderful book for them.

If you are around introverted kids who are struggling to adjust to living in a new place — The Newspaper Club has characters who they should be able to relate to.

If you are around kids who just want to read fun books — I recommend both! Keep reading for more details about these books that are perfect for grades 3-5.

The Great Pet Heist The Newspaper Club

The Great Pet Heist, by Emily Ecton (copyright 2020)

Brief Summary

This story is about five pets who worry their owner will never return after she suffers a serious injury. A dog, cat, bird, and two mice team up to think of ways that they can keep living in an apartment without a human to take care of them.

They realize a neighbor has lots of coins. If the animals can get those coins out of this evil man’s apartment, they can have enough money to take care of themselves. They spend lots of time discussing detailed plans to get this money, some of which depend on a young girl who periodically stops by to take care of them. Their plans change drastically near the end when they realize this girl’s safety is more important than money.

Teachable Moments

I love the way each pet uses their unique talents to pull off the heist. It’s a cool way for kids to learn that working as a group can be a positive experience when everyone uses their own talents to achieve a goal.

I also like how the pets keep working toward their goal when their plans are not successful. There are several scenes where they spend a long time making detailed plans, but something goes wrong. They have to keep trying and revising their plan until it works. It’s a wonderful way for kids to learn why they should not give up.

Things to Keep an Eye On

The man with the bag of coins is NOT a nice guy, so it’s easy to cheer for the pets to be successful in their heist. However, one part of the book bothered me a bit. As the pets are gathering evidence to prove that this man isn’t nice, they see him not say anything to the doorman as he leaves the apartment building. This is one of several events that lead them to believe the man isn’t nice.

I’d make sure kids realize that seeing a person quietly walk past someone without greeting them is NOT a sign of that person being evil. There are several other scenes where the man’s actions show he’s not nice, like when he talks to the young girl in a super rude manner. However, I’d make sure kids understand that not saying “hello” to the doorman should not count as evidence that he’s a mean person.

Final Grade: A-

A review by School Library Journal on the back cover says, “A story sure to charm children who like to imagine what their beloved pets are up to when they are away.” This perfectly summarizes why The Great Pet Heist will be a hit with kids who love animals!

Resources

I’ve created 10 quizzes and 10 writing prompts to help you teach this book. They are available for $4.95 in my TpT store. These are great for quick comprehension checks and for helping your kids think about the events on a deeper level. Everything is in a Google Form too.


The Newspaper Club, by Beth Vrabel (copyright 2020)

Brief Summary

Nellie is a young girl who has to get used to some big changes in her life. Her parents used to work at a newspaper until they recently got laid off. Nellie, who loves journalism, misses visiting their newsroom and helping them with their stories. Additionally, her mom has decided to move them to a small town called Bear Creek. Nellie misses living in a big city, where there were parks, shops, and street vendors everywhere. Nellie has no idea how she’ll ever be happy in Bear Creek until she notices some suspicious activity at the park. Since the local newspaper won’t cover this story, Nellie puts her journalism skills to good use to uncover what is happening. She also makes friends with several kids who help her publish a newspaper that provides the locals with some much-needed news about Bear Creek.

Teachable Moments

As someone who graduated with a journalism degree, I loved reading about a young kid with a passion for writing. I feel like writing is a skill that kids don’t pursue often enough. Writing gets overlooked for sports, music, etc. Those are great, but I’m sure you have some amazing writers in your class too! Hopefully, reading Nellie’s story will help kids see that writing can be a terrific way to make friends, have a positive impact in the community, and build confidence.

As someone who is introverted, I also enjoyed reading a book where the main character describes her struggles to make friends. Nellie is in gifted classes at school, but when she’s around kids, she has a difficult time thinking about what to say. That’s a big reason why she’s never had friends her age — until moving to Bear Creek. It was heart-warming to see Nellie make friends through her newspaper work. It gave her something to work on with kids her age, which also helped her think of things to talk about. By the end of the book, Nellie has a solid group of friends and feels much better about living in Bear Creek.

I also loved that one of the main characters, Thom, has two moms. When Nellie meets Thom for the first time, his moms invite Nellie into their home for dinner. Eating a meal with Thom’s warm, welcoming parents is the first positive thing that happens to Nellie in Bear Creek.

Things to Keep an Eye On

There are a few characters who discuss having their parents die recently. If you have any kids who have lost a close relative, you may want to prep them about the topic being discussed in a bit of detail near the end of the book. The characters discuss how much they miss their parents and things they do to help them cope.

Final Grade: A+

As an introverted journalism major who likes to write, how could I not give this book the best grade possible!!??

Resources

I’ve also written questions and prompts for this book, which are available for $4.95 in my TpT store.

ALSO — There is a sequel to this! It is called The Cubs Get the Scoop.

Black Brother, Black Brother and The Disaster Days: Must-Reads for Kids and Adults

What are some things you do that are good for your mental health?

For me, reading books that are written for grades 3-8 is the perfect way to calm my brain amidst all the craziness going on right now. I love it when authors can write about complex topics in a way that kids can understand. What an amazing talent to have!

Jewell Parker Rhodes and Rebecca Behrens certainly have this talent. I just finished books by these authors and WOW. Just WOW. I could type about 2,000 words to describe each book, but I’ll do my best to tell you about them without taking up your whole day.

Black Brother Black Brother Disaster Days Books

Black Brother, Black Brother, by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Brief Summary

Donte is a middle-school student at a private school in suburban Massachusetts. He is the only visibly black student who goes there. Donte’s mom is black and his dad is white. Donte’s brother, Trey, is light-skinned and is adored by everyone at their school. Students and staff often ask Donte, “Why can’t you be more like your brother?”

In the first section (this book gets right into it) the school’s headmaster has Donte arrested for an incredibly minor incident. Donte is handcuffed and led into a police car during dismissal, which means the entire school sees it. He has to spend an evening in jail.

Donte thinks of ways to get back at a classmate named Alan, who makes lots of racist comments to Donte and never gets in trouble for doing so. Donte often gets in trouble for things Alan does, like the one that had Donte in the headmaster’s office at the beginning of the book.

Alan is the captain of the school’s fencing team, so Donte imagines how great it would feel to humiliate Alan by beating him at a fencing bout. Donte has never played a sport before, but he is determined to put in the work.

It is amazing to read about Donte’s transformation as he learns to fence. He loves pushing himself to get in shape. He appreciates having amazing observation skills that help him anticipate moves that his opponent will do before they do them. He enjoys being challenged by opponents who see him as an equal. He makes incredible friends, including a former Olympic fencer who coaches him. By the end of the book, he doesn’t even care about beating Alan. He has made people see him as a smart, hard-working, athletic young man. He has forced people to SEE HIM. The word “see” is important to Donte throughout the book.

Teachable Moments

This book has so many important things for kids to reflect on. In the second section, when Donte’s parents arrived at the police station to get him out of jail, notice how Donte’s dad is treated compared to his mom. Later, when Donte has to appear in front of a judge because of the arrest, notice how the judge’s demeanor changes when he sees Donte’s dad and brother. Even though the complaint against Donte is dropped, Donte still doesn’t feel good about his first experience in a courtroom. Finally, I hope your students see the confidence that Donte gains in himself as he learns how to fence. Hopefully, it will encourage your students to try new things so they can discover talents they didn’t know they had. It’s an amazing way to gain self-confidence.

Things to Keep an Eye On

You may want to tell your students that if they try something new, they may not experience the success Donte had. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try! Hopefully, your students notice how Donte felt after he lost his first bout — he felt great! He loved the challenge. The loss made him love fencing even more.

You may also want to make sure your students understand what’s happening during his court hearing because everything happens SO FAST. It is sad that a court hearing, which will have a major impact on Donte’s life, is an experience that happens in a matter of minutes. It’s also sad when the judge reads the complaint against Donte as if it’s 100% fact when it CLEARLY is not! That made me so angry.

Final Grade: A+

A must-read. Period.

Resources

Rhodes includes outstanding discussion topics at the end of the book, but if you need more, I’ve created resources that are available in my TpT store for $4.95. My 11 quizzes and 11 writing prompts are also available in a Google Form.


The Disaster Days, by Rebecca Behrens

Brief Summary

This book reminded me of Hatchet because it involves a young kid who is suddenly thrust into survival mode. Hannah, a 13-year-old girl, lives in a secluded area near Seattle. An earthquake that measures 9.0 on the Richter Scale hits when she is babysitting two kids. With no cell phone service, no electricity, and the threat of aftershocks that can happen at any moment, Hannah has to think quickly to keep everyone safe for several days. Since there are so few people who live in her area, and since transportation into the area isn’t possible, she has to do everything alone. Hannah works hard to keep the kids calm during some of the most stressful situations imaginable, like when a bear walks up to their tent at night. She also has to keep herself calm as she battles asthma attacks without her inhaler. By the end of the book, she has used every ounce of her strength and resourcefulness to lead them to a rescue boat that will get them help.

Teachable Moments

Behrens does a fantastic job of showing Hannah’s inner dialogue. There are several times when Hannah’s mind — understandably — starts imagining worst-case scenarios. “What if our parents were killed in the earthquake?” “What if there’s no way off the island?” She tells herself to “stop spiraling” and adjusts her thinking to things they can do, which is pretty remarkable for a 13-year-old in that situation.

Behrens also shows Hannah process the things she does wrong. At one point, Hannah thinks that she has been more dangerous to the kids than the earthquake has (insert broken-heart emoji here). Thankfully, she works on giving herself credit for the things she has done right, like getting the bear away from their tent in the middle of the night. Hopefully, your students will apply this same attitude when they are feeling critical of themselves. Sure, Hannah makes some mistakes, but she shouldn’t forget about ALL the brave things she does right in an impossible situation.

Things to Keep an Eye On

If any of your students have experienced an earthquake, this book may have some triggering scenes. If any of your students have had to scramble for basic necessities after a natural disaster, like a flood, tornado, hurricane, etc., you may also want to keep an eye on how they react to Hannah and the kids fighting for survival after the earthquake. It may be a good idea to give your students a heads up about some of the things they will read about in this book.

Final Grade: A+

Resources

I’ve created 11 quizzes and 11 writing prompts for this book. This resource is available in my TpT store for $4.95. Everything is available as a Google Form and PDF.

So much for keeping this brief! I hope you can read these books with your students or enjoy them on your own. Kids and adults can certainly benefit from reading books like these.

Great Books for Grades 3-6: Midnight at the Barclay Hotel and The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter

I just read two amazing new books that are perfect for kids in grades 3-6. Both involve ghosts and mysteries. They also have great characters who bravely help others and discover more about themselves in the process. The books are:

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel, by Fleur Bradley

The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter, by Aaron Reynolds

MidnightattheBarclayHotel

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

Brief Summary

Five guests are invited to spend a weekend at a historic hotel in Colorado, which is rumored to be haunted. Two of the guests have kids who get to come, much to the delight of a young girl who lives at the hotel with her family. The guests arrive expecting a relaxing weekend, but instead, they are thrust into a murder mystery involving the hotel’s owner. The kids work together to find several important clues that help the adults solve the mystery.

Teachable Moments — People are More Than a Label

One of the girls, Penny, is primarily known as a quiet, timid child who only enjoys reading. The text states, “Everyone saw her as ‘Bookworm Penny,’ but she wanted to be more.” She was determined to solve the mystery, even if it meant putting herself in dangerous situations. The other two kids gained tremendous respect for Penny’s detective skills. Penny proves to herself that she is more than a “bookworm.”

Things to Keep an Eye On — Several Plot Twists

Your students may need help keeping track of several big plot twists. Penny and her friends uncover lots of information that help them solve the mystery, but there were a few times when I had to flip back a few chapters to remind myself of some key details. The author does an outstanding job of tying up all the loose ends at the end, but some kids might need help remembering things that happened earlier in the book.

Final Grade: A-

This was a fun read and the characters are amazing! There were a few great one-liners where the kids gave funny perspectives about adults. When the boy was trying to persuade his mom to accept the invitation to the hotel, he repeatedly told her it had a hot tub. He thought, “Most adults are suckers for hot tubs. It’s like going swimming without making an effort.” As an adult who loves hot tubs, I CRACKED UP at this line!

Resources

I’ve created 11 quizzes and 11 writing prompts for this book, which is one for every five chapters.  The full resource, which includes each quiz and prompt in a Google Form, is available for $4.95 in my TpT store.

The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter

Brief Summary

Rex has always dreamed of owning a dog. He thinks he’s finally going to get one on his birthday, but instead, his parents give him a pet chicken. Rex is devastated. Then he gets cursed after losing a mysterious arcade game with the Grim Reaper. Because of this curse, Rex becomes the go-to guy for the ghosts of animals who have recently died at the zoo. Rex is overwhelmed at the thought of helping these animal-ghosts, then he slowly starts to piece together some clues about how they were killed. By the end of the story, Rex and these animals make a fantastic team that stops a person from harming animals. He never gets a dog, but he realizes his pet chicken is the best pet he could possibly ask for.

Teachable Moments — Sometimes, It’s Okay If You Don’t Get What You Want

At the beginning of the story, Rex makes it very clear that he wants a dog more than anything else in the world. By the end of the story, he barely thinks about it. He has so many memorable experiences with the ghost-animals. He learns that more than one thing in life can make him happy. His “ghost-pet” chicken, Drumstick, becomes his new official “sidekick” at the end of the story.

Things to Keep an Eye On — Rex’s Sarcasm

I love Rex’s honesty. He doesn’t hold back on expressing his thoughts throughout the book. However, there are a few times when the sarcasm might go over your students’ heads. It’s also important to teach your students when it’s appropriate to THINK something as opposed to SAYING it.

Final Grade: B+

The ghost-animals are a lot of fun! Rex can hear them speak because they are dead and he is the only person who can see them. He even brings them to school. I also enjoyed seeing how Rex matured during the story. By the end, he accepts responsibility for a poor grade on a report, telling his parents he could have done more research. He also tells his parents that he understands if they don’t get him a dog.

Resources

I’ve created 10 quizzes and 10 writing prompts for this book, which is one for every four chapters. The full resource, which includes each quiz and prompt in a Google Form, is available for $4.95 in my TpT store.

The Amelia Six — A Fun Mystery Book for Kids

I love books that show kids how to have an inner dialogue with themselves in stressful situations.

The Amelia Six, by Kristin L. Gray, does just that.

First, the basics — This book is a wonderful “Who-Did-It?” with lots of plot twists. It’s fantastic for kids in grades 3-6 who enjoy piecing clues together to figure out a mystery. The main character, Millie, wins a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the night in the house where Amelia Earhart grew up. Millie is expecting an evening where she gets to play fun games and learn about one of her heroes. Those plans go out the window when a famous pair of Earhart’s goggles are lost. The adults blame the kids. The kids blame the adults. Everything is wrapped up perfectly at the end.

The Amelia Six

The plot is fun and there are some SERIOUS cliffhangers at the end of most chapters, but I feel like kids who are shy and anxious in new situations could benefit by reading this book. Millie, who is 10 years old, doesn’t have many friends. She gets anxious around new people and those feelings come out in full force when she arrives at Earhart’s house and meets five other girls her age who are also spending the night. Part of her wants to turn around and go home, but she reminds herself that she was one of six girls chosen to spend the night here. I love the way she reminds herself that she deserves to be there.

Millie keeps a Rubik’s Cube with her at all times. She works on solving it when she starts feeling anxious. Moving her hands eases her nerves. If you have students who feel like Millie, it should help them think about things they can do to calm their nerves in stressful situations. This could lead to some outstanding class discussions.

After the goggles are stolen, Millie bravely steps into a leadership role as the girls try to figure out where the goggles are. Near the end of the book, Millie “channels her inner boss” to help them escape a dangerous situation. She sees how her talent at observing and remembering small details is a massive help in this situation. Near the end, she feels proud of herself for how much she’s accomplished in just one night at this house. She also gives herself credit for making five new friends.

It’s so important for young kids to learn how to talk to themselves. The Amelia Six does an outstanding job of modeling how to do so. And who doesn’t love a good mystery!!??

I’ve created 12 quizzes and 12 writing prompts for this book. They are available for $4.95 in my TpT store.

Thank you for all that you do for your students!

Charlie & Frog (Another Fun New Book I Just Read!)

If you’re looking for a new book to read with your students, I highly recommend Charlie & Frog, a book by Karen Kane that was published in 2018.

Charlie & Frog

It’s a feel-good story about a young boy who finally finds friends who want him around and a young girl whose determined spirit is helpful throughout the story’s plot. It’s also a fun mystery that will have your students always wanting to read more.

Since several of the characters in the story are Deaf, Kane describes how they use American Sign Language to communicate. Your students are likely to remember a few words in ASL after they finish this book. The illustrations at the beginning of most chapters show how to make the sign for a word or phrase. Kane does an outstanding job during the story of describing how the characters make signs to communicate.

The story is about a young boy (Charlie) and girl (Frog) who work together to solve a mystery in a small town. Charlie, who can hear, works hard to learn ASL so he can communicate with several of his new friends. He makes lots of new friends during his adventure while learning the importance of communicating in different ways and being there for the people you care about.

Charlie & Frog is another awesome book from the 2021-22 Florida Sunshine book list for grades 3-5. This annual list of 15 newer books always give me great ideas for new books to check out. There’s a list of books for grades 6-8 too.

I’ve created resources to help you teach Charlie & Frog with your students. My quizzes are great for quick comprehension checks. I’ve also written prompts that work well for writing assignments and/or discussion starters. Everything is in a Google Form as well. It’s available in my TpT store for $4.95.

I can’t wait to keep reading more books for kids this summer! I hope you have some time to read some good books too, but if not, feel free to keep an eye on my blog for more book recommendations.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington (June 2021 Book Recommendation)

One of my favorite things about teaching in Florida was reading the books on the SSYRA list. Every year, the Sunshine State Young Readers Award Program compiles a list of 15 amazing books for students in grades 3-5 (and a separate list for grades 6-8). Near the end of the year, students across Florida vote for a winner. The kids get really into it!

I love it because the books are usually ones that have been published recently. It’s an excellent way to read some new material without having to Google “New Books for Elementary” and sift through ALL the titles that pop up. I hope you’ll check out those lists.

I just started reading the books for 2021-22 and, wow, we are off to a fantastic start! I recently finished From the ​Desk of Zoe Washington, by Janae Marks, (copyright 2020) and I’d highly recommend it.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

The book is about a 12-year-old girl, Zoe, who returns from her birthday party to find a letter from her biological father in the mailbox. Zoe has never met her father, Marcus, because he’s been in jail her whole life. Zoe’s mom has never allowed her to contact Marcus because she doesn’t want her daughter communicating with a criminal. However, Zoe notices that Marcus seems nice in his letters. He likes cooking, just like she does. Zoe loves his music recommendations too.

One day, when Marcus writes to Zoe and says he’s innocent, Zoe assumes he’s lying. She wonders how a man could have been sentenced to 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. She decides to read more about this and is shocked at the number of people who are wrongfully imprisoned — most of whom are Black men. Zoe then dedicates herself to finding out as much as she can about her father’s trial, the crime he was arrested for, and a person who can help prove his innocence.

Zoe does all of this while interning at a bakery, proving she has the talent to appear on a kids baking TV show, and mending a friendship with a neighbor who she had been friends with for years.

I’ve created 12 quizzes and 12 writing prompts if you need resources to help you teach this book. The quizzes are perfect for quick comprehension checks. The writing prompts can be used to start discussions if you’d prefer. Everything is available in a Google Form and PDF. It’s available in my TpT store for $4.95.

I just started reading a second book on the SSYRA list, Charlie & Frog. I’ll write another post here with details about this book as soon as I finish it.

Thank you for all that you do for your students!

The Perfect Book for Teaching Growth Mindset

Teaching growth mindset with Hatchet

Hatchet is the perfect book to help students understand the benefits of developing a growth mindset!  The story is about a 13-year-old boy, Brian, who survives a plane crash.  Then through sheer will power and determination, he survives in the wilderness for months until he is rescued.  Reading Brian’s story of survival gives you plenty of ways to teach your students growth mindset because Brian never gives up.  He forces himself to keep trying even when he fails.  The author does a brilliant job of illustrating how Brian talks to himself as he wills himself to accomplish tasks.  Brian is the perfect character for your students to read about as you teach them to develop a growth mindset.

In this blog post, I’ll give you three ways your students can learn why it’s important to develop a growth mindset after reading Hatchet.  After that, you’ll see three discussion topics that you can use with your students after they read Hatchet to reflect upon the growth mindset lessons they learned from Brian that they can apply in their lives.

Growth Mindset Lessons

Brian is never successful at first when he tries something new.  But the harder Brian works to achieve something, the more pride he feels when he accomplishes it.  

Brian finds berries to eat within a few days after crash landing.  Then he figures out how to catch fish.  But nothing compares to the pride he feels when he cooks his first bird and eats delicious meat.  Several chapters give details about Brian building tools to catch animals.  Then he improves those tools over and over again until they work.  In chapter 15, Brian starts craving meat.  So he figures out a way to finally catch birds that he calls “fool birds.”  It takes him a long time to figure out how to catch one.  Brian fails the first several times he tries to catch a fool bird.  But he never gives up.  When he finally catches one to cook, he says the meat tastes better than anything his mother has ever cooked.  Brian feels tremendous pride because he worked so hard to catch it.  The author does a brilliant job of illustrating all the work that went into catching a bird and the immense pride Brian felt when he was eating it.  This is a tremendous example for your students to see that nothing compares to the satisfaction of working hard to accomplish something.

 

Brian is a normal kid, but he learns a lot about surviving in nature because he is willing to learn from his mistakes.

The text is clear that Brian is not a genius or expert outdoorsman.  Brian is used to living in the city.  He had problems doing simple bike repairs before the plane crash.  He survives because he keeps trying to learn new things and realizes that failure is part of learning. In chapter 14, a skunk sneaks into Brian’s shelter at night and steals food.  Brian realizes he was foolish to bury them in the ground where any animal can get it.  After this failure, Brian realizes he needs to store his food in a high place where animals can’t steal it.  He finds a place, then he has to use tree branches to build a ladder for him to reach this place.  Once he has his food out of reach, he feels extremely proud.  He never has any more food stolen for the rest of the book.  It’s an outstanding example of Brian learning from a mistake.  There are MANY scenes like this where Brian fails, then learns from it.

 

Facing problems head-on becomes a habit for Brian.

The story is full of challenges for Brian.  But instead of getting discouraged by them, he always forces himself to think of solutions.  In chapter 16, Brian was attacked by a moose.  Later that night, his shelter was destroyed by a tornado.  But the next morning, Brian started thinking about how he would rebuild his shelter.  He realized he was “tough in the head” because he had gotten so used to facing problems rather than getting discouraged by them.  It had become a part of who he is.  This is an outstanding lesson for your students.  Just like working out can make you stronger physically, forcing yourself to solve problems rather than getting discouraged can make you stronger mentally.

Discussion topics:

In chapter 18, Brian retrieves a huge bag of supplies from the plane that crashed into the lake.  The bag is full of incredible things that will help Brian tremendously.  But the text in chapter 19 said the pack “Gave Brian up and down feelings.”  Why would Brian feel “down” about the contents of this bag?

Possible response:  Brian had spent about two months surviving on his own in the wilderness.  Other than his hatchet, he built everything on his own.  He figured out everything on his own.   These supplies are like a bunch of shortcuts.  Nothing about the last two months has been a shortcut for Brian.  Students may also think Brian is sad that he didn’t have these supplies at first.  But I feel like most of the text evidence suggests that Brian is not fond of using supplies that will make things like hunting, catching fish, and starting fires, a lot easier.

 

At the beginning of chapter 8, Brian is attacked by a porcupine in his sleep.  Besides the pain of the needles in his leg, why does he start crying?  Then what makes Brian realize that crying accomplishes nothing and how does that help him during the rest of the story?

Possible response:  At the end of chapter 7, Brian falls asleep feeling more content than he has since the plane crash.  He has a shelter and he’s full from eating a lot of berries.  But in the middle of the night, a porcupine gets into Brian’s shelter and shoots several sharp needles into Brian’s leg.  The pain is bad, but Brian feels terrible because he hasn’t figured out how to make fire yet.  He wonders what will happen if a larger animal gets into his shelter at night.  Then he feels like he will never be able to survive and starts sobbing uncontrollably.  When he’s done, the text states, “Later he looked back on this time of crying in the corner of the dark cave and thought of it as when he learned the most important rule of survival, which was that feeling sorry for yourself didn’t work.  It wasn’t just that it was the wrong thing to do, or that it was considered incorrect.  It was more than that — it didn’t work.”  When Brian had problems later in the book, he didn’t cry.  He just kept thinking and trying new things until he found a solution.

 

After the rescue plane flies away in chapter 12, Brian feels like all hope is lost.  Then in chapter 13, the text states, “In measured time, forty-seven days had passed since the crash.  Forty-two days, he thought, since he had died and been born as the new Brian.”  Summarize what this means.  How has Brian become “the new Brian?”

Possible responses:  The rescue plane came a few days after Brian’s initial crash.  After Brian watched it fly away, he realized no one was coming for him.  He felt incredibly depressed and tried to kill himself.  But he didn’t.  The text states Brian returned to his shelter that night and realized, “He was not the same.  The plane crashing changed him, the disappointment cut him down and made him new.  He was not the same and would never be again like he had been.  That was one of the true things, the new things.  And the other one was that he would not die, he would not let death in again.”  This flashback that Brian has in chapter 13 happened 42 days earlier.  Students could also point to the fact that Brian never even thinks about quitting and never stops until he has figured out a way to accomplish what he sets his mind to.

I have created quizzes and writing prompts to help you teach Hatchet.  The prompts are excellent ways for your students to connect with the events in the book.  The quizzes are a quick way for you to ensure your students are comprehending the story.   Click the image below to see the novel study in my TpT store!

Teaching growth mindset with Hatchet

I hope your students enjoy this book and become more determined to get “tough in the head” just like Brian did!

The Key to Extraordinary — A Book That Will Spark Amazing Discussions

The Key to Extraordinary Discussion topics

Be warned:  You will pause many times while you read The Key to Extraordinary to ponder the words that you’ve just read!  I’ve never read a children’s book where I’ve stopped so many times to write down an awesome quote.

In this post, I’ve pulled out 10 excerpts that will lead to incredible discussions, or make excellent writing prompts, that are ideal for students in grades 4-7.  You’ll find PLENTY more as you read The Key to Extraordinary!!  I hope this post encourages you to read the book, which was published in January 2016!

Quick synopsis:  The story is about a 12-year-old girl named Emma whose family owns a business.  When Emma’s grandmother is forced to sell the business, Emma becomes determined to find a way to help keep it in her family.  Emma, like every other woman in her family’s history, has a dream that gives clues as to something extraordinary she will do in her life.  Emma is an extraordinary character, but she doesn’t realize how until the end of the story.

Here are some incredible excerpts for you to discuss with your students.  I’ve included the page number and the character who said it:

“In the eyes of many people, I may never live an extraordinary life.  But I will love in extraordinary ways.  And I hope I choose to always see the best in people.”   Emma, page 225

“Every creature in the world needs to be reminded that they aren’t alone.  That somebody cares about them.  That they have a friend to lead them out of the present mess.”  Emma, page 193

“Every day you live is a day for dreaming.  Every day is a day for adventuring.  And every day is a day for sharing with people you love, because love’s all that lasts.  It’s the only thing we carry out of this world.  It connects us all, in the end.”  Emma, page 224

“I think it’s kind of a cool way to live — to find something to celebrate every day.”  Emma’s friend, Cody Belle, page 111

“Fear is just a flashlight that helps you find your courage.”  Emma, page 42

“I think about how nobody knows how long they have in the world.  And how we only get a certain number of words to say and share.  I’d hate for the last words that come out of my mouth to be mean ones.  I don’t want my words wasted.”  Emma, page 95

“My mama used to say that everybody you meet is a walking, talking broken heart.  Some people put the pieces back together better than others.”  Emma, page 113

“But in the moment Cody Belle told me Earl was missing, I came to an important conclusion:  My treasures weren’t just in the walls of that place.  My treasure was the people I loved.”  Emma, page 190

**You may want to delete the first part of that quote about Earl being missing if your students haven’t read it yet, as it does give away a dramatic event that happens.**

“I learned that courage and fear always come as a pair.  If you’ve got one inside you, you’ve surely got the other.”  Emma, page 200

In chapter 13, Emma reads a relative’s letter.  This relative’s house was burned down by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.  The girl was blinded in one eye after the soldiers attacked her.  People wanted the girl to speak about this attack, but here’s how the girl responded:  “They wanted bloody details.  But I talked about forgiveness and family.  I talked about learning to rebuild a farm and a life, even though we started from ashes…sometimes, even doing the right thing will leave you with scars.  But beauty comes from ashes, too.  And I know that to be true.”  Rachel Miller, page 138

Trust me, there are MANY MORE thought-provoking words in Natalie Lloyd’s book!  I have eight more written down, but I didn’t want this post to go on forever!

I’ve created a novel study unit for this book because I want to make it easier for teachers to read The Key to Extraordinary with their class.  The writing prompts give your students more ways to respond to the book, in addition to the excerpts in this blog post.  The quizzes serve as quick comprehension checks after every two chapters.  Click the image below to grab these resources.

Key To Extraordinary Novel Study

I hope your students enjoy discussing what it means to be extraordinary!

Discussion Topics For 3 Books That Third Graders Will Enjoy

Books third graders will love

I taught third grade for nine years and it seemed that every one of my students loved reading books that involved animals!  All of the stories pictured include main characters who change because of a dog in the story.  These main characters also have to make difficult decisions based on their love for their dog.  There are also tons of great discussions you can have with your students as they read these books, so I’ve provided five ideas for each book.

Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo (AR level 3.9)

Plot:  The main character, Opal, has just moved to a new town and is lonely.  Her mother left when she was young, her dad is always busy as a preacher, and she is having a hard time making new friends.  But her life improves as soon as she brings home a stray dog, which she names Winn-Dixie.  Opal makes several new friends of all different ages and backgrounds as a direct result of things she is doing to take care of her new dog.

Third graders will enjoy this book because Opal loves talking about everything that’s on her mind when she’s around Winn-Dixie because she feels like the dog listens to her.  Many other characters fall in love with Winn-Dixie as the book progresses, which helps Opal make new friends.  Winn-Dixie seems to have a knack for gravitating toward nice people.  This helps Opal become friends with an older woman whom other kids call a “witch” and a man who people stay away from because he has been arrested.  Thanks to Winn-Dixie, kids learn why we shouldn’t judge people.

Discussion or writing topics:

–Which of Opal’s friends do you feel are the most unlikeliest friends she made?  Why do you feel this way about these two characters?  How did Winn-Dixie help Opal become friends with these two people?

–Why does Opal feel closer with her dad at the end of the book?  What three events do you think had the biggest impact on this?

–Would you like to have a dog like Winn-Dixie?  Explain why or why not.

–Why do you think Stevie, Dunlap, and Amanda started acting nicer to Opal at the end of the book?

–If Littmus Lozenges were real, do you think lots of people should eat them or not?  Explain why you feel this way.

I’ve created quizzes, writing prompts, vocabulary activities, cloze passages, and character-analysis pages to help you teach this awesome book.  Click the image to see this product in my TpT store.

Books about animals

Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (AR level 4.4)

Plot:  The main character is a boy named Marty who tries to keep a dog (Shiloh) away from an owner who abuses the dog.  Marty has always wanted a dog, but his parents say they can’t afford to take care of one.  But when Marty realizes that Shiloh’s owner abuses him, he does everything he can to keep the dog away from this owner.  Marty’s family lives in a rural area, so he finds places to hide Shiloh from his family while keeping him away from the owner (Judd).  He sneaks food from dinner and gives it to Shiloh.  Marty feels terrible that he lies to his parents, but he justifies it because he is keeping Shiloh away from a terrible owner.

Third graders will enjoy this book because it shows a young boy going to extreme lengths to keep a dog safe.  Marty bravely stands up to Judd by telling him that the way he’s treating Shiloh is wrong.  The author also describes how Shiloh acts happier around Marty.  At the end, Marty agrees to do odd jobs for Judd in exchange for letting him keep Shiloh.  Marty’s parents are still nervous about affording this dog, but warm up to him because he brings so much joy to their family.

Discussion topics:

–Would you lie to your parents to keep a dog safe?  Why or why not?

–How would the story have been different if Marty had immediately told his parents that he was keeping Shiloh at their house to keep him away from Judd?

–At the end of the story, why do Marty’s parents feel better about keeping Shiloh, even though they’re not earning any extra money?  Is there something in your life you think is this valuable, even if it’s really expensive to keep?

–Reflect on all the things Marty did to keep Shiloh safe throughout the story.  What would you have done differently to keep Shiloh safe?  What do you think is one thing Marty did that was a really good idea?

–After reading this story, what have you learned about why it’s challenging to stand up for what’s right?

I have created writing prompts and quizzes for each chapter of Shiloh.  Click the image below to see more!

Books for animal lovers

White Fur Flying, by Patricia MacLachlan (AR level 3.1)

Plot:  The main character is a girl named Zoe whose family often keeps animals who need help.  A family moves in across the street with a mother who hates dogs and a young boy who does not speak.  As Zoe gets to know this young boy, she learns he doesn’t speak because he blames himself for some family problems.  But Zoe learns this boy also loves dogs.  The story ends with people doing brave things, the young boy talking, and the woman changing her feelings about dogs.  Zoe’s pets contribute to all of these events.

Third graders will enjoy this book because the young boy, Phillip, has a lot of troubling thoughts on his mind.  It seems like he will never speak.  But once he starts interacting with Zoe’s dogs, he opens up a bit — not by his words, but with his actions.  Zoe’s family are experts with animals and show a lot of love and care to all animals.  Her dad is a vet and her mom rescues dogs who need a home.  There are lots of examples of Zoe and her family treating animals extremely kindly and respectfully.  But it’s the care that one of their dogs shows to Phillip in a dangerous situation that causes this young boy to open up for good.

Discussion topics:

–How did Zoe’s dogs have such a tremendous impact on the way Phillip’s behavior changed?  Do you think it’s possible for an animal to have a huge impact on people in real life like that?

–What do you think is the biggest reason why Phillip started talking?  Explain why you think this.

–Near the end of the story, Phillip calls Jack (Zoe’s dog) a hero.  Do you agree with Phillip?  Why or why not?  How would you define the word “hero?”

–Have you ever known someone like Phillip who doesn’t say much?  What would you do to help someone who is really shy?

–Describe what Zoe’s house is normally like.  Would you like to live in a home like that?  Why or why not?

These are some quizzes and writing prompts I’ve created for this book.  Click to see this product in my TpT store, where you can download a preview.

Books for animal lovers