Elementary

 “The Name Jar” By Yangsook Choi

o Summary: The story is about a young girl who is
the new kid in class. No one can pronounce her
name, Unhei, correctly, so she picks an American
name. The newly selected names just don’t
seem to suit her and in the end, she realizes to
be proud of who she is, her name, and her
cultural background.
o Grade Level: 3rd or 4th
o Genre: Realistic Fiction (social justice book)
o International Reading Association’s Children’s
book award
o Lesson: This book is one that I often used as a read-aloud in my 4th-grade classroom.
One activity or lesson to make personal connections was creating a jar that included
character traits of themselves. I used clear plastic cups to collect the traits. Another
idea was to research their name's meaning or background to share in a creative poster
on google classroom.
 “Mrs. Katz and Tush” By Patricia Polacco
o Summary: Mrs. Katz is an elderly Jewish woman and the story centers around her
friendship with Larnel. Larnel is a young African American boy and although they have
cultural differences, they build a friendship that began from their mutual concern for an
abandoned cat. Tush the cat helps to bring them together in this story about Passover.
o Grade Level: K-3rdgrade.
o Genre: Fiction (based on a true story)
o Lesson: Comparison of similarities and differences. This would be a great opportunity to
use a Venn Diagram in the lesson to show character traits or even cultural backgrounds.
The characters in the story share stories of their cultural backgrounds.
 “Bridge to Terabithia” By Katherine Paterson
o Summary: Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke build a friendship that could last a lifetime.
The story might have a sad ending, but the themes and lessons of friendships and loyalty
are amazing. Jesse is expected to do his part at home, as his family does not have much
and Leslie embraces all experiences, but as an only child does not have many worries in
life. They escape reality in their made-up fantasy land of Terabithia.
o Grade Level: 4th or 5th grade
o John Newbery book award
o Genre: Children’s Realistic Fiction/Fantasy elements
o Lesson: This book was one of my all-time favorite read-aloud for 4th grade. The lessons
and discussions about the themes in the story focused on friendships, sympathy, and
empathy. However, I also did a bridge-building activity that made it possible to bring in
science standards. Students practiced their skills in the Engineering process by
designing, planning, and building model bridges.
 “Wonder” By RJ Palacio
 o Summary: The story is an emotional journey of Auggie
Pullman. Auggie was born with facial deformities that have
kept him from normal school experiences. Starting 5th
grade/middle school he wants nothing more than to be
treated as a normal kid, however, fellow classmates cannot
seem to get past his differences. In the novel Auggie deals
with mean kids and even bigger ups/downs of middle
school than other students. The mother is a big part of the
story, and it offers great perspectives from those around
him.
o Grade Level: 4th or 5th
o Genre: Realistic Fiction
o 2015 Young Reader’s Choice Award, Mark Twain Award
o Lesson: A creative activity for this novel is to create an
individual silhouette of character traits. We know that
students are far more than what we see on the surface, so this would just be an outline
that then fills with adjectives that describe them or character traits.
 “Night Job” By Karen Hesse
o Summary: This story is a picture book about a young boy who goes to work with his
dad. His dad is the night custodian at the school. During their time together the boy is
able to shoot hoops, spend time with his father and understand the value of hard work.
o Grade Level: K-2nd
o Genre: Children’s Fiction
o The Author is a Newbery Medalist
o Lesson: This story hits a personal note with me, as my dad worked a second job as a
school custodian to provide for our family. I didn’t grow up with a lot of money or
material things, but I had everything I needed thanks to his hard work. I loved this story
as a way to provide students with a perspective about hard work and all the important
jobs that make their school or town a great place. I think a fun activity would be for
students to interview different school personnel about their role at the school and post a
small biography with a picture to help show appreciation for their hard work. It would
help their communication skills, and writing skills and bring a sense of pride to all
aspects of their school.