The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Summary: 

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

Activities: 

The boy in the story gathers the tree's leaves from the ground. Use a die cutting machine to create different colored leaves in shades of green, red, yellow, and brown. Place them in a brown paper bag and ask the child to pick out a handful of the leaves. Ask him to count the number of leaves he pulls out of the bag. For an older child, have him sort the leaves my color and then represent the results using a bar or line graph. If you live in an area where fall leaves are plentiful, you need not make your own leaves, you can simply gather them from the ground.


The main lesson of "The Giving Tree" involves giving back to those you love. Ask the child to chose one person in the community to whom he can give something back. The child can choose any person or organization that has done something for either her or her family. An example might include a physician who helped her when she was sick. Have the child create a project to give back to that person to thank him for his community contribution. You might suggest a personalized gift or thank you letter created by the child.

About the Author: 

So begins Shel Silverstein's very first children's book, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. It's funny and sad and has made readers laugh and think since it was published in 1963. It was followed the next year by three more books. The first of them, The Giving Tree, is a moving story about the love of a tree for a boy. Shel returned to humor the same year with A Giraffe and a Half, delighting readers with a most riotous ending. The third book in 1964 was Uncle Shelby's Zoo Don't Bump the Glump! and Other Fantasies, Shel's first poetry collection, and his first and only book illustrated in full color. 

Citation: 

Silverstein, S. (2004). The giving tree. (40th anniversary ed. ed.). New York , New york: Harper Collins.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Summary: 
One sunny Sunday, when the caterpillar was hatched out of a tiny egg. He was very hungry. On Monday, he ate through one apple; on Tuesday, he ate through three plums--and still he was hungry. Strikingly bold, colorful pictures and a simple text in large, clear type tell the story of a hungry little caterpillar's progress through an amazing variety and quantity of foods. Full at last, he made a cocoon around himself and went to sleep, to wake up a few weeks later wonderfully transformed into a butterfly!

Activities: 

The Life Cycle of the Butterfly: The story starts out with a little egg on a leaf then follows the caterpillar as it eats and grows, enters a cocoon (most caterpillars enter a chrysalis, but Eric Carle used the word “cocoon” as that’s what his father called it when he was a child) and emerges as a colorful butterfly.


The Very Hungry Caterpillar has illustrations that were originally done in painted tissue paper collage. This specific technique is appropriate for grade 3 and up, but can be adapted for younger children. Try making butterflies with your student using this technique. Have a shape of a butterfly drawn on cardstock for each child. Have the students use strips of colored tissue paper and glue to make the colorful wings. You might want to use this opportunity to teach your students about symmetry and how each wing is a mirror image of the other.



About the Author: 
Eric Carle is acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for young children. Eric was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929, and moved with his parents to Germany when he was six years old. After graduating from art school, he returned to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories, and found work as a graphic designer.

Citation: 
Carle, E. (1986). The very hungry caterpillar. New York, NY: Putnam Juvenile.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Summary: 
Max is sent to bed without supper and imagines sailing away to the land of Wild Things,where he is made king.

Genre: Fantasy

About the Author: 
For more than forty years, the books Maurice Sendak has written and illustrated have nurtured children and adults alike and have challenged established ideas about what children's literature is and should be. The New York Times has recognized that Sendak's work "has brought a new dimension to the American children's book and has helped to change how people visualize childhood." Parenting recently described Sendak as "indisputably, the most revolutionary force in children's books."

Activities: 
Instruct students to make a list of the “mischief” Max did at the beginning of the book. Then encourage them to write an apology letter from Max to his mother. Select several students to read their notes aloud, and ask which one the class thinks would be most likely to satisfy Max’s mother. (Respect)

Put on some music and let students pretend to be one of the monsters in the book as they dance to the music. One student at a time can act like Max, King of the Wild Things, but this role should change periodically so that several students get a chance to play the part.


Personal Response: 
This was my favorite childhood book. I love the illustrations and story line.

Citation: 
Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books.

Everyone Matters: A First Look at Respect for Others by Pat Thomas

Summary: 
Children learn that having respect means treating everyone fairly. But there are some types of respect that each person must earn for themselves--by keeping promises, by being honest in what they say and do, and being polite and respectful to others. Most important of all, boys and girls learn that people who are different deserve just as much respect as close friends. This new title in Barron's growing series of A First Look at . . . books is written especially for preschool and early-grades children. Books in this series feature sensitively written stories that encourage boys and girls to explore their feelings, face new challenges in their lives, and talk to trusted elders about how to deal with things that bother them. The books feature child-friendly color illustrations on every page. An advice to parents section appears at the end of each book.

Activities:

Designate a special "Respect Week" and have students give sincere compliments to their classmates. Encourage them to keep a weekly journal of their behavior. The journal entries should include who they complimented, what they said, and the person's reaction to their compliment.


Talk about why respect is important. Ask students to answer questions like how do they show their classmates respect? How can they respect their teacher? How can they show their parents respect?



About the Author: 
Pat is a trained psychotherapist, naturopath and journalist. After working as a journalist and broadcaster in the USA, she now works in the field of child development and writes for various publications including 'Practical Parenting'.

Personal Response: 
I think this book is good for younger children. Respect is something important for all young children to learn, especially in a classroom setting.

Citation: 
Thomas, P., & Harker, L. (2010). Everyone matters, a first look at respect for others. Lafayette, LA:   Barrons Juveniles.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Summary: 

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Genre: Science Fiction

The fantasy is believable. All the writing is rich and structured and it has a meaningful theme. 

Activities:

Imagine that you could create a perfect world. How would it be different from the world you live in right now? How would it be the same? Give your community a name, a system of government,and a physical description. Imagine yourself living there and describe what an ordinary day would be like. Obtain some poster board and make a pictoral representation of your world.

Begin compiling a list of rules which govern the community in which Jonas lives. You will add to this list as you read The Giver.

About the Author:

Lois Lowry is known for her versatility and invention as a writer. She was born in Hawaii and grew up in New York, Pennsylvania, and Japan. After several years at Brown University, she turned to her family and to writing. She is the author of more than thirty books for young adults, including the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. 

Personal Response: 

Lois Lowry is one of my favorite children's author. The Giver is a great story about a distopia that children can understand. 

Citation: 

Lowry, L. (1993). The giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Summary: 

As the German troops begin their campaign to “relocate” all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.

Genre: Historical Fiction
All information is accurate and does not condone the Holocaust. All characters are well developed and the plot is based on authentic facts.

Activities: 

Fact or Fiction?
After reading Number the Stars, have students research factual accounts of the German Occupation in Denmark. Students may use encyclopedias, a history books, the Internet, or the library as resources. Ask students to write a paper comparing their factual research to the Number the Stars book. For deeper thinking, have students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of fiction and non-fiction writing.


Class Debate
After reading Number the Stars, class debates whether the country of Sweden should have stayed neutral during World War II. Teacher moderates discussion as students share their thoughts on whether it was best that Sweden remained neutral, or if Sweden should have opposed the German Occupation and actively joined in the resistance movement. Debate concludes with students writing a brief paper with their vote and supporting points.



About the Author: 
Lois Lowry is known for her versatility and invention as a writer. She was born in Hawaii and grew up in New York, Pennsylvania, and Japan. After several years at Brown University, she turned to her family and to writing. She is the author of more than thirty books for young adults, including the popular Anastasia Krupnik series.

Personal Response: 
I am a big fan of this book. I felt that it was historically accurate while having a good fictional story line. 

Citation: 
Lowry, L. (2011). Number the stars. New York: Sandpiper.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Summary: 
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic -- a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annex" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

Genre: Memoir
The story is all grounded in facts. The author is well developed and there is a unifying theme.


Activities: 
Create your own diary and record the daily events of your life.

Create a timeline of the Jewish restrictions and regulations of the Third Reich.

Discussion Questions: 

It was dangerous to be a Jew during Hitler's Third Reich. What were some of the dangers Jews faced? How did Hitler limit the freedom of the Jewish population?
Discuss how Otto Frank quietly prepared for the worse and made arrangements to ensure the safety of his family.
What finally prompted Otto Frank to take the family into hiding?
The Frank family, along with another family and a dentist, hid for over two years. Discuss the problems the inhabitants of the "secret annex" faced during their hiding.
Anne Frank revised her diary. Why did she do this?

About the Author: 
Annelies "Anne" Marie Frank was one of the most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Her diary has been the basis for several plays and film

Personal Response: 
I believe every single student should read this diary at some point in their life. Anne Frank is insightful and way past her years in a time where the world was a very dark place.

Citation: 
Frank, A. (1993). Anne frank, the diary of a young girl. (Expanded ed. ed.). New York: Bantam.