Description of the book:

This book is a biography written about Noah Webster, the former Connecticut state representative and educator. He is the author of the well-known Webster's Dictionary which is still used today. This 40-page biography, tells the story of Noah Webster and his ideas in politics and writing. In this book, it explains how Noah tried to add 6 new letters to the English language, and how he edited even his own work with a red pencil. Throughout the book, these edits and other letters are used throughout the book. 

Connection to genre: biography 

In this book, the author uses the "edits" Noah would have made with the different letters and also uses the red pencil. This is really important to show how he made these edits, and why they were significant. Writing like this gets kids interested instead of just reading about a person. 

Use in the classroom:

Read the book together and separately, teach lessons on what the Webster dictionary is and why it is important to the English language, and explain the definition of a biography and why they are important as well. Have the students choose a person in history that they know, and if they don't, offer other resources for them to be able to learn more about a person. Next, they will write their own short biography incorporating special components that have to do with the historical figure in which they choose. 

by Jenni Desmond

Description of the book:

The Blue Whale is an informational picture book that is used to teach kids about the scientific facts of a blue whale while keeping them engaged. It gives facts about the size of its eye while showing the real size of it on the page. It compares the whale's body size in relation to trucks cars, and hippos. It is nonfiction that keeps the kids having fun and staying engaged. 

Connection to genre: informational 

I think this would be a great mentor text for information writing pieces because students can see how information is put together in writing. It teaches kids about facts and information while comparing the whale to other things for context. The pictures help to connect ideas together while keeping kids interested in reading. They learn information about the blue whale, and they also learn what an informational text looks like in the first level.

Use in the classroom:

When teaching younger kids about nonfiction/informational writing, it may be harder to find a book that will keep them engaged and interested. Reading this book out loud and doing a minilesson on the facts in the book, discussing each fact and picture while explaining what makes the book informational. Then do a lesson on how to write their own informational text, and what makes a text informational by comparing it to the book. Next, the students will write their own information about something they are interested in, getting the research from other texts, but using a similar setup to the blue whale in order to organize their information in a way that is easy for them. They can add pictures to help their explanation as well. They can create a small picture book of facts on other animals that they find interesting.  This book can be used in 3rd-5th grade.

by John J Muth

Description of the book:

This picture book is all about a panda named Koo, who meets a boy and a girl, and they have fun throughout all of the seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall. The whole book is written in the form of a Haiku. It is part of a series of other poetry with the same characters. Haiku is part of the author's culture. 

Connection to the genre: Poetry

This book will help with example poetry, specifically in the form of Haiku. The whole book is written in the form of Haiku, 17 syllables, which is really fun and will keep the students engaged. I love that the panda's name is Koo! 

Use in the classroom:

Do a read-aloud at first to tell the story, then do a lesson on what a Haiku is, next go back through the book and sound out the syllables to show how the author used haikus to write the whole story. Have the students count on their fingers how many syllables they hear when reading and they could even write this down to show the 17 syllables pattern. Make sure students know the importance of knowing their syllables and do a minilesson on syllable practice.  Next, they can get started on writing their own short Haiku poems, and later turn them into stories written only in Haiku. Preschool- 3rd grade is the grade level of this book, I would use it closer to second and third since I'm using it to teach Haiku. 

by Linda Sue Park

Description of the book:

This book represents two separate stories of 11-year-old children. It takes place in Sudan, one story is about an 11-year-old girl named Nya in 2008 and the other is about a boy named Salva in 1985. Salva becomes one of the lost boys of Sudan, who go around the continent on foot trying to find a place for his family to stay. They endure different attacks by rebels and animals. Nya makes two trips from her home to the pond every day. This book is based on the true story of these two children. 

Connection to genre: Historical fiction

This book is written about two children from Sudan and their lives. It shines light on a very important matter and how people in third-world countries live and have lived. It is based on a true story is is historical fiction of this matter. 

Use in the classroom:

This is a longer book so would be better to do a read-aloud for older children once a day. Students can have worksheets on the book to follow along. When the reading is done you can do a minilesson on the real people that the characters portray in the story, and go through what makes the story historical fiction. Next, the students can create their own short historical fiction narrative based on a character they may already know about, or an event with made up characters and stories. Use the book to go back and look at the language in the dialogue used back then. Teach them how the dialogue would change if this book took place a long time ago, but the narrative is written in this time periods' language. 

by Patricia Pollaco 

description of the book:

This book is based on the author's Babushka (grandmother)  and it tells a story of a frightening thunderstorm, but it turns the story into an exciting and celebrated thunderstorm. they are told to gather ingredients around the farm, while the storm is approaching quicker and quicker. The story is told with a lot of sensory details, a setting, and characters. It's a story about how she overcame her fear of thunderstorms.

Connection to genre: realistic fiction

This book is a realistic story that is considered realistic fiction. It doesn't relate to historical fiction because it is not a fact about a specific historical event. This story is fictional but seems as if it could take place in the real world, it's realistic. This book is a great example of how a fictional book can be realistic. 

use in the classroom:

Read aloud or independent reading, teaching what realistic fiction is, and relating it to this story. Then they use The book as an example of how to write their own realistic fiction. Use the book for language and story, and have the class each pick something that has never happened in their life, but to make something up that could possibly happen in their life or they believe may happen. If they want to stem off of an event that has happened in their life, they can, but make sure there are no fantasy or nonfiction components, and that they understand it must be realistic, even if it's out of the ordinary.  

By Roald Dahl

Description of book:

The BFG is a story about a friendly giant known as the BFG who collects and gives good dreams to children, the BFG meets sophie and with the help of the queen of england, they rid the world of children eating giants. This is a funa nd whimsicle story, which they have also made a movie out of. 

Connection to genre: Fantasy

This book is considered a fantasy because it is not realistic and it is an imaginative story that could never actually happen. It is an out of the oridinary book that is read for enjoyment. 

Use in the classroom:

This is a great mentor text for fantasy becuasde it is a very wild out of the ordinary fantasy, that will keep the kids engaged and having fun. Do a real aloud with the class, have them take note of eerything in the story that could never happen, to help them realize that this is a fantasy genre. The kids can then write their own fantasy story, and they can brainstorm different fantasies that they have had, maybe talk about a dream that the BFG could give children that are fantasys, and have them write a story about that, relating to the language of the book and using that in their own. Show the movie as well as a visual for them to create their own ideas.