My Teacher Is a Monster

My Teacher is a Monster
written and illustrated by Peter Brown

Book blurb from the catalog: Bobby is convinced that his teacher, Ms. Kirby, is a monster, until he runs into her at the park one day and realizes she has another side to her as well.

Lesson ideas directly from PeterBrownStudios.com

Click to access TeacherMonster_kit.pdf

Add this book to your Peter Brown Author/Illustrator study.  Add Peter Brown to your author/illustrator studies that you do if he isn’t already one of your featured authors/illustrators!

Lesson Germs from Judy Freeman:

• What would you like your teacher to know about you so he/she understands you better
• Make your own paper airplanes, test the aerodynamics (incorporate into a science unit)
• End of Year project: Write My Favorite Teacher was _______________ because _____________.  Fold the note into a paper airplane.  Have students throw their paper airplanes at their favorite teachers.  Make sure the outside of the airplane clearly states to OPEN BEFORE THROWING AWAY.  Teachers will then be filled with joy from the note as opposed to being angry from having a paper airplane thrown at them.

 

Wild About Us!

Wild About Us
Written by Karen Beaumont
Illustrated by Janet Stevens

Book blurb from catalog: A group of animals at the zoo share the unique characteristics they like about themselves and one another.

This book would be great to help teach:

• Differences
• Acceptance
• Building a Classroom Community
• Positive Body Image

Excerpt from the book: “I’m Warty Warthog!  Can’t be who I’m not.  I am who I am and I’ve got what I’ve Got.  I have tusks!  I have warts!  But5 I like what I see!  In my own special way, I’m as cute as can be.  Yessirree!  We are all the way we are all meant to be!”

A Boy and A Jaguar

A Boy and a Jaguar
by Alan Rabinowitz

Book blurb from the catalog: Presents a picture book featuring the true story of Alan Rabinowitz, who loved the animals at the zoo and hated that they were kept in cages. Wanting to speak out, Alan found he couldn’t keep himself from stuttering, except when talking to animals–a fact he used to his advantage in championing animal rights.

This book would be great to help teach:

• Empathy (understanding Alan’s stuttering)
• Building Classroom Community (how do we treat others who are different than ourselves)
• Biographies (and even a unit on writing autobiographies — picking out a watermelon seed moment instead of one’s entire life)
• Setting goals (Alan says that if he ever gets “his voice” he will speak for the animals, who cannot speak for themselves.  This is a lofty goal for a stutterer, but once he does get his voice he follows through with his promise.)
• Research famous people who stutter
  http://www.flreads.org/Book_Award/extensions/BoyAndJaguar.htm

This book has a website!
http://hmhbooks.com/boyandajaguar/

 

Waiting

Waiting

by Kevin Henkes

Awards: Caldecott Honor, Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor

Book Blurb from the catalog: An owl, puppy, bear, bunny, and pig wait for marvelous things to happen.

 

Lesson Ideas:

Using illustrations to infer what happens.

Making predictions: What is the rabbit waiting for?

Writing prompt: What are you waiting for?
This book would be a great mentor text to get students writing about their hopes and dreams at the beginning of the year.  What are they waiting for this school year?

A definite must-read for an author study of Kevin Henkes

Click to access Waiting-Kevin-Henkes-Author-Study-2015.pdf

 

Don’t Throw it to Mo

Don’t Throw it to Mo

by David Adler

***Winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award 2016*** (Best book for young people)

Book blurb from the catalog: Even though Mo Jackson loves football, he is kind of clumsy, and no one will throw the ball to him. Mo will have to find a way to help his team in spite of no one throwing the ball to him.

Teaching growth mindset to your students?  Mo is a great example of a boy who simply doesn’t give up.  Mo is the smallest player on his football team.  Coach Steve uses him as a decoy for most of the plays.  But, Mo doesn’t complain; he just runs down the field and no one throws him the ball.  That is, until the final play of the game!  Spoiler alert—Mo wins the game with an amazing catch!

Use this book when teaching goal setting, growth mindset, analyzing character traits (there are some bully players in this book as well), and when setting up a classroom community of diverse learners.

Flight School

Flight School

by Lita Judge

Penguin has the soul of an eagle and wants to fly.  But, as we know, penguins cannot fly.  Penguin shows up to Flight School anyway and listens to the lessons of Teacher.  All of the other birds learn how to fly, but Penguin does not.  Teacher figures out a way to make Penguin fly and he tethers Penguin to himself and allows Penguin to feel like the wind.  Penguin is ecstatic; he got to fly!  The funny ending has Penguin bringing his friend Ostrich to Flight School and says “My friend Ostrich has the soul of a swallow” to which Teacher responds “Gulp”. 🙂

Building classroom community?  Setting goals?  This is the book for you!  Help teach your students that even though others are different, or say that you can’t do something, teamwork can produce amazing results!  A quick read, Flight School is bound to delight your students and inspire them to work together to achieve great things!

Flight School is also great for Beginning, Middle, and End.

Or if you are looking for a book that makes the reader infer what is happening through the illustrations, this is the book for your lesson!

This book could also be a jump off point researching about different birds.  The reader can infer that penguins and ostriches do not fly, while other birds at flight school could.  Students could research birds on PebbleGO and tell whether or not their type of bird can or cannot fly.

A lesson idea found from http://amf3tx.wix.com/alisonfullerton#!delivery/cl1h

Procedure:

1. Read “Flight School” to the class.

2. Discuss. What did the penguin demonstrate in this story (perseverance, effort, hard work, never giving up, etc.)?

3. Discuss. What are some things that you have done in the past that you never gave up on (i.e., maybe tying your shoes, riding a bike, writing my name, etc.)?

4. Relate this discussion and theme to academics and everyday life. What are some ways that we can we persevere in school?

5. Pass out the “Easy vs. Difficult” Worksheet. Have the students list things that are easy for them to do and difficult for them to do.

6. Discuss that everyone has strengths and weaknesses; if the child continues to work hard and persevere on their “Difficult” list, then they can eventually achieve it!

7. Use the list as an exit pass and a plan to achieve some of the tasks in the “Difficult” section.

8. At the end of the year/in a few weeks or months, follow up on any progress that the students have made in the “Difficult” section.