This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

The Sorta Sisters by:  Adrian Fogelin

Summary: In Florida, Anna Casey lives with what she hopes is the last in a long line of foster mothers, and Mica Delano lives with her father on their small boat, and when the two of them begin corresponding, they discover they have a lot in common.

Author Web Site:  http://www.adrianfogelin.com

Teacher’s Guide:  Not Currently Available

Related Links:  Islamorado, Florida

About the Florida Keys (with Link to You Tube Video about Islamorado, FL)

Description: Islamorado Chamber of Commerce Video (Same Video Found in Link Shown Above)
This posting of the same video is for schools who cannot access YouTube due to content filtering. Please view the video from the original source if possible.

History of Islamorado, FL

Islamorado, Village of Islands (Photo Gallery)

Panoramic Views of Islamorado, FL  (The Florida Keys in 360 Degrees!!)

Related Links:  Manatees

Florida Manatees @ Defenders of Wildlife Web Site (Includes Video and Slideshow)

Manatees @ National Geographic for Kids (Facts, Photos, Video, etc.)

Save the Manatees (Facts About Manatees, Videos, Public Service Announcements)

Related Links:  Tallahassee, Florida

Slide Show @ Tallahassee Online Visitor’s Guide Web Site

Tallahassee Nature Video (You Tube)
Description:  YouTube Video about Tallahassee Nature
Please view this version of the video, as it is from the original source, if possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwctKuura78

Description:  YouTube Video of Tallahassee Nature
This posting of the same video is for schools who cannot access YouTube due to content filtering.  Please view the video from the original source if possible.

Related Links:  Wakulla River/Springs

Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

Springs Exploration:  Wakulla Springs Interactive Feature (Click on the Audio Feature of the Wakulla River to Experience a Virtual River Boat Tour)

Wakulla Springs @ Tallahassee Online Visitor’s Guide Site

Read Aloud Recommendation:  This book, with alternating narrative perspectives, letters, and sepia drawings depicting wildlife and packages that the main characters, Anna Casey and Mica Delano, discuss and exchange in the course of the novel, is best suited for individual readers.  In my opinion, the reader would lose a certain intimacy if this book is read aloud.  Students who read this book will definitely want to read others in the series.  At this time, the author has written five novels set in her Tallahassee neighborhood.  These novels, in order, are:

Crossing Jordan

Anna Casey’s Place in the World

My Brother’s Hero
The Big Nothing
The Sorta Sisters

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf

Summary: From her home in Lidice, Czechoslovakia, in 1942, eleven-year-old Milada is taken with other blond, blue-eyed children to a school in Poland to be trained as “proper Germans” for adoption by German families, but all the while she remembers her true name and history.

Author Web Site:  http://www.jmwolf.com

Teacher’s Guide:  Kids’ Wing Activities

Related Links:  Czechoslovakia (The Czech Republic and Slovakia)

The Czech Republic:  The CIA Factbook

Slovakia:  The CIA Factbook

Related Links:  Holocaust

AP Story of Lebensborn Children

Children of the Holocaust (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Deadly Medicine:  Creating the Master Race @ the Jewish Museum Berlin

Lebensborn Program:  Jewish Virtual Library

Lidice Memorial:  Children’s Victims Memorial

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Photo of War Crimes Trial:  Maria Dolezalova, One of The Children Kidnapped by German Forces After Destruction of Lidice (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Ravensbruck:  Concentration Camp for Women @ The Jewish Virtual Library

Related Links:  WWII

Interactive Map of World War II in Europe

The Third Reich in Ruins (Photos of Historical Sites:  Then and Now)

WWII:  The World Almanac

Read Aloud Recommendation: This book, based on a true story, will allow students a glimpse into the lives of children in Nazi occupied countries during World War II. This is a compelling story of one girl’s struggle to maintain her identity despite being torn away from her family and country.  I believe students will be immersed in this story from the first chapter.  I recommend it for students in grades 5 and up.  It is an essential piece of literature for World War II study.

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

Elijah Of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

Summary: Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American South in 1859, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family’s freedom.

Author Web Site: http://www.nobodybutcurtis.com

Author Resources:

Biography and Teacher’s Guides for Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 @ Random House Web Site

Biography and Interview (Text) @ Kidsread.com

Video Interview by Scholastic (Part I and II)
Description:  YouTube Videos of Interview with Christopher Paul Curtis
Please view this version of the videos, as it is from the original source, if possible.

Part I URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5HkR1o2LiI
Part II URL:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaky2QAapVw

Description:  YouTube Videos of Interview with Christopher Paul Curtis
This posting of the same videos is for schools who cannot access YouTube due to content filtering.  Please view the video from the original source if possible.

Teacher Resources:

Booktalk @ Scholastic Web Site Including Link to Video Version of Booktalk

Discussion Guide @ Scholastic Web Site

Extension Activities @ Scholastic Web Site Including Web Links

Related Links:  Elgin Settlement at Buxton

History of the Elgin Settlement @ the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum

Photos of the Buxton National Historic Site (Including a School Built in 1861 and a Log Cabin Built in 1852)

Related Links:  Frederick Douglass

A Short Biography of Frederick Douglass (Links to Additional Information)

Frederick Douglass @ Africans in America by PBS (Links to Teacher’s Guide)

Frederick Douglass @ America’s Stories from America’s Library (Library of Congress/Primary Resources)

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site

Related Links:  John Brown

John Brown @ Africans in American by PBS (Links to Teacher’s Guide)

John Brown’s Holy War @ American Experience Site (PBS-Includes Maps, Timeline, Primary Resources, and Teacher’s Guide)

The Kennedy Farmhouse @ johnbrown.org (Staging Site for Raid on Harpers Ferry)

Related Links: Liberty Bell of Buxton

News Article on Symbolism of Buxton Liberty Bell

News Release with Photos @ the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Web Site

Related Links: Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad:  Presented by National Geographic Online

Read Aloud Recommendation: I am ambivalent about my recommendation on this book.   I do not want to turn anyone off to the story.  I think it is a “must read” for students in grades 5 and up, but I have to be straightforward with teachers who may be looking for a page turning, “keep ‘em on the edge of their seats” read aloud. I found the first half of the book difficult to read because I found it hard to relate to the main character, Elijah.  In fact, it took me longer to read this book than any of the other Georgia Book Award nominees.   I think that the dialect and the author’s use of stories within the story distant the reader at first.  However, the last six chapters of the book redeemed it for me.  The last part of the book is very powerful, particularly the scene in the barn where Elijah finds five captured slaves.  It will make students think about slavery in terms that a dry textbook will never be able to do.  Because this book explores the topic of slavery from a different perspective, that of a child born into freedom in the Canadian settlement of Buxton, and because of the humor in the story, I believe students will find the first part of the book enlightening and enjoyable, but slow paced.  However, they will find the last part of the book exciting, moving, and memorable.  I highly recommend this title for students (grades 5 and up) who are learning about the history of slavery in the United States.

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O’Connor

Summary: In North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains, a troubled boy and his mother, a happy family seeking adventure, a man and his lonely daughter, and the widow who must sell the run-down motel that has been her home for decades, meet and are transformed by their shared experiences.

Author Web Site:  http://www.barboconnor.com

Greetings from Nowhere, Author Blog

Teacher Guide:  From Teacher Section of Author Web Site (pdf)

Related Links:  Great Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Photos and Multimedia:  National Park Service Web Site

North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains

Related Links:  North Carolina Attractions Referenced in Story

Dollywood

Ghost Town in the Sky, Maggie Valley (Cowboytown)

Maggie Valley Attractions

Ruby Falls

Tuckaleechee Caverns

Read Aloud Recommendation: Because of the alternating perspectives of the story (Aggie, Willow, Loretta, and Kirby), students may need a graphic organizer in order to keep their perspective as the story is read aloud.  This book would be most appropriate for students in grades 5 and up.  Personally, I think this book would be best read on an individual basis, so that the reader can take his or her time understanding how the stories and lives of the characters intertwine.  This story, about wounded people who help each other heal, is not the best choice for reading aloud.

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

Billy Creekmore: A Novel:  by Tracey Porter

Summary: One day a stranger comes to claim Billy Creekmore from the Guardian Angels Home for Boys; and he embarks on a cross-country journey in search of his past, his future, and his own true self.

Author Web Site:  Brief Biography on Harper Collins Web Site

Other Author Resources: Author Essay on Billy Creekmore

Teaching Resources:  Link to Reading Guide from Harper Collins (pdf)

Related Resources:  Circuses

Circus Historical Society Photos

Circus History in Sarasota (includes slideshows)

Circus Web:  Circuses Past and Present

Explore Circus World:  From the Wisconsin Historical Society (Click on Circus Museum to See a Slide Show of Photos including Circus Posters)

History of the Circus from Jugglenow.com

Related Resources:  Coal Mining

A Coal Miner’s Collection:  Photos of Coal Miner’s Basic Necessities

Coal Miner’s in the Past:  United Mine Workers of America Web Site (Includes Photos)

Kentucky Coal Museum Web Site (Includes Short Video about Mining Towns)

Little Miners:  Child Labor in the Coal Mining Industry (Includes Photos)

Related Resources:  Orphanages

History of Orphanages

West Virginia Department of Commerce, Travel, and Recreation

Read Aloud Recommendation:  Older students (grades 4 and up) will enjoy exploring the twists and turns of Billy Creekmore’s life from an Appalachian orphanage to the West Virginia coal mines, and finally, to traveling circuses.  Told in Billy’s voice, this historical tale about a boy who has to make his way in the world, relying on his own resources, will appeal to students’ sense of adventure in the same way that Huck Finn and Oliver Twist appeal to young readers. 

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous
by:  Suzanne Crowley

Summary: In the small town of Jumbo, Texas, thirteen-year-old Merilee, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, tries to live a “very ordered existence,” but disruptions begin when a boy and his father arrive in town and the youngster makes himself a part of the family.

Author Web Site:  http://www.suzannecrowley.com

Other Author Resources:

School Library Journal Article:  The Voices of Autism (August 1, 2009)

Author Interview about The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous and Writing @ Cynsations

Author Interview about New Book, The Stolen One, and The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous @Kathyerskine’s Blog

Multimedia Resources:

Link to Audio Excerpt of The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous @ Harper Collins Web Site

Teacher’s Guide:  Not Currently Available

Related Links:  Autism-Asperger’s Syndrome

Autism Spectrum Disorders:  Fact Sheet (Introduction to Asperger’s Syndrome)

ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education:  Asperger Syndrome FAQ

General Information about Asperger’s Syndrome @ kidshealth.org

Related Links:  Dragons

Dragon Links from The Dragon Theme Page (Created by Jerri S. Cheek at the ETTC, Kennesaw State University) Lots and lots of Web resources!!

Dragons Featured on Animal Planet (includes multimedia segments of new show about dragonsincluding mythology of dragons)

Related Links:  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Information @ the Mayo Clinic Web Site

Related Links:  Ghost Lights

Earth Lights:  Spooklights and Ghost Lights

Haunted Georgia:  Surrency Ghost (A Local Legend)

Read Aloud Recommendation: In my opinion, it takes quite a few chapters to understand the complexities of the characters in this story, and therefore, it may not be the best story for reading aloud with younger students.  More mature students could handle the slower pace of the story as the characters develop.  I recommend this book for older students, grades 5 and up.   It is a wonderful story if readers can hang in there.

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

Deep and Dark and Dangerous:  A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Summary: When thirteen-year-old Ali spends the summer with her aunt and cousin at the family’s vacation home, she stumbles upon a secret that her mother and aunt have been hiding for over thirty years.

Author Web Site:  http://www.hmhbooks.com/features/mdh/index.html

Teacher’s Guide: Not Currently Available

Teacher Resources: Classroom Connections, Great Resources Posted by Elizabeth Borne, a Student at LSU School of Library and Information Science

Multimedia:  Digital Booktalk

Related Links:  Ghost Stories

American Folklore (Stories to Read and Audio Podcasts)

August House:  Tips for Scary Storytelling (Link provided to 20 page pdf document, “The August House Scary Story Startup Kit”)

Related Links:  Maine

Interactive Map with Photo and Video Links a the Maine Office of Tourism Web Site

Videos of Maine at the Maine Office of Tourism Web Site

Read-Aloud Recommendation: Oh, yeah!! This novel is a spine chiller, sure to keep students’ interest.  If you need a good ghost story, this book is for you.

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

Trading Places by Claudia Mills

Summary: When fifth-grade twins, Amy and Todd, tackle a school project, they also have to cope with issues of friendship at school and problems at home, including their father’s unemployment.

Author Web Site:  http://www.claudiamillsauthor.com

Author Interview: http://www.childrenslit.com/childrenslit/mai_mills_claudia.html

Teacher’s Guide:  Not Currently Available

Related Links:  Entrepreneurship

EconEdLink (Lesson Plan from The Council for Economic Education):  I Can Be an Entrepreneur

EconEdLink (Lesson Plan from The Council for Economic Education):  Not Your Grandma’s Lemonade Stand

Virtual Lemonade Stand

Related Links:  Mini-Society Curriculum

http://www.mini-society.com

Related Links:  Poetry for Kids

Gigglepoetry.com
This poetry Web site of Meadowbrook Press includes funny poems, poetry contests, and lots of ideas for teachers.  One neat feature of the site is Ask the Poet Interviews, which include interviews of Darren Sardelli, Bruce Lansky, Eileen Spinelli, Kenn Nesbitt, and many more authors.

Haiku:  How to Write a Haiku Poem by Giggle Poetry
This section of gigglepoetry.com offers a brief explanation, examples, and a short lesson.

Haiku Teaching Unit
This fourteen (14) day unit on haiku poetry was developed by a fifth grade teacher.

Poetryarchive.org
Wow!! Need poetry readings by children’s poets?  Some are audio clips (Roald Dahl reading “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf”) and some are video clips including interviews (Valerie Bloom).  There are currently 28 poets featured with photos, biographies, poetry readings, and in some cases, video clips of interviews and readings.  There are also links to the poet’s Web sites and publisher sites.  Very well done!

Poetry4kids.com
This poetry Web site of Kenn Nesbitt includes funny poems, lessons, games, contests, a rhyming dictionary, and much more!

Poetry for Kids:  Types of Poetry
This site offers a explanation and example of different types of poetry including acrostic, alphabet, autobiographical, ballad, cinquain, color, diamante, epitaph, explorer, haiku, and more with Web links to further resources about each.

Storyit.com:  Poems for Children
This site contains a wealth of resources including classic poems for children to read online (with a selection of these poems illustrated for printing/display), as well as seasonal themes (poems, story starters, picture prompts, and more about seasons and holidays), and write on shapes (clip art designed to print as lined shapes for use in writing projects.

Read-Aloud Recommendation: Recommended.  While this book does not have a fast paced storyline, the story deals with the realities of school and family relationships.  It also delves into economic realities, both through the characters struggle to create and market a product and through the unemployment woes of the former family breadwinner.  Students will be able to identify with this story.

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

The Rising Star of Rusty Nail by Leslie M. M. Blume

Summary: In the small town of Rusty Nail, Minnesota, in the early 1950s, musically talented ten-year-old Franny wants to take advanced piano lessons from newcomer Olga Malenkov, a famous Russian musician suspected of being a communist spy by gossipy members of the community.

Author Web Site:  http://www.lesleymmblume.com

Related Links:  Teacher’s Resources

Booktalk @ Random House

Real Star of Rusty Nail (Basis for Main Character of Franny Hansen According to Author)

Related Links:  American Coot

American Coot, Identification by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

Related Links:  Cold War

McCarthyism:  A Description by PBS

The Price of Freedom:  Printable Exhibition by The Smithsonian

Related Links:  Multimedia



Description:  YouTube Video of Piano Concerto No. 2, First Movement (Moderato)
Please view this version of the video, as it is from the original source, if possible.

Description:  YouTube Video of Piano Concerto No. 2, First Movement (Moderato) Saved for Schools with Content Filters
This posting of the same video is for schools who cannot access YouTube due to content filtering.  Please view the video from the original source if possible.

Related Links:  Sergei Rachmaninoff (Composer, Pianist, and Conductor)

Classics for Kids:  Biography of Rachmaninoff

Detailed Biography at Classical Net

Related Links:  Young Musicians

Kids, Keyboards and Classics (Article and Recorded NPR Show about Pianists 12-16 at the International Institute for Young Musicians in Lawrence, Kansas)

Read Aloud Recommendation: A good read aloud to pick for discussions about goals and hard work.  This book would also help students to better understand the 1950s, the Anti Communist Movement (and propaganda), and the McCarty hearings (hearings conducted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities).

This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms.  I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links.  I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by:  Eric Berlin

Summary: Winston Breen loves solving puzzles; and when his sister uncovers a twenty-five-year-old scavenger hunt (which leads to a ring worth thousands of dollars), he and his family jump at the opportunity to solve it.

Author/Publisher Web Site:  http://www.winstonbreen.com
Download and print a copy of all the puzzles so your kids won’t write in the book.  They’ll want to solve them all!

Teacher’s Guide:  Not Currently Available

Teacher Resources:

Best Kids Mystery Books from Suite101.com (Good choices in my opinion!!)

Interview with Author (text)

What is a Mystery?  (Lesson Plans Include Mystery Vocabulary, Elements of a Mystery, Writing Mysteries, etc.)

Related Links:  Multimedia

Book Trailer Created by Educators in the Liberty County School System

Related Links:  Mysteries

A. Pintura:  Art Detective (Online Art Mystery/Simulation)

Mini-Mysteries for Kids at kids.mysterynet.com

Related Links:  Puzzle Sites for Kids

Anagram Server from Wordsmith.org (Find anagrams for any word!)

Guess the Anagram & See the Answer Immediately  (Over 600 Anagrams from Everyday Things)

Online Jigsaw Puzzles, Include Tesselation Cuts (Can Login as Guest to Play)

Puzzle Choice for Kids:  Interactive Puzzles to Complete Online

Puzzle Choice for Kids:  Printable Puzzles

Read Aloud Recommendation: Unquestionably!! This is a good mystery adventure full of puzzles that you could give your students to try and solve before revealing the answer.  Kids will enjoy exploring the different types of puzzles found in this book.