Tag: reading

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Historical Fiction: Unlocking History Through Literature

Young teacher with books and metal key on blue background

For some teenagers, reading is a struggle, and is often the last thing on their to-do list. Kids who once used to love reading have suddenly started seeing books as a burden. Perhaps this happens because of social pressure to see reading as a “nerdy” thing, or maybe they just have less time to read because of busier schedules. Another reason– perhaps the main reason– could be because they simply cannot find a book that interests them. Finding a book or a genre that pulls them in can get tricky. As teachers, we can help our students find engaging, fun to read books to hopefully spark an interest for reading. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote about dystopian novels for teens. If you need suggestions for that genre, you can click here. Today, I’ll share some great historical fiction novels. 

Historical fiction books are books that place fictional characters in real historical events, places, and times. This genre can be really engaging for students who are very into history. There are historical fiction novels written about nearly every big historical event, so there is something for everyone in this genre! Keep reading to learn about a few of them.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Set in Mississippi in the 1930s, Roll of Thunder follows Cassie Logan and her family, who are African-American, as they navigate segregation, racial injustices, and the Great Depression. This book does a wonderful job of painting a picture of what it would have been like for African-American families during the 1930s. Kids of any race can connect with Cassie, who is a spunky, determined little girl. 

  • An excellent read for ages 10+

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades takes place in 1941 during WWII in Lithuania and Siberia. Lina is a 15 year old girl who is taken by Soviet officers, along with her family, to a Siberian work camp. Lina is devastated when they are taken to the camp and she is separated from her father. During her time there, Lina uses her art to secretly document her experiences at the camp. This story focuses on resilience, perseverance, and survival, and teaches powerful lessons about the strength of the human spirit. 

  • Recommended for ages 12+

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Isabel is a young slave girl, along with her sister Ruth. When their owner dies, they are sold to a Loyalist couple who mistreats them. Isabel longs for freedom for herself and her sister. Hoping to secure that freedom, Isabel becomes a spy for Patriot forces, enduring horrific mistreatment. Bravery, resilience, and determination are highlighted throughout the novel as Isabel fights for her freedom. The story is powerful and moving, reminding readers that sometimes we must push ourselves beyond what is comfortable to remove the chains that bind us. 

  • Recommended for ages 13+. Chains is the first book in the Seeds of American trilogy.

Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe

This heart-wrenching story follows Hiram Hillburn, a 16 year old white boy who travels to Mississippi to visit his grandpa for the summer. While there, he meets a 14 year old black boy named Emmett Till, who also happens to be visiting family for the summer. Hiram and Emmett become friends as they realize they have a lot in common. Soon, Hiram discovers just how ugly racism is when Emmett is abducted and murdered. His body is found in the river a few days later. Hiram extends his stay so that he can be present for the trial and to offer any help he can in finding justice for Emmett. While this story can be hard to read because of the graphic content, it shares a powerful perspective on the events surrounding Emmett’s death. Hiram must make a decision between keeping the peace with his grandpa or standing up for what is right. 

For students who are interested in this story, Getting Away With Murder by Chris Crowe is a non-fiction book that pairs really well with it.  

  • Recommended for ages 14+

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Written in poems, Out of the Dust follows Billie Jo Kelby, a young girl living in Oklahoma in the 1930s. Billie Jo must face the realities of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. A fire kills her mother, and leaves Billie Jo’s hands badly scarred. She must navigate the harsh realities of life during this difficult historical time all while grieving the loss of her mother, dealing with her father’s emotional battles, and learning to play the piano again after the fire. The book is set up like a journal, with each entry being a free verse poem. 
Teenagers can connect with Billie Jo as she navigates the difficulties of being a teenager and facing hard things. 

  • Recommended for ages 12+

This is just a small sampling of the amazing historical fiction books that are out there, but hopefully it can provide you with some suggestions to give to a student who is needing a little help finding a book they can get into.

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CVC Easter Eggs

Last week, I shared some fun ways to use Easter eggs in your classroom. Today I have one more idea you can use! 

If you have students who are learning consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, this activity would be perfect for your kiddos. Using the downloadable file below, students can practice reading and recognizing various CVC words.

There are two pages to the file: the first is the student worksheet, and the second is the teacher page. Teachers, cut out the word strips on the second page, and put each strip into an Easter egg. Give each student a set of eggs with the word strips in them. As they open each egg, they can read the word strip, then glue it on the worksheet under the corresponding picture. 

This download is for personal or classroom use only. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own. 

CVC Easter EggsDownload
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Dystopian Novels: A Twisted Take on Reality

Teenagers typically either love to read or really don’t like it at all. A few will tolerate it. For the ones who really don’t enjoy reading all that much, it can sometimes be a struggle to find something that they will enjoy reading, and that will hold their attention for longer than a chapter. Finding a genre that they like can also be tricky. Thankfully, there are a multitude of genre and book options for today’s teens to pick from. One of the most popular genres among today’s youth is dystopian literature– stories that depict societies under terrifying, warped, or otherwise abnormal circumstances. Characters are typically victims of dehumanization, extreme control, and/or nightmarish environmental disasters. 

Main characters in dystopian novels are typically normal teenagers who must face abnormal circumstances. Today’s teens are drawn to that struggle. Dystopian literature has made a recent surge in popularity, providing teens with many options of books to read. Below are a few of my favorites– feel free to share them with students who need a good book to read!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent is book 1 in a series of books set in a futuristic Chicago, in a society that is divided into five factions. Each faction specializes in certain talents, abilities, or aptitudes. The series follows Beatrice Prior (Tris) as she finds out that she doesn’t fit into any of the factions, and is then labeled as “divergent”. Having a label like this is a dangerous secret. Tris discovers a plan to overthrow the government, leading to self-discovery, a little romance, and a whole lot of rebellion.

  • Recommended for ages 12+

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Shusterman explores a darker side of dystopian literature in this series of phenomenal books. The story is set in a futuristic America where parents can choose to have their children “unwound” between the ages of 13 and 18. Unwinding essentially means that their bodies are taken apart, piece by piece, with the parts/organs then being used for transplants, all while the teens are still conscious, and was instituted as a way to get around abortion. The series follows Connor, Risa, and Lev as they attempt to run from being unwound, risking their lives and freedom to fight for their right to live.

  • Recommended for ages 14+, as there are some graphic scenes and darker issues addressed.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen is a teen in the city of Panem, a city that requires teenagers to be part of a “reaping” that selects teens to fight to the death. When Katniss’s little sister is chosen in the reaping, Katniss volunteers as tribute and takes her sister’s place. She must then enter the Arena where she will fight against 11 other tributes, hoping to come out the winner. The series explores humanity, survival, and standing up for what is right against a cruel government.

  • Recommended for ages 12+

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Jonas was born into a society that believes that individuality is wrong, pain and suffering are not allowed, love does not exist, memories of the past are to be held by only one person– the Receiver, and citizens cannot choose or think for themselves. When children become an eleven, they are given a job that they will have for the remainder of their lives. Jonas is chosen to be the new Receiver, meaning he will be the one to hold all memories from the past– memories of pain, war, color, sadness, weather, and so on. As he receives these memories, his eyes are opened and he realizes just how wrong his society is. He must decide if he will continue his training or attempt to escape and find a normal life.

  • Recommended for ages 11+

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Guy Montag is a firefighter, and is one of several who have been tasked with collecting and burning books. Fearing citizens will become too knowledgeable, the government bans all books and requires that they all be burned. Guy begins to see through their plan and starts to question his role in the destruction of books. This story is set in a futuristic America and explores topics like censorship, conformity, and the problems that can come from a society that heavily relies on media. 


  • Recommended for ages 15+

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

In the first book of the series, The Maze Runner follows Thomas, a teenager who finds himself in a tricky spot. Thomas wakes up trapped in a giant maze, with no memory of how he got there. He and several other teens must find their way out of this maze. But it’s no ordinary maze– it’s constantly changing, is filled with dangerous creatures called Grievers, and is constantly monitored by a shady group called WICKED. Thomas and the others must find a way to survive, escape, and uncover the truth about the powers that be.

  • Recommended for ages 12+

I know I didn’t cover all of the popular dystopian books out there; I’d be writing for days if I did that! There are so many good dystopian books available for teens (and adults), and there’s no way I could possibly even begin to highlight all of them. Dystopian novels are fun to read and offer many opportunities for deep thinking and reflection, often bringing up issues that our own societies face today. If you’ve got a student or two looking for a new book to read, have them give one of these a try– they just may find a new genre or book they love!

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Sharing is Caring!

Sharing can be a difficult skill to learn, especially for kids in younger grades. Preschoolers and kindergarteners in particular often have a natural tendency to not want to share. Sometimes it can be hard for them to see that they aren’t giving up a toy or other object, but instead are just letting someone else have a turn. As teachers, we can model this for our students and can do our best to teach it in our classrooms. 

Since kids love picture books, I found a few children’s books that teach about sharing. These can even be read to older grades if needed. 

Not Enough Lollipops by Megan Maynor and illustrated by Micah Player

Alice and her friends are at an assembly when the principal announced that the last raffle prize would be a huge bucket of lollipops. Alice was the lucky winner! But she soon found that everyone else wanted a lollipop too. The other students began to try to persuade Alice to give them one or convince her that some students didn’t deserve one for various reasons. Alice found herself getting flustered. She finally took control of the situation and declared that everyone deserved a lollipop. She had the students get into a line, and she handed out lollipops one at a time until everyone who wanted one had one. The students who had tried to persuade Alice into giving out the lollipops felt bad for the things they had said. They realized that there was enough for everyone, and that it was nice to share with everyone.

Mine! written and illustrated by Sue Heap

Amy had a blankie, bear, bunny, and bird that she loved very much. She was very happy when it was just her and her blankie and stuffies. Her twin brothers came in and wanted to play. They took bear and bunny without asking permission, and didn’t stop when Amy asked them to. Baby Joe even wanted to play. She grabbed the toys from her brothers’ hands and not so nicely told them the toys were not theirs. Her brothers were sad. Amy realized that she needed to share. She handed a toy to each brother and they all four played together. Amy learned that by sharing, everyone got to have fun!

That’s (Not) Mine written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant

Two bears are fighting over a chair. The brown bear claims it is his because the blue bear got up and moved from the seat. The blue bear explains that he had sat there first, therefore it was his chair. The brown bear wouldn’t move. Blue bear brings in a rolling office chair. Brown bear is interested in it and wants to try it. After asking several times, the blue bear allows the brown bear to take the chair for a spin, only to end up crashing. Meanwhile, the blue bear has taken back the big chair. A fight ensues and they both end up crashing to the ground. Realizing they were silly to be fighting over a chair, they apologize and go play outside.

The New Small Person written and illustrated by Lauren Child

Elmore Green was an only child. He loved having everything to himself– toys, candy, his parents, and more. But one day, his parents bring home a new small person, and suddenly Elmer’s world is turned upside down. He is no longer the only one his parents have to attend to, and he doesn’t get to choose everything like he is used to doing. He doesn’t like this new small person and wants it to go back to wherever it came from, but the new person stayed and continued to grow. He didn’t like this small person following him everywhere. That changed one night when Elmer had a scary dream. This new small person hopped into Elmer’s bed to comfort him. Soon, Elmer realized that it was okay to have a brother, and that doing things together was more fun than doing things alone.

The Hare Who Wouldn’t Share written and illustrated by Steve Small

Hare liked to be by himself and most definitely didn’t like to share. He had a whole patch of turnips that he had grown, and wanted them all for himself. When a family of rabbits moved in just down the way from Hare, they stopped to say hello and admire Hare’s turnips. Hare was grumpy and told them to go away and that he did not want to share. One day Hare noticed the rabbits had a lovely patch of carrots growing by their burrow. The rabbits made soup with the carrots and invited neighbors to join them for a party. He could not figure out why the rabbits would want to share something they had worked so hard for. One night, Hare came across a big boar in the woods. The boar was greedy and mean and snatched Hare’s turnips right out of his hands. Hare knew the boar would head to the rabbits’ carrot patch next. He quickly ran home to gather some turnips to make a trail for the boar to follow. This bought him enough time to warn the rabbits and help them harvest all of their carrots. When the boar came, there weren’t any carrots or rabbits to be found, as they were all safe in the burrow. While Hare was helping the rabbits, the boar ate every last turnip in Hare’s patch. The rabbits come to the rescue and offer Hare a place to stay for the winter. Hare learns the importance of sharing and being kind.

Pig the Pug written and illustrated by Aaron Blabey

The Pig the Pug series is one of my favorite children’s book series. Told in a rhyme format, they all teach great lessons in a fun way. In this book, Pig is a very selfish pug. He lives in a house with another dog named Trevor. Trevor always wants to play with Pig and his toys, but Pig won’t have it. Afraid Trevor will steal all of his toys, Pig gathers the toys and makes a big pile so that Trevor can’t take them. Pig stands on top of the pile to protect it, and soon finds himself in trouble, as the pile is not stable. He takes a big tumble and, much to his dismay, is soon forced to share his toys with Trevor while he is recovering from his fall. 

Teaching students the importance of sharing can be fun, and these cute books can help! After all, sharing is caring! 

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Chasing Lincoln’s Killer: A Great Read for Teens

Eighth graders often get the short end of the stick– they aren’t the “newbies” at the school, but they aren’t the “olders” either. I suppose they are the middle children of junior high. But here’s the thing, they are so much fun. Of all the grades I taught, eighth grade was my favorite. Because they weren’t the newbies, they were a little more confident, a little more mature, and because they weren’t the olders, they typically didn’t have a “better than thou” attitude that sometimes comes with being the oldest in the school. 

They were in the sweet spot of still kind of holding onto childhood, but ready to tackle deeper thinking and issues. This made it fun to choose the books we read for our class novel studies. We’d typically read a couple of non-fiction books together, one of which was Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson. 

The book details the 12-day manhunt for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. It’s full of action, and is told in a story-like format, which makes it more enticing to junior high students. It’s also fairly short– only 208 pages. Its 14 chapters contain photos and documents from the time period and chase, letting the kids really get a feel for what the people and places looked like at the time. They can immerse themselves into the story and learn new things while they do so. 

If you’re interested in teaching this book to your classes, but just don’t know where to start, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. Below you will find a couple of resources you are welcome to print off and use to help students stay organized as they read the book. There are lots of events and people in the book, and these resources will help your students keep track of the who, what, when, where, and why of the book.

**These resources are for classroom or personal use only. They may not be resold, reposted, or claimed as your own.**

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer Key PlayersDownload
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer TimelineDownload
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Falling into Traditions by Reading

There are so many opportunities to create and carry on family traditions during the holidays. We don’t have to create traditions that are a huge production— sometimes a quiet night at home with people you love is the best way to spend your time. Have you ever considered making books or reading part of your holiday traditions? There’s not much that is better than finding a cozy corner in your house, curling up with a soft blanket, and reading some good books, and Fall time is the perfect time to cozy up with your family and read some fun books together! 

To get you started, I’ve selected a few books about Fall that will get you in the spirit of Autumn!

It’s Fall! by Linda Glaser with cut-paper illustrations by Susan Swan

This darling book follows a little boy as he explores and experiences Fall, learning about all the things that happen during this time of year. He notices the leaves changing colors, the animals starting to get ready to hibernate, the leaves falling, and the temperatures cooling. They plant bulbs in their yard in preparation for next Spring, snd he plays in the piles of leaves that have fallen off the trees. 

The illustrations in this book are phenomenal— they were all created out of paper then photographed for the book. 

Sammy in the Fall by Anita Bijsterbosch

Sammy is a curious little tiger who loves going on adventures with his stuffed horse, Hob. Together, they do all sorts of fun Fall activities, like picking apples, raking leaves and jumping into the piles, collecting acorns, doing crafts, and playing in the rain. 

The illustrations are adorable and the story is fun and engaging for younger kids.

The Roll-Away Pumpkin by Junia Wonders and illustrated by Daniela Volpari

Marla Little finds herself in quite a predicament: her giant pumpkin has started to roll away, and she can’t catch it. As she runs behind it, trying to stop it from rolling any farther, she exclaims, “Diddle-dee-doo! Oh, what shall I do?” She follows her pumpkin through town, and with every place her pumpkin rolls by, she gathers a new towns person to help her stop the pumpkin. Soon, the baker, the butcher, the farmer, the milk man, and the parade marchers are all running after the roll-away pumpkin with Marla. The pumpkin starts to get close to where some people are trying to cook a feast for the townspeople. Acting quickly, Marla flips a giant cauldron onto its side just in time for her giant pumpkin to roll right into it, where it stays until it is made into a delicious soup for all the people.

This story is a fun one to read with little kids, and is easy to get them involved in it with the repetition of Marla exclaiming “Diddle-dee-doo! Oh what shall I do?” every time she adds a new person to her pumpkin rescue efforts.

Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre

This book features photographs of all the beauties that Fall holds. It highlights the rich, vibrant colors of the changing leaves, describes the sounds and sights of the leaves falling from the trees, and what happens to the leaves as they fall, dry up, and begin to decompose. The photographs capture the textures of nature during this time of year, and show just how beautiful and wonderful Fall is.

Apples and Robins by Lucie Félix

This book is so unique! Rather than traditional illustrations to tell the story, the author uses shapes cut out in the middle of the pages to form pictures. This format helps readers to see that everything around them is made up of shapes, put together to form new shapes and objects. The story is very simple, telling about picking apples and building a bird house for the robin. A storm comes and blows the leaves, apples, and birdhouse out of the tree, and again, uses shapes to rebuild the birdhouse. 

This book was so fun to read. The cut out shapes made it engaging and fun to follow!

_____________

Reading is truly one of the best ways to connect with people around you— especially younger kids. It’s a great way to build language skills as well as build relationships and establish traditions. I hope you take some time soon to pick up a good book and share it with someone you care about! 

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Halloween Activities for Language Arts

It’s no secret how much I enjoy holiday-themed activities! They just bring such a fun element to a lesson and spark so much creativity. Even though we typically think of holiday themed activities as being targeted toward elementary aged kids, you can easily bring them into any content area and any grade level simply by modifying the difficulty of the activity.

Thought I can appreciate all content areas, English/Language Arts is my favorite, since that is what I spent many years teaching. And since we are nearing Halloween, I thought it would be appropriate to share some fun Halloween themed Language Arts activities! 

(Most of these will be geared more toward junior high aged kids, but can be modified for other grade levels as well.)

  • Read some “spooky” stories or poems. Edgar Allen Poe is always a good option for this time of year. In particular, “Tell Tale Heart” is a stellar choice for junior high students. Other options include “The Hitchhiker” by Lucille Fletcher, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, or “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. Did you know Roald Dahl even has some spooky short stories?!
  • Ask students to write a descriptive paragraph or two giving detailed descriptions of a haunted house. Have them trade papers with a classmate and have them create a physical model (drawing, painting, cut and glue, etc.) of the haunted house using what is written.
  • Have students write a personal narrative about their favorite Halloween or a favorite family Halloween tradition.
  • Have students write and illustrate a simple Halloween children’s book.
  • Have students write a persuasive piece defending their right to still trick-or-treat.
  • Using the free “Roll A Story” printable below, have students write a short story using the elements their dice rolls choose for them.

Play some fun Halloween music while your students work on one or more of these delightful Halloween themed activities, and you’ve easily set up a fun work environment for your students to work in! Teenagers might put up a front that they are “too old” for things like this, but deep down, they love it and will eat it right up when given the chance! 

** This printable is free, and is intended for home or classroom use only. Please do not resell, repost, or claim as your own. **

Roll A Story HalloweenDownload