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Where the Wild Things Are (Imaginational Excitability)

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Where the Wild Things Are (Imaginational Excitability)

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Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Ages: 3-10
As gifted children with imaginational overexcitability may engage in imaginative play, this book takes them through a wild journey in Max's imagination, after he gets in trouble with his mom.

Parents and teachers could also share that some of the drawings are based on Sendak's relatives, which he did not like very much.

Questions:
-When have you felt like Max?
-How did using his imagination help Max work through his feelings?
-How does using your imagination help you work through your feelings? How do you do this when you play? When you draw?

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Ada Twist, Scientist (Intellectual Excitability)

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Ada Twist, Scientist (Intellectual Excitability)

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Title: Ada Twist, Scientist
Author: Andrea Beaty

Ages: 3-7

Gifted children with intellectual over excitability seem to be thinking all of the time and want answers to deep questions. In this book, Ada has a very curious mind and won’t stop researching and asking questions until she finds answers. Although sometimes her curious mind gets her into trouble, it leads her to discover many new things.

Questions:

-What is Ada like?

-What is there about Ada that is similar to yourself?

-Are any of her troubles/problems because she is bright?

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Title: Weslandia
Author: Paul Fleischman
Ages: 4-9

Wesley knows that he does not fit in with his other classmates and his parents are upset that he won't conform to what everyone else is doing. He decides to use his imaginational over excitability to establish a new civilization in his backyard. This civilization eventually attracts the people who were tormenting him and they want to be a part of it.

Questions:
-Can you feel the feelings, emotions, conflicts that Wesley faces?
-How do you know he feels this way?
-What would you have done in Wesley's situation?

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Title: Rosie Revere, Engineer
Author: Andrea Beaty
Ages: 3-7

Gifted children can sometimes doubt themselves and their intelligence when things get hard or if they fail on the first few tries. Rosie loved inventing new things, until someone made her feel like her invention was ridiculous. After that she doubted herself and felt like she wasn't as good as an inventor as she thought. Rosie had to learn about failure and how to persevere.

Questions:
-Have you ever been in Rosie's position?
-What did you do?
-What did you think?

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Title: Beautiful Oops
Author: Barney Saltzberg
Ages: 3-8
This book takes each mistake and turns it into something new and interesting.  Children need to be taught very early mistakes are part of life, they can lead to wonderful things.  Gifted children who may have perfectionist tendencies need to internalize thie message especially early when mistakes in school are do not happen often.

-When might it be appropriate to "fix up" a mistake and when might you have to start again?
-How might looking at mistakes differently help you?
-How could you apply the lesson of this book in your life?

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The Dot

Peter H. Reynolds

Ages: 5-9

This story is about a student that was afraid to draw a picture because she was afraid of not being a good drawer. With the help of her teacher, the student created a picture without fear of failing. This is a great story for students who show signs of perfectionism, who are afraid of failing, or students that give up when things do not come easily to them.

- What do you think would happen if Vashti didn’t sign her name?

- Think of a time you felt like Vashti and tell me about it. Think about how Vashti worked through the problem. What can we do now when we are afraid of starting something that does not come easy to us?

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The Most Magnificent Thing (perseverence)

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The Most Magnificent Thing (perseverence)

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Title: The Most Magnificent Thing
Author: Ashley Spires
Ages: 3-7
Often a gifted child has an idea in their mind but not necessarily the skills to create it.  This book follws the journey of a girl who just cannot get her project to look the way she wants.  After working angry does not work, she calms down and finds success.
- How do you react when something you are working on does not come out the way you pictured it?
-What do you do to calm down when your get upset about a failure?
- How can perseverence help you be successful in life? In school? At home?

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Title: Anywhere Artist
Author: Nikki Robinson
Ages: 4-7

Gifted Children are very creative individuals, however in certain environments their creativity its not allowed to be as flowing it should. This story discuss how the little girl goes many different places and creates art from the objects around her. Gifted children should understand that no matter what the object is, they should embrace their creativity and let their imagination run wild.

Questions:
- Have you ever let your imagination run wild?
- Can you feel the feelings the girl felt as she walked around and saw different objects?
- How does it feel to allow you imagination to take over?

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Title: Giraffes Can't Dance
Author: Giles Andrea and Guy Parker-Rees
Ages: 2-9

In the book, the other animals discredited that Gerald could do anything before even knowing him. He felt alone, and needed a little confidence in order to prove every one wrong. Gifted children often times feel alone like Gerald, and they need to understand that yes they are different. However, they might only need a nudge in the right direction by their teacher or another student in order to change the way they approach their tasks so that they don't feel alone.

Questions:
- Have you ever been in a similar situation to Gerald?
- What would you have done in Gerald's situation?
- When do you choose to stand up for yourself?

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Penelope Perfect: A Tale of Perfectionism Gone Wild

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Penelope Perfect: A Tale of Perfectionism Gone Wild

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Title:

Penelope Perfect: A Tale of Perfectionism Gone Wild

Author:
Shannon Anderson
Ages:
5-9

Penelope has never been late for anything in her life and always followed the same routine. Until, one day, the power knocks her power out. Worried about how her day will go, she quickly realized that all she needed to was laugh and being free. Gifted students have a high fear of failure, this is a great story to show students it's okay to be free and enjoy time away from academics.

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Not My Idea: A Book about Whiteness (Moral Sensitivity-Call to action)

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Not My Idea: A Book about Whiteness (Moral Sensitivity-Call to action)

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Upper Elementary-Middle School
Not My Idea: A Book about Whiteness is a thought-provoking civics book by Anastasia Higginbotham. This call to action book helps children talk about systemic racism, white privilege, and using their voice. The book has mixed reviews, but I see that as a good thing as readers are asked to confront their beliefs. The book is appropriate for late elementary and middle school as students may find the call for action in some way.
Questions:
Is using your voice a choice or a requirement? How do you differentiate speaking up and staying silent?
If opportunities and experiences shape our perspective, how can looking through the lens of another shift our vision of the world in which we live and operate?
What other possible connections or parallels can you see between your experiences and those within the text?

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Cry, Heart, But Never Break is a book written by Glenn Ringtved. The book explores the inevitability of death and relating emotions the living goes through in the process. The story allows the reader to feel loss of life and recognize the importance of saying goodbye to someone they love. This story is intended for elementary students.
Questions:
Have you ever lost someone or something that you cared about?

Death tells the children the story of Sorrow and Delight and Grief with Joy. How do the relationships between Sorrow and Delight and Grief with Joy connect to the relationship between the children and the loss of their feelings or the children and their grandmother?

What does the line “grieved but cried, but never broke” mean to you?

How can you use the siblings experiences with Death to move forward after loss?

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The Invisible String was written by Patrice Karst. The story is about the bonds that keep us together even when we are not. It discusses how we are all interconnected as humans and are never truly alone in the struggle. This book is for primary students.
Questions:
When you feel alone, what do you do to feel connected?
Is there a place or a person that you feel most connected to? How do you feel connected to that person even when you don’t see him or her?
How can the idea of invisible strings make your actions and interactions with all you meet important?

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Title: Archibald Frisby
Author: Michael Chesworth
Ages:5-9
Archibald sees the world scientifically, much like, I imagine, the little boy in the I am Gifted video,  and is intensely focused on learning science.  His mother does not understand his obsession and sends him to camp to forget about science and just have fun.  At camp, he opens the eyes of others to his exciting scientific world.

- When have you felt misunderstood by an adult?
- What things in the world do you believe you see differently then your peers?
- IN what ways might you be able to help others understand the way you think?

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Author:Britney Winn Lee
Ages: 4-8
The boy has intense feeling about many things, including the feelings of others.  He believes he is alone and pushes his feeling down so no one will think he is odd.  Eventually he meets another child who also has big feelings.  Together they realize everyone has feelings and it okay.
- When have you felt like the boy in the story?
- What happens when you try to ignore your feelings?
- How would you deel with feeling alone/different than others?

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Title:  The Dot
Author:  Peter H. Reynolds
Ages: 4+
A little girl is asked to draw and she doesn't think she is a good artist. However, in her back and forth conversation in the teacher she she figures that she can draw a dot. She the becomes creative and draws all sorts of dots which are showcased in the art show. When another student resists drawing because he too doesn't think he is good at it she insists that he start with a dot.

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Title:  Ish
Author:  Peter H. Reynolds
Ages 4+
Ramon likes to draw until an adult comments on his work.  He then becomes very critical of his drawings and they become laborious in his efforts to make them perfect.  He eventually realizes that perfection is not as important as creativity.
Questions:
1.  Have you ever had an adult provide negative feedback on your work?  How did it make you feel? What did you do as a result?
2. How could Ramon have responded differently and how would it have changed the outcome?
3.  How did Ramon change is this story? What lead to the change?

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Title:  Walk Two Moons
Author:  Sharon Creech
Grades: 3-8
Sal is traveling to visit her mother in this powerful story.  It is a story within a story.  The colorful characters explore a host of complex emotions.  This story deals with death and complex family issues.
I selected this story because the main character and her friend face a myriad of emotions as they uncover their feelings about life.  Many of my students struggle with understanding that people that they love are not perfect and understanding the complex adult world around them.
Questions:
1.  How does  Sal respond to her mother's death?  Was her response what you would consider normal?
2.  Have you ever found out that someone that you care about is not perfect?  How did you handle knowing this?
3. Did finding out that someone you care about is not perfect change the way you feel about them?

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe    

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe    

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Title:  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Author:  C.S. Lewis
Age: 9-11
In this story, four children travel to the land of Narnia through a wardrobe.  Unfortunately, one of the children betrays the others.  This story explores betrayal and forgiveness.
I selected this text because students  have the opportunity to explore if good people are capable of doing bad things.
Questions:
1.  Can good people do bad things?  Are you destined to make bad decisions because you made bad decisions in the past?  Can a person change?
2.  Have you ever had someone betray you?  How did it make you feel?  Were you able to forgive that person?
3.  How do you determine when it is ok to forgive and when it isn't?

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If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Smell 

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If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Smell 

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Series: The Adventures of Everyday GenuisesTitle: Mississippi? By: Barbara Esham Ages: 4-8

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If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Spell

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If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Spell

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Series: The Adventures of Everyday Genuises

Title: If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Smell Mississippi?

By: Barbara Esham

Ages: 4-8

A observant girl is extremely surprised to learn that her talented, successful, and intelligent father is not a good speller and has dyslexia.

Questions
Have you ever felt ashamed by not being able to do something that other people?

Why do you think that the author chose her father as the character who had a disability? What if she chose a different character to have a disability?

If you are talented, are you talented in everything?

If you are bright and smart, do you always do well in school?

Have you ever been really curious about something and did you ever think to do an investigation to learn more about it?

What do you do when you are frustrated? Do you have anyone else that can help you when you are frustrated?