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"Matilda" is hands-down the biggest literary influences on my beliefs as a reader, student and a teacher. I always wished I had a little bit of Matilda's magic and courage. I think girls would particularly be interested in this story, although Gifted students may also see themselves reflected in the main character. This story also has a "magical" element which may be of interest to any student who has ever wished they could torture a mean teacher with spooky tricks! An author study, along with "Fantastic Mr. Fox" would allow students to compare and contrast characters such as Matilda and Mr. Fox, or even villains such as Trunchbull and the farmers. Students could also study conflict and resolution, as well as small moment descriptive writing.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (4/14)

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (4/14)

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Because Dahl is my favorite children's author, I had to reread the classic "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Dahl's book are fun reads because they typically have various unique characters and interesting plots to discuss and examine. I think this book would interest students in 2nd or 3rd as a Read Aloud in order to discuss the situations each other the Wonka factory visitors get themselves into, and how their fates could have been avoided. Additionally, it would be fun for students to write letter to Wonka asking for permission to see his factory and imagining what the factory would look like. After reading the book, students could view the 1971 movie adaptation and compare events in the movie to the book.

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Loteria by Mario Alberto Zambrano *HOT 2013* (4/8)

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Loteria by Mario Alberto Zambrano *HOT 2013* (4/8)

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In the style of "The House on Mango Street" by Cisneros, Zambrano weaves together more than 50 short chapters, themed after the card deck of a popular Mexican game called loteria. "Loteria" was hard to read at times, triggering responses to the series of events in the life of a young girl, Luz. Like "Mango Street," it is an appropriate read for upper grades, middle and high school. I think Latino, specifically Mexican students, would be interested in this story as they may identify with a lot of the themes and characters in the book. This book would pair nicely with "Mango Street" in order to conduct a study on Chicano literature. In addition, students could practice small moment writing, using chapters from "Loteria" as mentor texts from which to gather teaching points.

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Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling *HOT 2016 Reprint, originally published 2007* (4/5)

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Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling *HOT 2016 Reprint, originally published 2007* (4/5)

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"Tales of Beedle the Bard" is a collection of short story fables, bedtime stories a part of the Harry Potter universe lore. This book is unique in that it features 5 stories, each of which was translated from ancient runes by none other than Hermione Granger. At the end of each story, there is a commentary published posthumously by Albus Dumbledore. According to the author, Dumbledore had written but not published several notes regarding these famous fables. In addition to this book, I read through "Quidditch Through the Ages" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them": both are written as nonfiction texts, but one follows the history and rules of the Harry Potter sport of Quidditch, and the latter is a nature guide of HP world magical creatures. All Harry Potter buffs will LOVE these books as they supplement information learned about the magical world Rowling built in the novel series. By reading this book as a class, students can learn about the elements of legends, myths and folk tales. Students could practice writing their own tale as a unit-long project on the genre.

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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros *Recipient of Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award* (3/31)

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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros *Recipient of Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award* (3/31)

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"The House on Mango Street" is Cisneros' most famous work, and the accolades it has garnered over the year are very-well deserved. This book would best be suited for middle to high school grades due to the mature content in the story, including sexual assault and relationships. However, this is a very important story to be told and read as it can be the story of many young Latinas in the United States (and I believe it would be of high-interest to such student). It's semi-autobiographical and told in small stories at times and poetry at other times, but it all comes together to tell of the struggles of Esperanza. I would read this book with "Loteria" by Mario Alberto Zambrano in order to compare and contrast the experiences of the Latino characters depicted in both books, especially the protagonists and their families. Grand discussion can be had in regards to the social and political issues touched upon by these stories, specifically misogyny, racism and socioeconomic disparity.

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Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage *Recipient of Newberry Honor Award* *HOT 2013* (3/26)

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Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage *Recipient of Newberry Honor Award* *HOT 2013* (3/26)

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"Three Times Lucky" is a fun adventure into the South, and is the first installment to a series about character Mo and Dale. I enjoyed the character-building as well as well as theme of mystery. It reminded me of adult mystery and thriller novels I have read. For that reason, I think it would interest students who like to read about adventures or mystery-solving stories. I would use this book in a literature circle in order for students to discuss characters, as well as to make predictions about the plot! Students could also learn about descriptive writing and practice writing their own mystery stories.

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"Summer of the Swans" by Betsy Byars is the story of a teenage girl, Sara, who is struggling to help care for her brother Charlie. At a young age, Charlie got so sick he eventually went through brain damage and now cannot talk. She is resentful of her beautiful sister and, eventually, of the situation Charlie gets the family into. I think students, specifically female students, would be interested in this book because it features themes of interpersonal and intrapersonal struggles. This book would be a good conversation-starter about empathizing with special needs individuals, much like "Out of My Mind" by Sharon Draper. These books can both be read and studied in order to compare and contrast the needs of the two main characters of each book, as well as how Charlie's and Melody's needs differ.

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Mr. Popper's Penguins by Florence Atwater *Recipient of Newberry Honor Award* (2/16)

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Mr. Popper's Penguins by Florence Atwater *Recipient of Newberry Honor Award* (2/16)

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I had never read "Mr. Popper's Penguins" despite its popularity and I hadn't even seen the recent movie adaptation! However, my CT at Winn Holt was reading it with her kids and I was able to start it with them as I read the first chapters aloud to them. It had a fun, predictable, happy ending and I'm sad I had to miss the class' reaction to the fate of the penguins and their dear friend. I think this story would interest students who love animals or funny stories, boys or girls and all ages! This would be good for a literature circle group in fourth grade, as student can discuss events and characters together. If I read this aloud to a class, I would have them make predictions about plot points during the entirety of the book. In this way, students would practice using context clues and background knowledge to justify such a prediction. Students could even write about what they would have done at the end of the story, given the same choices Mr. Popper was given.

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A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning (2/5)

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A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning (2/5)

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This series was one that I unfortunately didn't get into as a child. I was caught up in the Harry Potter craze, and though I remember attempting to read this book, I don't recall finishing it! So, with the new show based on this series now on Netflix, I decided to revisit this story and I am glad I did! I love the morose writing of (pen name) Lemony Snicket and all these fantastically depressing turn of events the three main characters undergo in their sad lives. This series is perfect for students interested in mystery stories as well as tragic plots. I would use this book in a literature circle as well, and students could compare/contrast the good/bad characters. If students read multiple books in the series, they could study how the characters evolve over time.

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"Out of My Mind" is a heart-breaking insight in the life and mind of a gifted girl, Melody, born with cerebral palsy. Despite her intellect, she cannot speak and sometimes her body takes control- leading to many misunderstandings and mistreatment from peers as well as unfit teachers. However, with the help of assistive technology, she is eventually able to express herself, though not fully. This book would be appropriate for fifth grade students, as the struggles Melody faces can be difficult for some age groups to comprehend. This would be a good assignment for literature circles, as there are so many elements of this story that students can dissect over several weeks. I would particularly focus on developing students' inferencing skills as Melody often tells us what she is thinking, but we could also infer a lot about how characters feel and act towards her. I would also use this as a Read Aloud to facilitate discussions about the characters and the story.