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By Royce Mann    2016
Interest Level: 6th-12th grade
Text Level: 6th grade
Slam Poetry

A boy apologies to people in American society who are seen as inferior. His poem highlights how peoples' uncontrollable differences (race, gender) limit their opportunities. Also he discusses how his white, middle class upbringing has impacted his decisions.

Strategy: Main Idea
Students will draw a circle stating the main idea and then draw connecting circles to brainstorm other main ideas Royce addressed throughout his poem.

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Director: Will Gluck 2014
Motion Picture PG
Age Level: 7+

A young orphan girl desires to meet her biological parents after living in a foster care with an alcoholic care giver. After being saved by a wealthy man who is running for mayor, she is quickly  taken under his wing, so he gains popularity. When he learns about how Annie struggles to read, and his popularity begins to decrease and he is faced with a decision of how to handle his current situation.

Strategy: Connecting
Students will discuss in a literature circles and share about one connection they can make to a character in the story.

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Director: Gabriele Muccino  2006
PG-13
Age Level: 13+
Motion Picture

This touching film shows a journey of a single father and his son as they encounter joblessness, homelessness, and triumph. Chris Gardner, the single father, sells medical equipment to keep his life afloat. Chris after becoming unable to pay for basic necessities, studies and gets an internship at a brokerage firm. This job gives him a shot at a consistent well-paying job, and to have a prosperous life.

Strategy: Inference
Students will be given different pictures of the scenes from the movie and have to predict what the title of the movie means.

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By RJ Palacio 2012
Chapter Book
Interest Level: 5th-7th grade
Text Level: 5th grade
Chapter book

As many children are able to attend school, Auggie struggles to consistently attend school and connect with classmates due to his facial deformity. Auggie deals with a class bully who name calls, writes mean notes, and spreads rumors. Encouragement from his friend Jack and mother pushes others to see other traits in Auggie. This book has many perspectives, which allows the reader to empathize with each character's actions.

Strategy:  Summarizing
Students will draw the main characters in the story and write three sentences about the character's perspective in the story.

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By Eve Bunting 2006
Illustrated by Ted Lewin
Interest Level: K- 2nd grade
Text Level: 2nd grade
Picture book
Farah comes from a Muslim background and struggles to find connections with the other students in her class. Some learners try to interact, but Farah has been warned about the lack of appreciation for her home country. Even though she lacks English-speaking skills, a class field trip may spark her ability to collaborate with peers.

Strategy: Comparing and Contrasting
Students will use a Venn diagram to compare feelings of Farah to feelings they have experienced.

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Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story of the Underground Railroad

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Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story of the Underground Railroad

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By Ellen Levine 2007
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Interest Level: 3rd-5th grade
Text Level: 2nd grade
Historical Fiction

This story follows Henry, a man battling slavery. He has to deal with the loss of his family twice and works in a warehouse. He ponders about a free bird and devises a plan to make his dream a reality.

Strategy: Questioning
While reading students will write down questions they have about the character. They will use post-it notes to write down questions throughout the story.

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By Dr.Seuss                   1953
Interest Level: K- 2nd grade
Text Level: 3rd grade
Poetry

The rhyming poem allows a reader to notice a divide among the two-types of Sneetches. The Star-Belly Sneetches have power within society. The other Plain-Belly Sneetches feel inferior and wish they felt in charge like the other Sneetches. After a Star-On and Star-Off machine was invented, the Sneetches battle whether they desire a belly with or without stars. This causes them to contemplate how they should treat each other.

Strategy: Comprehension
The students will draw a series of pictures and create a timeline of events that occurred within the poem.

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By Pam Munoz Ryan            2000
Interest Level: 6th-8th grade
Text Level: 5th grade
Historical Drama- Chapter book

Esperenza, a young rich girl, lives a lavish life in Mexico. Reality hits when her father dies, her house burns down, and she moves to America during the Great Depression. Now that her life of luxury comes to a halt, she must forgo her past and work to survive.

Strategy: Sequencing
Students will complete a graphic organizer about the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

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By JonArno Lawson             2015
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Interest Level:  K-2nd grade
Text Level: K-2nd grade
Wordless Picture book
A young girl picks up flowers throughout her journey with her father. Her father does not notice her leaving flowers to various people she encounters (a homeless person, a bird, her mother). Wherever she leavers a flower color gets added to the book. It allows the reader to reflect on how to be in the present moment and appreciate the world.

Strategy: Predicting
Students at the beginning of the story will predict on what the story will be about. Then throughout the story the student will predict on the meaning of the flowers and what the story is discussing (since it is a wordless picture book).

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By Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by Jerome Larrigue
2005
Interest Level: 3rd- 5th grade
Text Level: 3rd grade
Historical Fiction- Picture book

Dining at a local cafe during the beginning of the civil rights movement is an eye opening experience for a young girl named Connie. Young men begin to protest for equal rights and this sparks other events to occur in North Carolina. Connie desires to participate and longs for equal rights.

Strategy: Contexualizing
Students will write about how the events in the story occurred because of the time period.

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By Eleanor Estes                    1944
Illustrated by Louis Slobookin
Interest Level: 3rd-5th grade
Text Level: 4th-5th grade
Picture book

After a young Polish girl named Wanda gets made fun of for wearing the same blue dress everyday to school she lies and says she has a hundred dresses at home. The bullying causes her to get pulled out of school. Finally one of her peers, who can relate to Wanda stands up for what is right.

Strategy: Challenge own belief
Students will place an X by any place in the story that may differ from a belief they hold. At the end of the book students will go back and reflect on why they hold their certain beliefs.

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By Evelyn Coleman                1996
Illustrated By Tyrone Geter
Interest Level: 3-6th grade
Text Level:  K-4th grade
Historical Fiction

The book told about a young African American girl asking her grandmother about going into town. Her grandmother discourages her from going into town since she once was threatened by a white male from drinking from a "White's Only" fountain. At the time, her grandmother thought taking off her shoes to just wear her white socks is what the sign was referring to. The story unfolds to show the impact of this event and how others followed their beliefs.

Strategy: Character Traits
Students will compare the traits the grandmother and the young girl.

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Changing Places A Kid's View of Shelter Living 

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Changing Places A Kid's View of Shelter Living 

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By Margie Chalofsky, Glen Finland, Judy Wallace
1992
Interest Level: 1st-7th grade
Text Level: 6th grade
Non fiction biography

This book brings awareness to shelter living and explains eight children's experiences at a homeless shelter. One child describes the struggle of sleeping next to strangers, while another child expresses his experience with abuse. Each child's heartfelt experiences aids in the understanding of how homelessness impacts people.

Strategy: Dialog
Students will create scripts based on their personal experiences and acknowledge the correct punctuation with dialog.

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By Matt La Pena 2015
Illustrated by Christian Robinson

Interest Level: K-2 grade
Text Level: 2nd grade
Picture book

CJ questions the Sunday routine his Grandma always takes him on. His Grandma reminds him of all the positive aspects of the things surrounding them on the bus ride. Items CJ normally takes advantage of such as the  ability to have sight, the ability to interact with different types of people, and a rainbow is quickly reminded by his Grandma.This sparks CJ to become aware of the positive parts of his life.

Strategy: Visualizing
Students will create a picture of the setting from CJ's perspective comparing to his Grandma's perspective

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By Maribeth Boelts 2007
Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
Interest Level: K-4th grade
Text Level: 3rd Grade
Realistic Fiction

Those Shoes  is from a child's perspective, the boy tries to fit in with his classmates and desires a pair of brand new shoes that everyone is wearing. While his Grandmother struggles to afford a new pair of shoes, he lights up discovering a pair from a discounted store. Since they are too small, he is guided to see the importance of love and comfort in other aspects of  his life.

Strategy: Summarizing
Students will draw a scene from the book on the bag and the title. Then the students will bring items to represent events that occurred  in the story.

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By Jim Hubbard                1996
Interest Level: 6th grade
Text Level: 4th-6th grade
Photographic Essay

This photographic essay allows people to gain insight on children who face poverty and homelessness. People gain perspective on the hardships: such as children who feel socially inferior to their peers and the instability of meals.
The photographs highlight the struggle these students face.

Strategy: Narrative Writing
Students will be able to understand the classification of a narrative. They will apply the elements of narrative writing to their own work.