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"T is for Tar Heel " by  Carol Crane (2010)

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"T is for Tar Heel " by  Carol Crane (2010)

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A few kinds of open ended questions that one might ask when reading this book includes, “ if you could visit one of theses places in North Carolina, which would you choose and why,” “why do you think the author chose this word to represent North Carolina,” and “how do you think life was different in North Carolina a long time ago compared to now.” I really like how I could connect to this book as I was born and raised in the state of North Carolina. I connected to this book because I recognized a few items that were represented to the alphabet letters as part of what makes me an independent person. I really liked how this alphabet book incorporated history and geography with young children’s fiction.

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Goodnight North Carolina by Adam Gamble (2005)

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Goodnight North Carolina by Adam Gamble (2005)

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Goodnight North Carolina by Adam Gamble (2005)

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When reading Goodnight North Carolina, I would ask questions that invite children to connect to familiar places that may have visited in the past and imagine their own experiences across North Carolina. For example I may ask “What special places in North Carolina have you visited with your family?”, “Which place in this book would you most like to say goodnight to, and why?”, “How is this place in the book the same or different from where we live?”, “If you could add another page to this book, what North Carolina place would you choose?”, or lastly, “What do you think makes North Carolina special?” I feel as though these questions open space for children to share their own personal experiences and make real world connections. The book also encourages curiosity about their home state, helping them appreciate both familiar and new places maybe they haven't had a chance to visit yet.

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While reading Good Night, North Carolina, I think there are a few different questions that I would ask. First, I think I would go through and ask for a raise your hand if you have been to whichever place we’re saying good night to. I know that isn’t an open-ended question, but I feel like that would just help the kids get more into the book as we are reading it. Secondly, I would ask the children which is their favorite place and why I think asking about their favorite and why it’s their favorite is definitely open-ended and it helps them understand that their words have meaning and that we do care to hear about their stories thirdly I think I would ask them what place they would want to visit and why I think this gives them more of a open imagination to explore their own minds as to why they think that these different places would be somewhere that they wanted to explore and visit. Lastly, I think I would close out the conversation with simply asking if there’s anything else that they have visited that they would like to share about, and then ask which place would be where they would want to say good night last.

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While reading Good Night, North Carolina, I think there are a few different questions that I would ask. First, I think I would go through and ask for just a raise your hand if you have been to whichever place we’re saying good night to. I know that isn’t an open-ended question, but I feel like that would just help the kids get more into the book as we are reading it. Secondly, I would ask the children which is their favorite place and why I think asking about their favorite and why it’s their favorite is definitely open-ended and it helps them understand that their words have meaning and that we do care to hear about their stories thirdly I think I would ask them what place they would want to visit and why I think this gives them more of a open imagination to explore their own minds as to why they think that these different places would be somewhere that they wanted to explore and visit. Lastly, I think I would close out the conversation with simply asking if there’s anything else that they have visited that they would like to share about, and then ask which place would be where they would want to say good night last.

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In Francie Hall's Appalachian ABCs, each letter of the alphabet introduces a word that is special to Appalachian life such as "b" is for bluegrass and "t" is for Tweetsie Railroad (!) along with folk-style illustrations. It's a fun way to celebrate our mountain heritage making it both educational and culturally meaningful. Some of the questions that I would ask would include " Have you ever seen or heard of something like this before?" or "Does it remind you of anything in your own life?" Our Pre-K students live in this region so it would help to ask open-ended questions that connect their experiences to the book images. It helps them create a sense of their own cultural identity and community. I would also ask about "What letter or page is your favorite? Why do you like that one?" I love asking this question because it not only promotes reasoning and reflection from the children but also gives me insight into their explanation skills and personal preferences. This book does a great job of honoring the everyday beauty of living in Appalachia and I would hope to connect that meaningfulness with the students who call that region home.

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Goodnight Boone By Yozette Collins and Maris Jennings (2012)

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Being a PreK teacher in Boone, NC, this book is focused around the children's hometown located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a way to connect the children to familiar places and things in their hometown. I could ask them if they have the same goodnight traditions in this book. I could ask them to share their own nighttime routine. I could ask them about the setting and if it's similar to where they live or what they see out their windows at home. I feel this book connects to the children in the area, because it's what is familiar to them and would be easy for them to connect to on a deeper level.

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Ernestine's Milky Way (2019) Kerry Madden-Lunsford & Emily Sutton

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Ernestine's Milky Way is a cute book with features of things seen in North Carolina, such as animals, plants, astronomy, and lifestyles. Set in the Great Smoky Mountains, Ernestine helps her mama on their farm every day while her papa is away at war. Her mama asks her to do a big girl task, since she says she is one. Mama is expecting twins at any moment and isn't allowed to leave the house per doctor's orders, and that was to take two mason jars of their cow's milk to the neighbor. Ernestine doubts her ability to achieve. She would have to trek over climbing bittersweet vines and through thickets of blackberries and crabapples near the creek. However, Ernestine is five years old and a big girl, so she goes. Ernestine is certain that the mason jar she is carrying is lost forever when it slips from her arms and goes down the mountainside into the river. However, her neighbor's son arrives with a muddy jar that contains the milk, and from that day on, Ernestine made it her daily chore to take the neighbor's milk.

While reading this book, you get a sense of life in the Great Smoky Mountains through the tone of the book. I think of questions to ask the children that may help them relate to the book. Do you have any animals? Have you lived on a farm or been to a farm? Have any younger siblings? Seen wild berries and plants as they hiked through the woods? Name some of the animals that are mentioned in the book, and have they ever encountered one themselves? What is a comfort food that you could put milk in or butter on? Have you ever had fresh milk? Does your family can food? If so, what do they can? What elements of nature are listed in the book that set the tone for the season in the book (acorns, leaves, etc.)? Have you ever visited the Great Smoky Mountains? I know these are not open-ended questions, but these are questions to help the children engage and relate to the book, to get them thinking about the questions to come.

Open-ended questions to ask would be "How different is life now than it was in the book?", "What are some special characteristics of where you live for your family? Why?", "Do any of the things mentioned in the book relate to their life personally? How?", "How do the mountains make you feel?", and "Can you describe the mountains through your senses? (How does it smell, how it sounds, how honeysuckles taste, how it looks, how do the trees feel)".

By enabling children to apply the story's themes, characters, and circumstances to their own experiences and cultural backgrounds, open-ended questions about this book can help foster cultural understanding. As children consider various viewpoints and ideas, these questions help them develop empathy and a greater understanding of diversity. Additionally, by encouraging children to share their own cultural viewpoints, open-ended questions foster a classroom climate that values and celebrates a variety of experiences, giving children a sense of community and cultural understanding.

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While reading the book Back Home, I could ask the children about where they live. I could say "Do you live out in the country, or in the city; what are things about your home that you like?" "Have you ever been on a long trip, where did you go? did you enjoy it?" "Have you ever been somewhere without parents, how did that make you feel?" "What makes you happy, Jack enjoys taking care of his goats, is there anyone who has pets at home?" These are just some questions that I could pull from this story, there are many concepts like feeling left out/different, missing family, being excited about a new place, etc. that I could ask the children about, all of which would engage and get the children focused and excited to learn. For example, above I listed how I could ask if anyone has animals or pets at home that they take care of just like Jack; this conversation could go in so many directions from names, care, materials needed, etc. Getting children thinking is the most important thing, when we can relate it to their own lives, it is even better.

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Hello, North Carolina! by Martha Day Schock

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Hello, North Carolina! by Martha Day Schock

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When reading Hello, North Carolina by Martha Day Zschock, I would use open ended questions to spark conversation and have children talk about places that they recognize. I would encourage children throughout the book to notice details and make connections by asking questions such as, "What stands out on this page?" or "How do you think visiting this place would be?". I would also use open ended questions to invite them to go around and share personal experiences with questions such as, "Does this place remind you of somewhere you've been?" or "Where in this book did you see that you would like to visit if you could?". These kinds of questions help children think more in depth, use their imagination, and engage more with the story and book since they can make it personal and form a connection.

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While reading this sweet little book, some open-ended questions I could ask to encourage my students to think, connect and share their ideas could be "what do you notice about the places in North Carolina?". "Why do you think the author says night night to so many different things?" To help my students engage with the story I could ask " How would this story make you feel before bed?" or "what would you say night night to in your town?" By asking these types of questions it allows children to make personal connections. I could also ask "Do we have some things similar in our town?" or "Do you recognize any of these places we are saying night night to?" By using these open-ended questions, it helps promote comprehension, critical thinking, and language development while also making reading more meaningful, engaging and fun.

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Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile (2011) written by Gloria Houston and illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb

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When I was looking up books based in North Carolina I wanted to find a book based on a true story. Miss Dorothy's story immediately drew me in. Miss Dorothy was a librarian that ran a bookmobile through Mitchell, Yancey, and Avery counties and inspired a generation of avid readers by making literacy accessible! It reminded me much of my great Aunt Ashlyn, a lover of books who drove a bookmobile in Cabarrus Co. from the 1940s - 70s!

This is a fascinating story, I find that books set in familiar places catch the attention of readers. When I heard Avery Co. mentioned, I felt a sense of pride and was enamored with the story. My mom's side of the family is born and bred Appalachia for hundreds of years and to read a story mentioning that side made me proud and really connected me to the story here.

Some open - ended questions I might ask are, "Why do you think there was no library in this part of North Carolina?", "What kind of books would you check out of the book mobile?", "How did Miss Dorothy change these people's lives?".

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Before reading "Little North Carolina" I would ask children "Do you know anything about North Carolina?". This opens up a way to stop through the book and talk with children about things they might have knew before reading the book. While reading the book I would ask "What is unique about North Carolina according to the book" allowing students to answer after the book states NC is unique based on their focus of various state symbols and notable features. After reading ask children if they could solve the riddle the book had presented.

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One of the questions that I would ask would be "How do you think that the Giant's brother found out what happened?" I would also ask "What would you do if your sibling was in some kind of trouble?" "What would you have done if were in Jack's situation?"

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Look out Jack, the giant is back! Read along for remote learning

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What places from the story would you like to visit? Have you been before? What was it like? What are some ABCs you can think about that are in your home? I think this is a great book to have in the class library because it is easier to read and talks about landmarks throughout the state of North Carolina.

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1. What do you notice about this animal?

2. How do you think this animal survives in its habitat?

3. What does this picture make you wonder about?

4. Why do you think this animal looks or acts the way it does?

5. How might this animal change through the seasons?

6. What connections can you make between this animal and ones you’ve seen in real life?

7. If you could ask this animal a question, what would it be?

8. How do you think people and this animal share the environment?

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North Carolina: In Words and Pictures (1980) Written by Dennis B. Fradin and Illustrations by Richard Wahl

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North Carolina: In Words and Pictures is a great book for older children (ages 7-12). The book covers the unique history of North Carolina and includes realistic pictures. It shares information about the mountains, piedmont, and coastal region. The book discusses important time periods and events such as the Native Americans, the English and early settlers, the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island, the First Flight, important crops and animals, and so much more. I could ask many open-ended questions when reading this book such as:

1. How do you think living near the mountains is different from living near the coast of NC?

2. What is your favorite thing about NC?

3. The Lost Colony is still a mystery. What do you think happened to the early settlers that disappeared?

4. If you could visit any place in NC, where would you go and why?

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This precious book by Rose Rossner celebrates is designed for parents and their young child. It celebrates the places you and your family may love in our state, and is filled with animals, lyrical rhymes, and interactive features. When reading this book, some open ended questions that you could ask that come to my mind are:

what are some things that are big in north carolina?

what do you love about where we live in nc?

what do you see in this picture?

how does this part of the book make you feel?

would you like to go to this place?

what does love mean to you?

how does your family show that they love you?

what other words can we use to describe love?

All of these questions would be excellent to ask and discuss with young children who have an awareness of NC.

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1.) Would you like to see wild ponies next time you're at the beach?

2.) How would you feel about walking on a bridge that swings?

3.) Hush puppies are yummy! Would you like to find a recipe for them?

4.) Are mountains taller than the grass?

5.) What would you do if you saw a baby black bear next time your playing in the woods?

6.) Dinosaurs! Who knows what a dinosaur who only eats plants is called?

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While reading Night, Night North Carolina, I would ask children: "Where do you go to sleep?", "Where all could you sleep?", and "Are there any other places you could sleep?" I would also ask, "Which place is most like where we live?" and "If you could pick one of these places to visit, where would you go and why?" As a teacher, I could point out the animals and ask, "If you could be an animal, which one would you be?" Finally, I would ask, "What do you think happens at the aquarium when everyone goes to sleep?" There are many different open-ended questions that could be asked to encourage discussion and critical thinking. These questions will help students make personal connections, use their imaginations, and engage more deeply with the story.

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In Barbara Cooney's novel, Miss Rumphius, a woman spreads beauty around her. neighborhood by planting flowers. Children are encouraged consider nature, generosity, and changing the world by the books beautiful graphics and poetic prose. "Why do you think she wanted to make the world more beautiful?" is an example of an open ended question that could be asked. Asking questions like the one posted above can encourage comprehension, critical thinking, and dialogue.

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When I Was Young In The Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

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When I Was Young In The Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

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When reading When I Was Young in the Mountains, I would ask open-ended questions that encourage children to think about daily life, family traditions, and feelings. Because the book is written as a series of memories, I might ask questions like, “What do you notice about how the family lives?” or “How do you think the child feels in this part of the story?” These questions help children reflect on the characters’ experiences rather than searching for one right answer.

I could also ask questions that help children make personal connections, such as, “Does this remind you of something you do with your family?” or “What looks the same or different from where you live?” Since the story describes life in the mountains, questions like “What do you notice about the setting?” or “Why do you think the author liked living in the mountains?” would encourage discussion about place and environment.

I like this book for open-ended questioning because it is calm, reflective, and focused on everyday moments. The illustrations and simple text give children plenty to talk about and interpret in their own way.

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Over in the Mountains: An Appalachian Counting Rhyme by Cynthia Rylant

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Some open ended questions I would ask before reading this book to children would be "What do you think this book will be about?" "What does book remind you of?" "What does I love you ad big as North Carolina mean?" During the book I would ask "Have you ever been to a place like this before?" "Who do you love as big as North Carolina?"

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I Love You as Big as North Carolina - by Rose Rossner (Board Book)

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Read reviews and buy I Love You as Big as North Carolina - by Rose Rossner (Board Book) at Target. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more.

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1. Which part of North Carolina would you want to visit and why?

2. Have you ever been to any of this places?

3. Which place looks the same as where we are living?

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Seabiscuit: Wild Pony of the Outer Banks (2007) by Anne Russell

1. Why do you think Seabiscuit acted that way?”

2. “How would you feel if you were on the island with the ponies?”

3. “What do you notice about the ponies’ behavior?”

4. “What do you think will happen next?”

These kinds of questions help children think about the story, make predictions, and connect the story to their own experiences. I chose this book because it tells a true story about ponies in a fun and exciting way. This book supports engagement in reading by encouraging conversation, helping children practice thinking and speaking skills, and making the story feel interactive.