Summer Reading 2012

Summer Reading List

This summer I am reading through a few of this year's Sunshine State Readers and a few new books to go with 4th and 5th grade social studies. As I read through the books I will post about each book and ideas I have for the books.

Turtle in Paradise

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm. The book is a Sunshine State Reader and a great story about Key West in 1935. I love the characters! The main character, Turtle, talks about the comic strips she reads and Shirley Temple. Of course I know that my students will have no idea who Shirley Temple is or understand the concept of reading comic strips from a paper once a week. I have decided before I begin reading the book to introduce them to the comic strips that Turtle talks about and let them watch a short clip of Shirley Temple so they will have a frame of reference. I am going to print out the comic strips so they can read them in class. I am also creating questions to discuss with the class as we read the story. 

The Promise

This week I had the chance to go the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. It was overwhelming. As I walked through the exhibit I thought about how the Holocaust could of been stopped or prevented if people had stepped up.

The Promise by Eva Schloss was a great book! Wow! It was so well written and really showed you how Eva felt as her world slowly disappeared. I am still debating how I will use this in class, the story maybe a bit heavy for 5th graders. When Eva reaches the Concentration Camp it is very heavy. I did write discussion questions as I was reading that I thought would help the students understand what was happening.

Trouble With Chickens

Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin is a cute story and a easy read. The story is told by two different dogs and has lots of voice for each one. The story is a mystery which is great for predicting. There are a few words that are included in the ransom note that could be discussed and added to the class vocabulary list.