The One and Only Ivan is a favorite book of mine. I was so excited to learn that Katherine Applegate wrote a sequel, this time showcasing Bob, Ivan’s loyal stray dog companion. Applegate takes the heartwarming, humorous, and thought-provoking recipe of her creation of Ivan and brings it again to The One and Only Bob. It is a new favorite for teachers and students alike!
Take a look at this book trailer from Katherine Applegate’s YouTube Channel:
From the book jacket:
Return to the unforgettable world of the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling novel The One and Only Ivan (soon to be a major motion picture!) in this incredible sequel, starring Ivan’s friend Bob!
Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.
Bob, Ivan, and Ruby have touched the hearts of millions of readers, and their story isn’t over yet. Catch up with these beloved friends before the star-studded film adaptation of The One and Only Ivan hits theaters in August 2020! **NOTE: The One and Only Ivan movie is currently available to stream via Disney+.
Just as The One and Only Ivan is a favorite book to use in the classroom, The One and Only Bobis ripe for you to use as a novel study as well.
You will love The One and Only Bob just as you did The One and Only Ivan, but maybe in a little bit different way. Bob brings the humor. He was the comedy of The One and Only Ivan after all! You still have the heartwarming journey of the character who is seeking acceptance of themselves, who is trying to find out where they belong in the world and who they can depend on. This journey will resonate with children who are on that same path in life, and many adults as well! Should Bob go it alone, or is it okay to rely on others, and at the core, is it okay/safe to trust? Take your students on this journey with Bob. You won’t be sorry!
Please check out the completed The One and Only Bob Novel Study that contains both a printable and Google Drive™ compatible format available in my store.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
The Chronicles of Narnia series, written by C.S. Lewis was a fantasy series published between 1950 and 1956.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is probably the most well-known book of the series and many mistakingly believe it is the first in the series, but it is really book #2. The first book in the series is The Magician’s Nephew. The Horse and His Boy is #3, Prince Caspian is #4, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is #5, The Silver Chair is #6, and the final book of the series is The Last Battle.
The fantasy world of Narnia is full of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals. Each book focuses on children and their central roles in the history of the Narnian world. Throughout the series, children are magically transported to Narnia from the real world as they work with the Narnian lion, Aslan, to protect Narnia from evil.
The Chronicles of Narnia series is the best-known work of C.S. Lewis. The stories parallel his childhood during World War II and he weaves in his theology work throughout the series in subtle ways. There is a Christian thread through the books, but it is not overt. This makes the books good for use in both Christian and public schools alike. The base of the story, good vs. evil, is one that can be analyzed and interpreted by all.
There have been movies made, some big-budget releases by Disney, for some of the books. There are also rumors that Netflix will be producing a series on their streaming platform in the near future to accompany all the books in the series.
Fantasy lovers have been enthralled with the Chronicles of Narnia for decades. They are often the books that spark the love of the genre for readers to branch off to older-aged works such as The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame, has noted that the series was one that had a profound impact on her as a child and helped to influence her fantastical mind in authoring the Harry Potter series. Your students will be in good company and will likely fall in love with the Narnian world as countless others have over the past 70 years.
I offer complete novel studies to accompany each of the Chronicles of Narnia books for use in the classroom or homeschool. Each unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom and follows a similar layout as shown in the video for The Magician’s Nephew.
You can purchase these novel studies at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
The Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm is a wonderful historical fiction novel set in Depression-era Key West. It is a great book to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies.
This historical fiction published in 2010, will give students a taste of life during the Great Depression and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. Author, Jennifer L. Holm, writes in a humorous style that garnered this book both the Newbery Honor of 2011 and the Golden Kite Award.
From the Book Jacket:
Life is nothing like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She’s smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it’s 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle’s mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn’t like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she’s never met. Florida’s like nothing Turtle’s ever seen before though. It’s hot and strange, full of ragtag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what’s happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she’s spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor, and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls will love.
Turtle is a relatable and funny protagonist that students will enjoy. Her journey of being disillusioned with being different from other kids and finding “her people” leads the reader through the adventures that 1930s Key West had to offer. The scenery and adventures paint a picture of fun and paradise even as Turtle works through personal struggles that don’t feel so great. This journey is one that many kids can relate to or gain empathy from and apply to their own relationships.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Turtle in Paradise for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
If you are a child of the 1970s and ’80s like I am, then you grew up with the revered Little House books (and TV series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder. As times have progressed and changed we’ve looked back at these stories with a new perspective in regards to racial issues. In 2018, the American Library Association changed the name of their top award from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award to the Children’s Literature Legacy Award in response to the change in perspective and inclusiveness in today’s society.
Many people believe that there is no place for the work of Laura Ingalls Wilder in our society. While many other people believe the whole thing is overblown and nothing is wrong with the books. I don’t really fall into either of the categories. I absolutely see the points being made that Wilder’s depictions of African Americans, and especially Native Americans, are derogatory through our 21st-century eyes. I feel though, that there is merit in her work and this topic gives a teacher a vital opportunity to use as a teachable moment. We can’t ignore history and pretend it never happened. We need to shed the light on the mistreatments and inaccuracies for what they are and learn from those mistakes so as not to repeat them.
One of the best blog posts I have read on this subject is by Laura McLemore in her post found here. It puts into historical perspective the times that Wilder was living in during the story and keeping in mind these books were authored in the 1930s written through the eyes of an impressionable child who didn’t really have all the knowledge to address the fears she had. A very different time for our country and culture. We know many of the views and actions perpetrated during this time were outright wrong and based on false knowledge. If you look through Wilder’s eyes with these points in mind you can gain a perspective of WHY she may have written and believed the things she did without having to agree with it. You can identify the wrong points in her writing and actions and use the hurtful content to help students understand why this is wrong and how these beliefs continued to hurt as time passed. Kids need to learn these things and they need to know why it was wrong in order for the future to be a better place.
Because of these beliefs that the Laura Ingalls Wilder books can be used as a tool for greater understanding, a teachable moment, I still feel they have a valuable place in the classroom. Her descriptions of pioneer living are invaluable for children to gain an insight into what it was like living during the late 1800s and what hardships the pioneers faced as they moved west. However, if you do choose to use these books I really do feel strongly that it is imperative that you give kids the proper historical perspectives and facts. Help them understand the true, and sometimes very awful, part of the history of the western expansion of the United States.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder series begins with Little House in the Big Woods. It is the story of a young Laura and her family living in Wisconsin before heading farther West into the prairies of the Midwest.
From the Book Jacket:
Based on the real-life adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in the award-winning Little House series, which has captivated generations of readers. This edition features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams.
Little House in the Big Woods takes place in 1871 and introduces us to four-year-old Laura, who lives in a log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. She shares the cabin with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their lovable dog, Jack.
Pioneer life isn’t easy for the Ingalls family since they must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But they make the best of every tough situation. They celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do their spring planting, bring in the harvest in the fall, and make their first trip into town. And every night, safe and warm in their little house, the sound of Pa’s fiddle lulls Laura and her sisters into sleep.
The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.
Your students can continue on with Wilder’s Little House series that goes through her life from Wisconsin to the prairies of the Midwest to growing up and marrying. They really do give students an insight into what life during the Homestead times was like. Just make sure you do the work of giving your students all the facts and information so that they can view this series in the proper perspective with the proper knowledge of our inclusive times.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany book 1 in the series, Little House in the Big Woods, for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
James Preller’s, Jigsaw Jones series is a great introduction to chapter books for the younger grades. The books have friendship, humor, relatable topics, and contain non-scary mystery and suspense to keep the reader wanting more. They are great books to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies.
Jigsaw Jones and the Case of the Stolen Baseball Cards is a great introduction to chapter books and the Jigsaw Jones’ series. It takes the reader on many twists and turns to the discovery of the surprising thief.
From the Book Jacket:
Yeesh! Eddie brought his baseball cards to school and now they are missing. It’s time for Jigsaw to step up to the plate. He’s no rookie detective! Solving this case is sure to send Jigsaw and Mila straight to the Detectives’ Hall of Fame.
The Jigsaw Jones series has over 30 books to choose from. The Case of the Stolen Baseball Cards is a great hook to get your kids started down the road of addiction to chapter book reading.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Jigsaw Jones and the Case of the Stolen Baseball Cards for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
