George Selden’s, The Cricket in Times Square, is about a cricket who goes from being mistakingly lost to mistakingly famous with the help of his supporting friends. 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.
The Cricket in Times Square was first published in 1960 and contains the beautiful illustrations of Garth Williams who is famous for his illustrative works for author E.B. White, including Charlotte’s Web. The Cricket in Times Square won the Newbery Honor in 1961.
From the Book Jacket:
Tucker is a streetwise city mouse. He thought he’d seen it all. But he’s never met a cricket before, which really isn’t surprising, because, along with his friend Harry Cat, Tucker lives in the very heart of New York City―the Times Square subway station. Chester Cricket never intended to leave his Connecticut meadow. He’d be there still if he hadn’t followed the entrancing aroma of liverwurst right into someone’s picnic basket. Now, like any tourist in the city, he wants to look around. And he could not have found two better guides―and friends―than Tucker and Harry. The trio has many adventures―from taking in the sights and sounds of Broadway to escaping a smoky fire.
Chester makes a third friend, too. It is a boy, Mario, who rescues Chester from a dusty corner of the subway station and brings him to live in the safety of his parents’ newsstand. He hopes at first to keep Chester as a pet, but Mario soon understands that the cricket is more than that. Because Chester has a hidden talent and no one―not even Chester himself―realizes that the little country cricket may just be able to teach even the toughest New Yorkers a thing or two.
Try a free sample of the novel study for The Cricket in Times Square
The story of the friendship and loyalty of a cat, a mouse, and a cricket will captivate your young readers. Excerpts from The Cricket in Times Square are often found in Basal readers. Please treat your students to the adventures of the full book instead of just a snippet. Let them be immersed in the beauty of the full tale of friendship and loyalty that is found in The Cricket in Times Square.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany The Cricket in Times Square 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!
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a thought-provoking book dealing with the subject of family, sacrifice, teamwork, and leading kids to think about their feelings on animal testing. 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.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH written by Robert C. O’Brien was published in 1971. The novel was a Newbery Medal winner in 1972 and was adapted into a movie, The Secret of NIMH, in 1982.
The novel is extraordinary in that it speaks to both young readers and adults, in a little different way. It is sure to spark some deep conversations amongst your class about the intelligence of animals and ignite debate about the practice of animal testing in the medical and scientific community.
From the Book Jacket:
Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby, in turn, renders them a great service.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The plight of Mrs. Frisby and her family with help from an intelligent rat community is a story that will captivate your readers from the start. It has a little mystery, some adventure, some villains, and it shows the strength that we have when a community comes together to help one another.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 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!
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is a story that brings in so many themes but in such a different and unique way. 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.
Peter Brown published The Wild Robot in 2016, so it has a fresh and modern feel that your students will instantly relate to. The author, Peter Brown, shares his experience and thought process on his creative process in writing The Wild Robot which you can read in this blog post: The Wild Robot lives!
From the Book Jacket:
Can a robot survive in the wilderness?
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her. From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator, Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.
Try a free sample of the novel study for The Wild Robot
Students will explore and discuss in-depth the concepts of “smart robots”, friendship, sacrifice, Global Warming, the cycle of life, survival, and so much more in The Wild Robot. It is a great addition to your literature curriculum which can also branch out into a myriad of STEM ideas and projects. I highly recommend this book for your upper elementary classrooms. The book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger and with the sequel ready to go in the book The Wild Robot Escapes, your students will be hooked into continuing the journey on their own!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany The Wild Robot 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!
