Booklist Taylor Wallisch

Kindergarten

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault, and Lois Ehlert
(Illustrator)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a fiction childrens picture book consisting of

images of a coconut tree, lowercase letters, and uppercase letters. This book
revolves around the rhyming with the usage of these letters. There are 26
characters in this book consisting of the lowercase alphabet. These lowercase
letters climb up a coconut tree in alphabetical order until the tree bends and all
of the letters fall out. The uppercase letters in the book are the older relatives of
the lowercase letters which come to help them. Then alphabetically, the
lowercase letters are described as having a certain type of injury. The letters of
X, Y, and Z are the last to come from the coconut tree. At night, the
letter A climbs back up the coconut tree and dares the other letters to catch
him. The reason why I picked this book is because it is known for its rhyming
structure. This is a good book to use when teaching younger students how to
rhyme. Another reason why I picked this book is because it is the first book I read
in kindergarten that assisted me in helping developing my rhyming skills.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a fiction childrens picture book filled with beautiful
illustrations consisting of collages of hand painted tissue paper. This short story
involves a very hungry caterpillar appearing from an egg. The caterpillar spends
a week binging on different types of foods such as strawberries, a lollipop, and a
piece of pie. In addition, he also eats holes in the book that little fingers can fit
into. At the end of the week, the caterpillar has a belly ache and eats a leaf to
help his upset stomach. He then builds a cocoon where he sleeps in for two
weeks. At the end of the second week, he appears as a butterfly. One of the
reasons why I chose this book is because it is very age appropriate for students
at the kindergarten reading level. The words are easy and small for a child of a
young age to comprehend them. This book also provides multiple learning
opportunities such as metamorphosis, days of the week, and counting.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are is a fiction childrens picture book and also falls under
multiple types of other genres including fantasy and speculative fiction. This is
due to it being set in an imaginary universe. This book revolves around a little
boy named Max. His mother sends him to bed without dinner and he falls
asleep. Maxs room changes into a moonlit forest surrounded by an ocean with
a boat waiting for him. Knowing his mother would not approve Max sails for a
while, then finds himself where the wild things are. There he meets a group of
creatures who try to scare him off, but Max does not get scared. The creatures
decide to make him the king of the wild things. They spend days dancing,
shouting, and swinging from the trees. Finally, Max gets tired of this and sends
the creatures to bed without any dinner. By this point, Max starts to miss his mom.
He realizes that being in charge is very hard work and understands why his mom
sent him to bed. He then smells something good waiting for him in his bedroom.
Max decides to sail back to where he lives where he is loved most of all. The
reason why I chose this book is because it has a good lesson that younger
children can learn from that you should always listen to your parents. This is a
fitting book to use in a kindergarten classroom when teaching younger students
about how to behave properly.

First Grade

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Green Eggs and Ham is a fiction childrens book that can also fall under the
genre of comedy. This is due to a very consistent Sam-I-Am repeatedly asking an
unnamed character if he would like green eggs and ham. The character makes
it clear that he does not like green eggs and ham and Sam-I-Am, however Sam-
I-Am keeps asking him if he would like them in different locations and with
different partners. Finally, the unnamed character caves into Sam-I-Am and
finally tries the green eggs and ham. The character finds out that he loves it and
will eat it anywhere with anyone. He also overcomes his dislike of Sam-I-Am.
There are a couple reasons why I chose this book. First off, it has a great
message tied to it about beliefs and how we make our judgements. This book
displays that it is not possible to know if you dislike something without trying it
and also that experience is important when making judgements. The next
reason is that in the classroom you can use this lesson to create questions to get
students to think about the idea of judgements and assess their comprehension
skills of the story. The final reason why I chose this book is because I was read it in
first grade. I enjoyed this story very much because it was engaging and funny.
We also had a day where we made green eggs and ham to eat in the
classroom. This would be a fun activity to do within in my future classroom to
keep learning pleasing for my students.

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy is a fiction childrens picture book that also falls under the genre
category of fantasy because the main character who is a stuffed bear thinks,
feels, and acts like a human. There are however, real life situations depicted in
this story that identify with the fiction category. This story is about a bear who
wants someone to buy him off of the shelf at the store. One day, a little girl sees
him and asks her mom if she can buy him. Her mother tells her no because
Corduroy is missing a button. This causes Corduroy to venture off into the store to
find a button. He sees a mattress with buttons and tries to pull it off, but fails to
do so. A male security guard finds him and puts him back on the shelf. The next
day, the little girl comes back to the store with money to buy Corduroy. My
reasoning for choosing this story was because this is my favorite childrens book
of all time. It has great illustrations, a good plot line, and a nice happy ending for
students to enjoy. There are also many lesson plans you can use from online
resources that go with this book. In my first grade class, my teacher had an
actual stuffed animal Corduroy that every student got to take home each
week. She picked randomly from a cap as to who would take him home. This
gave us a sense of responsibility because we had to take him home and bring
him back within good condition. This is a good activity that I would use in my
future classroom with younger students.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Hankes

Chrysanthemum is a childrens picture book that falls under the category of

contemporary realistic fiction because it involves messages that link to todays
society. This story focuses on a little girl named Chrysanthemum who is teased at
school due to her name. Specifically, three girls who make fun of her for the
length of her name. Chrysanthemum describes how she enjoyed her name until
she started going to school. Her parents reassure her that her name is delightful
and that the other students at school are just jealous of her name. Throughout
the story, Chrysanthemum struggles with accepting her name like the way she
used to. Until her music teacher, Ms. Twinkle, explained to the class that she has
a long name too and it is also the name of a flower exactly like
Chrysanthemum. She also described how she wanted to name her baby
Chrysanthemum. From that moment on Chrysanthemum became the envy of
the class. The three little girls decided that her name was not so bad after all
and that they wanted to become friends with Chrysanthemum. At this point,
Chrysanthemum realizes that she loves her name after all. She also decided not
to become friends with the three girls because of how shallow they are. At the
end of the book, Chrysanthemum is happy due to karma getting them back for
what they had done to her. I chose this book because it has a great message
about bullying tied to it. This is a type of book you can use in the classroom with
younger students to teach them that bullying is not okay and that it will not be
tolerated.

Second Grade

The Giving Tree by Shell Silverstein

The Giving Tree is a childrens picture book that falls under the category of
romance fiction because the tree in the story loves the little boy. This book
focuses on the relationship between this tree and the little boy. Throughout the
story, the tree keeps giving him things as he gets older without expecting
anything in return. As a little boy, he swung from the trees branches, ate its
apples, and swing from its branches. When the boy got older, the tree had him
sell its apples when he needed money. The tree also gave him a warm place to
stay for his family by having him use its branches to make a house. The boy also
used the trees trunk to build a boat for his family to go somewhere with them.
Finally, the tree was just a small stump with nothing to offer. However, the little
boy was now an old tired man, so he used the stump to sit on and the tree was
happy. The reason why I chose this story is because it sends a great message
about nature and how we all should respect what it provides for us. This book
also does not have many words on the page making it easier for younger
readers to read. The pictures in this book are very detailed, which makes it a
great story to read aloud to the class while they follow along.

Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne

Dinosaurs Before Dark is a childrens book that falls under the genre of fantasy
because of the two main characters who time travel to a different place in
time. This book is about Jack and his younger sister Annie discovering a tree
house while they were exploring. They climb up the tree house to find that it is
filled with many books. Jack touches a picture of a Pteranodon and says that he
wishes to see a real one. Suddenly, the wind picks up and the tree house starts
to spin. Jack and Annie close their eyes. Once the tree house has stopped, the
open their eyes to find that they have been transported back in time to the
Cretaceous period. As they explore, Jack writes in his notebook things he learns
about dinosaurs and finds a gold medallion engraved with the letter M. At the
end of the story, Jack and Annie end up having to run away from a big
Tyrannosaurus Rex. They escape by flying on the Pteranodon. At the tree house,
Jack finds a picture of their home and makes a wish. The tree house spins and
they return home to find out that no time has passed. Jack shows his sister the
gold medallion, and they wonder what the M stands for. They decide not to tell
their parents because they think that no one will believe them. They also decide
to return to the magic tree house the next day to partake in another adventure.
The reason why I picked this book is because it is the first chapter book I ever
read in the second grade. This book is a very good introduction to starting to
read chapter books due to the short easy to read sentences in it. This book also
has a lot of educational value to it such as learning about different periods of
time. This book is a part of a series so students can read in their free time the
other books in the series. These stories are very interesting and are what got me
into enjoying reading.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a childrens book that falls under the
categories of fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy due the story being set in
an unrealistic chocolate factory. This book involves Charlie Buckets family which
includes his parents and his four grandparents who all live together. Charlies
family is poor, cold, and hungry. The one thing that helps Charlie is that the
chocolate factory owned by Willa Wonka is in his neighborhood. He also
receives one chocolate bar a year for his birthday. One day, Charlies dad
comes home with news that Willy Wonka will be opening up his factory to five
children who find the five golden tickets in Wonka chocolate bars. On Charlies
birthday, the whole family hopes that the chocolate bar has the golden ticket in
it. Charlie then opens it up to find that it does not contain the golden ticket. One
day, Charlie was very hungry and found some money on the ground. He uses it
to buy Wonkas chocolate. He opens the chocolate to find that it contains the
golden ticket. Charlie and his grandpa end up going to the chocolate factory
to see all its delightfulness consisting of a chocolate river and Oompa-Loompas
who help run the factory. Throughout the tour of the chocolate factory, different
characters get into various types of trouble. Augutus Gloop falls into the
chocolate river, Violet eats gum that turns her into a big blueberry, Veruca Salt
falls down the garbage shoot, and Mike Teavee gets shrunken down when
trying to transport himself through television. At the end of the story Willy Wonka
tells Charlie Bucket he won since he did not get himself into any kind of trouble.
Wonka explains that he wins the entire factory, so they take a glass elevator to
get the rest of Charlies family. They end up living with Charlie in the chocolate
factory and they never go hungry again. The reason why I chose this book is
because this book can be connected with the lesson of morality. The main
character in the book did the right thing and it paid off it in the end. This is a
great thing to teach younger students about doing the right thing and
appreciating what you have in life. This book is highly entertaining with the
situations that the characters get themselves into making it fun for children to
read. In addition, this story is a classic one that has been told for many
generations.

Third Grade

Charlottes Web by E.B White, Garth Williams (Illustrator), and Rosemary Wells
(Illustrator)

Charlottes Web is a fiction childrens novel due to the characters being animals
that talk, which also can fall under the fantasy category as well. This book is
about a pig named Wilbur. At the beginning of the story, Wilbur was the runt of
the litter. Papa Arable wanted to kill him solely for this reason. Fern Arable
convinces her dad for her to keep the pig as a pet. Eventually, Wilbur becomes
too big to be kept in the house as a pet. Fern decides to sell Wilbur to her Uncle
Homer Zuckerman. At the farm, Wilbur makes new friends including a little spider
named Charlotte. One day on the farm, Wilbur receives bad news that Homer
Zuckerman will probably kill Wilbur and turn him into bacon and ham. Charlotte
comes up with a plan to save Wilbur. First, she writes SOME PIG on her web to
make people think that Wilbur is special. Next, she writes TERRIFIC on her web
which makes Homer Zuckerman want to take Wilbur to compete in the county
fair. Lastly, Charlotte writes RADIANT on her web and the whole county visits
the farm just to see Wilbur. At the county fair, Charlotte weaves her last sign that
says Humble and all of the people at the fair agree. Wilbur wins a prize at the
fair causing Charlotte to know that she completed her job of having the
Zuckermans not wanting to kill him. At this point, Charlotte is dying and has laid
a sack of 514 eggs at the fairgrounds. Wilbur takes the sack back to the farm
and Charlotte dies on the fairgrounds. During springtime, the eggs hatch giving
Wilbur new friends to play with. My reasoning for choosing this book is because
the book is in color making it very appealing to the eye. In addition, it also shows
what character is saying what which makes it easier for a younger reader to
follow. This story also has a lot of good lessons in it including friendship,
responsibility, and good advertisement. There are also a lot of lesson plans
available online that go with this book.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

James and the Giant Peach is a fiction childrens novel that falls under the
category of fantasy because it is about a magical journey. At the beginning of
the story, James is living with his two awful aunts because his parents got into an
accident. They force him to work for them all day long. One day, a man
appears to give James a bag full of magic beans. He warns James to be very
careful with them. On the way back home, James trips and spills the beans in his
Aunts garden. The beans create a massive peach at the top of the peach tree.
With no one to see him, James climbs into the big peach. This is where he meets
a Grasshopper, a Ladybug, a Spider, and a Centipede. Throughout the journey
in this story, he befriends these insects. James chews the vine off that is
connected to the peach tree and they head out into the ocean. While sailing
on the ocean, they encounter multiple issues. First the peach is attacked by
sharks, then the Centipede falls over board, and the Centipede insults the Cloud
Men who retaliate by throwing rocks. After they overcome these issues they land
in New York City safely where each of them find wealth. James ends up moving
to Central park where he converts the peach into a home. Where James tells his
stories of his adventures to thousands of visitors for the rest of his days. One
reason why I chose this story is because it is a childrens classic that kids have
enjoyed for generations. The second reason why I chose this story is because it
covers the theme of hope. This is a good book to introduce talking about theme
with third graders to get them thinking in depth about the message of the story.

Stuart Little by E.B White and Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Stuart Little is a childrens novel that falls under the category of fiction, fantasy,
and adventure since the main character goes on a journey. This book revolves
around the main character, a tiny mouse named Stuart Little. This story begins in
New York City and explains why the family adopts such a small son. Stuart gets
caught in a window-blind while exercising. This is where Snowball, the family cat,
takes Stuarts hat and cane which scares his family. Then, Stuart was
accidentally released out into New York City by his brother George. Throughout
two of the chapters, they describe Stuart participating in a sailboat race. When
a bird named Margalo is adopted by the little family, Stuart protects her from
Snowball. In return, Margalo saves him from being trapped in the garbage can.
Margalo ends up leaving due to hearing that one of Snowballs friends wanting
to eat her. The family dentist gives Stuart a gasoline-powered car to go explore
the country. Stuart works as a substitute teacher in Ames crossing. At the end of
the book, Stuart feels confident he will find Margalo even though he has not yet.
I chose this book because it is another childrens classic and due to the fact that
it has a lot of good characters in it. This is a fitting story to familiarize students with
plot diagrams and character maps.

Fourth Grade

Frindle by Andrew Clemens and Brian Selznick

Frindle is a realistic fiction story because the events that happen in this childrens
novel could happen, but they did not actually occur in real life. This book
focuses on the main character named Nick Allen. He is starting out in the fifth
grade where he is about to face the toughest teacher at Lincoln Elementary
school. Nick is very confident that he will win over his teacher because he knows
her love for the dictionary. In the book, he challenges where words come from
by naming his pen a frindle. This spreads throughout the entire school and the
craze spreads worldwide. Nick becomes famous spreading around the news
about frindle. At the end of the story, Nick realizes that his teacher Ms.
Granger supported him the whole time. I have multiple reasons for choosing this
specific story. First off, the story has to do with school which makes this book easy
to relate to for students. Another reason I picked this book is because it talks
about teacher student relationships. This is a good thing to talk about with
students. You can explain to them how they can always come to you with any
questions or concerns and that you are always there to help them.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is a fiction childrens novel that falls under the
category of family because it focuses on the main character Peter and his little
brother Fudge. Peter comes home one day from a friends birthday party with a
turtle he named Dribbles which his younger brother is very interested in. Fudge
always gets all the attention in the family. His parents never stop talking about
how cute he is when they have company over. When Fudge will not eat his
dinner, his parents let him sit on the floor like a dog to eat it. When Mr. Hatcher
and Peter take him to the movies he cannot sit still. They find him on the floor of
the movie theater trying to touch the bears in the movie. One day, Peter comes
home to find that Dribbles is missing. When he asks Fudge about it, he tells him
that he ate Dribbles. Peters mother does not care that his turtle is missing and
gives all her attention to Fudge. Peter feels like his parents will never understand
him because Fudge always comes home to presents when he ends up in the
hospital for different situations he gets himself into. At the end of the story, Mr.
Hatcher comes home with a puppy for Peter. This causes Peter to come to the
realization that his parents do love him just as much as Fudge after all. A reason
why I picked this book is because Peter is in fourth grade so students who are in
the fourth grade can relate to this. Additionally, if students have younger siblings
this is another way they can relate to the story. The readability level is seven and
up, therefore making this an easy book for fourth grades to be able to read
independently.

The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo and Timothy Basil Ering (Illustrator)

The Tale of Desperaux is a fantasy book taking place in an imaginary world. This
book begins with the birth of a mouse named Desperaux. His family is
disappointed in him because he does not like normal mouse activities. One day,
Desperaux wanders into the human Princess Peas bedroom. He falls so in love
with her that he forgets the number one rule which is to never let a human see
you. Desperaux is then sent to the castle dungeon where he is sure to be eaten
by the rats there. Gregory the jailer saves him by wrapping him up in a napkin
and putting him on an empty dinner tray to be brought back upstairs. A mouse
named Roscuro ends up falling into the Princess Peas soup, so Roscuro plans on
getting his revenge. Desperaux hears about Roscuros plans and decides to go
to the dungeon to rescue the princess himself. At the end of the story,
Desperaux beats Roscuro with his sewing needle saving the princess. Desperaux
and the princess live happily ever after together as best friends. The reason why I
chose this story is because it has a great theme to it involving being different.
This is an exceptional lesson to teach to students that it is okay to be different
and that not everyone is the same.

Fifth Grade

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver is a young adult novel falling under the category of utopian and
dystopian fiction. This is due to the setting appearing to be in a utopian society,
but then is later revealed to be dystopian. This story involves an eleven-year-old
boy named Jonas. This book starts out with Jonas being apprehensive about the
Ceremony of the Twelve, where he will be assigned a job for the rest of his life.
At the ceremony Jonas is assigned to be the Receiver of Memory which is the
highest position in this society. Jonas begins his training from The Giver where he
learns about things like love, war, and pain. One day, Jonas asks The Giver to
watch a video on his dad performing a release on an infant. Much to his
dismay, he discovers that this is forced death by lethal injection. Jonas learns
that Gabriel, a two-year-old that has been staying with his family is about to be
released. To save him, he rides his bicycle out of the community. Since he left
the community, all of the memories The Giver gave to Jonas is given to the
community. This forces them to experience memories from their past. John
travels with Gabriel who is dying from starvation and cold weather. They get to
the top of a hill and slide down it towards music and Christmas lights. This is
where the story ends leaving you guessing as to what happens to the two
characters. The reason why I chose this story is because it has a good plot line to
keep students engaged as to what is going to happen in the book. Also, this
book leaves you with a cliff hanger at the end. This can be used as a homework
assignment in the classroom to have students come up with their own ending to
The Giver.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Bridge to Terabithia is a childrens literature book that falls under the category of
fantasy because the two children in the story create a magical forest kingdom.
This book is about Jess and Leslie who become best friends and build a fantasy
land named Terabithia. They spend much of their time playing games like
defeating intruders. One day, Miss Edmunds asks Jess if he would like to go tour
art galleries in Washington. Jess has a huge crush on miss Edmunds so he
decides to go with. Later that day, he finds out that Leslie drowned in the creek
swinging from a rope playing Terabithia. Jess is devastated and goes through all
of the stages of grief including denial, anger, fear, and sorrow. To keep Leslies
memory alive, he continues the fantasy of Terabithia. He even brings his little
sister May Belle there and makes her the new queen, assuring that a part of
Leslie will live on. The reason why I chose this book is because it is a classic
childrens story. Another reason is that there are many themes in this story that
can be discussed in the classroom including friendship, individuality and
conformity, gender roles, and education. This is also a great book to introduce
to fifth graders about symbols in books since Terabithia and the rope over the
creek have a deeper meaning in the story.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie is a fiction childrens novel because the events in the

story are realistic, but did not truly happen. This book begins with ten-year-old
Ophal moving to Naomi, Florida with her preacher dad. Ophal does not like
moving to this new place. She misses her friends, her home, and her mom who
left her and her dad when she was a little girl. One day at the grocery store,
Ophal befriends a dog named Winn-Dixie who is a stray. This dog falls in love
with Ophal and the preacher. Winn-Dixie introduces Ophal to new friends
including the librarian Miss Franny and the pet store worker Gloria Dump. Then,
there is a thunderstorm that Winn-Dixie is afraid of causing the dog to run off.
Ophal and her father go searching for Winn-Dixie, but come up with nothing.
Next, Ophal has a meltdown about her mother and has a heart to heart talk
with her dad. Finally, they find out that Winn-Dixie was hiding under the bed the
entire time making Ophal extremely happy at the end of the book. The reason
why I chose this book is because it is very relatable for students who have pets
that they love. Another reason is that I read this book in the fifth grade and it is
an appropriate reading level for children of this age.

Sixth Grade

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone is a novel that falls under the category of
fantasy literature due to it being set in an imaginary place named Hogwarts. This
book is about a young boy named Harry Potter who learns on his eleventh
birthday that he has magical powers. He is summoned to the school of
Hogwarts by Hagrid. A month later Harry takes the train to the school. Along the
way, he meets Ron and Hermione who he ends up befriending. As the school
year begins Harry discovers that the potions teacher does not like him. Hagrid
reassures him that Harry has nothing to worry about. Harry ends up playing
Quidditch, fighting off a troll, and receiving his fathers invisibility cloak for
Christmas. One day, Ron, Hermione, and Harry try to save Hagrids dragon
which is not allowed at Hogwarts. They get punished, and have to go into the
enchanted forest with Hagrid. In the forest, Harry gets attacked by a hooded
man drinking unicorn blood. However, a centaur saves Harry and tells him that
the man was Voldemort. Harry also learns that Voldemort is the one who is trying
to steal the Sorcerers Stone. Harry decides that he must find the stone before
Voldemort does. After performing impossible tasks, Harry finds himself face to
face with Professor Quirrel whos body turns out to be inhabited by Voldemort.
Voldemort instructs Quirrel to kill Harry, but Quirrels body burns on contact with
Harry who ends up passing out. Harry wakes up in the hospital with Dumbledore
who explains that he saved Harry just in time. At the end of the book, Harry
attends the end of the year ceremony where Gryffindor wins the house cup.
Then, he returns home to spend the summer with the Dursleys. The reason why I
chose this book is because it is a well-known book. J.K Rowling has many awards
and is a well accredited author. This book also has a great plot to keep students
engaged with the story. This book is also a series that students can read in their
free time.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a childrens fantasy novel that falls
under the category of fantasy since the story takes place in the magical land of
Narnia. This story involves four siblings in World War II who are sent away in
London to live in the countryside where they will be safe. One day, Lucy
discovers that a certain wardrobe in the house that they are staying in is a
gateway to a magical land called Narnia. This land is ruled by the White Which
who ensures that the winter there lasts forever. On a rainy day, Edmund decides
to follow Lucy into Narnia. Edmund ends up getting bewitched by the White
Which and she convinces him to bring all of his siblings to Narnia. Later in the
story, all four children are forced to hide in the wardrobe to get away from the
housekeeper and they all find themselves in Narnia. Lucy takes her siblings to Mr.
Tummus where he explains the prophecy of Narnia. He describes that the lion
Aslan has the power to end Narnias everlasting winter. While this is going on,
Edmund sneaks away to see the White Which. She reveals that she is going to
capture and kill his siblings. The White Witch takes Edmund hostage across the
country and decides to murder Edmund to prevent fulfillment of the prophecy.
Meanwhile, Peter, Susan, and Lucy set out and find Aslan. Edmund is then saved
by some of Aslans people. At night, Aslan goes to the Stone Table and gets
killed by the White Witch. Susan and Lucy cry over Aslans dead body. At sunrise,
the Stone Table cracks and Aslan somehow comes back from the dead. Aslan is
able to reverse the White Witches magic and turn the stone statues back into
people again. At the end of the story, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are
crowned rulers of Narnia where they reign for many years. They suddenly
remember their lives back in London and return back where no time has passed.
My rationale for choosing this book is because I read it in sixth grade and I really
enjoyed it. In addition, this book is easy to read making it appropriate for sixth
graders to read on their own. There is also a movie based upon this book that
you could have students watch in the classroom after finishing the book as a
reward or fun activity.

Holes by Louis Sachar

Holes is a young adult mystery comedy novel falling under the category of
adventure fiction and satire because it includes both adventure and humor in
the book. The story begins at Camp Green Lake which is a juvenile detention
facility in Texas. Stanley Yenalts is overweight, poor, and lonely. He was arrested
for a crime he did not commit due to a family curse and is on a bus headed to
Camp Green Lake. When he arrives at camp he is introduced to Mr. Sir one of
the camp supervisors. Stanley also meets a boy named Zero and befriends him.
Stanley is forced to dig a hole five feet deep, five feet wide every day. The
warden that runs the camp secretly has a hidden agenda wanting to find the
secret treasure of Kate Barlow. One day, Zero and Stanley go to find water at
the top of a mountain. Zero becomes too weak to continue, so Stanley carries
him up the mountain breaking his grandfathers curse. The two friends return
back to Camp Green Lake and find the hidden treasure. They got caught by
the warden and the supervisors are nearly killed. Stanleys lawyer shows up to
take the treasure and Zero back to Stanleys family. At the end of the story, Zero
and Stanley split the treasure and live comfortably for the rest of their lives. The
reason why I picked this story is because it goes from past to present a lot,
therefore making students have to pay attention to the story. This is also a good
grade to introduce stories like this that switch off from past to present. In
addition, this book has a great plot and keeps you guessing as to what happens
next which will keep students interested in the book.

Seventh Grade

The Outsiders

The Outsiders by S.E Hinton is a young adult fiction novel because the story
includes realistic events that did not actually occur. The book begins with an
introduction of fourteen-year old Ponyboy walking home alone from the movies.
The Socials, a group from the East Side of town, try to attack Ponyboy since he is
a Greaser. Luckily, his brothers and his friend group come to his rescue. In the
book, we learn that Ponyboy and his brothers recently lost their parents in a car
accident. The next night, the boys go to the drive-in with Dallas and later
Ponyboy and Johnny fall asleep in the vacant lot. They wake up at two in the
morning. On the way home, one of the Socials tries to down Ponyboy and he
passes out. When he wakes up he learns that one of the Socials named Johnny
killed his friend Bob. Ponyboy and Johnny go to find Dallas hiding out in an
abandoned church. One day, the boys decide to leave the church and go out
to eat. When they come back, the church is on fire and they go in to save five
little kids trapped inside. Ponyboy wakes up to find that he is being transported
to the hospital. At the hospital, he is reunited with his brothers. He also learns that
Johnny is in critical condition and might die. The next day, is the Greasers vs.
Socials rumble. They go to tell Johnny, but he dies. Next, Ponyboy and Dallas
find out that the cops shot Dallas for showing them a gun and Ponyboy ends up
running away. At the end of the story, Ponyboy does not get charged for
running away and we learn that the story is really his English homework. The
reason why I chose this book is because it has very good themes tied to it such
as loyalty, unity, and friendship. This book is also at an appropriate reading level
for seventh graders.

The Book Thief by Markus Zuask

The Book Thief is a young adult fiction novel that also falls under the genre of
historical fiction due to it being set in Germany during World War II. This book
focuses on the life of a girl named Liesel Meminger. Her experiences in her life
are narrated by death which describes the beauty and destruction in this era.
After her brothers death, Liesel moves in with her new foster parents. Throughout
her time there, she is exposed to the Nazi regime and struggles to keep her
innocence in such destructive surroundings. Her foster parents take in a Jewish
man named Max, therefore putting everyone in the household in danger. Hans
becomes close with Liesel and teaches her to read as a secret. Liesel begins to
steal books the Nazis are seeking to destroy. In addition, she starts writing her
own stories. One day, a bomb hits on Himmel street and Liesel survives while she
was writing one of her stories in the basement. She then comes out of the
basement to find her family dead. This is where death finds her and takes her in
the book. Death ends the story through telling about Liesels death. It describes
how she lived a long life in Sydney with her husband, three children, and
grandchildren. When Death comes for her, they sit down and talk for a while. He
shows her The Book Thief and asks about humans. He does not understand why
they contain so much light and darkness. All he can comprehend is that they
haunt him. One reason why I chose this story is because it has a good plot to it.
This book always keeps you on your toes as to what is going to happen next.
Another reason I picked this book is because it has a lot of educational value to
it. Students can learn about World War II in Germany and get a glimpse as to
what it was like during that time period.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Franke, Eleanor Roosevelt (Introduction), and
B.M Mooyart Doubleday

The Diary of a Young Girl is an autobiography on the life of Anne Franke during
World War II. This book involves Anne Franke receiving a diary from her parents
on her thirteenth birthday. Anne starts writing about her own personal
experiences in her diary. Anne Frankes life takes a drastic change when her
parents are worried about her sister Margot being sent to a concentration
camp. Annes family decides to go into hiding in Annes fathers office building.
They live there for two years with another family. Anne starts to fall in love with
Peter during this time. Anne starts suffering as the war is coming to an end. She
feels alone and that everyone hates her. Two months after her fifteenth
birthday, Annes last diary entry describes their secret hide out being raided.
Annes other members of the family got sent to concentration camp. Out of the
whole entire family there was only one survivor, Otto Frank. My rationale for
picking this book is because students can learn from actual historical events that
happened in this autobiography. This is also a good book to introduce to
seventh graders different types of books such as autobiographies. Another good
thing about this book is that I have read it and have found that it is at an
appropriate reading level for seventh graders.

Eighth Grade

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men is a tragedy novel because the end of the story has an
unhappy ending. This story focuses on George Milton and Lennie Small on a
journey to California. They hope to achieve their goal of owning a piece of land
and settling down. They get hired at the farm where they are confronted by
their boss Curley. They also meet Candy, an elderly ranch-hand who offers them
three hundred fifty dollars to buy a farm at the end of the month in return for him
living with them. They are overjoyed, until Curley attacks Lennie who defends
himself by crushing Curleys hand. The next day, Lennie accidentally kills a
puppy while petting it due to his large size and strength. Curleys wife admits she
is lonely to Lennie and offers him to stroke her hair. She screams when she feels
his strength, Lennie accidentally breaks her neck from being so scared. George
meets Lennie at the place where they agreed to meet if Lennie ever got into
trouble. The two sit together and tells Lennie about their dream, knowing that
they will never share it together. He then shoots Lennie and Slim consolingly
leads him away. The reason why I chose this story is because I read it in eighth
grade and it is fit for an eighth grader to read. Another reason why I chose this
story is because it is a quick read if you need to fit many books into the
curriculum. The last reason is because there is a good message tied to the story
about how you should love others not on how they look on the outside, but
what they have to offer on the inside.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 is a utopian and dystopian novel based upon the society it is set
in. The story begins with Guy Montag who is a firefighter in a futuristic society
where they start fires instead of stop fires. He then meets Clarisse McClellan who
opens his eyes to the world of nature. After his first meeting, Montag comes
home to fins his wife overdosed on sleeping pills. He then becomes even more
unhappy with his life and becomes interested in books. Montag steals one from
a house he burns down and spends the afternoon reading a stash of books. He
starts working with Faber against the fireman. That evening Guy becomes angry
and recites poetry to some of his wifes friends. Beatty takes Montag to a fire
alarm in his own house. He torches Beatty, in addition to the Mechanical Hound
sent after him. Montag is now a fugitive, so he goes to Fabers house where he
watches his chase scene on TV where a pedestrian is hit in his place. Montag
and Faber agree to meet in a safer place away from the city. Montag goes to
the river where he bumps into four ex-professors. One of the professors explains
that since books have been banned, they each have memorized one text. At
the end of the book, the city is bombed by a warring country. The only survivors
are Montag and the four professors who end up rebuilding the society. The
reason why I chose this book is because this book gives pertinent examples of
why books are important and why we need to read them. This book is an easy
read, therefore an eighth grader would be able to read this independently.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies is a fiction novel that can also fall under the category of
speculative fiction due to the story being set in a place other than the real
world. This book begins with a group of British boys ranging from ages six to
twelve crashing on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean. Ralph who is one of the
older boys becomes the chief of the group. Things go awry when the boys
who were supposed to be tending to the fire go to kill a pig instead. They
realized that when the fire went out, a ship that could have saved them passed
by. At this point of the story, a dead man in a parachute appears. They mistake
this man for the beast they are afraid of that is inhabiting the island. Then,
Jack decides Ralph should not be chief anymore. He invites anyone who wants
to kill things who come with him. They slaughter a pig and put it on a stick on the
ground. Simon stares at the head and calls it the Lord of the Flies. He then
passes out with a bloody nose and wakes up covered in blood. Next, he
decides to go face the beast in spite of the shape he is in. Meanwhile, Ralph
and Piggy who are ravenous hungry are attending a feast that Jack is throwing.
Simon then comes down the hill and the crazed boys stab him with a spear until
he is dead. After that, Jacks crew attacks Ralph and Piggy and steals Piggys
eyeglasses to make a fire of their own. Ralph and Piggy try to talk it out with
them, but Roger pushes a huge boulder off the cliff which kills Piggy. At the end
of the book, Ralph runs into an officer of the British Navy who rescues them. The
reason why I chose this book is because it is very simple to read aimed towards
middle school knowledge making it a good read for an eighth grader. Another
reason is that the plot is fast moving making it an engaging book for students to
read.

Ninth Grade

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because both of the main characters die at the
end of the story. This book is about Romeo and Juliet meeting each other at a
party and falling in love. Eventually they find out that their families are sworn
enemies, but Romeo and Juliet still love each other. Romeo sets up their
wedding with Friar Laurence and they get married. After that, Benvolio runs into
Tybalt Capulet who is mad about the Montagues crashing his party the night
before. Romeo gets involved in the situation where Tybalt kills Mercucio and in
return, Romeo kills Tybalt. Romeo runs away before the prince shows up to
banish him. Juliet hears from a nurse that Romeo has killed her cousin, but that
does not stop her from wanting to spend her wedding night with her husband.
They create a plan where Romeo has to leave town while Friar tries to get the
prince to pardon Romeo. At Lord Capulets house, he drops the news to Juliet
that she is getting married to Paris in two days. Juliet runs off to Friar Laurences
house where they come up with a plan so she does not have to marry Paris. The
plan involves her drinking a potion that will make her appear dead for forty-two
hours. At the end of the story, Romeo hears the news about Juliets death
without knowing Friars plan. He buys a potion to kill himself at Juliets grave, but
first he murders Paris and then spends some time with Juliets dead body.
Finally, he drinks the poison and dies. Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead. Juliet
ends up killing herself with a dagger. Next, everyone shows up to the tomb to
find them both dead. Friar Laurence admits to what happens and they decide
to end the feud because of Romeo and Juliet. One reason I chose this book is
because it is a classic that has been read by many generations. Another reason
why I chose this book is that there is different language in this book that students
are not accustomed to. Ninth grade is a good age to introduce new kinds of
books and more challenging books, as they will be exposed to them throughout
their years of high school.

The Odyssey by Homer, Robert Fagles (Translator), and Bernard Knox

(Introduction)

The Odyssey is one of the two major epic poems written by Homer. This story is
about the journey of the character Odysseus. This begins with him and his
warriors blinding a cyclops who is the child of Poseidon. Odysseus then gets
cursed by Poseidon to wander the seas for decades. Another stipulation is that
he can only return home with the help of other people. Throughout the story,
Odysseus meets different mythological creatures including Aeolus and Circe
who enslave him and his men. Odysseuss son, Telemachus is encouraged to
find his father despite of his ten-year absence. When Odysseus meets his son, he
goes undercover to see the damage the suitors have done. They construct a
plan to kill these suitors with the assistance of Athena. After they have been
killed, Odysseus finally reveals himself to his wife Penelope. The reason why I
chose this story is because it is an epic poem. This is another different type of
reading that students need to be accustomed to. This is an appropriate book to
use for students of this age level. I read this story in ninth grade and had no issues
with it.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that falls under the categories of southern gothic,
coming of age story, and Bildungsroman. This story focuses mainly on the moral
growth of the main character. This begins with the description of Scout Finch
living in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama. Throughout the story, the characters in the
story including Scout, Jem, and Dill become obsessed with the stories of Boo
Radley. Then, Miss Maudies house burns down in the winter, and Boo secretly
gives Scout a blanket. Atticus ends up taking on the court case of Tom Robinson
who is an African American. Atticus tries to save Robinson against the Ewells, but
the court ruled in favor of the Ewells due to the color of his skin even though he
was clearly innocent. One night, Bob Ewell was still furious at Atticus for
defending Boo Radley attacks Jem and Scout in the woods. A mysterious
stranger appears and kills Bob Ewell who turns out to be Boo Radley. Scout now
sees Boo as a friend and the sheriff turns a blind eye to the murder of Bob Ewell.
The book ends with Scout walking Boo home. The reason why I chose this story is
because it has a lot of great themes that students can have rich discussions
about in the classroom. These themes consist of good versus evil and the
existence of social inequality.

Tenth Grade

The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin is a novel that falls under the genre of satire
due to the use of irony and humor throughout the story. This book is about a
young boy named Huck. He is in search of freedom and adventure. One day,
Huck is kidnapped by his drunken father because he wants six thousand dollars
from him. In the story, we learn that Huck won six thousand dollars from the
treasure he found in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Huck eventually escapes
from the deserted house and finds a canoe. He decides he wants to run away
from the confinement of civilization. He takes Jim, Miss Watsons slave with him
and they spend their nights journeying down the river. Jim and Huck become
best friends throughout these nights and adventures including coming across a
house with a dead man. They end up stealing various items from the household.
They also find a wrecked ship and are mixed up as being murderers. One day, a
steamboat crashes into their raft causing Jim and Huck to be separated. Huck
runs into the Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons who are at war with one
another. He is reunited with Jim awhile after this. Then, Jim and Huck meet the
King and the Duke. They get into trouble while performing plays. Jim ends up
getting sold to by the King. Huck and Tom go save him at Toms Aunt Sallys
house. Through all of his adventures down the river, Huck learns many life
lessons. At the end of the story he has developed a conscience. The reason why
I picked this book is because this story has a lot of educational value to it. This
story takes place during the pre-Civil War era, so students can learn about a
different period of time.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice is a fiction novel that falls under the categories of romance
and satire. This book begins with the description of Mrs. Bennet having five
daughters and none of them are married. What happens during the story is Mr.
Bingley is interested in Jane, but Mr. Darcy thinks that she is not good enough for
him. Throughout the story, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins fall in love with Lizzy. Mr.
Collins proposes to her, but Elizabeth turns him down, so Charlotte Lucas ends up
with Mr. Collins. Lydia gets permission from Mr. Bennet and goes to Brighton to
marry Wickham. In a letter, Mr. Darcy tells Lydia about Wickhams gambling
problem. This causes Lydia to like Mr. Darcy. He ends up paying the Wickhams
family debts in exchange to marry Lydia. At the end of the story, Mr. Darcy gets
over his ego and marries Lizzie. One reason why I picked this book is because it is
a classic literature book. Another reason is that the book is very funny making it
an engaging book for students to read. This is also a good book to have
students analyze the characters.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Macbeth is a playwright that falls under the genre of tragedy because it ends in
death. In the story, we learn that Macbeth has been winning so much in battle,
that King Duncan has decided to give him the title of Thane of Cawdor King of
Scotland. Macbeth runs into three witches who prophesize that he will in fact
become Thane of Cawdor. Next, Ross shows up to tell Macbeth that the old
King was a traitor and that he can take his place. Macbeth becomes restless
waiting to be King. His wife suggests that he should be a man and kill King
Duncan. Macbeth ends up killing the King, the guards, and the Kings children.
Macbeth finally becomes King, but he worries that the witches prophecy of
Banquos heirs will be kings. Macbeth goes to murder Banquo and his son. He
ends up killing Banquo, but his son ends up running away. Macbeth then goes to
meet the witches for another prophecy. He finds out that he needs to watch out
for Macduff, that no man born of woman is going to hurt him, and he doesnt
need to worry until a forest moves into Dunsinane. Macbeth is worried about
Macduff so he kills him and his family. At the end of the story, Macduff and
Malcom show up. They hide in the trees for camouflage. We learn that Macduff
was not actually born from his mother he was born via C-section. The story
ends when Macduff cuts Macbeths head off. A reason why I chose this story is
because it is a literary classic. Another reason why I chose this is because in this
playwright, it uses different language than what is normally read in modern day
books. It is very good to expose higher level readers with more challenging
things to read.
Eleventh Grade

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is a novel falling under the category of historical drama as this
story takes place during the 1920s. This story is about Tom coming to New York
to meet his cousin Daisy. In the story, we learn that Tom who is Daisys husband is
cheating on her with Myrtle Wilson. Nick finds out that his neighbor throws
parties. He ends up meeting his neighbor, Jay Gatsby and befriends him. Gatsby
uses Nick to reconnect with Daisy who is his first great love. Daisy and Gatsby
begin to have an affair. Tom ends up finding out about the affair and he ends
up having a quarrel with Gatsby over Daisy. Driving Gatsbys car, Daisy
accidentally runs over Myrtle Wilson. Gatsby takes the blame for it causing
Myrtles husband George to think that Gatsby did it. George ends up shooting
and killing Gatsby in a swimming pool. After he murders Gatsby, he kills himself.
At the end of the book, no one shows up to Gatsbys funeral. Daisy and Tom
move somewhere else leaving the mistakes they made behind them. Nick
realizes he is done with these people and moves back west. A reason why I
chose this novel is because students can learn about a different period in time.
Another reason why I chose this novel is because it is a classic story that students
have read for generations. I read this story when I was in tenth grade and I really
enjoyed it. I also felt that it was appropriate for my reading level to be able to
read it on my own.

The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thomas E. Cannolly (Annotations),

and Nina Baym (Introduction)

The Scarlett Letter is a fiction book falling under the categories of Romanticism
and historical drama since the story takes place in a historical setting. The book
starts out with the introduction of Hester Prynne. She has had a baby named
Pearl and is in jail wearing a scarlet A to portray that she is an adulteress.
Hesters husband ends up returning to town and uses a fake identity as Roger
Chillingworth to try to find Hesters lover. He finds out that her lover is Arthur
Dimmesdale and harasses him for the next several years. Hester tells Arthur who
Roger is. They create a plan to settle down together in England. Arthur feels very
guilty and develops a mark on his chest. Arthur ends up not following through
with the plan and confesses to what he has done. He opens his shirt, exposing
the mark on his chest before dying in front of the entire town. In addition, Roger
dies and leaves all his money to Pearl. This allows Hester and Pearl to head back
to England. At the end of the story, Hester returns to the colony and continues to
wear her letter. Later she dies and is buried next to Arthur with an A engraved
on her tombstone. The reason why I chose this story is because there are a lot of
descriptive words in this story that eleventh graders can benefit from. Also this
story provides information about the seventeenth-century that students can
learn from.

The Things They Carried by Tim O Brien

The Things They Carried is a collection of fiction short stories about soldiers in the
Vietnam war. At the beginning of the book we are introduced to many soldiers
including Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, Rat Kiley, Kiowa, Mitchell Sanders, Ted
Lavender, and Norman Bowker. Ted Lavender dies at the beginning and it is
made known that soldiers carry many various items. Throughout the book, we
learn that it is impossible to generalize about war. It does however, make the
soldiers feel alive at times. Curt Lemon ends up dying and the narrator explains
that the truth is flexible in war. Next, Tim O Brien ends up killing a man and
making up a back story to make himself feel less guilty about it. Then, Rat Kiley
tells the story of the Sweetheart Song of the Tra Bong. Later, Kiowa dies from
drowning in a field that is full of poop. O Brien then explains how the whole
entire book so far has been made up. At the end of the story, O Brien shares
what caused him to write stories in the first place. This was due to a nine-year-old
girl named Linda which whom he loved. He also describes how storytelling saves
the war dead and himself. One reason why I chose this book is because I read it
in eleventh grade and it was a really engaging book for me. Another reason I
picked this book is because there are many themes that can be discussed in
class such as emotional burdens and the fear of shame.

Twelfth Grade

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Hamlet falls under the genre category of tragedy since the main character dies
in the end. This story begins with a ghost sighting flying around the halls of the
castle. The ghost then tells Hamlet that his dad was killed by poison and asks
Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet begins to act crazy and no one really
knows if he is faking it or if he truly is crazy. Next, Hamlet puts on a play to
determine if the ghost was telling the truth. On accident, Hamlet kills Ophelias
father causing her brother to want to duel with him. After that, Hamlet finds a
letter from his so called friends with instructions to murder him. At the end of the
story, Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes die from the same sword that was
poisoned. The reason why I chose this story is because it is a literary classic. It also
has many good themes tied to it including madness, revenge, religion, and
gender.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Frankenstein is a novel that falls under the category of horror fiction. This book is
about a lonely character named Victor who creates a monster. This monster
creates all sorts of problems for Victor such as killing his wife-to-be. One reason
why I chose this book is because it is a literary classic. Another reason is the story
is very predictable, so this is a good book to use with high schoolers when
having them make prediction about what they are reading. The last reason why
I chose this book is because it has a really good theme about how we all need
relationships in our life.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively Entertaining Guide to Reading

Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively Entertaining Guide to Reading

Between the Lines is a book that falls under the category of literary criticism. This
book describes how to become a better reader and how to make meaningful
connections with the text. The author provides key characteristics in helping to
make these connections. He focuses on classic literature including allusions to
Shakespeare, Fairytales, the Bible, and Greek mythology. He also describes
about symbols within reading the text such as weather, setting, and sonnets.
There is also a focus on themes consisting of blindness, supernatural creatures,
food, and irony. The reason why I chose this book is because I read it and I
found it extremely helpful in preparation for college. This book assists in helping
you understand more challenging books. I believe every twelfth grader should
read this book as it will help them decipher more difficult texts.