25 Ways to Celebrate Virginia Readers Choice Primary and Elementary November 2005

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25 Ways to CelebrateVirginia Readers
ChoicePrimary and ElementaryNovember 2005

• Presented by
• Peggy Howell, Retired Librarian FCPS
• peghowell_at_aol.com
• Ann Voss, Librarian Fairfax County Public Schools
• Ann.Voss_at_fcps.edu

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BOXES FOR KATJE Candace Fleming Picture
Book Historical Fiction Caring All ages Read
aloud This story is a fictionalized account of
how a Dutch village repaid the kindness of an
American town that had sent all kinds of things
needed by the people in Oist, Holland, during a
very cold winter shortly after World War II.
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ACTIVITIES Social Studies What caused the
difficulty in Oist, Holland? How did Mayfield,
Indiana become involved? What acts of kindness
are found in the book? Why do you think that the
American town sent lots of boxes of supplies to
the town? What are similar events today in which
children and towns become involved. Are the
events of today natural disasters or
man-made? Tsunami Hurricanes African
countries Have children research events in the
past year and how children could help Can connect
this book to a collection for local or other
charities character education. See about
starting a pen pal club as Katje and Rosa did in
the story Why did the town of Holland decide to
say thank you in the way they did? Science Perhaps
some research can be done on the tulip and why
it is a flower from the Netherlands. There
might be time to grow tulip bulbs depending on
when the story is read. Language Arts After
reading the story ask the children if they can
remember what was included in each box. How do
the illustrations support the text? Compare with
other books about giving such as Quiltmakers
Gift
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FAME AND GLORY IN FREEDOM, GEORGIA Barbara
OConnor 3-5 Realistic fiction School story Boy
and girl protagonists Read aloud Bird does not
have a happy home or school life so she finds
friendship with Miss Delphine, her neighbor who
is home taking care of her ill father. Then
Harlem Tate comes to school and she determines to
make friends with him. At first he is not
receptive, even though he is teased as much at
school as she is. At last she persuades him to
join her in preparing for a spelling bee, which
she really wants to win in order to find fame
and glory and go to Disney World.
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ACTIVITIES Social Studies Good book for character
education Could develop discussion about the
treatment of Bird and Harlem in school. Language
Arts Early chapters give good introduction to
inference in novels Compare with Because of Winn
Dixie Habits of small towns Loneliness Friendship
with the older inhabitants of the town Climax
and resolution Compare the two characters in this
book Have children guess why Harlem does not
complete the spelling bee What was the
relationship between Harlem and the two men in
his life? Why do you think that Miss Delphine got
a rose tattoo? What did you think of the ending?
Was it a good ending? Use as introduction to room
spelling bee What did Bird mean when she said she
discovered fame and glory Ms. OConnor does
have a web site to check for her other books.
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GREGOR THE OVERLANDER Suzanne Collins 4-5 One of
the longer books Fantasy adventure 1st in a
trilogy Boy and girl protagonist Great for boys
who like adventure stories Read aloud Gregors
father has disappeared. While Gregor is tending
his sister he falls through a graee in the
laundry room of his apartment house and finds
himself in a world populated by giants insects,
spiders, and rats. He realizes that this may be
where his father is and so begins an adventure
and a quest to fulfill a prophecy.
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ACTIVITIES Science Research the animals found in
this underworld Research the underworld both the
natural one and ones found under cities,
including those in the time of Rome. What is
under the city of Washington, D. C. or New
York? Older readers can determine if the animals
act according to their animal instincts in the
book Language Arts Discuss the fulfillment of
prophecy Why is his sister not afraid of the
animals? How do the other human characters
interact with Gregor and his sister? 1st in
trilogy Gregor the Overlander and the Prophecy of
Bane In this he defeats a rat, but can he kill
it? Gregor and the Curse of the
Warmbloods Compare with LEngles Wrinkle in
Time Read the first line Gregor had pressed his
forehead against the screen for so long, he could
see the pattern of tiny checks above his
eyebrows Have children write what they think
will come next before reading the book or book
talking it. The website http//suzyred.com/2005gre
gor.html has some additional connections.
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GROVER G. GRAHAM AND ME Mary Quattlebaum 5 Realist
ic Fiction Foster children Boy and Girl
protagonist Ben Watson has lived in a number of
foster homes and finds himself happy in his new
home, especially since there is a toddler as a
member of the family. But then the toddlers
teen age mother tries to get her son back and Ben
is sure that she will abandon the child again,
just as his own mother had done.
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ACTIVITIES Social Studies Older readers might
research the foster home program in their area,
if there is one. Language Arts Chart the main
characters Why did Ben take Grover from the front
yard? What was the role of Traceys sister in the
book? Chart the events that lead to the final
climax Compare with other books on foster
children including those by Betsy Byars and
Katherine Paterson.
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HANAS SUITCASE Karen Levine Biography Holocaust
Story 4-5 When a class of Japanese students
studying World War II discover a suitcase in a
museum that had belonged to a little orphan girl
they ask the curator of the exhibit to find out
all she can about the girl. This is the story of
her search for information about Hana
interspersed with information about Hanas life.
This is based on a documentary and the books may
include a CD.
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ACTIVITIES Social Studies Brief introduction to
World War II and the Holocaust may be necessary
as background knowledge for some students. Locate
Czechoslovakia on a map Some students may want to
do research on the war in Czechoslovakia or
elsewhere in Europe Analyze how the search for
Hana is carried out and how this compares with
the research students are doing and the research
in The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine. Language
Arts Review the elements of a biography. Does
this book qualify as a biography? Why or why
not? Compare with other stories and biographies
about the Holocaust especially comparing the
characters and how they dealt with the events
they faced. This is a good time to discuss what
self vs. world means when discussing conflict in
a book, even though this book is a
biography. Check bibliographies of books on the
Holocaust for children such as Number the
Stars http//www.holocaustcenterbuff.com/books-chi
ldren.html There is a wonderful website from
Allen Unwin with activities and information
related to this book http//www.allenandunwin.co
m/Teaching/trhanassuitcase.asp
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Virginia Readers Choice Primary Ballots
2005-2006
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Ballots created by FCPS Teacher Materials
Preparation Center
http//www.fcps.edu/MTS/TMPC/pdf/BallotPR05-06.pdf
http//www.fcps.edu/MTS/TMPC/pdf/BallotPR05-06.pdf
Click on Picture Tasks tab of the Adobe file,
and see the new features availabe including How
to use, and exporting pictures, editing,
printing, and more. This tab has been enabled by
TMPC to give us more options with these ballots.
They are available for all four lists.
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KENSUKES KINGDOM Michael Morpurgo Grades
4-5 Good read aloud Survival story Dog Story Male
protagonist Bit of history Michael is washed up
on a Pacific island along with his dog, Stella.
He soon discovers that someone else lives on the
island, as Kensuke provides him with food and
water. At first the two are adversaries for
Kensuke does not want Michael to alert anyone to
him being on the island but after he saves
Michael from an attack by men of war the two
become friends and Michael learns the secret of
Kensukes world.
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ACTIVITIES Social studies Map the route that was
taken by Michael and his parents on the
boat Research World War II and some of the
Japanese who did survive after the war on the
islands. How did the experiences of the war in
the Pacific differ from that in Europe? Compare
with Hanas Suitcase. Science Select an island in
the Pacific and research its flora and fauna.
Research the animals and plants found on
Kensukes Island. Could Kensuke and Michael have
survived? What were the red bananas? Do people
hunt animals on the islands as people did in this
book? Language Arts I found this close to the Tom
Hanks movie, complete with the soccer ball. Some
older students might compare the book with the
movie (although I dont think was a G. Compare
the two main characters using a T-chart What did
you think of the ending? Should Kensuke have
left the island with Michael and tried to
discover the history of his family? There is a
packet available that you can see about on
http//www.teachit.co.uk/index.asp?A1M2S351
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LOCOMOTION Jacqueline Woodson Grade 5 (more
advanced) Realistic fiction Written in
poetry Male protagonist Dealing with family
disaster Lonnies life changed when he was seven
years old and his parents were killed in a fire.
Now four years later he is still trying to deal
with the loss of his parents and also finding his
place among his peers and with his foster mother.
He looks back at events in his young life as
well as describes the life he now leads.
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ACTIVITIES Science What is sickle cell
anemia? See http//www.scinfo.org for information
on sickle cell anemia Language Arts Compare with
Love That Dog by Creech Good for poetry
introduction Different types of poems Have
children write their own list poem p.
33 Children might write their own haiku
poetry What other forms of poetry do the children
find in the book Research the black authors
mentioned in the book Richard Wright and
Langston Hughes Analyze Lonnies character
giving examples from his writing Check
http//suzyred.com for additional activities for
this title.
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MYSTERIOUS MATTER OF I. M. FINE Diane
Stanley Mystery Fantasy 4-5 Male and Female
Protagonist Read Aloud Books by I. M. Fine have
become very popular with young readers. They are
page turners with strange events, kind of Stein
type books. Suddenly strange things start
happening to the readers of the books, including
hissing and crawling around the floor, and seeing
ghosts. Fanny thinks that these strange events
are related to the books and sets out to locate
the author in order to stop the events. She and
her friend trace I. M. Fine to a town in
Pennsylvania and discover why she is placing mind
games in her books and how she plans to end the
world as we know it.
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Social Studies How to adjust to a move to a new
city How does one do research using the Internet
and other sources, including human Atlas Skills
Is there a Wimberly, Pennsylvania? There is one
in Texas. Children can use the Atlas to
determine if there are other towns named
Wimberly Research the history of jelly worms.
(some jelly worms are used as fish bait as well
as food) Why did the father make money on the
stock market after he heard about the jelly worm
craze? This could lead to a brief unit on the
stock market. Map skills - What is the best way
to get from Baltimore to Pennsylvania? Older
students (if 6th grade read) might see connection
between the witch trials in Salem and the mass
hysteria in this book. Language Arts Have
children do research on their favorite author
using books in the library as well as author
sites on the web Compare book to Search for the
Shadowman by Joan L. Nixon, which also had a
sample for doing research Do author study of
Diane Stanley, introducing her picture books and
biographies s well as her novels. Have children
develop their own writing of a strange event that
could occur because of reading a book. Why would
the end of reading change the world? Read Aunt
Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair by
Patricia Polacco for an example of what happens
when people forget how to read. How do children
act against their move to a new city? Compare
with other books where children use their own
persuasion to change things, such as books by
Avi.
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SAY WHAT? Margaret Peterson Haddix 3-4 Boy and
girl protagonist Realistic Humor Fun read
aloud Sukie and her brothers are concerned
because their parents do not scold them for
things they do which are wrong. Instead they
make strange statements that are not related to
what the children have done. How they figure out
what is going on and how they handle it makes for
a fun read by a author who often writes stories
for older children.
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ACTIVITIES Social Studies Students might ask
their parents if they read any books or articles
about how to raise children. Children can write
what parents might have correctly said when the
children did something wrong. Children can come
up with own funny statements about things that
go wrong at home or at school. Language
Arts Character study of members of the
family Compare with other Haddix easier
books Older readers might want to read some of
the more adult Haddix books and see what
differences in style there could be. Sukie has a
problem encouraging her brothers to join with
her. Other books in the list present a similar
problem as Fanny must persuade Beamer that
something is wrong with the Chiller books, and
Bird must persuade Ham to participate in the bee
with her. Compare how this is carried out in
the three books or any similar title where
persuasion is necessary. This could lead to a
persuasive writing lesson.
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SNOWED IN WITH GRANDMOTHER SILK Carol
Fenner Realistic fiction Family relations Boy
character 3-4 Easier reader Brief read
aloud Ruddy does not like his grandmother as she
seems so stiff and formal, but when he is snowed
in with her one winter he finds that she can be a
different person.
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ACTIVITIES Science Would be good to read during
snowy weather and make connections to snow, its
effect on your community, weathermen, etc. Can
also make connections with other natural
disasters, such as the hurricanes and how the
preparation, etc. might compare. Language
Arts How does grandmother change in the story?
List the different things she does to show how
she changes. Does Ruddys opinion of his
grandmother change and why? List the things which
Ruddy and his grandmother do during the
storm Have children had a similar experience such
as no electricity. How did they deal with it and
what were some of the things they had to do?
Children might imagine what life might be
without some of the things they now have and
what they would do without television,
electricity, etc.
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Timber Lane Elementary School Library 2737 West
St., Falls Church, VA 22046

• VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE BOOK! HONOR YOUR FAVORITE
  AUTHORS!VIRGINIA READERS CHOICE PROGRAM
• Dear Timber Lane Students in Grades 4-6,You may
  be too young to vote for political candidates,
  but you are not too young to vote for the
  Virginia Young Reader book of the year! In
  mid-winter, Timber Lane library will hold an
  election to pick a favorite book from a list of
  ten titles selected by the Virginia State Reading
  Association. Just like in a real election, you
  will need to register. Registration is easy and
  fun! After reading a book or hearing it read
  aloud, you will answer five easy online questions
  about the contents of the book. Quiz questions
  refer to repeated themes and events in each book.
  THERE ARE NO TRICK QUESTIONS. To pass, you will
  need to answer four questions out of five
  correctly. If you don't pass the first time, you
  can repeat the quiz. Once you have passed a quiz,
  print out your scoreboard sheet and give it to
  the librarian. Prizes will be awarded for each
  passed quiz. Four scoreboard sheets will give you
  an opportunity to vote in the Virginia Young
  Reader election. If you pass in seven scoreboard
  sheets, you will earn a reading T-shirt at the
  end of the year assembly.
• For more information about the Virginia Readers
  Choice Program visit this websitehttp//www.vsra.
  orgl
• For more information about the Virginia Reader
  Choice titles click here linkhttp//www.vsra.org
  /VRC/elementary06.html
• These books will be available at Timber Lane
  library and at the public library.
• To take a quiz, come to the Library.

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Please come to the Timber Lane Library to take
a quiz!
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• Voters getting their ballots.
• Voters filling out their ballots in the booths.
• Voters casting their ballots.

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Virginia Readers Choice Primary

•  Actual Size by Steve Jenkins  Houghton 
• Baghead by Jarrett J. Krosoczka 
• How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry  
   Hungry Hen by Richard Waring 
• Jam and Jelly by Holly and Nellie by Gloria
  Whelan  Sleeping  
• The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman by Darcy
  Pattison    
• Little Flower by Gloria Rand 
• The Monster Ate My Peas by Danny Schnitzlein   
• Muldoon by Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole
  Straight to the Pole by Kevin OMalley

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How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry   
Squirrel teaches Little Groundhog how to create
a garden and grow his own food so he will stop
stealing from his friends' gardens.  The
Groundhog and the reader learn about gardening
from seed gathering to planting to sharing the
bounty of the harvest.  An introduction to how
plants grow.
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Activities

• http//www.lynnecherry.com/work2.htm
• This part of the authors webpage lists books to
  link with Groundhogs garden, how she researched
  this book, and describes her passion for children
  and gardening. Wonderful connections to life
  cycles, environmental issues,
• and good health habits.

Check this out on her website! How Groundhog's
Garden Grew SCHOOL GARDEN WIZARD has been created
for America's school's K through 12 community
through a partnership between the US Botanic
Garden and Chicago Botanic Garden. Click here to
read everything you need to know to create a
garden at YOUR school! CLICK to hear Kids Growing
Food director Margaret Barker, Beth Reese
(Tuckahoe elementary) and Lynne discuss benefits
of school gardens the TOOL KIT for school
garden advocates (scroll down to see below) on
the Kojo Nmamdi Show on WAMU, Washington DC
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Baghead by Jarrett J. Krosoczka   Josh insists
on wearing a paper bag over his head all day long
until his sister finally questions him and
reveals the reason.  His sister helps Josh solve
his problem and the story ends on a happy note.
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• Activities
• Authors web page http//www.studiojjk.com/,
  includes information on his other books.
• Does a Yak Get a Haircut? By Fred Erlich
• Clip, Clip, Clip 3 Stories About Hair by
  Kathleen Krull
• No Haircut Today by Elivia Savadier
• Daves Haircut by Damon Burnard (Dave gives
  himself a haircut, too!)
• Paper bags from grocery stores. What store would
  not want its logo all over the elementary school!
  A Baghead paradejust make sure there are no
  obstacles on the parade route.
• Paperbag crafts-what else can you do with a
  paperbag once your hair grows back? Could your
  students pretend to be a Powhatan Indian, and the
  bag is deerskin?

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Actual Size by Steve Jenkins   In this nonfiction
book, the author cleverly illustrates the actual
size of a variety of animals.  Each animal
illustration is accompanied by interesting facts
and physical dimensions.  Some animals fit on the
page, only a part of others will fit on a page
spread or fold out.  The index includes a scaled
down illustration of each animal, and more
information.  
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Activities All the animals in this book are
shown at actual size, so you can see how you
measure up to both creatures great and small.
What an invitation is the opening paragraph to
students to measure themselves, animals, bugs,
and life around them! Could a class build one of
the creatures, such as the moth? And, what an
invitation to make cut tissue paper collages.
Math, art, science SOL cross curriculum
opportunities abound. Other measuring
books Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy How Big is
an Ant? by Mara Rockliff How Big is a Whale? by
Jenny Johnson Also by Steve Jenkins for
measuring and comparison Hottest, Coldest,
Highest, Deepest Biggest, Strongest, Fastest Big
and Little And, have you seen Prehistoric
Actual Size?
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Hungry Hen by Richard Waring  There once was a
very hungry little hen, and she ate and ate, and
grew and grew, and the more she ate, the more she
grew."  And so the greedy fox sitting upon the
hen house watches each day as the hen eats and
grows.  He thinks to himself, I will just wait
another day because there is more of her
everyday.  As the hen grows, the fox gets thinner
and thinner.  How big will the hen get, how long
can the fox wait? 
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http//suzyred.com/mbird2004hungryhen.html A
great site with activities, songs to complement
this title
Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodileby Won-Ldy P
aye and Margaret LippertCrocodile is hungry and
Mrs. Chicken looks like a good choice for dinner.
To save herself, Mrs. Chicken tells crocodile
they are sisters. Mrs. Chicken doesn't have much
time to prove they are related because crocodile
is getting hungrier and hungrier!The Rooster's
Giftby Pam ConradYoung Rooster thinks his Gift
is making the sun rise, until one morning when
the sun rises without him.
Bobwritten and illustrated by Tracey
Campbell PearsonBob the rooster is big, bold,
and beautiful, but he doesn't know how to crow.
How he finally learns, after several false
starts, to use his talents to save the day, and
outwit the predator.
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Jam and Jelly by Holly and Nellie by Gloria
Whelan  In northern Michigan Holly wants to
start school.  Her mother knows she will need a
warm coat, but her father reminds her there is no
money for one. But, through the mothers
determination, she and Holly gather juneberries,
strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and
blackberries from summer to fall.  They make
jams, jellies, pies, and muffins to sell and earn
enough for a new coat for Holly. 
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Activities This book is an economic lesson in
wants and needs, natural resources, and scarcity.
How would your class handle this problem? How
does northern Michigan plants, and weather
compare with your students environment? Click on
the author and artist links for more scenes of
Michigan.
The authors homepage with pictures of her home
in northern Michigan, and her many
books http//www.gloriawhelan.com/index.html
The artists home page with lots of photos of his
environment http//my.voyager.net/robbyn/pages/ar
tist/artist.htm
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One marble, one student, one vote

• Ten titles are read to all Kindergarten through
  2nd grades. Upper grade students vote if they
  have read/listen to 4 of the 10 titles on
  Elementary or/and Middle School lists.
• Then it is time to voteusing the one marble, one
  student, one vote method. Each student drops
  their marble in a plastic cup in front of their
  favorite title. The most votes wins! We chart
  votes per class, per grade level, and for the
  entire school.
• After the winners are announced on April 15th,
• we chart the state winners as well. Ann Voss

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Keeping track of students, what they have read,
and quizzes passed. (Nancy Davis, Annandale
Terrace ES, Fairfax County Public Schools)
Virginia Readers Choice 2005-2006 Elementary
Titles Name ___________________________ Teacher
_________________ After you read or listen to a
book read aloud, write your initials next to the
author's name. In order to vote for your
favorite book, you must read yourself (or have
listened to) four books. Initials Title Auth
or Passed Quiz Boxes for
Katje Candace Fleming ? _____ Fame and Glory
in Freedom, Georgia Barbara
OConnor ? _____ Gregor the Overlander Suzanne
Collins ? _____ Grover G. Graham and Me Mary
Quattlebaum ? _____ Hanas Suitcase Karen
Levine ? _____ Kensukes
Kingdom Michael Morpugo ? _____ Locomotion J
acqueline Woodson ? _____ Mysterious Matter of
I.M. Fine Diane Stanley ? _____ Say
What? Margaret Haddix ? _____ Snowed in
with Grandmother Silk Carol Fenner ?
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The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman by Darcy
Pattison   When Uncle Ray in South Carolina
cannot visit his niece in California, he makes
Oliver K. Woodman, a carved life size, hinged
wooden man.  Ray puts Oliver by the road with
a note asking travelers who pick him up to send
postcards of their trip with Oliver.  He receives
a variety of cards from people who happily give
Oliver a ride to California and Tameka's house. 
Tameka and her parents return with Oliver, by
airplane, to South Carolina.
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Activities for Journey of Oliver K. Woodman, and
the sequel Searching for Oliver K.
Woodman These are pdf files filled with LOTS
of activities, including a pattern for making
Oliver! http//www.harcourtbooks.com/Images/PD
F/ActivityKit/OKW_activityGuide.pdf
http//www.harcourtbooks.com/Images/PDF/ActivityKi
t/ SearchingOliverKW_activity.pdf
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Little Flower by Gloria Rand  The book is based
on a true story of a pot bellied pig that saved
its master's life.  The lovable Little Flower is
not just another pretty face!  She is a good
companion to her owner, and a pig that uses her
head in an emergency. 
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Activities

• How about these pigs?
• Wilbur in Charolottes Web by White
• Mercy Watson to the Rescue by DiCamillo
• Babe and Ace by King

• How about helping others?
• Crackers by Bloom
• The Biggest and Brightest Light by Perlyn
• Laughing Day by Anders

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The Monster Ate My Peas by Danny Schnitzlein  A
young boy agrees to give a disgusting monster
first his soccer ball, then his bike in return
for eating the boys peas.  When the monster asks
for his puppy, the boy makes a surprising
discovery.
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Activities

• http//www.peachtree-online.com/Kids/PDF/MonsterPe
  asTG.pdf
• A creative six page guide including language
  arts, science, and art activities.
• Little Pea by Rosenthal, the pea wants dessert
  first!
• Eat Your Peas, Ivy Louise by Landry. The peas
  come to life on her plate!

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Muldoon by Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole
Muldoon, the Wests family dog, describes jobs
helping the family throughout the day from his
point of view. The illustrations tell the real
story of the day. 
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Activities

• Henry Coles very cool website
  http//www.henrycole.net/index.php?scrWidth1280
• Point of view books
• Diary of a Wombat by French
• Diary of a Worm, and
• Diary of a Spider by Cronin

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(No Transcript)
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Activities

• http//www.booksbyomalley.com/
• Snow titles, new old favorites
• In the Snow Whos Been Here? by George Two
  siblings follow the clues in the snow about what
  animals are out in their neighborhood.
• The Snowy Day by Keats
• What Do You Know? Snow! by Hudson, includes
  activities
• This Place in the Snow by Bond, snow day
  cooperation
• The Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd, just dont
  touch the pole with your tongue!

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The committee hopes your students will be saying
this next spring
Virginia Readers' Choice I Voted!