My Booklist

Black History

  • A Picture Book of Rosa Parks

    by David A. Adler Year Published: Easy Reading
    Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4, 1913. Some people in her family were slaves. Her family moved to Pine Level, Alabama. Where they lived on there grandparents farm. In 1915 Rosas brother Sylvester was born. Rosas mother taught Rosa how to read. In 1931 she met Raymond Parks. And in 1943 they married. Then she met Martin Luther King Jr and soon was fighting to stop segregation. The buses were segregated. African Americans were only allowed to sit in the back. In 1943, Rosa got on the bus, paid the fare, and got off, to wait for the next bus. In 1955, Rosa was arrested for not letting a white man sit in the seat. Rosa went to a local court and had to pay ten dollars plus court cost. After that black people would stop riding the buses until segregation was over.

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  • Booker T. Washington

    Booker T. Washington

    by Margo McLoone Year Published: Easy Reading
    BOOKER .T. WASHINGTON 1856 - 1915 Booker T. Washington opened a school for blacks and taught them and raised money. He also spoke to big groups and told them the student’s needs. Bookers mother was a slave and at age seven Booker cried water to the workers in the field. Booker worked with his stepfather in a mine, a mine is a tunnel for people to dig up salt. He worked for five hours in the morning. He also went to school and then he went back for two more hours. When he was older he went to Hampton Institute and worked as a janitor to pay for school. Booker finished school at Hampton in 1875. He worked at Hampton at night. Then he started a school in Tuskegee, Alabama because the children needed a teacher and a school. 400 students lived on campus. Fannie Smith and Booker got married and had one girl. Fannie died in 1884. Then he got married to Olivia Davidson they had two boys. She died in 1889. Then he met Margaret Murray. He hired her to work for him. He liked her and they got married and they had no children. Booker started the school on his beliefs. He thought both work and school. Booker hired George Washington Harvard. Booker and George shared many ideas with each other. W.E.B Du Bois didn’t like Bookers idea s. He thought that blacks and whites should have the same rights. Booker thought African Americans should get well paying jobs. So he made a book called Up From Slavery. Booker T. Washington died in his home on November 14, 1915.

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  • Martin Luther King Jr.

    by Lola M. Schaefer Year Published: Average
    On January 15, 1929 in Georgia, a beautiful baby boy (Martin Luther King Jr.) was born. He was black. His father, being a minister, taught him to accept all people. Martin and his family did not think skin colored people were different. Others thought differently. There was segregation. Black people had to sit in the back of the buses. In 1948, after collage, Martin became a minister. He read about people who changed countries. Martin wanted peace for black people. He married a women named Coretta Scott. He led a church in Alabama. Martin made a lot of groups to help black people. The country watched Martin lead marches. They listened to his speeches. Courts started to think segregation was wrong. They past laws to stop it. Blacks received the same rights as whites. In 1964, Martin won a Nobel Peace Prize that honored his work. Martin was killed on April 4, 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. was a powerful man.

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  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day

    by Linda Lowery Year Published: Easy Reading
    Martin Luther King Day Martin Luther King jr. lived with his mom, dad, sister & brother. On Auburn Ave. In Atlanta, Georgia. Martin went to Ebenezer Baptist Church. His father was the preacher. His mother was the leader of the choir. Martins parents had some important things that they have to teach or do. One was they always had to have supper with each other. Another was that they taught a rule, almost like the : Golden Rule here at Sherman. It is : Treat Others with Respect. When Martin was a young adult, he found out that white and black people couldnt share the same water fountain, and the same public restroom. When Martin grew up he became a preacher. After that he married Coretta Scott on June 18th,1953. Martin moved to Montgomery and had to settle the segregation. Which he SUCCESSFULLY did. in August, 1963, he gave a speech. It satisfied some of the people. In December, 1964, Martin won the Nobel Peace Prize!!! some of that was $54,000.00. After that every year we celebrate Martin Luther King Day!

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Ideas

Realistic Fiction- Dealing With Life Changes

  • Dear Mr. Henshaw

    by Beverly Cleary Year Published: Average
    A story about a boy dealing with divorce and being in a new school. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Start a journal or diary

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  • Shiloh

    Shiloh

    by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Year Published: Average
    A heartwarming story about a boys discovery of an abused dog and his attempt to save it despite his family not being able to afford it. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Keep a log of pet cost (if you have one) or Research the total cost over a year of having a pet Watch the movie based on the book and look for differences

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  • Superfudge

    Superfudge

    by Judy Blume Year Published: Average
    This is a very humorous tale about 12 year old, Peter Hatcher, dealing with: a wild younger brother, a new baby on the way, and moving away for a year. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Draw pictures of what all the "worm" foods would look like Write about your own life and what things you do that are inappropriate and how they affect the people in your family.

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  • The Chalk Box Kid

    by Clyde Robert Bulla Year Published: Easy Reading
    Read about a boy who moves to a new home on his birthday. Life here isn't the same as it used to be. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Make chalk drawings on BLACK CONSTRUCTION PAPER

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Realistic Fiction- Kids Like You

  • Frindle

    Frindle

    by Andrew Clements Year Published: Average
    Summary from publisher page of book: "When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Create your own dictionary of made up words.

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  • Good Grief...Third Grade

    by Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKenna Year Published: Easy Reading
    Marsha wants this year to be a great year, Roger Friday can't resist trying to get Marsha in trouble. See what happens when they have to work on a class project together. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Come up with strategies of how Marsha could have handled Roger differently. What would you have done if you were in her situation.

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  • Herbie Jones

    Herbie Jones

    by Suzy Kline Year Published: Easy Reading
    Join Herbie in this book series and enjoy his humorous adventures.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • School's Out

    by Johanna Hurwitz Year Published: Easy Reading
    It's Summer vacation and Lucas thinks he is free. However, a French girld named Genevieve will be living with them over the summer. Lucas doesn't like the idea of having a full-time babysitter. See how Lucas' summer turns out. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Make a list of some activities that you would like to do this summer and write a letter to your parents convincing them to let you do one or more.

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  • Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

    Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

    by Judy Blume Year Published: Average
    You'll enjoy meeting Peter, a fourth grade boy, who often feels that his younger brother steals the show. This is the first book in a series.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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Organization

Voice

Adventure (w/talking animals)

  • A Dog's Life

    A Dog's Life

    by Ann M. Martin Year Published: Average
    This book is told from a stray dog's point of view. I cared deeply for the dog by the end of the story and was fascinated by all of its adventures. A prime example for teaching the trait of voice.

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  • Abel's Island

    by William Steig Year Published: Challenging
    As his community becomes flooded by a terrible storm Abel rushes out of his shelter to rescue his wife's scarf. Unfortunately Abel can't make it back to the shelter and ultimately finds himself marooned on an island. Join Abel on his journey to survive and find his way home. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Make a list of 4 things you would take with you if deserted on a tropical island. Make a list of people you would miss if separated from your family, and why they are so important to you.

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  • Bunnicula

    Bunnicula

    by James Howe Year Published: Average
    This is the first in a series about some amusing animals and their hilarious adventures.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

    by Robert C. O'Brien Year Published: Challenging
    Mrs. Frisby's son Timothy has pneumonia, which is a problem because now they can't move to their Spring home. With Timothy forced to stay inside, how will Mrs. Frisby find a way to move their home out of the way of the soon coming plow. This is one of Mr. Loughner's favorite books ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Watch the animated movie, "The Secret of NIMH", and compare it to the book Draw pictures of some of the more exciting parts of the story.

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  • Stuart Little

    by E. B. White Year Published: Average
    A story about a mouse born to a human family. A shy and thoughtful mouse who loves adventure. Follow him as he tries to solve the mystery of a missing friend. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Research the "Boating Vocabulary" found in the book using: Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and the Internet Watch the movie and compare it to the book

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  • The Mouse and the Motorcycle

    by Beverly Cleary Year Published: Easy Reading
    The main character, a mouse named Ralph, stumbles upon a toy motorcycle left out by a boy visiting the hotel Ralph lives in. The boy and mouse develop a friendship and help each other on small adventures. ENRICHING ACTIVITY: Read the sequel Ralph S. Mouse or write a story about what is going to happen next if the book were continued

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Word Choice

A Goggin Favorite

  • A Single Shard

    by Linda Sue Park Year Published: Challenging
    Description: Tree-ear, an orphan, has become fascinated with the potters' craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday. When Min takes on Tree-ear as his helper, Tree-ear is elated--until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min's irascible temper, and his own ignorance. However, Tree-ear is determined to prove himself. Courtesy of Borders The Newberry Medal Winner 2002 Mrs. Park lives in the Rochester area!

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  • Bud, Not Buddy

    by Christopher Paul Curtis Year Published: Challenging
    It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but he's on a mission. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: posters of Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression! Bud's got an idea that those posters will lead to his father. Once he decides to hit the road and find this mystery man, nothing can stop him. Bud, Not Buddy is full of laugh-out-loud humor and wonderful characters, hitting the high notes of jazz and sounding the deeper tones of the Great Depression.
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  • Castle in the Attic

    Castle in the Attic

    by Elizabeth Winthrop Year Published: Average
    Mrs. Phillips, William's governess and friend since the day he was born, is leaving the household to return to her home and family in England. As a parting gift, she presents William with a wonderful miniature castle which was her childhood toy. William unlocks the mystery of the castle in this exciting fantasy book.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • Hank Zipzer -- Holy Enchilada

    by Henry Winkler Year Published: Average
    Join Hank as he tells about his struggles in school and his humorous adventures. This is one book in a series.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • Holes

    Holes

    by Louis Sachar Year Published: Challenging
    Stanley is just a regular kid until he is found responsible for a crime he didn't commit. We learn about a curse that has been in his family for several generations. His bad luck lands Stanley in a very strange correctional camp in the Texas desert. The warden has all the inmates digging holes in a dry lake bed. The story weaves interesting tales from local history and Stanley's family. Stanley finds a good friend, treasure, and learns to like himself along the way.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain

    Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain

    by Robert Burch Year Published: Challenging
    Ida comes over the mountain and into the lives of the Sutton children. How she changes their lives makes for a very interesting story!

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  • Indian in the Cupboard

    by Lynn Reid Banks Year Published: Challenging
    In the story, a young boy discovers that when he locks a toy plastic Iroquois Indian in an old bathroom cupboard, the figure comes to life. That's when the adventures begin! This book is part one of a series.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • Misty of Chincoteague

    Misty of Chincoteague

    by Marguerite Henry Year Published: Challenging
    The story is based upon the Pony Penning, an annual round-up and auction of feral ponies. It is set just off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia on two islands, Chincoteague and Assateague.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • Secret Soldier

    by Ann McGovern Year Published: Average
    Read this biography about Deborah Sampson, who dressed up as a man so that she could fight during the Revolutionary War.
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  • Snow Treasure

    Snow Treasure

    by Marie McSwigan Year Published: Challenging
    An actual incident in which Norwegian children smuggled gold past the Nazis is the basis for this story of courage and patriotism.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • Stone Fox

    Stone Fox

    by John Reynolds Gardiner Year Published: Average
    Little Willy is determined to save his ailing grandfather's farm. This SSRL book has wonderful historical details and a riveting plot.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • The Chocolate Touch

    The Chocolate Touch

    by Patrick Skene Catling Year Published: Average

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • The Fighting Ground

    The Fighting Ground

    by Avi Year Published: Challenging
    This book depicts a day in the life of a young boy who fought in a battle during the American Revolution.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • The Sign of the Beaver

    by Elizabeth George Speare Year Published: Challenging
    Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth-century Maine, a boy is struggling to survive until local Indians teach him their skills.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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Humor

Sentence Fluency

Conventions

Picture Books

  • A Drop in My Drink

    A Drop in My Drink

    by Meredith Hooper Year Published: Average
    This book tells about the history of water in our planet. Excellent details help the reader to visualize and understand these concepts.
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  • A River Ran Wild

    by Lynne Cherry Year Published: Average
    This is a wonderful biography of a river. By focusing on the life in and around the Nashua River, Cherry brings history to life.
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  • Encounter

    Encounter

    by Jane Yolen Year Published: Average
    Read about Columbus's historic landing from the point of view of the Native Americans who lived there.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • Just a Dream

    by Chris Van Allsburg Year Published:
    Young Walter litters and refuses to sort trash for recycling, until he dreams of an overcrowded and polluted future which terrifies him into taking care of the earth.
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  • Letting Swift River Go

    by Jane Yolen Year Published: Average
    This book tells the story about what happened between 1927 and 1946 when the Swift River towns were intentionally flooded in order to create the Quabbin Reservoir.
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  • Math Curse

    by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith Year Published: Easy Reading
    When the teacher tells her class that they can think of almost everything as a math problem, one student acquires a math anxiety which becomes a real curse.
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  • Pink and Say

    by Patricia Polacco Year Published: Average
    Drawing from the rich store of Civil War reminiscences handed down in her family, acclaimed author/illustrator Polacco tells the true story of a remarkable wartime friendship between a young white Union soldier and a young black Union soldier who are captured by Confederate soldiers and sent to Andersonville Prison. Courtesy of Borders
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  • River Town

    by Bonnie and Arthur Geisert Year Published: Average
    During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, small towns sprouted up along the banks of America's rivers. The authors guide the reader through the different seasons and the lives of the people who lived there.
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  • Science Verse

    by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith Year Published: Easy Reading
    When the teacher tells his class that they can hear the poetry of science in everything, a student is struck with a curse and begins hearing nothing but science verses that sound very much like some well-known poems.
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  • Sector 7

    by David Wiesner Year Published: Easy Reading
    Follow a little boy on his trip to the clouds and discover a whole other world.
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  • Teammates

    Teammates

    by Peter Golenbock Year Published: Average
    The moving story of how Jackie Robinson became the first African-American player on a major league baseball team, the challenges he faced, and the friendship that touched his life.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
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  • The Hoover Dam

    by Patra McSharry Sevastiades Year Published: Average
    This nonfiction text gives interesting details about controlling the Colorado River and building the Hoover Dam.
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Sports

Book of the Month

  • A Picture Book of George Washington

    by David A. Adler Year Published:
    This biography is the book selection for February.
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  • Campy: The Story of Roy Campanella

    Campy: The Story of Roy Campanella

    by David A. Adler Year Published:
    This book is the January book selection. Through this book students will gain an appreciation for the strength and courage of one of America's foremost baseball players.
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  • Cookies: Bite-size life lessons

    Cookies: Bite-size life lessons

    by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Year Published:
    This book is the September book selection. This book presents a great opportunity for students to learn manners and learn about how to treat others. This book works on many different character traits.
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  • Hiromi's Hands

    by Lynne Barasch Year Published:
    This is the book selection for March. This is the true story of a Japanese girl who overcomes great odds to fulfill her dream of becoming a sushi chef.
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  • In Aunt Giraffe's Green Garden

    by Jack Prelutsky Year Published:
    This is the books selection for April to celebrate Poetry Month. This book is full of poems that children of all ages can enjoy.
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  • Owen & Mzee: The true story of a remarkable friend

    Owen & Mzee: The true story of a remarkable friendship

    by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu Year Published:
    This book is the December book selection. This tells a true story of a remarkable friendship between a hippo and a tortoise developed as a result of the December 2004 tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia.
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  • Papa, Do You Love Me?

    Papa, Do You Love Me?

    by Barbara M. Joosse Year Published:
    This book is the selection for June to help us celebrate the important men in our lives. This story is set in Africa and describes the unconditional love of a father for his son.
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  • The Elves and the Shoemaker

    The Elves and the Shoemaker

    by John Cech Year Published:
    This book is the November book selection. This familiar folktale tells the story of a poor cobbler who benefits from the generosity of some kind elves. The cobbler and his wife take the time to return the kindness.
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  • The Three Little Javelinas

    by Susan Lowell Year Published:
    This book is the November book selection. This book is presented in a bilingual format. It is a southwestern version of the three little pigs.
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  • Wind Flyers

    by Anglea Johnson Year Published:
    This book is the selection for May. This books helps us celebrate Memorial Day with a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen of Worl War II.
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Fantasy (Unrealistic Fiction)

Series

Mysteries