The Misfits

                             "The Misfits" 

                                                                  by James Howe 

Rating

I would give this book 4 **** out of 4 stars.

SummaryThe gang of five (Addie, Skeezie, Bobby, Joe and Colin) are a group of outcasts who are determined to change their school. The students decide to try to form a third party in the student government election and they want the school's only African American student to run for president. The party is forced to disband and the students decide to start the No-Name party.

James Howe

This is an amazing chapter book that is difficult to put down. I believe it is a great book to use with children who are in upper elementary or middle school. 

This book contains controversial topics and issues that relate to elementary students and their personal issues. Joe is a character who is confused about his sexuality which is an extremely controversial issue to talk about in schools but one that is relevant to their lives directly. I know that Joe is a fictional character but I am sure there are Joe's all around the world who are afraid to speak out about their true feelings in fear of being rejected by society, their families and friends. 

Any child at any age can relate to being called a name. The gang of fives goal was the stop this epidemic. I believe this is a campaign that every elementary school, middle school and high school should adopt. Being called names, whether it be fat, lame, or gay, can have serious negative effects on children and their self esteem. It creates a hostile environment where children are afraid to be who they truly are. 

The gang of five reaches out to children who are not like them and are interested in promoting equality. They reach out to the only African American student in the school to become the future president of the student government. These children do not judge people based on their race, gender, weight or sexual orientation. These characters, while being completely different, are accepting of all people. They are good roll models for children in todays society. I would love the opportunity to hopefully teach this book in my future classroom. 

2 Choice Picture Books

"John, Paul, George, and Ben"





"John, Paul, George, and Ben" is written and illustrated by Lane Smith. I would use this book with students who are in second through fifth grade. 


Rating: I would give this book 5 ***** out of 5 stars. 




Summary: This is the story of John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin before they became legends. This book describes their childhood and how the events that happened in their lives led them to where they left their mark in history. 




I love this book and will definitely be using it in my classroom. It is a fun way to teach children about history. It also allows them to picture these influential people as children like themselves. Teachers can use this book to teach their students about each of the men featured in this book and the rolls they played in our history. 






"Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride"

This book is written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick. I would use this book with students who were in grades four or five. 




Rating: I would give this book 3 *** out of 3 stars. 




Summary: This is the story of a night in April when Amelia Earhart and her husband visited Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House. They were great friends who loved to do things that many thought women shouldn't be doing such as flying and driving. They go on adventures doing both of those things and share dessert at the White House afterwards.


  This book can be used to talk about the relationship between friends. Both of these women shared similarities as well as differences and this never hindered the fact that they liked to spend time with each other. Teachers could also use this book to teach children about the famous women in our history, these particular women included. You could teach your students about all of the wonderful things Amelia and Eleanor accomplished in their lifetime as well as some other influential women such as Rosa Parks. This book can also be used to introduce the issues between women's rights and the traditional roles women are expected to play. 




*Both of these books contain authors notes that contain the true story behind the ones illustrated in the book. 

Multicultural Picture Books

"The Sounds of Kwanzaa" 

The book "The Sounds of Kwanzaa" was written by Dimitrea Tokunbo and illustrated by Lisa Cohen. It is written for first through fourth graders. 


Rating: I would give this book a rating of 5 ***** out of 5 stars. 

This book is dedicated to the teaching of Kwanzaa and how it is celebrated. It takes the reader step by step through the celebration of Kwanzaa. Each page is designated for a specific day during Kwanzaa and tells the reader what is done on each day. For example, on the second night of Kwanzaa one red candle is lit and traditions about self determination are shared. The illustrations accompany the Swahili word being introduced on the opposing page. 

Last sentence of each page in this book is dedicated
to which candle is lit which night. 

 This book also has some great elements that could be used in the classroom. Every page starts with the same two lines which is great for struggling readers. Patterns allow them to see the same words over and over again to be able to turn unfamiliar words into familiar words. 














"Almost to Freedom" 


"Almost to Freedom" is written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Colin Bootman. This book is written for second to fourth graders. 


Rating: I would give this book 5 ***** out of 5 stars. 


Summary: This story is told from Sally, Lindy's doll's point of view. She is constantly by Lindy's side and she is there for her during some pretty rough times. She watches Lindy get whipped by the slave master and listens intently at a late night bonfire where people speak of something called freedom. Lindy is awoken in the middle of the night and is about to embark on an extremely dangerous journey. 


This is a phenomenal picture book. I would recommend that it is used with children closer
to third or fourth grade because of the amount of text and content. This is an amazing book 
to use when teaching students about slavery. You can use this book to describe the types of work the slaves were forced to complete and the songs and traditions passed down from 
generations. Towards the beginning of the book a bonfire is held and the topic of freedom is brought up. Lindy and Sally don't know what the adults are talking about. This would be a 
great time to talk to students about what it means to be free. A class chart could be made 
with each student contributing an idea of what freedom means to them. The chart would be discussed and you can dramatically tell students that each of these items were unavailable to African Americans during this time. This is what brought about the need for the 
underground railroad. When Lindy is awakened in the dead of night, she and her mother run to meet her father and meet a few amazing and courageous people along the way. They meet someone who rows them across the river and an elderly couple who hides Lindy and her 
family in their basement. These people were part of a secret system of both whites and 
african americans who helped slaves escape to the north. This is another important topic 
that should be taught in school in conjunction with the topic of slavery. You could also
introduce your students to the Civil War which explains why the slaves ran to the north to 
find freedom. This is time jumping just a little bit, but you can also use this book to teach
students about the civil rights movement. During this time, African Americans still weren't
given equal rights and opportunities and there were some very important people who
fought and gave their lives for this cause.

This is a great reference tool for teachers to use while teaching this book. You can plan
great lessons from this resource.




"The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses"

"The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses" is writtenand illustrated by Paul Goble. Paul Goble is an award winning children's author who writes mostly Native American stories. This book can be used with students grades first through
third.


Rating: I would give this book 4 **** out of
four stars.


Summary: A young girl growing up in a Native American village who loved horses. She knew everything there was to know about horses
and the village began to notice. The young girl spent many years roaming with the horses and was missed by her family. One day returned
home but was unhappy without her horses,
returned to them and visited her family once a year.


"The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses" is an amazing children's book that allows teachers to
incorporate diversity into their classroom, specifically about Native American culture. This book illustrates the intense bond and relationship some humans developed with animals.
This could be introduced by talking to students about the bonds shared between humans and animals in our culture today. Such as, dogs cats or birds. This can be applied to teaching
students about the bond in Native American culture. This is also a great book to teach
students about legends. These types of stories are passed down from generation to
generation and are believed to be factual. One idea I had that I would like to incorporate
into my classroom is have a day where my students and I dress in traditional Native
American dress and we sit in a circle and share our own legends that we have written. A sort of tribute to the culture of these people and a way to show our appreciation to the legends of the native people. This book and its illustrations allow students to immerse themselves into the lives of the people in this village. Such as the way they dress, act and live. 


Here are some resources and lesson plans for teachers to use to incorporate this specific book into their diversity activities

Woodson Experience

"Locomotion"
by Jacqueline Woodson



I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. Sitting down to read I was very skeptical about reading a book containing only poetry. When I was a young student, poetry and language arts were never made interesting which could very well be the source of my skepticism.


I loved that the entire novel was written from Lonnie's perspective and followed him through many settings in his life. We got a taste of what life was like with his family before the tragedy, his life at school and his life with Miss. Edna. Since I am currently enrolled in language arts and reading methods at the University of Iowa, I have come to realize the importance of writing in the classroom. This novel enforces this idea and also further supports the fact that writing can be an escape for most students.


The two prominent themes in this book are faith and belongingness. Lonnie's younger sister, Lili, believes that if Lonnie finds God and reads the bible they will be able to be together again. Lili lives with a new family not far from Lonnie and the family she is living with values faith and religion. Lonnie is skeptical of this plan but will do anything to be reunited with Lili. He begins to read the Bible and search for God anywhere he can think to look. I believe Lonnie also fed off of the innocence in Lili's statement. In her mind, this is simple. Lonnie plus God equals reunited and Lonnie knows that the real world does not work like that but he has faith in his younger sister and hopes that one day things will return to they way they once were.


Belongingness is also a theme in this novel. Lonnie feels that he does not belong, that he does not fit in anywhere. He is continually searching for his place in life. He does not have a set group of friends at school, he feels that at any moment Miss. Edna will abandon him and he has lost Lili, the only family he has left after his parents passing. He finds a shred of belonging when he is with Lili and when Miss. Edna's son comes to visit at refers to him as his little brother.


Towards the end of the novel, things were looking up for Lonnie which made me extremely happy. When I become immersed in a book I begin to feel like I am in the story (this is how I can tell it's a great book!). After hearing how much Lonnie struggles to come to terms with his parents tragic passing and being separated from Lili, I was hoping for a happy ending. The ending was very open ended but I choose to believe the best. I would give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars.


After reading separate novels, we were placed into discussion groups in class. After discussing our novels, our group came up with commonalities we thought were present in all of our novels.

Jacqueline Woodson

-Urban Settings
-Family Tragedy
-Separated Siblings
-African American Characters
-Similar Endings