The Very Pink Unicorn

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is based on the fantasy idea of a young boy named Charlie who won a golden ticket contest, hosted by none other than the famous Willy Wonka, to attend Wonka’s tour of his chocolate factory.  During his visit, Charlie experiences the children around him and how they react with their parents and is eventually the “last child standing” by the end of the tour.  Wonka eventually invites Charlie and his family to come live with him in his factory to which they agree.  This book feeds on the amazement of just being able to experience what happens in a chocolate factory where the world’s most desired candy is created.  Reading the book, you can automatically place yourself in this fantasy world making it seem so real.  This book was later presented as two feature films, one released in 1971 titled Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the other titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, after the book.  Other books...

Holes by Louis Sachar is about a 14-year-old boy named Stanley Yelnats struck with misfortune due to a family curse and had later been wrongly convicted of theft.  Yelnats ended up being sent to Camp Green Lake where he was to dig holes to "build character" but later Stanley begins to suspect they are digging for other purposes.  This book was late adapted into a feature film starring Shia LaBeouf.  As mystery genres go, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat because who wouldn't want to know about a secret hidden treasure chest and all the glories it may possess.  I would recommend this book to teachers to read to their students simply because it comes with a great lesson: "ALWAYS stick to your gut feeling.  It never steers you wrong".  There are also sequels to this book titled Holes: Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake and Small Steps by the same author. Classroom Activities: 1.)  A fun and creative way to have chil...

Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent, is about two brothers, one is older and most honored with a very long name to match! One is younger and less honored with a very short name. When each boy falls into the well, Mother learns a powerful lesson about having too long of a name! This book really gives a view of how Asians take pride in giving longer names to certain children but realizing that a long name is not very necessary at all. Folklore was created as a genre to keep cultures alive and express the importance of keeping the culture alive from generation to generation. In order to keep folklore alive, one must keep the story genuine and without misunderstanding. Another book by this same author is The Funny Little Woman. Classroom Activities: 1.) To make things creative, have the children in your class pick a topic that is of their own culture, like ceremonial clothing or facial jewelry, and have them research the subject. The students can then wr...

A Stick is An Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer is a compilation of 18 poems that capture the enjoyment of outdoor games played all around the world.  This book shows that although we grow older, games are timeless and can be enjoyed from generation to generation.  I enjoyed reading these poems because as a little girl, I grew up playing most of these games but to know that the same games are played around the world but in different ways shows how we are all the same in many, many ways.  The book expresses poetry in every way such as personification, verse, rhyme scheme, and even being content that speaks to readers.  Another book by this author is Tallulah's Tutu. Classroom activities: 1.) Since there are 18 poems that express the participation of outside activities, each day, for 18 days, choose a poem to read and then allow the children in your classroom to split into groups (or have one giant group) and play the game of the poem that was chosen.  Hav...

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly is the  biographical text that follows the lives of  Human Computers such as  Katherine Johnson ,  Dorothy Vaughan , and  Mary Jackson , three mathematicians (known as "human computers" ) who overcame discrimination, as women and as African Americans, while working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) during the  Space Race , as well as  Christine Darden , who was the first African-American woman to be promoted into the  Senior Executive Service  for her work in researching  supersonic flight  and  sonic booms .    It was the basis of a  film by the same name  which was nominated for three Oscars. The set up of this book is to allow the reader to understand one of the most important parts of history that were seldom discussed due to the fact that the main roles were about African American women being the ones to do the unthinkable at a time pe...