The Very Pink Unicorn

A Wrinkle in Time is a well rounded science fiction fantasy novel about t hirteen-year-old  Meg Murry 's classmates and teachers see her as a troublesome and stubborn student. Her family knows that she is emotionally immature but also sees her capable of doing great things. The family includes her beautiful scientist mother, her missing scientist father, her athletic 10-year-old twin brothers,  Sandy and Dennys ; and her five-year-old brother  Charles Wallace Murry , a  child prodigy   genius  who can sometimes read Meg's mind.  Throughout the book, amazing things happen, taking Meg on a journey to find her missing father.  This book can strike a nerve for anyone with missing parents but can also help them to open their minds to the possibilities of science and time.  Other books by this author are A Window in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet, all sequels to her most profound novel A Wrinkle in Time. Classroom Activities: 1.) Stu...

Brown Girl Dreaming is a memoir about  Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, that tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.   Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.  The poems in this book are extremely vivid, touching and powerful.  Even being about a young brown girl, this book can be used to teach any young girl to live their life, follows their dreams, and shoot for the stars.  In my personal opinion, this book is a strong read due to the fact that it is extremely emotionally charged and well balanced throughout its entirety.  Other novels written by this author are Each Kindness and Another Brooklyn. Classroom Activities: 1.) Have students write a poem that stron...

Wonder is a heart-warming, love-filled, inspirational novel written by R.J. Palacio.  As a realistic fiction novel, you begin to understand why choosing kindness any day is the best option.  In the book, Auggie, the main character, is a child with a very rare birth defect who does not automatically enjoy going to school but with the help of his friends Summer and Jack helps them to understand why being kind to their friend goes a long way.  I would reccomend this book to be read to students in grades three and up when they begin to learn about kindness towards their peers.  This book can be used during national bullying prevention week as well. Learning about being kind and using literature to do so kills two birds with one stone and allows educators to reveal the secret that literature can be used for almost every situation. We're All Wonders was also written by R.J. Palacio. Classroom Activities: 1.) Students can read the book and then watch the movie....

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an autobiographical novel by Maya Angelou  that illustrates how the strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome  racism  and  trauma .  When reading this book, keep in mind that the author used her own personal life to guide literature in a way that creates a new outlook on how you can handle your own personal situation based on any trial or tribulation in your own life.  A book like this can be used in a classroom and can help students to understand how to speak up for themselves in situations they feel they are voiceless in.  Maya Angelou has written a plethora of novels that include Mom & Me & Mom and And Still I Rise. Classroom Activities: 1.)  Students can write a short story about their own lives and use the text in the book as a way to figure out how they can overcome the trials and tribulations in their own lives. 2.)  Have students write to Maya Angelou (pret...

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a historical fiction novel written by John Boyne.  This book is based on a boy named Bruno who is forced to move away from his home due to a promotion that his father received from work.  Bruno soon finds himself a new friend in Shmuel who is stuck with an unfortunate fate as Bruno learns Shmuel is confined to a concentration camp.  Trying to save Shmuel, Bruno finds himself facing the exact same fate of being placed in a gas chamber to die.  The story told in this book, based on facts of a historical event during the times of concentration camps and gas chambers, allows readers to understand what exactly happened during the Holocaust and gives a small insight to what it was like to be on both the outside and inside.  Novels like this one are The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank and Night by Elie Wiesel. Classroom Activities: 1.)  Have the children write a letter to a Holocaust survivor and se...