The Monsters of Morley Manor

Title: The Monsters of Morley Manor

Author: Bruce Coville

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Anthony is a sixth-grader living in Owl's Roost, Nebraska, with his florist parents and his annoying but lovable younger sister Sarah. While his parents are out of town and his Gramma is staying with them, he and his sister visit an estate sale at the spooky Morley Manor. Sarah is given a box from a man that looks like Old Man Morley, who has just passed away. When they get home, he opens it and finds 5 curious figurines: a dinosaur-headed man, a hunchback, a dog-faced man, a vampire woman, and a snake-haired woman. When one figurine accidentally gets wet, it seems to come partly to life. Soon, they determine that giving them all water will bring them totally to life. These little critters are soon alive and telling the story that they are in fact humans and need to be restored to their bodies. This begins a totally twisted adventure and story for Anthony and Sarah. Everyone becomes involved soon enough. Everyone from Gramma and Grampa to Old Man Morley to vampires and creatures from worlds beyond. Soon, Anthony realizes that his family is very important and you never realize which day could be your last especially when you're dealing with odd creatures.

This story could lead to a very fun lesson, and a very serious one. I would definitely gear this book towards 5th graders. It has a serious note that could scare some smaller children. The fun one would be to have the children create their own monsters and stories about each of them. It can be a writing lesson in science fiction and fantasy which they may have not done before. It would require creative writing and a sense of adventure. The other lesson would be more focused on making each day count. We could talk about the small things in life and why family is so important. I could have the students make a list of what is most important to them and why they should cherish it each and every day. It can give them a new appreciation for life.

The Lacemaker and the Princess

Title: The Lacemaker and the Princess

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Genre: Historical Fiction

Isabelle is a lacemaker in the town of Versailles. She, her arthritic mother, and her old grandmother are all lacemakers. When Isabelle goes to the castle to deliver lace, she is almost trampled but is rescued by the queen herself, Marie Antoinette. Because of this, Isabelle is introduced to her daughtert Therese. Therese soon counts Isabelle as a best friend and insists on calling her Clochette since it is a more fashionable name. When out riding horses one day, Isabelle is trapped on the horse and it falls on her causing her to be on bed rest in the castle for two weeks. When she returns home, she finds that her grandmother has suffered a stroke and isn't making lace anymore and her mother desperately needs her help. She doesn't return to the castle for a while because she has to keep up the family business or else go hungry and homeless. Soon though, she is summoned by Therese and her friend Ernestine to come back to the castle to be with them. She can only do this if they pay her for lace that she makes so her family can survive. Soon her grandmother dies and a revolution is started in Versailles against the royalty and their taxes and riches. This story goes through the friendship of Isabelle and Therese and sees if they can last through a revolution that rips a country apart.

While this book is fiction, it could have definitely happened. The author notes that Marie Antoinette was fond of children and could have taken special care of some. Some of the characters are ficitional, yet some are very real. I think this book would be a great lead-in for a lesson about classes and European history. This book would be best used with 5th graders who can understand the implications of revolution and class differences. This lesson can be done with references not only to European class ranks, but even those in America. It can lead to a lesson about poverty and riches and the differences people "see". It can be used to show that everyone can suffer no matter their class but everyone can be happy as well.

True Survival Stories

Title: True Survival Stories

Author: Paul Dowswell

Genre: Nonfiction

This book is actually many stories into one. There is the story of the Hindenburg and the few survivors of it. It also has the story of a film crew caught in the Pu'u O'o volcano of Hawaii. There is the story of a man who survives a Great White shark attack off the coast of Northern California. These stories are amazing tales of ordinary people who have survived the most extraordinary situations.

I think this book could be used for a fun lesson within my class. The students and I can read a story and talk about what the people did that made it so they survived. Did they employ their previously learned skills? Did they think in the moment? I could create a situation that the students need to get out of and see how they would employ what they have learned and what they can think of in the moment. It can show them that they can survive anything just using the skills they have and thinking "fast". It can also just be a fun lesson to break the monotony of the daily routine. I believe every class needs this at some point.

Honeysuckle House

Title: Honeysuckle House

Author: Andera Cheng

Genre: Multicultural Fiction

Sarah and Tina are two young Chinese girls at the center of this story. Sarah's best friend, Victoria, moves away suddenly one day leaving Sarah alone and confused. Tina comes to America from Shanghai and feels very alone. Sarah's dad is away on business during the month and is rarely home. Tina's father is in Chicago a lot to try and get his green card. Sarah is tired of being confused with Chinese girls wherever she goes. Tina just wants to fit in and be an "American". This story shows how two unlikely friends create a friendship and a bond that can get through anything.

I really enjoyed this story and would definitely use it in a classroom. It shows diversity, family, and friendship. I can incorporate this by showing different kinds of families and how they interact. Like another book I read, I can have students create portraits of their families and talking about what each member of the family does and how they contribute to the family. We can also discuss different cultures and why they value family and how they respect their elders. This can give a glimpse into different families and what makes them important to each person in the classrom.

Lily and The Wooden Bowl

Title: Lily and the Wooden Bowl
Author: Alan Schroeder
Illustrated by: Japanese Folktale

This Japanese folktale tells the story of a young Japanese woman, Lily, and her dying grandmother. Lily's grandmother gives Lily a paper crane and a rice paddle as she is dying. Because Lily is so beautiful, she tells her that she must wear a bowl over her head so that no man may see her beauty and taint her innocence. Soon, Lily is working in a rice field and when the men make fun of her the crane suddenly comes to life and begins attacking them and preventing them from hitting the bowl off of Lily's head. After this, Lily was approached by a man named Yamoto whose wife, Matsu, is sick. He asks Lily to come and take care of her. Lily soon realizes Matsu is a very cruel woman and has troubles with her constantly. The son of Yamoto and Matsu, Kumaso returns home from Kyoto and though he cannot see Lily's face, he begins to fall in love with her. Matsu refuses that he may marry Lily and tells him that only if she can make rice for the wedding can they be married. Matsu gives Lily only one grain of rice; Lily begins to realize that the paddle can create more and more rice, enough for the wedding party. Matsu then calls the rats of the city to come eat all the food. When Yamoto and Kumaso see Matsu above Lily ready to strike her, they see what evil she has caused. As Kumaso and Lily are to be married the bowl will not come off. Yet, when they take the "three times three" to show they become husband and wife the bowl breaks and jewels pour out of it. But the greatest beauty is Lily.

This folktale is a great show of Japanese culture. It speaks of the beauty and gives different artifacts of the culture within the story (the crane and the rice paddle). However, it is very focused on beauty. I would use this book not only to teach about Japanese culture, but how beauty isn't everything. I could have the children create paper cranes like the one in the story and speak about why they are important in Japanese culture. I could also have students create a poster of things they think are beautiful and explain why. This will show that everyone views beauty differently and it is indeed "in the eye of the beholder".

Pond Scum

Title: Pond Scum
Author: Alan Silberberg
Genre: Modern Fantasy

The young boy in this book, Oliver, has no friends and is very much a loner in his family. After his parents are divorced, Oliver, his sister Rachel, and his mother move to a new town. This town is very small and they move to a run-down house next to a pond. On the other side of this story are the pond creatures that form an Alliance to stop humans from living in the house. The leader is a black widow, Fat Mama, who has recently been put into power because the former leader was killed. There is also a head of the crows, The General who is in charge of the Black Angels and wants the power of the Alliance. One day, when Oliver is looking for an antennae for his TV, he crashes through the roof and finds a strange gold stone. He puts it in his pocket to try and figure out what it does. During school one day, he stuffs a half dead fly in his pocket and next thing he knows he becomes a fly in the boys bathroom. He soon discovers that when he has the gem in one hand and an animal of some sort in the other, he can change into it. This creates a whole new world of adventures and friends for Oliver. Soon he realizes The General's plan and sets out to change it. This story goes through friendship, betrayal, changing from human to animal and animal to human, and realizing that really all that matters in life is family and friends.

This book can be very educational for a class. It talks about the differences between amphibians and reptiles and totally different kinds of animals. This can be a great book to use to introduce the animal kingdom and the food chain. Students can create their own food chain for display in the classroom. It can also be used to show the importance of family and friends.

Why The Sun and The Moon Live In the Sky

Title: Why The Sun and The Moon Live in the Sky

Illustrations by: Blair Lent

Told by: Elphinstone Dayrell

Genre: Folktale

This story speaks about how the Sun and the Water were good friends. The Sun always visited the Water but the Water never came to see the Sun. He explained this was because the Sun's house wasn't big enough. So the Sun, who was married to the Moon, made a bigger house. Soon the Water and his people came and filled up the house. The Sun and the Moon had to rise above their house and enter the sky. This is why they live in the sky.

This story is an African folktale told by a district commissioner of Southern Nigeria. I think this story would be great to use when introducing folktales in a classroom. It is an easy read, the illustrations are like those of Africa, and it is told by an African man. This makes it all very reliable and correct to use with students. This can also be used to introduce African culture and the art. The illustrations are very detailed and interesting to look at. You can do a lesson in which students create their own art of their culture and explain it to the class.