Literature

Introduce early readers to everyday words with fun and colorful books! Each book contains 3-5 high-frequency words, based on Fry's First 100 words. New words are coupled with pictures to create sentences and phrases that build early reading skills and confidence. Set of 6 books, 12 pages each.

Better understand the impact of industry on the environment, and what lengths companies will go for prime real estate. Hold students accountable for thinking before they read with vocabulary and prior knowledge questions. Students give their own strategies when dealing with bullies. Put events from the story in the order that they happened when Beatrice and Roy take Mullet Fingers to the emergency ward. Students describe their impression of Beatrice's stepmother. Find the synonym of vocabulary words used in a sentence. Create similes, drawing on the author's use in the novel as examples. List the main events of the story in the order that they happened in a Sequence Chart. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Hoot is the delightful story of Roy Eberhardt, who finds himself in the unenviable position of being the new boy at his school. Roy's trouble-filled life takes a turn for the better when he encounters a peculiar “running boy” who answers only to “Mullet Fingers”. The two boys save a colony of burrowing owls from being disrupted at a local construction site. Along the way they learn many life lessons as they deal with many challenges. Roy and Mullet Fingers gather help in their quest from some of the most unexpected sources, and finally uncover the truth about how Mother Paula is attempting to circumvent the law in having their restaurant built on that particular site.

Experience the hardships of starting over during the Great Depression. The activities act as a great jumping-off point for teaching in a student-guided manner. Students put themselves in Esperanza's shoes and describe her changing viewpoints as she becomes exposed to the lives of those poorer than she once was. Determine whether a strike will cause conflict later in the story based on what is already known. Put events in order as they happen immediately following the death of Esperanza's father. Make predictions on the outcome of Esperanza's attempts to get a job. Compare the mythological story of the phoenix to that of Esperanza. Compare the different settings of the book, from Esperanza's home in Mexico to the work camps in California. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included.

About the Novel:
Esperanza Rising tells the story of a young girl who's world gets turned upside-down, and must flee to America to start a new life. Esperanza Ortega grew up in luxury on her father's ranch in Mexico. She had servants, nice clothes and lavish parties. Her sheltered life comes crashing down when her father is killed by renegades while tending to a broken fence on his property. Their home is left to Esperanza and her mother, but the land is left to her father's stepbrothers. After their home is burned down, Esperanza, her mother and a few loyal servants flee to America to start better lives. Unfortunately for them, it's the Great Depression and their new lives won't be so great. Esperanza is immediately flung into poverty and struggles to adjust. When they make it to the States, Esperanza falls into a deep depression. When her mother becomes sick, Esperanza must grow up and learn to appreciate what she has. This riches-to-rags story shows that it's not what you possess that bring you happiness, but the people you share it with.

On a special field trip in the magic school bus, Ms. Frizzle's class goes into outer space and visits each planet in the solar system.

This very hungry caterpillar literally eats his way through the pages of the book and right into your child's heart" (Mother's Manual). Full color.

Discover amazing and fascinating sea creatures in the hole in the bottom of the sea! Based on the traditional cumulative song, each verse introduces a new creature and its place in the food chain, with the shark chasing the eel, who chases the squid, who chases the snail. Enhanced CD includes video animation and audio singalong.

As soon as they say good night to Mama, the five little monkeys start to jump on their bed. But trouble lies ahead as, one by one, they fall off and hurt themselves.

Explore the complexities of intergenerational family relationships as one boy declares war on his older relation. Bring this novel to life for students, with well-designed and thorough vocabulary and chapter assessments. Imagine the problems that may arise from a grandparent moving in. Draw a scene from the novel as it is being described. Come up with reasons behind certain characters' actions. Complete sentences with words from the reading. Students get into the mind of Peter to understand his motives and reactions. Create a "How Not to Start a War Handbook", detailing helpful tips on how to avoid fighting with family members. Detail all the things Grandpa did to get revenge on Peter in a Timeline Graphic Organizer. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included.

About the Novel:
The War with Grandpa is a story about a young boy and his grandfather at odds. 10-year-old Peter Stokes loves his grandfather and is excited to learn that he will be coming to live with the family. That is, until he learns that grandpa will be taking over Peter's bedroom. Peter's two best friends encourage Peter to stand his ground and do something about this injustice. Peter soon declares war on his grandfather, who proves to be an even match. The two attack and counterattack each other until escalations lead to one finally surrendering.

Run off to Grand Rapids on a humorous adventure filled with interesting characters, all leading to a place to call home. Pose questions that will initiate great conversation and discussion in any classroom. Discuss the concept of perseverance, and determine why it is an important quality to have. Match characters to their statements. Determine the purpose of the author's intentional use of spelling mistakes in the novel. Match vocabulary words to their definitions before using them in a sentence. Students create their own family tree to compare with Bud's. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: A touching and humorous story about a ten-year-old boy on the run. Foster child Bud Caldwell leaves Flint, Michigan during the height of the Great Depression in 1936. When Bud eventually arrives in Grand Rapids, he meets Herman Calloway and all the members of the band who welcome him into their lives. As the story comes to a close, we learn that Calloway is Bud's grandfather, and Bud at last has a place to call “home”. A captivating story told in Bud's point of view, this novel is an excellent read aloud. The historical setting, intriguing cast of characters and themes of racial and societal prejudice, all provide excellent opportunities for teaching, learning and discussion.

Who would want to be friends with a wiggly, slimy worm? You can't even tell which end is which! But there's more to these lowly creatures than meets the eye. Kids are invited to find out where worms live, see how they move, and understand why gardeners consider them friends with the help of this humorous and informative look at an unappreciated — and fascinating — creature.

Spend the summer with Sara and the challenges she experiences while discovering herself. New ideas are provided for checking student comprehension of the novel. Set a purpose for reading by discussing the roles of family and the difficulties within. Describe how Sara sees her life as suddenly changing. State Sara and Wanda's differing opinions on Sara's haircut. Become a detective and determine whether Sara has sufficient evidence to accuse Joe of stealing Charlie's watch. Match vocabulary words from the novel to their synonyms. Step into the shoes of Joe and write a letter to an advice columnist about Sara and her rude behavior. List the problems faced by Sara and the possible solutions in a Problem-Solution Chart. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: A classic coming-of-age story of fourteen-year-old, Sara, who lives in a small town in West Virginia. This Newbery Medal winning-story centers on Sara and her troubled relationship with her remote father, her perfect older sister, and Joe Melby—a boy from school. All of these problems are quickly placed on the backburner when Charlie, her mentally disabled brother, wanders out of the house in the middle of the night and goes missing. While resolving this serious crisis, Sara discovers a great deal of herself. When she and Joe find Charlie safe and sound, Sara comes to grips with the knowledge that she is comfortable with who she is and who she is becoming.