Flat Stanley - His Original Adventure

Flat Stanley - His Original Adventure
by Jeff Brown
[Fiction]
[Chapter Book]

Stanley Lambchop was a normal little boy who lived with his mother, his father, and his little brother Arthur. Stanley had a big bulletin board hanging above his bed that his father had given him and his brother for Christmas. One night, the bulletin board fell on top of Stanley while he was sleeping and completely flattened him. Stanley was now a foot wide and only half an inch thick. Stanley started to enjoy being flat, because he could enter rooms without opening the door and he could transport himself through mail. Stanley's neighbor, Mr. Dart was the director of the Museum of Art. When Stanley heard that there had been sneak thieves going into the museum at night, he offered to sneak in and hang on the wall as a painting to catch them. Stanley Lambchop was able to catch the sneak thieves, and he became famous for it. Not too long after, children started to make fun of Stanley and he no longer liked being flat. His brother found a football pump and put it in Stanley's mouth in hopes of pumping him back to normal size. Stanley Lambchop was no longer Flat Stanley.


This story would be good to incorporate in an upper grades literacy class. It is entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable for children. The story could be read as a class, and the class could make a story map of sequenced events as they read. At the end, the students would summarize the story. As a follow up activity, students would write their own ending to the story.

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz
by Eric Kincaid
[Fairy Tale]

Dorothy lived in Kansas with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and her dog, Toto. One day, while only Dorthy and Toto were in the house, a tornado came and lifted their house high into the sky. When the house finally landed back on the ground, they were in Munchkin Land. The house landed on the Wicked Witch of the East, and killed her. The munchkins were so happy that the witch was dead that they gave Dorothy her magic read slippers. They told Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City, where she could ask the Wizard of Oz how to get home. Dorothy put on the shoes and went on her way with Toto. Along the way she ran into a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Lion, all who wanted something from the wizard, and joined her in her treck. They finally reached the Land of Oz. When they got inside the palace, they each told the wizard what they came for, and he told them all that he would help them only if they killed the Wicked Witch of the West. The Wicked Witch of the West had seen them coming towards the palace, and tried to stop them by sending wolves, crows, and bees. Finally, she sent flying monkeys who dropped Tin Man on rocks, pulled the straw out of Scarecrow, put Lion in a cage, and took Dorothy to the Wicked Witch's castle. The Witch saw Dorothy's shoes and became so angry that she kicked Toto. Enraged, Dorothy took a bucket of water and dumped it on the Witch. This caused the witch to melt away and die. Dorothy then found Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man and returned to the Wizard of Oz. The room where they had been to see him before was empty except for a green screen. Lion knocked the screen over and the Wizard was behind it. The four of them got what they wanted from the Wizard. The Good Witch of the South appeared to rescue Dorothy. She told her to tap her heels together three times and tell the shoes where she wanted to go. Dorothy made it home. The Good Witch made Scarecrow the ruler of Emerald City, the Tin Man ruler of the Winkies, and Lion King of the forest.

This is a good story to introduce upper elementary students to fairy tales. I would do a read aloud with the class to begin the unit, and then dicuss the elements of fairy tales. We would then go back through the story and point out where we see these elements. I would then have students choose another fairy tale and identify the components of fairy tales within that story.

The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote

The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote
by Toni Johnston and Tomie dePaola
[Multicultural Literature]
[Traditional/Folk Literature]

This story is set in Mexico. One night, Rabbit found a field of chiles. He was so excited to see the chiles that he went over to the field and ate the biggest ones he saw. When the farmer saw what had happened, he decided to make a beeswax doll to catch the rabbit if he came back. That night, the rabbit returned for more chiles. He saw the wax farmer and went up to him to say hello and ask for some chiles. Rabbit was mad when he did not receive a response, so he punched the farmer. Rabbit eventually managed to get both paws and both feet stuck in the beeswax. When the farmer came to check his trap, he was pleased to see that he had caught the rabbit. The farmer put Rabbit in his bag and took him home, where he built a fire and hung the sack that Rabbit was in. When the farmer went to get his herbs, Rabbit saw Coyote in the distance. Coyote asked Rabbit why he was hanging there, and Rabbit told Coyote that the man want him to marry his daughter. Rabbit claimed that he was too young to marry and asked coyote to take his place, making him think that the water boiling over the fire was for making hot chocolate. Coyote agreed, and as soon as the farmer returned he was tossed in the water. Rabbit played many more tricks on Coyote to aviod getting eaten. Finally, Rabbit ran away and climbed a ladder up to the moon, and then threw the ladder away. Coyote saw Rabbit but could never find the ladder, which is why Coyote still sits gazing at the moon, howling at Rabbit because he is very angry.

This would be great to use in the classroom to indroduce literature that comes from other cultures. There are Spanish words throughout the story and there is a Spanish glossery at the end. After students read this book, they could be required to find their own piece of multicultural literature and summarize it for the class, so that students are exposed to many different types.

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

by Dr. Seuss

Oh, the Places You'll Go is a book about moving on to new stages of your life. The things we do and the places we go in life are in our own hands, that your life is yours and only you can decide what to make of it. Things can and will happen, everyone will encounter obstacles, but you just have to move on. Sometimes things will not work out the way that you hoped, you may be stuck in bad situations, and it may be hard to get out of them but things will turn around. There will be times when you may feel lost, helpless, and confused, and it may seem that your life is going nowhere, but somehow you will overcome those times. You will be alone at times and you may be afraid, but things will only get better if you face those times. Your life will be filled with all different opportunities and situations, but you ultimately decide the direction that your life goes on. And if you choose to live your life to it's full potential, if you put your all into it, you can do anything.

Although this is a silly, colorful book that may seem directed towards a younger audience, I think it is perfect to implement in any classroom. I received this book as a present from my second grade teacher when I graduated high school, and to this day I can learn from it. This book isn't about the pictures or the fact that Dr. Suess wrote it, it's about the important message that it gives. I would incorporate this book in a lesson about character. I would read the book to my students, and then go back and look at it page-by-page and have my students pull out the deeper meaning of each page-- such as, when the author says that you will look up and down many streets, is he really saying that you will literally look up and down streets? What is the deeper meaning? I think students can get so much out of this book at any age, but it is perfect for 3-5th grade students because they are at the age where they would really start to understand the meaning.

Martin Luther King, Jr. A Dream of Hope

Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Dream of Hope
by Alice Fleming
[Biography]
[Chapter Book]

Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) was born into a large family who resided in Atlanta, Georgia. MLK grew up during a time when things were very segregated: white people were seen as better than black people, and Jim Crow laws kept whites and blacks apart. He became enrolled in Morehouse College at the age of fifteen with no idea as to what he wanted to pursue as a career. After college MLK attended Crozer Theological Seminary, where he graduated as valedictorian and was awarded a scholarship to any graduate school he chose. MLK chose to attend Boston University's School of Theology where he met Coretta Scott, who would become his wife. MLK received his PhD in June of 1955, when his first child was born. When Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus, MLK was called on to join a protest against segregation on buses. The Montgomery bus boycott went on for 381 days until they were victorious, and on the morning of December 21, 1956, MLK rode on the first integrated buses. MLK organized and became president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. While MLK was on tour promoting his first book, he was stabbed by a mentally disturbed black woman, but survived the attack. In 1960, the King family moved to Atlanta, Georgia where MLK would become a co-pastor with his father while he led the SCLC. MLK was involved with many other movements, such as the Freedom Riders, The Albany Movement, Project C, and The March on Washington--where he gave what is likely one of the most powerful, famous speeches in history. MLK's speech was entitled "I Have A Dream," which was a line he repeated many times throughout the speech. MLK won the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership and dedication to the fight for civil rights. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot as he walked out onto the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee by a white man named James Earl Ray. His death devestated many, but MLK is remembered as a courageous man and the most prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement.

This book would be good to incorporate in a social studies lesson about the Civil Rights Movement. While focusing on MLK's life and his impact in the movement, the book provides much factual information on the time period in general. This is a prominent time period in our country's history, and it is important for students to have a solid background in it.

Adelita, A Mexican Cinderella Story

Adelita, A Mexican Cinderella Story

by Tomie dePaola

[Multicultural Literature]

[Traditional/Folk Literature & Fairytales]

Francisco Mercado was a merchant who lived with his wife, Adela in a small village in Mexico. One day, Adela came to Francisco and announced that she was going to have a baby. They called a long-time family friend, Esperanza, to help care for Adela during her pregnancy. Adela became very ill after she birthed the baby. She died soon after the baby was born, and Francisco was devestated. He decided to name the baby Adeilate, meaning "little Adela," after his wife. Adelita brought Francisco happiness in his life. Esperanza stayed around to help care for Adelita as she grew into a young woman. One day, Francisco told Adelita and Esperanza that he was going to re-marry Dona Micaela, a widow who had two daughters close to Adelita's age. Adelita had to share her father's attention and deal with the fact that Dona Micaela favored her two daughters, Valentina and Dulce. Francisco became ill and abruptly died. Dona Micaela had been very jealous of Adelita and decided to show it now that her father was gone. She made Adelita move from her room into the attic, and she only let Adelita wear hand-me-downs. Valentina and Dulce started to be very cruel to Adelita. One day, Dona Micaela fired Esperanza and said that Adelita would now work in the kitchen. From then on, Adelita was treated terribly. Dona Micaela got invited to a party one night, and took only Valentina and Dulce, leaving Adelita at home to work. Esperanza had a dream the previous night that Adelita was not allowed to go to the party, so she came to get her and give her a ride. When Adelita was ready she looked beautiful. Adelita was greeted by Javier at the door of the party, and told everyone to call her Cinderella. Javier fell in love with "Cinderella" at first sight, and didn't leave her side that night. At the end of the night, Adelita found Esperanza and they ran all the way home. The next day, all that Dona Micaela and her daughters could talk about was the mysterious beauty "Cinderella" at the party the night before. Dona Micaela told her daughters that Javier was coming to town the next day to stop at every house until he found his Cinderella, and exclaimed that this was their last chance to win him over. When he arrived at their house, he turned down Valentina and Dulce but was convinced that his love was there. Dona Micaela said that there was noone else in the house, but Adelita quietly murmered "yes there is." Javier was relieved to have found his love, and asked her to marry him as Valentina and Dulce watched with jealousy. Javier and Adelita lived happily together for the rest of their lives.

This story is great to use with a lesson on different versions of fairy tales. Students could read Adelita along with the American Cinderella and study the similarities and differences between the two books. Students could then write their own short version of the story, which would be great writing practice. A good extension would be for students to find two versions of a different story and make comparisons between those.

Where the Red Fern Grows

Where the Red Fern Grows

by Wilson Rawls

[Realistic Fiction]

[Chapter Book]

Billy is a 10-year-old boy who lives with his family on a farm in the Ozark Mountains of Oklahoma. All that Billy wants is to have two coonhounds, but his family cannot afford to buy them. Instead, his father gives him mouse traps to play with. One day, finds a sportsman's catalog at a camp and sees an ad for two coonhounds for $25 each. When Billy has saved up $50, his grandfather secretly orders him the dogs. Billy named the dogs Old Dan and Little Ann. Old Dan is very brave, and Little Ann is very smart. Coon season begins, and on the first night that Billy went out with the dogs they treed a coon in a very large tree. Billy gets very in to hunting and his father begins to lessen his chores in exchange for the money from his coon skins. There is a legend about a "ghost coon" and Billy and his grandfather make a bet with Ruben and Rainie Pritchard they they can catch it. The coon gives them a hard time, and after a while the Prichard boys want to give up, but Billy will not. Finally, they caught the ghost coon but Billy does not want to kill her. As Ruben starts to beat up Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann start to attack the Pritchard's dog. Ruben ran over to beat the dogs with an axe, but fell and killed himself. Billy is devastated, so he goes to visit Ruben's grave with flowers. Billy is entered in a coon hunting contest by his grandfather. Billy is intimidated by all of the beautiful, expensive coonhounds. On the first day, Little Ann won the beauty competition. After that, Billy and his dogs made it to the championship round. As they are out hunting in the championship, a blizzard starts. Billys grandfather sprained his ankle and they could not find Little Ann and Old Dan. When they find the dogs, they are covered in snow but have gotten enough coons to win the contest. Billy got $300 for winning the competition, and his parents are thrilled. One night, Billy is out hunting and his dogs tree a mountain lion, which starts to attack Old Dan. Billy trys to fight the mountain lion with his axe, but the dogs ended up defeating it. Old Dan was very hurt in the fight, and died the next day. Billy was very upset, and Little Ann was so sad that she no lost her will to live and died a few days after. Billy's father tries to convince him that it was for the better because they can now move to down with all of the money that Billy earned. Billy does not feel better until he goes to the dogs' grave on the day his family was moving, and sees a red fern. He remembers an old legend that only an angel can plant a red fern, and feels better.

This book is a great way to teach students about determination, and also to teach them to follow their passion. I feel that it is a solid piece of literature perfect for 4th or 5th grade students to read in literacy to practice the literary components such as plot, characterization, symbolism, etc. as well as comprehension, vocabulary, and much more.

I created a wordle out of my book summary, which generated a word cloud with many important words from the story.