Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles is a beautiful story of friendship between John Henry (a young black boy) and Joe (a young white boy) in the 1960s. The two boys spend their entire summer together, going on adventures and making unforgettable memories. As the boys spend time together, Joe begins to notice all of the things John Henry can't do and all of the places he is not allowed into simply because of this skin color. But despite this, the boys become close friends and embrace each other's differences. This book has a great variety of vocabulary that readers can learn from and excellent illustrations that paint an accurate picture of the South during the 1960s. 

I would use this book during a Social Studies lesson and ask students to compare and contrast John Henry's and Joe's lives before and after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. Using historical facts learned in previous lessons and the book, I would ask them to compare/contrast what they could and could not do and what their daily life would look like. What changed? What stayed the same? They would write their response in a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation that they could share in class. 

Lexile Measure: AD460L

I really enjoyed reading I Love My Hair by Natasha Tarpley. This book serves a greater purpose than just a good story. It teaches young girls (and even boys) to love their hair (or any other characteristic) and its uniqueness. Specifically, this book tackles the long history of young, black girls disliking their hair because it is "different" from everyone else hair. This book highlights all the great things her hair can do and all the different ways she can wear it as well as the heritage and culture of her hair. I also love the use of positive similes and metaphors when comparing the main character's hair to objects. 

I would read this book to the class, pausing to discuss with students the ways her mom does her hair, the different styles she wears her hair in (and ask the student what their favorite hairstyles are), and feelings towards her hair (compared to the student's feeling towards their own hair), etc. After reading I would ask students to write a paragraph that connects the book to themselves or their own hair. I would ask them to use evidence from the text to support their connection.

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport is a great rendition of the history of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This book does an excellent job of explaining historical events and facts of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King's influence during that time. This book is appropriate for young readers and uses developmentally appropriate language. The illustrations are exceptional. Without too many words and with just enough detail, readers can learn about the life and death of Dr. King as well as the start and end of the Civil Rights Movement.

This book serves a great educational purpose in the classroom. After a lesson on Dr. King's influence during the Civil Rights Movement, I would read this book to the class and discuss it afterwards. Then I would ask students to read portions of the famous "I Have a Dream Speech" by Dr. King and to find real word examples of how his dream came true. Then, I would ask students to help write a class "We Have a Dream Too" speech where we would write dreams or wishes we have for the world as it is today (and the issues Americans face today).

Guided Reading: S
Lexile: 410L
Accelerated Reader Level: 3.4

Feast for Ten by Cathryn Falwell is a good book based on math. I think it does a good job of telling a story and also including math. It is very easy to follow and the illustrations are great. I feel this book would be great as a read aloud. I do however wish the book allowed for more complex thinking for readers so that they could advance their learning.

I would read this around thanksgiving to relate the book to the holiday and student's own family feasts. As I am reading this book to my class I would count the corresponding number of items on the page. I would follow this up with math centers or a math activity that supports counting up.

Guided Reading Level: E