Mariah+B.

= Book Summaries: =

1.Book Title: Heaven is for Real 2.Author: Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent 3.Date of Publication: 2010

4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words. This book is about a little boy's journey to heaven and back. It is written by his father, Todd Burpo. Colton, a four year old boy, becomes very ill and during his surgery he visits heaven and sits on Jesus' lap. The books unfolds by telling events that led up to Colton's surgery and after when Colton begins to tell his family about his trip to heaven. Colton reveals that he met people who had passed away before he was born and he is also able to share specific details from the Bible that he did not learn in Sunday School.

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title? A teacher would need to be very careful in using this book since it is based on Christian beliefs and values. If I were to use it, I would make sure I have a clear objective and present it to the principal to make sure I had their "okay" to use in my classroom. I would also inform the parents ahead of time, that way if there were any concerns, they would arise prior to the assignment. A teacher could use this book to remind students not to take things for granted in life because life is too short. Also, if a student recently lost a loved one or knew someone who had a miscarriage, this book may help them overcome and have a better understanding of death. This book could also be used to discuss point of view. It's written from the father's point of view, but it was a Colton's story.

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. - Why did Colton share his experiences from heaven at different times, why didn't he feel it was important to tell everything at once? - Describe the purpose of this book? - What things justify that this Colton's story, not his fathers?

1.Book Title: All the Broken Pieces 2.Author: Ann Burg 3.Date of Publication: 2009

4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words. This book is written in free verse. It is about a boy, Matt, who was adopted by an American family, his birth father was an American solider and his mother was Vietnamese. His adoptive family is a very loving family and they help him cope with his feelings of leaving his family behind, which take over his new life. The book focuses on Matt's struggle with accepting that he is adopted, uprooting his birth family, and what is happening in the war. Matt joins the baseball team, but that doesn't solve all his "problems". Matt’s baseball coach and piano teacher help Matt get over his guilt and fears.

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title? A teacher could use this book when studying historical fiction literature when learning about the Vietnman War or even poetry as an example of free verse poetry. The book also addresses family issues that can come when adopting an older child or it could be used to discuss family concerns. Sometimes adopted children struggle with finding and being comfortable with their role in the family and accepting being adopted, this book would be an example with finding who you are.

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. - Why do you think Ann Burg decided to write this story in free verse? - Would the same story be portrayed if it wasn’t written in a free verse style? Why or why not? - Why do you think Matt struggles with his past? Why doesn’t he embrace what he has in the present time?

 1.Book Title: Stargirl 2.Author: Jerry Spinelli 3.Date of Publication: 2000, 2004

4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words. This book is about a girl who enters high school and doesn't worry too much about fitting in or making sure her peers “approve” of her. She does things on her own, in her unique way. She makes the cheerleading squad, but she is not accepted by her peers because she cheers for both teams. Stargirl does have one friend, Leo. Throughout the story Stargirl and Leo’s relationship turns into something more than just friends. Since Stargirl’s peers don’t like her, they begin to turn on Leo too, which Leo did not take it like Stargirl. He wanted Stargirl to be “normal” like everyone else. She tried it, but it didn’t last. The school dance approached and Stargirl went alone. At the dance, a girl approached Stargirl and slapped her, but Stargirl’s reaction was not predictable, instead of fighting back, she kissed the girl on the cheek. After that, Stargirl was never seen again.

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title? A teacher could use this book with any middle school student or high school student!! The message is to be yourself and be proud of who you are! If any boy or girl is struggling with joining the “popular” crowd, this book would be perfect to have them read. Also, the teacher could use the book as a required book at the beginning of the year to discuss the same message. Any middle school or high school student would benefit from this book because every student struggles with fitting it at some point.

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. - Knowing that Stargirl changes to make Leo happy, why do you think she changes in the first place? Why do you think she changes back to her old self? What would you do in that situation?? - Do you think Hilary’s opinion of Stargirl affects other people’s opinions about Stargirl? If Hilary was not on the cheerleading squad, do you think she would have such an effect on other’s?? - How are you similar and different than Stargirl?

= = 1.Book Title: Smiles to Go  2.Author: Jerry Spinelli 3.Date of Publication: 2008

4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words. This book is about a typical boy named Will, who is a freshman in high school. He enjoys playing Monopoly with his friends, he loves getting caught up in stargazing, he loves science, and he enjoys skateboarding. He has an obsession with protons. However one day, he understands how protons don’t last forever, nothing lasts forever. Which changes Will’s outlook on life. He has a small crush on a girl, Mi-Su, then he sees her kissing another boy, he likes her even more. Will’s friend, BT, is not afraid to take risks and attempts a skateboarding trick that Will thinks is almost impossible to accomplish. Will enters he annual chess tournament, but has to withdrawal from the competition because his sister ends up in the ICU.

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title? A teacher could use this book as an example of looking at life in a more positive perspective, not to take things for granted or even not to sweat the small stuff. I also feel that students could easily relate to the story and understand the characters and events throughout the book.

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. - How does Will change throughout the book? At the end of the book, describe his outlook on life? - Do you think Will would be someone you would like to be friends with? Why or why not? - What epithaph or motto would you use to describe yourself?

1.Book Title: The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin 2.Author: Josh Berk 3.Date of Publication: 2010

4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words. This book is about a deaf boy named Will. He enters a main streamed school, a school with "hearing" students. Will goes through challenges of a high schooler, but also battling the social struggles of fitting in with the hearing crowd. Will's class goes on a field trip to Happy Memory Coal Mine, where one of Will's classmates dies in the mine because he is pushed. Then, Will, Devon (Will's friend, who knows a little sign language), and Ebony (Will's ex-girlfriend from his deaf school) try to solve the mystery of who killed/ pushed Pat Chambers! After going through all the possible suspects, Devon is thought to be the murderer until Will proves his innocence. In the end, Will becomes the hero at Carbon High!

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title? A teacher could use this book to discuss discrimination between the Deaf culture and the hearing world (compare/ contrast) or overcoming being different. If the teacher has any connections to a person who is deaf, they could have them come in and share with the class their experiences of going through high school or their experiences that they went through when they were younger. The teacher could also have the students wear ear plugs for a class period to experience what it was like for a deaf child in a mainstream school.

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. - How was Josh Berk, a hearing man, capable of writing a book about a deaf teenager? What kind of research did he have to complete inorder for the audience to have the understanding of what it was like to live in a hearing world? - Do you think Will should return to the deaf school? Why or why not? - Throughout the book, who did you think was guilty? What evidence did you use to make that prediction?