Lisa+W.

=Book Summaries:= Name: Lisa Wortmann

4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words.
A seventh grader named Sophie is drawn into a mystery, when sitting in English class she sees an image in the window at the church adjacent to the school she attends. During their lunch break Sophie talks her best friends Margaret and Rebecca into going over to the church. The girls find a secret passage to an old mansion that once served as a convent. The girls meet the resident of the mansion an eccentric old women who lives there with her housekeeper. The women invites the girls in for tea and tells them the story about her father, a famous archeologist, who died before giving his granddaughter a card that leads to an elaborate treasure hunt. The girls are talked into solving the treasure hunt, which is a series of elaborate puzzles. The girls run into danger when they find out that they are not the only ones trying to solve the mystery.

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? A teacher could use this book as a small group activity. The small groups could work together to solve the puzzles and riddles along with the main characters in the story, A teacher could have the students work on their reading comprehension skills by recreating a time-line of clues that lead to the treasure.

What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title? • working as a group • solving a mystery • facing your fears • family dynamic

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. 1. What would it feel life to be a member of the red blazer girls? 2. If you were a reporter how would you describe Ms. Harriman? 3. How would you rate or grade this book? Why?



1.Book Title: __Payback Time__ 2.Author: Carl Deuker 3.Date of Publication:2010 4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words.

This novel written by Carl Deuker is about a cubby 14 year old boy named Mitch True. His dream is to become a writer for a powerful newspaper. He has been assigned as the sports writer for the school newspaper. While he was doing a story on the football team Mitch discovers a player whose talents are being wasted and tries to figure out why. Through his determination and the help of the school photographer Kimi he solves the mystery, but endangers everyone's lives.

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? A teacher could put the students in pairs and have them debate a reporters responsibilities about being ethically responsible when investigating a story.

What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title?
 * solving a mystery
 * reporter ethics
 * career advancement

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book.
 * 1) What do you think would have happened if Mitch published his story after solving the mystery?
 * 2) What are the differences between Mitch True at the beginning of the story and the end of the story?
 * 3) Do you think Mitch True was ethically responsible throughout the book? Why or Why not?

1.Book Title: __Marked__ 2.Authors: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast 3.Date of Publication: 2007 4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words.

Zoey was just an average 16-year-old girl until she gets a crescent moon marked on her forehead by a vampire tracker. Zoey knows that this means she has to move into the House of Night. She tries to help her mom and step dad understand her new life path. After making every effort to help her mom and step dad understand she sneaks out of her house and goes to her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother, a descendant of the Cherokee, has always been emotionally supportive for Zoey and she takes Zoey to the House of Night and helps her settle in. At the House of Night, Zoey finds mistrust and deviousness as well as loyalty, friendship, and romance. Zoey realizes that she has a special connection to the Goddess Nyx and that connection comes with a lot of responsibility. She realizes that she has a lot of work ahead of her as she tries to figure out her place in the House of Night.

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? A teacher could create a lesson using public speaking, reading comprehension, and creativity. The students will create mystery bags according to the revolution of the characters throughout the story. The bags should have six objects. The students will have two objects each representing the beginning, middle, and end of the story. When the students present the bags to their class, they will have to share how the objects are linked to each story part.

What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title? courage--strength being different/fitting in friendship parent relationships

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. How could you express the courage Zoey showed in the book with a drawing/symbol/song/movement/poem? What would you predict will happen to Zoey next in the series? What is your theory about what Aphrodite said in the book, "You don't really know what happened here tonight. You were just being used--we were all just being used. We're puppets, that's all we are."?

1.Book Title: The Last Lecture 2.Author: Randy Pausch with Jeffery Zaslow 3.Date of Publication: 2008 4.What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words.

I read the book The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Randy Pausch is a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. Randy and other professors across the United States and asked to think about their death and consider the last words that they would share with their students. Randy contemplates this idea for some time especially when he finds out that he is dying of cancer. He decides to participate and this book is based on that speech, as a way to impart wisdom to his three small children. The book is filled with all the inspiring stories and advice Randy wants to share with his children. The advise, stories and ideas about fulfilling childhood dreams are so basic yet incredibly powerful. The lessons that have especially resonated with me from Randy's book were: 1. **Stay positive no matter what, but not in denial** I choose this quote because Randy is not in denial of his condition, but he is still incredibly positive. His courage is amazing. 2. **Learn from all the people in your life** Randy shares stories about all the people he has learned lessons from in his life. The people were teachers, students, his football coach, neighbors, children, and his wife. I think this is a valuable lesson for everyone to hear because lessons can be learned from everyone that comes into your life. 3. **Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things** Randy shares so many examples of not giving up even when a brick wall did go up. I think this quote resonates to the reader to let them know if you have a dream or desire do not give up, find another way to get what you want.

5.How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? A teacher could incorporate technology and reading comprehension by having students create a book trailer. Students could make a book trailer using their favorite advice from the story and then end with their own memory or words of wisdom.

What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title?
 * inspiration
 * death--cancer
 * family
 * mentor
 * thoughts about your life

6.Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book.
 * 1) Who are the people in your life that have inspired you? What lessons have they taught you?
 * 2) How could you use this book to inspire your own life?
 * 3) What does Randy Pausch's book mean to you? Give two examples of what his book means to you.



1. Book Title: __High Heat__ 2. Author:Carl Deuker 3. Date of Publication:2003

4. What is the book about? Give brief plot summary in your own words. Shane Hunter's life revolved around baseball. His father was his biggest fan, unfortunately his father is arrested for money laundering and commits suicide. His fathers death turns Shane and his families world upside-down. Shane has to change schools and baseball teams. He has to figure out how baseball fits into his new life and how to control the anger he feels.

5. How could a teacher use this book in the classroom? A teacher could do an activity involving fact recall, reading comprehension, and interpersonal skills. Students could create trading cards based on the characters in the story. One the front of the card could be picture on the back events and how they are important to the novel.

What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title?
 * father's death
 * fitting into a new school
 * poverty

6. Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book.
 * 1) What were you thinking when you read that Shane's father had committed suicide?
 * 2) What is the relationship like between Shane and his mother in the story?
 * 3) How could you use the way Shane turned his life around to inspire yourself?
 * 4) What were Shane's life and living conditions like before his father's death and after his father's death?