Looking For The Easy Life by Walter Dean Myers

Looking For The Easy Life by Walter Dean Myers

Harper Collins Publishers, 2011

            Looking For The Easy Life is a great story to teach children the value of hard work. Five monkeys set off in search of the “easy life” that they think other animals live. They soon learn that other animals have to hunt for their food or do other forms of hard work in order to survive. The monkey whose idea it was to search for the easy life insists that they can find it, but with each try, he proves that it is better to just do your own work. In the end, you will be thankful for it and appreciate what you have earned.

            Reading a story like this to children allows them to realize that hard work is essential. Humans and animals alike must work for what they need. Food and other things (such as wants and needs), do not come to us without working for them. Children can journal write about a time when they had to work hard for something they wanted. They can also talk about allowances and chores they have to do, as a lot of children may have to earn these things at home.

Tony Baloney by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Edwin Fotheringham

Tony Baloney by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Edwin Fotheringham

Scholastic Inc., 2011

            Toney Baloney is the story of a macaroni penguin who seems to get in a little it of trouble with his friend, Dandelion, a stuffed animal. Toney Baloney is the middle child, who sometimes feels a little bit alone. He hides out after making a bit of a mess, yet must eventually come out of hiding. He learns that saying sorry and playing together usually makes for a good time between those who care about each other.

            This story allows for children with siblings to relate on a lot of levels, especially middle children. Students can discuss how they feel when they argue with their siblings or if they have younger siblings, which their parents must give some more attention to. Discussing these types of emotional topics in the classroom allows for children to express their feelings in a safe place, while getting support from their peers.

The Favorite Daughtwr by Allen Say

The Favorite Daughter by Allen Say

Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013

            The Favorite Daughter is the story of Say’s daughter, Yuriko. In school, her name is made fun of, and she wants to change it to a common name. As her father helps her with a school project, he incorporates things she loves from her Japanese heritage. The illustrations are so beautifully drawn and realistic, and Say incorporates two photographs of his daughter.

            I really enjoyed reading this book because I am 25% Japanese, and have traveled to Japan. It is a part of my heritage that I am very appreciative of, so I really related and thus appreciated this story. When Yuriko complained about not having any tags in souvenir shops that have her name on it, I also related. When I was growing up, Madison was not a popular name, as it is now. There was never anything that had my name on it, and I usually had other kids pronouncing my name wrong. I seem to have had many similar experiences as Say’s daughter, Yuriko, and that made reading this story all the more enjoyable.

Peach Heaven by Yangsook Choi

Peach Heaven by Yangsook Choi

Frances Foster Books, 2005

            Peach Heaven is an adorable story about a young girl who lives in Korea. She stares at a picture she has cut out from a calendar of children picking peaches, rather than doing her homework assignment. When she steps away from her work, she realizes that it is raining so hard, that it is “raining peaches”. With the help of her friends and neighbors, she returns the many fallen peaches to the farmers.

            I really enjoyed reading this story. It uses a circular plot, because at the end of the story, our little girl, Yangsook, knows exactly what to write about for her homework assignment (the one she was reluctant to start in the beginning).

            This story allows for great discussion among students…why did Yangsook collect the peaches and bring them back to the farmers? Would you have done the same thing? After discussion about this, students could write about what they would have done if they were in her shoes.

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

Puffin Books, 2010

            Feathers is a story about a girl named Frannie who forms an unlikely friendship with the newest student at her school, a white male who has come to a predominantly African American community.  Feathers discusses heavy topics, such as religion and race, that are not always discussed in school. I think that reading this book allowed with students could create a safe place for them to discuss their feelings and reactions towards the story.

            Frannie’s brother, Sean, is a boy who is deaf.  This is another topic that I would want to discuss with my students. Reading some of the conversations that Sean had with others throughout the story made me feel drawn to him as a character, wishing I knew sign language. I think that teaching the students some signs as they read the story would be an excellent idea for a lesson.

            Throughout the novel, Woodson discusses elements of fighting, which is clearly prohibited in schools. This bring up the perfect time to discuss with students ways in which you could go about difficult situations without violence.

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester

By Barbara O’Connor

D&M Publishers, 2010

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester tells the story of a young boy who has just moved into his grandfathers’ home. With the help of his friends and the “know-it-all” next door, the four children find, move and successfully operate a submarine in the lake in Owen’s backyard.

I really enjoyed this story, and I think children will too. I am thinking about using it as a chapter book read-aloud in my classroom. It allows for great stopping points to predict and infer, as well as to make a lot of connections with the characters. Owen has a conscious that speaks to him throughout the novel, mainly because Viola, the “know-it-all”, keeps nagging him about things he knows are right. This will make children think about the right and wrongs. The story also covers topics of friendship and sticking up for others. The three boys often have little arguments, but resolve them rather quickly. I think that a lot of young children can relate to this. It will make for great discussion in a classroom and lead to lots of different interpretations about what the characters believe, and should or should not do.