Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Frank, Anne.(1993). Anne frank: The diary of a young girl. Bantam.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is a book originally written in the Dutch language by Anne Frank over a two year period while her family was in hiding during the time of the Holocaust. After the war the diary was retrieved by Anne's father, Frank. The diary kept a record of Anne's daily life while in hiding from the Nazis during the time when Hitler was dictator.
The books was first published with the title Het Achterhuis: Dagboekbrieven van 12 Juni 1942 – 1 Augustus 1944. It was first published in the United States in 1952. This book is popular and controversial in schools because of some of the language and content that it contains. I feel this book is a wonderful addition to a library or classroom library to integrate a primary source into Social Studies. Students are amazed when they think of a child their age going through situations like Anne and her family.

Two International Children's Literature Awards

Nestle Smarties Book Prize is given out by the Youth Librarian Group to recognize outstanding books published for kids each year in the United Kingdom.

Hans Christian Andersen Award is given every other year to a living author and illustrator whose complete works has made a lasting impression on children's literature. This award is the highest international recognition given to an author. The award for the author has been given since 1956 and for the illustrator since 1966.

Where the Wild Things Are- Book & Feature Film

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. Harper Collins Publishers.
Where the Wild Things Are is a classic and a must have for every library, home, and classroom. this book balances a child's need for imaginative thinking with a sense of limits, and the pleasures of home. The illustrations in the book also make the story come to life, because it allows us to see into Max's imagination. The movie produced by Spike Jonze is not as great as the book, but is unique in it's own right. In the movie Max is sent to his room without supper and runs away to a land to become kind of the land Where the Wild Things Are. Max soon realizes that being king is not all it is cracked up to be, and quickly grows homesick. Max has to make a choice, stay with the wild things and be king, or go home and keep is behavior in check. The book and movie are both magical. I was impressed with the detail put into the movie from this children's classic book.

Holes- Book /Feature Film

Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Frances Foster Books.
Holes is a wonderful book with a twist of dark humor. Thanks to the storyline created by the author, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The main character, Stanley, is an unusual character that can demonstrate to readers the importance of staying strong in tough situations. In a world of literature that lacks strong characters and strories that appeal to boys, Holes helps to fill in the gap. Holes was released by Walt Disney Pictures as a feature film in 2003. It was a huge success and an excellent movie. Although I generally find that book-based movies are far less interesting than the book, Holes happens to be an exception. The movie follows the book very closely and does not leave the viewer dissapointed and wondering why various parts of the story were not included. Louis Sachar not only authored the book but also wrote the screenplay for the movie. I would recommend both this book and movie to anyone who likes adventure and mystery.

Surviving the Applewhites- Newbery Honor Book

Tolan, S. S. (2002). Surviving the Applewhites. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Surviving the Applewhites is a comical story jam-packed with interesting and unusual characters. Although I found the book to be somewhat forgettable, it was an enjoyable read. In my opinion, the quirky characters are what "make" the book. E.D. alone is fabulous - she is spunky and independent - a great role model for young female readers. Jake Semple, on the other hand is determined to be "bad". It is interesting to see Jake change throughout the story and notice his talents as they slowly begin to surface. If I were to compare Surviving the Applewhites and A Year Down Yonder I would first note that both books have several extraordinarily strong characters. I would also note that both books include humor and would likely hold equal appeal for both male and female readers.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck- Newbery Award Book

Peck, R. (2000). A year down yonder. New York: Scholastic.
In the book A Year Down Yonder the character Mary Alice has to leave her life in Chicago to go live with her grandma in a small town during the Great Depression. Mary Alice has visited Grandma in the past, but only for a week every summer, and never without her brother. Mary Alice is used to life in the city with her parents and when she goes to Grandma's she has to adapt to life in the country. While staying with Grandma Dowdel, Mary Alice learns many life-lessons, and comes to love her grandma more than she ever imagined.
This book is a sequel to A Long Way From Chicago. Both books include the crazy antics of Grandma and her small town life. This book teacher children about history, survival, different cultures, and ethics.

The Watson's Go to Birmingham-1963: Diverstiy

Curtis, C. (1995). The watson's go to birmingham-1963. New York: Scholastic.
The Watson's Go to Birmingham is a humorous book with an emotional twist written by Christopher Paul Curtis about an African-American family who leave their home and travel to Birmingham, Alabama to leave their trouble making family member, Byron with Grandma. The trip is quite amusing until they arrive in Birmingham during the time of the Civil Rights Movement, and witness some of the most horrific scenes in history. The family enters Alabama to see segregation first-hand and witness the hatred shown towards African-Americans during this time in history.
This book is a wonderful book to share with students from 5th grade on. I like the way this book shows the strength of a family through trials and tribulations. This book is a great way to open minds and eyes to how other cultures and races have been treated throughout history. Students are always shocked by the events that took place during the Civil Rights Movement.