The River

By Gary Paulsen

The story, in my mind is third in the series, Following 'Hatchet' and 'Brian's Winter'. Now I've begun the saga that is the Brian trapped in the wilderness I feel I have to complete the mission with him. I've really enjoyed this book, though the detail of their survival is lacking, but then is the length of time they need to survive. The assumption, I guess, is that we are all too aware now of Brian's skill in survival situations. We no longer need the detail of eating bugs and the longing, aching hunger that comes from a situation like this. That's not where the action lies. It's in pulling through someone who knows nothing of this at the beginning of the tail and spends the second half of the book unconscious. I'd certainly encourage my class to read this one for themselves the next time I share 'Hatchet'.

Synopsis

Two years ago, Brian Robsen was stranded alone in the wilderness for fifty-four days with nothing but a small hatchet. He survived. Now, the governmentwants him to do it again - to go back into the wilderness so that astronauts and the military can learn the survival techniques that kept him alive.
This time he won't be alone: Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist, will accompany him. But during a freak storm, Derek is hit by lightning and falls into a coma. Their radio transmitter is dead. Brian's only hope is to build a raft and try to transport Derek a hundred miles down the river to a trading post - if the map he has is accurate.

Author 

Gary James Paulsen (born May 17, 1939) is an American writer of young adult literature, best known for coming of age stories about the wilderness. He is the author of more than 200 books and has written more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens. Wikipedia

 

Brian's Saga

Hatchet (1986)

The River (1991)

Brian's Winter (1996)

Brian's Return (1992)

Brian's Hunt (2003)

Other works

Dogsong (1985)

The Winter Room(1989)

Woodsong (1990)

Winterdance (1994)

Harris and Me (1993)

And more...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Potter #3)

By J.R. Rowling

1999 was the second year of my teaching career and I read a review in the Times Educational Suppliment about the this new author whose books were taking the world by storm. I began that year with my first reading of Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone. My students were gripped and we continued reading through all three of the pubished books into 2000. In my opinion The greatest thing that any author has done, save for Roald Dahl, for eight to ten year old boys was when Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series of books. Arguably, the biggest thing that happened to counter that was when Rowling sold the movie rights. But I guess this is part of the reason I've started these novel-studies and structured them around available resources, including the movies inspired by them.

Synopsis

Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermoine, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school...

Author

Born in Yate, England, on July 31, 1965, J.K. Rowling came from humble economic means before writing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a children's fantasy novel. The work was an international hit and Rowling wrote six more books in the series, which sold hundreds of millions of copies and was adapted into a blockbuster film franchise. In 2012, Rowling released the novel The Casual Vacancy.

Books by the same author

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

Other novel studies on this site

Study Unit

There are a raft of study units for supporting literacy through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

But here is my favourite:

This novel study resource is This includes the assignment page, rubric, character tracker, glossary, and chapter pages. This is meant to be printed double sided and the stapled into a booklet.

This is a companion to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Can be used for the whole class or small literature circles.

Movie tie-in

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new "Defense Against the Dark Arts" teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped the Wizards' Prison and is coming after Harry.

Available for purchase: 

Mighty Ape

Amazon

 

The Little Engine that could

 By Watty Piper 

Another children's classic I picked up in New York was this wonderful little story about the little engine that could. I first bought this story for my boy when he was quite small, it even had a little wind-up toy train that ran over the pages of the book. Very cute. I loved sharing it with him. When a question from it appeared in the intermediate Lit-Quiz I thought, "that's great an answer he'll know" - But no, it seems he's not read it in maybe 8 years. He's certainly not read it himself... it's a classic, he really should get to it.

Synopsis

The all-time classic about the little engine and the timeless refrain, "I think I can...I think I can... I think I can."

Author 

Watty Piper is the pseudonym of Arnold Munk, the author behind the classic retelling of The Little Engine That Could and co-founder of Platt & Munk Publishers. He was born in Hungary, and as a child, moved with his family to the United States, settling in Chicago. Later he moved to New York. Platt & Munk's offices were at 200 Fifth Avenue until 1957 when Arnold Munk died. Arnold Munk used the name Watty Piper as both an author of children's books and as the editor of many of the books that Platt & Munk published.

Loren Long is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling picture books Otis, Otis and the Tornado, Otis and the Puppy, An Otis Christmas and Otis and the Scarecrow.
He is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of President Barack Obama’s picture book Of Thee I Sing, the re-illustrated edition of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, and Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna.  Loren's Little Tree, is a picture book for all ages.

The Boy in the Dress

By David Walliams 

Hastings District Library category say “Read a book” this is my chose of “book”. It’s David Walliams’ first children’s novel entitled Boy in a dress. I’ve chosen this book, of all of David Walliams’ successes because I happened to come across the DVD that I would share with my students once we’ve read the book. But I had to confirm the book was ok. It is after all entitled Boy in the Dress and I’ve been known to have shared Bill’s New Frock not so long ago. But it’s a very lovely story about a boy who feels different from his football-loving father and brother. A boy who deals very differently with his mother’s abandonment than the rest of his family. It celebrates individuality.

Synopsis 

Dennis lives in a boring house in a boring street in a boring town. But he’s about to find out that when you open your mind, life becomes anything but boring! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and once you meet Dennis he’ll live with you forever…

Author 

David Edward Williams, OBE, known professionally as David Walliams, is an English comedian, actor, talent-show judge, author, presenter, and activist, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the BBC One sketch show Little Britain.

Other Books 

The Boy in the Dress (2008)
Mr. Stink (2009)
Billionaire Boy (2010)
Gangsta Granny (2011)
Ratburger (2012)
Demon Dentist (2013)
Awful Auntie (2014)
Grandpa's Great Escape (2015)
The Midnight Gang (2016)

Study Unit

"The Boy in the Dress" study unit is a 60-page literature unit for David Walliam's novel The Boy In The Dress. It is a digital copy in PDF format. Each chapter of the novel has a one-page chapter study worksheet and there are 25 additional worksheet activities to reinforce key concepts. In total, this resource is 60 pages long. Answers are included for the chapter study worksheets.

Movie tie-in

Based on the award-winning novel by David Walliams The Boy in the dress tells the story of Dennis, a twelve-year-old boy, who enjoys football and fashion. The film shows the reactions of his family and friends to his eclectic activities.
Available on Amazon.

Bill's New Frock

By Anne Fine

I first read Bill's New Frock back in the UK when I was first starting out in my teaching career. My students loved it then and my current class is loving it now. There are a couple of jokes in there that don't translate well into New Zealand schools, an example being the "Wumpy Choo" being a "1p chew".
When I read it 20 years ago I had some parents come in, worried that I was promoting trans-sexuality. But as I made the point back then that this story was written to open discussion about the differences between girls and boys, the social norms and expectations around academic achievement, dress code and sporting prowess. In essence, it allows the boys to see more clearly issues that girls deal with, for example, dresses being impractical.

Besides, it's very funny in its innocence.

Synopsis

When Bill Simpson woke up on Monday morning, he found he was a girl... Forced off to school in a frilly pink dress, Bill discovers one of the worst days of his life is about to begin.
Baffled by the way things are just different for girls, Bill falls headlong into trouble. As the amazing day drags on, Bill's new frock becomes dirtier and tattier. How will it all end for him - or her?

Author

Anne Fine, OBE FRSL (born 7 December 1947) is an English writer, best known for children's books although she also writes for adults. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and she was appointed an OBE in 2003. (Wikipedia)

Other books by the author

• Scaredy-Cat (1985) 
• Stranger Danger? (1989)
• Only a Show (1990)
• The Worst Child I Ever Had (1991)
• Design a Pram (1991)
• The Same Old Story Every Year (1992)
• The Haunting of Pip Parker (1992)
• Press Play (1994)
• The Diary of a Killer Cat (1994)
• Care of Henry (1996)
• Jennifer's Diary (1996)
• Countdown (1996)
• Roll Over Roly (1999)
• Notso Hotso (2001)
• The Jamie and Angus Stories (2002)
• How to Cross the Road and Not Turn into a Pizza (2002)
• The Return of the Killer Cat (2003)
• Nag Club (2004)
• It Moved! (2006)
• Jamie and Angus Together (2007)
• The Killer Cat Strikes Back (2007)
• The Killer Cat's Birthday Bash (2008)
• Jamie and Angus Forever (2009)
• Under a Silver Moon (2012)
• Out for the Count (2016)

Monkey Boy

By Donovan Bixley

What a great story. I loved the mix of graphic novel and regular novel. The story was brilliantly crafted if just a little scary for my class. I loved Jimmy's relationship with his 'sea daddy'. There's a nice blend of the here and now and flashback to tell Jimmy's story. It's well worth a read but there's a warning on the back "It's a rough life at sea, so grab a bucket and hold onto your guts" never a truer word spoken.

Synopsis

Jimmy Grimholt is the youngest sailor aboard warship H.M.S. Fury, bound for bloodcurdling battle. This is not a story of cotton-candy capers. It is a story of gruesome horrors, awful amputations and ghastly ghouls ...
It's a rough life at sea, so grab a bucket and hold onto your guts.
This is going to get really ugly.

Author

Donovan Bixley is Donovan Bixley is a picture book creator, who has worked on more than 90 books in a broad range of genres, from his best-selling preschool books The Wheels on the Bus (Hodder Moa, 2010) and Old MacDonald’s Farm (Hodder Moa, 2011) to his international illustrated biographies Faithfully Mozart (PQ Blackwell/Hodder, 2005) and Much Ado About Shakespeare (Upstart, 2016). He has won numerous awards, including Best Junior Fiction at the 2015 New Zealand Book Awards For Children and Young Adults for his hybrid comic/novel, Monkey Boy (Scholastic, 2015)

Other books by the author

• Much ado about Shakespeare
• Flying furballs Dogfight
• The Great Kiwi ABC Book
• The Wheels on the Bus
• Old MacDonald's Farm
• The Looky Book
• Little Bo Peep and More...
• Pussycat Pussycat and More...
• My First Board Book Series (6 books)
• Fuzzy Doodle
• Monkey Boy
• Dinosaur Rescue: 8 BOOK SERIES
• Dragon Knight: 6 BOOK SERIES
• Three Bears Sort Of
• Little Red Riding Hood ... Not Quite
• The Weather Machine
• Dashing Dog
• Northwood
• Maddy West and the Tongue Taker
• Phoebe and the Night Creatures
• The Story of Bo and the Circus that Wasn't
• Marc Ellis' Good Fullas
• A Right Royal Christmas   
• Faithfully Mozart -the fantastic world of Wolfgang Armadeus Mozart
  The Tuotara and the Skink
• Wacko Kakapo  
• Harry Hobnail and the Pungapeople 
• Mr Tanglewood and the Pungapeople

Two Frogs

By Chris Wormell

I recently shared with my class "The Two Frogs" I'd forgotten how much I simply adore this book. It is so brilliantly written and the illustrations are wondrous. The silly voices I do for the two frogs just came back to me in a heart beat.

I first read this to a class I had back in 2002. It is such an age ago but feels like yesterday. I went on to purchase a number of other Chris Wormell books and I'm still on the hunt for more.

Synopsis

Two frogs are sitting on a lily pad in the middle of a huge lake. One of then is clutching a stick. The stick, he says, is to beat off the dog. But there is no dog... yet.
A wonderfully funny fable featuring a hapless pair of frogs fighting for survival against the odds.

Author

He was born in 1955 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. He had no formal training as an artist, working as a road-sweeper, rubbish collector, postman, and a factory worker. An interest in landscape painting led him to buy a set of wood engraving tools in 1982 and to teach himself how to use them.

Freelance illustrator in advertising, design, editorial, and children's books, London, England, 1984—. Exhibitions: Solo exhibitions include Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England, 1988; Fouts and Fowler Gallery, London, 1990; Artworks Gallery, London, 1994; Richmond Literary Festival, 1996; and Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1996.

Read more: Christopher Wormell (1955-) Biography - Personal, Addresses, Career, Member, Honors Awards, Writings, Sidelights - Animals, London, England, and Review - JRank Articles http://biography.jrank.org/pages/974/Wormell-Christopher-1955.html#ixzz4gjl49ZIy

Other Books by the author

• An Alphabet of Animals (1990)
• A Number of Animals (1993)
• Kitchen Wisdom (1995)
• What I Eat (1996)
• Where I Live (1996)
• The Art of the Kitchen (1998)
• Blue Rabbit and Friends (1999)
• Blue Rabbit and the Runaway Wheel (1999)
• The Animal Train (2000)
• Off to the Fair (2001)
• Puff-Puff, Chugga-Chugga (2001)
• George and the Dragon (2002)
• The New Alphabet of Animals (2002)
• In the Woods (2003)
• Two Frogs (2003)
• The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit (2004)
• Teeth, Tails, and Tentacles (2004)
• Mice, Morals, and Monkey Business (2005)
• The Sea Monster (2005)
• The Wild Girl (2005)
• Henry and the Fox (2006)
• Through the Animals' Eyes (2006)
• George, the Dragon and the Princess (2007)
• The Saddest King (2007)
• Wings, Horns, and Claws (2007)
• Molly and the Night Monster (2008)
• The Animals Came Two By Two (2008)
• Ferocious Wild Beasts (2009)
• One Smart Fish (2010)

Matilda

By  Roald Dahl

This term's class reading book was Matilda by Roald Dahl. I always love Roald Dahl and I still feel that he a quality introduction to Novel Study for my seven and eight year olds. We shared character profiles, wrote diary entries and discussed a variety of issues around school and discipline. The last of which was as much a surprise to me as anyone.
The language Dahl uses paints such a brilliant mental image easily accessible to my younger students. Many a time we have translated his words into images, with great delight. Towards the end of the novel study we watch the movie version create a compare and contrast chart. 

  Synopsis

Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Mrs. ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never any doubt that Matilda will carry the day. Even so, this wonderful story is far from predictable. Roald Dahl, while keeping the plot moving imaginatively, also has an unerring ear for emotional truth. The reader cares about Matilda because in addition to all her other gifts, she has real feelings. 

(Goodreads)

 

Author 

Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.
He chronicles his childhood in Boy and his early adult life in Going Solo. 

Books by the same author

Children's books
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
The Magic Finger (1966)
 Fantastic Mr Fox (1968)
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (1972)
Danny, the Champion of the World (1975) 
The Enormous Crocodile (1978)
The Twits (1980)
George's Marvellous Medicine (1981)
Revolting Rhymes (1982)
The BFG (1982)
Dirty Beasts (1983)
The Witches (1983)
Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984)
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (1985)
 Going Solo (1986)
Matilda (1988)
Rhyme Stew (1989) 
  Esio Trot (1990) 
The Minpins (1991)
 Roald Dahl's Guide to Railway Safety (1991)
My Year (1991)

Other works
The Gremlins (1943)
Over To You (1946)
Some Time Never (1948)
Someone Like You (1953)
Kiss Kiss (1960)
Switch Bitch (1974)
James and the Giant Peach (1961)
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (1977)
My Uncle Oswald (1979)
Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories (1983) 
Two Fables (1985)
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life (1989)
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke (1991)

The 13-STOREY TREEHOUSE

By Andy Griffiths

Illustrated by Terry Denton

Another laugh-a-minute illustrated chapter book from the pair that brought you the Just series and The Very Bad Book. They are a particular favourite of mine with Andy's clever descriptions and story pace and Terry's illustrations that fill in the visual gaps left behind. In fact, some of Terry's illustrations can often put a completely different slant on a sentence or two.

This has got to be a winner with kids of all ages. I'm looking forward to sharing this and the other TREE-HOUSE books with my class this year.

What is your favourite Andy Griffiths story?

Synopsis

Andy and Terry's 13-storey tree-house is the most amazing tree-house in the world! It's got a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of man-eating sharks, a giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory and a marshmallow machine that follows you around, and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever you're hungry. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

Author & Illustrator

Andrew Noel "Andy" Griffiths (born 3 September 1961) is an Australian children's book author and comedy writer. He is most notable for his Just! series, which was converted into an animated television series called What's with Andy? He is well known for working with Terry Denton.

Terry Denton (26 July 1950) is an Australian illustrator and author. He is married and has three children. He is the second youngest of five boys, he was born and grew up in Melbourne, Victoria. He is well known for working with Andy Griffiths.

Other books by the pair

13-Storey Treehouse (2011)
26-Storey Treehouse (2012)
39-Storey Treehouse (2013)
52-Storey Treehouse (2014)
65-Storey Treehouse (2015)
78-Storey Treehouse (2016)
Other books 

The stage show: The Opera House, 111 - 113 Manners St, Te Aro, Wellington

Danny Champion of the World

By Roald Dahl

I shared this book with my class this time last year. As I began the novel studies with my class there was no better author to choose than Roald Dahl. And as I had enjoyed the reading of this back when I was their age I had to pick Danny Champion of the World. I love this story.
 This is not Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with its crazy descriptions, nor is it The Twits with its revolting descriptions. This feels different, it feels like a real story with depth of character.
I love the realtionship Danny has with his Dad. I love the way they are breaking the law for the greater good. I love the way they eventually 'stick it to the man'. Their are so many opportunities to teach students, about literature, writing, but more so than that about integrity, justice, fairness, tenacity and bravery.

Synopsis

Danny thinks the world of his father, but imagine his surprise when he finds out he's been breaking the law! Even grown-ups bend the rules sometimes, but Danny knows his father is still good, kind and clever and full of exciting ideas.
Join them in this thrilling adventure as they hope to pull off the most daring and dangerous plan ever.

Author 

Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.
He chronicles his childhood in Boy and his early adult life in Going Solo. 

Books by the same author

Children's books


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
The Magic Finger (1966)
 Fantastic Mr Fox (1968)
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (1972)
Danny, the Champion of the World (1975) 
The Enormous Crocodile (1978)
The Twits (1980)
George's Marvellous Medicine (1981)
Revolting Rhymes (1982)
The BFG (1982)
Dirty Beasts (1983)
The Witches (1983)
Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984)
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (1985)
 Going Solo (1986)
Matilda (1988)
Rhyme Stew (1989) 
Esio Trot (1990) 
The Minpins (1991)
 Roald Dahl's Guide to Railway Safety (1991)
My Year (1991)

Other works
The Gremlins (1943)
Over To You (1946)
Some Time Never (1948)
Someone Like You (1953)
Kiss Kiss (1960)
Switch Bitch (1974)
James and the Giant Peach (1961)
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (1977)
My Uncle Oswald (1979)
Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories (1983) 
Two Fables (1985)
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life (1989)
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke (1991)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

By Lewis Carroll

Back last year. Well before this blogging thing kicked off I decided to introduce my class to the classics. Well, at least ONE classic novel. I decided on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. There was a truck load of teaching materials I might use, its entirely appropriate for the age of kids I have Y3-5 AND there is the advantage of the Classic Disney movie.
I love Alice's Adventures. There is much to 'see' in them. The descriptive language is a wonder. And the original illustrations are so very perfect for me to talk about with the students. My favourite portion, and also the bit many of my students enjoyed too is when Alice gats trapped in the White Rabbit's House and kicks Little Bill right up and out of the chimney.

Synopsis

On an ordinary summer's afternoon, Alice tumbles down a hole and an extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange world with even stranger characters, she meets a rabbit with a pocket watch, and a grinning cat, joins a mad tea-party and plays croquet with the fearsome Queen of Hearts! Lost in the weird and wonderful fantacy land, Alice begins to wonder exactly how she'll ever find her way home...

Author

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English writer, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon, and photographer.In 1856, he published his first piece of work under the name that would make him famous. A romantic poem called "Solitude" appeared in The Train under the authorship of "Lewis Carroll". This pseudonym was a play on his real name: Lewis was the anglicized form of Ludovicus, which was the Latin for Lutwidge, and Carroll an Irish surname similar to the Latin name Carolus, from which comes the name Charles.

By the same author
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Through the Looking-Glass
Jabberwocky and other poems
The Hunting of the Snark

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #1

by Jeff Kinney

Term 4 2016 Novel Study book was Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I heard that this series of studies was quite a fun read. There also appears to be a series of movies for kids that mactch some of the stories. Perfect.

But when I started reading the books I realised that, yes the kids were enjoying the book. As we went got further and further into to the more and more I had to explain some of the humour. Does this count as education?

Must say though. I loved the story. And it seems that all the seven, eight and nine year olds loved it too. They certainly devoured the other 10 books in the series.

Synopsis

Being a kid can really stink. And no one knows this better than Greg Heffley, who finds himself in thrust into high school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving.
Lucky Greg has his best friend and sidekick, Rowley. But when Rowley's popularity starts to rise, it kicks off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Teaching Resources

Penguin Teacher Resource - This starter kit resource pack is split into two sections, ‘Introductory Activities’ and ‘Questions and Suggestions for Further Activities’.
Teaching Guide: Encourage self-expression, inspire student writing, spark critical thinking, explore writing in nontraditional formats, and much more.

Author

 Jeffrey Patrick "Jeff" Kinney is an American cartoonist, producer and author of children's books, including the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. He is also attributed as the creator of the child-oriented website Poptropica. He started working on The Diary of a Wimpy Kid sometime during 1998, however, it wasn’t published until the spring of 2007. The series gained quick popularity and attained the number one position on important charts with a worldwide sale of 42 million copies up till 2010.

Books in the Series 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway

Oh, the Places you'll go!

by Dr Suess

"You have brains in your head.
  You have feet in your shoes. 
  You can steer yourself
  any direction you choose."

Another outing from the “101 books to read before you grow up” book by Bianca Schulze. I went onto Mighty Ape and ordered this one specifically. It's my intention to create a box of books that my class will be encouraged to read over the space of the year or two that they are with me. "Oh, the Places you'll go!" is certainly one of them. I love Dr Suess. His ridiculous rhymes are magical. The crazy illurations are so iconic. But this particular story is idle for me to share with my children. Especially as my kids are of the age where they need to be thinking about a world beyond their home, beyond school. This book is really good launch pad for starting a conversation about the wider, wilder world.

Which Dr Suess book is your favourite? Why? 

Synopsis

From fun times and triumphs to lurches and slumps, Dr Suess takes an entertaining look at the adventures and misadventures that life may have in store for us.

Teaching Resources

Suessville website

Author

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March, 1904 in Springfield Massachusett. After the Second World War he returned to children's literature he wrote many, including such favorites as Horton Hears a Who! (1955), If I Ran the Circus (1956), The Cat in the Hat (1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957), and Green Eggs and Ham (1960). He wrote these in part as a result of a Life magazine publishing a report, in May 1954, on illiteracy among school children which concluded that children were not learning to read because their books were boring. He received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the professional children's librarians in 1980, recognizing his "substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature". At the time, it was awarded every five years.[51] He won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1984 citing his "contribution over nearly half a century to the education and enjoyment of America's children and their parents".

Other Books by the same author

Horton Hatches the Egg (1940)
If I Ran the Zoo (1950)
Horton Hears A Who! (1954)
If I Ran The Circus (1956)
The Cat in the Hat (1957)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1957)
The Cat In The Hat Comes Back! (1958)
Green Eggs And Ham (1960)
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (1960)
Fox In Socks (1965)
The Lorax (1971)

Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone (Potter #1)

Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone is practically a "Children's Classic". The reason I'm adding it here is that this particular book I used in my classroom during Term 2 this year. I make a point of reading a novel to my students each term and have them complete a series of related activities, encouraging them into deeper reading. I also try and make a point of reading the first book in a series so that those avid readers I have in my class can then check out of the school library the other books in the series.
I'm not going to go into great detail here about how fabulously engaging this book but I simply want to make the point that at the point of publishing there is no single author or publishing house that did more to encourage boys into reading than J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury.

Synopsis
This is the tale of Harry Potter, an ordinary 11-year-old boy serving as a sort of slave for his aunt and uncle who learns that he is actually a wizard and has been invited to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is snatched away from his mundane existence by Hagrid, the grounds keeper for Hogwarts, and quickly thrown into a world completely foreign to him. Famous for an incident that happened at his birth, Harry makes friends easily at his new school. He soon finds, however, that the wizarding world is far more dangerous for him than he would have imagined, and he quickly learns that not all wizards can be trusted.

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Author

Born in Yate, England, on July 31, 1965, J.K. Rowling came from humble economic means before writing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a children's fantasy novel. The work was an international hit and Rowling wrote six more books in the series, which sold hundreds of millions of copies and was adapted into a blockbuster film franchise. In 2012, Rowling released the novel The Casual Vacancy.

Books by the same author

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

Other novel studies on this site 

Study Unit

This novel-study resource is a 83 page literature unit for J. K. Rowling's novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It is a digital copy in PDF format. Each chapter of the novel has two chapter study worksheets and there are 35 additional worksheet activities to reinforce key concepts. In total this resource is 83 pages long. Answers are included for the chapter study worksheets.

Movie tie-in

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

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