Stellaluna By: Janell Cannon

Title: Stellaluna 

By: Janell Cannon

 Summary: Stellalun is a high quality children's book that tells the story of a little bat who get separated from her mother. She stumbles upon a birds nest with three babies and their mother. Stellaluna grows up in the nest and learns to act like a good bird should, despite all her differences of being a baby bat.  
Genre: of this book would be classified as a picture book. 
Content Standard 1: that this book fits into would be Reading Standards for Informational Text K-5, Kindergarten, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, number 9: 'With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).' 
How it Connects: The students can compare and contrast the bats and the birds and have discussions about things that are similar and things that are different. 
Content Standard 2: that could apply to this book is Reading Standards for Literature K-5, Grade 3, Key Ideas and Details, number 3: 'Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.' 
How it Connects: This content standard would work really well with this book because it can get the students thinking about how Stellaluna must have felt having to act like something that she isn't. 
How Children Use Book: The children can use this book in centers by having them play with vocabulary, use illustrations to help them understand mood and feelings of characters or situations, and getting them to think more deeply about similarities and differences. 
Meets Needs: The could help gifted children by expanding their knowledge of bats, where they come from, what the eat, ect. 
3 Tiers of Vocab: would include words like 1) bat, bird, nest 2) forest, hanging, grasshopper 3) sultry, ripe, (not mentioned, but could purpose a word like 'nocturnal'). 

Green Eggs and Ham By: Dr. Seuss

 

Title: Green Eggs and Ham

By: Dr. Seuss

Summary: This classic children's book is a silly way for kids to think about food and trying new things. When happy-go-lucky 'Sam I Am' tries to get his friend to eat green eggs and ham, he runs into a little trouble convincing him they are worth trying.  
Genre: of this book would be classified as a picture book, specifically in a sub genre of beginner books or rhymes.  
Content standard 1: that this book fits into would be Reading Standards for Literature K-5, Grade 2 students, Key Ideas and Details, number 4: 'Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.' 
How it Connects: The constant and reoccurring rhymes used throughout the book is an excellent way to showcase this standard. 
Content Standard 2: that could apply to this book is Reading Standards for Literature K-5, Grade 3, Key Ideas and Details, number 3: 'Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.'  
How it Connects: This content standard would work really well with this book because of the engagement and interaction of the characters when considering how each character feels about trying new things.  
How Children Use Book: use individually or in centers by identifying words that rhyme, reoccurring words they recognize, understanding the illustrations to help them with words they may be unfamiliar with, ect.  
Meets Needs: The could help gifted children by asking them if they think the events in the book would be different if Sam's friend would have tried the food in the beginning of the story, or even start the conversation about how the eggs and ham turned green to begin with. 
3 Tiers of Vocab: would include words like 1) box, fox, house, mouse, 2) could, would, should, 3) N/A