Pink and Say

Pink and Say
by Patricia Polacco

Published: 1994 Publisher: Philomel Books
Hardback: 48 pages ISBN: 0399226710

Genre: Historical fiction
Recommended for children 6+ and grades 2 - 5.

Plot Summary:
This heart-wrenching children's picture book tells the story of two young soldiers during the Civil War. Sheldon Curtis, a fifteen year old white soldier, is found injured in a field by another young soldier who is African-American, Pinkus Aylee. Pink carries Say back to his home where his grandmother takes care of him and nurses him back to health. Over this time, the boys become friends and begin to understand each other. One day, marauders come to the house and capture both the boys. While in captivity, the boys receive vastly different treatment. In the end, the reader learns that Say was the great-great-great grandfather of the author and the story is an oral history passed down through generations of her family.

Quantitative Reading Level:
Lexile: 590L

Qualitative Reading Level:
 According to the SCASS Literature Text Complexity and Qualitative Measures Rubric, this text can be categorized as Slightly Complex. As far as text structure and organization, the text is very clear. The events occur chronologically. The illustrations directly support the text and assist to interpret the meaning of the poem. (As well, they are beautiful, moving illustrations). Its language features are explicit and easy to understand. Most vocabulary is  familiar and conversational although some southern dialect is used. The sentence structure is primarily simple. The theme is clear and consistent throughout the story. There are not many knowledge demands but an understanding of the Civil War time period would help bring meaning to the text. The experiences portrayed are common to that time period and there are no allusions to other texts.

Content Area:
English
Social Science (Us History, Civil War)

Content Area Standards for Social Science:
Common Core State Standards
CCSS Grade 4 Reading Standard for Key Ideas and Details: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

CA Social Science Standards
CA Social Science Standard 8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of the Civil War.
8.17 Explain how the war affected combatants, civilians, the physical environment, and future warfare.

Curriculum Suggestions:
1. Civil War study
2. US history study
3. Dialect study

Links:
Author's Website

Brief Youtube Video on Book

Sample Lesson Plan

Circulating Life (Blood Transfusion from Ancient Superstition to Modern Medicine)

Circulating Life (Blood Transfusion from Ancient Superstition to Modern Medicine)
By Cherie Winner

Published: 2007 Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books
Hardback: 111 pages ISBN: 0-8225-6606-0

Genre: Science book
Recommended for ages 12+ and grades 8 -12

Summary:
Transfusion is a complicated medical term that many people do not fully understand. It also revolutionized health care in many ways. As well, it is a relatively recent medical practice. Early doctors believed removing blood from a patient could save a life but the idea of putting one person's blood into another's body was unheard of as blood was believed to carry a person's essence. In the 1600's, scientists conducted transfusion experiments but many recipients died due to lack of knowledge. It was not until the 1800's that transfusions became safer. Now, in the twenty-first century, transfusions save thousands of lives every year. This book explains transfusions past to present and shows how doctors today have the opportunity to continue to circulate life through transfusions.

Quantitative Reading Level:
Reading Level 8.2

Qualitative Reading Level:
According to the SCASS Informational Text Complexity and Qualitative Measures Rubric, this text can be categorized as Moderately Complex. As far as text structure and organization, the connections between ideas are clear and organization is evident and chronological. The graphics and text features help reader's understanding of the content. Its language features are largely explicit and easy to understand. Most vocabulary is  familiar and rarely over academic. The sentence structure is primarily simple with some complex structures throughout. The purpose is implied but easy to identify throughout the course of the text. The knowledge demands relies on a basic medical understanding.

Content Area:
Science (Medicine, Biology, Life Science)

Content Area Standards for Science:
Common Core State Standards
CCSS Grade 5 Reading Standards for Key Ideas and Details: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

CA Science Content Standards
CA Science Standard Grade 7: Students know organ systems function because of the contributions of individual organs, tissues, and cells. The failure of any part can affect the entire system.


Curriculum Suggestions:
1. Medical treatments study
2. Past vs. present medicine study

Links:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

History of Blood Transfusions

PBS Program on Blood

Pass It On (African American Poetry For Children)

Pass It On (African-American Poetry For Children)
Selected by Wade Hudson
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Published: 1993 Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Hardcover: 32 pages ISBN: 0-590-45770-5

Genre: Poetry
Recommended for ages 3 + and grades kindergarten and up

Plot Summary:
This book is a beautiful collection of some of the best poetry for children by African-American poets, including Langston Hughes, Eloise Greenfield, and Gwendolyn Brooks. This collection captures the joys and discoveries of childhood, focusing particularly on the African-American experience. There are happy poems about playing and there are serious poems about pain. All the poems have been selected specifically for the reason to pass on stories and experiences to future generations. The poems are meant to be read out loud keeping with the tradition of oral histories.

Quantitative Reading Level:
Lexile level is not available

Qualitative Reading Level:
According to the SCASS Literature Text Complexity and Qualitative Measures Rubric, this text can be categorized as Slightly Complex. As far as text structure and organization, the text is very clear. Each poem is short and easy to understand. The illustrations directly support the text and assist to interpret the meaning of the poem. Its language features are explicit and easy to understand. Most vocabulary is  familiar, contemporary, and conversational. The sentence structure is primarily simple with some complex structures throughout since it is poetry which does not always follow a standard form. The theme is clear and consistent throughout this anthology. There are not many knowledge demands but an understanding of family relationships and children's experiences is helpful. The experiences portrayed are common to most readers and there are no illusions to other texts.

Content Area:
English
Poetry

Content Area Standards for English:
Common Core State Standards
CCSS Kindergarten Reading Craft and Structure Standard: Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems, fantasy, realistic text).

CA English Language Arts Standards
CA English standard Kindergarten 2.3 Connect to life experiences the information and events in texts.

Curriculum Suggestions:
1. Poetry study
2. Oral history study
3. African-American culture/experiences study

Links:
Oral History Association

Romeo and Juliet/If You Come Softly

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Published: 1960 Publisher: Penguin Books

Paperback: 150 pages ISBN: 0140714.197

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Published: 1998 Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Paperback: 181 pages ISBN: 0-439-36728-7

Genre: Fiction

Recommended for ages 12+ and grades 7 - 12.

Plot Summary #1:

Romeo and Juliet is the famous romantic tragedy written by the one and only William Shakespeare. This play follows the story of two young lovers from feuding families. The young couple are not allowed to be together yet they cannot imagine a life apart. In a desperate attempt to stay together, Juliet drinks a poison that will make her sleep for 42 hours. Romeo hears that Juliet is dead and proceeds to buy a poison to kill himself. Just as Juliet wakes, she sees Romeo drink the poison so she then proceeds to kill herself. Only after the death of their two young children, do both families realize that the feuding and fighting is not worth it.

Plot Summary #2:

This is a contemporary romance novel (and tragedy) about two teens who attend a private academy where neither feel they quite belong. Ellie has issues with her family she is trying to sort through and Jeremiah is one of the few Africa-American students at the school and feels very ostracized. The two begin dating and quickly fall in love. Even though their worlds are very different from one another, they form an unbreakable bond. Until one day, outside forces get in the way...

Quantitative Reading Level:

Romeo and Juliet Lexile level is not available

If You Come Softly Lexile: 570L

Qualitative Reading Level:

According to the SCASS Literature Text Complexity and Qualitative Measures Rubric, "Romeo and Juliet" can be categorized as Very Complex. As far as text structure and organization, the text has a clear storyline but there are subplots and complex characters. Its language features are dense and complex with a lot of figurative language. The vocabulary is  often unfamiliar and archaic. The sentence structure is often complex as well. The theme is clear and consistent throughout this text however it is revealed over the entirety of the play. The knowledge demands relies on an understanding of Shakespeare and Elizabethan times. The experiences portrayed are uncommon to most readers in modern day and there are many foreign cultural elements.

According to the SCASS Literature Text Complexity and Qualitative Measures Rubric, "If You Come Softly" can be categorized as Moderately Complex. As far as text structure and organization, the text has a clear storyline but it alternates point of view with each chapter. Its language features are conventional and straightforward with occasional complex meanings. Most vocabulary is  familiar and conversational. The sentence structure is primarily simple. The theme is clear and consistent throughout the story though it is portrayed somewhat subtly. The knowledge demands relies on an understanding human differences and prejudices. The experiences portrayed are common to many readers in modern day.

Content Area:

English

Content Area Standards for English:



Common Core State Standards
CCSS Grade 7 Reading Craft and Structure Standard: 5. Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas. a. Analyze the use of text features (e.g., graphics, headers, cap)

CA English Language Arts Standards
CA English Standard Grade 8 Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text 2.3: Find similarities and differences between texts in the treatment, scope, or organization of ideas.

Curriculum Suggestions:
1. Shakespeare study
2. Classic/contemporary novel pairing study
3. Teen relationships study
4. Family relationships study

Links:
William Shakespeare Biography
Online Library of Shakespeare's Works
Jacqueline Woodson Website
Scholastic Lesson Plans

Warriors Don't Cry

Warriors Don't Cry

by Melba Pattillo Beals

Published: 1995 Publisher: Washington Square Press

Paperback: 336 pages ISBN: 9780671866396

Genre: Memoir

Recommended for ages 12+ and grades 7 - 10.

Plot Summary:

In 1957 Melba Pattillo Beals and eight other teenagers became the first students to integrate Little Rock High School after the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education. In her memoir, Melba recounts the horrors of being taunted by classmates and consistently being threatened with violence. In her story she recalls what it was like to be a teenager trying to do her best in school while having to overcome great odds. Her story is at times discouraging and at times terrifying, but more than anything it is a story of bravery and perseverance that will stick with the reader long after the book is over.

Quantitative Reading Level:

Lexile: 1000L

Qualitative Reading Level:

According to the SCASS Literature Text Complexity and Qualitative Measures Rubric, this text can be categorized as Moderately Complex. As far as text structure and organization, the text has a clear storyline that may be difficult to predict at times. Its language features are conventional and straightforward with occasional complex meanings. Most vocabulary is  familiar and conversational. The sentence structure is primarily simple with some complex structures throughout. The theme is clear and consistent throughout this memoir. The knowledge demands relies on an understanding of US history and racism. The experiences portrayed are uncommon to most readers in modern day although the topic is often studied.

Content Area:

English

Social Science (US History, Brown vs. Board of Education, Civil Rights, Integration)

Content Area Standards for Social Science:

Common Core State Standards

CCSS Grade 8 Reading Key Ideas and Details Standard: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

CA Social Science Standards

CA History-Social Science Standard Grade 11: Students analyze the development of federal civil rights and voting rights.

2. Examine and analyze the key events, policies, and court cases in the evolution of civil rights, including Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, and California Proposition 209.

Curriculum Suggestions:

1. US Civil Rights movement study

2. Integration study

3. Schools past vs. present study

4. History of racism and oppression study

Links:

Information on the Author

Scholastic Biography on Beals

Sample Unit to Use With the Text

History of Brown vs. Board of Education



A Child Called "It"

A Child Called "It"
by Dave Pelzer


Published: 1995 Publisher: Health Communications Inc.
Paperback: 184 pages ISBN: 1-55874-366-9

Genre: Memoir
Recommended for ages 14+ and grades 7 - 12.

Plot Summary:
This book chronicles a shocking and horrific account of severe child abuse. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally abused by his mother until he was placed in a foster home at age twelve. His unstable mother played torturous games with him and referred to him as "it" rather than as "boy" or as "son". Yet somehow, Pelzer keeps his dreams alive and in this searing memoir the reader is touched by his strong will to survive. Pelzer leaves the reader with the message that we all have the ability to make a difference no matter what.

Evaluation:
This memorable, upsetting memoir deals in vivid detail with the story of one man overcoming his abusive childhood. There are very intense descriptions of abuse and some curse words which makes the book more appropriate for an older audience. The book will hook readers right away and make them very aware of the unfortunate circumstances in which children can be brought up. It is an eye-opening book and one that makes the reader think and reflect. The knowledge demands relies on an understanding of abuse and mental illness that is fairly complex and only appropriate for older readers. As many books do not deal with such honesty about these topics it is important to have this book in the library. The author overcomes a horrific childhood and becomes very successful thus leading by example to show that nothing is impossible.

Content Area:
English
Health: Child Abuse
Health: Mental Illness

Content Area Standards for English
Common Core State Standards
CCSS Key Ideas and Details Reading Standard Grade 7: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

CA English Language Arts Standards
CA English Standard Grade 7: Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Text: 3.3 Analyze characterization as delineated through a character’s thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions; the narrator’s description; and the thoughts, words, and actions of other characters.


Links:
Author's Website

Sample Unit to Use With the Text

Contra Costa Crisis Help Center (Location Specific)

A Lesson Before Dying

A Lesson Before Dying
by Ernest J. Gaines


Published: 1993 Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Paperback: 256 pages ISBN: 978-0-375-70270-9

Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended for ages 14+ and grades 10 - 12.

Plot Summary:
In this powerful historical novel, Ernest Gaines transports the reader to the rural South in the late 1940's. The narrator, Grant Wiggins, has been teaching on a plantation outside of Louisiana for several years when a young Black man named Jefferson is convicted of murder for a crime he did not commit and sentenced to death. Grant is pressured by his aunt and Jefferson's godmother to visit Jefferson in his cell in an attempt to teach him life lessons before he is put to death. While at first very resistant to this request, Grants ends up forming a bond with Jefferson and both men learn the value of fighting back and defying expectations. A novel rich with descriptions and character development, Gaines skillfully brings to the reader a rich sense of place and time and an understanding of the human psyche and of US history that will be remembered long after the book is over.

Quantitative Reading Level:
Lexile: 750L

Qualitative Reading Level:
According to the SCASS Literature Text Complexity and Qualitative Measures Rubric, this text can be categorized as Moderately Complex. As far as text structure and organization, the text is clear and contains two or more storylines occurring simultaneously. Its language features are conventional and for the most part explicit and easy to understand, however much of the book is written in a strong dialect. However, most vocabulary is familiar and conversational. The sentence structure is primarily simple with some complex structures throughout the text. There are multiple meanings of the text that are clearly distinguished from one another and the theme is clear and consistent throughout this historical novel. The knowledge demands relies on an understanding of US history and an awareness of racism. This is the one area of the text that may be described as Very Complex since the experiences portrayed are uncommon to most readers and a strong cultural knowledge is needed.

Content Area:
English
Social Science (US History and Post-Depression Era South, Racism and Discrimination, 1940's Louisiana)

Content Area Standards for Social Science:
Common Core State Standards
CCSS Reading Standard Grade 8: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

CA Social Science Standards
CA History-Social Science Standard Grade 11: Students analyze the major social problems and domestic policy issues in contemporary American society.
6. Analyze the persistence of poverty and how different analyses of this issue influence welfare reform, health insurance reform, and other social policies.

Curriculum Suggestions:
1. 1940's time era study
2. Southern US study
3. Discrimination past vs. present study
4. African-American community and identity study

Links:
Oprah's Reading Guide to the Text

Biography on Ernest Gaines

Sample Unit (1) to Use With the Text

Sample Unit (2) to Use With the Text