ASSIGNMENTS | SPELLING | EXTENSIONS | LINKS | FURTHER READING

ASSIGNMENTS

"My Name is María Isabel," by Alma Flor Ada (fiction (excerpt)

EXTENSIONS

Try one of these fun and educational activities in your classroom.

LINKS

Find your name here!
After reading My Name Is María Isabel, find out what your own names mean! This site allows you to search a large database of last names to learn about their origins and meanings. Although the list is heavy on Anglo-Saxon names, it includes a variety of other names as well.

Baby Names

First Names and What They Mean
After checking out the last-names site, try this one, which indexes just about every first name imaginable.

Chinese Festivals and Dragon Lore
A fun, information-rich source to complement The Last Dragon, this site examines Chinese New Year and other festivals and explains the role of dragons in Chinese tradition and lore. You'll learn the difference between Chinese, Korean, and Japanese dragons (Chinese dragons have the most toes!), what happened to Chinese dragons who traveled too far from home, and why Chinese dragons didn't breathe fire; students can also download original dragon art!

Music Notes
To supplement Sing to the Stars, this "interactive online musical experience" offers a whole orchestra's worth of information about musical styles, history, instruments (everything from piccolos to bassoons), and professions. There are also music-related games, a comprehensive glossary of music terms, and links to other music sites.

FURTHER READING

VERY EASY

Barn Savers
by Linda Oatman High
Boyds Mills 1999 (32p)
A boy and his father take apart a barn board by board for recycling.

Sammy, Dog Detective
by Colleen Bare
Cobblehill 1998 (32p)
Sammy is part of a police K-9 team in Modesto, California.
Social Studies

Painted Dreams
by Karen Lynn Williams
Lothrop 1998 (32p)
Ti Marie uses her ingenuity to find a way to paint.
Multicultural

Stone Soup
by Marcia Brown
Aladdin 1987 (48p)
In a town where all the food is hidden, three soldiers begin to make soup from a stone and water.
Classic

Music Over Manhattan
by Mark Karlins
Doubleday 1998 (32p)
When Uncle Louis teaches him to play the trumpet, Bernie no longer has to play second fiddle.

EASY

The Summer My Father Was Ten
by Pat Brisson
Boyds Mills 1998 (32p)
While they plant a garden, a boy learns how his father first became interested in gardening.

Martha Walks the Dog
by Susan Meddaugh
Houghton 1998 (32p)
Through kind words, Martha tames a fearsome and ferocious hound.

Mama and Me and the Model T
by Faye Gibbons
Morrow 1999 (40p)
When Mr. Long refuses to teach his wife how to drive the new Model T, she finds a way to show him that cars are not just for men.

The Gardener
by Sarah Stewart
Farrar 1997 (32p)
Through her love of gardening, Lydia Grace hopes to cheer up her Uncle Jim.

My Rows and Piles of Coins
by Tololwa Mollel
Houghton 1999 (32p)
If Saruni can save money for a bicycle, he can help his mother take goods to the market.
Multicultural

Jingle Dancer
by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Harper 2000 (32p)
Jenna wants to dance the jingle dance at the next powwow, if she finds enough jingles for her dress.
Multicultural

ON LEVEL

Henry and Ribsy
Beverly Cleary
Avon 1993 (192p)
Henry has to find a way to keep his dog out of trouble.

Seal Island School
by Susan Bartlett
Viking 1999 (80p)
Pru and her classmates plan ways to keep their beloved teacher from leaving their island school.

Cam Jansen and the Barking Treasure Mystery
by David A. Adler
Viking 1999 (64p)
On a boat ride, Cam uses her photographic memory to find a passenger's missing pet.

Beware and Stogie
by Jessie Haas
Greenwillow 1998 (80p)
After a storm scatters the livestock, Lily and her mare Beware must find a way to capture Gramps's favorite horse, Stogie, who will let no one touch him.

Uncle Daney's Way
by Jessie Haas
Beech Tree 1997 (128p)
While Uncle Daney recovers from a logging accident, Cole wonders how they can afford to care for Uncle Daney's horse.

The Paint Brush Kid
by Clyde Robert Bulla
Random 1999 (69p) also paper
In this sequel to The Chalk Box Kid, Gregory and his friends try to save a neighbor's home from demolition by painting murals on it.

Jumping Into Nothing
by Gina Willner-Pardo
Clarion 1999 (58p)
Sophie devises a plan to help her overcome her fear of diving.

Ramona's World
by Beverly Cleary
Morrow 1999 (192p)
In the first new Ramona book in fifteen years, Ramona is in fourth grade and has a new baby sister.

Thank You, Mr. Falker
by Patricia Polacco
Philomel 1998 (48p)
When Trisha has trouble learning to read, her teacher comes to her aid.

Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
by Mildred Pitts Walter
Lothrop 1986 (128p) also paper
His grandfather must make Justin see there is more to being a cowboy than riding and roping.
Multicultural

Boys at Work
by Gary Soto
Delacorte 1995 (134p)
Rudy must find a way to earn money to replace a disc player he borrows and accidentally breaks.
Multicultural

CHALLENGE

Suitcase
by Mildred Pitts Walter
Lothrop 1999 (112p)
Alexander hates basketball, but everyone expects him to play because he is tall.
Multicultural

The Great Bicycle Race Mystery
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Whitman 2000 (128p)
The Boxcar Children must find out who is out to ruin a bicycle race.

Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid
by Walter Dean Myers
Delacorte 1988 (160p)
After T. J. and Moondance are adopted, they help their friend Mop in her efforts to get adopted.
Multicultural