READING
"Reading
gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."
-Mason Cooley
"Outside
of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark
to read."
-Groucho Marx
"A book
is like a garden carried in the pocket."
Chinese Proverb
"Reading
is to the mind what exercise is to the body."
-Richard Steele
"There
is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away..."
-Emily Dickinson
LITERATURE GENRES
The following list defines each of the genres included in Recommended Literature: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve as stated by the California Department of Education. Students have a copy of this list in their binders as well.
ALL
FICTION
Drama
Stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance,
where conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action.
Fable
Narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals
speak as humans; legendary, supernatural tale.
Fairy Tale
Story about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children.
Fantasy
Fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction
which invites suspension of reality.
Fiction
Narrative literary works whose content is produced by the imagination
and is not necessarily based on fact.
Fiction in Verse
Full-length novels with plot, subplot(s), theme(s), major and minor
characters, in which the narrative is presented in (usually blank) verse
form.
Folklore
The songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk"
as handed down by word of mouth.
Historical Fiction
Story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting.
Horror
Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters
and the reader.
Humor
Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain; but
can be contained in all genres.
Legend
Story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, which has a basis in fact
but also includes imaginative material.
Mystery
Fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets.
Mythology
Legend or traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events,
that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism;
often pertaining to the actions of the gods.
Poetry
Verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses.
Realistic Fiction
Story that can actually happen and is true to life.
Science Fiction
Story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually
set in the future or on other planets.
Short Story
Fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots.
Tall Tale
Humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do
the impossible with nonchalance.
ALL NONFICTION
Biography/Autobiography
Narrative of a person's life, a true story about a real person.
Essay
A short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point.
Narrative Nonfiction
Factual information presented in a format which tells a story.
Nonfiction
Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject.
Speech
Public address or discourse.
4TH GRADE RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Here are some of my personal favorites( *=I will read aloud):
Judy Blume
Tales
of a Fourth Grade Nothing *
Superfudge
Fudge-a-mania
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
Double Fudge
Freckle Juice
Blubber
Beverly Cleary
Henry
Huggins
Ellen Tebbits
Henry and Beezus
Otis Spofford
Henry and Ribsy
Beezus and Ramona
Henry and the Paper Route
The Luckiest Girl
Emily's Runaway Imagination
Two Dog Biscuits
Henry and the Clubhous
Sister of the Bride
Ribsy
The Mouse and the Motorcycle*
Mitch and Amy
Ramona the Pest
Runaway Ralph
Socks
Ramona the Brave
Ramona and Her Father
Ramona and Her Mother
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Ralph S. Mouse
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Ramona Forever
George Selden
The
Cricket in Times Square*
Chester Cricket's New Home (Yearling Book)
Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride (Chester Cricket and His Friends)
Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse
Harry Cat's Pet Puppy
Tucker's Countryside
E.B. White
Charlotte's
Web
Stuart Little
The Trumpet of the Swan*
Roald Dahl
James
and the Giant Peach
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Danny the Champion of the World
The Twits
The BFG
The Witches
Matilda
The Minpins*
Madeline D'Engle
Wrinkle
in Time
A Wind in the Door
Many Waters
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia series-THE MOVIE IS COMING OUT SOON-HURRY AND READ!!!
L. Frank Baum- Did you know there is an entire 15 book series?!
The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz
The Patchwork Girl Of Oz
Little Wizard Stories of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Scarecrow Of Oz
Rinkitink In Oz
The Lost Princess Of Oz
The Tin Woodman Of Oz
The Magic of Oz
Glinda Of Oz
Mildred D. Taylor
Roll
of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Let the Circle Be Unbroken
Ellen Raskin
The Westing Game
E.L. Konigsburg
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Shiloh
The Hundred Dresses
TEACHER READ ALOUD BOOKS
I place great time and thought in all the books I read. As a literature aficionado, I want my maintain the delicate balance of reading classical literature, selecting books that some students may not know, and finding authors who are prolific enough that if a student likes the book, there are more literature delicacies to devour! My other goals are to tie into the Houghton Mifflin stories and lastly provide a rich variety of genres so children are exposed to an array of writing styles. Thus, here is a compilation of the selected books:
BOOK PROJECTS AND DIRECTIONS
In class, you will be reading books and will have to fill out a comprehension review page to show your understanding of the literature. Use the literature genre page given to you to help write down the correct genre.
Periodically, you will also have book projects to complete. I will provide you with a genre and assignment, and you will have one month to read the book and complete the assignment.
"The
more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
the more places you'll go."
-Dr. Seuss
