Novel File

Title: Esperanza Rising

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Summary: Esperanza is a young girl who always believed her family
would always live on their family ranch in Mexico. Unfortunately, when
the Great Depression hit Esperanza and her mother had to flee Mexico
to California to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Throughout
this novel, Esperanza faces labor and financial struggles. When
Esperanzas life is threatened, Esperanza will find a way to rise above
the unfortunate circumstances she and her mother face. This story
captures the vivid detail of a young girls trial and tribulation during
her coming of age tale.
Genre: Multicultural Award Winning
Grade Level: 5th-6th
Theme Emersion: Poverty, Perseverance; These two themes occur
throughout the story because Esperanza and her mother face poverty,
but through perseverance they overcome their difficult situations and
obstacles.
Content Connection: This story can be considered historical fiction, so I
believe naturally you can make a content connection to social studies,
specifically the Great Depression. The students could compare/contrast
the information presented in the story to what is stated in their social
studies book(s) about the Great Depression. Students can write about
the similarities and differences and how the author uses actual facts
from that era to capture Esperanzas story.
Personal Review: 4 out of 5 I personally read this story in elementary
school and reading it again was neat to see my thoughts the second
time around. I really like this story and I believe it not only relates to
historical fiction happenings, but also gives readers an inside look into
the difficulties faced by many immigrant farm workers and the poverty

they face. I would highly recommend this book for a classroom library
and I believe it could be included in a discussion about history and/or
poverty. I would definitely include in my future classroom.
Title: Number the Stars
Author: Lois Lowry
Summary: This story captures the dangerous challenges many people
experienced during WWII in Europe. Annemarie, a 10-year-old girl tells
readers about the challenges her family faces and how the Danish
Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark
across the sea of Sweden to safety. Annemaries family conceals
Annemaries best friend Ellen Rosen, as one of their own children.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade Level: 4th-5th
Theme Emersion: Voyage and Transformation; Heroism and Bravery;
through the bravery of the Danish Resistance many Jews are
transferred across the sea of Sweden and to safety because of the take
over of the Nazi party. You see the voyage and transformation in
Annemarie and her coming-of-age experiences through the difficult
challenges she faces.
Content Connection: This book is portrayed during WWII, which I would
connect to a history lesson. The students and I would read this story
along with activities to teach the students about the events leading up
to the war and how many people of all backgrounds were forced to
leave or worse captured by Nazi extremist. We could watch short clips,
look at pictures, and connect the story to the history it tells through
the pages.
Personal Review: 5 out of 5 I read this book in fifth grade and fell in
love with the story it captures. Im a history buff, so having the
connection to history was personally gratifying to me. I would highly
recommend this book for a classroom library and maybe even a novel

study, making connections to WWII through history lessons. I believe

students would love this story and would see the hardships and
challenges many Jews faced while being persecuted during WWII by
Hitler and his regime. I would definitely read this again and again. I
love this book!
Title: The Hobbit
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Summary: In this prelude to the classic The Lord of the Rings, The
Hobbit main character Bilbo Baggins is a happy man, who enjoys the
comforts of his home. One day, a wizard named Gandalf, who brings
along his dwarf friends, approaches Bilbo at his home. They con Bilbo
into coming along an adventure with them to capture treasure from the
dangerous dragon, Smaug the Magnificent. Along the journey, Bilbo
encounters the magic ring and frightening creatures, specifically
Gollum. This novel tells the tale of a humble hero, Bilbo and his journey
with trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves.
Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Grade Level: 6th
Theme Emersion: Bilbos development into a hero is the undeniable
theme throughout this novel. Bilbo at the beginning of The Hobbit is a
shy, timid, and comfortable man in his home. Throughout the story
Bilbo becomes a hero through his actions and bravery. Heroism is the
theme that is overwriting in this novel; a common man, Bilbo into a
hero.
Content Connection: This story is very detailed in its use of description
and images, which I believe it would be beneficial for students to
complete a visualization activity based on the novel. This would
connect to language arts/reading. Students can complete a visual
drawing of a character, creature(s), etc. Once the students have

completed the image, they can write about why they drew what they
did and how it connects to the reading/authors view point.
Personal Review: 3 out of 5 I personally have a hard time relating to
these types of stories because this type of genre is not my favorite. I
believe this book would be great to include in a classroom library and
allow your students to have a variety of books to select from. It
definitely would be geared towards upper elementary students
because of the level of word choice the author uses. Overall, good
book and would be good for students to have as an option to read if
they choose.
Title: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Author: Mark Twain
Summary: Huck Finn and Jim, a slave escaping slavery, raft down the
Mississippi River finding adventure and danger at every turn. This
novel tells the story of friendship between two unlikely friends. Stuck
together by circumstances, Huck and Jims journey down the
Mississippi River and each search for their own version of freedom. This
book paints the picture of the Deep South in the 1800s from the eyes
of two young boys.
Genre: Classic (written before 1950)
Grade Level: 5th-6th
Theme Emersion: The theme of Huckleberry Finn is the conflict
between civilization and natural life. Huck Finn throughout the story is
free spirited and uncivilized in many ways. His desire to escape
civilization is evident throughout the story and he wants to fight for
freedom for himself, but also Jim (in different ways though).
Content Connection: This story is a classic novel that refers back to the
slavery era. This would be a good novel to connect to the time in the
South of slavery and read about living conditions, life, and stories
these people lived through. The teacher can connect the events

mentioned in the story to what others who experienced slavery have

said and students can compare/contrast the situations. This novel
would lend itself to a history lesson.
Personal Review: 5 out of 5 This is of course is a classic tale of
friendship and tribulation. I loved this story and felt it really captured
this time in history. I believe this would be a great book to have in a
classroom library and to even use as a novel study for teaching. I
would highly recommend this book to a student and/or teacher for
using in the future.
Title: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories: The Secret of the Old Clock
Author: Carolyn Keene
Summary: Nancy Drew stumbles upon the mystery of Josiah Crowleys
missing will. Several of Josiahs relatives claim in his will, they are
supposed to claim his possessions and fortune. Nancy Drew searches
for Crowleys missing antique clock, which is said to contain the clue to
wills location. Nancy Drew encounters many obstacles and difficulties
as she investigates the clocks whereabouts. Nancy Drew ultimately
finds the clock, which contains the real will and she discovers the truth.
Genre: Mystery
Grade Level: 5th-6th
Theme Emersion: Helping and problem solving are the two themes that
ring the most true throughout this Nancy Drew novel.
Content Connection: Because this story is a mystery and the readers
make lots of inferences throughout the reading about what is going to
happen next, I believe simply connecting this novel to the reading
strategy of inference would be great. Students can make an inference
about what is going to happen in the story based on the information at
the beginning of the novel. The students after they have read the
novel, can go back and see if their inference was accurate and to what

extent. The students can then write about their inferences and what it
was incorrect.
Personal Review: 3 out of 5 This is a great story for children who enjoy
suspense/mystery stories. This book is one of many in the Nancy Drew
series. I would highly recommend for a classroom library and believe
having the whole Nancy Drew collection would be great for students
who enjoy reading series books. I dont think there is much you can do
based on this book as a whole class, but for individual reading
enjoyment, this is a great book.
Title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Author: Betty Smith
Summary: This story takes place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn 1912. Many
people, especially those consider poor are struggling to survive. The
Trees of Heaven are struggling to survive, which are the lush trees
that grow in places like cement cracks, in rubbish heaps, etc. The main
character Francie and her family struggle to make ends meet. Francies
mother works as a janitor for three tenement buildings, while her
father is a singing waiter, but only works occasionally because of his
drinking and depression problems. Francie and her brother pick
through garbage and search for any scraps they can sell for money to
help their family make ends meet. The allusion in this story is Francie
and comparing her to the tree that grows in her yard. Francie is a
strong girl who reads and imagines often. Francie knows her education
is the most important thing and will help her and her family. Francie
fights for her rise in society and her education throughout this
awesome childrens novel.
Genre: Social Issue (race, prejudice, special needs, etc.)
Grade Level: 6th
Theme Emersion: Class and poverty are the overwriting themes
throughout this novel. Francie and her family face many hardships, but

Francie is determined to overcome her circumstance and values her

education because she knows that is her way to success.
Content Connection: I believe the connection in this story could be to
social studies because of details in social status and the time period
this time was written. The teacher can have the students investigate
the slums and what is considered to be the slums. The students can
compare other cities with slums and how slums are portrayed around
the country. Once the students have done that, the teacher will ask the
students to write about the similarities and differences and share with
the class. This can be pictures, statistics, interviews, etc. This will paint
a full image of what the slums are for the students and what Francie
experienced in the novel.
Personal Review: 4 out of 5 This is such a great story about a young
girl, fighting to be above what she is raised in. She knows the value of
an education and works hard to achieve her goals. I believe this is such
an inspirational book for young readers and would highly recommend
for a classroom library. I believe this would be especially appealing to
young girls and those girls of minority in your classroom. I loved this
story and think it paints an amazing picture of trial and tribulation.
Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
Author: J. K. Rowling
Summary: In the beginning series, Harry Potter is a young boy who is
abandoned by his parents because of their unlikely death. He lives with
his aunt and uncle, until one day he is take to Hogwarts where he
learns of his wizard parents and powers as a wizard. During his time at
Hogwarts he makes friends and enemies alike and discovers hes a
powerful wizard, but someone by the name Lord Voldemort is out to kill
him. Harry must save himself from Voldemort and with the help of his
friends he successfully does. This story unravels into the other series,
which lead to more battles and fights with good vs. evil.

Genre: Series Book (Harry Potter)/ Supernatural

Grade Level: 4th-6th
Theme Emersion: I believe the most evident theme in this story is good
vs. evil. Harry battles with his connections to the evil wizards that runs
through his blood, but fights with good intentions and wants to save
himself and the people he cares about. This theme is a continuation
throughout the Harry Potter series and is something he consistently
battles with.
Content Connection: Throughout the Harry Potter stories, Harry battles
with evil vs. good. I believe this lends itself to content connection in
English language arts. The teacher can pose questions and
comparisons throughout the reading that provoke writing prompt and
synopsizes. I dont think there are any connections outside of ELA
because of the complexity of this novel and the others in the series.
Personal Review: 3 out of 5 Harry Potter is a story series that has
attracted many readers throughout the past several years. I enjoyed
this book, but personally am not a fan of the wizards/witches and
fantasy idea throughout the story series. I would recommend having
this series in a classroom library, but I personally am not drawn to
Harry Potter, like some.
Title: The Tale of Despereaux
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Summary: Despereaux is a mouse living in a castle. He wants so badly
to be a hero and save the Princess living within the castle, but
struggles following the mouse rules because he is different.
Despereauxs family banishes him to the dungeon with rats and other
creatures. Despereaux becomes amazed with knights tales and saving
the Princess when Roscuro, an angry rat with vengeance, captures her.
Despereaux becomes the brave knight he wanted to become and
saves Princess Pea after she is kidnapped.

Genre: Fantasy/Fairytale
Grade Level: 3rd-5th
Theme Emersion: Light and dark; The connections made in the story
center around the concept of good and evil being represented by light
and dark. The dungeon represents the dark, which is evil and scary,
whereas the Princess and the castle upstairs represent light and good.
Content Connection: One unique connection the students and teacher
can make in The Tale of Despereaux is the connection to science. The
students can find out what the scientific similarities and differences
there are between mice and rats using a Venn diagram. In the story,
the author describes the behavior and differences in mice and rats, so
students can research those statements and validate their validity.
Personal Review: 4 out of 5 This is a great twist on a classical fairytale
story about a mouse and his heroic dreams. I would recommend for a
novel study because of the connections and extensions a teacher could
pull from it. Great read for students of all backgrounds and I believe
students would love!
Title: Hoot
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Summary: Roy is a young boy who moves to Coconut Cove, Florida.
While there, Roy decides to help save owls by stopping the planned
construction on the land where the owls live. Roy accomplishes this
goal and makes friends along the journey to save the owls. Roy
exposes the companies dishonestly and harshness towards the
environment. Roy grows as a adolescent during this time and matures
into a young man.
Genre: Comedy/Humor/Mystery/Suspense
Grade Level: 5th-6th
Theme Emersion: I believe the theme of maturation is the most
prevalent for the story Hoot. Roy has growing up to do throughout the

story, which shows his growth as an individual and how he adapts to

new situations, like most adults do. You see that Roy takes on maturity,
which leads to responsibility. I believe this is a coming of age of sort.
Content Connection: Throughout this story there is the reoccurring
connection to the environment. Roy is trying to save the habit the owls
live in because of new construction on the land. I think this would be
the perfect opportunity for students to look at the typical environments
animals live in and how the survive in those environments and
compare/contrast to what the author has written in the story. I believe
this would give students the opportunity to see what is and isnt
accurate and make interpretations about the reading and its accuracy
to real scientific environments that owls can live in.
Personal Review: 3 out of 5 This is great read for students invested in
making an impact in their societies and communities. I think middle
school boys and girls would find this to be a good read and enjoy the
character, Roy in the story. I would highly recommend having this novel
in a classroom library and offering it to students interested in it! Great
read.
Title: Pippi Longstocking
Author: Astrid Lindgren
Summary: Pippi Longstocking is a young girl whose father is lost-at-sea
and supposedly dead and mother died when she was just a baby. Pippi
at nine years old moves into her fathers house with her pets and
friends Mrs. Nilsson, a monkey and a horse. Throughout the story, Pippi
is a free-spirited young girl, with no directions from parents. She
encounters friends, her neighbors Tommy and Annika, who are much
different then she is. Throughout the story, Pippi encounters mishaps
and people that want to put her in a foster home, but the story ends
with her celebrating her tenth birthday and she is happy and free!
Genre: Humor/Childrens Fiction

Grade Level: 3rd

Theme Emersion: Throughout the Pippi Longstocking story there are
recurring themes that are evident, but I think the most recurring theme
is friendship and family. Pippi lives an alternate lifestyle then that of
her neighbors Tommy and Annika, but this unlikely group of kids
becomes friends. I believe the theme of family emerges through her
family being her animal friends and Tommy and Annika.
Content Connection: I believe this would be the perfect story to focus
on the author and maybe even do an author study because Astrid
Lindgren is a Swedish writer, which lends itself to much discussion. I
believe the students and teacher could focus on the cultural aspects of
Sweden and how that might have been incorporated throughout the
story. Having the students become investigators and searching for
clues about the author and her homeland throughout the story of
Pippin Longstocking.
Personal Review: 3 out of 5 This is a great light-hearted story to read
for fun about a young girl and her mischief in her home. I think
students would enjoy this story and would enjoy the silliness of Pippi
Longstocking. I would say that there isnt much to the story other than
a light read for students, but would definitely offer it to them in the
classroom library as an option for reading.
Title: Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Summary: Brain is a thirteen-year-old boy from New York City and his
parents are recently divorced. He gets on a plane to go visit his dad for
the summer and the pilot suffers from a heart attack while flying the
plane. Brain is the only passenger aboard this small plane, which
crashes in a lake. Brain uses his hatcher his mother had given him
before he left NYC to release himself from the planes restrains in the
lake. Brain uses this hatchet to protect him while he is in the lake and

ponders on memories of his mothers infidelity and the memories of his

family. Eventually, Brain finds a transmitter within the plane and
switches it on and off, which signals a plane to save him. Because of
these events, Brain is changed when he returns to the city with his
mother.
Genre: Survivalist/Young-Adult
Grade Level: 5th-6th
Theme Emersion: Hope throughout this challenging story seems to be
what keeps Brain going. I would say that tends to be the ongoing
theme throughout this novel. Brain has hope for himself, his parents
relationship, and his survival in the woods.
Content Connection: I believe the connection to the outdoors in this
story could connect the learning to science and the study of survival in
the woods. I think it would be really neat to investigate Brains survival
skills and research how people can survive in the woods with littler
materials and what those people can use from their surrounding nature
to survive. I think this would increase the value of the story and Brains
struggle to be more realistic for the students.
Personal Review: 5 out of 5 I love this story and can remember reading
it in the 6th grade. I believe this would be especially interesting to boys,
but the material can lend itself to upper elementary/early middle
school aged students. There are parts of the story that maybe too
complex for young elementary students, so I would recommend
offering this novel to older students. I highly recommend this novel; it
is a great story that is also a 1987 Newbery Honor winning young-adult
story.
Title: Bridge to Terabithia
Author: Katherine Paterson
Summary: When Jesse becomes friends with Leslie, they create an
imaginary world called Terabithia. This land is magical with creatures

and imaginative beings. Both Jesse and Leslie, struggle with difficulties
at home, which lead them to Terabithia to escape their home lives.
They rule as king and queen in Terabithia. Eventually, Leslie is lead to
Terabithia and dies in her kingdom. Jesses sister falls in the creek and
he saves his sister, which leads him to believe he gained Leslies
courage and builds a bridge across the creek in Terabithia.
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Grade Level: 4th-6th
Theme Emersion: Throughout the story, friendship is the ongoing
theme, which is the most important kind of relationship because of the
characters family situations.
Content Connection: I believe you could connect the vocabulary in the
story to writing and active reading strategies. There are words (ex. grit,
muddled, siege, etc.) that could be new for readers. So, using this new
vocabulary to connect other reading material would be great.
Personal Review: 4 out of 5 This is a great story about the friendship
between two unlikely friends. I love this story and can remember
reading it as a student in elementary school. I definitely think this story
lends itself to fantasy readers, which some students love. I would
recommend for a student/classroom.
Title: Charlottes Web
Author: E. B. White
Summary: Wilbur, a young farm pig tries to avoid the typical fate of
most pigs on a farm, death. Wilbur befriends a spider, Charlotte, who
comes up with a plan to keep Wilbur from the slaughterhouse. Their
friendship flourishes and both Charlotte and Wilbur lived, until
Charlotte dies at the fairgrounds, but Wilbur will have many spider
friends, so he will never be lonely again.
Genre: Coming of Age/Quest
Grade Level: 3rd-4th

Theme Emersion: The central theme for Charlottes Web is friendship.

Wilbur finds love through his friendships of Fern and Charlotte, which
lead to Wilbur being able to go on living.
Content Connection: ELA would probably be the best fit for connecting
the literature to learning objectives in a classroom. For declarative
knowledge students could identify the characteristics of spiders,
Wilbur, etc. Also, identify fictional and non-fictional aspects of the
novel.
Personal Review: 5 out of 5 This is a classic childrens novel, that
generations of students have encountered in their elementary
schooling years. I would highly recommend because it lends itself to
lots of content connections and learning moments for students. Great
story of friendship and love!
Title: Where the Red Fern Grows
Author: Wilson Rawls
Summary: This is the story about a boy named Billy who has two dogs,
Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy and his dogs would go hunting together
and shared a undeniable connection, until hunting one night Billy and
his dogs are attacked by a mountain lion. The dogs save Billys life and
they are wounded in the process. Eventually, Old Dan dies and Little
Ann follows because of a broken heart. Billy visits the grade and
discovers a sacred read fern growing between their buried bodies and
feels at peace about the loss of his best buds.
Genre: Fiction/Coming of Age/Adventure
Grade Level: 4th-6th (especially boys)
Theme Emersion: I believe the theme emersion is Billy finding love in
his two dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, but also maturity in peace in their
death and growth as an individual. I believe that is why this could be
characterized as a coming of age novel for students.

Content Connection: You can connect this story to History because of

the connection to the Great Depression in the United States. Billys
family the Rawls, were poor like many others in the Ozark community.
The New York stock market crashed and this could lead a history lesson
about the Great Depression and its importance in American history.
Personal Review: 5 out of 5 This is a classic story about a boys love for
his dogs. I personally read this story as an elementary student and can
vividly remember the story because I fell in love with the story. I think
boys especially would relate and enjoy this story and would highly
recommend the book for a elementary classroom library and read
aloud.
Title: Beezus and Ramona
Author: Beverly Cleary
Summary: Beezus Quimby thinks her little sister Ramona is a constant
pain. Ramona always finds ways to irritate Beezus and embarrass her.
This novel is a culmination of mishaps that Ramona makes while
Beezus is trying to help Ramona grow her imagination, watch her, and
be the best big sister she can be.
Genre: Humor/Fiction
Grade Level: 4th-6th grade (based on readability, not content)
Theme Emersion: Friendship and sisterly (sibling) love is a theme that
could be explored with this book. The main characters, Beezus and
Ramona struggle to get along, but understand at the end of the story
that they love each other and celebrate their differences.
Content Connection: ELA and writing would be the only areas I
personally see fit for connecting content. You could easily teach an ELA
strategy (Frayer model, KWL, t-chart, etc.) or writing technique
(begging, middle, and end) through this story. This book could be used
to support one or both of these content areas.

Personal Review: 4 out of 5 This is a great story for young elementary

school readers wanting a light, humorous read. I thought this was a
great book and really relatable for students who have siblings. This is a
classic story that generations of students, teachers, and parents have
read. This would be a great novel to keep in a classroom library.