A great supplement to Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Honor book about a mangy dog, a lonely girl, and the power of kindness and understanding. Activities include expository writing, comparison and contrast, researching topics, and completing a character study. End-of-book tests included with answer key. Perfect for self-guided study. Grades: 4-7
Study Guide: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-Because-of-Winn-Dixie-by-Kate-DiCamillo-11472615
Encourage beginning readers with these books that celebrate the joys of gardening and the beauty that comes from growing different kinds of gardens. These 20 early readers will help cultivate a love of reading while promoting the excitement that comes with watching something grow.
Grades: K-3
A great ELA supplement to Jerry Spinell’s classic book of fighting racism, fitting in, and finding family. Activities include working with similes and personification, comparison and contrast using a Venn Diagram, creating a character study, and conducting research. End-of-book tests included with answer key. Perfect for self-guided study. Grades: 4-7
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-Maniac-Magee-by-Jerry-Spinelli-11348884
SAVE on study guides from these Newbery award-winning books! On My Honor is a coming-of-age book about loss and forgiving yourself. Sarah, Plain and Tall is set in the late 1800s and centers on home and family. Switch gears and travel to one of the Central Tuamotu atolls with Call It Courage, a story of survival and courage. Guides include vocabulary, content questions, topic discussions, activities, creative exercises, grammar and writing exercises, and tests. Answer key included! $4.50 in savings with this bundle deal!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Newbery-Study-Guide-Bundle-1-11300285
This FREE study guide supplements Sharon Bell Mathis’s multi-generational story about family and compassion. Activities include vocabulary, content questions, and topic research. Perfect for self-guided study. Answer key included. Grades: 1-4
A great ELA supplement to Armstrong Sperry’s classic book of courage and survival. Activities include creative writing, identifying conflict, practicing similes, building tension in a story, and researching topics. End-of-book tests included with answer key. Perfect for self-guided study. Grades: 3-7
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-Call-It-Courage-by-Armstrong-Sperry-11280731
April is National Autism Acceptance Month. Promote acceptance and understanding of individuals with autism with your young learner with these books featuring neurodivergent characters. Different doesn’t mean less and these stories will inspire and educate about the importance of inclusion. Download your FREE copy today!
A great ELA supplement to Beverly Cleary’s classic book. Packed with vocabulary, content questions, and discussion topics along with worksheets to practice inferences, personification, and creative writing. Perfect for self-guided study.
Grades: 3-7
A great ELA supplement to Patricia MacLachlan’s Newbery Medal book. Includes vocabulary, content questions, discussion topics, and students will learn number patterns, showing contrast, and symbolism.
Smashie McPerter and the Mystery of Room 11
N. Griffin (J Mystery)
The third-grade class in Room 11 at Rebecca Lee Crumpler Elementary School was NOT having a good day. Between a vain, mean substitute teacher, a missing class hamster, and a nasty, sticky prank it was enough to make Principal Armstrong SIMPLY ILL. I mean, ILL IN BED WITH AN IV DRIP kind of ill! No. This was NOT how the students of Room 11 behaved. On top of that, when Smashie’s public dislike for Patches the hamster makes her the prime suspect in his disappearance (just because she thinks hamsters are just mice with chicken feet), it’s up to her and her best friend Dontel to solve the case or else Room 11 may never be the same again.
This is a great book that not only teaches critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills, it also illustrates the importance of giving someone the benefit of the doubt, how it’s possible to do something wrong but for the right reason, and how difficult it is to earn trust while it’s very easy to lose it. Lots of wonderful lessons with two central characters who balance each other nicely. While Smashie is reactive, impulsive, and emotional, Dontel is logical, thoughtful, and realistic. And while it causes some angst on Smashie’s part when Dontel doesn’t agree with her, he proves to her that disagreeing doesn’t mean disloyalty because it takes a real friend to point out your mistakes and a better friend to admit when it’s true.
Griffin gives readers a cute and age-appropriate story that really picks up steam near the end. The only problem I had was with a few of the references: …frog-marching the hapless Mr. Carper downtown, …Smashie beat a loud tattoo on its door, …he schooled his features, and (this one is a doozy) I was throwing the poor thing a bone said by a male teacher to a female teacher in an attempt to excuse his failed flattery attempts. Not to mention Dontel telling Smashie to slap my hand with your hand rather than just saying, “High five!” or “Gimme five!” and I was wondering if these references would be lost on Griffin’s audience. Still, this is a fun and entertaining read that shows if you’re strong and stand up for what you know is right, everything will work out in the end…even if you still think hamsters are just mice with chicken feet.
Rating: 4/5
* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com
We’re now posting videos of some of our book reviews! Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thedustyjacket or on Instagram @tdjreviews and join in on the fun!
The Dusty Jacket 