EPGY
READING AND WRITING ABOUT
LITERATURE
Parent Guide
v. 05.01.07
 2006 EPGY, All Rights Reserved.
Stanford University
EPGY Ventura Hall
Stanford, CA 94305-4101
Phone 800-372-EPGY
TA B L E O F C ON T EN T S
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................................................2
GETTING STARTED ........................................................................................................................................................3
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.................................................................................................................................................3
CERTIFYING YOUR SYSTEM .............................................................................................................................................3
ACCESSING THE COURSE ................................................................................................................................................3
COURSE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE.....................................................................................................................8
COURSE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE ....................................................................................................8
PROGRESS THROUGH THE COURSE.....................................................................................................................12
INDIVIDUALIZATION ......................................................................................................................................................12
SESSION LENGTH...........................................................................................................................................................12
NUMBER OF SESSIONS PER W EEK ................................................................................................................................13
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE ....................................................................................................................................14
A TYPICAL SESSION ......................................................................................................................................................14
COMMUNICATION WITH EPGY ..............................................................................................................................21
COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR TUTOR .........................................................................................................................21
TUTOR ASSIGNMENT ..................................................................................................................................................21
EMAIL ..........................................................................................................................................................................21
VIRTUAL CLASSROOM ................................................................................................................................................21
TROUBLESHOOTING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT ..........................................................................................23
APPENDIX A: SELECTED REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................26
APPENDIX B: RECOMMENDED READING LEVELS OF BOOKS ...................................................................27
APPENDIX C: ALPHABETICAL LIST OF BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND ISBN NUMBERS .............................31
APPENDIX D: LITERATURE ASPECTS AND WRITING ACTIVITIES ...........................................................35
APPENDIX E: SKILL OBJECTIVES ..........................................................................................................................40
EPGY – Reading and Writing about Literature
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1
Chapter
Introduction
Welcome to EPGY’s Reading and Writing about Literature course!
E
PGY’s Reading and Writing about Literature (RWL) is a webbased course that helps enrich students’ reading experiences
through their interaction with books and technology. This
release includes 150 books that were selected from
recommended literature lists available through professional organizations
and individual state departments of education. As students read books and
answer questions about the books, they increase their comprehension,
fluency, and vocabulary skills, as well as develop stronger critical thinking
skills. For selected titles, students will also engage in interactive writing
activities related to the book. In general, the recommended reading levels for
the books span from grade three through eight, with the majority of
selections appropriate for students reading on levels grades three through
six. Although there are books included that are on a readability level below
grade three, The Reading and Writing about Literature course is intended for
students who are reading on at least the third grade level.
EPGY course authors reviewed reading curriculum frameworks and
standards, recommended literature lists, and standardized achievement tests
prior to developing the course. The purpose of this background research was
to ensure that the selection of widely recommended literature titles for the
program and the development of exercises and activities addressed reading
comprehension skills typically covered in reading curriculum state standards
for grades three through eight.
The information included in the chapters and appendices of this manual have
been designed to help you and the student get the most out of the course.
Please review the material carefully before you begin using the course.
Chapter 2 describes the system requirements and directions for getting
started in the course. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the content and structure of
the course, as well as how a student makes progress. Chapter 5 describes the
student experience and various types of exercises. Chapter 6 describes how to
communicate with your tutor about the course content and the reports.
Chapter 7 provides information regarding technical questions or problems.
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2
Chapter
Getting Started
R
eview this chapter before your child starts using the course. You
will learn what the system requirements are and how to access
the course.
System Requirements
The minimum system requirements to run the Reading and Writing about
Literature program are:
Windows
• Windows 98SE, 2000, NT, or XP multimedia system
• Internet Explorer 6.0+ or Mozilla 1.7+
• Flash MX Player
• Java 1.4.2 or better
Macintosh
• Mac OSX or better
• Safari
• Flash MX Player
• Java 1.4.2 or better
Linux
• Mozilla 2.0
• Flash MX Player
• Java 1.4.2 or better
Certifying your System
To test if your system is configured to run the course, please to go to:
http://epgycourses.stanford.edu/certify
This page provides instructions on the software plug-ins required and steps to
install them. Also note that your browser preferences must be set to allow popup windows because the course and lectures within it come up in separate
windows.
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Accessing the Course
To access Reading and Writing about Literature, students login to their EPGY
student page on the EPGY website. This is done by entering your student
number and password as shown in Figure 1.
Enter your
student number
and password
here.
Figure 1. EPGY log in page.
When the student page comes up, select the RWL1 course link from the Course
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Pages menu at the left of the page. This will take you to the RWL1 student page
as shown in below in Figure 2.
RWL1 course
link
Figure 2. An EPGY student page.
From the RWL student page, you will be able to view and download the Parent
Guide and access the course as shown below in Figure 3. To access the course,
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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click on the link labeled “Your RWL1 course page” and follow the directions
that appear on the screen.
Access the Parent
Guide by clicking
this link.
Launch the
course page by
clicking on this
link..
Click this link to install
Centra Symposium to
attend virtual classes.
Figure 3. The Reading and Writing about Literature student page.
After the student logs into the course, a Books to Choose From page will appear
on the screen, as shown below in Figure 4. Books may be researched and
purchased by clicking on the appropriate link. Information about whether or not
the student has taken the exercises for a specific book is also included on this
screen. Indicators about the status of a particular book include a gold star, silver
star, bronze star, or CURRENT. When the student has completed reading a
specific book, the student can select the exercises for that book or continue with a
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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CURRENT book. The program will then launch the exercises for that book and
any related writing activities that may exist for that book.
Figure 4. Books to choose from page.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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3
Chapter
Course Content and Structure
T
he content of Reading and Writing about Literature (RWL)
consists of a bank of exercises developed for 125 books. In
addition to the questions associated with many of the books,
writing exercises are included to encourage further reflection and provide
practice in writing skills.
Course Content
The books included in the course were carefully selected in order to provide
students with systematically designed sets of exercises that assess, model,
and promote understanding of widely read literature.
The Goals of the Program
EPGY’s Reading and Writing about Literature course is designed to enrich
students’ reading and writing experiences through their interaction with books
and technology. The program is primarily intended for gifted students reading
at a third grade level, but not yet at the eighth grade level.
Program Based on Research
The EPGY course developers conducted extensive research prior to the
development of EPGY’s Reading and Writing about Literature. See Appendix A
for a list of selected references used in conjunction state curriculum frameworks,
textbooks, and standardized tests used in elementary and middle school
programs.
Selection of Literature
The books selected for the program are based on recommended literature lists
from the states of California, New York, and Texas, as well as the National
Council of Teachers of English. The recommended reading grade levels for the
books range from upper grade one through grade nine with the majority
appropriate for students in reading in grade levels three through five. Table 1
shows the distribution of books by recommended grade level. Note that many
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
8
books target more than one grade, and are identified as such. For more detailed
information about the recommended grade levels of books used in the program,
see Appendix B.
Table 1
Distribution of Books by Recommended Grade Level
RECOMMENDED GRADE
NUMBER OF BOOKS
Grade 1
Grades 1 and 2
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grades 3 and 4
Grade 4
Grades 4 and 5
Grades 5 and 6
Grades 6 and 7
Grades 6, 7 and 8
Grades 7, 8 and 9
Grades 7 thru 12
Grades 8 thru 12
TOTAL
1
4
9
20
15
23
35
20
8
9
2
2
2
150
Matching Students with Books
Students may either select books to read from the list or ask a parent or course
tutor to help them with their selections. Information about a student’s
performance on standardized tests and reading comprehension assessments
may be used as a tool for selecting books. The recommended grade level(s) for
each book serve as a general guide to help determine the suitability of an
individual book for a particular student. After determining which books a
student will read, they can be found in the alphabetical listing of books included
in Appendix C. This appendix also includes the author’s name and ISBN
number, which can be used for ordering a book through an online distributor, or
at a neighborhood bookstore or library.
Literature Aspects and Writing
The books selected for the program include authentic literature representing a
variety of genres and cultures from throughout the world. The books have close
connections to content areas included in a typical school curriculum. Writing
activities have also been included to provide students with additional
opportunities for further enrichment. For detailed information about the genre,
content area, cultural appreciation, and inclusion of writing exercises for each
book, see Appendix D.
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Structure of the Course
Students are expected to read a book cover to cover before taking exercises over
the material. There is one set of exercises available for each book. For many
books, there are supplementary writing exercises. This interactive feature
allows students to practice their writing skills and further enhance their
understanding and appreciation of a particular book.
Exercises about the Book
The number of questions associated with a book can range from as few as 15
exercises to as many as 50, however, most sets contain approximately 25
exercises. Every exercise presented is associated with a specific skill objective.
The skill objectives covered in this course are similar to those included in many
states’ curriculum frameworks and in most reading and language arts programs
at the elementary and middle school levels. See Appendix E for a list of skill
objectives used in the course.
Students engage in a variety of exercises while taking the course. This keeps
students motivated as they discover how much they remember about what they
have read in a book. Students are usually allowed two tries to locate the correct
answer and feedback is provided throughout each exercise. Additional
information about the variety of exercise types used in the course is presented in
chapter 5.
Writing Exercises
Many books contain a set of writing exercises. The first exercise in the series
also includes an audio lecture. The composition exercises were developed in
order to provide students with guided sentence writing practice by using the
parts of speech from word lists to answer questions about a particular book.
Students compose a sentence from a set of given words, in response to a
comprehension question about a book. This environment evaluates the
grammatical correctness of the sentences the student writes. After a student
constructs a response to a sentence composition exercise, the system evaluates
its grammatical correctness. Information about whether or not a book includes a
set of writing exercises is included in the final column in Appendix D. Further
discussion of the writing exercises may be found in Chapter 5.
Evaluation of the Exercises
When a student finishes the exercises on a book, the program evaluates each of
the student’s responses. Based on the data collected on a student for a specific
book, it is determined how well the student performed. Rather than display a
numeric score for a quiz, the student is given a more meaningful message based
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
10
on his or her performance. Examples of messages based on passing a particular
book are as follows:
•
A Low Pass is assigned for a student who passed the book, but
did not perform very well on the exercises.
Typical Message: “We think it would be better to pick something
easer to read for your next choice.”
•
A Medium Pass is assigned for a student who passed the book
within a middle range of correctness on responses to the exercises
in the quiz.
Typical Message: “You did well on this book. We recommend
you select something at about the same level for your next book.”
•
A High Pass is assigned for a student who passed the book
within a high range of correctness on responses to the exercises in
the quiz.
Typical Message: “You did very well on this book. We
recommend that you select something more difficult for your
next book.”
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4
Chapter
Progress through the Course
S
tudent progress through Reading and Writing about Literature is
individualized, based on the specific books a student selects to read.
Individualization
The course is tailored to meet the needs of individual students by offering a
variety of books with readability levels generally ranging from grades three
through eight, and representing diverse themes, cultures, and genres. Students
make progress in the course while engaging themselves in reading authentic
literature and being tested about their understanding and appreciation of what
they have gained from reading selected books. They will also make progress in
their writing skills by spending time in the interactive writing environment that
has been included for many books. Based on how well a student performs on
exercises for a particular book, a personal message will be displayed to help
guide the student’s choice for the next book.
PARENTS!
Make sure your
child works
independently.
Students may be tempted to ask for the help of others. While it is fine for parents
to review the work with students after they have completed the exercises, it is
counter-productive for parents to work on exercises with the student. Student
learning will be greatest if students are allowed to make their own mistakes.
Many students find it is helpful to take notes such as jotting down exercise
numbers of problems they have questions about to send it to their tutors. The
exercise identification numbers are in the upper left hand corner of the course
window. You might want to keep pencil and paper within easy reach.
Session Length
Sessions typically last between 20 and 30 minutes. Your child can end a session
early by clicking “End Session” at the bottom of an exercise screen. The program
will bookmark where the session ended. Depending on how many exercises and
writing activities are associated with a particular book, a few sessions may be
required for completion.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Number of Sessions per Week
The number of sessions a student takes in a week will depend entirely on how
much he or she is reading. The length of books varies dramatically and the
student may find that some books are easier to read than others. The number of
sessions a student takes each week may be adjusted up or down, depending on
how well your student is doing in the course.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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5
Chapter
The Student Experience
After registering for Reading and Writing about Literature, review this chapter
with your child. This chapter describes what a student does during a typical
session and the various question types used in the exercises and in the writing
activities.
A Typical Session
After logging into the course, the student will select the book that has been
completely read from cover to cover. After the first session of the course,
subsequent sessions will pick up where the last session ended. When the
student finishes the exercises and any related writing exercises (if they exist),
the book may be considered finished. The student will then select another
book to read, based on his or her performance.
The exercises use a variety of interactions, which help to keep students
motivated. Even within the multiple-choice type exercises, the number of
answer choices on the screen will vary. The types of interaction that a student
can expect to see in a quiz include the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Multiple Choice – Single Answer
Multiple Choice – Multiple Answers
Fill in the Blank
Order Events in a Series
Place Events Chronologically on a Timeline
Use a Venn Diagram for Categorization
Matching
Identify True or False Statements
A student is usually allowed two tries to answer an exercise, except in certain
circumstances, including exercises that use a True/False format. A correct
response on the first try leads the student to the next exercise about the book.
If a student has a second try, upon completion of the exercise, the student will
go on to the next exercise, regardless of whether the response is correct or not.
Figure 5 below shows a multiple-choice exercise that has one answer correct.
The student clicks on the correct answer and then clicks ok to have it evaluated.
Correct and incorrect answer feedback is provided to the student.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Figure 5. Sample screen of a multiple-choice, single correct exercise.
Figure 6 shows a multiple-choice exercise that has more than one answer
correct. The student clicks on the correct answers and then clicks ok to have
them evaluated. Correct and incorrect answer feedback is provided to the
student.
Figure 6. Sample screen of a multiple-choice, multiple correct exercise.
Figure 7 shows a fill-in-the-blank exercise. The student drags the correct choice
to fill in the blue area of the sentence and then clicks ok to have it evaluated.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Figure 7. Sample screen of a fill-in-the-blank exercise.
Figure 8 shows a matching exercise. The student connects each pair of choices
that go together and then clicks ok to have it evaluated.
Figure 8. Sample screen of a matching exercise.
Figure 9 shows an events’ order type exercise. The student drags the first event
to Event 1 and then clicks ok to have it evaluated. Based on feedback, the
student drags subsequent events to the correct locations.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Figure 9. Sample screen of events order exercise.
Figure 10 below shows a timeline exercise. The student drags the first event to
the beginning of the timeline and clicks ok to have it evaluated. Based on
feedback, the student drags subsequent events to the correct locations on the
timeline.
Figure 10. Sample screen of timeline exercise.
Figure 11 shows a Venn diagram exercise. The student drags the highlighted
choice to the correct area of the diagram and clicks on ok to have it evaluated.
Based on feedback, the student drags subsequent choices to their correct
locations on the diagram.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Figure 11. Sample screen of Venn diagram exercise.
Writing Exercises
Using the program’s interactive writing environment, students have
opportunities to practice their writing skills by answering questions about a
particular book. Students use the parts of speech from word lists to compose
sentences. The program evaluates a student’s writing based on grammatical
correctness and provides meaningful feedback about the quality of the writing
and hints for improvement. Books that include the interactive writing feature
present a set of three exercises, which require the student to write responses to
question prompts about important aspects related the story.
Figures 12 through 14 show an example of a writing exercise that uses the
writing environment. Students drag words from the list to form a complete
sentence that responds to the question prompt. Then the student clicks on ok to
have the sentence judged for grammatical correctness by the program. Correct
and incorrect feedback is provided to the student to further enhance the writing
experience.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Figure 12. Writing prompt in sample exercise.
Figure 13. Using words from word lists.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Figure 14. Evaluation of student’s writing.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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6
Chapter
Communication with EPGY and Reports
This chapter explains how you can contact your tutor when you have questions
about the course and reports.
Communicating with Your Tutor
You will communicate with your tutor primarily via email and through an
environment called the virtual classroom. Both modes of communication are
described below.
Tutor Assignment
Information about your tutor may be found on the web pages for this course.
Email
When you email a question or comment about the course content to your tutor,
please include the course acronym RWL in the subject line. If you have a
question about lecture content, please include the title of the lecture in your
email along with a description of the problem. If you have a question about an
exercise, please include the exercise identification number shown in the upper
right hand corner of the screen along with the description of your question.
Virtual Classroom
EPGY uses Centra Symposium software for virtual classes. This software allows
live discussion with real-time voice and graphics. The virtual classroom is an
optional part of the EPGY program and each tutor manages his or her class
differently. Tutors may give formal lectures, discuss challenging sections of the
course, introduce extra curricular grammar lessons or play games. Instructions
are available from the course page.
Most of the EPGY courses have weekly sessions in the EPGY Virtual Classroom.
In the virtual classroom, Students connect via the internet, using voice and
shared whiteboard conferencing software to create a real-time interactive
version of the EPGY lecture environment. The virtual classroom gives students
an electronic forum in which they can interact with their tutor and other
students. Students who want to work more intensively with an instructor, oneon-one, or in a small group, are encouraged to attend virtual classroom sessions.
To install Centra Symposium go to your RWL student page and click the link.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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7
Chapter
Troubleshooting and Technical Support
Before contacting EPGY technical support, review the system requirements
listed in Chapter 1 to verify that your computer system meets them. You should
also certify your computer system to test if your system is configured to run the
course. To do this, go to:
http://epgycourses.stanford.edu/certify
Technical support for this course is provided on the web pages for this
course.
1) A description of your computer system (i.e. operating system,
computer hardware maker, and internet browser)
2) A description of the conditions that caused the problem so that we
can attempt to replicate it.
3) The exercise identification number at the upper left-hand corner of
the screen if the problem occurred during the exercise.
4) If you experience a technical problem with a lecture, please include
the title of the lecture in your email along with a description of the
problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question:
I have tried running the course from the EPGY website and get as far as the
opening screen of the course. It shows a light bulb pulsing. In red, there is a
message that says "Computing next activity". Nothing else happens. Why won’t
the course start?
Answer:
You may have a pop-up blocking program installed on your computer that is
preventing the course from operating as it should. If you do, please turn it off.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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To check whether you do, one of the procedures listed below should help solve
the problem.
1. Are you using either Internet Explorer or Mozilla’s Firefox browser? If
not, then please download either of those browsers from Microsoft or
Mozilla.
2. Check to see if pop-ups are disabled by searching for and using an
available online “pop-up tester” or visiting a website that you know has
pop-up windows. As you know, the location of various web sites often
changes, however, one pop-up tester that is available on the date of this
version of the parent guide that you may want to try is as follows:
http://edit.companion.yahoo.com/config/slv4_page?.p=pubtry
You should see a small pop-up window that says,
“This is a test popup >window” at the above page.
3. Yahoo Toolbar with Pop-Up Blocker
The latest version of the Yahoo Toolbar comes with a pop-up blocker
that is installed and enabled by default. This also seems to come with
Yahoo Messenger. Look at your Yahoo toolbar. Located two or three
buttons to the right of “Search the Web” is a button for the Yahoo Popup blocker. Click the button and choose to disable it.
4. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 with Service Pack 2
Windows XP Service pack 2 installs a pop-up. Disable it as follows:
Open Internet Explorer
Go to “tools” menu, then “Pop-up Blocker”
Click “Turn off Pop-up Blocker”
5. Firefox Browser with Built-in, Pop-up Blocking
If you're using the Firefox browser, click on the bar at the top of the
window that says "Firefox prevented this site from opening a popup
window. Click here for options..." and choose "edit popup blocker
options" from the menu that opens up. Then add the following sites to
the list of allowed sites:
a) epgy.stanford.edu,
b) epgyschools.stanford.edu
c) epgycourses.stanford.edu
Be sure to click the "Allow" button after you type in each web site
address.
6. Other Pop-up Blockers
If you are using any third-party pop-up blocking software, then you may
need to follow the list of instructions provided directly from the software
developer.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Another suggestion for you to try is to press and hold the CTRL key to
let the pop-up through. (Hold the CTRL key down when you click
“login”, “attend” or “run the course”.) Note that pressing the CTRL key
down to temporarily disable a pop-up blocker only works on some
products.
You can also use Google and search the web for the terms “disabling
pop-up blocking software” and other variations of this term. You should
be able to locate a site that will provide access to lists of pop-up blockers
and instructions for disabling them.
If you still can’t see the pop-up window, be sure that you have closed
any security programs (at least for now, they will restart when you
reboot your computer), such as Norton System Security, Zonealarm Pro,
or other programs. You will see small icons in the lower right corner of
your computer screen. Hold your mouse arrow over each icon to see
what it is and right click to choose to close, disable, or exit.
Question:
Can my child use this course from any computer at any time or does he have to
work from the same computer in order for start up from where he left off in the
previous session because you use cookies?
Answer:
We store the progress of the students taking this course in an online EPGY
database, so there won't be any trouble at all if your son uses multiple
computers to access the program. You'll just have to make sure that each of the
browsers he uses is set up to allow pop-up windows on the EPGY site and that
each computer contains the Java plug-in. The configuration page is as follows:
http://epgyschools.stanford.edu/certify
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Appendix A: Selected
References
The following selected references were used in conjunction with a review of
state curriculum frameworks, textbooks, and standardized tests.
California
California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR/CAT6) Blueprints (Fall 2002).
English-Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools: Kindergarten
through Grade Twelve. (1998). Sacramento: California Department of
Education.
2000 Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools Kindergarten
through Grade 12. (1999). Sacramento: California Department of Education.
Standards for Evaluating Instructional Materials for Social Content. (2000 Edition).
Sacramento: Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division,
California Department. of Education.
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through grade Twelve (2001, publication
#001553). Sacramento: Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources
Division, California Department of Education.
Florida
Grade Level Expectations for the Sunshine State Standards: Reading/Language Arts.
(1996- 2002). Florida Department of Education.
Introduction to the Language Arts Grade Level Expectations for the Sunshine State
Standards, (1996-2002). Florida Department of Education.
New York
English Language Arts Resource Guide: Instructional Materials. (1996). New York
State Department of Education.
Learning Standards for English Reading/Language Arts (1996). New York State
Department of Education.
Texas
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading (19972002). Austin: Texas Education Agency.
Selected Other
Houghton Mifflin English, K-8 (2003). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Kaleidoscope: A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8. Fourth Edition (2003).
National Council of Teachers of English.
NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts (1998-2004). National
Council of Teachers of English.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
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Appendix B: Recommended
Reading Levels of Books
The information listed below can be used as a general guide for selecting books to read.
The list of books is organized according to recommended grade levels. The readability
levels were assigned based on the Lexile number, from the Lexile scale of The Lexile
Framework®, a widely used reading measure in our schools. The Lexile number is a
measure of how difficult the text is to comprehend, based on semantic difficulty (word
frequency) and syntactic complexity (sentence length). The Lexile and readability levels,
along with the recommended grade levels are useful; however, a student’s interest and
maturity level are also important factors for determining which books to select from the
list.
RECOMMENDED
FOR GRADE(S)
1
1 and 2
1 and 2
1 and 2
1 and 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
READABILITY
LEVEL
1
1 and 2
1 and 2
1 and 2
1 and 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
LEXILE
LEVEL
130
330
350
380
380
410
440
440
440
450
470
470
480
490
510
520
540
540
550
550
560
570
570
590
600
600
600
620
TITLE OF BOOK
Nate the Great
Shoeshine Girl
Hill of Fire
Cam Jansen and the Ghostly Mystery
Wagon Wheels
Gloria’s Way
Chang’s Paper Pony
The Well: David’s Story
Wayside School is Falling Down
Molly’s Pilgrim
Aunt Clara Brown: Official Pioneer
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Good Luck Mrs. K.!
Dave at Night
Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns
Stories Julian Tells
The Skirt
Rough-Face Girl
Baseball Saved Us
Cousins
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Junebug
The Whipping Boy
Pink and Say
Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Pinballs
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
27
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
620
630
630
630
630
630
650
650
660
670
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
3 and 4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
670
670
670
670
670
680
680
680
690
690
690
700
700
700
700
700
710
710
710
710
720
720
720
720
720
730
730
740
740
740
740
4
4
740
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (Time
Warp Trio)
Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp
Trio)
Sedako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
The Birch Bark House
The Silver Balloon
Trapped Between the Lash and the Gun
The Not-So-Jolly Roger (Time Warp Trio)
The Gold Cadillac
Francie
Class Clown
Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from
China
Number the Stars
Poppy
The House of Dies Drear
The Skin I’m In
Charlotte’s Web
Color Me Dark
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Bandit’s Moon
Charlie Pippin
Zeely
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale Mystery
Catwings
The Hundred Penny Box
The Korean Cinderella
Yang the Youngest and his Terrible Ear
Faith and the Electric Dogs
Jim Ugly
Shadow Spinner
The Little Prince
Lily’s Crossing
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters
The BFG
The Black Pearl
Trouble Don’t Last
Crazy Weekend
Thank You Jackie Robinson
A Wrinkle in Time
Over Jordan
Shadow of a Bull
Soup
The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the
Underground Railroad
The Legend of Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of
28
4
4
4 and 5
4 and 5
740
4
4 and 5
4 and 5
740
750
750
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
4 and 5
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
750
750
750
750
750
760
760
760
760
760
760
770
770
770
770
770
780
780
790
790
790
800
800
810
810
810
810
810
820
840
840
840
850
850
860
860
860
860
870
870
870
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
Texas
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Breaking Through
Esperanza Rising
North By Night: A Story of the Underground
Railroad
The Fortune-Tellers
The Friendship
The Westing Game
Words by Heart
Harriet the Spy
Hoot
Journey of the Sparrows
Little House on the Prairie
Lupita Manana
The Land
Go Fish
The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm
The Sign of the Beaver
Tuck Everlasting
Walk Two Moons
…And Now Miguel
Gooseberry Park
Heaven
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The Legend of Jimmy Spoon
Shades of Gray
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Mississippi Bridge
Ramona Forever
Run Away Home
Samir and Yonatan
Secret Letters from 0 to 10
Ramona and Her Father
The Lady of Guadalupe
The Shakespeare Stealer
Guests
Promises to the Dead
A Girl Called Boy
Homesick: My Own Story
My Name is Maria Isabel
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
James and the Giant Peach
Pippi Longstocking
Weasel
29
5 and 6
5 and 6
880
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
6 and 7
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
5 and 6
6 and 7
880
880
890
890
890
910
910
920
920
930
940
950
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6, 7 & 8
6, 7 & 8
6, 7 & 8
6, 7 & 8
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6 and 7
6, 7 & 8
6, 7 & 8
6, 7 & 8
6, 7 & 8
960
960
970
970
980
980
990
1000
1000
1000
1000
6, 7
6, 7
6, 7
6, 7
6, 7
6, 7
6, 7
6, 7
6, 7
6, 7
&8
&8
&8
&8
&8
1010
1010
1020
1070
1070
7, 8 & 9
7, 8 & 9
1070
1070
5 and 5
870
Alvin Ailey
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His
Orchestra
Silent Thunder
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Before We Were Free
Shiloh
A Sunburned Prayer
Old Yeller
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Stuart Little
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Bud, Not Buddy
Christmas in the Big House: Christmas in the
Quarters
Heidi
A Jar of Dreams
Zack
Jazmin’s Notebook
Morning Girl
White Lilacs
Across the Lines
Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963
Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin
Franklin Told by his Good Mouse Amos
Leonardo da Vinci
Hatchet
Einstein – Visionary Scientist
Save Queen of Sheba
Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in
Cuba
Amos Fortune, Free Man
To Kill a Mockingbird
6, 7 & 8
1010
The Pearl
8 thru 12
3 and 4
690
8 thru 12
4
700
&8
&8
&8
&8
&8
7, 8 & 9
7, 8 & 9
7 thru 12
7 thru 12
Advisory: Mature content for readability level.
Advisory: Mature content for readability level.
Double Helix
Advisory: Mature content for readability level.
Godless
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
Advisory: Mature content for readability level.
30
Appendix C: Alphabetical
List of Books, Authors, and
ISBN Numbers
The chart in this appendix provides an alphabetical list of the titles, authors’ names, and
ISBN numbers. The information will be useful when searching for books online, or at
your neighborhood bookstore or library. Keep in mind that a unique ISBN (International
Standard Book Number) number has been assigned to each book and consists of 10
digits, all of which must be used for searching via ISBN numbers.
TITLE OF BOOK
…And Now Miguel
A Girl Called Boy
Alvin Ailey
A Jar of Dreams
A Sunburned Prayer
A Wrinkle in Time
Across the Lines
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Amos Fortune, Free Man
Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio
Aunt Clara Brown: Official Pioneer
Bandit’s Moon
Baseball Saved Us
Before We Were Free
Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin
Franklin by his Good Mouse Amos
Breaking Through
Bud, Not Buddy
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Ghostly Mystery
Catwings
Chang’s Paper Pony
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie Pippin
Charlotte’s Web
Christmas in the Big House: Christmas in the
Quarters
Class Clown
Color Me Dark
Cousins
Crazy Weekend
Dave At Night
Double Helix
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
AUTHOR
Krumgold, Joseph
Hurmence, Belinda
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Uchida, Yoshiko
Talbert, Marc
L’Engle, Madeleine
Reeder, Carolyn
Carroll, Lewis
Yates, Elizabeth
Johnston, Tony
Lowery, Linda
Fleischman, Sid
Mochizuki, Ken
Alvarez, Julia
Lawson, Robert
Jimenez, Francisco
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Howe, Deborah and James
Adler, David A.
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Coerr, Eleanor
Dahl, Roald
Boyd, Candy Dawson
White, E.B.
McKissack, Patricia C. and
Fredrick L.
Hurwitz, Johanna
McKissack, Patricia C.
Hamilton, Virginia
Soto, Gary
Levine, Gail Carson
Werlin, Nancy
ISBN NUMBER
006440143X
0395556988
0786810777
0689716729
0689813260
0440498058
0380730731
1593080158
0140341587
0439189365
1575054167
0440415861
1880000199
044023784X
0316517305
0618011730
0440413281
0689806590
0142402877
0439551897
0064441636
0141301155
0140325875
0064400557
0590430289
0590418211
0590511599
0590454366
0892552867
0064407470
0803726066
31
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His
Orchestra
Einstein – Visionary Scientist
Esperanza Rising
Faith and the Electric Dogs
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Francie
Gloria’s Way (Puffin Chapter Series)
Godless
Go Fish
Good Luck, Mrs. K.!
Gooseberry Park
Guests
Harriet the Spy
Hatchet
Heaven
Heidi
Hill of Fire
Homesick: My Own Story
Hoot
Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns
James and the Giant Peach
Jazmin’s Notebook
Jim Ugly
Journey of the Sparrows
Junebug
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp Trio)
Leonardo da Vnci
Lily’s Crossing
Little House on the Prairie
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China
Lupita Manana
Mississippi Bridge
Molly’s Pilgrim
Morning Girl
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
My Name is Maria Isabel
Nate the Great (Nate the Great Series)
North by Night: A Story of the Underground
Railroad
Number the Stars
Old Yeller
Over Jordan
Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida
Pink and Say
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
0786801786
Severance, John B.
Ryan, Pam Munoz
Jennings, Patrick
Dahl, Roald
English, Karen
Cameron, Ann
Hautman, Pete
Stolz, Mary
Borden, Louise
Rylant, Cynthia
Dorris, Michael
Fitzhugh, Louise
Paulsen, Gary
Johnson, Angela
Spyri, Hohanna
Lewis, Thomas, P.
Fritz, Jean
Hiaasen, Carl
Quattlebaum, Mary
Dahl, Roald
Grimes, Nikki
Fleischman, Sid
Buss, Fran Leeper
Mead, Alice
Walter, Mildred Pitts
Scieszka, Jon
Stanley, Diane
Giff, Patricia Reilly
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Young, Ed
Beatty, Patricia
Taylor, Mildred D.
Cohen, Barbara
Dorris, Michael
Steptoe, John
O’Brien, Robert, C.
Ada, Alma Flor
Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman
0395931002
043912042X
0590697692
0141301139
0374424594
0142300233
0689862784
0064404668
0689821476
059094715X
0786813563
0440416795
0689826990
0689822901
0517189674
0064440400
0440436834
044021705
0440410665
0140374248
0141307021
0440408032
0142302090
0440412455
0679803467
0140346031
0688161553
0440414539
0064400026
0399216197
0380732475
0553159925
0688162800
078681358X
0688040454
0689206518
068980217X
044046126X
Ayres, Katherine
Lowry, Lois
Gipson, Fred
Johnston, Norma
Martinez, Victor
Polacco, Patricia
044033747X
0440403278
0064403823
0380976358
0060267046
0399226710
32
Pippi Longstocking
Poppy
Promises to the Dead
Ramona and Her Father
Ramona Forever
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Run Away Home
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Samir and Yonatan
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Save Queen of Sheba
Secret Letters from 0 to 10
Shades of Gray
Shadow of a Bull
Shadow Spinner
Shiloh
Shoeshine Girl
Silent Thunder
Soup
Stories Julian Tells
Stuart Little
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Thank You, Jackie Robinson
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The BFG
The Birch Bark House
The Black Pearl
The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground
Railroad
The Ear, The Eye, and the Arm
The Fortune-Tellers
The Friendship
The Gold Cadillac
The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (Time Warp
Trio)
The Great Gilly Hopkins
The House of Dies Drear
The Hundred Penny Box
The Korean Cinderella
The Lady of Guadalupe
The Land
The Legend of Jimmy Spoon
The Legend of Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas
The Little Prince
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
Lindgren, Astrid
Avi
Hahn, Mary Downing
Cleary, Beverly
Cleary, Beverly
Taylor, Mildred D.
McKissack, Patricia C.
Coerr, Eleanor
Carmi, Daniella
MacLachlan, Patricia
Moeri, Louise
Morgenstern, Susie
Reeder, Carolyn
Wojciechowska, Maia
Fletcher, Susan
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Bulla, Clyde Robert
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Peck, Robert Newton
Cameron, Ann
White, E. B.
Hopkinson, Deborah
Bloom, Judy
Cohen, Barbara
Robinson, Barbara
Dahl, Roald
Erdrich, Louise
O’Dell, Scott
Monjo, F.N.
0140309578
0380727692
039596394X
0380709163
0380709600
1040384510
0590467522
0698118022
0439135230
0060241012
0140371486
0141308192
0689826966
0689715676
0689830513
0689835825
0064402282
0786815698
0679892613
0394828925
0064400565
0679874720
0142401013
0688152937
0060250445
0141301058
0786814543
0440411467
0064440427
Farmer, Nancy
Alexander, Lloyd
Taylor, Mildred D.
Taylor, Mildred D.
0140376410
0525448497
0140389644
0140389636
Scieszka, John
Paterson, Katherine
Hamilton, Virginia
Mathis, Sharon Bell
Climo, Shirley
De Paola, Tomie
Taylor, Mildred D.
Gregory, Kristiana
De Paola, Tomie
de Saint-Exupery, Antoine
Cleary, Beverly
0670843806
0064402010
1416914056
0140321691
0064433978
082340403X
0142501468
0152167765
0698113594
0156012197
0380709244
33
The Not-So-Jolly Roger (Time Warp Trio)
The Pearl
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Pinballs
The Rough-Face Girl
The Shakespeare Stealer
The Sign of the Beaver
The Silver Balloon
The Skin I’m In
The Skirt
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963
The Well: David’s Story
The Westing Game
The Whipping Boy
To Kill a Mockingbird
Trapped Between the Lash and the Gun
Trouble Don’t Last
Tuck Everlasting
Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba
Wagon Wheels
Walk Two Moons
Wayside School is Falling Down
Weasel
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
White Lilacs
Words by Heart
Yang the Youngest and his Terrible Ear
Zack
Zeely
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
Scieszka, Jon
Steinbeck, John
Juster, Norton
Byars, Betsy
Martin, Rafe
Blackwood, Gary L.
Speare, Elizabeth George
Bonners, Susan
Flake, Sharon G.
Soto, Gary
Avi
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Taylor, Mildred D.
Raskin, Ellen
Fleischman, Sid
Lee, Harper
Whitmore, Arvella
Pearsall, Shelly
Babbitt, Natalie
Ada, Alma Flor
Brenner, Barbara
Creech, Sharon
Sachar, Louis
DeFelice, Cynthia C.
Kerr, Judith
Meyer, Carolyn
Sebestyen, Quida
Namioka, Lensey
Bell, William
Hamilton, Virgina
0140346848
014017737X
0394820371
0064401987
0698116267
0141305959
0440479002
0374466475
0786813075
0440409241
0380728850
0440414121
0140386424
014240120X
0060521228
0446310786
0141303190
0440418119
0374480145
0689806310
0064440524
0064405176
0380754843
0380713586
0698115899
0152058516
044041346X
0440409179
0689825293
0689716958
34
Appendix D: Literature
Aspects and Writing
Activities
The table in this appendix provides additional information about each of the books used
in the program. The genre or type of literature is identified for each title and its
relationship to typical content areas included in a school curriculum. Every effort has
been made to include authentic literature from cultures throughout the world to enhance
students’ cultural awareness and appreciation. Many books also include an interactive
writing activity. The writing activities provide further reflection about a book and
practice in writing skills.
TITLE OF BOOK
GENRE
CONTENT
AREA
…And Now Miguel
Realistic Fiction
A Girl Called Boy
Historical Fiction
Language Arts
History, Social
Science
A Jar of Dreams
Fiction
History, Social
Science
Alvin Ailey
Nonfiction
A Sunburned Prayer
CULTURAL
APPRECIATION
Latino,
Latino/American
Fiction
Science Fiction
The Arts
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
African American
Japanese,
Japanese
American
African American,
Multicultural
Latino, Mexican,
Multicultural
n/a
Historical Fiction
Fantasy, Fiction
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
African American
European, Other
Amos Fortune, Free Man
Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the
Barrio
Biography
History, Social
Science
Aunt Clara Brown: Official Pioneer
Biography
Historical Fiction
A Wrinkle in Time
Across the Lines
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Realistic Fiction
Bandit’s Moon
Baseball Saved Us
Historical Fiction
Before We Were Free
Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of
Benjamin Franklin by his Good Mouse
Amos
Historical Fiction
Breaking Through
Realistic Fiction
Historical Fiction,
Humor
Bud, Not Buddy
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
Fantasy, Historical
Fiction
Language Arts
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
African, African
American
Latino, Latino
American
African American
Latino, Mexican
Japanese
American
Latino, Dominican
Republic
WRITING
ACTIVITY
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
American
Latino, Mexican
American
Yes
African American
Yes
No
35
Cam Jansen and the Ghostly Mystery
Fantasy, Humor,
Fiction
Mystery, Fiction
Language Arts
Language Arts
n/a
n/a
Yes
No
Catwings
Fantasy, Fiction
Language Arts
n/a
Yes
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Historical Fiction
Fantasy, Fiction
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
Chinese American
n/a
Yes
Yes
Charlie Pippin
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts
African American
Yes
Charlotte’s Web
Christmas in the Big House: Christmas in
the Quarters
Fantasy, Fiction
Language Arts
n/a
No
Historical Fiction
African American
No
Class Clown
Fiction, Humor
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
n/a
Yes
Color Me Dark
Cousins
Fiction
Realistic Fiction
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
African American
African American
No
No
Crazy Weekend
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts
Latino, Chicano
No
Dave At Night
Realistic Fiction,
Historical Fiction
Mystery, Fiction
History, Social
Science
Science
Jewish, African
American,
Multicultural
American
No
No
Biography
The Arts
History,
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
African American
Yes
n/a
Latino, Mexican
American
Latino, Mexican,
Caucasian
n/a
No
No
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
African American
Yes
African American
No
n/a
African American
No
Yes
American
Yes
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale Mystery
Chang’s Paper Pony
Double Helix
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His
Orchestra
Einstein – Visionary Scientist
Biography
Realistic Fiction
Esperanza Rising
Fantasy, Fiction
Faith and the Electric Dogs
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fantasy, Fiction
Fiction
Francie
Gloria’s Way (Puffin Chapter Series)
Fiction, Short Story
Godless
Fiction
Fiction
Yes
Yes
Good Luck, Mrs. K.!
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts,
Religion
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
Gooseberry Park
Fable, Fiction
Language Arts
n/a
No
Harriet the Spy
Historical Fiction,
Realistic Fiction
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
American Indian,
Multicultural
American
Yes
No
Hatchet
Realistic Fiction
Science
American
Yes
Heaven
Realistic Fiction
African American
Yes
Heidi
Hill of Fire
Fiction
Realistic Fiction
European, Swiss
Latino, Mexican
Yes
No
Homesick: My Own Story
Biography,
Autobiography
Chinese American,
Multicultural
Yes
n/a
African American
No
No
Go Fish
Guests
Social Science,
Language Arts
History,
Language Arts
Science
Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns
Realistic Fiction
Fiction
History, Social
Science
Language Arts,
Science
Language Arts
James and the Giant Peach
Fantasy, Fiction
Language Arts
n/a
Yes
Jazmin’s Notebook
Fiction
Language Arts
African American
No
Hoot
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
36
Jim Ugly
Historical Fiction
Journey of the Sparrows
Fiction
Junebug
Realistic Fiction
Fiction
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp
Trio)
American
Latino, El
Salvadorian
No
African American
African American
Yes
No
Language Arts
Language Arts,
History, Social
Science, The
Arts, Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
n/a
Yes
n/a
No
European, Other
No
American
No
Chinese
Latino, Mexican
American
Yes
African American
Jewish American,
Russian American
Caribbean,
Bahamian
Yes
No
Fairy Tale,
Folklore
Fantasy, Fiction
Language Arts
Language Arts
African
Other
Yes
No
Realistic Fiction
Fiction
Language Arts
Language Arts
Latino, Puerto
Rican
n/a
Yes
No
African American
Yes
Jewish Danish
American
Yes
Yes
Fantasy, Fiction
Leonardo da Vince
Biography
Lily’s Crossing
Historical Fiction
Little House on the Prairie
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story
from China
Fiction
Lupita Manana
Realistic Fiction
Mississippi Bridge
Fiction
Historical Fiction
Folklore, Fiction
Molly’s Pilgrim
Historical Fiction
Morning Girl
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
My Name is Maria Isabel
Nate the Great (Nate the Great Series)
North by Night: A Story of the
Underground Railroad
Number the Stars
History, Social
Science
Historical Fiction
Old Yeller
Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction,
Realistic Fiction
Over Jordan
Historical Fiction
Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida
Realistic Fiction
Pink and Say
Pippi Longstocking
Poppy
Language Arts
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
No
Yes
Historical Fiction
Fiction
Language Arts
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
African American,
Caucasian
Latino, Mexican
American
African American,
Caucasian
European, Swedish
Yes
Yes
Fantasy, Fiction
Language Arts
Other
No
Ramona and Her Father
Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
African American
American
Yes
No
Ramona Forever
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts
American
Yes
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Historical Fiction
No
Run Away Home
Historical Fiction
African American
American Indian,
African American
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Historical Fiction
Japanese
No
Promises to the Dead
Samir and Yonatan
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
History, Social
Science
No
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
No
No
No
37
Fiction
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Historical Fiction
Save Queen of Sheba
Historical Fiction
Humor, Realistic
Fiction
Secret Letters from 0 to 10
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
Palestinian, Israeli
No
American
No
American
European, Western
European
Yes
American
Latino, Spanish
No
No
Shadow of a Bull
Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
Shadow Spinner
Fiction
Language Arts
Middle East
No
Shoeshine Girl
Realistic Fiction
Fiction
Language Arts,
Social Science
Language Arts
American
African American
Yes
No
Silent Thunder
Fiction
Language Arts
African American
No
Soup
Fiction
Language Arts
American
No
Stories Julian Tells
Realistic Fiction,
Humor
Fantasy, Fiction
Language Arts
Language Arts
African American
n/a
Yes
No
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Historical Fiction
Fiction
History, Social
Science, The
Arts
Language Arts
African American
American
No
Yes
Thank You, Jackie Robinson
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts
African American
No
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Humor, Fiction
Language Arts
American
Yes
The BFG
Fantasy, Fiction
Language Arts
n/a
Yes
The Birch Bark House
Historical Fiction
No
The Black Pearl
The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the
Underground Railroad
Fiction
American Indian
Latino, Latino
American
African American
n/a
No
Yes
African, Cameroon
Yes
African American
Yes
African American
Other
Yes
Yes
American
Yes
African American
Yes
African American
Korean, Korean
American
Latino, Mexican
No
Yes
Yes
African American
No
American Indian
No
American Indian
Yes
Shades of Gray
Shiloh
Stuart Little
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
The Ear, The Eye, and the Arm
Historical Fiction
Fantasy, Fiction
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
The Fortune-Tellers
Folklore, Fiction
Language Arts
The Friendship
Realistic Fiction
The Gold Cadillac
The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (Time
Warp Trio)
Historical Fiction
Fiction
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts
The House of Dies Drear
Mystery, Fiction
The Hundred Penny Box
Realistic Fiction
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science,
Language Arts
The Korean Cinderella
The Lady of Guadalupe
Fairy Tale, Fiction
Fiction
Language Arts
Language Arts
The Land
Fiction
The Legend of Jimmy Spoon
The Legend of Bluebonnet: An Old Tale
of Texas
Historical Fiction
The Little Prince
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
Fiction
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
Language Arts,
No
No
38
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Fable, Fantasy,
Fiction
Fantasy, Fiction
Visual and
Performing Arts
Language Arts
n/a
n/a
Yes
Yes
The Not-So-Jolly Roger (Time Warp Trio)
Fiction
Language Arts
n/a
Yes
The Pearl
Fiction
Language Arts
Mexican
No
The Phantom Tollbooth
Fantasy, Fiction
Language Arts
n/a
Yes
The Pinballs
Fiction
Language Arts
n/a
No
Fiction
Language Arts,
Social Science
Language Arts,
History
American Indian
Yes
British
American Indian,
Caucasian
American
No
The Rough-Face Girl
Fiction
The Shakespeare Stealer
The Sign of the Beaver
The Silver Balloon
Fiction
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts
Language Arts
The Skin I’m In
Realistic Fiction
Language Arts,
Social Science
The Skirt
Realistic Fiction
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Mystery, Historical
Fiction
Historical Fiction
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963
The Well: David’s Story
The Westing Game
The Whipping Boy
Trouble Don’t Last
Tuck Everlasting
Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in
Cuba
Wagon Wheels
No
Yes
Fantasy, Fiction
n/a
African American,
Caucasian
African American
Historical Fiction
Fantasy, Fiction
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
African American
Other
Yes
No
Latino, Cuban
Yes
African American
n/a
No
Yes
Language Arts
Language Arts,
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
n/a
Yes
American
Yes
Jewish
Yes
African American
Yes
African American
No
Language Arts
Chinese American
African American,
Jewish, Jewish
American
African American
No
Biography,
Autobiography
Wayside School is Falling Down
Humor, Fantasy,
Fiction
Weasel
Historical Fiction
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Fiction
White Lilacs
Historical Fiction
Words by Heart
Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction,
Humor
Zeely
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
Yes
No
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
Historical Fiction,
Humor
Fiction
Walk Two Moons
Zack
No
African American,
Caucasian
n/a
Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction
Yang the Youngest and his Terrible Ear
Yes
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
Historical Friction
Mystery, Fiction
To Kill a Mockingbird
Trapped Between the Lash and the Gun
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science,
Language Arts
African American
Latino, Mexican
American,
Multicultural
European,
American,
Multicultural
African American
No
Yes
Realistic Fiction
Realistic Fiction
History, Social
Science
History, Social
Science
Language Arts
Language Arts
Language Arts
No
Yes
No
No
No
39
Appendix E: Skill
Objectives
The following reading skill objectives covered in the exercises about each book reflect
those typically included in curriculum materials used in reading and language arts
programs. The objectives have been organized into the following categories: Literary
Analysis and Response, Reading Strategies for Comprehension, Reasoning about the
Text, Style and Structure, and Word Analysis and Vocabulary.
LITERARY ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE
Define, understand, and use literary terms and devices.
Classify a book by genre and identify the defining characteristics.
Identify the storyteller or narrator of a book.
Identify the setting of a story.
Analyze the influence of a setting on the plot, mood, tone and meaning.
Identify and describe characters of a story.
Identify and analyze the story problem and plot structure.
Analyze a character’s response to a problem and explain his or her motives in carrying out an action.
Evaluate the way in which problems or conflicts in a story are (or are not resolved.
Identify the main theme and message of a story.
READING STRATEGIES FOR COMPREHENSION
Identify the author of a work of literature.
Analyze how text reflects the heritage, traditions, attitudes, beliefs and purpose of an author.
Identify cultural influences on text.
Recall explicit information in the text.
Identify information that is implied rather than directly stated in the text.
Compare and contrast characters, setting, and events in a story.
Compare and identify ways in which characters change and develop throughout a story.
Use personal experience and knowledge to comprehend and relate text to own life.
Distinguish fact from fiction.
Distinguish fact from opinion.
Recognize or construct a paraphrase of summary of a text.
REASONING ABOUT THE TEXT
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
40
Order events chronologically.
Infer cause and effect relationships among events, actions, and information in a text.
Distinguish main idea from supporting details.
Understand the influence of ideas or events on subsequent events; anticipate consequences and outcomes.
Draw conclusions or generalizations from a text and support them with details.
STYLE AND STRUCTURE
Use a table of contents, index, headings, captions, and illustrations to locate and understand information.
Understand grammatical patterns to determine meaning.
Recognize rhythmical patterns such as alliteration and onomatopoeia.
Identify signal words that provide clues (e.g. next, finally) to organizational formats, such as time order.
Use knowledge of punctuation to assist in comprehension.
WORD ANALYSIS AND VOCABULARY
Use context to determine meaning of words including international words.
Identify and use knowledge of word parts such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots to determine meaning.
Use knowledge of word origins to determine meaning of words.
Identify synonyms and antonyms.
Identify multiple meanings of words.
EPGY - Reading and Writing about Literature
41