Booktalks, Bookwalks, and Read-Alouds : Promoting the Best New Children's Literature Across the Elementary Curriculum

Encourage elementary and middle school readers to read quality titles pertaining to subjects from across the curriculum. This guide features recently published (1998-2001) fiction and nonfiction titles that are either award winners, written by award-winning authors, positively reviewed in national reading advocacy journals, or representative of an emerging trend in children's literature. Each booktalk entry consists of bibliographic data, a plot summary, a short booktalk, curriculum connections, and identification of related books. TOPICS INSIDE: Relationships, coming of age, sports, art, music, dance, holidays, adventure, science, math, social studies, and others. School Library Journal Blass has selected more than 150 books published between 1998 and 2001 for inclusion in this guide, organized into four chapters: Language Arts and Literature, Mathematics and Science, Social Studies, and Arts and Recreation. Each entry includes a recommended age level, a brief summary, a booktalk (or bookwalk), curriculum connections such as activities to extend understanding, and suggestions for related books. Appendixes consist of clarification of vocabulary used in the curriculum-connection sections, such as a diagram showing a character web, a character wheel, or a fish bone chart to identify cause and effect. Blass has based her choices on reviews in standard professional journals. However, she hasn't chosen a single Caldecott or Newbery award winner within her four-year span. There is no indication of the author's credentials or experience in the field. Joni Richard Bodart's many booktalk guides such as Booktalk! 4 (H.W. Wilson, 1992) provide excellent samples and advice for young adult librarians to develop their own style in presenting to an older age group. Blass's book can be used as a supplement for the younger age group.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. This guide features booktalks for elementary grades of recently published (1998-2001) fiction and nonfiction titles that are either award winners, written by award-winning authors, positively reviewed in national reading advocacy journals, or representative of an emerging trend in children's literature. Each booktalk entry consists of bibliographic data, a plot summary, a short booktalk, curriculum connections, and identification of related books. The entries are arranged in chapters that cover the following curriculum areas: (1) language arts and literature, including alphabet books, fantasy and adventure, mysteries, poetry, retellings, short stories, humor, riddles, and puzzles; (2) mathematics and science; (3) social studies, including American history, autobiographies and biographies, concept books, historical fiction, places, relationships, and coming of age; (4) arts and recreation, including art, music, dance, drama, and sports. Graphic organizers and directions and recipes are appended. Contains author/title and subject indexes. (MES) Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 Alphabet Books......Page 13 Fantasy and Adventure......Page 16 Mysteries......Page 25 Poetry......Page 29 Retellings......Page 35 Short Stories, Humor, Riddles, and Puzzles......Page 45 Introduction......Page 50 Mathematics......Page 51 Science......Page 65 Introduction......Page 90 American History......Page 91 Autobiographies and Biographies......Page 101 Concept Books......Page 111 Historical Fiction......Page 115 Places......Page 129 Relationships and Coming of Age......Page 132 Introduction......Page 146 Art......Page 147 Music......Page 150 Dance......Page 159 Drama......Page 162 Sports......Page 164 Appendix A: Graphic Organizers......Page 170 Appendix B: Di rections and Recipes......Page 182 C......Page 184 H......Page 185 N......Page 186 T......Page 187 Z......Page 188 M......Page 190 T......Page 191 Presents an annotated listing of fiction and nonfiction titles published from 1998 through 2001 that are appropriate for use in kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms, each with bibliographic information, age level, a summary, a booktalk, curriculum connections, and list of related books, grouped in the categories of language arts and literature, mathematics and science, social studies, and arts and recreation Presents a collection of book talks, covering award-winning and positively reviewed fiction and non-fiction titles, that are designed to encourage elementary and middle school students to read.