Cover to Cover Treasures

Title:   The Popularity Papers 2: The Long-Distance Dispatch Author: Amy Ignatow Copyright: 2013 Publisher: Amulet Books Guided Reading Level: S Genre: Fiction/Graphic Novel  Summary: Diversity, diversity, diversity! This incredibly interesting graphic novel will make any child want to read about the adventures main characters Lydia and Julie encounter during their first year of junior high school. The story is initially about main character Lydia moving to London because her mom accepted a job there, and main character Julie staying put at the school Julie and Lydia attended together. As the two main characters are living their lives in different countries, they both decide to keep their own distinct artistic journal about their interesting adventures. Both characters draw some hilarious pictures (Lydia's artistic contributions are crazy) for their journals, and when readers see these pictures, it makes them fall more and more in love with the story, and...

Title: One Crazy Summer Author: Rita Williams-Garcia Copyright: 2010 Publisher: Amistad Guided Reading Level: V Genre: Historical Fiction This book has received: The Coretta Scott King Award The Scott O'Dell Award The Newbery Honor This book was: A National Book Award Finalist Summary: This wonderfully written heartbreaking, warm, and historical novel is set in the summer of 1968.  The novel depicts the confusing life of Delphine, an 11 year old strong and courageous African American girl, and her family. Delphine's mother Cecile abandoned her family when she was really young, and grew up with her father. During this "crazy summer", Delphine and her two sisters, Fern and Vonetta, are sent by their father to visit their mother in California. Delphine comes to realize that her mother really is crazy. Cecile does not even let her children eat in the kitchen! Cecile sends Delphine and her sisters to a summer camp run by the historical Black Pant...

Title: Confessions of a Former Bully Author: Trudy Ludwig Illustrator: Beth Adams Copyright: 2012 Publisher: Random House Children's Books  Guided Reading Level: U  Genre: Realistic Fiction Summary: In this clever book, author Trudy Ludwig offers a modern approach to dealing with bullying in the classroom.  The concept of bullying in this book also has a modern concept - as the definition of bullying has changed over past years as more and more types of bullying have been created (like cyberbullying). Ludwig offers readers a brilliant book filled with important facts about bullying, diversity, and tips about how to deal with bullies for adults and children. Within the story, the main character, Katie, gets in trouble for bullying and has to talk to the school counselor. When Katie talks to the school counselor she finds out that she was bullied, and more people around her were bullied that she did not realized were bullied before. The book has many pi...

Title:  Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America Author: Andrea David Pinkney Illustrator: Brian Pinkney Copyright: 2012 Publisher: Disney Reading Level: 780L Genre: Nonfiction This book has won: The Coretta Scott King Award Summary: A winner of the Coretta Scott King award,  this absolutely incredible book is perfect to incorporate into the classroom. Andrea David Pinkney provides us with rich and full of depth stories of ten black men who did, in fact, change America. This novel is absolutely perfect for a social studies class, and at the end of the book there is a very well made timeline, perfect for children to gain a better understanding of the content in the book and how important the accomplishes of these men are to our society. The ten men being focused on in this book are: Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, A. Philip Randolph, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X, and - of cou...

 Title: Wonder Author: R.J. Palacio Copyright: 2012 (Novel)/ 2014 (Audiobook) Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Brilliance Audio Guided Reading Level: V Genre: Realistic Fiction /Audiobook Summary: This is such a compelling and realistic novel! There are so many students in schools with many different types disabilities, and this book is absolutely perfect for not only helping a student with a disability feel welcome, but great for teaching about the concept of kindness and preventing bullying. R.J. Palacio has done an amazing job depicting the life of a fifth grader named August (Auggie is his nickname) with a facial defect. Palacio puts readers in Auggie's shoes in a compelling way. Readers may tear up a bit when reading the first few chapters with empathy, as Auggie feels unwanted. He sits alone at lunch on the first day of school, and feels like people are intimidated by his face. Auggie then becomes friends with a good group of some solid fri...