Miss Nelson Is Missing!

Summary:

Miss Nelson Is Missing! is a great way to kick off your school year with students. Miss Nelson is a teacher who's class is getting a little out of control. She is "replaced" by Mis Viola Swamp, the meanest substitute ever! The students begin to realize how lucky they were to have Miss Nelson, and want her back. They also think about their behavior and how it needs to improve when Miss Nelson returns.

About the Authors:

Harry Allard co-created one of the most iconic characters (Miss Nelson) of this century. He was born in Evanston, Illinois and grew up throughout the country. His family moved from California, to Long Island and to Chicago. Allard attended Northwestern and was a soldier in the Korean War. James Marshall was also part author of Miss Nelson Is Missing! Marshall was born in San Antonio, Texas. Marshall is a winner of many awards, including the Laura Ingalls Medal. Together Allard and Marshall published the first Miss Nelson book in 1977. Marshall died in 1992 of a brain tumor. Allard resides in Massachusetts.

Genre: Fiction, Humor

Theme/Skill: Manners

Grade Level: K-2 (Lexile Level: 340)

Pre-Reading Activity:

This could be the first activity that a teacher does on the first day of school in their classroom. Sit students down on the carpet and ask them what the world would be like without rules. Then make a list of what would happen if there were not any rules in a school or classroom? Have the students make some predictions about what they think this book is about. Post their predictions for them to see and reflect back on throughout the reading and after.

Post-Reading Activity:

Discuss with students what happened in the story. Who was the main character? What was the problem and the solution? Direct students back to their predictions and speculations. Then explain to them what your rules and expectations are.

Tuck Everlasting

Summary:  

Tuck Everlasting is the magical tale of the Tuck family and their burden of eternal life. Another main character, Winnie Foster stumbles upon the Tucks and their dark secret. She is kidnapped by the family and while staying with them she acquires a love for the family, especially for the younger son Jesse. While her parents are looking for her, they receive help from the "Man in the Yellow Suit" who actually is acting on his own agenda to steal the Tucks' secret of eternal life. This is a terrific book for children to make text to life and text to text connections. The topic of immortality and children's opinions are always a fantastic discussion starter.

About the Author:

When beginning her career, Natalie Babbitt wanted to become an illustrator. She and her husband, Samuel made a collaborative effort on their first children's book, The Forty-Ninth Magician in 1966. She wrote Tuck Everlasting in 1975, and it still remains a classic on school book lists. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Babbitt taught at Hamiliton College in Clinton, NY. She still enjoys writing and illustrating today while she resides in Providence, Rhode Island.

Author Website: Natalie Babbitt

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

Theme/Skill: Immortality, Courage, Growing Up

Grade Level: 4-6 (Lexile Level: 720)

Pre-Reading Activity:

Discuss with students what being immortal means. What would be some pros and cons to living forever? What if only you were able to live forever and your family and friends were mortal? As a class discussion teachers could also broach the topic of what it means to grow up. Especially since this book would be read in either fifth or sixth grade, when children are entering middle school; this topic could be spark for becoming an adolescent and what responsibilities will follow.

Post-Reading Activity:

 Provide the students with the writing prompt of what they would do if they were either Winnie or the Tuck family. Also revisit the topic of living an immortal lifestyle. After reading the story and realizing the hard decision that the Tuck's had to carry with them of leaving loved ones behind, students may change their views or believe in their original belief even more.