Nonfiction Book

Chew On This
by Eric Schlosser and Charlie Wilson
Published by Houghton Mifflin
Copyright 2007

Suggested Delivery: Independent read

Reading Level: Lexile level 1110L, guided reading level Y

Vocabulary: literally (9), industry (11), amid (13), preservatives (15), margin (17), wholesome (18)

Awards: 2006 New York Times Bestseller

"Kids love fast food. And the fast food industry definitely loves kids. It couldn’t survive without them. Did you know that the biggest toy company in the world is McDonald’s? It’s true. In fact, one out of every three toys given to a child in the United States each year is from a fast food restaurant. Not only has fast food reached into the toy industry, it’s moving into our schools. One out of every five public schools in the United States now serves brand name fast food. But do kids know what they’re eating? Where do fast food hamburgers come from? And what makes those fries taste so good? When Eric Schlosser’s best-selling book, Fast Food Nation, was published for adults in 2001, many called for his groundbreaking insight to be shared with young people. Now Schlosser, along with co-writer Charles Wilson, has investigated the subject further, uncovering new facts children need to know. In Chew On This, they share with kids the fascinating and sometimes frightening truth about what lurks between those sesame seed buns, what a chicken ‘nugget’ really is, and how the fast food industry has been feeding off children for generations."

This book is eye opening, interesting, factual, shocking, and allows readers to come to their realization about what they're actually putting into their body when they eat fast food and drink soda.

Pre Reading Activity: The teacher can ask the students how often they go to McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, or other fast food restaurant. Ask students what they're regular order is and take a tally for how many students get what type of food or drink (hamburger, fries, soda, milkshake, etc.). Discuss with students what happens if one is to eat this type of food all the time. 

During Reading Activity: Students can answer the following question in a bookmark, "Why do you believe fast food has become so popular? Think of some reasons why you eat it and relate it to the novel. Is there a pattern between you and people back then when the first McDonalds restaurant was invented?"

Post Reading Activity: As an extension, students can interview grandparents or other older adults they know about how eating habits have changed since they were young. Question they can ask can include, "What meals do they particularly remember from their childhood? Who cooked them? Have their eating habits changed since fast food was invented? Why or why not? Do they think the changes are for the better or for the worse?" Students can share their interview answers with the class the next day.

Writing Activity: In a couple paragraphs students can answer the following question, "Has Chew On This changed your perspective on fast food industries and the food itself. If so what changes will you make and how do you think this affect your life?"

Electronic Resources: 

McDonalds Menu Item Nutrition Fact Guide
This link provides nutritional facts for popular
McDonalds menu items. The guide includes the food, the 
serving size, and every nutritional fact including the carbs,
fat count, calories, and sugar count. This can help put
not just McDonalds, but fast food in general in
perspective because their food is not healthy. This
can also provide students with soe insight on not just
cutting fast food out of their diets completely, but maybe 
just finding a healthy alternative to their usual burger and fries.

SuperTracker
This website can help students 
and adults track their food intake and 
what foods they eat. Just put in a little bit of
information about yourself, the type of food, 
the serving size you ate, and the website will 
do the rest! This can help students and adults 
keep track of their diet and help themselves 
choose healthy foods to eat.

Nonfiction Book

Saving Animals After Tornadoes
by Stephen Pearson
Published by Bearport Publishing
Copyright 2012

Suggested Delivery: Independent read, read aloud

Reading Level: Lexile level 990, guided reading level O

Vocabulary: tornado (4), suburb (4), hind (5), meterologist (8), outbreak (9). The glossary on page 30 covers all the words covered here and more. They are bolded throughout the book.

Awards: 2013 Children's Choices Selection

"The Super Outbreak of 2011 was a series of more than 300 powerful tornadoes that struck in 15 different states over several days in April of 2011. One of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history, the tornado outbreak killed more than 340 people and flattened thousands of buildings. Many pets, farm animals, and wild animals were injured or left stranded without food or water. Could rescue workers save the animals and reunite pets with their owners? In Saving Animals After Tornadoes, kids will discover the inspiring stories of rescue organizations like the Alabama Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose volunteers brought injured pets to animal shelters for veterinary care, and the Alabama Wildlife Center, whose rescue teams saved baby birds with broken wings and damaged feathers. The uplifting true stories and full-color photos in this book will capture the heart of any young animal lover."- Google Books Review

This book is uplifting, engaging, imformational, accurate, and an inspiration to those who love and animals. Students can see that there are people in the world who go out there and put their lives on the line to save innocent animals from natural diasters.

Pre Reading Activity: Before reading, students can make a list with the teacher of people in their communities who help out humans when they're in trouble (police, firemen, etc.) Have a discussion with the students about how there are other people out there who help pets and wild animals when they're in trouble.

During Reading Activity: While students read they can keep in mind the following bookmark questions, "Are you greatful for the people who help these animals? Why? Are these people inspiring to you? Do you think the animals appreciate their help? What other natural disasters can animals be saved from"

Post Reading Activity: This book can be tied into a science lesson about tornadoes, specifically wind patterns and natural weather causes. Students can have an extension project to do research on tornadoes and what causes them. They can also research other tornadoes that have occurred in the United States, what states were affected, and what is being done to help the people living in the affected areas.

Writing Activity: Students can answer the following thought provoking question in one to two paragraphs, "Imagine your pet was swept into a tornado. How would you feel and what actions would you want to see taking place in order to guarentee the safe return of your pet? Explain using situations and organizations from the book."

Electronic Resources:

Animal Heroes
This website gives students 
the flipped perspective of
rescuing. This link tells a few
stories about how ordinary 
animals did extrordinary good 
deeds by rescuing humans or other
animals. The stories follow a golden 
retriever, a cat, a gorilla, and an Asian 
elephant. The website provides just a few 
instances where animals have helped
others and are as helpful and as caring 
as humans.


What is a Tornado?
This is an informational website 
on tornadoes, created by the Weather 
WizKids. If students would like to look 
more into how tornadoes are formed, 
the damages they cause, or even just facts 
about them the website provides credible 
information and pictures about what a tornado 
actually is.

5th-6th Grade Read Aloud

Death by Eggplant
by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe
Published by Macmillan
Copyright 2004

Suggested Delivery: Read aloud

Reading Level: Lexile level 720L, guided reading level T

Vocabulary: differnt culinary vocabulary

Awards: none

"All Bertie wants to do is cook. Well, actually, become a Certified Master Chef, host his own prime-time cooking show, own a four-star restaurant, and write a best-selling cookbook. Cooking is Bertie’s big secret. His business-obsessed dad wants him to become an accountant. His New Age mom wants him to become a dream analyst. His math teacher wants him to repeat eighth grade. And his mortal enemy just wants him dead. Will Bertie find the courage to reveal his passion for cooking? Will his bravery win him the girl? Will he turn the tables on the class bully and get his revenge? Or will Bertie chicken out and spend the rest of his life analyzing the dreams of his fellow accountants?"-Amazon.com






This book is upbeat, hysterical, silly, quirky, and inspirational for little readers who have big dreams, even though there might be some things standing in your way!

Pre-Reading Activity: Ask the students what they think to the title means. They can use their literal and inferential comprehension to look at the the words head on, but look into the possible deeper meaning of it as well. Will the mean character literally die from an eggplant? Or is there another reasonsing for the title? Open it up for discussion.

During Reading Activity: As students read they can put themselves in the perspective of someone other than Bertie. They can choose Bertie's mother, Nick, or even Cleo the flour sack. Students can answer the following question as a bookmark, "How is this person/object affecting Bertie's grade and overall dream of becoming a famous chef?"

Post Reading Activity: As a further extension on the book, students can actually try out what it is like to take care of a fake baby. Give each students an egg. They can name their egg, draw a face on their egg, whatever they would like. The students must take the egg home over the weekend and take care of it as if it was an actual baby. When they return the teacher can talk with the students about what it was like for them to take care of it. Was it hard? Was it easy? What if you had to paired up with a bully? Would the assignment become easier or harder?

Writing Activity: The students can answer the following question in one or two paragraphs, "Bertie has a life long dream to become a famous chef. Have you ever had a dream of doing something, but something stood in the way of it? Did you overcome the obstacle in your way? How? Explain."

Electronic Resources: 


Culinary Institute of America
This is a website for students to look
at the Culinary Institute of America. They
can see what it's about, take a virtual
tour of the school, and possible classes
one could take if they attend the school. If
a child is interested in becoming a chef like
Bertie, this could be a school in their futures!


How To Take Care of a Flour Sack Baby
This website teaches students the reasons
behind why the flour sack baby project was
created and what values it teaches us. The 
website contains guidelines and expectations 
for taking care of a flour sack baby. Students
can use this sight as a model if they ever
have to do the same project in eighth grade.

Choice List 2010

The Book That Eats People
by John Perry
Published by Random House Distribution readers
Copyright 2009

Suggested Delivery: Read aloud

Reading level: Reading level 3.9

Vocabulary: clattered, ravenous

Awards: 2012 North Carolina Book Award



"WARNING! THIS IS NOT A BEDTIME STORY
Legend has it there exists a book that eats people.

This is that book!
Many readers have been unable to escape its perilous pages.
But this isn't that book.

Yes it is!
This is simply a story about that book.
Really. I mean, how could a book eat people?
So if you're just dying to know the history of this literary monster, all you have to do is turn the page...

Don't do it!"- Amazon.com



This book is interactive, strange, tempting to the wandering eye, silly, but creepy book that captivates readers to the point where they can't put it down!

Pre- Reading Activity: Ask the the students about what makes them want to pick up a book and read it. It can be the cover, the author, the size, or the book jacket summary. Write a list of their reasons on chart paper. Have a discussion for why sometimes these reasons can deceive you. For example, you can pick up a book because it looks small and easy to read, but the font on the pages is very small and the topic is very boring. 

During Reading Activity: Students can answer the following question as a bookmark for the story, "How did the book disguise itself in order to find its other victims? Why did the book go after all these different characters? If the book was in your library would you pick it up? How would you know it was the book?"

Post Reading Activity: Divide the students into small groups. Assign each group a character that the book ate (Sammy Ruskin, Victoria Glassford, Mr. Title, etc.) Have the students pretend their character has not been eaten yet. Students can devise a strategy that the character might have used in order to avoid becoming the book's next meal. Have the students share their ideas with their classmates.

Writing Activity: The students can write a paragraph or two on the following question, "Sometimes when someone says not to do something then you really want to do it. Why is that? Explain using situations from the book and from your own life experiences."

Electronic Resouces:

The Book That Eats People Website
This is the website for the story The Book 
That Eats People created by the author of 
the novel, John Perry. The website includes
the front and back cover, reviews, pictures
of the author and publisher, a 'contact the 
author' page, and general information about
John Perry's life . The last page shows the book
locked away and chained up in a box, making
the book seem like it's alive. 


The Book That Eats People Video
This video is also by the author, John Perry. 
It is included on his website. The video 
consists of John standing infront of the camera 
and explaining that his book is banned from
some libraries and schools and warns the
viewers about the book. He really treats
the book as if its a ferocious beast that's
actually alive and eats people. This can be
a fun hook to the book as well as pre-
reading activity.

Book of Choice

Geek Chic: The Zoey Zone
by Margie Palatini 
Published by Katherine Tegen Books
Copyright 2008

Suggested Delivery: Read aloud

Reading Level: Lexile level 690, reading level 4.3

Vocabulary: intervention (5), chic (7). Reference the students to pages 184-185 for Zoey's "Chic Zocabulary". These words can be looked up in her dictionary for her own language in the book. 

Awards: None

"Meet Zoey

She's eleven. Well, almost eleven. Okay—halfway to eleven. And Zoey's got a few problems: She has the lowest possible score on the coolability meter, a bad hair situation, and growing earlobes. What Zoey needs is a fairy godmother who can give her a very chic makeover and a seat at the primo lunch table. Will Zoey be able to pull it all off? Tune in!"- Amazon.com

This book is silly, fun, and engaging. Zoey is smart, wonderfully weird, and stays true to herself throughout the novel. Zoey is a good example for all young girls to follow! Written in diary form, this novel can help relate to girls everywhere about fitting in and being yourself.

Pre-Reading Activity:  Have the students make a list of something they would want to change about themselves. It could be their clothes, the color of their room, or just something they don't have right now that they wish they could own. Then have the students share their change. Students can discuss with other classmates what it would be like to have that thing about them be changed by a fairy godmother. 

During Reading Activity: While students read they can ask themselves these bookmark questions, "Do the Bashleys (Brittney and Ashley) really know the best fashion? Is fashion all Zoey should care about? Do you believe that Zoey should change her style? Why or why not? Should Zoey just appreciate the way she looks? Why or why not?"

Post Reading Activity: In the novel, there were many illustrations included in Zoey's story, even little scribbles here and there as if she wrote the novel herself. The students can pick their favorite chapter in the novel and draw their own cartoon or picture that correlates with what the chapter is about. Their picture must be different from an illustration in the book, but they can put their own creativity and flair on their picture. Students can then share their picture with the class or in small groups. 

Writing Activity: Students can write a couple paragraphs in expository form on the following question, "What do you think was the most important theme in this novel? Choose one and write why you think that was the most important theme. Make sure to include evidence from the book to support your reasons."

Electronic Resources: 

Margie Palatini's Website

This is a link to Margie Palatini's website. 

The website includes websites to buy the book, 

some online reviews of her novel, where she

finds her inspiration to write her books, and 

other novels she has written that students may 

be interested in.

BeingGirl: Creating Your Personal Style

This website gives young girls an idea about 

what creating your own fashion is all about. 

Unlike other fashion magazines and websites 

that tell young girls how to dress and what the 

newest fashion is, this website tells young girls to 

express themselves through their own fashion choices, 

just like Zoey! Just in case there are girls who don't 

know how to create their own fashion and need some 

tips, the website helps you narrow it down to hats 

and jewelry.