Educator's Companion to Children's Literature, Volume 1: Mysteries, Animal Tales, Books of Humor, Adventure Stories, and Historica L Fiction (Serial)

408 Pages·1995·4.46 MB·English

by  Sharron L. McElmeel

Educator's Companion to Children's Literature.
Vol. 1, Mysteries, Animal Tales, Books of
title:
Humor, Adventure Stories, and Historical
Fiction
author: McElmeel, Sharron L.
publisher: Teacher Ideas Press
isbn10 | asin: 1563083299
print isbn13: 9781563083297
ebook isbn13: 9780585186290
language: English
Children's literature--Study and teaching
subject (Elementary)--United States, Children--Books
and reading.
publication date: 1995
lcc: LB1576.M3975 1995eb
ddc: 372.64/044
Children's literature--Study and teaching
subject: (Elementary)--United States, Children--Books
and reading.
Page iii
Educator's Companion to Children's Literature,
Volume 1
Mysteries, Animal Tales, Books of Humor, Adventure
Stories, and Historical Fiction
Sharron L. McElmeel
Drawings by Deborah L. McElmeel
1995
Libraries Unlimited, Inc.
and its division
Teacher Ideas Press
Englewood, Colorado
Page iv
Copyright © 1995 Sharron L. McElmeel
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of
the publisher. An exception is made for individual library media specialists
and teachers who may make copies of the poster pages, charts, and activity
sheets for classroom use in a single school.
LIBRARIES UNLIMITED, INC.
and its division
Teacher Ideas Press
P.O. Box 6633
Englewood, Colorado 80155-6633
[phone]
Production Editor: Constance Hardesty
Typesetting and Interior Design: Kay Minnis
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McElmeel, Sharron L.
Educator's companion to children's literature / Sharron L.
McElmeel ; illustrated by Deborah L. McElmeel.
xv, 153 p. 22x28 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents: v. 1. Mysteries, animal tales, books of humor, adventure
stories, and historical fiction.
ISBN 1-56308-329-9 (v. 1)
1. Children's literatureStudy and teaching (Elementary)United
States. 2. ChildrenBooks and reading. I. Title.
LB1576.M3975 1995
372.64'044dc20 95-11608
CIP
Page v
For E. J., who is probably right.
Page vii
Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xv
1Balancing Nonfiction and Fiction Reading 1
Fiction and Nonfiction in the Literature-Based Classroom 1
The Aesthetic and the Efferent Stances 2
Discussion Groups and the Reader's Journal 3
The Focus 3
Introducing the Focus and Preparing the Surroundings 3
Focus Corner 3
Activity Cards 4
Creating a Writing and Activity Center.. 5
Read-Alouds and Discussions 5
Getting Started 5
Discussion Charts 5
Reading Workshop Activities: Using the Reader's Journal 7
and Discussion Groups
Modeling Daily Workshop Activities 7
Moving to Independent Reading 10
Forming Discussion Groups 11
Ways to Share Information About Books 11
One Student's Progress 12
Culminating the Focus 14
Notes 14
2Mysteries 15
Mysteries and Suspense Tales 15
The Origin of the Mystery 16
Elements of the Mystery 16
Mysteries for Every Age 16
Mysteries for Younger Readers 16
Mystery and Suspense for Intermediate Readers 17
Mystery and Suspense for Older Intermediate 17
Readers
Page viii
2Mysteries (continued)
Mysteries and Suspense Tales (continued)
Types of Mysteries 18
Young Detectives 18
Fantasy in Mysteries 19
Puzzles and Clues 19
Suspense 19
Terms and Techniques in Mystery Writing 20
The Amateur Detective 20
Foreshadowing 20
Beginning a Focus on Mysteries 20
Introductory Activity: Finding the Clues 20
Read-Alouds and Discussions 22
Some Great Mysteries to Read Aloud 22
Moving to a Multitude of Books 23
More Mysteries to Read 24
Author! Author! Lois Duncan 27
Lois Duncan 28
A Real-Life Mystery 28
Investigating Kait's Murder 28
Books by Lois Duncan 29
Author! Author! Joan Lowery Nixon 30
Joan Lowery Nixon 31
The Writing Process 31
What If? 31
A True Mystery 31
Books by Joan Lowery Nixon 32
Going Beyond: Curriculum Connections 33
Culminating the Focus on Mysteries 35
Notes 35
Reproducible Student Pages 36
3Animal Tales 41
Reality and Fantasy 41
Realistic Tales 41
Fantasy Tales 42
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction 42
Marguerite Henry 42
Theodore Taylor 43
Informational Books 43
Facts in Fiction 44
Animals at the Center of Conflict 44
Dogs 44
Horses 45
Other Animals 45
Beginning a Focus on Animal Tales 46
Introductory Activity: Comparing Fantasy to Realistic 46
Tales and Nonfiction
Focus on Nonfiction and Realistic Fiction 47
Nonfiction Realistic Animal Books 47
Read-Alouds and Discussions 47
Some Great Animal Tales to Read Aloud 48
Page ix
Moving to a Multitude of Books 49
More Animal Tales to Read 49
Author! Author! Lynn Hall 53
Lynn Hall 54
At Home with Animals and Books 54
Becoming a Writer 54
The Writing Life 55
Books by Lynn Hall 55
Author! Author! Jean Craighead George 57
Jean Craighead George 58
Early Writings 58
Newbery Award 58
Crow Bar 58
Returning to Alaska 59
Picture Books 59
Writing Techniques 59
George at Home 59
Books by Jean Craighead George 60
Going Beyond: Curriculum Connections 62
Culminating the Focus on Animal Tales 64
Reproducible Student Pages 65
4Books of Humor 69
Humorous Realistic Fiction 69
Books of Humor Then and Now 70