My America / Dear America / My Name is America

In an attempt to jumpstart my job enthusiasm by investing myself in the curriculum, I decided to brush up on some Revolutionary War historical fiction during our winter break. I brought home three selections from our school library.

1. Five Smooth Stones: Hope's Revolutionary War Diary by Kristiana Gregory LEXILE 640


2. The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart by Kristiana Gregory LEXILE 870


3. The Journal of William Thomas Emerson: A Revolutionary War Patriot by Barry Denenberg LEXILE 950

Stones is the account of nine-year-old Hope living in Philadelphia spanning from January 15 to December 27, 1776. It is a is a quick, easy read with historical references to George Washington, General William Howe, King George, Thomas Paine's Common Sense, Patriots, Tories, Quakers, the Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, Valley Forge, as well as colonial schools and chores. The five smooth stones refer to the Bible story of David and Goliath and serve as a metaphor for the uneven struggle between the intrepid Patriots and the powerful English army.

In Red Snow, "Eleven-year-old Abigail presents a diary account of life in Valley Forge from December 1777 to July 1778 as General Washington prepares his troops to fight the British." This book offers a more graphic description of the hardships suffered by the colonists and the soldiers and delves deeper into the character of General Washington and Mrs. Washington as well as the hearts and souls of the working class Patriots like Abigail's family and friends. As I told my own children, "Imagine the horror of marching through snow for miles with bloody feet as the ill-equipped Continental soldiers did?" It's also difficult to imagine how the average person survived in colonial times without central heating and other comforts that we take for granted today.

Will's Journal highlights the conflict between the colonists and the British soldiers in pre-Revolutionary War Boston. I can't describe it better than this review from the School Library Journal:

This first-person account of a 12-year-old boy makes the world of Boston in 1774 come alive. William Thomas Emerson, an orphan, has found work with the kind proprietor of a tavern. In his journal, the boy describes the practical and moral difficulties that citizens of that city encountered on the eve of the Revolution. He writes of food shortages, patriots, traitors, and deserters, and describes daily life, public punishment, and medical treatments. Denenberg engages readers with a bit of intrigue, but it is the integrity and humanity of ordinary people that make this book inspirational. An epilogue summarizes the lives of the characters introduced and includes historical reproductions and a brief account of the actual events that followed the year covered in the journal. Quality historical fiction that should attract a wide audience.
Ann M. Burlingame, North Regional Library, Raleigh, NC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Night of the Twisters

LEXILE 790 ages 9-12

Ah, more scintillating fifth grade curriculum connections. Having just finished our weather unit in science we're supplementing our studies with a dramatic read aloud of Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman. Here is the Lexile Framework summary, "A fictional account of the night freakish and devastating tornadoes hit Grand Island, Nebraska, as experienced by a twelve-year-old, his family, and friends."

I found the writing a bit awkward, but that probably had more to do with the decade (1986) it was written than the writer's style. It certainly lent itself to a very satisfying read aloud. Our students were enthralled during Mrs. Sullivan's animated reading of the book during snack time every day leading up to our winter break. The experience culminated with a viewing of the DVD on December 23 which I regrettably missed due to a nasty migraine headache.

The Glass Castle

LEXILE 1010

Just finished, in record time, reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and I loved it. This memoir held my interest so much that I even went online to investigate more about the author's life. Jeannette Walls is an MSNBC correspondent who endured a crazy childhood due to the quirky whims of her eccentric parents. Written in a matter-of-fact, non-judgmental but deeply moving manner, it's one of those books that makes you reflect on your own dysfunctional upbringing. While it's hard to imagine the deprivation and neglect suffered by Walls and her three siblings, the story does offer positive affirmations in its focus on self-reliance, resourcefulness, loyalty, and the importance placed on education. Thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend this book.

Pedro's Journal

LEXILE 1030 ages 8-12

Fifth graders really enjoyed reading Pedro's Journal by Pam Conrad. And so did I.

Fictional character Pedro de Salcedo, chronicles his experiences aboard the Santa Maria on Columbus's expedition to the Americas in 1492. Chosen as a ship's boy for the voyage because of his ability to read and write, Pedro captures the excitement, adventure and peril of exploration. His details humanize the aspirations of the European explorers as well as the deposition of the natives they encountered.

Drowning Ruth

Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz is predictable yet implausible, boring and disappointing. The book's beginning held promise, but by the middle I had totally lost interest in the characters. I forced myself to finish reading it in one night and never gave it a second thought after that. Very unfulfilling.