John Henry by Julius Lester (Folk Tale)

John Henry was story about a man who was fast and strong in everything he did. He could fun faster than you could say go and break through stones no normal man could break. When he was old enough he left home with two twenty pound sledgehammers that had four foot handles that his granddaddy once owned. He was headed toward Virginia so he could find work building the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad through West Virginia. On his way there he ran into men who needed help. John Henry, being the hard working man he was, helped the men build a tunnel through the mountain. They didn't believe he could do it with just his sledge hammers so John made a bet that who ever made it to the middle of the tunnel wins. John Henry was so fast that he met the steam drill on the other side and when he did, he didn't realize how much it took a toll on his body, for he didn't live long after to celebrate his victory. 

I would use this book to help students pay attention to what's being read by asking them questions, summarizing the story, stating the feelings behind the story, make connections, and ask them what questions came to mind when reading the story.

A Story A Story: An African Tale by Gail E. Haley (Folk tale)

This book is about how the "Spider Stories" of Ananse began. Ananse was a man who wanted to buy the stories of the Sky God. Ananse built a web that lead to the Sky God so he could talk to him. When Ananse asked if he could buy the stories from him, the Sky God laughed and told him that he had to pay the price by bringing him three things: Osebo the leopard of-the-terrible-teeth, Mmboro the hornet who-stings-like-fire, and Mmoatia the fairy whom-men-never-see. Ananse being a cleaver man, retrieved all those things and brought it back to the Sky God. The Sky God was pleased and so he release the stories to Ananse which were scattered to the corners of the world including this one.

I would use this book to introduce folktales and talk about what they are. After reading this book we would discuss the characteristics of a folk tale and compare it to other genre.

Johnny Appleseed by Eva Moore (Folk literature)

Johnny Chapman was a man who loved apples. His friend Mr. Crawford taught Johnny all about apples when he was little boy; everything you can do with apples Johnny knew. When he was older, he created an orchard and tried giving little apple trees to the pioneers that walked by his house. After while, Johnny became known as Johnny Appleseed because he traveled all throughout the wilderness planting appleseeds so more apple trees would grow. 

I would have students read two to three pages of this book when doing reading groups. They would have to summarize those pages, make predictions, connections, and write down questions that came to mind.

Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott (Folk tale)

Anansi is a spider that had six sons. On day Anansi traveled a long way from home and got lost. One of the sons names, See Trouble, could see that their father was in trouble so they all went to help him. After they saved him, later that night Anansi saw this big bright light in the sky and wanted to give it to one of the sons, but he couldn't chose who to give it too. He prayed to Nyame, the God of all things, for help. In end, Nyame took the bight light high into the sky for everyone to see and it remained there for all the sons to share.

I would use this book to discuss the illustrations of the book and discuss the language that was used. Do these people use those words in their language? Is this a story they pass down from generations? I would have them make connections to other stories or even their lives.

Robot City Adventures: City in Peril by Paul Collicutt (Science Fiction)

In metropolis world where robots and humans are treated alike, a robot named Curtis the Colossal, a coast guard robot, is on the job again. After a long days work, the crew had planned on going home to rest, but plans were deferred. They received a distress from the oil rig saving there's a hug fire and oil is spilling everywhere. They need help right away. It's up to the team and Curtis the Colossal to save the city from this oil spill disaster.

I would use this book for fun. I would allow the students to read this book for entertainment purposes.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (Fantasy & Chapter)

Pippi Longstocking was a nine-year old girl who lived in a ram-shackle house without any parents telling her what to do. Her life was perfect to a child that age. The children that lived next door to Pippi were curious about her so they went over to introduce themselves. Once they met her they weren't disappointed. They soon realized that she wasn't like any other neighbor. Pippi could turn anything into an adventure and so they were off. 

This book is a fun book to read. I would read this book to my students for fun, but ask them questions pertaining to predicting and making connections.

...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold (Multicultural & Chapter book)

Miguel Chavez was the middle child in the family who lived near Taos, New Mexico where his family lived on a sheep-raising farm for many generations. He yearned to go with the men of his family to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where the men of the family go to protect the sheep from the weather, sickness, and wild animals. That was his secret. Miguel is unhappy because he's too young to do things his older brother Gabriel can do, and too old to be happy with the things he has like his younger brother Pedro. So Miguel decides its his last adventure of being a boy and first adventure of becoming a man by leaving home, which is where the adventure begins. 

I would use this book to discuss culture and how it is different in many places in the world. We would discuss what a culture is, what makes them different, why are they different, etc.