Posts tagged ‘historical fiction’
15. Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
Retell: This is the true story of Henry “Box” Brown. After his family was sold to another plantation, Henry decides to escape to freedom via the postal service.
Topics: underground railroad, slavery, perseverance
Units of Study: Nonfiction, Content-Area Reading and Writing, Historical Fiction
Tribes: personal best
Reading Skills: inference, emapthy
Writing Skills: incorporating symbolism, using setting details
My thoughts: I can see why this won a Caldecott Award. The illustrations by Kadir Nelson are larger than life. What’s nice about this book, as well as many biographies written for young readers, is its author’s note. Reading both the story and the author’s note is a nice way to compare narrative and expository nonfiction. Though Henry’s Freedom Box is a biography, I could also see reading this book during a unit on historical fiction to examine how an author tucks in historical details.
8. The Lucky Star by Judy Young
Retell: Ruth, a young girl growing up during The Great Depression, discovers that her school will be closed down before she enters her 5th grade year. Ruth learns a lesson of perseverance and counting one’s lucky stars.
Topics: The Great Depression, perseverance, family,
Unit of Study: Historical Fiction, Character
Tribes: Personal best
Reading Skills: inference, making connections, prediction
Writing Skills: incorporating setting details, using sensory details
My Thoughts: This book would be a great mentor text during a unit on reading and writing historical fiction. However, I’m tempted to use this at the beginning of the year when I introduce partner work and independence. The Lucky Star teaches that smart people persevere through difficult situations. A closure of a school, or similarly an absence of a teacher or a change in schedule, does not mean that learning stops completely.
Teachable Texts 