| Historical Fiction Book Clubs |
NOTE ABOUT SUGGESTED MENTOR TEXT, NUMBER THE STARS...
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a text designated for GRADE 5 in the Plymouth Public Schools. This grade-level decision was made based on content of the text and the Grade 4/5 Social Studies Standards by both Lisa White, ELA Coordinator and Kathy Babini, Social Studies Coordinator. For this reason, the forthcoming unit overview will recommend using a different mentor text to teach the sessions developed in the unit. While you may choose your own historical fiction mentor text, below are two alternative suggestions from Lisa White that are also good fits for engaging read-alouds. These texts were originally listed as options for book clubs under the PPS Historical Fiction Book Club Recommendations list and have been purchased by many schools.
A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt, By C. Coco De Young
Eleven-year-old Margo Bandini has never been afraid of anything. Her life in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with Mama and Papa and her little brother, Charlie, has always felt secure. But it's 1933, and the Great Depression is changing things for families all across America.
One day the impossible happens: Papa cannot make the payments for their house, and the Sheriff Sale sign goes up on their door. They have two weeks to pay the bank, or leave their home forever. Now Margo is afraid--but she's also determined to find a way to help Papa save their home. (Amazon Description)
Saving Grace by Priscilla Cummings
The year is 1932, and the McFarland family has been hit hard by the Great Depression. When they lose their home just before Christmas, Grace, eleven, and her two younger brothers are sent temporarily to a children's home. Grace tries to understand: Mama's new baby is due any day, and Grace's beloved older brother, Pete, is terribly sick. Her stay at the mission is cut short when she is invited to spend the holidays with the Hammonds, where they treat her like a daughter. What will happen when it's time for Grace to go home? Are family bonds more important than the security the Hammonds offer her? Inspired by a true story, "Saving Grace" is a testament to how love and loyalty triumphed during one of the bleakest periods in American history.
A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt, By C. Coco De Young
Eleven-year-old Margo Bandini has never been afraid of anything. Her life in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with Mama and Papa and her little brother, Charlie, has always felt secure. But it's 1933, and the Great Depression is changing things for families all across America.
One day the impossible happens: Papa cannot make the payments for their house, and the Sheriff Sale sign goes up on their door. They have two weeks to pay the bank, or leave their home forever. Now Margo is afraid--but she's also determined to find a way to help Papa save their home. (Amazon Description)
Saving Grace by Priscilla Cummings
The year is 1932, and the McFarland family has been hit hard by the Great Depression. When they lose their home just before Christmas, Grace, eleven, and her two younger brothers are sent temporarily to a children's home. Grace tries to understand: Mama's new baby is due any day, and Grace's beloved older brother, Pete, is terribly sick. Her stay at the mission is cut short when she is invited to spend the holidays with the Hammonds, where they treat her like a daughter. What will happen when it's time for Grace to go home? Are family bonds more important than the security the Hammonds offer her? Inspired by a true story, "Saving Grace" is a testament to how love and loyalty triumphed during one of the bleakest periods in American history.
Narrative Learning Progression
| Narrative Learning Progression G4.pdf |
Narrative Student Rubric
| Narrative Student Rubric.pdf |