Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse -- Day 16

Author Karen Hesse, 1998 recipient of the Newbery Medal for Out of the Dust, gracefully, poetically, painfully opens up Oklahoma’s devastating dust bowl years of the 1930s through the voice of fourteen-year-old Billy Jo. Having endured loss after loss, Billy Jo is endeavoring to survive despite the grim realities of the landscape around her and her father’s slow deterioration. Hesse crafts Billy Jo’s unsentimental, powerful fictional journal with a riveting sparseness. Billy Jo likens her mother to tumbleweed “holding on for as long as she could, then blowing away on the wind.” She describes her father as “steady, silent and deep” as the sod and herself as the wheat. “I can’t grow everywhere, but I can grow here, with a little rain, with a little care, with a little luck.” Readers don’t easily forget the inner strength of this young protagonist. Ages 10 up.


Related activities and interviews may be found at: TeachingBooks.net

Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America, by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Joy Fisher Hein -- Day 15

As a child, Lady Bird, future First Lady, loved exploring the pine forests, bayous and hills of her home in East Texas; she helped her Aunt Effie plant daffodils alongside the native bluebonnets that covered the forest floor. Her passion for the vibrant beauty of wildflowers stayed with her when she moved to Washington, D.C., as the wife of a congressman. She made sure her daughters had a small garden to nurture. Understanding how deeply the nation was mourning after the tragic death of President Kennedy in 1963, First Lady Lady Bird Johnson believed that beauty in our cityscapes and landscapes could help us heal. Congress passed the Highway Beautification Act, which had a tremendous impact nationwide, and in the capital itself more cherry trees were planted. When she returned to her native Texas, she helped establish the National Wildflower Research Center, now named the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Colorful illustrations by Joy Fisher Hein fill the pages of Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America. A visual glossary encourages readers to identify the dozen distinctive wildflowers depicted in this inspiring book by Kathi Appelt. For ages 4-9, and fans of America’s quiet history.


Related activities and interviews may be found at: TeachingBooks.net

The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson -- Day 14

Published over eighty years ago and translated into more than sixty languages, Munro Leaf’s The Story of Ferdinand remains a beloved picture book for children and their grown-ups today. Ferdinand is a peaceful bull, preferring to sit under his favorite cork tree and smell the flowers while other young bulls butt their heads together. Ferdinand becomes a big, strong bull, but still serene. Even when he is transported to the bull ring with all its matadors and picadors, having been mistaken for a fierce bull, he holds steady to his nonviolent nature. Robert Lawson’s memorable black and white illustrations are as iconic for readers as Ferdinand’s gentle nature. Ages 3-5, for starters!


Related activities and interviews may be found at: TeachingBooks.net

A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution, by Betsy and Giulio Maestro -- Day 13

The U.S. Constitution is an extraordinary document. Ten years after the Declaration of Independence was written it became clear to leaders of the thirteen states that comprehensive guidelines were needed to move forward from independence to governance. Betsy and Giulio Maestro’s A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution is an informative, easy-to-absorb description of the birth of this milestone document. Establishing the three branches of government as well as other enduring laws, it was soon amended by the Bill of Rights stating, in part, that “people have the right to say what they want, go where they want, and pray to God in the way that they want, without fear that the government will stop them.” Appended to the wonderful narrative are a timeline, plus a summary of the articles of the Constitution and twenty-six amendments. For ages 6-10, plus anyone seeking a very basic introduction to this era in our history.

The Founders: The 39 Stories Behind the Constitution by Dennis Brindell Fradin, illustrated by Michael McCurdy, provides a close look at the thirty-nine men who signed the Constitution in support of a balanced, strong federal government even as thirteen states had their individual interests. Constitution Translated for Kids by Cathy Travis is a "non ideological translation of the entire U.S. Constitution, side-by-side with the original 1787 text," a fabulous resource for explaining its meaning. Ages 10 to adult.


Related activities and interviews may be found at: TeachingBooks.net