The Boo-Boos that Changed the World

Title: The Boo-Boos that Changed the World
Author/Illustrator: Barry Wittenstein and Chris Hsu
Genre: Bluebonnet
Age Group: 4th - 6th
                                                         
Summary:

This story is about how the bandaid was invented. The main character, Earle, marries a girl named Josephine. Josephine is accident-prone and is always cutting herself on a day to day basis. Her husband one day has an idea. He took the adhesive tape, sterile gauze and put material on it called crinoline to keep it sterile. After doing this, Earle told the idea to his boss Mr. Johnson and he loved it! They combined the name "bandage" and "first aid" to create the word "Band-Aid."
Band-Aids were a hit after they came up with a plan on how to create a lot of them at one time.

Overall, this book was really good and I could use this in an invention lesson in my class. If I were doing a history over different objects that have been made throughout the years and have the students pick one and research it and present it. I think the age group would be 4th through 6th grade because they would be able to understand the history of different things.

Saving Winslow

Title: Saving Winslow
Author: Sharon Creech
Genre: Bluebonnet
Age Group: 4th - 5th

                                                    
Summary:
10-year-old Louie is determined to save an ill newborn mini donkey, despite being told he probably will not make it. His parents try to remind him of how frail newborns are and what is most likely to come. However, Louie refuses to hear it and moves to the basement with his new friend named Winslow. He feels a connection with Winslow because they both entered the world with traumatic beginnings. Louie was born two months early and fought for his life, however, he survived. This makes Louie question if his parents thought this about him when he was younger, and if they were told he was not going to make it either. While all this is occurring, Louie is dealing with his brother joining the army and not being home anymore. This saddens him and he does whatever he can to be close to him again, such as wearing his sweatshirts or rereading postcards from him with hopes he will be home soon. He brings all this to his best friend Nora who did lose her baby brother and has a negative look on anything small and frail surviving. This changes though, when she meets Winslow. Together they take care of him and protect him at all costs. Eventually, Winslow is sent to live at a different farm, but joyous news because Louie's brother is coming home and he cannot wait to see him.

I would use this book in my classroom to help those dealing with anyone in the military since it has that aspect of the emotions that Louie feels. I would also use this book to show how no matter the circumstances you can always find the positives.
I think the age group would be 4th through 5th because it has a lot more words and has a higher order of thinking.

Wishtree

Title: Wishtree
Author: Katherine Applegate
Genre: Bluebonnet
Age Group: 4th - 6th

                                                         
Summary:

This book, Wishtree is told from the point of view of a 200-year-old oak tree named Red. Every May first people come to hang their wishes on his branches. Red houses several animal families and is in the backyard of a Muslim family who is not accepted by the neighborhood. The young girl in the family wishes for a friend, however, several days later a carves the word "leave" in it leaving the family in a frenzy and feeling low. Between the condition of the tree and the carving, the police officers believe it would be best to chop Red down. This causes tension between animal families. Red and a crow named Bongo devise a plan to make the girls wish of a friend to come true in hopes of saving it. This makes Red having to reveal himself to the little girl and her neighbor, telling them his story. This encourages the girl and the neighbor to try and save the tree. They get the neighborhood to gather around the tree and the animals to wish for Red to stay. The owners of the tree decide to leave the tree up and do not chop it down. The main character makes a friend and is happy to be in the town even though all that happened.

In my classroom, I would use this book as a kindness lesson. The main character is being bullied based on a perception of how people think her family's religion is like, however judging is never okay. I would have a "wish tree" printed out and instead of having a negative word written in it I would have them write encouraging words.
I think the age group is about 4th - 6th grade because this age group is around the time students deal with bullying and seeing differences amongst their peers. This book would be an eye-opener for some children.

Wonder

                                                        
Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio
Genre: Special Needs
Major Awards: New York Times Best Seller and Texas Blue Bonnet
Age Group: 3rd - 12th grade

Summary:
I just finished the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio! I have read this book once before but it was refreshing to re-read it from a new perspective. They recently turned it into a movie and I have yet to watch it, however, I believe books are always better than the movies.

Wonder is about a young boy named August (Auggie is his nickname) Pullman, and he was born with a facial difference and had been homeschooled up until the 5th grade where his parents sign him up to attend Beecher Prep. He is hesitant and nervous to go because he is not like the other students that attend, he looks different and he knows he looks different. Going in with this mindset, Auggie is nervous to start his first day. He wants to be seen as an ordinary 5th-grade boy but his peers do not see that, they only see what is on the outside. Throughout the story, the author chose to have the story be told from different perspectives. Starting with his sister and his friends as well. The author doing this made an impact on how the reader felt reading Auggies story. While Auggie was nervous to start school and felt uneasy around his peers, his fellow classmates begin to see him for the wonderful individual he is, and just how extraordinary does not mean anything bad. As the book ends, he is sitting at his graduation ceremony and he wins the Henry Ward Beecher award, an award meant for students that show strength and courage, which he displayed all throughout the book. A sweet ending to help him feel loved by others and normal.

I would use this book in an upper elementary classroom. I think the book teaches a great lesson for students and it would be something they could carry throughout their years. To treat others how you want to be treated but also not to treat and judge others on their appearance but rather for what is in their heart. Auggie displayed a well-rounded character, he was loving, kind, and looked for the best in others because he knew what it felt like to not be seen that way. This story would show the students to respect and be kind to all no matter what.

I think the appropriate grade level of this book would be third grade and higher. The content would be mature enough for 8-year-olds to read as well as understand. It reads easy, the font is big so students who may struggle with reading the small print would be able to read it smoothly.

In my classroom, if I were to use this book I would have the children make a mask, using the face on the cover as a reference. On the mask they would decorate it while focusing on the word "wonder." What if you were Auggie or his peers? How would you react? This activity would be used to show how far kindness can go. While they work on this, I would pair them up with people they do not normally talk to and have them be buddies for the day.