Teacher Resources - Caroline Starr Rose

Free Downloads

Discussion Guides:

May B. Educator’s Guide
Blue Birds Educator’s Guide
Over in the Wetlands Discussion Guide and Activity Sheets
Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine Discussion and Activity Guide
Ride On, Will Cody! Teacher’s Guide

Handouts and Classroom Resources:

Lost Colony timeline
Stickman Character Development handout
Going Deep with Young Readers
10 Things I Wish I’d Known About Writing While in the Classroom
Where in the World Are We Reading? (see below)

The Notebook Series: A Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse Into my Writing Process

Blue Birds
May B.
Over in the Wetlands
Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine
Ride On, Will Cody!

Where in the World Are We Reading?

Where in the World Are We Reading? is an easy interdisciplinary assignment I developed to be used in both language arts and social studies classrooms. It is an effective way to keep students reading a variety of books, allows students to select books on their own reading and interest levels, works easily in upper elementary and middle-school classrooms, assesses students’ understanding of character growth, motivation, goals, and challenges, and allows students to explore people, places, and historical periods in depth.

1. Students select books from the following genres:

historical fiction
biography
contemporary fiction set outside of the United States
non-fiction based on historical event

2. While reading, students fill out a Travel Log.

Here are some additional ideas to consider including in your own classroom:

Have students mark their book’s setting on a wall map.
Require students to read a book from a different continent or country for each travel log.
Allow students to follow their interests and read a variety of books on one person, place, or historical period. (This is especially effective for schools that participate in the Social Studies Fair).
Use travel logs as a framework for writing book reports or essays.
Ask students to fill in travel logs as they read class novels.

State Reading Awards

Did you know teachers, librarians, parents, and students can nominate books for state reading awards? These awards are meant to celebrate reading, expose young readers to new books, and give kids a voice — they get to vote for their favorite book at the end of the season. Any school-aged reader can participate. States provide separate lists for readers K-12. Click through to nominate your favorite recent reads!

Classroom Connections

Classroom Connections is a blog series meant to introduce teachers to new books. If you have a children’s title or professional development book you think might be a good fit for Classroom Connections, please contact me here.

Picture Book:

ADRIAN SIMCOX DOES NOT HAVE A HORSE (contemporary fiction; empathy)
A DOLL FOR GRANDMA (informational fiction; Alzheimer’s disease)
DIGGING FOR WORDS (the fictionalized story of Jose Alberto Gutierrez; book and library love)
HOW TO CODE A SANDCASTLE (informational fiction; coding)
LOVE TWELVE MILES LONG (historical fiction; Frederick Douglass)
NO ENGLISH (contemporary fiction; immigration and friendship)
THE REMEMBER BALLOONS (contemporary fiction; Alzheimer’s disease)
SUMO JOE (contemporary fiction; martial arts and siblings)
THREAD OF LOVE (holidays; Indian culture)
UNITE OR DIE: HOW THE THIRTEEN COLONIES BECAME A NATION (Constitutional Convention of 1787)
YOUR MAMA (a celebration of mothers and daughters)

Middle-Grade:

ALL OF ME (contemporary fiction; verse novel; body image)
ALL THREE STOOGES (contemporary fiction; friendship, death of a parent to suicide)
ALMOST PARADISE (contemporary fiction; a “reverse coming-of-age story”)
ALWAYS, ABIGAIL (contemporary fiction; friendship, popularity, bullying)
ALONE (verse novel; survival story)
BEGINNERS WELCOME (contemporary fiction; grief, loss, healing)
BIRD (contemporary fiction; grief)
BLOOD MOUNTAIN (contemporary fiction; survival; adventure)
BUBBLES (magical realism; learning to ask for help)
CALL ME SUNFLOWER (contemporary fiction; family)
CATERPILLAR SUMMER (contemporary fiction; North Carolina coast; neurodivergence)
CHAINED (contemporary fiction; India)
CINNAMON MOON (historical fiction; Peshtigo, Wisconsin fire)
COUNTING THYME (contemporary fiction; sibling with cancer)
A CRACK IN THE SEA (historical fantasy)
DOUBLE VISION: CODE NAME 711 (contemporary fiction; spies)
ENGINERDS (contemporary humorous fiction; STEAM)
THE EYE OF MIDNIGHT (historical adventure; 1920s New York)
FENWAY AND HATTIE (contemporary fiction from a dog’s point of view)
FISH IN A TREE (contemporary fiction; dyslexia)
GIANT PUMPKIN SUITE (contemporary fiction; twins, pumpkins, and cellos!)
GRASPING MYSTERIES: GIRLS WHO LOVED MATH (biographical novel-in-verse)
GLORY BE (historical fiction; Freedom Summer)
THE HOUR OF THE BEES (magical realism; New Mexico)
HOW TO STAGE A CATASTROPHE (contemporary fiction; community theater)
I HEART BAND (contemporary series; middle-school band)
ICE DOGS (contemporary fiction; Alaska survival story)
INTO THE TALL, TALL GRASS (contemporary fabulism; family; New Mexico)
JUST SOUTH OF HOME (contemporary fiction; ghost mystery)
JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS (contemporary fiction; homelessness)
KEYS TO THE CITY (contemporary fiction; New York)
THE LAST BOY AT ST. EDITH’S (contemporary fiction; school life)
THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM (historical fiction; the bombing of Hiroshima)
THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY (contemporary verse novel; school life)
THE LAST GREAT ADVENTURE OF THE PB&J SOCIETY (contemporary fiction; foreclosure)
THE LAURA LINE (contemporary fiction with historical flashbacks)
LIKE A BIRD: THE ART OF THE AMERICAN SLAVE SONG (historical non-fiction)
THE LONELY HEART OF MAYBELE LANE (contemporary fiction; road trip, family)
MANY POINTS OF ME (ontemporary fiction; art, creativity, grief and friendship)
THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST (contemporary fiction; geography and science)
MAY B. (historical verse novel; 1870s Kansas)
THE MUTANT MUSHROOM TAKEOVER (lightly spooky sci-fi)
MY NEAR DEATH ADVENTURES (99% TRUE!) (historical fiction; Michigan lumber camp)
MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE (contemporary/fantasy; spoofs a genre)
ONE SHADOW ON THE WALL (contemporary fiction; magical realism; Senegal)
OPERATION PUCKER UP (contemporary fiction; theater)
PAPER WISHES (historical fiction; Manzanar, the Japanese internment camp)
PARCHED (eco fable; Africa)
A RAMBLER STEALS HOME (contemporary fiction; family, community, and home)
THE RAT PRINCE (fairy tale re-telling; Cinderella)
THE RAVENS OF SOLEMANO (historical fantasy; Italy)
THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE (contemporary fiction; magical realism)
RIGHT AS RAIN (contemporary fiction; grief)
RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN (fairytale retelling)
SEARCHING FOR SILVER HEELS (historical fiction; Colorado)
THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY (contemporary fiction; grief and loss)
SKIES LIKE THESE (a modern-day twist on Butch Cassidy)
SONG FOR A WHALE (contemporary fiction; Deaf culture and whales)
THE SPIRIT OF CATTAIL COUNTY (magical realism)
THE SUMMER OF HAMMERS AND ANGELS (contemporary fiction; West Virginia)
SURVIVING BEAR ISLAND (contemporary fiction; Alaska survival story)
THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED (historical fiction; Michigan)
THE TRAGICAL TALE OF BIRDIE BLOOM (fractured fairy tale)
THE TRAGICALLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF KIT DONOVAN (historical fiction; Nevada, 1905)
THE TRUTH AS TOLD BY MASON BUTTLE (contemporary fiction; self-reliance, bullying, redemption, hope)
THE UNFORGETTABLE GUINEVERE ST. CLAIR (contemporary fiction; memory loss)
THE UNLIKELY STORY OF A PIG IN THE CITY (contemporary fiction; belonging and acceptance)
TEN THOUSAND TRIES (contemporary fiction; soccer, family illness [ALS])
VILONIA BEEBE TAKES CHARGE (contemporary fiction; grief)
A VOICE FOR KANZAS (historical fiction; Bleeding Kansas)
THE WAY TO STAY IN DESTINY (historical fiction; moving, fitting in, family)
WHAT FLOWERS REMEMBER (contemporary fiction; Alzheimer’s disease)
WHAT GOES UP (contemporary fiction; family, satellites)
WHEN AUDREY MET ALICE (historical fiction; Presidents’ daughters)

Young Adult:

100 DAYS (contemporary fiction; progeria, friendship)
THE BALLAD OF JESSE PEARL (historical fiction; 1920s North Carolina)
A BREATH OF EYRE (contemporary fiction; JANE EYRE retelling)
EMILY’S DRESS AND OTHER MISSING THINGS (contemporary fiction; Emily Dickinson)
GILT (historical fiction; Henry VIII’s court)
IN ANOTHER TIME (historical fiction; WWII)
NEVER EIGHTEEN (contemporary fiction; grief)
THE PULL OF GRAVITY (contemporary fiction; progeria, parallels OF MICE AND MEN)
THREE THINGS I KNOW ARE TRUE (contemporary fiction; grief; verse novel)
UNDER A PAINTED SKY (historical fiction; Oregon Trail / California Gold Rush)
UNSCRIPTED (theater, improv, gender equality)
THE WICKED AND THE JUST (historical fiction; English/Welsh conflict)
THE WILD LANDS (contemporary fiction; survival; cli-fi)
THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS (historical fiction; 1890s America)