Teacher Resources - Caroline Starr Rose

Free Downloads

May B. Educator’s Guide
Blue Birds Educator’s Guide
Lost Colony timeline
Over in the Wetlands Discussion Guide and Activity Sheets
Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine Discussion and Activity Guide
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?

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:

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)
UNITE OR DIE: HOW THE THIRTEEN COLONIES BECAME A NATION (Constitutional Convention of 1787)

Middle-Grade:

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)
BIRD (contemporary fiction; grief)
BUBBLES (magical realism; learning to ask for help)
CALL ME SUNFLOWER (contemporary fiction; family)
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!)
GLORY BE (historical fiction; Freedom Summer)
HOW TO STAGE A CATASTROPHE (contemporary fiction; community theater)
I HEART BAND (contemporary series; middle-school band)
JUST SOUTH OF HOME (ghost mystery)
JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS (contemporary fiction; homelessness)
KEYS TO THE CITY (contemporary fiction; New York)
THE HOUR OF THE BEES (magical realism; New Mexico)
ICE DOGS (contemporary fiction; Alaska survival story)
RIGHT AS RAIN (contemporary fiction; grief)
THE LAST BOY AT ST. EDITH’S (contemporary fiction)
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 (non-fiction)
THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST (contemporary fiction; geography and science)
MAY B. (historical verse novel; 1870s Kansas)
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)
THE RAVENS OF SOLEMANO (historical fantasy; Italy)
THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE (contemporary with magical realism)
A RAMBLER STEALS HOME (contemporary fiction; family, community, and home)
RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN (fairytale retelling)
SEARCHING FOR SILVER HEELS (historical fiction; Colorado)
SKIES LIKE THESE (a modern-day twist on Butch Cassidy)
SONG FOR A WHALE (contemporary fiction; Deaf culture and whales)
SURVIVING BEAR ISLAND (contemporary fiction; Alaska survival story)
THE RAT PRINCE (fairy tale re-telling; Cinderella)
THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY (contemporary fiction; grief and loss)
THE SUMMER OF HAMMERS AND ANGELS (contemporary fiction; West Virginia)
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 TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED (historical fiction; Michigan)
THE WAY TO STAY IN DESTINY (historical fiction; moving, fitting in, family)
THE UNFORGETTABLE GUINEVERE ST. CLAIR (contemporary fiction; memory loss)
THE UNLIKELY STORY OF A PIG IN THE CITY (contemporary fiction; belonging and acceptance)
VILONIA BEEBE TAKES CHARGE (contemporary fiction; grief)
A VOICE FOR KANZAS (historical fiction; Bleeding Kansas)
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:

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)
100 DAYS (contemporary fiction; progeria, friendship)
THE PULL OF GRAVITY (contemporary fiction; progeria, parallels OF MICE AND MEN)
THE WICKED AND THE JUST (historical fiction; English/Welsh conflict)
THE WILD LANDS (survival; cli-fi)
THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS (historical fiction; 1890s America)
UNDER A PAINTED SKY (historical fiction; Oregon Trail / California Gold Rush)