Along the Reading Road: Exploring the American Civil War

2011 marks the 150^th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War.  That’s the sesquicentennial, for Reading Road Trippers who like to collect impressive vocabulary words. (Click the red-highlighted word for a pronunciation hint).

A Nation Divided: After Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, eleven southern slave states broke from the United States and formed the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America.  The other twenty-five states formed the Union, continuing to support the existing government and favoring the abolition (the end) of slavery.  After four long years of bloody warfare, the Confederacy surrendered.  Slavery was put to an end everywhere in the United States, and a long period of Reconstruction and rebuilding followed.

Civil War on Wheels in the LMC

Sounds like an important time in United States history... and sounds like a good time for a Reading Road Trip!  Let's pack our blanket rolls, load our knapsacks, fill our canteens, and join Reading Road Trip on a journey back in time: an exploration of one of the most important events in United States history, the American Civil War, with student-created historical blogging, illustrations, and written and video book reviews. 

In LMC class, Mrs. Cifrodella introduced one of our fifth grade Reading Road Trip titles, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick (RL 5.6). The story follows twelve-year-old Homer as he escapes from his unhappy foster home in Pine Swamp, Maine, and sets out to find his beloved older brother, Harold, who has been illegally sold into the Union Army. This 2010 Newbery Honor book combines historical fiction, humor, and adventure.  It has quickly become a Lafayette favorite.  

Shaping a biography: Vinnie and Abraham by Dawn FitzGerald (RL 5.3).  Tells the true story of Vinnie Ream, a self-taught teenage sculptor who won the commission to create the statue of Abraham Lincoln that stands in the United States Capitol rotunda.

Non-Fiction and a Bit of Time Travel! Ghosts of the Civil War by Cheryl Harness (RL 4.7). The ghost of Willie, President Abraham Lincoln's older son, transports a young girl back to his own time, where she sees and hears many things from both sides of the Civil War.

 

Meni G. investigated the Battle of Antietam, the first major battle of the Civil War to take place on Northern soil.  The Union and Confederate armies fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with over 20,000 casualties.

The Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War-- by Meni G.

During the first three days of July in 1863, the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia clashed near a small town in south-central Pennsylvania.  The Battle of Gettysburg, often described as the turning point in the Civil War, claimed the largest number of single-battle casualties in the conflict.  The Last Brother (RL 5.5), written by one of Lafayette School's past visiting authors Trinka Hakes Noble, follows eleven-year-old Gabe, a bugler in the Union Army, as he tries to protect his older brother during the Battle of Gettysburg.  Let's check out a video book review of this historical fiction picture book, created by Reading Road Trippers Megan C. and Ellie G.

During the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate troops made a violent, unsuccessful attack against Union soldiers  positioned on a small rocky hill south of town.  Reading Road Trippers Quinn T. and Kieran K. researched the famous battle of Little Round Top:

Check it out: Civil War Historical Fiction in the LMC!

Iron Thunder: The Battle between the Monitor & the Merrimac: A Civil War Novel by Avi (RL 4.3). Thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll takes his place as head of the family after his father dies fighting for the Union. Tom's job at the local ironworks and his loyalty to the Union come into question when he is approached by Confederate spies to sell secrets about the ship to the South. 

 

My Last Skirt: The Story of Jennie Hodgers, Union Soldier by Lynda Durrant (RL 4.6). Enjoying the freedom afforded her while dressing as a boy in order to earn higher pay after emigrating from Ireland, Jennie Hodgers serves in the 95th Illinois Infantry as Private Albert Cashier, a Union soldier in the American Civil War.  

Bull Run by Paul Fleischman (RL 6.4). Northerners, Southerners, generals, couriers, dreaming boys, and worried sisters describe the glory, the horror, the thrill, and the disillusionment of the first battle of the Civil War. 

A Ballad of the Civil War by Mary Stolz (RL 3.8). Weary of the war, a Union lieutenant recalls his life with his twin brother on their family's Virginia plantation and the events that led them to fight on different sides in the Civil War.  

There's much more to explore about the American Civil War. Take a National Geographic Kids Civil War Quiz, and check out Reading Road Trip Civil War books in the LMC!

Sideways Back-to-School Stories from Lafayette LMC

It’s the first day of school.  Our imaginations and our backpacks are packed. Our minds and our pencils are sharpened. We’re ready to travel the literacy superhighway, and we're planning to explore some scenic reading backroads, too. Welcome to Lafayette School Reading Road Trip!  This year, our reading adventures will take us all over the map and across the timeline of history.  Fasten your seatbelts and get your bookmarks in gear.  And remember:  where we’re going, we don’t need roads!

Let’s get started with a few sideways back-to-school stories from one of Lafayette’s favorite authors, Louis Sachar:

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (RL 3.9). Humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built sideways with one classroom on each story.

Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar (RL 3.9). More humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, where students learn to tango, face the cafeteria's dreaded mushroom surprise, and study a hobo during show-and-tell.

Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger by Louis Sachar (RL 3.3). Unusual things continue to happen in the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built sideways with one classroom on each story.

Use your noodle!  Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School and More Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School (RL 5.1) contain oodles of math puzzles and brainteasers.

Check out this Sideways Stories comedy short, featuring Reading Road Tripper Charlie T. and his Dad, a Lafayette LMC volunteer:

Dig into an award-winning book!  Holes by Louis Sachar (RL 5.1).  As further evidence of his family's bad fortune, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a nightmarish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.  Reading Road Tripper Mila C. recommends this Newbery Medal winner to friends who are looking for adventure and suspense—and buried treasure-- in their reading!   


Let’s try our hand at a Holes-inspired treasure hunt: The Treasure of Green Lake. When we’re tired of digging, we can take a break with the Holes Match ‘em up Challenge game.  Just click on the red-highlighted words.

Back-to-school books by Andrew Clements are very cool!

Frindle by Andrew Clements (RL 4.8). When he decides to turn his fifth-grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.

No Talking by Andrew Clements (RL 5.0). The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest.

Lunch Money by Andrew Clements (RL 5.4). Twelve-year-old Greg has always been good at moneymaking projects.  He’s surprised, however, to find himself teaming up with his lifelong rival Maura to create a series of comic books to sell at school.

Troublemaker by Andrew Clements (RL 4.4). When his older brother gets in serious trouble, sixth-grader Clay decides to change his own mischief-making ways—but he cannot seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker.

 


Visit Andrew Clement’s Website to read an author biography, to learn more about Troublemaker and other books, and to explore some fun extras.

Meet new friends in the LMC! Daphne’s Diary of Daily Disasters by Marissa Moss introduces fourth grade diarist and doodler Daphne Davis… she’s sure to become a Lafayette favorite!

In The Name Game! (RL 2.8), Daphne uses her diary to chronicle her first day of fourth grade, which does not turn out to be as wonderful as she expected, thanks to a series of unfortunate mishaps.

In The Vampire Dare! (RL 3.6),  Daphne Davis draws and writes about her attempt to stop classmates from thinking she has cooties after what she thought would be a "cool" vampire outfit makes her the laughingstock of costume day.

Looking for a fun and fast-paced book?  Hang out with the NERDS! The madcap NERDS series by Michael Buckley combines the excitement and adventure of international espionage with the challenges and misadventures of elementary school. NERDS features a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school.  With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities!  We can spend time with the NERDS at their official Website.  And while we’re getting nerdy, let’s pay a video visit to NERDS author Michael Buckley:

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (RL 5.3). Five unpopular misfits combine their talents and use cutting-edge gadgetry to fight evil around the world.

M is for Mama’s Boy (RL 5.3). Led by Duncan "Gluestick" Dewey, the NERDS team uses brain power and courage rather than gadgets when they face off against super-villain Simon, his band of savage squirrels, and Albert, a middle-aged computer genius who lives with his mother.

The Cheerleaders of Doom (RL 5.1). Matilda "Wheezer" Choi, an asthmatic who uses nanobyte-enhanced inhalers and hates anything girlie, must infiltrate the cheerleading squad when former member of NERDS turned villain, Gerdie Baker, becomes a cheerleader and starts pillaging other worlds with the assistance of a device the criminal mastermind Simon helped her make.

Lafayette School's Library Media Specialist Mrs. Cifrodella—and trusty library aides Mrs. LaChance and Mrs. Massam—welcome you to the Lafayette LMC.  We invite you to join our Reading Road Trip. Lafayette Reading Road Trip… It’s Where the Reading Meets the Road! 

Whatever the Weather: Late Summer Reading, Rain or Shine

We're back on the road!  Whoosh and Whew! Whoosh and Whew! Where were you when Irene blew through?  As powerful Hurricane Irene churned its way up the Atlantic coast and slammed into New Jersey, Reading Road Trip took a break to help family and friends prepare for—and clean up after—the massive storm. We can learn more about hurricanes at Weather Wiz Kids and FEMA for Kids. Click on the red-highlighted words to get started.

Now that the storm has passed, we can check out Hurricanes by Seymour Simon (RL 6.2), available at the Library of the Chathams and in the Lafayette LMC.  The book, illustrated with satellite images and color photographs, discusses where and how hurricanes are formed, destruction caused by wind and rain in storms, how meteorologists rate and predict hurricanes, and precautions to take when a hurricane strikes.

Let’s celebrate the last few days of summer vacation with a fun book! Fourth grade math and science teacher Mrs. Scarpello enthusiastically recommends the very funny and very popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney.  The series follows the adventures and misadventures of sixth-grader Greg Heffley as he records, in words and pictures, the ups and downs of middle school life. Take a look at a Wimpy Kid Club Website and watch the exclusive series book trailer:

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal (RL 5.0). Greg and his best friend Rowley—two undersized weaklings—share the middle school hallways with boys who are taller, meaner, and already shaving! When Rowley grows more popular, Greg takes drastic measures to save their friendship.  Reading Road Tripper Matthew likes the book “because it is funny, easy to read, and has a picture on every page.”  Jack W. appreciates the humor in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid stories, while Peter P. recommends the series “to everyone who likes comic books.”

In the summer time, I like to... play wiffle ball, swim, and play Xbox 360.  -Will M.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (RL 5.7), Greg chronicles his summer vacation experiences and his many attempts to steer clear of trouble. When he returns to middle school, the Wimpy Kid tries desperately to keep older brother Rodrick from telling everyone about his most humiliating experience of the summer.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (RL 5.4). Greg attempts to live out his ultimate summer vacation fantasy: spending the days indoors playing video games, with no responsibilities and no rules.  His mother, of course, has a different plan, attempting to pack the summer with outdoor activities and family fun.

In the summer time, I like to... play video games, bounce on my trampoline, and swim. -Ethan A.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (RL 6.1). Greg nimbly sidesteps his father's attempts to reform his wimpy ways... and faces the looming threat of military school.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (RL 5.6). Greg tries to find a new best friend after feuding with Rowley, and older family members warn him that adolescence is a time to act more responsibly and to think seriously about his future.  Sam R. would like to read other Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, noting that “The last book is not the end… I think there would be more to write about Greg Heffley.” 

Sam is correct!  Coming to an LMC near you in November 2011: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (RL 5.6). The much-anticipated sixth installment in the series finds Greg stranded in a blizzard… stuck indoors with his family over the holidays.  Our favorite wimpy kid suffers from claustrophobia and worries that he and his family will not be able to weather the storm.

In the summer time, I like to... play video games, shop, swim, and play basketball and soccer. -Rishi W.

Whatever the weather, a visit with the Wimpy Kid brightens the day.  Next, let’s soak up some late summer sunshine with New Jersey author Wendy Mass!

The Candy Makers by Wendy Mass (RL 5.7). When four gifted twelve-year-olds-- including Logan, a candy maker's son—compete in the Confectionery Association's national contest to determine the country's tastiest sweet, nobody anticipates that a friendship will form between them.  Reading Road Tripper Katie S.  found that she could relate to the characters and the story.  And while Emilie D. believes that "The Candy Makers is one of Wendy Mass’s best books,” she also thinks that “it is a little too much like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Finally by Wendy Mass (RL 4.6). After her twelfth birthday, Rory checks off a list of things she is finally allowed to do.  Unexpected consequences, however, interfere with her involvement in a movie being shot at her school... and a weird prediction starts to make sense. Chloe C. appreciates the humor in the book and likes that “it teaches you that you don’t need to be like everybody else.”

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass (RL 4.1). Amanda and Leo celebrate their first nine same-day birthdays together.  They fight on their tenth birthday and do not speak to each other for a year.  As they prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately, peculiar things begin to happen: the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over and over again….

11 Birthdays by Lydia V.

The reviews are in, and Reading Road Trippers have a lot to say about 11 Birthdays!  Clara T. “never read anything like it before," while Emily C. gives the book five stars, stating, “It is really funny… I can relate to it.” Cate B. recommends the book because “it is a good fantasy book that is also realistic.” Bella F. offers, “It teaches you about the importance of friendship,” and Shaye C. and Maggie H. suggest it to “people who are having trouble with their friendships.”

11 Birthdays by Emily C.

Mary A. appreciates the humor of 11 Birthdays; Brianna F. describes the story as “magical, amazing, and fantastic.” Brooke M. and Emma B. caution that some readers may find the repetitive story line a bit boring. Lydia V. calls the book “a good mix of drama and mystery.  It’s fun when you can relate to a mystery… It was confusing in parts but came together with a great ending.”

11 Birthdays by Mary A.

Grace C. sums it up: “11 Birthdays is interesting… Even though it’s the same day over and over, new things happen, and you don’t know what’s going to happen next.” 

We've learned a lot this summer. It's true: sometimes we don't know what's going to happen next!  But we've also learned the importance of family, of good books and good friends... and that every day on our Reading Road Trip offers new and exciting adventure!