Books for Prep | |
 - Great picture book for upper elementaryThis is a wonderfully original book to use with students when I talk about the Underground Railroad in my class. Like the other teachers who have commented, I have found that that my 5th graders loved the book, and we built upon it as we wrote stories and created some artwork. I find it bizarre that anyone would use this book with young kids. A kindergartener does not know what slavery or the Underground Railroad is and is not developmentally able to understand those concepts. The book still works on some level, but the children really don't know what he is escaping from. Instead of going through all the explaining, which the 6 year olds won't listen to, but will make you feel like you gave them a history lesson on the evils of slavery (duh!), read a book appropriate book for their age level. If it's Black History Month, why not read a fun biography. The Pinkneys have written a lot. Bill Pickett, the cowboy, might be fun or you could read Ella Fitzgerald, and then read her song A Tisket A Tasket, which was recently published as a picture book. Just don't make little kids listen to explanations of every bad thing that happened in history. They don't understand and it just confuses them. Rating:  - My first choiceIn teaching preschoolers and elementary students about the Underground Railroad, a tricky topic even for grown-ups, this book is a godsend! I recommend it to all teachers, parents, any one who is trying to get the idea of Freedom Seekers' journey north across to their children. Amazing illustrations are a big part of why it works so well, but even without them the story is easy for young ones to understand. It uses animals--always a favorite with kids--and is quite suspenseful. It's my favorite children's book on the Underground Railroad to date. Rating: - Barefoot;Escape on the Under Ground Railroad by Pamela Duncan This book is a wonderful story depicting a run away slaves journey through a portion of the Underground Railroad, uniquely from the point of view of the animals who help him. The drawing are wonderful expressions of worry, fright, excitment, and joy. I would advise this book for any child, young or old, and for any classroom. Rating: - Wonderful book to illustrate point of viewI ordered this book to use as a read aloud with my fifth grade's class study of the Civil War. Little did I know that it would be a valuable tool for teaching point of view. This is a wonderfully suspenseful short of a young slave's escape through the woods on his way to the first stop on the Underground Railroad. What makes this story unique is that it is told from the forest animals' perspective. Well written, well illustrated, and destined to become a classic. Wendy Rating: - Barefoot Through the Pages of HistoryAs a fifth grade teacher, I am always looking for a book to entice my students and help them to gain background knowledge. This book is a phenomenal find. It puts the reader/listener right into the fear and terror of being a runaway slave from the very first sentence. But, more than that, is the unique way the author has chosen to present the story. I can think of no better book to present the topic of point of view. Not only is the story told from the point of view of the forest animals that the runaway encounters, but the illustrations NEVER alter the affect. Each picture shows the runaway from the eye level/view of the animal that is reacting to his presence. It is a very powerful book. This story has generated intense discussions as to whether or not they believe the animals consciously helped the barefoot escape the heavy boots, or whether the occurrences were merely coincidental. The students embrace the tone of the book and will often discuss how they originally did not care for the illustrations because they were too dark and made it difficult to see the details, but soon realized that they mimic what the barefoot is seeing -- a potent tool in immersing them in the story. The students were so enthralled by the way the point of view of the story was presented that they asked to write their own stories based on the point of view of our classroom pet, S'mores the Guinea Pig. Some choose to write from their own pet's point of view. Each and every one of the stories were wonderful to read, and though some may have been lacking in conventions and spelling, EVERY one of them shouted with an author's voice that was astounding. In association with Amazon.com | |