Mystery

Using clues for quality!
 Mystery books have plots which often involve crime or other events which remain puzzling and unsettled until the conclusion. Often these book captivate young readers as they begin to piece together information. While reading these books, students are often reading carefully, hunting for clues and looking at books in an analytical way. Although this type of writing is in its own category, it can easily be (and often is) integrated across many areas of curriculum. Since there are many genres which this type of writing could over lap, it is important to be selective and use criteria for selecting quality. When looking into the criteria for this particular genre, it is important to use professional judgement. Elements to think about include:

• Appropriate content (dependent on students)
• Avoidance of stereotypes/misconceptions
• Foreshadowing/ suspense/ clues
• Believable story line/characters

This is a great genre to bring into the classroom.  However, it will be important to provide scaffolding and support in order to encourage understanding and development of detective skills (pulling out key details, making inferences, and predicting.) Often questions like "what do you think will happen next?, who do you think did it?, and why do you think that?," should be asked.

Examples
Double Identity (2005)by Margaret Peterson  
 According to the Lexile measures and the CCSS qualitative measure ranges for text complexity grade band, this book is appropriate for 4th and 5th graders. I would agree with. With support, I believe that students in 5th grade could independently read this book. However, I would recommend this book as a read aloud for 4th grade. Big issues addressed with this text are individuality and family and social structures. Written from the perspective of a thirteen year old girl, this book is captivating, mysterious, and quick to read. The characters voice really sticks out and clues are given throughout the text. With much discussion about the right/wrongness of cloning, this book is connected to local, national, and global issues involving debates with science and technologies. Overall, this book would most likely be enjoyed by students. However, for students to build a deep understanding of what is going on in the book, it is important they understand what to look for in a mystery and how to pick up on clues. Lessons created around foreshadowing and focusing on details mentioned in the text can help student put pieces of the mystery together.


Robert and the Snake Escape by Barbara 
 With consideration of Lexile measure and the CCSS text complexity bands, this book  is recommended for Kindergarten-1st grade. However, looking into the vocabulary words and length of story, I would say this text would be more suitable for 1st graders and 2nd graders. The book might be used as a read aloud for 1st grade. In this short book, the theme of losing, searching, finding is dealt with. Through these experience, the author provides many areas of comic relief which young students would greatly enjoy. This book encourages students to look at clues around them and in their communities when investigating. It can also help them become aware of how people may solve mysteries or crimes in their communities. In order to help students comprehend this text more in depth, I would encourage pairing it with a classroom mystery. Perhaps all the markers have gone missing, maybe the chairs are gone, or what if all the computers are missing? By building a lesson around a mystery and focusing on investigative techniques, teachers can help build background knowledge and increase student understanding.

Realistic Fiction

Be Particular!
Realistic fiction is a great way to get students involved and connected to other peoples lives. Students can easily relate and react to the complex problems and situations which often the central focus of this genre. Due to the emotional ties that are often created by these books, it is important to choose quality literature. Elements to consider:

• Characters, setting, and experiences should be believable
• Language and actions used in story should be reflective of the culture and social class which they live
• Writing should be objective and not stereotypical
•  Sensitivity to all people regardless of sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, socioeconomic level, social group and culture
• Challenge readers to learn the importance of moral and ethical behavior

Due to the, often new, perspective these texts offer, teachers should create activities which help students draw conclusions after considering all the events, facts, and perspectives. Encouragement toward using personal perspective and moral and ethical judgements should also be provided.
These books are also great for reluctant young readers. Often they are fast-paced and begin with hooks that capture readers attentions. When selecting for reluctant readers, choose books which have a limited number of characters, flashbacks, or subplots. More information and ideas about selecting realistic fiction can be found at education.com.

Examples of Quality
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Taking into consideration Lexile level and the CCSS text complexity band, this text is considered appropriate for students in fourth and fifth grade students. However, with considerations of topic and intense emotions it may bring about, I would also highly recommend this text for high school or middle school readers. It might also be great for ESL students. I would recommend this book as a read aloud for grades 4 and 5. Lai provides beautiful and vivid imagery throughout this book. These images can strike up intense emotions among students because it may be a reality for so many students. Much migration to America is happening today. Many refugees are part of our schools and communities. Therefore, this text would be a great addition to help understand stand or relate to the pain refugee students can go through.   Since this book is written in prose, I would also suggest that much discussion about what is going on in the narrators life be used. I believe this will help students make connections. Overall, I would highly recommend this book and plan on making it part of my future classroom.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
When analyzing the Lexile level compared to the CCSS text complexity, this book is considered an appropriate complex text between 6th and 8th grade. I would agree. This book would be appropriate to be read independently at 7th or 8th grade. If used as a read aloud, I would suggest it for grades 5 and 6. However, I would not go much earlier, due to the gang related content. In this books, themes of friendship, bulling, and integrity in overcoming challenges are described. One unique feature about the book is that a character introduces many vocabulary and definitions to students. Due to that fact that many students experience being bullied, students will easily relate and connect to topics in this book. Hopefully, students will also feel empowered by the integrity which the main characters demonstrate. Overall, I believe this is a story that students would enjoy. However, I would encourage class discussion and small group discussion about bullying and other obstacles faced in this book.

Historical Fiction

Finding the gems!
Historical fiction books are great tools for helping us experience the past. They can help us better create conceptual understanding of what life was like "back then." When incorporating these tools into our classrooms, we want to make sure we are choosing literature which truly reflects the experiences of historical figures. Therefore, it is important we use criteria for selecting quality texts.

•  It is important to examine if the text presents are well-told story which does not conflict with historical records. 
• Stories should portray characters realistically. 
• The story should take place in an authentic setting as well as have historical facts artfully folded in. 
• Most importantly, texts should avoid any stereotypes or myths. 

More information can be found at Scholastic's web page.
Notes for classroom use:
As mentioned previously, historical fiction books are great tools for helping students live out the past. They promote multiple perspectives, deepen background knowledge, and often pique curiosity. Therefore, they are great additions to classroom curriculum and literature collections.
When using these texts in the classroom, it is important to pair them with informational texts. These texts can help students sort out what information is historical and what information is fictional. It is important to select informational texts which provide accessible information for all readers.

Examples of Quailty
Dead End Norvelt (2012)by Jack Gantos
According to the CCSS complexity band for leveling texts, this book is appropriate for readers in grades 4-5.However, due to the multifaceted plot line and objectionable language I would suggest this text for the higher end of this grade span and possible the lower end of the 6-8 grade span for independent reading. Using this book as a read-aloud, I would suggest it would be appropriate for 5th or 6th grade. Students in these grades may easily be able to relate to the content and themes presented in this book. With emphasis on communities and different ways of living, families and social structures, and a tug-of-war between tradition and modernization, this book can bring up all sorts of discussion topics. Students may enjoy this text because of the interesting and somewhat humorous situations Jack gets himself into. Connections between local, national, and global issues dealing with finding a balance between the old and the new would also be a great addition to the understanding of this text. In order to further help students grasp onto the concepts in this book, it is important to pair it with an informational text related to the town and Eleanore Roosevelt. By discussing what is fiction and what is historical in this book, students can gain a better perspective of US history.

Never Forgotten(2011) by Patricia McKissack
The complexity of this text is measured at the grade level band of 2-3, according the the CCSS text complexity leveling band. The information presented in this book is complex in nature, however this complexity is supported through the detailed illustrations. This book would be a great read aloud in grade three. With the support of comprehension strategies and group discussion, students could connect to the story in this text. Themes of slavery, African-American history, families, and social structures are all a focus in Never Forgotten. The poetic descriptive language in this book invokes readers into a different time. Issues of authority, racial injustices, and discrimination in today's society are also reflected in this text and should be discussed among the class. Due to the poetic nature of this text, students may need support in order to fully understand what it is saying. One method of encouraging comprehension would be to use class discussion. It would also be helpful to pair this book with an informational text. This way students can distinguish what parts of this historical fiction book is history and what part is fiction.

Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Myths, Legends, Tall Tales, Fables

Choosing the best!
When selecting quality traditional literature to include in your classroom, there are many things that should be taken into consideration:

• ages, interests, and prior knowledge of reader
• true representations of the oral storytelling style
• teaches appreciation of culture and art from different countries
• portrays the culture accurate and not stereotypically
• uses dialects and languages of different countries
• inspires creativity through artistic expression
• acknowledges the goodness, compassion, bravery, and the human struggles of people from other parts of the world
• award winning titles
• multiple varieties of the same tales

 Notes for classroom use:
Fairy tales, folk takes, myths, legends, tall tales, and fables are all traditional types of stories. In tradition they have been told orally. Keep this tradition alive in the classroom. Share the stories through read-alouds and make sharing these stories a fun and learning experience. Encourage students to create their own fairy tales keeping their own cultural traditions in mind. Encourage student to create and share fractured fairy tales. Compare tales from different cultures and analyze what makes them different. Discuss how those differences affect the story and what they can teach about the different cultures. Encourage critical literacy in students by sharing stories that tell the tales from multiple perspectives.

Examples of Quality:
Ella Enchanted (1997) by Gail Carson Levine - Fractured Fairy Tale
According to the CCSS "complex text" standards, this book is considered complex for grades 2-3. However, with consideration of the format, text features (such as switch in perspectives), and length, I would consider this book to be an appropriate independent read for 4th grade.
When used as a read aloud, this book would be most appropriate for 2nd-3rd graders.
throughout this text, multiple layers of meaning are revealed. Ad the narrator of the story, Ella is cursed with the enchantment of obedience. This curse causes her to struggle with issues of loyalty, pride, self-esteem, and authentic love (issues that many students would face today). Levine's  creativity is delightfully portrayed in this this tale through the languages created for ogres, elves, and people. By supporting this text with discussion, more traditional Cinderella tales, and read-aloud/think-alouds, comprehension for all students can be more greatly achieved.

Adelita (2002) by Tomie dePaola - A Mexican Cinderella Story
This text would be considered a "complex text" for the CCSS in the grade span of 2nd-3rd grade. As a read aloud, this text would be perfect for 2nd grade. With the theme of good prevailing evil, Adelita brings insight into Mexican culture and tradition. The integration of Spanish Paola adds to this story brings the rich culture alive. As Adelita struggles with oppression from "evil", a representation of contoll (which can be seen at local, national, and global levels is represented). In order to support students understanding of this text, activities such as class discussion, a guest speaker from the Mexican culture, and exposure to multiple Cinderella texts can help.