Chrysanthemum - Picturebook

     Chrysanthemum by John Henkes is a picture book about a young female mouse with a strange name that gets her criticized in school. The theme of the book is all about loving who you are and not worrying about what others think of you. It's set in a small town, generally around the school with a few parts in Chrysanthemum's home. The illustrations are bright and beautiful with a more sketched look, and cover full page. The book falls under the picture book genre as it is paired with easy text for young readers and full page illustrations that compliment the book nicely. This book would work well for first day kindergartners to ease their nerves and get them excited about the rest of the year. As Chrysanthemum introduces and expresses herself in the book, students could use a piece of paper with a printed, black and white Chrysanthemum picture, glue a small picture of their face taken by their teacher in the middle, and on each peddle write something about themselves, or instruct their teacher with what to write. These could be hung on the door or just outside the classroom to introduce the class. A teacher could also use this to teach students a mini lesson on bullying, and could be read at the end of the day or as a reward.

Reader Response:

1. Why do you think the other girls would pick on Chrysanthemum for something she didn't choose, like her name?
2. If you were Chrysanthemum's teacher, what would you do about the bullying?    

 I have always loved this book and found it very intriguing. My mother read it to me when I was little and I plan to read it to my children and one day my students. Henkes illustrations are very colorful and humorous and compliment the book well.

References:

Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum. New York: Greenwillow, 1991. Print.

Galda, L., Liang, L. A., & Cullinan, B. E. (2010). Literature and the child. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs - Fractured Fairy Tale

     The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Sciezska is a twist on the traditional story of the trio of swine brothers. This book is from the perspective of the wolf and how he was framed for eating the pigs, and he's actually innocent. This book is considered a fractured fair tale because it's a traditional fairy tale that is modified in such a way that makes readers laugh at the characterization, plot development or, in this case especially, contrary point of view. 

     The illustrations in this book are very well done and compliment the book well. The full pages of illustrations have plenty of color, just not the traditional pinks, blues and lime greens. They really capture the events of the book in a fun and humorous way. The setting is in the little town the 3 pigs and wolf live in, and the theme is how the wolf was framed and how he was wrongfully given the name "Big Bad Wolf". 

     This book would be perfect to use in a lesson about points of view, and how things can be biased or skewed based on the source of information. Teachers could introduce the lesson by asking students to think of times information was given incorrectly to or about them. (Like when their little brother tells mom the story of why there's marker on the wall, in which he is the bad guy and the little brother is the hero). Then, the teacher could read the book with inflection and enthusiasm and go into the lesson on points of view.

     This book could also be used to model good reading and work on compare and contrast skills. Students could hear the story, and the story of the three little pigs, and then work on a compare and contrast worksheet to discover the similarities and differences between the two stories.

Reader Response:

1. Given what happen with the first little pig, why do you think Mr. Wolf continued to search for someone to give him sugar for her sweet, grandma's cake? 
2. If you were one of the little pigs, what would you have done to stop Mr. Wolf from blowing sneezing your house down? 
3. Analyze the two stories. Do you believe Mr. Wolf? Or do you think he's still guilty?

     I absolutely adore this book. It's a super fun, humorous and cute twist on the traditional story we all know and love. It gets students thinking and keeps them engaged. The illustrations are fun and compliment the story well, thus enhancing the quality of the book. I think this is a wonderful addition to any classroom!

References:

Galda, L., Liang, L. A., & Cullinan, B. E. (2010). Literature and the child. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Scieszka, Jon, and Lane Smith. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. NY, NY: Viking, an Imprint of Penguin Group (USA), 2014. Print.

Orcas - Nonfiction

      Orcas by Claire Thorp is a non-fictional book including maps, charts, photographs, definitions, statistics, facts and more information on other sea mammals. This books falls into the non-fiction category because it provides factual and informational text with the purpose of informing readers. There are whole page photographs in place of illustrations. This book is well organized and accurate with appropriate design to keep readers engaged. 

     This book could be used in the classroom on a lesson on sea mammals. One group could do sea lions, one orcas and one dolphins and create a presentation to be shared with the class. Due to the amount of factual information and detailed photographs provided, students can learn a lot of orcas behavior, pods and physical structure. This activity would provide students the opportunity to use their skills to learn from the text, work collaboratively and present in front of a group.

     This book could also be used to teach students how to analyze maps and charts to understand what it's portraying. Orcas are a fun subject for students and they can keep students engaged when learning about how to analyze charts.

Reader Response:

1. How does the orca vary from other whales?

2. What characteristics do orcas and dolphins have in common?

     This book is provides a lot of well detailed information on orcas for students and I believe it would be a great addition to any classroom. Students can benefit greatly from learning about such intelligent, emotional and magnificent creatures.

References:

Throp, Claire. Orcas. London: Raintree, 2013. Print.

Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe, (2010). Literature and the child. Belmont, CA:Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. 

Do You Really Want To Meet An Orca? - Non-fiction

     Do You Really Want To Meet an Orca? by Bridget Heos is about a young girl who goes to the coast of Norway to view killer whales in their natural habitat and observe their behavior in their family units, or pods. This books falls under the informational text or non-fiction genre in that it is written for the purpose of informing and it is based on facts and information told in a narrative form. Their are no illustrations in the book but rather photographs of killer whales and their pods. These are full paged, colorful photographs. The style is at a very basic level, easy for young readers to grasp but still engaging.

     This book could be used prior to a Seaworld field trip. Students could read it prior to attending and for the sake of educational purposes, note anything they learned at Seaworld that was or wasn't in the book. Reminding students of this prior to reading will keep them focused and engage both during reading and at the theme park. The following day students can then use a worksheet to note the similarities and differences between the book and what they learned.

     An additional activity for this book could be used when students are learning about mammals. At a young age children learn about the difference between mammals, reptiles, etc and this book could help to aid in that learning. Students are generally familiar with orcas so this book could help to spark their curiosity and keep their attention. This could be used as a center activity in which students learn about different sea mammals at each station. Students could read this book, and then draw their own orca and identify five facts about it on their drawing. Kinesthetic and artistic students will be very engaged in this activity and all students will have the opportunity to learn.

Response Questions:

1. Why are orcas known as "killer whales?"

2. What classifies orcas as mammals?

3. Do you believe orcas should be in captivity, in places like Seaworld?

     This book is a great informational and exciting read for students. It remains factual and accurate while still being engaging and interesting as it follows the story of the young girl. I feel students could benefit greatly from this book.

References:

Heos, Bridget. Do You Really Want to Meet an Orca? Place of Publication Not Identified:           Amicus Ink, 2017. Print.

Number of Stars - Historical Fiction

     Number of Stars by Lois Lowry was originally published in 1989. It is centered around ten year old Annamarie Johansen and follows her and her family's escape from Copenhagen during World War II. This book is a historical fiction book because despite the story and characters being fiction, the events of World War II and the life an escaping Jewish family would like during that time has many factual elements. The book has no illustrations but for the cover, which depicts a sad, young girl and gives readers a picture of the main character. The setting is during World War II, with characters being Jewish. The theme sheds light on WWII and the horrific events a Jewish family would experience trying to escape the Nazis and concentration camps.
     A classroom activity using this book could take place during a history lesson on WWII. Students could write a journal entry from the perspective of Annamarie. This would allow students to think deeper into a perspective very different from there own.
     Students could also use Number of Stars to learn about culture. In escaping the family encounter cultures and students could be divided into groups to study each culture encountered throughout the story and come together to share their findings.

     Reader Response Questions:

1. . Why might Kirsti be comforted by the fairy tale Annemarie tells her? Do you think that this fairy tale is also comforting to Annemarie?
2.  Who does Ellen pretend to be when the soldiers come to the Johansen’s home? How did you feel when the Nazi solider ripped the picture of Lise?
3. Do you think of yourself as a brave person? Why or why not? What is your definition of bravery?

     This book would make a great addition to a 3rd-5th grade classroom. I've always found books that give insight to the lives of families during WWII intriguing. This book offers a lot of knowledge about WWII, Jewish culture and what is what like to live during such tragic times.

References:

Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe, (2010). Literature and the child. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Lowry, Lois. "Number the Stars: Lois Lowry's Journey to the Newbery Award." The Reading Teacher 44.2 (1990): 98-101. Number the Stars. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Bud, Not Buddy - Historical Fiction

     Bud, Not Buddy is a book by Christopher Paul Curtis about a 10 year old orphan from Flint, MI. It takes place in 1936 when Bud is placed with the Amoses, his third foster family. Unfortunately his new brother bullies him and Bud runs away to find a perfect family. This book is in the historical fiction genre. Historical fiction consists of imaginative narratives grounded in the facts if our past. This book fits that genre because though a fictional story there are real events and the story sticks through to the same atmosphere one would experiences in the early 1900s. This book is without illustrations, however the front cover shows a picture of Bud Caldwell with a neutral background and enhances the books quality. The setting is in an old city, and eventually many cities as Bud makes his journey to find a perfect home. Over the course of the story Bud learns more about himself and his history, a characteristic of historical fiction characters. The theme is about pursuing what's important and finding yourself along the journey. 

     A classroom could use Bud, Not Buddy to do a minilesson on bullying. Bud is bullied when he is adopted into the Amoses family, by his new brother. A teacher could address the effects of bullying and have students change the course of events to find a solution. Students could write out a new ending that would  help Bud to overcome the bullying he experiences.

     Another activity for the classroom could be used during Black History Month to teach children about the experiences African American children faced in the early 1900s. Children could create a book of what their life would be like if they lived in that time. 

     Reader Response:

1. Why is Buddy so self-conscious and protective of his name? What is special about his name?
2. What was your impression of the Amoses family, through Bud's description? What did they think of Bud?

     Personally I think Bud, Not Buddy is a great book for children. It's structure and word choice is a great example of quality literature. I would suggest this book to be a part of a typical classroom's library.

References:

"Bud, Not Buddy Summary."GradeSaver. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Villafana, David. "Bud, Not Buddy Reading Responses." Prezi.com. N.p., 10 May 2012. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe, (2010). Literature and the child. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

The Face - Folklore

     The Face retold by S.E Schlosser is about a young medical student, insecure about his father's asylum confinement, falls in mutual love with another med student. He is consumed with jealousy and rage even when his girlfriend simply asks another male student for a pencil. Finally, his jealousy consumes him wholly and he kills his girlfriend and cuts off her face. He goes to live in the padded room next to his father when his roommate finds the ex girlfriend face in his desk drawer. To defend my sanity, I was not thinking that's how this story would go after randomly selected it.
     This story falls under the genre of folklore. Folklore, generally with an unknown author, is passed down from generation to generation with the intention of educating or entertain it's listeners/readers. All known cultures have folklore with common themes. Though stories may be revised each time their told, their theme or message remains the same. This story is no exception. With the intent to entertain and provide a good ghost story and teach about the negative effects of jealousy and rage, it fits perfectly into this genre. There are no illustrations for this story.
     The style of the story is told in third person, with a narrator tone. The setting is in a modern day university. The theme is a spooky ghost story, including elements of rage and jealousy. It is highly emotional, same as the characters within it.
     I would not recommend using this book in an elementary school setting, simply because it is quite spooky and gory. However, for middle school, high school or a very mature set of fifth graders, this story could be told during a unit on emotions in literature. Accompanied by other highly emotional pieces of literature, like Romeo and Juliet, a teacher could use this to talk about rage and jealousy. The teacher could have students share a time they were jealous or angry about something prior to telling the story. After the story, a teacher could have students change the ending to something lighter. Like the medical student learning to overcome his jealousy and fits of rage and the two live happily ever after, or even the girlfriend getting away in time and committing the medical student to helpful treatment. The ending should be left up to the discretion of the student. This will allow students to use their imagination while still following the conventions of the story. It can also be used to measure how well students picked up on different aspects and elements of the story.
     Another activity for The Face in the classroom could be when doing a unit on folklore. There are many versions of folklore, from tall tales, to myths and rhymes. Ghost stories around the camp fire are a common folklore not many of us think of as such. This could be a great way to introduce the subject. Without telling students what you're reading or why, the teacher could simply begin reading the story, maybe shutting off the lights and lighting up a single flashlight for effect. This would keep students curious and interested, and perhaps give everyone a good chuckle when they realize the purpose of the ghost story. Lessons should start out lighthearted a fun, yet spooky and intriguing works all the same.

Reader Response Questions:

1. Why do you think the medical student became so enraged when Sheila would call him "crazy" or "mad?"
2. Based on your personal judgement, do you feel the medical student could change his spurts of anger if given the chance?
3. If you were Sheila, and you noticed a repeat pattern of the medical students jealousy and age each time you spoke to a member of the opposite sex, would you continue to forgive him? Why or why not? Be specific in detail in your answer.

     This story really surprised me. I was not expecting such a gruesome ending. Had I known, I would have chosen another story since making activities for elementary students with this type of ghost story can be difficult. Rather than finding a new story I stuck with it, knowing it would bring a challenge. However, I do feel this story could be a good way top introduce folklore to middle schoolers, that's generally an age where weird and gruesome things are a topic of interest anyways. Though it was strange, it definitely had the elements of a quality ghost story folklore.

References:

 Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child. Belmont: CA.

  "The Black Cat's Message." The Black Cat's Message: From Halloween Stories at Americanfolklore.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. 

   

The Black Cat's Message - Folklore

     We've all heard of the black Halloween cat, and their undeniable correlated to witches and magic. We've even heard that one crossing your path means 7 years of bad luck. The Black Cat's Message sticks true to that tale, as an older couple accept a new cat inside their home, despite neighbor's warnings, and soon come to realize that the suspicions reign true, they're new family member is a witch. Actually, she's the queen of all witches.
     A Black Cat's Message falls in the Folklore genre because it has an unknown author, originated by word of mouth, includes elements of fantasy and entertains its readers. Most folklore is intended to teach readers or guide behavior. It varies culture by culture and often expresses beliefs, values and customs. There are many categories in folklore, from animal tales, tall tales, fables, myths, rhymes and fairy tails. This story falls under animal fantasy, because it includes talking animals. There can be illustrations in Folklore, however in the original stories there obviously are not, and this book is not an exclusion.
     The style of this story is easy to follow and very imaginative, as the author gives great detail to the characters and their actions. For instance, "I bent down and scratched the yellow cat under the chin.  She purred and stretched." (Americanfolklore.net) The setting is in older times, the wife stays home to care for the house and the husband, despite being retired, goes out and works at the mill and still attends to the farm and other homely duties. I believe the point of the story is to entertain and continue to the beliefs that cats are magical, mystery and witch-like. 
     One activity using this folklore in the classroom could be done during centers the week of Halloween. Generally students are a little hyped up this week so educators work to make it more relaxed and fun. There could be a center in which the students sit with the teacher and read through this story together. Prior to reading, the teacher could ask students what they've heard about black cats, and if they find them spooky or not. This could lead to the discussion on myths and folklore. After reading, students could rewrite the story from the perspective of the cat. It can be a fun and exciting way to get students thinking and including literary elements in their story. It could also demonstrate their level of reading comprehension.
     Teachers could also use A Black Cat's Message to teach about cultures. For instance, in American culture we believe in "luck." Broken mirrors are bad luck, four leaf clovers and lady bugs brings about good luck! Now, that may not have originated in our country but "luck" is discussed often in our culture. Teachers could begin with a discussion about culture and ask students to share what background knowledge they have on culture. From here, the story could be read with enthusiasm, and then the class could break into small group to tackle a worksheet on the similarities and differences in our culture and others. Group 1 could have Mexican culture, 2 could have Indian, 3 could have European, and 4 could have Asian culture. From here, students would use resources to answer questions like "What's the biggest difference between our culture and _______?" or "List and explain the similarities," etc. Then, students could share their findings to the class so that everyone gains insight on the various cultures.

Reader Response Questions:

1. Did you ever find out who Aunt Kan was?
2. Explain why Donald had a fainting spell.
3. Determine why the orange cat chose to be with Donald and Ethel.

     I loved this cute little story. It really got you thinking and kept you hooked throughout. It's a classic tale on witches and cats, but with a light hearted tone. My favorite part was the ending:

"The bad news is that our cat has just left us to become the Queen of the Witches.  We’ll have to get another cat.”

      “Oh no,” I said immediately.  “I’ve had enough of cats.”

     We got a dog."

Resources:

 Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child. Belmont: CA.

  "The Black Cat's Message." The Black Cat's Message: From Halloween Stories at Americanfolklore.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. 

Love You Forever - Picturebook

     Love You Forever is a children's picture book written by Robert Munsch and published in 1986. The book is based off of the relationship between a mother and her son, which soon reverses perspectives. Munsch wrote the book after he and his wife had two stillborn babies. This book is iconic for it's repetitive lines:

"I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living, 

My baby you'll be."

    

     Picturebooks are notorious for their ability to tell a story with more than just words. These books cannot simply tell a story with words on a page, the pictures tell elements of the story that words can overlook. There are fiction, nonfiction and poetry or song genres of picturebooks. They often are used to teach students different things, despite their age. The illustrations add to the quality of the book as a whole. '

     The illustrations in Love You Forever are whole page, in beautiful color. The pictures are on the previous or following page of the page containing the text. The images appear almost pencil and paper sketched, with soft yet brilliant watercolors and a continuous base color of blue. 

       The style of this book is written in the style of third person. It focuses on the mother and son alone. The style of Love You Forever allows the reader to fully grasp what's happening in the story, accompanied by the large illustrations. The setting is in the home of the mother and son, which is depicted through words and the images. The author restates the scene many times as the mother crawls across her son's bedroom floor to cradle him as he sleeps.  The theme is the growing relationship between mother and son, and the unconditional love it endures forever. The plot is repeated many times, the mother sets her son to sleep and comes to hold him each night, singing her love for him even as he grows into adulthood. When the son becomes a father himself he sings the same lullaby to his child, and then again to his mother as she ages and he cradles her. Both characters are seen as loving and caring family members, and Munsch shows the fun side to the son as he ages, from messy kid to silly teenager. 

     This book could be used as a Mother's Day activity. Before reading to the whole class, the teachers could ask students to spend a little bit of time reflecting on the love they have for their mothers, fathers or caregivers, and ask them to share their favorite memory of that person with their shoulder partners. After reading, the teacher could pass out homemade books, (papers bond together, stapled or with holes and tied together with ribbon) and have students make a story with the same theme as Love You Forever directed to their own mother or caregiver, and with their own story elements unique to their own lives. Teachers can chose to have students use to repetitive lullaby or create ones of their own. This would help students to evaluate the story and its parts, and include higher level thinking when students begin to create their own, yet similar, story.

     Love You Forever also delves into the deeper concept of the circle of life. Often children reading this book wont catch onto the mother passing on at the end of the story, and students that do may not understand what that entails. This could make for a discussion topic with older aged elementary kids. Now, teachers are not advised to close the book after reading and say "Okay kids, did the boy's mom die?", but rather have students retell the main events of the story. Teachers could also incorporate a worksheet to identify the main points throughout the story.

The mother holds her new baby boy. 

The son holds his mother, and sings her the same lullaby.

The mother holds her son as he grows into a teenager.

The son holds his daughter, and sings the same song to her as his mother did.

Reader Response Questions:

1. Why did the mother love her son, even when he flushed her watch?
2. Why do you think the son sang the same song to his child?
3. What was the message of this book?

     Personally, I LOVE this book. I always have. It's touching for me, because I can understand the love of a mother and child, from the child's standpoint. My mother and I are best friends, and it is because of her that I grew up loving this book. I've seen the same sacrifices the mother in the story makes, as my mom did the same. All I've ever had was my mother, so I have a lot of appreciation for Munsch's ability to capture that, even after such a tragedy in his own life. 

Sources:

"Love You Forever." Love You Forever | Teaching Children Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.

Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe, (2010). Literature and the child. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Matilda - Fantasy

     Matilda by Road Dahl is about an extraordinarily smart young girl who comes from a greedy and selfish family. Throughout the book Matilda nourishes her love for reading, learning and pranks all the while discovering her powers of telekinesis.
     This book falls under the fantasy genre, because it is believable, consistent, set in a logical world with a clearly defined conflict and strong characterization (Galda, Cullinan & Sipe 2010). The book has illustrations by Road Dahl himself that appear to be sketched with a pencil, with hard lines and obvious shapes. For instance, the bodies of the characters are generally rectangular in shape with pointy triangle-like fingers and noses. Illustrations are mostly half a page, near the beginning of the chapters. They're usually colorless yet still full of life. They enhance the story by helping readers to grasp a better understanding of the elements of the story. Dahl is very descriptive in the text and his illustrations demonstrate that. Dahl makes good use of literary elements, with the majority of which being similes and metaphors. This helps to convey the high intellect of the story's main character.
     Educators could do a problem/solution lesson after reading a few chapters in Matilda seeing as Matilda often faces problems with her parents and plays tricks to "keep her sanity". Having students pair up, one being the "problem" and one the "solution", teachers could have students act out or represent the main problem per chapter, and the same with the solution. This would show how well students absorbed the reading and if they understand problems and solutions. For a fun and quick individual assessment the teacher could ask students to write out another solution to a problem Matilda's parents may cause. Allowing students to get creative while still instilling legal limitations could make for a fun and exciting activity.
     Teachers could also focus on chronological order and sequencing using Matilda. There are many big things that happen throughout the chapters, and after reading teachers could ask students to work in small groups on individual work sheets to identify the main points of various chapters. If there are ten chapters and five groups, each group could identify the main points/problems/events in two chapters, and then come together as a whole class to discuss and simultaneously review the book. This can be done after the book is finished toward the end of the unit and make for a fun wrap up lesson!
     Reader Response Questions:

1. What two events led to Matilda's decision to play the second prank?
2. What evidence do we have that suggests Matilda might be a child-genius?
3. What is Lavender's "brilliant plot?"

     I am head over heels for this book and I always have been! It's incredibly fun for older elementary students. It provides a plethora of opportunities for teachers to use it in many subjects, math (because Matilda is astonishing at it), science (as they learn about the skinks), reading and so much more! It also serves as a wonderful direct listening activity, as I've done it before myself and had a blast! This is a high quality book with a lot to offer to it's readers.

References:

Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe, (2010). Literature and the child. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom - Poetry (multicultural)

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom

by Margarita Engle

     The Surrender Tree is a five part book, mostly through the eyes of Rosa, a medicine woman. It follows slavery, war, love and fear as she works to heal people through Cuba's fight for freedom. 

     This book falls under poetry, because it is entirely composed of poems. The subcatagory would be narrative poetry. Narrative poetry sets a story with characters, plot and theme into a poetic framework (Literature and the Child, 20101 pg. 157). The book is through Rosa's world, in a time when slavery was a big part of Cuba's country.

     

     Activities that could be used to motivate students in reading could be to create a Venn diagram of slavery as it is in the book and slavery in the United States. This could be used during history before, during and/or after reading. Another activity could be to create a foldable after reading that follows the story. The project could have five parts, just as the book did, with a picture and 1-2 sentences summarizing what happened in that section. The goal of this should be for a student who has never read the book to be able to use the foldable to understand the primary elements of the story. This activity could also be used to check student understanding. 

    

     A few reader response questions for the book could be:

• Why would those on "the outside" (slave hunters, plantations owners) call Rosa a witch?
• Explain what Rosa means when she says that hatred must be a hard thing to learn.
• Decide if you would have healed Lt. Death like Rosa did. Why would you? Why not?
• What do you think it would be like to be Rosa? What would you see as the most difficult and the best parts of her life?

     Personally, I find this book intriguing. It's composed of poems, which isn't the traditional way of telling a story, yet it is still captivating. Normally, in a story of freedom and slavery, the point of view would be through a slave, slave owner or someone who physically fought in the war. Yet instead, it is written from the eyes of a medicine woman, who is seen as a witch and hated, who, despite that, heals all, both good and evil. Rosa grows with the story and meets new people along the way. It can be used in many areas of the classroom and can engage all students. 

Resources:

BookRags. BookRags, n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.

"The Surrender Tree.pdf." Laii.unm.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.