1. 2008-2009 Virginia Readers’ Choice for Middle School Web Resources
Read 4 of 10 books by March and you can vote for your favorite with students from all over the state of Virginia.
presented by
Sabrina Carnesi
2008 VEMA Annual Conference
Friday November 7, 2008

2. H A T T I E B I G S K Y by Kirby Larson
2007 Children’s Book of the Year
2007 Newbery Honor
2007 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Montana Book Award
Story is based on life of author’s great-grandmother Hattie Brooks Wright.

3. Main Characters
16 year old Hattie Inez Brooks is an orphan living with whatever distant relative agrees to take her at any given time.
Her mother and father passed away, but her mother’s brother, Chester Wright, is still alive. Hattie has never met him.
When Uncle Chester dies and leaves Hattie his homestead plot in Vida, Montana. Hattie has one year to prep the land so that it will become hers legally.
There’s just one problem: some of the locals don’t want Hattie to succeed.

4. What Hattie Had to Work With
1917 – 1918
360 acres of homestead property
1 sparsely furnished single room homestead shack
1 barn complete with a cow and horse
1 chicken coop initially with no chickens
No Money

5. How orphans in the early 20th Century and present day are dealt with
Kirby Larson shows a clash of cultures as a small Montana community struggles with the economic and social pressures of surviving the harsh winters on the Great Plains during the throes of World War I:
The difference between the Homestead Act of 1850 and the Homestead Act of 1910
How orphans in the early 20th Century and present day are dealt with
Montana history and development
WWI
Journalism / Newspapers
Spanish Influenza
Anti-German bigotry & discrimination
Small Towns USA
Genealogy / Ancestors
Missing Adult Head-of-Household
Death

6. Interesting Tidbit Hattie’s Lighter-than-Lead Biscuits:
¾ cup cooked oatmeal, cooled
1½ cups wheat or rye flour
4 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
2 tbs lard, shortening, or butter
¼ cup milk
Mix oatmeal with sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in lard, shortening, or butter. Add milk and mix, forming a soft dough. Do not overmix. Roll out on lightly floured surface to ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter (or drinking glass) and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes.

7. Kirby Larson’s Website http://www.hattiebigsky.com/index.html

8. THE WAY WE EAT: Out of the Kitchen, Into the Field By MELISSA BREYER New York Times, Published: July 13, 2008
Newspaper feature story that highlights the lifestyle of six female farmers of the northeast. Currently, there are close to “20,000 female farmers” in the USA.
Gareth McConnell for The New York Times
Caroline Pam, with a young field hand (her daughter).

9. Additional Website Support
Montana Timelines for
Native Americans; Explorers and Trappers; Traders, Trappers, Sheepmen, Railroads, & Pioneers
Backwoods Home Magazine
A magazine that promotes self-reliant living
Letter Writing Generator
Self Reliance Guidelines
Women in Agriculture
Female farming is a growing trend in America

10. Companion Stories
THE KEEPING ROOM By Anna Myers Left in charge of the family when his father leaves their South Carolina home to fight in the Revolutionary War, thirteen year-old Joey Kershaw finds all his resources tested when General Cornwallis comes to town and chooses the Kershaw house as his headquarters.
SPARROW by Sherri L. Smith (YA Fiction) is the story of a seventeen year old girl who is orphaned when her grandmother dies and must find her own way in the world. Her journey leads her to New Orleans where she finds that family isn’t always blood and home is where you make it. This could have been a rather bleak story with all the tragedy entailed; instead it was warm and engaging.

11. The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer
2007 Children’s Book of the Year
National Book Award
The Sequoyah Native American Book Award Nominee
Great Stone Face Award of New Hampshire

12. Working Inside the Box
12 year-old foster child Gabe is taken to live with his mother’s aging older brother, Uncle Vernon, in Draydon, VA.
Gabe comes home and finds Uncle Vernon dead on the floor. For a day or 2 he pretends that everything is okay, and doesn’t even let his new friend Webber in on the news.
The box begins to crack when Uncle Vernon’s body disappears and Gabe finds a note in the mailbox that says, “Don’t be afraid…”

13. Working Outside the Box
Gabe’s unusual gutsy determination and survival strategies
Smitty, Uncle Gabe’s wartime friend, coming out of self-imposed hiding due to facial disfiguration from the war.
Gabe’s English teacher, Mr. Boehm, going beyond the classroom walls for a student in dire need.

14. Themes That Fit In and Out of the Box
Foster home care
Death
Extended Families
Traditional / Nontraditional Families
Small Town USA
Vietnam War
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Letter Writing
Genealogy / Ancestry
Missing Adult Household Head

15. Traditional Letter Writing is a Major form of Communication in The Mailbox

16. Web sites Available for PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder information at MedicineNet.com
Vietnam Veterans of America’s Webpage information and guidelines for assistance with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

17. Other Web sites Vietnam War National Monument
Vietnam War National Monument
Interview of author Audrey Shafer, M.D., Professor in the Department of Anesthesia at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Staff Anesthesiologist at the Veterans Affairs in Palo Alto (page 4):
Virginia Department of Social Services’ Foster Care Services:
National Postal Museum Activity Zone contains interactive sites for educating students on the history and function of the US Postal Service:

18. BL UE by Joyce Hostetter
PA School Library Association
The Best Children's Books of the Year
IRA Children's Book Award  
NC Juvenile Literature Award
Parent's Choice Silver Honor
Best Books of 2006 for Young Readers

19. Main Themes in the Shade of BL UE
Polio Epidemic in North Carolina in 1944
The Emergency hospital known as “The Miracle of Hickory”.
Race Discrimination
FDR
Death
WWII
The color / symbolism of Blue
Gardening for Self-reliance
Overcoming the Odds
Ann Fay’s Blue Bottle that catches all her tears

20. Shades of BL UE
13-year-old Ann Fay Honeycutt is given a pair of overalls and told she is now the “man of the house” while her dad is away fighting in WWII.
Her baby brother Bobby dies of polio, her twin sisters catch a very light version of polio that is thought to be temporary cold.
Ann Fay is burdened with her brother’s death and her mother’s grief when she is also stricken with the disease and hospitalized.

21. Imogen’s Brown Bottle that catches all her tears
Imogen’s Brown Bottle that catches all her tears. Ann Fay visualized it as the one her Mamaw Honeycutt kept on the mantle. There was a rainbow on it, and you couldn’t see through it to see how many tears were collected, because Imogen said nobody sees the colored people’s tears.
More Shades of BL UE
Imogen and Ann Faye’s struggle to maintain friendship against the Segregated Laws of North Carolina.
The death of FDR, which seemed like the death of hope for black Americans and common white Americans.
The poverty of the time, as illustrated in the fact that Ann Fay’s mother was too poor to afford a simple pine box for little Bobby’s body.

22. Web sites
Health and Healing in NC - an Interactive Timeline that features the Hickory Emergency Center of
Polio Vaccine – What You Need to Know
March of Dimes Foundation Official Site
Symptoms
of Polio
which in-
cludes muscle aches, stomach pain, and fever.
FDR Library and Museum
FDR Warm Springs Rehabilitation Institute

23. The Loud Silence of FRANCINE GREEN by Karen Cushman
Conformity
Catholic School Experience
Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Stars of Yesteryears: Montgomery Clift, Hopalong Cassidy
Joseph McCarthy
The Red Scare / Blacklisting
Freedom of Speech
Five and Dime Stores
Malt Shops
The Cold War

24. Characters that Shout Out
13 year-old Francine Green, whose opinion has never mattered to others, has always held her opinion inside…especially since the House Committee on Un-American Activities is blacklisting people who express unpopular ideas.
There's safety in silence.
Sophie Bowman, Francine’s friend and neighbor, is full of opinions and not afraid to speak them.
Sister Basil the Great is the principal of All Saints and 8th grade teacher that Francine compares to Hitler.
Francine lives in a pink stucco bungalow, on Palm Valley Drive

25. Websites that Shout The First Amendment
Discussion Guide on publisher site
Karen Cushmen’s Bio
Kids, Know Your Rights – A librarians guide for teaching Intellectual Freedom to kids.
The First
Amendment
“Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and
to petition the government for a
redress of grievances.”

26. Summary for the movie, Heiress, that
Montgomery cliff stars in.
Websites that Shout
Biographies of Montgomery Cliff, Hollywood movie star
Movies by Montgomery Cliff
Birthdate: October 17, 1920
Death date: July 23, 1966

27. Web sites that Shout
There’s really an All Saints Catholic School in Los Angeles!
3420 Portola Ave
K-8
124 Students
12 Students per Teacher
for additional contact info:

28. SURVIVING ANTARCTICA by Andrea White
2007 Young Adult Choices
Texas Blue Bonnet Award
Golden Spur Award

29. What’s Going On? The Time The Economy The Educational System
2083 and life is hard
Public schools are all
closed
Those that complete high school and college are either rich or winners of the Toss
The Economy
High unemployment / Few available jobs
Severe food shortage / Main staple is in the form of chips
The Educational System
Housed in the US Dept. of Entertainment
Requires all children in K-8 to watch TV to get their education on EduTV.
8th grade is guaranteed for all. HS is optional

30. What’s Going On Continued…
The TV Program: EduTV
Has to maintain high ratings for political purposes
High volume of Historical Reality Survivor Shows in which people actually die
D-Day Historical Survivor
Bubonic Plague Historical Survivor
The Civil War Historical Survivor
Antarctica Historical Survivor

31. What’s Going On Continued…
The Toss
Chance to compete on one of the Historical Survivor shows for $10,000 and the opportunity to attend HS and college.
The teen voted most valuable by the audience wins $100,000
Selection Committee is highly slanted

32. What’s Going On Continued…
The five 14 year-old Contestants
Andrew
watches a lot of TV, ancestor explored Antarctica, dad is overbearing
Polly
nationally recognized finalist on EduTV, lives with mom, dad is deceased, photographic memory, likes to read
Robert
from Houston, mechanical, has leadership skills
Billy
knows how to use compasses and understands longitude and latitude from playing computer games
Grace
an Inupiat Eskimo, lives on Indian reservation, good with animals, talks to dead grandfather

33. More of What’s Going On Continued…
The Challenge
Simulation of the 1912 Robert F. Scott Expedition
There were no survivors of the original expedition
The Helpers
Department of Education’s night shift crew
Steve: Lost his Toss. Works for EOE. Acts as The Voice
Chad: Edits film of teens to keep for blackmail purposes. Knows all the planned calamities for the competition
Jacob: Joins with Steve and Chad to help the teen succeed
Helping teens could lead to unemployment and arrest
The Enemies
Hot Sauce, Secretary of Entertainment:
Only cares about ratings on TV.
Looks down on others.
Conceited
Has a briefcase of 6 calamities to ensure there are no survivors from the show

34. What This Situation Brings to Mind . . .
School Choice
School Funding Issues
Robert F. Scott’s Antarctica Exploration
Survival
21st Century Learner
Reality TV
TV’s affect on learning
Krashen, Stephen. The Power of Reading, 2nd Ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, (ISBN )
New World Orders
Environmental Disasters
Overpopulation
Couch Potatoes / power of TV
Distant Learning
Ecology
Eskimo Tribal Groups
Wizard of Ozisms
Public School Systems / DOE

35. Fabulous Web Support!!!
Author biography
Andrea White’s extensively interactive website with prereading, during reading, and post reading activities.
Twin Otter at Terra Nova, off to Dome C

36. Fabulous Web Support!!! Terra Nova from the air
Dr. Eric Christian of NASA GSFC was in Antarctica for the launch of the balloon-borne instrument, TIGER. He answered questions about Antarctica and the mission while there and since.
Guided investigation of challenges faced when living and working in Antarctica, and the technologies that help researchers meet those challenges. Students examine the preparation materials provided by Antarctica support services and look at images of reasearchers living and working in game
Terra Nova from the air

37. More Fabulous Web Support!!!
Terra Nova
This section of the Enchanted Learning site focuses on . Learn some amazing facts about the coolest place in Earth. Explore a map and read about the geography, science animals, and explorers. You can even learn some jokes about Antarctica. There is a quiz included.
From National Geographic Kids, this site gives an overview of the routes taken by Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott in their race to the South Pole. Recounts the major events of the expeditions and the demise of Scott.

38. More Fabulous Web Support!!!
The Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica takes you to New Zealand, McMurdo Station, and the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Research Station, all part of a virtual tour of Antarctica. Lots of pictures and a relaxed style help to make this a fun and interesting trip.
Paul Ward, a marine biologist who spent two years in Antarctica created this multi-level website using his photographs and memoirs of the experience. Sections include history and a fact file, information about animal life, and travel information to the continent.
Hypertats in Summer Camp

39. ADAM CANFIELD of the SLASH by Michael Winerip
2008 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award
Michael Winerip is a Pulitzer Award winning reporter for the NY Times

40. THE CAST of Characters
Adam is co-editor of his school newspaper The Slash, along with Jennifer. Personality-wise, the two are opposites. Adam is laid back but extremely overscheduled, causing him to be late for everything. Jennifer is nurturing and dependable, and is always on time. Both are in the 7th grade.
Then there’s 3rd grade cub reporter Phoebe who pushes the need to do a feature story on Eddie the janitor., and opens up a can of worms when she observes the irony revolving around the annual “Brightest Smile” contest sponsered by the local dental organization.
Mrs. Marris the coniving principal of Harris Elem/M.S.
Miss Minnie Bloch who lived on the poor side of town, but left a $75,000 gift for Harris students.
Mr. Brooks, a social studies teacher whose hands-on approach to teaching has been stopped due to the demands of test-centered scheduling

41. RUNNING THEMES Journalism Public School Funding Freedom of Speech
Morality: Social/Ethical Qs
Rights/Responsibility Rules
Deception
Irony
Standardized Testing
Socio-Economic Groupings
Magnet Schools

42. WEBSITE CONNECTIONS
Discussion Guide for before, during, and after reading
On Journalism: National Elementary Schools Press Association
On Students’ Rights: American Civil Liberties Union

43. The Other Side of the Track – Politics of Economics
Shotgun Houses
Their Origins and Evolution : F
Photo, exterior, traditional New Orleans shotgun house.
Shotgun houses spaced tightly together in Louisville, Kentucky. In cities, shotguns were built closely together for a variety of reasons. F
Pictures of Shotgun houses in LA, MS, AL, GA, and FL.
This Old House Rebuilding Project in New Orleans
A modest shotgun house in New Orleans' Bayou St. John neighborhood shortly after Hurricane Katrina. Shotgun houses consist of three to five rooms in a row with no hallways and have a narrow, rectangular structure.
Habitat for the Humanities’ Musicians’ Village conceived by Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis.

44. HitleR’S CANAR by Sandi Toksvig
Children’s Books of the Year 2008 – Ages 9 to 12
Notable Books for a Global society 2008
National Jewish Book Award
This story is based on the author’s own family, including her father, Bamse, and the stories he told to her.

45. COMMoN THREADS Danish Resistance Movement WWII Concentration Camps
1943 Exodus
90% of the Danish Jews were moved to safety in Sweden
WWII
Concentration Camps
Racism
Nonviolent vs. Violent Resistance
Jewish Holidays
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur

46. WHAT’s GOINg ON? Germany invaded Denmark in 1940
12 year old Bramse Skovlund and his family chooses to ignor the dangerous circumstances and like most Danes, put up no serious visible resistance.
The British referred to them as Hitler's Canary; "They say he has us in a cage and we just sit and sing any tune he wants."
Bramse’s older brother Orlando joins the Danish Resistance which considered themselves first and foremost Danish, whether Christian or Jewish
Bramse and his family slowly join Orlando in the struggle to aid the Jewish citizens of Denmark and help them escape to Sweden and freedom, before the Nazis deport all Danish Jews on the 1943 Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur holidays.

47. WHY ThE NAZis CAME To protect Germany from British and French attacks
To control naval and shipping access to Germany and Russia
To use Danish factories to make arms for the Third Reich
A Different Viewpoint: Nazi Collaborators in Denmark.

48. MORE of WHAT’s GOINg ON
This is not a story about the good Danes and the bad Germans, but as Bramse says, “…good people and bad people”.
Bramse’s sister is in love with a German soldier
A high ranking German officer tipped the Danish government off on the German’s plan to deport the Jewish citizens during Rosh Hashana
A German naval officer discovers a cargo of Jews on a vessal heading for safety and announces he sees nothing in the hold, allowing them to continue to freedom

49. WEbSiTES
Study guide that features resistance movements in Chile, South Africa, India, Denmark, and Poland
Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
The Museum of Danish Resistance
© The Museum of Danish Resistance 1940–1945
A Danish man watches industrial sabotage during World War II

50. BLACK DUCK by Janet Taylor Lisle
2007 Best Book for Young Adults
2007 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
2007 Rhode Island Children’s Book of the Year
2007 Julie Ward Howe Young Readers Award
America’s Privilege Class
Gangster
Prohibition
Rumrunners
Journalism
Economics
Overspending
Stockmarket Crash

51. Whose riding the waves…
David Peterson – HS reporter looking for good story to hopefully get published.
Ruben Hart – Locally known to have been connected with the legendary rum runners of 1920s.
Jeddy McKenzie – Ruben’s best friend and local police chief Ralph McKenzie’s son who believed in “police business” and a distinct divide between right and wrong.
Marina McKenzie – Jeddy’s sister
Tom “One-Eyed” Morrison – Lived in shack on the beach
The Black Duck Crew – Viewed as local heroes by some and criminals by others

52. Whose disturbing the waves…
Charlie Pope – Local deputy
Tony Mordello – Dead body washed ashore w/ ”ticket”
Stanley Culp – NYC mobster
Real Life Mobsters –
Salvatore “Lucky” Luciano – Head of Genovese Crime Family.
Danny Walsh – Irish American mob boss from Providence. RI.
Al Capone – Chicago mob boss

53. Web sites that support the storyline
Website that documents historical account of the Black Duck’s exploits by the great nephew of the Black Duck’s skipper, Charles Travers.
Study Guide made available by the Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice Committee (state library of Louisiana)

54. …more Web sites that support the storyline
Discussion Module on Rhode Island Teen Book Award site
Official Coast Guard Perspective on Prohibition
Interview with author

55. A Fine Line Between Right and Wrong…
Leaves room for interpreting the choices made in this book that fell in the gray areas…

56. Motorboats of 1920s Speedboats of 1920s Kathrene 1926-27 Tony Boy 1920
Kathrene
Tony Boy 1920
Boomerang 1928
Speedboats of 1920s
1920s Vintage Wood
Run-about Dart
Speedboat
Miss England 1927

57. AIRBORN by Kenneth Oppel
Canada’s Governor General Award
ALA Notable Children’s Book
NY Public Library Books for the Teen Age
2005 Michal L. Printz Honor Award
Bulletin Blue Ribbon
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
The Ruth Schwartz Award --Finalist
BBYA Top Ten Book
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
Young Adult Book Award, Honor Book (CLA)
Book of the Year for Children, Honor Book (CLA)
Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers (YALSA)
2007 Louisiana Reader’s Choice Award

58. Whose at the Helm? Matt Cruse
15 year-old Cabin boy of the Aurora who lives to fly
Feels closer to his deceased father when in the air
Has worked as cabin boy since the age of 12
Holds no fear of heights
Rescues Benjamin Molloy from stranded helium balloon
Defends the Aurora against pirates lead by the notorious Vikram Szirglas

59. Whose Adding Altitude? Kate de Vries
Born to wealthy family
Travels with straight-lace chaperone Marjorie Simpkins
15 year-old Granddaughter of balloonist Ben Malloy
Keeper of her grandfather’s flight journal
Very knowledgeable of air flight
Her adventures while shipwrecked influences her future educational goals

60. Who Started the Ball Rolling? Benjamin Malloy
Attempts around-the-world voyage on hot air balloon Endurance
59 year-old Grandfather to Kate de Vries
Documents discovery of Cloud Cats

61. Where is more info on the Aurora, the Endurance, and airships? Websites
LRC Study guide for Airborn
Study guides and downloadable worksheets for Kenneth Oppel books:
Official Site for Airborn and Skybreaker, complete with flight info and news coverage from the Lionsgate Times Herald!!

62. Are there any modern day Airships? Mostly in Europe
Photo gallery of airships and blimps sponsored by a German air club
Historic commercial airship companies
Airship flights

63. What are the Additional Themes? Take a Look!
Airships / Blimps
The Hindenburg
The Goodyear Blimp
Hot Air Balloons
Trade winds
Altitude (600 feet / 75 miles per hour)
Pirates
Fairies
Darwinism
Theory of Evolution
Unknown Species
Geographic Regions
Victorian-like etiquette, mannerisms, and references
Feature length film, under the direction of Stephen Sommers, slated for 2008 release (3/16/08)

64. L.A., LINEA by Ann Jaramillo
2007 America’s Honor Award for Children’s YA Literature
2007 Children’s Books of the Year
2007 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People

65. The Journey by Ann Jaramillo
15 year-old Miguel and his 13 year-old sister Elena leave their impoverished village in southern Mexico to join their parents in California.
The siblings suffers greatly as they attempt to cross the border:
Dehydration
Violence by soldiers
Robbery
Near death experiences
And the “mata gente” (people killer)

66. Questions not answered by this book:
What makes people so desparate to come to America?
What roles do children play in this type of situation?
Should or shouldn’t people cross the border illegally?

67. Questions answered by this book:
Sign at the USA/Mexican border in San Diego, CA
What are some examples of choices teens have to make that involves their own survival?
Why is the “mata gente” is so emfamous?
What is the danger of travel from San Jacinto, Mexico to the US border in terms of danger and days traveled?

68. Web sites and Themes Lesson Plan Guide on Immigration and Immigrants
Unicef article on children crossing the border illegally
Times article entitled “Crossing with Strangers: Children at theBorder…”
© UNICEF TACRO/2007/Caraveo
18-year-old 'Enrique' walks past a mural dedicated to people who've died trying to cross the desert into the United States. Like thousands of other people in Altar, Mexico, he is there looking for a smuggler to get him across.

69. Interactive Site on 21st Century Immigrants
This is an online supplement to a PBS series focusing on the immigration experiences of people from Nigeria and the Dominican Republic. The site, targeted to students in grades 7 through 12, follows the stories of Nigerians living in Chicago and Dominicans recruited by the LA Dodgers to play baseball. This online "adventure" provides interactive opportunities to explore immigration through time lines, maps, and genealogy activities. The site includes a teacher's guide.

70. Are There Any…
QUESTIONS?

71. Thank you for attending…
Sabrina Carnesi
Library Media Specialist
Crittenden Middle School 
6158 Jefferson Avenue
Newport News, VA  23605
  Telephone
  Fax