Adapted from “Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys”: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men by Smith & Wilhelm
Richard
Richard is a 4th grader who really enjoys spending time with his friends at school. He is very active in after-school sports (football, little league, and basketball). His favorite class is art. That is where his creativity shines. He often makes up stories to go along with his artwork. Many of them are tales of adventure and fantasy. Though Richard enjoys sharing his artwork and stories with the classroom teacher, he does not enjoy reading the stories from class. His teacher has noted that Richard sometimes struggles with vocabulary words many of his peers understand. What are 2 books you would recommend the teacher suggest to Richard? For each book, tell me the following:
All of your group members’ names:
Title:
Author:
One to two sentences about the plot:
Where you found this resource (give the link):
Why do you think this student would enjoy this resource?
Title:
Author:
One to two sentences about the plot:
Where you found this resource (give the link):
Why do you think this student would enjoy this resource?
Zach
Zach is a 6th grader who has some friends he plays with during recess, but tends to be quiet during class. His teacher often finds Zach doodling in the margins of his notebook instead of paying attention during history or language arts time. Zach’s locker is covered with magazine cut-outs of comic book characters and pictures from action movies. Zach doesn’t read much outside of school, preferring to spend his time playing video games, or watching T.V. What are 2 books you would recommend the teacher suggest to Zach? For each book, tell me the following:
All of your group members’ names:
Title:
Author:
One to two sentences about the plot:
Where you found this resource (give the link):
Why do you think this student would enjoy this resource?
Title:
Author:
One to two sentences about the plot:
Where you found this resource (give the link):
Why do you think this student would enjoy this resource?
Serena
Serena is a 4th grader who has read all of the Ivy and Bean series (by Barrows & Blackall). Her teacher has noticed that Serena has started rereading the series, even though there are many other books available in the classroom library to borrow. Her teacher often notices Serena laughing and joking with her friends at recess, often being the spunky center of attention. Serena is able to read more difficult books and passages during class, and her teacher would like to recommend something new for Serena to read that might be a bit more challenging. What are 2 books you would recommend the teacher suggest to Serena? For each book, tell me the following:
All of your group members’ names:
Title:
Author:
One to two sentences about the plot:
Where you found this resource (give the link):
Why do you think this student would enjoy this resource?
Title:
Author:
One to two sentences about the plot:
Where you found this resource (give the link):
Why do you think this student would enjoy this resource?
Marcel
Marcel is a 7th grader who is on his way to failing English. He often complains that the classroom activities are “boring” or “uninteresting” and he says he “doesn’t get it” and he rarely completes the homework or assigned reading. At home, Spanish is the primary language spoken. Marcel’s writing is often simpler than that of his classmates, using less complex vocabulary, and shorter sentences & paragraphs. Those stories he does enjoy are those of students rejecting school and breaking out on their own, because he can often relate to those characters. He would much rather be hanging out with friends or looking at skateboarding websites than stuck reading a book. What are 2 books you would recommend the teacher suggest to Marcel? For each book, tell me the following:
All of your group members’ names:
Title:
Author:
One to two sentences about the plot:
Where you found this resource (give the link):
Why do you think this student would enjoy this resource?
Title:
Author:
One to two sentences about the plot:
Where you found this resource (give the link):
Why do you think this student would enjoy this resource?