addressing text complexity

A resource guide for educators

Penguin Young Readers Group

Common Core Curriculum Grades 58

M o t i vat e E l evate Educat e
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A guide to using fiction books in the

Making Independent Reading Meaningful

Text Complexity: The 10th Standard
Picture a classroom full of students reading. Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), or Daily Independent Reading Time (DIRT) all provide the time and space for students to read texts that target their interests, abilities, and themes to explore in a safe, supportive setting. But what are they reading? Have their choices been guided or encouraged to ensure good fit and active engagement? When you look closer at the classroom, is each reader engaged in a page-turner, or are they merely turning pages? Getting students to tackle increasingly complex texts with greater independence is at the heart of the Common Core State Standards. One could argue that each of the other nine anchor standards for reading depends on the tenth standard, in which students must learn to read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently (CCRA.R.10). Penguin Young Readers Group is here to help. Using the titles enclosed in this brochure, you can make independent reading more meaningful for your students, and provide a more enriching learning environment for your classroom and your school community. Using the categories Developing Character Choices and Challenges, Adventures and Struggles Through Time, Fantastic Fun, Tales of Magic, Dark and Light, and Author Studies Suggestions, support your readers interests and expand their understanding of the world. And most of all, have fun! Penguin School and Library

This guide was written by Jerry Michel, MA. Jerry has been involved in education for more than twenty years as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, consultant, and school administrator. He uses these experiences to help educators link quality childrens literature to meaningful curriculum goals. He is currently principal at Willard Elementary School in Evanston, Illinois, and is the co-author of Can You Hear Me Now? Using Brain Research and Technology to Engage Todays Students. 2

Making Independent Reading Meaningful

Text Complexity: The 10th Standard Building independent readers depends on three factors:
Knowing students interests Knowing students abilities Matching students with reading selections that engage their interests and challenge their abilities

Supporting students through their journey to read increasingly complex texts means both giving them time to read and active involvement in monitoring their progress. For students to develop as readers, they must have time to read, write, and think about the wide range of books they read and topics they explore. Plain and simple, students who are given more time to read do better than students who have little time to read. Just as coaches lead athletes through increasingly complex and challenging tasks to improve a skill, teachers must coach students to select books that give them the appropriate challenge. Finding books that have just the right amount of challenge helps us teach students how to handle challenging vocabulary, unfamiliar themes, and increasingly subtle inferences. Remember that, for some students, appearance is everything. For these students, holding a book that is far too difficult for them is important, because they want to be seen as a capable reader.

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Developing Character: Choices and Challenges Characters Face

This category helps students tackle an important task: exploring why characters (and people) make certain choices and how they deal with difficult circumstances. The third Anchor Standard (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3) states that students should be able to analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Give students a purpose for reading by having them really get to know these characters and the dilemmas they face. Set up a schedule of regular conferences between students, where they introduce characters from their reading to a partner who is reading another book. Encourage them to share with one another the hard choices characters face. Point out that this is also a way to find other books to read that you might find interesting.

Dear Blue Sky

Mary Sullivan Ages 10Up Grades 5Up ATOS: 3.4 As Cassie feels her life is crumbling, with a brother in Iraq, her family falling apart, and her friends abandoning her, she meets an Iraqi girl through her blog, Blue Sky. When Blue Sky writes, I want my life back, as her city is destroyed, Cassie is inspired to take control of her own life.

The Great Wide Sea

M.H. Herlong Ages 10Up Grades 6Up ATOS: 4.1 Ben and his brothers are adjusting to life after losing their mother and their father uprooting them to sail the Bahamas on a worn-out boat. The misguided adventure turns into a crisis when their father disappears and a storm bears down on them.

Mockingbird
Kathryn Erskine Ages 10Up Grades 4Up ATOS: 3.6 After suddenly losing her brother, 10-year-old Caitlin struggles to make sense of her world that has always been black and white. Finding closure and new ways to navigate life at school and home are complicated for a girl with Aspergers syndrome, yet in her journey to do so, she makes many beautiful discoveries.

A Diamond in the Desert

Kathryn Fitzmaurice Ages 812 Grades 4Up ATOS: 5.0 When Tetsu and his family are sent away to the Gila River camp along with thousands of other Japanese-Americans, he soon thinks that baseball will make his life there bearable. Soon, though, sickness endangers his sister, and he learns what it is like to bear the unbearable with patience and dignity.

The themes for these selections also invite exploration of Anchor Standard 2 (CCSS.ELALiteracy.CCRA.R.2), where students are able to identify central themes of a text and analyze their development. This is especially the case for Standard (5.RL.2), where students explore how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges.
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Unlocking Clues: Mysteries for Student Sleuths

One of the tenets of the CCSS is to ensure that students attend to the craft and structure of literature. As students dig into mysteries and try to interpret the different clues that are shared, they can watch how words, phrases, and figurative language are used (CCSS 5.RL.4); explore how the narrators role helps to introduce important evidence (CCSS 5.RL.6); or even relate how different scenes, chapters, and events relate to one another, especially once the final solution is revealed (CCSS 5.RL.5). Exposing students to a wide range of mysteries during independent reading time fosters this strand of exploration.

P.K. Pinkerton and the Deadly Desperados: Western Mysteries, Book 1

Caroline Lawrence Ages 812 Grades 58 ATOS: 5.0 Readers will love meeting twelve-year-old P.K. Pinkerton, master of disguise. As he races to stay ahead of the desperados who murdered his foster parents, he encounters memorable characters along the way, some who help him and many who dont.

The Homemade Stuffing Caper: Charlie Collier, Snoop for Hire Mystery #1
John V. Madormo Ages 9Up Grades 4Up ATOS: 4.0 When seventh-grader Charlie Collier trades in solving brain-teasers for solving mysteries, he thinks it will be easy as pie. Soon, though, he finds himself in the middle of a mystery that involves the whole town, and it will take more than just his quick wits to solve it; he will need help from his friends and an unlikely source, the class bully.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

John Grisham Ages 10Up Grades 6Up ATOS: Book 1 - 5.2; Book 2 - 5.5; Book 3 - 5.7 Theo was born to be a lawyer, but finds himself in court much sooner than Lesson Plans expected. Because he knows so muchmaybe too muchhe is suddenly Available dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The Potato Chip Puzzles, The Puzzling World of Winston Breen, and The Puzzlers Mansion
Eric Berlin Ages 911 Grades 47 ATOS: 4.4 Each mystery is its own treasure hunt, with plenty of puzzles for readers to solve along the way, just as Winston Breen must, as he tracks down thieves, solves mysteries, and uncovers clues.

Three Times Lucky

Sheila Turnage Ages 10Up Grades 4Up ATOS: 3.9 Sixth-grader Miss Mo LoBeau is as memorable a character as you will ever meet. Her summer is complicated by a murder, car crash, and kidnapping. Now theres a murder to solve, all while she is helping run the caf in Tupelo Landing.

The Books of Elsewhere Volume 1: The Shadows

Jacqueline West Ages 8Up Grades 4Up ATOS: 5.1 From the first moment 11-year-old Olive moves into the old house on Lincoln Street, she knows something is wrong. And that is before she finds she can travel inside the paintings on the walls to Elsewhere, a sinister land full of dangerous secrets.

These selected mysteries also lend themselves to instruction involving making inferences, a key component of Anchor Standard 1 (CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA.R.1), in which students are expected to make logical inferences (and) cite textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. Encourage students to read like detectives and find evidence to help them solve the mysteries before the answers are revealed.
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Adventures Through Time: Popular Historical Fiction

The Common Core State Standards point out that students must grapple with works of exceptional craft and thought whose range extends across genres, cultures, and centuries. Such works offer profound insights into the human condition and serve as models for students own thinking and writing. Engaging stories will also help develop background knowledge and context that will serve students well as they explore nonfiction texts related to the stories they read.

Climbing the Stairs

Padma Vehnkatraman Ages 12Up Grades 7Up ATOS: 4.8 Even though 15-year-old Vidya dreams of going to college, traditional life in British-occupied India during World War II means girls are meant to be married, not educated. Love and hope help Vidya hold on to her dreams in a dark and dismal time.

The Green Glass Sea

Ellen Klages Ages 10Up Grades 5Up ATOS: 4.6 Everything is top secret in Los Alamos, as top scientists and mathematicians work on The Manhattan Project against the backdrop of World War II. When elevenyear-old Dewey comes to live with her father, tensions rise when she must join forces with Suze, the one girl who has made the move to Los Alamos difficult.

Lesson Plans Available

Jeffersons Sons
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Ages 812 Grades 59 ATOS: 3.9 So what did Jefferson mean when he wrote all men are created equal? Told in three parts from the points of view of three of Jeffersons slaves, these voices tell the story of Jeffersons children born to Sally Hemmings who must keep their fathers identity a secret.

Lesson Plans Available

Karma
Cathy Ostelre Ages 12Up Grades 7Up ATOS: 3.1 It is 1984, and 15-year-old Maya is on her way to Delhi, India, with her father on the eve of Prime Minister Indira Gandhis assassination. After Maya is separated from her father, she must rely upon the mysterious but kind Sandeep to safely reunite them. As her love for Sandeep blossoms, Maya must face the truth about her painful adolescence...if shes ever to imagine her future.

The Lions of Little Rock

Kristin Levine Ages 10Up Grades 5Up ATOS: 4.1 Everything is changing for 12-year-old Marlee who is heading to middle school in 1958. When her new friend Liz, who inspires Marlee to develop courage, is forced to leave school without even a chance to say goodbye, these close friends take on segregation and the dangers it could bring to their families.

Lesson Plans Available

Marching For Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Dont You Grow Weary
Elizabeth Partridge Ages 10Up Grades 6Up ATOS: 6.6 This gripping nonfiction text tells the story of how ordinary children helped shape history and the voting rights movement. Tracking the three months leading to the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, the stunning prose and pictures chronicle those who marched for freedom.

NONFICTION

In addition to providing insight into different cultures and times, these selections also give young readers the chance to analyze the importance of point of view. With these powerful texts, students will be able to assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text, as outlined in Anchor Standard 6 (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6). Encourage students to have thoughtful discussions around how authors develop the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text (6.RL.6) or contrast the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text (7.RL.6).
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Fantastic Fun...for Even the Most Reluctant

As young readers build stamina and develop greater independence, teachers have long known the importance of getting the right book into a childs hands at the right time. Calkins and her colleagues (2012) note that the familiarity the reader has to the language and context of the text, as well as the readers motivation to comprehend the text play a role in how we match appropriately challenging texts with readers, especially those that are less confident in their reading ability. Set the stage by having books with strong themes that are lighthearted and fantastic fun!

Secrets at Sea
Richard Peck Ages 10up Grades 4Up ATOS: 4.2 In 1887, the social-climbing Cranstons voyage from New York to London, where they hope to find a husband for their awkward older daughter, secretly accompanied by Helena and her mouse siblings, for whom the journey is both terrifying and wondrous.

Captain Nobody
Dean Pitchford Ages 812 Grades 36 ATOS: 4.7 Newt Newman will resonate with young readers who have ever felt left out or left behind long after they turn the last page. Growing up lost in the limelight of his football-star big brother, Newt creates an alter ego, Captain Nobody, after an accident puts his brother in a coma.

Double Dog Dare

Lisa Graff Ages 812 Grades 46 ATOS: 4.4 Kansas Bloom and Francine Halata are becoming fast enemies in their quest to become anchor of the fourth-grade Media Club at Auden Elementary. Through their dare war they discover they have something in common, providing this lighthearted romp with a thoughtful look at divorce through the eyes of these two memorable fourth-graders.

Obi, Gerbil on the Loose!

M.C. Delaney Ages 9Up Grades 3Up ATOS: 4.8 After her owner goes on vacation, Obi must escape her cage to find food and water. Animal lovers will be rolling with laughter as Obis adventures have her cross paths with a crazy tarantula, an insecure snake, a grumpy mouse, a slobbering old dog, and three hungry cats.

Remarkable
Lizzie K. Foley Ages 812 Grades 37 ATOS: 6.0 In a town named Remarkable, Jane isnt even remarkable at being plain. Surrounded by gifted and talented friends and family, Jane wonders what it would be like if people noticed her. It takes a series of misadventures, some questionable pirates, and a little bit of soul searching to learn there is wonder in our everyday, ordinary lives.

Zorgamazoo
Robert Paul Weston Ages 911 Grades 46 ATOS: 5.1 A wild tale told in verse will remind young readers of rhymes from Dr. Seuss and creatures from Harry Potter. A rollicking adventure from beginning to end, this story begs to be read aloud.

These novels were selected to introduce memorable characters and language to young readers. As we help students find books to read that match their interest and ability, we should also encourage them to get to know the characters they meet. Anchor Standard 3 (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3) identifies an important (and enjoyable) practice of good readers, who analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. As students get to know these characters, have them also pay close attention to the words and phrases that are used to describe characters in a text, as described in both (4.RL.4) and (5.RL.4).
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Tales of Magic, Dark and Light

Help students develop wide reading habits by keeping a reading journal where they track what they read, focus on reflection and reaction to the content of their reading, and tools to record and balance the range of genre they read. A simple system, where each titles genre is coded by a specific color or shape will give a quick visual to help students ensure they are not focusing on one or two genres over the course of a semester or school year. Make sure your classroom library features a wide range of genres and styles, including these adventure tales.

The Apothecary
Maile Meloy Ages 10Up Grades 5Up ATOS: 4.9 When Janie Scott moves from Los Angeles to London in 1952, she isnt surprised to be homesick. When she meets Benjamin Burrows, son of the local apothecary, it soon becomes clear that there is more to both of them then meets the eye, especially when Mr. Burrows disappears, and Janie and Benjamin are left to protect his dangerous secrets.

Deadweather and Sunrise: The Chronicles of Egg, Book 1

Geoff Rodkey Ages 10Up Grades 5Up ATOS: 5.3 Its tough to be thirteen, especially when people are trying to kill you. Even though he grew up with pirates and violent siblings, Egbert was not quite ready to sort out the mystery he is thrown into on Sunrise Island after his family mysteriously disappears.

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman

Meg Wolitzer Ages 812 Grades 46 ATOS: 5.2 A special power lets Duncan read through his fingertips, a real advantage at the national Youth Scrabble Tournament. But, as the tournament begins, Duncan finds he and his friends are each facing challenges that cant be won with a special power.

Small Persons with Wings

Ellen Booraem Ages 10Up Grades 5Up ATOS: 4.2 After being teased for years about trying to bring a fairy to show-and-tell, 13-year-old Mellie Turpin finds herself in an inn full of fairies after her family moves to a new town.

A Tale Dark & Grimm

Adam Gidwitz Ages 10Up Grades 4Up ATOS: 4.6 Beginning with a lively re-introduction to Hansel and Gretel, readers will enjoy this wicked romp through Grimm tales both familiar and new.

Lesson Plans Available

In addition to making sure students read a wide range of genres, we would like them to be able to identify the key ideas and details surrounding important moments in the plot. These selections have dramatic turns of events that will allow students to compare and contrast characters, settings, and events, as outlined in Standard 5.RL.3 and determine how characters respond or change as the plot moves towards resolution (6.RL.3). By focusing on how characters interact at key junctures of the story, students will be better able to analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop, as directed in Anchor Standard 3 (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3).
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Author Studies
Two of the most influential factors in engaging students in meaningful independent reading are access to a wide range of highinterest texts and students having a choice in their independent reading. If our goal is to develop life-long readers, increasing the volume of reading our students do is central to any reading curriculum. Seek out authors that pack a big punch with great writing, and get all students hooked on the idea that big ideas come in books of all shapes and sizes. Build collections of authors, and help children develop an appreciation for an authors writing style.

A Selection of titles from popular authors

Joan Bauer: Almost Home and Close to
Famous (Ages 10Up Grades 7Up); Hope Was Here, and Peeled (Ages 12Up Grades 6Up) Middle-grade readers will long remember the characters Joan Bauer brings to life. As they grapple with growing up and the challenges that life presents, many rich themes are shared in smalltown and big-city settings alike.

Gennifer Choldenko: Al Capone Does

My Shirts and Al Capone Shines My Shoes (Ages 10Up Grades 5Up) These two tales from Alcatraz provide a setting like few other stories can. When 12-year-old Moose Flanagan and his family move to Alcatrazsurprise, surprise trouble is always just around the corner. Also by Choldenko: Notes from a Liar and Her Dog

Richard Peck: On the Wings of Heroes, The

River Between Us, Secrets at Sea, A Long Way from Chicago (Various ages) In a blend of humorous and poignant moments, Peck weaves touching tales of what it was like to grow up in different times in history. In On the Wings of Heroes, Davy is inspired by his father and his older brother Bill, who flies B-17s during World War II.

Jacqueline Woodson: After Tupac and D

Foster, Feathers, and Peace Locomotion (Ages 10Up Grades 4Up) With thought-provoking themes and characters full of distinctive voice, Woodson makes the challenges todays youth face come alive on the page. Young readers will resonate with moments of humanity that she creates, both large and small.

Reading multiple stories by a single author, either individually or as a class, gives readers the perfect opportunity to analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approach an author takes (Anchor Standard 9 - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9). Students can enter rich discussions to explore how authors of fiction use or alter history (7.RL.9) to develop compelling stories, themes, and characters.
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Penguin Knows Common Core

Lesson plans for each book, series, and thematic group. Created by educators for educators. Ready for immediate classroom adoption. Suggested assignments, writing prompts, extension activities, and more! Aligned to the Common Core State Standards CLASSROOM CLASSICS
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Penguin Young Readers Group

PENGUIN YO U N G READERS
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