Literature, not historical fiction, for 3rd and 4th grade?

[HappyGrace]

If one were to teach a light intro to literature class for 3/4 grades (for Amer. Hist. thru 1820-could use books tied in to the history or not), what would be some appropriate books? I'd like to try true lit rather than historical fiction, but keep it simple. I know it seems young for this, but I know it can be done; these kids are bright, my dc alone has greatly enjoyed Shakespeare! (I'd like to keep it MUCH lighter than that for the class though!) Thanks!

[Hen Jen]

have you looked at "Laddie" by Gene Stratton Porter? It is one of my favorites, funny, and gives you a glimpse of one room schoolhouses, McGruffey readers, social aspects. I'm reading it out loud to my kids right now.

[Jenny in Atl]

I wonder if you might try poems from this time instead. They are shorter and possibly easier to discuss vs. a whole novel. Otherwise maybe try James Fenimore Cooper or Washington Irving. They have a few that are easy for that age to grasp.

[Lori D.]

"Deconstructing Penguins" is a book about learning to read/think/talk through literature with your children, through the experiences of the authors in doing a monthly book club for 2nd-5th grade students and their parents.

They did books like: "Bull Run; "The Giver"; "Call of the Wild"; "Animal Farm"; and other classic works not usually introduced until jr/sr high. It's a fascinating book, with a a very nice list of book suggestions at the end. Might be worth a look to see if anything matches up with what you're doing.

Just my opinion, but I think what books you choose will probably depend on whether this is just for the kids, or will be done with the adults. You can get into heavier books if the parents are reading aloud to the kids at home. If the kids are having to read on their own, I know my boys couldn't have handled anything much tougher than "Charlotte's Web"; "Trumpet of the Swan"; "Sounder"; etc. in 3rd grade for solo reading. Just our experience! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[mcconnellboys]

Okay, I'll bite. How about these? I didn't manage to seive out absolutely everything with any historical reference point. And we were heavy on folk tales for this year, too. I didn't just list chapter books, as we love books with beautiful illustrations, too.

Don Quixote, Michael Harrison
The Legend of El Dorado, Beatriz Vidal
Three Swords for Grenada, Walter Myers
Katje The Windmill Cat, Gretchen Woelfle
The Boy Who Held Back the Sea, Thomas Locker
Pocahontas, D'Aulaires
The Broken Blade, William Durbin (VERY good!)
Sword of the Samurai, Eric Kimmel (good)
In the Hollow of Your Hand: Slave Lullabies, Alice McGill (with songs on CD)
(Good)
In the Time of the Drums, Kim Siegelson
The Village that Vanished, Ann Grifalconi (good)
One Riddle, One Answer, Lauren Thompson
A Treasury of Turkish Folktales for Children, Barbara Walker
Rapunzel, Paul Zelinsky
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Robert Browning
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Shipwrecked! Rhoda Blumberg
Usborne Stories from Around the World
The Cat Who Went to Heaven, Elizabeth Coatsworth (longtime favorite!)
The Turnip, Walter de la Mare
The Three Musketeers, Great Illustrated Classics (or other version you prefer)
A Farmer Boy Birthday, Laura Ingalls Wilder, adapted w/ illus. By Jody Wheeler
(or any version of any Wilder book, as you prefer)
The Year at Mapel Hill Farm, Alice and Martin Provensen
The Boy Who Lived with the Bears and Other Iroquois Stories, Joe Bruchac (on tape)
Listen to unabridged Farmer Boy, Wilder
Gulliver in Lilliput, Margaret Hodges
Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift (Young Readers, Usborne)
A Weave of Words, Robert D. San Souci
Folktales of the Amur, Dmitri Nagishkin (we both read from this)
The Sea King’s Daughter, Aaron Shepard (good)
Just So Stories, Kipling (Moser, illus.)
Children of the Dragon, Sherry Garland (re: Vietnam) (VERY good!)
Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like, Jay Williams (good)
Eyes of the Dragon, Margaret Leaf (good)
The Last Dragon, Susan Nunes (good)
The Emperor and the Nightingale, Hans Christian Anderson on tape (illus. Robert Van Nutt)
The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Samson, Ann McGovern (good)
Great Illustrated Classics version of Last of the Mohicans (or another version)
Giving Thanks, Chief Jake Swamp
Skippack School, Marguerite de Angeli (good!)
Watched animated video of Ben and Me, based on book by Robert Lawson
Bound for Freedom, Ruth Chessman (good!)
Sign of the Beaver, Elizabeth George Speare (good!)
Mr. Revere and I, Robert Lawson
The Mutiny on Board HMS Bounty, William Bligh, Great Illustrated Classics
Kashtanka, Anton Chekhov
The Tale of the Firebird, Gennady Spirin (very good)
Watched I, Crocodile, Fred Marcellino, about a crocodile Napoleon brought home to France, from Egypt
Read from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Blake
Read from Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth and Coleridge, The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner
A Visit to William Blake’s Inn, Nancy Willard
Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter, Richard Platt (very good!)
The Bobbin Girl, Emily McCully - on tape
The Battle for St. Michael's, Emily McCully
Swamp Angel, Anne Isaacs
Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia Maclachlan (good)
Jim Bridger's Alarm Clock, Sid Fleischman

Maybe this will at least give you some ideas,

Regena

[Ruth in NC]

Maybe it is because there are so many picture books we didn't get to, but I would look at some of the great books on one of these lists. At least these address literary devises. That may not be what you are looking for. In that case, oops.

http://dept.houstonisd.org/curriculum/xOldCurr/larts/Recommend/literary.htm

or

http://library.springbranchisd.com/sbisd_library/literary_elements.htm

Ruth in NC

[OhElizabeth]

I'd do get some of the VP lit guides and be done with it. We're doing the Alice in Wonderland guide right now and really enjoying it. Narnia is good. Our co-op class is doing Dangerous Journey together. They have a Grimm's Fairy Tales. In doing a lit guide, you get written work, activities, etc. all for just one $10 guide, a great deal. On some books, you'll be able to get annotated versions to give the teacher more background.

[HappyGrace]

and I appreciate the long list of ideas! This really helps to get me started. OhElizabeth-can you tell me more about the VP guides, especially which ones have the teacher helps? I'm doing this in a class setting-would these work for that? Thanks.

[LunaLee]

I also like the Garlic Press lit guides. For that age you could use Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh or maybe Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Veritas Press has some good ones also. I have From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, that even comes with little museum art cards.

With my 3rd grader we are just getting ready to start The Cricket in Times Square.