Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit

7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit

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www.hmhbooks.com/middlegrademania

NOVELS FOR READERS in grades 3-6 play such a crucial role in helpingkids bridge from early chapter books to YA. Its vital to nurture thatlove of reading through these critical years to help kids develop ever more

sophisticated language skills and to blossom into life long readers.

Use the materials in this kit to celebrate readingand encourage your reading maniacs

to stay crazy for books!

ACTIVITY KIT

Middle

Grade

Mania

Illustrations copyright 2013 by Houghton Mii n Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.


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Smackdown!In the spirit o WrestleMania, host a Reading Smackdown! Challenge another class to a reading contest. How

many books can your students read and report on in a month versus the other class? When the month is over,have each class vote to select one title rom all the books reported on, which the entire class will read. Each class

then presents their book through skits, artwork, videos, and the like to an impartial judgeperhaps the school

principal or librarian. The judge, who has already read both books, selects the best presentation as the winner.

Word of MouthCreate a This Reader Recommends display on a bulletin board in your classroom or library. Whenever a student

loves a book, have him/her fll out a recommendation card you can post in a public space to encourage other

kids to give the book a try.

Jacket GalleryAs students fnish books, have them create their own cover illustration depicting a particular character or scene.

Be sure to have them include the title and the authors name within the new cover design. Display the new book

covers on a bulletin board or in a reading corner.

Book MobileHave students create a mobile or a avorite book. Use two pencils as the mobile rameworkposition them

in an X, with one pencil on top o the other, and tape them in place. Wrap a string or piece o yarn around the

intersection o the two pencils with a long length extending rom the top, rom which to hang the mobile.

Create two-sided illustrations o characters and events and key elements rom the story on cardstock and hang

them rom the pencil rame. Be sure to include the books title and author on one hanging element. Display the

mobiles around the classroom or library.

Opening LinesBooks oten begin with provocative, compelling openings to hook the reader rom the very frst page:

In the beginning, there was the donut. The Center o Everything by Linda Urban

It had taken me fve years, but Id fnally ound my way to Zooey Andrewss heart. Now I was going to

die there. Lenny Cyrus, School Virus by Joe Schreiber

I Evan had known what would be hidden in his shoebox later that day, he might not have mindeddecorating it so much. The Candy Smash by Jacqueline Davies

Encourage your students to keep a journal o frst lines rom books to inspire them in their own creative writing

endeavors.

Character QuiltPass an 8.5-by-8.5-inch square piece o construction paper to each student. Have each child draw a portrait o a

avorite book character on his/her square using crayons, markers, or paint. Be sure to include the characters

name and the book title on each square. Arrange the squares in a quilt pattern on a bulletin board or wall.

Activities MiddleGradeMania


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MiddleGradeMania

MiddleGradeMania

This reader recommends . . .BOOK TITLE

AUTHOR

RECOMMENDED BY GRADE

Plot summary/characters:

What I liked about the book:

This reader recommends . . .BOOK TITLEAUTHOR

RECOMMENDED BY GRADE

Plot summary/characters:

What I liked about the book:

Illustration 2013 by M. Sarah Klise rom Hollywood, Dead Ahead. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied or ree distribution.


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Use this handy log sheet to keep track o the books you read. How many books can you read in a month? In a year?

Challenge your riends!

Reading Log

Title Author Date nished

Flower illustrations 2013 by Cara Llewellyn; ace illustration 2013 by Matt Smith. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied or ree distribution.MiddleGradeMania


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Ima

readingmaniac

!

Imare

adingm

aniac!

Dontjustsitthere

Lv

2

R

E

A

D

Illustration2013byM.

SarahKlisefrom

Hollywood,

DeadAhead.

Allrightsreserved.

Illustrations2013byCaraLlewellynfro

mT

heCandySmash.

Allrightsreserved.

READ!

Bookmarks

This page may be photocopie d or ree distr ibution.MiddleGradeMania


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This page may be photocopie d or ree distr ibution.

The

Center of

Everything

BY

Linda Urban

Name: ________________________________________

Ruby Pepperdine loves stargazing rom the rootop o Pepperdine Motors, snug in the circleo her grandmother Gigis hug. Ruby and her riends Lucy and Nero contemplate the stars

one warm summer night and create their own constellation. Look at the star map below andcreate your own constellation by connecting stars however you like. What will you nameyour constellation?

Starry Sky

GradeMiddle


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Illustrations copyright 2013 by Cara Llewellyn. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied or ree distribution.

Na me: _______________________________________

The Candy

Smash

BY

Jacqueline

Davies

Someone is creating personalized valentine candy hearts or every student in room 4-O. The

hearts have two-word descriptions that really capture the talents or personalities o the re-

cipients. Make a list o your classmates, teammates, or riends and create your own two-worddescriptive phrases or each person. (Always be nice!)

You in Two (Words, That Is)

GradeMiddle


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Illustrations copyright 2013 by Matt Smith. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied or ree distribution.

Na me: _______________________________________

Thirteen-year-old Lenny Cyrus is a total genius. He can memorize an entire college textbook

in an hour or less. But hes a little less savvy when it comes to girls. His crush, Zooey Andrews,

doesnt seem to like him. Lennys best riend, Harlan, has a particular way o identiyingLenny when Lenny goes on an amazing adventure to literally change Zooeys mind. Can you

solve the cryptogram to discover Harlans clue that its Lenny who is trying to contact him?

Cryptogram

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

8 24 2 10 18 1 22 21 2 21

S BE E

8 4 1 2 22 4 2

ES

5 2 15 1 6 24

T

Lenny Cyrus,

School Virus

BY

Joe

Schreiber

GradeMiddle

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

10 2

68

E

E


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Illustrations copyright 2013 by M. Sarah Klise. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied or ree distribution.

Na me: _______________________________________

Hollywood,

Dead

Ahead

BY

Kate Klise

ILLUSTRATED BY

M. Sarah Klis

Film producer Moe Block Busters wants to make a movie based on the 43 Old Cemetery Road

story! Lured by the lights o Tinseltown, Ignatius B. Grumply, Olive C. Spence, and Seymour

Hope pack their suitcases and head west, where they meet the ancient but still glamorousIvana Oscar. But Hollywood is flled with crooks, so Seymour decides to direct his own version

o43 Old Cemetery Road. Can you design a movie poster depicting the our stars?

Movie Poster

43 Old Cemetery Road

Starring

IVANA OSCAR

IGNATIUS B. GRUMPLY

OLIVE C. SPENCE

SEYMOUR HOPER A T E D

GGGHOST OR GRANNY

GUIDANCE SUGGESTED

GradeMiddle

MAJORITY RULES ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS


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MORE GREAT READS!

The Year of the Babyby Andrea Cheng

illustrated by Patrice Barton978-0-547-91067-3 $15.99

Parchedby Melanie Crowder

978-0-547-97651-8 $15.99

The Ugly Oneby Leanne Statland Ellis

978-0-547-97590-0 $16.99

The Lightning Dreamerby Margarita Engle978-0-547-80743-0 $16.99

Thrice Upon a Marigoldby Jean Ferris

978-0-547-73846-8 $16.99

The Vine Basketby Josanne La Valley

978-0-547-84801-3 $16.99

The Watcher in the Shadowsby Chris Moriarty

978-0-547-46632-3 $16.99

Okay for Nowby Gary D. Schmidt

978-0-544-02280-5 $6.99 pbk

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

Escape from the Pipe Men!by Mary G. Thompson

978-0-547-85905-7 $16.99

Froggedby Vivian Vande Velde

978-0-547-94215-5 $16.99

Available wherever fne books are sold.

MiddleGrade

Mania

www.hmhbooks.com/middlegrademania

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Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit