Something Upstairs - Contemporary Fiction Chapter book

Avi (1988). Something Upstairs. Avon Books: New York.

This story centers around a boy named Kenny who recently moved from Los Angeles to Rhode Island.  In his new home appears to be a ghost and a mysterious stain on the floor of the room the ghost is trying to escape from.  As Kenny talks to and gets to know they ghost he learns that the ghost was once a slave, named Caleb, in that house and is trying to get free.  Kenny is the only one who can get him free by discovering who killed the slave in the first place and therein lies the mystery!

Contemporary Fiction - mystery (although you could make a case that this is a fantasy novel because there is time travel).  Grades 3-6

The main character is trying to investigate and solve the murder of a slave from the early 1800s.  If the boy does not find the slaves murderer than the slave will have ghost.  Despite the boy's fear, he travels back to the 1800s to learn about slavery in Rhode Island and how the slave trade was big business for a few slave traders and they did not want slavery to abolished and would go to extreme ends to ensure that slavery remained.

This is a great book for students to practice the Mosaic of thought with and independently show their use of the comprehension strategies.  There are multiple opportunities for inferences, determining what is important, using prior knowledge of slavery, asking questions, creating mental images and monitoring for comprehension.  In fact, this book is a wonderful way for a child to practice all of the strategies.

Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie - Contemporary Fiction Picturebook

Gourley, R. (2009) Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie. Clarion Books: New York.

This book takes you through the harvest season from strawberries, to greens, to honey, to cherries, etc on finally to nuts and apples.  All the while the kids talk about what wonderful food they will have because of that specific harvest, like pie or bread or honey on their biscuits.  There are also quotes that are inferred to be lessons that the children have learned from their ancestors about those harvest.  The kids appreciate the fruits of their harvest and how their hard work is necessary to keep them happy all winter long.

Contemporary fiction picture book - contemporary realism.  For grades K-3.  Illustrations are watercolors.

You would know know that this book has any connections to slaves had you not read the inside cover.  The main characters live in a town in Virginia called Freetown.  It was a community of freed slaves founded by Edna Lewis (the main character's family).  Although fiction, the story is on her life and the lesson that she learned to use fresh, local ingredients whenever possible.

This is a book read aloud book because of the sense that are conjured up the food described.  Students can almost listen to the book without the pictures and then talk about what the book makes them think of.  How do they feel after reading the book?