[LM_NET] Hit: 4th gr Read Aloud with a Surprise Hero

[Andrea Koch <kochandrea@MSN.COM>]

Thanks so much to all who suggested books!  
If anyone else has additional ideas, please let me know and I will post the final 
list on the LM_NET wiki.

Perfect Man, a picture book, is about a boy who always wanted to be like his TV 
hero, Perfect Man. Perfect Man decides to retire from the business and the boy is 
really disappointed, but continues to believe that Perfect Man will return. The 
surprise is that his teacher, a very unlikely Perfect Man ends up being Perfect Man 
in disguise and inspires the boy to become an author.

I am reading aloud "The miraculous journey of Edward Tulane"  to my eager 4th 
graders, and Edward actually becomes --- surprisingly --- heroic and compassionate.
 
"No Talking" by Andrew Clements, in which competing boys and girls stage a 
no-talking contest, and the boy stands up for his right to remain silent. Actually, 
any of Clements' 5th-grade-related books wuld be excellent read-alouds with 
excellent character lessons quietly woven in, and with students working alongside 
teachers. 

The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy, Book 1: The Hero Revealed.

"A View from Saturday" by Konisburg

Shredderman by Van Draanen

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  -  not really a surprise hero but 
the setting is a surprise. 

The Hero of Third Grade by Alice DeLaCroix about a third grade new comer who sees 
the movie 
the Scarlet Pimpernel and is motivated to help out his classmates against 
the class bully but doing it secretly at least in the beginning.

UnLunDun by China Mieville is one of my favorite books.  It turns the "chosen one" 
theme of Golden Compass/Harry Potter/Narnia on it's head. It's very funny. SLJ 
gives it a recommendation for grades 5-9, there is some (fantasy) violence. For the 
right student, I highly recommend it but I suggest she read it first to make her 
own judgement. 

Sincerely,

Andrea Koch
French Road Elementary School
Rochester, NY 14618
kochandrea@msn.com

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