middle grade mania activity kit
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
1/10
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.
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
2/10
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
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
3/10
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.
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
4/10
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
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
5/10
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
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
6/10
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
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
7/10
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
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
8/10
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
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
9/10
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
-
7/29/2019 Middle Grade Mania Activity Kit
10/10
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