Cinder-Elly by Frances Minters
Author: Frances Minters
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Summary: This book is takes on a comedic spin to the classic fairytale Cinderella. It is about a girl named Elly who lives in New York City with her two older sisters that are very mean to her. They make Elly do the chores around the house and only give her second hand clothing that they've out grown. Whenever they go out, they would never let Elly come along, nor did they play with her when they were home. One day, the sisters received a note saying that they have won tickets to the high school basketball game. Elly's older sisters Nelly and Sue told Elly she couldn't go because she had nothing nice to wear and there was only enough money to buy two new outfits. So Elly stayed at home and cleaned. An old woman walking with a cane came to her door and told Elly that she was her Godma and gave Elly a make over, and gave her a pair of glass sneakers so she could attend the basketball game. At the game, the captain of the team spotted Elly and wanted to talk to her after the game but she ran off and lost a glass sneaker. The Prince put up ads around the neighborhood to find the girl who would fit the sneaker and he would take her out. He went from house to house and ended up at Elly's. Her sisters tried it on, but it did not fit, then Elly tried it on and it fit. Elly and the prince became boyfriend and girlfriend and lived happily ever after.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for any grade, because most students already know about the story of Cinderella, and it would be nice to have students hear a different version. This book is written in rhyme so it is very easy to read and easy to follow along. There are many parts in the story that are humorous and the plot is predictable for the students. The comedic spin on the story allows students to hear the story in a different version, because there are many versions of Cinderella.
Strategies For Classroom Use: this classic fairytale is wonderful for students because the majority of them already know what the story is about. To expand on this, the teacher can also read the original version of Cinderella and ask students to compare on contrast the two versions. Teachers can also take their students to the library to look up more versions of this book. Many cultures have their own versions of a Cinderella, this will allow students to see that fairytales and stories can be cross cultural and that we have a lot of things in common as opposed to a lot of things that are different. Another activity that students can do is form groups and writes their own version of Cinderella. It could be about a boy instead of a girl, the main character can be an animal instead of human, or they can re-write the story all together from a different perspective. This allows students to show their creativity and use their imagination as well as learning to work in groups and compromising on a story.
Support for English Learners: This book would be great for English language learners because it is written in rhyme and uses everyday vocabulary. English learners can follow along with the rhyme though the beat and may even be able to predict the next word. This book also has illustrations that coincide with the event so that the students can follow along with the illustrations to know what is going on with the story. But most importantly, the way it is written helps all students; English learners and native speakers to better comprehend the story and make it a little more interesting to follow along.
Personal Note: I really enjoyed reading this book to my class. While I was reading the entire class followed along intently and there was not a sound, unless they were laughing at the story. I've read aloud before where students had side conversations and were not very interested in the book, but with this one, every student was paying attention to the details in the illustrations and the rhyming of the words. After I read the story to my students, I sat down and read it again to myself. I really enjoy this book and I'm sure that any child would also enjoy you reading it to them with enthusiasm.
Author: Demi
Illustrator: None mentioned
Summary: This story takes place in old China. It is about an emperor who loves animals and flowers but is getting too old to tend to his garden. He wants to name a successor to his throne for when he passes away. He asks that all the children in the village come to him and he will give them each a seed to plant. Within a year, he will call them back to see who has brought back the best and most beautiful plant. Each child takes home a seed and is excited about planting it. A young boy named Ping, who also loves flowers and gardening also took home a seed. But, for some reason, after planting it, his seed would not grow. He tries everything he can help it grow. He puts it in a bigger pot, changes the soil, talks to it, and water it daily, but it still would not grow. On the day that they were to report back to the emperor, Ping didn't want to go. He was ashamed of his plant and was scared that the emperor would punish him for not being able to grow the flower. Ping's father encourages him to go anyway and be proud of himself for trying hard. Ping took his empty pot to the emperor and on the way there, children were gathered around with their beautiful plants with large blooming flowers, all Ping had was his pot full of dirt. One by one, each child showed the emperor their flower, but he was still not pleased. When it was Ping's turn, he reluctantly presented his empty pot and to his surprise, the emperor smiled with joy. Turns out, the emperor had boiled each seed before handing them out so the plants should not have grown. Ping was the only one in the entire village that was truthful, and for that, the emperor gave Ping the entire kingdom.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for any teacher who wants to start teaching morals of stories to their students. This book has a great moral behind it and children quickly figure it out by the end of the story. I think this book is great for reading aloud or assigning as a take home reading. The language in the book is very easy to read and easy to understand, which is great for use with any grade level.
Strategies For Classroom Use: There are many follow up activities you can do with this book, one of which I like to do is to have kids plant their own seeds. After reading the story, give each student a pot and have them plant a seed, have them water it daily and take care of it. A cheap and easy way to do this (if you do not want to by little pots for everyone) is to soak a wet paper-towel and put the seed in the middle, and put it in a Ziploc bag and leave it out in the sun, but be sure to water it daily. Students can also write their own stories with their own morals or act out a moral to the class by writing a skit. Or have students do a reader's theater with other stories that have morals in them. There are many ways of expanding this book into life lessons and character traits that we should instill in our students.
Support for English Learners: This book is fairly easy to read and to follow along. Before reading, have student look up certain words such as; emperor, kingdom, frown, courage, etc. If possible, provide visuals of words for students on a word wall or a focus board. Focus boards are also helpful for students because they point out key vocabulary and tell what kind of story they will be listening to. During the read aloud, teachers can also use some reading tools to help students comprehend the story. Ask questions about who, what, why, when, and where. Allow English language learners to look at the book on their own before and after the story so they can have a sense of what is it about.
Personal Note: This has to be one of my favorite books because of the moral behind the story. The illustrations are wonderful, very simple but very colorful which will attract the reader's/listener's eyes. The book flows as if it was a song. It is a very heart warming story that both adults and children alike will appreciate.