February+Independent+Reading

Click on the link below to view the book list Mrs. Herniter created for us. Book Resource List

__ ** Journey to Another Country ** __

Most of your independent reading books thus far have been set in the United States, yet there is a whole wide world beyond the U.S.

Therefore, for the month of February and perhaps part of March, your independent reading book **MUST** be either **historical fiction** or **realistic fiction** **AND** **SET IN ANOTHER COUNTRY (NOT the U.S.)**.

**Examples (just to name a few):**

__ The Breadwinner __ by Deborah Ellis – a realistic fiction story set in 2000 in **Afghanistan**.

__ A Long Walk to Water __ by Linda Sue Park – a realistic fiction story, based on a true story, set in the 1980’s and 2008 in **Sudan**.

__ The Boy in the Striped Pajamas __ by John Boyne – a historical fiction book set in **Germany** during the Holocaust (1942).

__ Elephant Run __ by Roland Smith – a historical fiction book set in **Burma**.

__ Crispin: The Cross of Lead __ by Avi – a historical fiction book set in fourteenth-century **England**.

__ A Single Shard __ by Linda Sue Park – a historical fiction book set in a village in **Korea**.

**How do I find books that meet the criteria?**

Mrs. Herniter has been so kind as to create a list for us on the Media Center website.

A link to this list has been placed on my Wiki. To access this list, follow the directions below:

1) Go to Mrs. Arminio wiki’s at http://arminio.wikispaces.com/ 2) On the side, click on the link for “February Independent Reading”. 3) Click on the link “Book Resource Link”. 4) Click on the link “Historical Out of Country”.

**What is the goal with this independent reading assignment?**

The goal is for you to answer the essential questions, “What can be learned by reading fiction and nonfiction literature about other cultures? Why is this important?”

**What do I have to do?**

Tonight browse all of your options on-line and write down **3-5 possible book titles with authors** that you may be interested in reading. Bring this list with you to class tomorrow.

We will be going to the Media Center for a book talk and book selection.

** Important Note: ** If you have an overdue book(s), you MUST return or renew it in order to check out new books.

You then, of course, need to read the book, write thinking statements in your agenda book, and complete any additional assignments associated with the book. It is also goes without saying that when you finish the book, you must complete a one-pager.

**The whole time you are reading you should be thinking, ““What am I learning by reading fiction about another culture? Why is this important?”**