Again My Fifth Grader...

My 16 yo daughter was sitting with me when I read your post and she has also read this book. She read it 3 yrs in a row starting in the 5th grade and feels as if it would be a good book for your daughter. She did say though to be aware that it is very vivid.

1 mom found this helpful

Just remember to get accurate American History teaching books as well since the NY school sysytem stinks at that curriculum lol!

HI C..
When I was a kid my Dad was gone a lot for work. When he would come home sometimes he would check out 2 copies of the same book and we would read it together. My Dad was a truck driver and there were 5 of us kids. It has always stuck in my mind that he took that time just with me and helped me learn to love reading. What I really liked was talking to him about the books. I would tell him about how I wanted to be in an adventure like one we had read about or how I wouldn't want to have to live in a certain time period. No matter what book you get your daughter to read, try to share it with her if you can. It will make her feel special, and give her someone to talk to about whatever the book stirs up inside of her.
It sounds like you are doing a great job!

Hi C., I agree with you about wanting your daughter to know about your history. If the book is on her reading level it is most likely OK. I have a 5th grade grandson and sometimes to encourage him to read we sit together and he reads one page and I read the other. I realize we don't all have the time but it would be a good way of knowing what is in the book and if a part is challenging you can explain it to her. I hope this helps :-) Grandma Mary

This book has stayed with me for years since I read it in my graduate work. It is definitely appropriate for a 5th grader, and especially good to understand racial relations of that period.

Did you look at Willie Freeman? I forget the full name of the book. Another good one.

I got a form to sign from school to allow my kids in 5th grade to read the book. The letter said that the teacher would explain some of the wording since it is written in the terms used in the past. I would say let her and be prepared to ask and answer questions.

hi -
if you are looking for some books for her to read check out this site (it lists books and written descriptions on each book):
http://www.fresno.schools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/678

I was a very picky reader too. One of the books that I still remember (25 years later) is http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Silver-Eyes-Apple-Paperbacks/d...

The book you mentioned ( roll of thunder hear my cry ) is for children Reading level: Ages 9-12. Have you tried reading a book with her and talking about what you both think about different 'chapters' /scenarios in the book?

Roll of Thunder is an excellent book and I think a good choice for your daughter. I also have my 5th graders read Bud Not Buddy (takes place in the depression) and The Watson's Go to Birmingham (takes place during the Civil Rights movement of the 60's) to give them a sense of African American history because we only cover through the revolution in our Social Studies curriculum.
And I agree it would be awesome if you read it with her. That is one of the reasons why in school we do literature circles (kind of like a book club but guided by me and led by students) for various novels. It gives them a chance to hear another person's perspective on the story and maybe opens their eyes to something they might have missed. We are currently doing that with Number the Stars (deals with the holocaust). And just for some fun books, Because of WInn Dixie is a great story about friendship. I also just read When You Reach Me which is for a higher reading level (I told my former kids who are in 7th grade now and they devoured it) but would be cool to read together. It is kind of a fantasy time travel story that takes place in the 70s. It won the Newberry this year. It is always good to take a look at the Newberry winners, you can't go wrong with them. Also the Percy Jackson series if she is interested in mythology is fun. Good luck!

It totally depends on the reading level for your child. If you liked it at the same age, chances are she will be able to read it. But that doesn't automatically mean she will LIKE it as much as you did! Just keep allowing her to make her own choices- if you make the reading seem like too much of a chore, she won't want to do it. Just keep taking her- if she picks out a book and doesn't like it, that's ok! We don't all like the same things! Just let her keep picking out new books and trying things. Ask the librarian for help choosing- she will be your best resource!

Roll of Thunder is great, not too hard and the author wrote a few more books. Don't ask her if she likes it - ask her other questions like, "Who do you think the hero is?" "What choices does she/he make?" "How are they heroic?" "What are dangerous choices made?" "What are the consequences?"

My daughter is an avid advanced reader but will still go for the fluff. So I choose some books, she chooses some (which I approve) and then she reads 2 of hers, 1 of mine, alternating - we line them up, so she can just take the next one in line. She loved (both of us were surprised) a biography of a Swiss fish fossil man from the late 1800s! But it was engaging and substance filled. So many historical biographies and historical fiction works were written in the 1920-1960s - they are in the libraries, beautifully written, interesting, without 'mature content' so common in books written for her level now.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a wonderful book! It's a classic in children's literature, and the author, Mildred Taylor, has written several sequels and one prequel. If this were my daughter, I would read the book aloud with her; reading it together would give you a chance to enjoy the cast of characters together, to laugh together, to get upset together, and to talk about the historical significance of the setting. I read this book either to or with my fifth grade classes for many years and I highly recommend it because the children in my class always loved it, and it's a book with a message. If you choose to follow up with any of the other books in the series, you might want to preread them for adult themes--so you'll be prepared to answer questions.

Other books my fifth graders enjoyed were: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (part of a great series by C.S.Lewis); Number the Stars by Lois Lowry; The Indian in the Cupboard series; Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain.

amazon lists it as being for ages 9-12. One thing about reading level, if it turns out to be a little too high, I think she'll be fine if you're guiding her and discussing it with her. Good choice!

P.S. scholastic.com lists great discussion ?s for the book--just Google it.

Yes, definitely an appropriate book for her grade level. Sometimes you need to get further into a book before you have a strong opinion, and also, as you get older, you don't necessarily have to like a book to gain something from reading it.