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Paladin Pals “Top 10 Kids Books of 2021” With Supplemental Materials
At Furman, we are always looking for ways to support our teachers and our community. That is why we’ve developed the “Paladin Pals” poster series! In this book list, Furman’s Paladin Pals help students discover new stories from both far away and close to home.
If you’d like copies of the Paladin Pals poster series sent to your school, please email us at Furman Graduate Studies.
#1 “How I Became a Pirate”
by Melinda Long – Furman Alum and New York Times bestseller
A young boy named Jeremy learns the ropes of being a pirate on this swashbuckling adventure filled with sea shanties and plunder!
Lesson plan by First Grade Fairytales
Creative and Theatrical Resource Guide for Teachers by Dallas Children’s Theater
#2 “Brown Girl Dreaming”
by Jacqueline Woodson – Greenville Native and National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner
A President Obama “O” Book Club pick
In vivid poems, Woodson shares what it was like to grow up as an African American girl in Greenville, SC during the growing Civil Rights movement.
Teacher Lesson plans by Columbia City Schools
Teacher Guide by Core Knowledge Language Arts
#3 “Mr. Tuck and the 13 Heroes”
by Dr. John Harris – Furman Professor
A school leader and some brave children helped to stem the tide of racial injustice during the integration of the first school in Henry County in Georgia.
School Desegregation Lesson Plan by Commonsense.org
“We Are Water Protectors”
by Carole Lindstrom – Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal and #1 New York Times Bestseller
Highlighting indigenous led movements around the world, “We Are Water Protectors” issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption.
Activity Kit by Roaring Brook Press
Supplementary Materials by Teachingbooks.net
“When You Trap a Tiger”
by Tae Kelle- New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Newberry Medal and Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature
Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother.
“Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story”
by Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal – Winners of the 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, A 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner
Told in lively and powerful verse, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family and their traditions through food.
Teaching Guide by Read Across America
“Fry Bread” Bake Along by Des Plaines Public Library
“The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh”
by Helen Rutter
Billy Plimpton has a dream: he wants to become a famous stand-up comedian. There is only one problem. Billy has a stammer. Can Billy find a way both to stand out and fit in?
Resources for teachers helping children with stammers by Stamma.org
“The Secret Detectives”
by Ella Risbridger
Eleven-year-old Isobel Petty just witnessed a murder aboard a ship. Can she and her new friends solve the crime while following the rules of grown-ups who don’t believe them?
Reading Plan and Discussion Notes by Nosy Crow
Teaching Kids How to be Reading Detectives by Scholastic
“Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions & How They Came to Be”
by Charlotte Foltz Jones
Learn all about mistakes that changed the world with this collection of the strange stories behind everyday inventions! It’s no accident that you’ll love this book!
Lesson Plan by Teachingbooks.net
“Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera”
by Candace Fleming – Winner 2021 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal and Illustrated by Eric Rohmann
This scientific picture book about the honeybee provides insight into their busy lives and food for thought about how much work really goes into a spoonful of honey.