u/waffledogofficial

Hi everyone! I'm going to be a 4th grade homeroom teacher after the summer and I'm currently thinking about a book to do a novel study about with my 4th grade students. Most of the students are English Language Learners and speak Chinese at home.

I've been looking for chapter books that MUST:

A) Have meaningful themes (think "The Giver" or "Bridge to Terabithia"). Alternatively it can be a book that focuses on being a global citizen, more empathetic, developing uriosity, etc. etc. If you are familiar with the IB PYP, basically anything that helps develop the learner profile.

B) Have language that is as simple as possible with short chapters. I found the English level of "Because of Winn Dixie" to be about right.

I think we will read "Because of Winn Dixie" during one semester, but I'd like to find another one as an alternative or to read on the other semester. While the themes and (ESPECIALLY) language are musts, there are a few things that I'd hope for:

1. Non-white protagonists or a mixed cast. Alternatively, a story that doesn't take place in the United States or England. Just want to build a bit more international mindedness in my students and to learn about different parts of the world.

2. A bestselling book or a book that has many prints/reprints. Just makes it easier to find sets for the whole class.

3. Drawings/pictures. This just helps the students with comprehension and visualization. They're also transitioning from pure picture books to chapter books, so having a few pictures would help out with comprehension.

4. Connected to the themes of the human body, architecture, ecosystems, weather, following one's passions/dreams and/or inventions. This one is honestly not a requirement at all. These are just the topics of our year so a connection would be nice hahaha.

5. Action, fantasy, humor. "Because of Winn-Dixie" is a little more serious, so something a bit more relaxed would make for a nice contrast.

Thanks for any recommendations!

This is a shoujo manga that has a bit of a tragedy/classic shoujo feel from what I remember. There was a bit of a love triangle with two boys, one that was more "sporty" and one that was more "nerdy" but the three of them were friends. The story begins when the girl is maybe 12 or 13(?) and ends when she's already an adult.

Part of the story is obviously about her processing her mother's suicide (which iirc happened on a cold winter night when the mother went out into the wilderness after saying one last casual goodbye). The girl herself later attempts suicide as an adult on a beach, but ends up shouting out for help when she realizes she wants to live.

There's one specific scene where the trio of the girl and her two boy friends (and later also boyfriends) go on a camping trip, she gets lost, and the two boys look for her. They have a bit of a panic when they see blood on her, but she had just gotten her period.

I read this back in around... 2007(?) in the US but the series might be older.

Thanks so much for any possible leads! Google was not helpful at all.