A personal narrative tells the
true story of something that happened to you. A comparative essay compares
at least two or more things. When selecting books in this genre it is important
to get books that are visually appealing to the students. The teacher would
also want to make sure that this is true for the websites that they are
choosing for in the classroom. When looking for examples that were classified
comparative and personal essays, it was very important that these papers met
the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards, as well as the standards for the
subject the paper is being used for, somewhere along the lines of the grade
level the paper is being used for. This is important because information within
the text will help cover some of the standards the teacher is required to meet.
It is also important that they are grade level appropriate. If choosing websites
you want to make sure that they are acceptable for the students in the
classroom. Along with all of this I also tried to choose examples that provided
explanations as to why each piece is important and enhances the essay itself.
Mirror
Baker, J. (2010). Mirror.
Somerville, MA.: Candlewick Press.
This book would be for lower
elementary. A lexile level could not be found for this book. The books major
theme is about comparing and contrasting. This book makes it fun to compare and
contrast because it has two different stories about two different families and
their lives. Students are able to see how these families are both similar and
different, just through pictures. The illustrations in this book are wonderful.
They are very detailed. They make it easier to gain the attention of the
students. This book would be a good fit for classrooms with a large percentage
of diversity, as well as classrooms with little diversity. It could help
students see that there are similarities and differences between everyone.
Although there are not any connections to make specifically to global issues,
it does compare the lives of a family from Australia and one from Morocco,
North Africa. Students may need help making the connections between some of the
similarities and differences. Other than that, little help will be needed when
reading this book.
A Country Far Away
Gray, N., & Dupasquier, P.
(1989). A country far away. New York, NY: Orchard Books.
This book has a lexile level of
BR, which stands for beginning reader. It would be at the 1st grade
independent reading level and it could be used between first and third grade
for interest reading. The theme of this book is ways of life. Two boys from
different parts of the world talk about one day in their lives. They ride
bicycles, swim, stay up late, score goals while playing soccer, and so much
more. The boys are from rural Africa and urban North America. The illustrations
in the book are detailed. They are also colorful and gain the attention of the
students. This book would also be good for a classroom with a lot of diversity
or little diversity. This could also help students see that there are some
similarities and differences between everyone. There are not any connections to
make specifically to global issues. The book does compare the lives of boys
from Africa and North America. Students may need some help making the connections
between the two countries.
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