middle grade Archives - Page 311 of 312

Family Money
By William Whitehead (Author) and Mark Beech (Illustrator)

Booktalk: How does a family get and spend its money? Just time for the back-to-school spending, this book looks at many of the expenses families have and how money is spent on utilities, services, health, food, transportation, and more. The concepts of budgeting, borrowing, spending, fiscal responsibility, and financial literacy are discussed in an easy to understand, accessible manner.

Snippet:

Money Talk
How many times have you heard your dad or mom say there’s just not enough money to do this or that? They just can’t afford it! The subject of money and how it’s spent is always around because it’s money that buys everything a family needs. And this matters to you in a lot of ways.

Why do families talk about money so much?
Very simply–it’s money that decides the comfort and the way in which you live. Money gets talked about a lot because whether there’s enough or not enough, everyone in the family seems to need some.

Six Traits Mini Lesson

Trait: Organization This short excerpt from the first page of the book has a chapter title and a subhead (both shown here in bold). These nonfiction text features help organize the ideas in a book.

The chapter title shows readers an overview of the topics that will be discussed.

Money Talk

Under the chapter title, the topic is introduced:

How many times have you heard your dad or mom say there’s just not enough money to do this or that? They just can’t afford it! The subject of money and how it’s spent is always around because it’s money that buys everything a family needs. And this matters to you in a lot of ways.

The rest of the chapter will add more details. These details are divided into smaller sections. Each small section of text will also have a title, called a subhead.

Why do families talk about money so much?

This subhead asks a question. The text below the subhead answers the question, giving the book a “question and answer” organizational pattern.

Very simply–it’s money that decides the comfort and the way in which you live. Money gets talked about a lot because whether there’s enough or not enough, everyone in the family seems to need some.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Identify and Evaluate Advertising (Info Wise)
by Valerie Bodden (Author)

Booktalk: Here’s another hot topic for the back to school shopping season! What is advertising, and why should you care? Learn how to think critically about advertising. Who created and paid for an ad? What do the people who made the ad want you to do? Why does it matter if a website includes advertising? Find out how to pinpoint and evaluate common persuasive techniques used in advertising, including the bandwagon approach, emotional appeal, repetition, and more.

Snippet:
What is Advertising?
Every year, companies pour more than $500 billion into producing and distributing ads around the world. Why? It’s simple: they want to convince you to buy their products.

Six Traits Mini Lesson

Trait: Word Choice The book’s goal is clearly stated in the title. In four short words the scope of the book is defined:

Identify and Evaluate Advertising

Notice that there are two steps in the book title and both are stated as verbs: Identify and Evaluate. And what will readers be identifying and evaluating? The noun in the title: Advertising.

Trait: Organization The simplest way to organize a nonfiction book is to begin at the beginning. First, you define the topic. The chapter title asks a question.

What is Advertising?

The first two sentences in chapter one begin the explanation.

Every year, companies pour more than $500 billion into producing and distributing ads around the world. Why? It’s simple: they want to convince you to buy their products.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!