Sterling Kirby Text Sets Focal Book: 14 Cows for America

Deedy, Carmen Agra., Wilson Kimeli. Naiyomah, and Thomas Gonzalez. 14 Cows for America. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 2009. Print. Grade Level: 2-5

I have never done text sets before, so I was unsure what books to look for and how they should relate to the book from my literature circle, 14 Cows for America. I began thinking about the story and the things that connected to it such as the attack on September 11, 2001 and the Maasai. I decided to locate books related to these topics since young children today dont know much about the day of September 11th and most of them will not know about other cultures such as the Maasai. Understanding what happened on September 11, 2001 is important for children in order to know the meaning of 14 Cows for America. I began searching the Teacher Resource section of the library database, looking for books related to September 11th and the Maasai in various genres. The majority of the books relating to these two topics were nonfiction, but I found a few that were fiction and easy picture books. Then I located the books and began reading! Under the Backyard Sky Shulman, Neil, Sibley Fleming, and Stan Mullins. Under the Backyard Sky. Atlanta: Peachtree, 1995. Print Fiction Grade level: 1st-3rd This story is told by a young girl named Lucy on her perspective of Kenya and the Maasai village. Lucy is raised by her father, her only family member who is a doctor that travels to fix peoples hearts. Lucy reads books about the places that her father goes, so she can learn more about the people and places he is visiting. When her father has to bring a young Maasai girl back to America to do an operation, Lucy gets a real life view of the Maasai right in her backyard!

First Come the Zebra

Barasch, Lynne. First Come the Zebra. New York: Lee & Low, 2009. Print. Grade level: 1-4 Easy Read This book is about a young boy named Abaani who meets Haki. At first they do not get along because Abaani is Maasai and Haki is Kikuyu. After seeing each other for several days they finally talk to each other and realize they have more in common than either of them think. The two boys become friends and hope to make peace between the Maasai and Kikuyu one day. This book gives a great depiction of Kenya for young children. It has beautiful illustrations of the grasslands and animals.

America is Under Attack: September 11, 2001 Brown, Don, and Andrew Arnold. America Is under Attack: September 11, 2001 : The Day the Towers Fell. New York: Roaring Brook, 2011. Print. Grade Level: 2-5 Nonfiction A great description of the horrifying attack on September 11, 2001. The story begins with the calm ordinary morning, leading into details of the hijacked planes and destroyed twin towers and pentagon. The book continues with the reaction of firefighters, police, and first responders who had a part in the tragedy.

September 11, 2001: A Simple Account for Children

Poffenberger, Nancy M., and Val Gottesman. September 11, 2001: A Simple Account for Children. Cincinnati, OH: Fun Pub., 2002. Print. Grade Level: K-3 Nonfiction This book gives a simple description of September 11, 2001. Great for young childrens understanding of the attack without the horrifying details.