On My Honor

Bibliographic Information: Bauer, M. (1987). On My Honor. New York, NY: Yearling.

Brief Annotation: Joel and Tony are friends but Tony is way more daring than Joel. Taking a biking trip to a place Joel didn't even feel like going, the boys' trip turns into a nightmare. Joel ends up daring Tony to swim across the river to the sandbar even though Tony wasn't a good swimmer. Unfortunately, Tony ends up drowning and Joel is left figuring out how he is going to tell their parents.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 4th-5th

Readers who will like this: Readers who like an adventure with a good lesson.

Response/Rating (1-4): 4, I liked how there is action right away. This is a good book to recommend to struggling readers in higher grades. It is a short read and the action occurs within the first few chapters, which will hook the reader.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: Have you ever lied about something and that little lie just turns into a bigger problem?

a. Reading Strategy: Hot Seat

b. Strategy Description: Have the students take turns sitting in the hot seat. In the hot seat, the students will take on the identity of one of the characters in the book. Then the other students will ask the student, in the hot seat, questions relating to the story of the book. If the there is a definite answer, they student in the hot seat must answer to their best abilities. If the answer is based on what they character could have been thinking, the student can improvise what they thought.

c. Rationale: This is a great strategy for retelling in a creative way. This strategy is also great for the students to show their comprehension of the book.