A Literary Journey
A. Read books set in countries all around the world.
B. Keep track of your reading.
- Keep a list of the books you read.
- Write little annotations or responses telling about the stories and your connections. Or write about what you learned in a short informal essay.
- Organize your books in alphabetical order within each continent section.
An Evaluation Rubric: Independent Reading Project
Great Stories set in Countries Around the World
READ AROUND THE WORLD
A Literary Journey by Avneet in Grade 6
From reading all different sorts of stories that were set all over the world, I have learnt that all people experience both hardships and joys in life. For example, in the story An Adventure in Venice, I have learned that life is not always fair, not even on a vacation; Zoe, a little girl, loses her dog Mickey while in Italy. In A Faraway Island and A Night Divided, I have observed that when life is tough, people have to be brave; in the first novel, two Jewish sisters are sent to Austria because of World War 2 and in the second novel, Gerta’s family gets divided overnight by the Berlin Wall in Germany. In Little Red Riding Hood, I noticed that sometimes not following directions can get a person into danger; Little Red Riding Hood on the way to visit her sick grandmother does not obey her mother and is endangered by a wolf. In Desmond and the Very Mean Word, I saw that hurting someone’s feelings is very unkind; some boys shout a very mean word at Desmond which turns his happiness and joy into sadness and anger. In Good Morning China, I discovered that almost everyone has some kind of special activity that makes them happy; in China, some children play basketball in the morning and other children water the plants. Overall, I have learnt a lot of amazing things about life!
North America
- Bilson, Geoffery. The Guest Children. Saskatchewan: Fifth House,1999.
- Driver, Stephanie. I Wish I Knew That Science. New York. Reader’s Digest, 2012.
- Goldsworthy, Kate. Nunavut. Calgary: Weigl, 2014.
- Horvath, Polly.Very Rich. New York: Puffin, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, 2018.
- Hurley, Michael. Canada. Chicago: Heineman Library,2012.
- Kennon, Mara. Molecule. New York: Crash Course, 2014.
- Khan, Hena. Under my Hijab.New York: Lee and Low Books, 2019.
- Moore, Christoper. The Story of Canada. Toronto: Scholastic, 2016.
- Ono, Mari. How to Make Paper Planes. New York: Reader’s Digest, 2012.
- Pearson, Kit. The Sky is Falling. Â Toronto: Penguin Random House, 2014.
-  Pearson, Kit. Looking at the Moon. Toronto: Penguin Random    House, 2014.
- Pearson, Kit. The Lights go on Again. Toronto: Penguin Random House, 2014.
  South America
- Woods, Michael. Seven Natural Wonders of South America. Boston: Twenty-First Century Books,2004.
Europe
- Brett, Jari. Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Boston: G.P Punam’s Sons, 1987.
- Galdon, Paul. Rumpelstitskin. New York: Harcourt, 1985.
- Grimm, Brothers. Sleeping Beauty. Boston: North-South Books, 2012.
- Grimm, Brothers. Snow White. Boston: North-South Books, 2007.
- Kraulis, Julie. An Armadillo In Paris. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2014.
- Mauner, Claudia. An Adventure In Venice. New York: Chronicle Books, 2009.
- Nielsen, Jennifer. A Night Divided. New York: Scholastic, 2015.
- Nesbit, E. Jack and the Beanstalk. Cambridge: Candlewick Press,2006.
- Paul, Fleshman. Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal. Boston: Henry Holt and Company.2007.
- Pinkey, Jerry. Little Red Hen. Boston: Litlle Brown And Company.2007.
- Â Rubbino, Salvatore. A Walk in Paris. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press,2014.
- Sadek, Adelnola. Italy. Boston: Mason Crest,2013.
- Thor, Annika. A Faraway Island. New York: Delacorte Press,2009.
- Vegara. Isabel. Stephen Hawking. Minneapolis. France’s Lincoln Children’s Books, 2019.
- Waldron, Melanie. Scotland. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2012.
- Woods, Michael. Seven Natural Wonders of Europe. Boston: Twenty-First Century Books, 2009.
Asia
- Emberly, Rebecca. The Red Hen. New York: Roaring Book Press, 2010.
- Javaherbin, Mina. Elephant in the Dark. Boston: Scholastic, 2015.
- Khan, Rukhsana. Wanting Mor.Toronto: Groundwood Book, 2004.
- Krishnawswan, Uma. Monsoon. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2013.
- Mohammend, Kharda. Four Feet Two Sandals. Cambridge: Eerdmans Books, 2007.
- Moore, Emma. Manu’s Ark. San Rafel: Mandala Kids, 2012.
- Say, Allen. Erika-San. Boston: Harcourt. 2004.
- Stampler, Ann. The Wooden Sword. Chicago: Albert Whitman and Company, 2001.
- Woods, Michael. Seven Natural Wonders of Asia. Boston: Twenty-First Century Books,2004.
- Yi, Young hi. Good Morning China. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2007.
- Yomtav, Net. Saudi Arabia. New York: Children’s Press, 2015
- Young, Ed. Mei, Mei, Mei. New York: Philomel Books, 2006.
Africa
- Brooks, Phillip. The Story Of Ancient Civilizations. New York: Rosen Central, 2011.
- Robinson, Anthony. Gervelie’s Journey. London: France’s Lincoln Books, 2018.
- Tutu, Desmond, Archbishop. Desmond and the Very Mean Word. Cambridge: Candlewick Press,2013.