Best Selling Books by Monica Edinger

Seeking History is one of the first books about using primary sources in elementary and middle school classrooms to enhance and deepen students'' grapplings with history.

“Permit me to lay at your feet the following genuine Narrative . . .” Olaudah Equiano was a writer and abolitionist whose autobiography, The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano, captured the attention of British readers at the height of the transatlantic slave trade. The account of his childhood in the African kingdom of Benin, the details of his kidnapping and enslavement as a young boy, and the chronicles of his life as a sailor were influential in ending the British slave trade and continue to inspire the work of academics, activists, and artists over two hundred years later. Nearer My Freedom retells Equiano’s remarkable life story in found verse, shaping his own words into impassioned, striking poetry, allowing readers to discover it anew. Supplemented with detailed and illuminating annotations, authors Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge offer a new means to engage with one of the most famous texts of the abolition movement.

Inspired by a true story, the compelling tale of a child who arrives in America on the slave ship Amistad describes her capture, her witness to a mutiny and the Supreme Court trial that prompts her return to Africa.

Teacher Monica Edinger shares fantastic literature response activities that encourage students to dig deep into favorite books, mining them for meaning and connections to real life and other texts. As they analyze literary elements and interpret story events, students practice reading strategies and hone comprehension skills. Includes reproducible student response packets, discussion questions, literature connections, Internet links, and background information for units on Charlotte’s Web, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz. For use with Grades 3-6.

The ideas and strategies in this book are exciting and thoughtful, and the organization is well-designed for a quick-read and in-depth preparation. Internet addresses are included.