Autobiography Unit

 Lexile 1090  132 pages

 The Iditarod is run between Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.  It is an endurance test  Gary Paulsen finished 42 out of 73 racers.

 Woodsong is not a book about competing. It is a story about how he changed.  Woodsong is a book about ignorance that comes from thinking you know it all.  Woodsong includes autobiographical sketches not told in chronological order, but as if you were sitting around a campfire with Gary and he was telling stories.  There are graphic and bloody parts and wildly funny parts.

 Gary Paulsen web page: ulsen/  Iditarod Musher’s Life Video I&feature=related

S OUL S URFER B Y B ETHANY H AMILTON Bethany Hamilton, a 13-year-old girl destined for a successful surfing career, lost her arm to a 14-foot tiger shark on Oct. 31, The attack didn't cause this determined Soul Surfer to give up. Instead, it compelled her to discover her purpose in life as she overcame the loss of her arm and got back on the board just three weeks later. Heart of a Soul Surfer chronicles Bethany's comeback to competitive surfing as Bethany and her family tell their story and how they experienced it. This is a powerful, true story that you won't want to miss!

S OUL S URFER BY B ETHANY H AMILTON Visit Bethany’s web page: Movie documentary-- watch this!

S OUL S URFER B Y B ETHANY H AMILTON Lexile Level: 960 Number of Pages: 222

. Pages: 203 Lexile Framework: 1050 Grade Level Equivalent: 7.1 Age: Subject: Determination and Perseverance, Disabilities, Confronting and Resolving Fears

In seventh grade, the author struggled to keep up in her classes, to remember two locker combinations, and to deal with new teachers. Samantha Abeel dreads school, and begins having anxiety attacks. In her 13th winter, she finds the courage to confront her problems--and is diagnosed with a learning disability-- dyscalculia, a math-related learning disability. Slowly, Samantha's life begins to change again, and she discovers that she is stronger than she'd ever thought possible.

My Thirteenth Winter Remix You Tube Video

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Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank Lexile level: 1080 Reading Level: 8 th grade Pages: 241 Week One: 61 pages Week Two: 56 pages Week Three: 53 pages Week Four: 66 pages

A student’s review… What is written in "The Diary of Anne Frank" is an excellent example what an idiotic fool Adolf Hitler was. To kill a girl like Anne. A fine young girl, who wanted nothing more than to become a woman, and was never able to become one. Between every line, you can imagine her sitting, writing, possibly thinking that this day would be her last in hiding. The book is well written, showing the anxiety that dominated her through the 25 months in hiding. It would be impossible to truly rate her book, for although it was meant to be published, it was written in her own style, and in her own way.

A student’s review… This book was so heart-warming and loving. It really makes you feel like you are part of the Frank family. This book describes what it's like to be a teen in trouble like nothing you and I are used to. The theme itself is extremely harsh. The story pulls you in. You will find it difficult to leave Anne’s world– you’ll get so caught up in it! It is an extraordinary book that any teen should read.

Movie Trailer m/watch?v=WYks4GbK uo4&feature=related

So…. Which one will you choose?  Woodsong by Gary Paulsen  Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton  My Thirteenth Winter by Samantha Abeel  Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank