The Chance to Fly Written by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz 272 pages / Grades 5-8

A middle-school girl who is obsessed with theatre defies all expectations in this heartwarming story about friendship, gain independence and following your heart. Readers will root for Natalie, who steps up and takes charge to put on a show when everyone else is ready to give up. A story for anyone, but especially for musical theatre lovers, you will be reminded that we all are unlimited in what we can do, despite being differently abled. C A T C H Context Arts Themes Create Heart Words

Representation - of A chronicle of musical Overcoming Using the scene “I don’t want to be cultures and abilities. theatre references obstacles where Hudson puts the next anyone…I There is nothing and vocabulary, from himself in Nat’s want people to be anyone can’t do when putting on a show to Representation wheelchair, have the next me.” determined. many, many show students consider references and plays Being different is how they would “I just feel like theater Figurative language. on words. more than ok follow their passion if is the one place The book is filled with limited. Ask them to where we can try on musical theatre Dance being a Friendship identify their passion, different roles and references that lend representation of and reinvent the way show the world that themselves to real life feeling, no matter Following your they would do it if there’s more to us - such as “defying one’s ability. passion thrown a challenge, than what people gravity, and even in as Nat has been. might see.” the chapter titles, Theatre as Gaining which all are a line representative and independence How have you defied “….telling my story from a song, but the role it plays in life. gravity? Ask students reminds me of what perfectly adhere to Determination to consider how they I’ve been through…” the theme of the have overcome odds chapter. Putting yourself in in their own lives to “No matter who you someone else’s shoes achieve a dream. How are and what Theme - how does have they been challenges you face, one story give us Everyone is fighting a challenged, and how remember: Creativity important, big ideas? battle whether you did they push is Key. You can break What can we learn are aware of it or not. themselves through? boundaries. You can from a fictional story Allow them to create burst through boxes.” and characters? a representation.

The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM Fearless Written by Mandy Gonzalez 240 pages / Grades 4-8

Twelve year old Monica arrives in NYC about to achieve her dream of a role in a Broadway show. However, rumors of a curse on the theatre begin to appear to not be rumors, and threaten that the show may not even open. It is up to Monica, her new friends and castmates, as well as some theatre magic and superstition to break the curse and hopefully save the show, and their dreams.

C A T C H Context Arts Themes Create Heart Words

Research the history Folklore and family Theatre history - Being fearless “The world has been and theatrical lore of history along with Broadway theatres looking for you.” Broadway theatres, or tradition and story. (and all theatres) have Finding your voice a cultural building in “The theatre is a place rich, storied pasts that your own city. where stories are told Superstition and the are fascinating to Discovery and released into the role they play in discover as evidenced Use the picture book, world and given life.” history - whether in the novel. Being yourself A is for Audra (by theatrical history or John Robert Allman) “Never be good family history. Songwriting and the to learn about and enough.” power of word discover the powerful Using suspense and choice. leading ladies of “Learn from each mystery as an Broadway. other. Trust each author’s craft / Using your voice other.” Write a mystery based studying the genre. both musically and in a cultural, artistic “We have to conquer figuratively. our fears together.” Realistic fiction building (either invented or real) Powerful women of “Thought I’d lost my grounded in fact. Broadway - Ethel voice, but it was here Merman is a central Use the author’s song, all along, just waiting name, as should be Fearless (and other for me to discover my the author, a powerful songs on the album) song” Broadway voice as a parallel text for “When darkness herself. meaning. Thought comes, hold it, love it, not written together, Theatrical lean to understand it.“ they all align perfectly superstitions

The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM Better Nate Than Ever Written by Tim Federle 275 pages / Grades 6-8

8th grader Nate has big dreams but is stuck in the small town of Jankburg. With the help of his best friend and alibi Libby, Nate makes an escape to New York City, to audition for ‘E.T. the Musical’ Things don’t go as planned, and an adventure in the city ensues which allows Nate to feel more at home and comfortable in his own skin than he ever has before. Readers will fall in love with Nate and become his biggest cheerleaders, despite a true cliffhanger ending! C A T C H Context Arts Themes Create Heart Words

Ask students to Characterization. Casting process of Being and feeling “There’s nothing to be choose a city and Nate is not only musical theatre. The different scared of….You’re have them research it. realistic, but book gives readers a small and scrappy and (Even better if it’s a embodies humor, nice inside view of Independence can get out of any city they know and solicits empathy, and what the “cattle call” situation the world have been to) Write finds readers in his audition and casting Decisions and throws at you.” an adventure of a kid corner. process can be like. Consequences escaping to that “All of this, all of this city…and making it! Growing up and Friendship adventure and Another text to use Identity novelty, it would be with this as a mentor Family nothing without is From the Mixed Up Bullying - being someone to share it Files of Mrs. Basil E bullied, how to Determination with.” Frankweiler. handle it and what the often unseen Confidence “You just can’t have a Nate is asked what his effects of it can be. scene without a co- special skills are. Ask Effects of bullying star” students theirs, have How to hook readers them demonstrate, as a writer. The book Acceptance and discuss how is a mentor text for these skills can and writing with humor will help them in life. and wit, plot twists and suspense. Who is your co-star? Create a scenario for you and your co-star.

The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM Hattie in the Spotlight Written by Poppy Green 118 pages / Grades K-3

What could be better than lovable animal characters and friendship? Throw in the theatre. Hattie Frog and her friends Sophie Mouse and Owen Snake learn that a play is going to be done in a brand new theatre in their town, and they are able to audition. Hattie is known for being shy and doesn’t know if she can do it. A look inside a production both onstage and backstage for beginning chapter book readers or a read aloud for the youngest readers. C A T C H Context Arts Themes Create Heart Words

Determine how the Structure of chapter What a play is and all Friendship “Maybe the next star characters would books - a perfect that is needed to put of the stage is….you” sound and move in model for young one on, from Teamwork certain parts of the readers. auditions, to scenery “This was going to be story. Ask students to and lights. Confidence even better than perform sections of Fluency - with short trying out herself.” the story. sentences and Theatre Vocabulary Bravery chapters, along with “Her voice was loud Discuss the various characters and and forceful and clear roles and jobs in the dialogue, a great text as day. Sophie’s heart theatre mentioned in to use for fluency soared.” the story. Ask work and reading with students to expression. Short “audition” for one of reader’s theatre the jobs (both pieces could easily be onstage and created. backstage). Why do they feel like it would Character arcs -how be the best fit for do characters change them? in a story, using Hattie and Sophie as Take a virtual field trip examples to a theatre, or bring theatre professionals in to explain more to students.

The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM Lights on Broadway Written by Harriet Ziefert, Illustrated by Elliot Kreloff 48 pages / Grades K-8

An Alphabet book for all ages, Lights on Broadway gives readers an in-depth look at everything in the theatre and involved with a show, from the cast and crew to designers, vocabulary, technical elements, front of house and audience…this book has it all. Add in extremely colorful and engaging illustrations, and you have a book that readers of all ages will want to read again and again to absorb all the information they will learn about the theatre. . C A T C H Context Arts Themes Create Heart Words

Each student chooses Alphabet books - Use of color and Vocabulary “Collaboration. a letter to research looking at how they style in illustrations. Like the tiny crystals in more about the topic can be a structure to Theatre a colossal cloud, it is and gain a deeper teach so much more Theatre Vocabulary contact and insight into the than the alphabet. interaction that give concept, then jigsaw us the ability to create it to the class, being Quotations - each a thunderbolt, which the expert. page of the book has can illuminate the quotes related to the heavens and shake Develop an alphabet topic of the letter at the earth. book for a topic of hand. Explore why their choice which quotes can be so Collaboration. they are passionate powerful. about, also using It is the power behind quotes from people in the arts - behind the the field of their book and the music, topic. the dance and the design. Students create one page Ian alphabet Collaboration.” book collaboration, and after finishing the text, focus on the color, style and illustration they will use to bring it to life.

The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM Feed Your Mind: A Story of August Wilson Written by Jen Bryant, Illustrated by Canada Chapman 48 pages / Grades 3-8

August Wilson is a two-time Pulitzer winning playwright and one of the nations’s greatest playwrights in history. This story, told in two acts and multiple scenes, is told in powerful language and imagery, which embodies Wilson in everyday. Readers will be amazed at his path to success, being self taught in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh when he couldn’t find a school to accept him for himself. C A T C H Context Arts Themes Create Heart Words

Just like Freddy did… Racial prejudice - Play structure - Determination “If you can read, you Write a paper on America in the 1950s scenes, climax, can do anything - you someone from the and 1960s characters Persistence can be anything.” past that you admire.

Importance of Spoken Word as a Words and language “He reads with delight Create your life as words, language way of public and with a fearsome play with scenes. and reading speaking Power of listening hunger, like a guest at What are the a royal feast, the table standout moments Poetry, language and August Wilson, the Knowledge is power so wide, so vast - all that deserve to be inspiration of authors. playwright. The book he can do is try to highlighted? includes a detailed taste a bit of Author’s Notes as an timeline and listing of everything.” Sit in a crowded room important resource of his plays. He is one of and listen. Write knowledge. America’s most “Connection - a word down some of the influential that’s all about how sentences you hear. playwrights. the “I” becomes “we. Turn those sentences how the artist into a story or piece becomes the voice, of art. the spirit of his own community.”

“… a whole world can flower from some small, single thing.”

The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM