Several Native American tribes have versions of Cinderella. The Turkey Girl is retold in the Zuni tradition. The story differs sharply from the European version, in which Cinderella breaks her promise about returning on time, yet still wins the Prince. The Zunis, sharing the traditional Native American respect for the natural world, changed the ending. Why?

Compare this version with other Cinderella books. Use this book in your cross curriculum units involving art, geography, fairy tales, and Native Americans.

•What did the turkeys promise the turkey girl?

•What did she promise them?

•Have your students discuss the importance of "keeping their word."

•Have them give examples of someone breaking his or her promise. What happened because of this?

Have the students make a mural showing ways in which man can cooperate with nature. Find five ways they can help save the environment right in their own towns.

Why did the turkey girl want to go to the dance? What did she wear? Ask your students to design a paper doll showing the turkey girl in full dress. Ask them to design masks that the braves might have won.

Why did the turkey girl break her promise? How does the plot of the story flow from her character flaw? Find another story where the main character's weakness determines the end of the book.

The Zunis live in New Mexico. Where is it? Make a map. How were their houses constructed? Make models of pueblo buildings from clay. Why did they have openings on top of the buildings? How did they reach these openings?

The story tells us that because the turkey girl broke her promise, turkeys, which represent all animals, no longer talk with their "tall brothers." What if she had kept her word and animals still talked with humans? Ask your students to write dialogue between themselves and their pets.

The illustrator for The Turkey Girl is famous. What other books has Ed Young illustrated? Which one is your favorite? Ed Young does not illustrate the details of the story. He captures the feelings of the story. How does he use color to catch the feelings in The Turkey Girl? Have students compare this book with other books by Ed Young.

Tips for using 'When The Moon Is Full' in your classroom

When The Moon Is Full is a collection of poems about each month's full moon. The Book concludes with a question and answer section about such things as "What is a blue moon?"

1. Ask the students to create their own names for the full moon of their birthday month. Have them write or explain why they chose that image. They can write a poem about this image. They can illustrate their image. If they are musical, they can create a song to go along. Or assign months so the entire year is covered. Use the illustrations as a bulletin board.

2. Turn the full moon theme into small play. Attach large white circles to pain-stirring sticks. On the back of each "moon" write the poem from this book or create other poems. The students take turns carrying "their" moon and recite poems. Other studensts. can represent the animals pictured in the book for each moon. For instance, simple antlers form cardboard would represent the deer for July.

3. Ask the music teacher to find simple moon songs. The children can sing them in a "Moon" assembly, while standing behind paper moons.

4. Have the children take turns being part of the solar system. Ask the "moon" to walk around the Earth, while they both walk around the Sun. Other students can fill in the background as other stars etc.

5. Have the students complie a list of all the various names of the full moons. Discuss why there are so many diffirent names. If you lived in Florida, would you think of having a snow moon? Why not?

6. Make a huge mural of all the activities suggested by the various full moons. Make a similar mural of what the students do in those months. Why do we live so diffirently?

7. Work with the librarian to find other moon-related books and tales. For instance, look at An Algonquian Year by Michael McCurdy. Younger students could listen to Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.

8. Mary Azarian illustrated this book. Ask the students to find other books by this illustrator. Which of her books won Caldecott? Ask the art teacher to demonstrate woodcuts.

9. Each poem reflects a diffirent mood. How did the illustrator use color and design to match these moods?

10. One of the poems suggests something scary? How? Have the students discuss how they react when they feel scared.

11. Ask the older students to look at the moon for several nights, then write down their thoughts during that time. This could be a "moon-watch' journal.

12. Look at my web site. How does the book reflect the authors personality? Do I like animals? Who were some of my ancestors?

13. What other questions might have been included in the Blue Moons And More section of the book? What would be the answers to those questions?

Tips for using 'Stall Buddies' in your classroom

Scarlett, a one-year-old filly, is about to be sold. But who will buy a horse that is so jumpy that even grooms have trouble handling her? The answer is Bud Crammer, a young man with trust in his eyes. Through Bud, Scarlett meets Rufus and Merabel, who become her friends. She also meets Flint. He bites. These characters live together as a family on Four Maple Farm. Will they be able to stay together? This depends on Scarlett winning the race of her life.

Ask your students to discuss the importance of friends. Have them give five examples of ways that friends make life easier.

Have your students write an essay on how it felt when a friend moved away. Or how it felt to move and leave friends behind.

Have them make a list of things to do to make friends.

Discuss how to handle someone like Flint. What should we do when someone is nasty to us?

Questions to consider:

•How does Scarlett win the race?

•Could she have done this without her friends?

•Why does she want to win?

•How did she stand in the Winner's Circle?

•How did Scarlett change from the beginning of the book to the end?

I placed this story in Hiram, Ohio because I spent summers there when I was young. Have your students find Hiram on the map. Could this story have taken place anywhere? Have the students rewrite some of the description by placing the story in their own home town.

The sense of smell is important in setting a scene. How many examples can be found in this book?

The first sentence in this book sets up tension. Find other first lines in books. Why are some interesting and some boring? Compare first lines in the stories the students write in class.

Tips for 'Keeping It Secret' in your classroom

Wisconsin moves to New Jersey in late spring. She dreads entering a new school, where everyone will already have friends. What if they find out that she wears two hearing aids? Wisconsin, a world-class worrier, is so nervous '...her stomach was squeezed so small she couldn't slide a Cheerio in sideways.' From the moment Wisconsin enters school, things go wrong. And they keep on going wrong until she accepts the fact that no one is perfect and that is just fine.

Ask your students how Wisconsin is feeling as she starts school. Why is she afraid? She covers up her fear with anger. Why? Do people do this? Have the students make a list of what they do when they feel afraid but want to hide it.

Have your students rewrite the meeting between Wisconsin and Jason. How would it have changed the book if she had been relaxed and laughed at his joke about her name?

Why does Wisconsin hate spelling bees? If she knows there will be a spelling bee in school the next day, what does she do? Is this a good way to handle conflict?

How does Wisconsin change from the beginning of the book to the end? List steps in the plot that help her change. What does Wisconsin learn from Maria?

Softball plays a big part in this book. How? When Wisconsin feels sad, how does she make herself feel better? Have your students act out playing an imaginary game.

What is Wisconsin's relationship with her brother? Does he help her? How?

Wisconsin builds a terrarium. What does the terrarium represent to her? Have your students build terrariums.

Wisconsin makes a lot of mistakes when she makes brownies. Have your students share brownies.

The end of the book is open ended. Wisconsin is at bat. The bases are loaded. She says she will hit the ball all the way to Wisconsin. Have the students vote on whether or not she hit a grand slam, a single etc. If each of us accepts the imperfections in ourselves and others, will we hit a home run in life? How does the author use this as a symbol?

This book is very autobiographical. How many hearing aids do you think I wear?

Have students research how hearing aids work. Have them interview people who wear hearing aids and read the interviews to the class. Discuss disabilities, hidden and otherwise.

Ideas for using 'The Spit Bug Who Couldn't Spit' in your classroom

Ezra wants to be ready before he tries anything new. So when he learns that he must make spit, he worries. When he finds out how hard it is to make spit, he worries even more. His mistakes almost cost him his life. But with the help of his friend Hazel, Ezra learns a lot about life. He even learns that sometimes one has to take chances.

Spit bugs change colors as they grow. Have the students list the various colors that Ezra becomes. Ask the students to write a story about the day they turned purple etc.

Why does a spit bug have to make spit to survive? How do other animals protect themselves from danger? How do humans protect themselves?

Spit bugs make spit that lasts six weeks. Human spit dries up immediately, What is a spit bug's secret? (He adds wax to his spit.)

In what way is this really a story about the importance of friends? Have your students give examples of how friends have made a difference in their lives. Post a list of ways to make friends on the board. Post photos of friends.

The names Ezra and Hazel both contain the letter Z. Can your students find any other names that contain that letter?

Have the students make a year-long time chart of a spit bug's life. Have them begin when the eggs are laid in the fall.

The easiest time to find spit bugs is in the spring. Where would one find them? What does one look for to find a spit bug? If you separate their bubbles of spit, be careful. Why?

Ezra makes lots of mistakes. Have your students discuss how they feel when they make a mistake. Is it okay to make a mistake? What does Ezra learn from his mistakes? Does he give up?

Ezra has one place where he feels safe. Where is it? Have your students list places where they feel safe.

Ask students to make pictures of their favorite insects. Give reports on how each animal protects itself.

Ideas for using 'The Slug Who Thought He Was a Snail' in your classroom

Sam the slug is happy with life until he meets a snail who insists that Sam needs a house. Off they go together to find a house for Sam. Along the way, they have adventures that are sometimes funny and sometimes frightening. All is well at the end when Sam discovers he is fine .... just the way he is.

There is a map of Sam's adventures at the end of the book. In what other book written by Penny Pollock can you find a map? Ask your students to make a simple map of the classroom. Or have them create a map based on another story. For instance, Goldie Locks And The Three Bears. Fill a classroom wall with maps based on stories.

This book has many true facts about slugs. How many can your students list? How does a slug differ from the snail in this book? Where does a slug hide? How can he protect himself? In what ways does a slug use slime? Why is the sun dangerous? What does a slug eat?

The snail is a bossy sort of person. What does this mean? Why did Sam listen to her? What does Sam do at the end of the book that proves he is not so foolish after all?

Every animal has a way of protecting itself. Have the students research ways in which other animals protect themselves. How do humans protect themselves? How can we protect each other?

Make puppets from old socks or glue faces on popsicle sticks. The students can make up dialogue for Sam and the snail. Have the students act this out in front of the class. They can include the second slug and the toad. If your students could talk with these creatures, what would they like to ask? Make a list of questions. Have them create answers that are either funny or factual.

Ask your students to interview other people about slugs. Why do so many adults dislike slugs? Is this fair? Have the students hold a debate on the pros and cons of slugs.