Genre Practice 2

Sleeping Beauty retold by Charles Perrault

A beautiful princess pricks her finger on a sewing needle, after being cursed by a wicked fairy. The princess falls into a deep sleep. One hundred years later, a prince fights his way through the enchanted forest and awakens the beautiful sleeping princess with a kiss.

The Reign of Attila the Hun by Ed Reaves

Attila the Hun was the scourge of both the Eastern and Western Roman Empires in the 440s and 450s. He invaded and conquered territory in what would now be considered France and Italy, and he terrorized the countryside along the way. This text tells the story of Attila's life.

No Way In by Patty Slate

High school student Darren Banks is sick of being a viewed as a nerd. Darren enlists the help of his older cousin Tyrone to help him learn to dress, walk, and talk. With Tyrone's help, Darren soon climbs to the peak of high school popularity, but in his quest to become someone else, will Darren forget who he was? Find out in this exciting novel.

The Big Book of Science: Grades 5-6 by Mortini School Publishing

This science book for grades 5 and 6 puts the "fun" in "fundamental." Students complete a variety of exercises to develop their science skills using materials that can be found at home. This version contains over 62 practice activities.

The Fox and the Grapes retold by Aesop

One day a fox came upon a grape orchard and found a bunch of beautiful grapes hanging from a high branch. "Boy those sure would be tasty," he thought to himself. He backed up and took a running start, and jumped. He did not get high enough. He went back to his starting spot and tried again. He almost got high enough this time, but he still could not reach the grapes. He tried again and again, but he just couldn't get high enough to reach the grapes. Finally, he gave up. As he walked away, he put his nose in the air and said: "I am sure those grapes are sour anyway." It is easy to hate what you cannot have.

Bump in the Night by John Fox

Fox tells the story of the fictional John Potter. Potter is a seasoned Union soldier who gets captured by Confederate forces during the American Civil War. While detained in a Confederate POW camp, Potter undergoes some of the most dreadful conditions imaginable. But he makes friends with a Confederate guard who helps Potter survive. The men realize that their differences are not as striking as their similarities.

Paul Bunyan and the Seven Wonders of the World retold by Patrick Schuster

This text contains a handful of different stories about the world's largest lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, who is so big that he wrings out a handful of maple trees to make syrup for his giant waffles. He is so big that he made the Great Lakes when he couldn't find his spittoon. Read about how he met his giant blue ox, Babe, and how they became best friends and inseparable companions. Also read about how he dug the Grand Canyon by dragging his axe behind himself after a long day of work.

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

While exploring a cave, John Carter is mysteriously transported to Mars. He joins a tribe of Green Martians and rises to a high position in the tribe. When the Green Martians capture Dejah Thoris, princess of the Red Martians, Carter can't help but to be taken with her beauty. Carter's going to have to make some tough choices in the exciting novel.

African Creation Story by Unknown

According to this Bakuba account of the world's creation, the Earth was once just darkness ruled by the giant Mbombo. One day Mbombo felt pains in his stomach, which caused him to vomit the sun, moon, and stars. Mbombo vomited again, this time expelling the world's first man and woman and all of the animals, the trees.

Get off My Lawn! by Mr. Morton

This is the exciting story of Mr. Morton's life. Though unbelievable at times, this text is entirely true, and it was written by Mr. Morton himself, who has been called the voice of his generation by his very proud mother.

U.S. History by Mortini Publishing Group 

This textbook tells the history of America, from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq War.

The Rising by Lindsay Logan 

When Sheila moves to a new school in California, she has some trouble fitting in with the other kids. She cannot afford the expensive clothing that the other kids wear and she does not have the newest cell phone, but she does have a good heart. Will a chance run-in with a celebrity whom Sheila admires give Sheila the confidence she needs to adapt to her new environment?

Save the Stink Bugs by Janet Birkenberg

Most people hate stink bugs because they eat flowers and smell bad when you crush them. But Janet Birkenberg thinks that they have a right to live too. Now she's doing something about it. In this five-paragraph essay, Janet argues that people should do more to protect stink bugs. You'll love how she supports this unpopular thesis.

Theodore Roosevelt by William Hugo 

Theodore Roosevelt was a soldier, an author, and the 26th President of the United States. Having taken office after President McKinley's assassination at the age of 42, Theodore Roosevelt was, and still is, America's youngest president. Hugo tells the true story of Roosevelt's life and the bold new direction in which he took the country.

The Silver Cross by Steve Stark 

This novel tells the story of a fictional teenager named Henry Cross. Against his mother's wishes, Cross enlists in World War II. At first he is scared, but he learns to overcome his fear and become a better solider. Soon Cross is a war machine, but sometimes soldiers have to make difficult decisions. Will Cross make the right decision when he runs into just such a situation? Is there a right choice for Cross to make?