Title: American Grub
Author: Lynn Kuntz and Jan Fleming
Illustrator: Mark A. Hicks
Number of Pages: 77
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright Date: 1997
Grade Level: All Ages (K-6)
Honors/Awards: None
Type of Book: Picture Book/Informational
Synopsis:
In American Grub, there are 50 recipes, one for each state in the United States of America. Along with recipes, though, there is also a paragraph including interesting facts about each state, a picture of the state, the nickname of the state, and the capital of the state. In the back of the book, there is an index listing all the different dishes that are described in the book under different categories. There are also some science implications when possible, such as Illinois’ pizza, which includes yeast. We learn that yeast is a fungus and how it makes bread rise.
Examples of Dishes:
New York Delish Deli Duo
Iowa Popzacorn Balls
Arizona Powwow Wow Bread
Commentary:
Even if you’re not going to use this book when teaching, it’s a great book to have on a bookshelf for kids to thumb through in their free time. Although it isn’t a story or a book that you would ever expect a child to read from cover-to-cover, this book has a lot of facts about individual states, interesting cooking ideas that the kids can try out at home, and lots of fun pictures! Kids can learn a lot from reading just one page of this book.
Teaching Ideas:
· Teach about the 50 states
· Talk about the differences between foods in our own country, then expand that to a discussion about the differences between foods in the USA and foods in other countries around the world
· Have students chose one state and give a presentation on it (including state bird, flower, etc. and an example of that state’s food)
· Measurement of ingredients, and learning about the art of cooking
· A lesson on Americanization and immigration
· Talk about taste buds, using the information from page 59
· When talking about Nevada, bring in a Spanish lesson because Nevada means “snowy” in Spanish.
· Talk about trade, and how different places in the world are better suited to produce different products (like oranges from Florida)
· Kitchen and cooking safety, following pages 10-12
Related Books:
Books about the United States:
Books about cooking/food:
Author: Lynn Kuntz and Jan Fleming
Illustrator: Mark A. Hicks
Number of Pages: 77
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright Date: 1997
Grade Level: All Ages (K-6)
Honors/Awards: None
Type of Book: Picture Book/Informational
Synopsis:
In American Grub, there are 50 recipes, one for each state in the United States of America. Along with recipes, though, there is also a paragraph including interesting facts about each state, a picture of the state, the nickname of the state, and the capital of the state. In the back of the book, there is an index listing all the different dishes that are described in the book under different categories. There are also some science implications when possible, such as Illinois’ pizza, which includes yeast. We learn that yeast is a fungus and how it makes bread rise.
Examples of Dishes:
New York Delish Deli Duo
Iowa Popzacorn Balls
Arizona Powwow Wow Bread
Commentary:
Even if you’re not going to use this book when teaching, it’s a great book to have on a bookshelf for kids to thumb through in their free time. Although it isn’t a story or a book that you would ever expect a child to read from cover-to-cover, this book has a lot of facts about individual states, interesting cooking ideas that the kids can try out at home, and lots of fun pictures! Kids can learn a lot from reading just one page of this book.
Teaching Ideas:
· Teach about the 50 states
· Talk about the differences between foods in our own country, then expand that to a discussion about the differences between foods in the USA and foods in other countries around the world
· Have students chose one state and give a presentation on it (including state bird, flower, etc. and an example of that state’s food)
· Measurement of ingredients, and learning about the art of cooking
· A lesson on Americanization and immigration
· Talk about taste buds, using the information from page 59
· When talking about Nevada, bring in a Spanish lesson because Nevada means “snowy” in Spanish.
· Talk about trade, and how different places in the world are better suited to produce different products (like oranges from Florida)
· Kitchen and cooking safety, following pages 10-12
Related Books:
Books about the United States:
Books about cooking/food:
