There was an Old Lady who Swallowed Some Books!

There was an Old Lady who Swallowed Some Books!

Author: Lucille Colorado
Illustrator: Jared Lee
Genre: Traditional Literature
Awards: None
Grades: PK-2

There was an old lady who swallowed so many things that were correlated with each other. She swallowed chalk to decorate a folder, she swallowed the folder to hold the ruler, she swallowed the ruler to measure the pencil case, she swallowed the pencil case to hold the pen that she swallowed to write in a book. At the end she cheered so hard that a backpack came out of her mouth filled with school supplies!

I would read this book to children during the first week or so of school. It is a book appropriate for children in grades PK-2 because of the repetition and language of the book. I would have this book in my classroom library as well and would purchase the other sequels of this book to start of units just to continue the tradition if students enjoy them.

The War that Saved my Life

The War that Saved my Life

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Awards: Newbery Honor Book, Winner of the 2016 Schneider Family Book Award, Children's Book Committee Award for Fiction, The Wall Street Journal's Best Children's Books, Publishers Weekly Best Books, The Horn Book Fanfare Book, Kirkus Reviews Best Books, Miami Herald's Best Books
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grades: Ages 9 and up or grades fifth and above

Ada, a ten-year-old girl, lived trapped in an apartment with her evil mother and younger brother, Jamie. She would never leave her apartment because her mom was humiliated by Ada's clubfoot. She would spend her days inside getting abused by her mother while her brother was able to do regular activities like go to school and play outside. When WW II started, all the children were to get shipped out of London to escape, so Jamie and Ada used this opportunity to escape and leave their mother.

They were taken in by Ms. Smith, a single rich woman who lived alone with only a pony named, Butter. She took good care of the children and bathe them, feed them, and educated them. Ada felt odd here because she was used to the abuse she received from her mother at home. Here she was able to walk out and leave the house. She learned how to ride Butter and was passionate about it. Ms. Smith treated them kindly, was patient, and never once hit them. During their stay, Ms. Smith would write to her mother in hopes of getting permission to operate Ada's foot, but their mother never replied.

When the war started, Ms. Smith was faced with the decision to keep the children with her or send them away to keep them protected from the war. She decided to keep them which gave Ada the chance to help during the war. She even helped find a spy while she was riding butter. This gave her the confidence she needed to get through the emotional time she was going through.

Her mother appeared at Ms. Smith's soon after with the letters they had written her. She took Ada and Jamie back home and continued the verbal and physical abuse they grew up with. Ada had the courage to defend her brother and herself and told her mother they were leaving her since she never wanted them to begin with.

Although hearing her mother confirm those words hurt them both deeply, they found the strength the next day to leave. When they were leaving, a bomb hit the city and they had to flee to a shelter home. As they were leaving the shelter the next day, they found Ms. Smith on the street who had come looking for them to take them back home with her. Ada and Jamie were happy to see her again and left with her to go back home. They got back home only to discover their house destroyed by a bomb. Thanks to Ada and Jamie, Ms. Smith did not die in the attack since she was out looking for them. They saved her the same way she helped save Ada and Jamie from their mother.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom if I were to teach upper elementary grade levels. I think this book is appropriate for students in grades fifth because of the language used in the book as well as the content. Older students would understand the time period a lot better compared to younger students therefore I think it would benefit children in fifth grade to read it rather than students who are in a lower grade. This book would enhance a social studies unit about the war because it is a fiction story taking place in a realistic setting or time period. It would also be a great book to have students read for a book club because it can open a lot of discussion for students to talk about.

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

Author: Julie Sternberg
Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Awards: Texas Bluebonnet Award
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grades: 3-5

Eleanor, an eight-year-old girl was extremely sad when she found out her babysitter, BiBi, was moving away. She was having a hard time adjusting without her. She wrote her a letter hoping she would reply back. Every day she would check with the mailman to see if she had a new letter for her. In the meantime, she had a new babysitter, Natalie that was she was starting to like. they would do many fun activities that Eleanor liked. When school started, she had to tell her friends about her new babysitter, but luckily, her best friend liked her. On the way back from school one day, the mailman, Val, called her and Natalie over to see the letter she had from BiBi. Eleanor was so happy, she went home and read it. Although Eleanor was starting to like Natalie, she still read the BiBi's letter since she missed her deeply.

I would use this book in my classroom as a book club book if I was teaching an upper-level grade. This book would be appropriate for students in possibly third through fifth grade. I think students who have had a babysitter before may enjoy reading this book. Even if they have not, it would be a great book to have in my classroom library so students have the choice to read it.

The Day the Crayons Quit

The Day the Crayons Quit

Author: Drew Daywalt
Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Awards: Texas Bluebonnet Award, EB White Read Aloud Award
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Grades: Pk-2

Duncan received a stack of letters from each of his crayon complaining about either being used too much or being used too little. Each color had a specific thing to say to him regarding his coloring. At the end, he decided to please all of his crayons and created a beautiful and colorful picture using some of the colors a lot more than others to make his crayons happy.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom because it is a really good book. It made me laugh as I read it so I am sure my students would enjoy it too. This is a great book for students in grades PK through second. I can use this book to teach students to be creative and use their imaginations.

If I Ran the Zoo

If I Ran the Zoo

Author/Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: Caldecott Medal, Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
Grades: PK-2

Gerald McGrew wants to change the zoo and make everything new. If he ran the zoo, he would open the cages, add legs to the lions, and bring in different animals that you don't see every day. He would hunt different animals from different places and bring them to the zoo to attract people. At the end, he says,"those are the few changes he would do."

I would use this book in my classroom to spark my student's imaginations. This book is filled with different ideas that Gerald McGrew would do that do not exist. This book is appropriate for students in grades PK-2. The lower grade levels might not be able to read all the made up words so it would be more appropriate to read it aloud. I would use this during Dr. Seuss day, to teach rhyming words, or again to promote creativity in my classroom.

Owen

Owen



Author/Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, Boston Globe-Horn Award, ALA Notable Children's Book, Booklist Editors' Choice, Horn Book Fanfare, School Library Journal Best Book, New York ublic Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, NCTE Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts, American Booksellers Association "Pick of the Lists", Reading Rainbow Feature Book
Grades: PK-2
Read by: Sarah Jessica Parker

Owen had a yellow blanket he would take with him everywhere he went. He always had it with him, as he played or ate. The neighbor, one day, asked his parents, "isn't he getting a little too old to be carrying that thing around? Haven't you heard of the blanket fairy?"
His parents asked Owen to place his blanket under his pillow so that at night the fairy can come and replace it with a big boy toy. Owen instead shoved his blanket in his pants. His parents then dipped his blanket in vinegar but that didn't work either. Owen was about to start school so his parents were worried. They told Owen he could not take his blanket to school so he started to cry. Owen's mom had an idea and cut his blanket into handkerchiefs that he could carry around with him.

I would recommend parents to read this book to students who are attached to particular items before school starts. This would be a great book for students who are in PK or Kindergarten who are just starting school. I would have this book in my classroom library and might read it to students to fill time in between activities, but would not use it in any particular unit.

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Thank you, Mr. Falker

Author/Illustrator: Patricia Polacco

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Awards: None

Grades: 3-5

Trisha was a little girl who was in deep hopes of learning how to read. When her grandfather poured honey over a book and had her taste it, his usual tradition, she had high hopes of being able to read soon. When she couldn't, her brother gave her more hope and said maybe next year "you'll learn to read." Years passed by and she still just could not read. Her mother got a new job, causing her to move to California. In fifth grade, there was a new teacher in school named, Mr. Falker. He was Trisha's teacher who noticed she could not read words or numbers. He had her stay after school with a reading teacher and would practice reading with Trisha. Four months later, he had Trisha read a paragraph in a book. When she was able to read it, she ran home super excited and tasted the honey off the same book her grandpa had her taste years back. 

I would use this book in my classroom to teach students to not give up when they are unable to do something. Although this book deals with a particular disability, dyslexia, it still teaches a good moral. This book is appropriate for students in third to fifth grade because they are in the same age group as Trisha. It is also appropriate for them because it meets their reading level of comprehension. This is a good book to read to students as a read aloud or to have them read in a group together. I would not use this for a particular unit in my class. 

Last Stop on Market Street

Last Stop on Market Street

Author: Matt De La Pena
Illustrator: Christian Robinson
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal
Grade: PK-2

CJ and his grandma are waiting outside in the rain for the bus to come pick them up after church. CJ would ask different questions as they waited for the bus like, why is it raining and why they did not have a car? On the bus, he asked his grandma why they were going to a place after church? He also asked why the man on the bus was blind. On the bus, he heard a musician play music and enjoyed seeing his surroundings. When they got off the bus, they were in a ghetto neighborhood where the walls had graffiti on them but yet the grandma saw beauty in them. They walked to a soup kitchen where they helped people out and CJ enjoyed it.

I would use this in my classroom to have in my library because of the quality of the work. I would read this to children between the grades of PK and second grade. I would not use this for a particular unit but would use it to just read to students for fun.

Frog and Toad Together

Frog and Toad Together

Author/Illustrator:  Arnold Lobel

Genre: Fantasy

Awards: Newbery Medal

Grade: 1-3

This chapter book is filled with short stories about a Frog and a Toad. The first chapter talks about a list frog made to remind him of all the things he had to do. When he lost the list, he was upset and did not remember all the things he had to do. Toad told him to go to sleep so he wrote that on the ground and crossed it out with a stick and fell asleep. The second chapter is about Frog planting seeds for a garden. He is very impatient and does everything he can to make the plants grow. The third chapter is about Frog and Toad eating cookies. They kept eating so many cookies and could not stop! After they gave up, they put the cookies outside for the birds to eat. The fourth chapter was about Toad and Frog going on adventures to see if they were brave. The final chapter was about a dream Toad had that made Frog look so small as he was on stage. When he woke up, Frog was right there and they spent the day together. 

This book has a lot of humor in it. When children read it, they will realize that some of the things they do together are pretty funny. I would definitely use this in my classroom because I believe my students would enjoy reading it. I could read this book to children in Kindergarten as well, but it would be more appropriate for students in grades first through third. I would probably not use it for a particular lesson, but instead, would have this book in my classroom library or might assign it to a particular group of students who I know would enjoy it.

Dave the Potter

Dave the Potter

Author: Laban Carrick Hill
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Genre: Multicultural Book/ Biography
Awards: Caldecott Medal Award, Coretta Scott King Award
Grades:1-3

This biography is about an artist who did pottery. To Dave, his pots were meaningful to him because they stored grain, marbles, flowers and his memories. It explains in details how he made his pottery. How he used the clay to create it with his fingers and kept adding to his masterpiece. At the end, on this particular pot, he wrote, " I wonder where is all my relation friendship to all- and, every nation."

I would use this book in my classroom to teach students to respect people's cultures. It explains how his pottery making skills were passed down from his ancestors who were slaves hundreds of years ago. He enjoyed making pottery because it was passed down from generations to generations. I would use this book for grades first through third to explain to them different traditions people may have. It would be a great book to use in a social studies unit during black history month to demonstrate different cultures and traditions.

The Secret Stars

The Secret Stars

Author: Joseph Slate
Illustrator: Felipe Davalos
Genre: Multicultural
Awards: None
Grades: PK-2

Pepe and Sila are in bed with their grandmother on the night of the Three Kings. They are asking their grandmother more about this day to learn what is going to happen. Their grandmother would answer their questions and then they all fell asleep. As they slept, they dreamed they were flying with their grandmother seeing all the places she was talking about. They saw all the different places the secret stars were at. Once they woke up, they ran to where the hay box was to see all the presents the three kings brought them. Pepe got the piñata he wanted and Sila got a doll. At the end, they saw the secret stars on the pine cones in the trees.

I would use this book to teach students about another holiday that is celebrated in the Hispanic culture. This book explains what the holiday is and even shows how the Hispanic cultures celebrate it. I would use this book for students in grades PK through second grade because it is an easy-to-read book with language that students that age would comprehend. I would use this book in a culture unit or holiday unit like during Christmas time to show how different cultures celebrate different things, not just Christmas.

Ellington was not a Street

Ellington was not a Street

Author: Ntozake Shange
Illustrate: Kadir Nelson
Genre: Multicultural (Poetry)
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award
Grades: PK-2

This poem is written as a book to describe the different things a little girl would see.These things include all the people that would come in and out of her life with her dad. All the men surrounding her were important figures in history and have a description of all of them at the end of the book.

I would read this book to my students because it is a short book with a good connection to African-Americans in history. This book describes the cultural aspect a young girl witnessed throughout her life since her father was an important man who contributed to history. Throughout the book, there are images of men who would sit and talk to her father, all who were actual men in history. This book is good to teach a unit on African-American culture or African-American figures. I would use this book for children in PK through second grade since it is a short poem that they can understand with significant value.

First Day in Grapes

First Day in Grapes

Author: King Perez
Illustrator: Robert Casilla
Genre: Multicultural Fiction Book
Awards: Pura Belpre Awards
Grades: 1-5

Chico is a Hispanic boy who is starting third grade at a new school since he just moved to a new migrant camp. He was scared to go to school because he thought everyone was going to make fun of him. When he got to school, his teacher asked him to introduce himself. Next, he had to write about a picture he choose. He did not like to write, but he was very good at math. During lunch, two bullies came up to him and starting picking on him. To defend himself, he started asking them math questions which made them leave him alone.  John, his new friend, asked to be his math partner because he was impressed. When Chico got home, he felt like he had a great day at school even after those bullies tried to mess with him.

I would use this book in my classroom to teach students about accepting others. It is an appropriate book for students in grades first through fifth because it narrates through a third grader's point of view. Although it has a lot of text for first graders, during a read aloud students will be able to understand because the words are not hard to comprehend. They are easy to read words. I would use this book in a culture unit to demonstrate the importance of accepting others. I could also use this in a Latin-American lesson or in an anti-bullying lesson.

Freedom Summer

Freedom Summer


Author: Deborah Wiles
Illustrator: Jerome Lagarrigue
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award, Ezra Jack Keats Book Award
Grades: PK-5

A little white boy is friends with an African-American boy named John Henry. John Henry's mom worked for the little boy's mom, so over the summer, they were able to play together all day long. They would go swimming together and go buy ice pops too. One day at the dinner table, the little boy's mom tells him they are allowing African-Americans at lunch counters, restrooms, and at their public pool now because they changed the law. The next day, they were excited to go to the pool together but when they arrived, they saw people closing down the pool. John Henry was really upset because he was excited to do exactly what his friend did. To cheer him up, the little boy asks John Henry if he wants to go buy an ice pop together so they walk in side by side.

I would read this book to my class to teach them about how different the laws were back in the day. In this book, you are able to see how it was before they changed them and how it was after they changed them as well. It is a book appropriate for students in grades PK-fifth grade because they are in the same general age group as them. It might be a hard book to understand emotionally because of dynamics of the relationship between the two little boys. I could use this book in a civil rights unit and an
MLK or Rosa Parks unit to teach students how different it was during that time period.

Working Cotton

Working Cotton

Author: Sherley Anne Williams
Illustrator: Carole Byard
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award, Caldecott Honor

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grades: PK-5

This book is about an African-American girl who would pick cotton in the fields with her family. She tells the story from her point of view starting from the moment they woke up till the end of the night when they were waiting for the bus to take them home. She describes how her mother and father would pick the cotton while she would take care of her younger sibling because she was still too young to pick the cotton. She describes the way the cotton smelled, and how her dad would carry the sac filled with it. She mentions different things such as the food they ate during the day, and how she would see different people every time since they would move to different fields. Before they leave, she mentions how her dad said that "cotton flower this late in the year" bring them luck.

This story is very eye-opening because it is told from the little girl's point of view. I would use this in my classroom to teach students about the tough times African-Americans went through during slavery. This is a good book to use in a slavery lesson, civil rights lesson or general history lesson about the way they treated certain people in the past. Its an appropriate book for students in grades PK through 5 because of the particular point of view that was used that will make students understand the character since they are in the same age group.  

Nicola Bayley's Book of Nursery Rhymes

Nicola Bayley's Book of Nursery Rhymes

Author/Illustrator: Nicola Bayley
Genre: Poetry
Awards: None
Grades: PK-2

This book is filled with nursery rhymes for children. Some of the nursery rhymes in this book are Humpty Dumpty, Three Blind Mice, Old King Cole, and my favorite There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. Each page is filled with vivid illustrations related to the nursery rhyme.

I would use this book in my classroom to teach students different nursery rhymes. Since they are mostly patterns, it helps students recall and memorization skills. It is a book appropriate for children in grades PK through second grade. I could use this book in a lesson dealing with rhymes, storytelling, or for morning activities. Listening comprehension helps with students reading comprehension as well, therefore reading them out loud to students will help them develop the skills they need to become excellent readers.

About me!

About me!

Thanks for visiting my blog! Before you continue on, let me tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Cristina Sanchez. I am a future educator, currently pursuing my degree at Houston Baptist University. My love for reading began when I was in second grade! I use to love reading and would always check out books at the library to take home and read. My fifth-grade teacher noticed my love for reading and made me the "library manager" of the classroom. He would have me organize books by genre on my own and would let me take home books from the class that I wanted to read. I use to love being at the library, and now this blog is reminding me of the passion I had. I am posting all the books that I find that match different genres that I believe I might use one day in my classroom. Some of these books remind me of when I was in fifth grade reading different books for the first time! You all will see the different books I enjoyed reading and hopefully will like some of them to use in your classroom as well!

Beethoven Lives Upstairs

Beethoven Lives Upstairs

Author: Barbara Nichol
Illustrator: Scott Cameron
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: NCTE Adventuring with Books: A booklist for PK-6

Grades: PK-6

Christoph, a young boy, had the famous composer, Beethoven, staying at his house for quite some time. He began to write letters to his uncle telling him all the trouble the composer has caused him. For instance, he was always extremely loud, he would compose naked with the window open, and was really messy. His uncle wrote back saying he was going to go to Beethoven home place and will find out more information on him to report back to him. Karl, his uncle, informed him that Beethoven usually moved from house to house at least three times a year. He also gave Christoph a lot of information over the composer making him understand the reason for his temper and personality. As time went by, Christoph became close to Beethoven and was even able to attend one of his concerts. Beethoven ended up moving away, but Christoph ran into him one day on the street and was excited to see him.

I would use this book in my classroom because of the interesting way this book was written. All the information we find out about all the characters are through letter writing. This book is appropriate for grades PK-6, but would benefit students older than second grade since they would have a deeper understanding of the text by being able to read it as well. I would use this book to teach any grade level about letter writing or about Beethoven personality.

Mirandy and Brother Wind

Mirandy and Brother Wind

Author: Patricia C. McKissack
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Genre: Multicultural Book, Fiction
Awards: Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Caldecott Medal
Grade: PK-4

Mirandy was looking for brother wind throughout the book in order to win the cakewalk. The cakewalk was a dance competition where couples would dance and would win cake if they won for dancing the best. Mirandy thought that if she captured the brother wind, he would help her win the competition. She ended up capturing it and winning the competition.

I would use this book to teach students about traditional values. This book is appropriate for students in grade level PK through 4th because it is easy to understand if it is read out loud. I would use this book in a culture unit to teach the importance of personal traditions and culture. It shows how much it meant to Mirandy to win the competition so students can see that values are important.

Trees of North America

Trees of North America 

Author: Alan Mitchell
Illustrator: David More
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards: None
Grades: 3-6

This books has detailed descriptions of different kind of trees. At the beginning it describes what a tree is and how they grow. It then starts going into details about the different types of trees and gives examples of each type using illustrations. In some pages, there are small activities or experiments students can do to go along with the text. This book also has an index and glossary to be able to easily look up something instead of having to go through the entire book.

I would not read this entire book to the class, but might use the beginning of it to explain what a tree is and how it grows. The illustrations are appropriate for younger children, but the book has a lot of content that might be better for students between third grade and six grade.  I would use this book to have students pick a favorite tree to do more research on or to branch of a flower unit.

The Reason for a Flower

The Reason for a Flower

Author/Illustrator: Ruth Heller
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards: None
Grades: PK-2

This book describes how flowers grow. It explains how pollen is distributed as well as seeds to grow flowers. The seeds grow into flowers if they find water, sun, and air and then grow roots. It explains how some flowers survive in dry weather and others in wet locations. It also teaches about animals that eat flowers and those that don't. At the end, it shows what we make from flowers.

This book would be amazing to read when starting a lesson on flowers. It has vivid pictures that would capture my student's attention. This book is appropriate to read for students in second grade and below since it is an intro on how flowers grow. I would use this to teach students how to grow their own flower since it describes what is needed. I would also use the book to teach students what happens when pollen or seeds are moved by the wind and insects. It would a perfect book to start a unit on flowers or living things.

The Ocean Alphabet Book

The Ocean Alphabet Book

Author: Jerry Pallotta
Illustrator: Frank Mazzola Jr.
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards: None
Grades: PK-4

This book is an alphabet book describing different things in the ocean. Each letter represents an animal or some kind of creature in the ocean and gives details and a picture on it. Examples include an Inkfish, a Jellyfish, and a Killer Whale.

I would use this book in my classroom to teach students different facts about animals in the ocean. It is a very detailed book with a lot of illustrations that can help students understand what each thing looks like. This book is appropriate for students in grade PK through 4th grade since it teaches about ocean animals in a creative way to captivate students of all ages. I would use this as I am teaching a lesson on animals or about living things. I would even include this in my library in case students are interested in ocean animals.

Seasons

Seasons

Author: Melvin Berger
Illustrator: Ron Jones
Genre: Non-fiction
Awards: None
Grades: 2-5

This book describes all the seasons in detail It describes the weather during the season, the holidays that happen during it, what animals do, the life cycle of different insects, and even talks about the flowers and trees. It has a glossary of words at the end to use if they only need to look at one particular thing.

I would use this book as a personal book to teach the seasons. It has great details that I can use explain the differences between each one. This book is appropriate for students in the upper grades like second grade and above because of the heavy content and vocabulary. I would keep this in my classroom to show students pictures of the seasons or in case students need it as a resource for a season projet.

Henry's Freedom Box

Henry's Freedom Box

Author: Ellen Levine
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Genre: Biography
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Grades: PK-5

Henry and his family were slaves owned by a white master. They were treated fairly good until one day he was separated from his family and sold to the master's son. Henry met Nancy as he was walking alone in the streets one day and asked her to marry him. When their masters agreed, they got married and had three children. One day as he worked in at the Tabacco factory, his coworker came up to him and informed him that his wife and kids were sold at the slave market. He was so upset and decided to try every thing he could to be a free slave. He decided to ask Dr. Smith, a white man who was against slavery, to help him by shipping him in a box to Pennsylvania. Luckily, he made it safe and sound and declared the day he arrived to be his birthday.

I would read this book in my class so that my students understand how hard it was to be a slave. This book is appropriate to read to grades PK through 5th grade since it is a book that is easy to follow and understand. I would use this book to teach history lessons on slavery so that they understand how hard it was for slaves to be free.

Ellen's Broom

Ellen's Broom

Author: Kelly Starling Lyons
Illustrated: Daniel Minter
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award
Grades: Pk-5

Ellen was in church with her parents one day, when the pastor announced that all African-American's marriages were finally legal. Everyone was crying from happiness to hear the news. When Ellen got home, her parents told her the story of the broom. Since they could not get legally married, they would hop over the broom, which indicated to God and themselves that they were indeed married. On their way to the court house to legalize their marriage, Ellen saw some flowers in the garden and decided to decorate the sacred broom with flowers so her mother could hold as she got legally married to her father. On their way home, Ellen asked her parents to jump over the broom again and decided she would jump over the broom when she gets married one day as well.

I would use this book in my classroom to teach students about slavery and tradition. It is sad to read that their marriages were not considered legal so they had to use alternatives to feel like it was legal. I would read this book to children in grades second and above so that they have a better understanding of what it means to have a tradition. It is an appropriate book for PK-5 graders as well, but it might be better to read to those a little older. I would use this book to teach units on tradition, slavery and even freedom.

The Good Morning Grump

The Good Morning Grump

Author: Dietz Kracker
Illustrator: Debbie Dieneman
Genre: Poetry
Awards: None
Grades: PK-2

Mom woke up the Good Morning Grump so he could get ready for school. He got out of bed and began to get dressed in a grumpy manner since he was still sleepy. He went to the kitchen and ate a large bowl of cereal just to get the price. After breakfast, his mom washed his face, making his face look less like a monster. Then he washed his teeth and combed his hair and looked like a regular little boy. Finally, he was no longer the morning grump but instead a happy boy named Christopher who was off to school. This book is a poetry book because it rhymes and has short sentences on each page describing the mood of the character as it changes throughout the book. 

 I would use this book in my classroom as a fun read. Students between the grades of PK-2 would enjoy reading this book because of the transformation the Morning Grump goes through. It would be a good book to use in a feelings unit or just to have in my classroom library.

Llama Llama Holiday Drama

Llama Llama Holiday Drama



Author/illustrator: Anna Dewdney
Genre: Poetry
Awards: New York Times Best Seller Series
Grades: PK-2

Llama Llama is impatiently waiting for the holidays to come. He goes to the store with his mom, bakes cookies, goes to school and makes gifts, but still is impatient and wants the holidays to hurry up and come. As his mom is decorating the tree, Llama Llama gets upset since he has been waiting a long time to open presents. His mom picks him and explains that it is not all about the presents, but the time spent with loved ones.

I would use this book in my class to start a lesson on holidays. I would teach my students the importance of being patient as the holidays get closer and closer. This book would be great to read to kindergartners or first graders because it is a fun, easy to read book with rhyming words. They will be able to pick up the book after I finish reading it and read it as well. I would use this for a culture unit in social studies or for a rhyming lesson in language arts. It is a book from the author's series, Llama Llama, so I would definitely try to get the rest of the books to get students hooked on them.

The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree



Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: Poetry
Awards: None
Grades: PK-4

The giving tree is about a tree who loved a little boy. Every day the little boy would play with the tree. As time went by, the little boy would go less and less to see the tree. The tree would ask the boy to continue to play with the tree, but the boy would say he needed other things from the tree, like money, a house, and a boat. Once the tree was a little stump, the boy went back to see the tree. The tree had nothing left to give, but a seat for the boy which was enough.

I would read this book to students who are little older because it is a sad book. I would not want my younger students to feel sad like the tree. The grade I would personally read this book to would be second graders or older. This book would be a good book to teach students about feelings and about caring for one another.  I would also have this book in my classroom library because it is a good read.

Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham 



Author/Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Genre: Poetry
Awards: None
Grades: PK-2

Sam-I-Am keeps asking the main character is he likes green eggs and ham. He'll ask him if he likes them in specific locations or while doing specific tasks. The main character keeps getting frustrated and says he does not like them anywhere. He finally tries out the green eggs and ham and actually likes it and goes back and names all the same places Sam-I-Am mentioned where he would eat green eggs and ham.

I would use this book in my classroom to get students familiar with Dr. Seuss' books. This book is appropriate for students in the grades kindergarten to second grade. Students who are just learning to read would benefit from this book since it has a lot of repetition and rhyming. I would use this book to teach a rhyming lesson, sequencing lesson, or for a fun read. I would definitely
read this book during Dr. Seuss' week in school as well.

One Big Pair of Underwear

One Big Pair of Underwear 

Author: Laura Gehl
Illustrator: Tom Lightenheld
Genre: Poetry
Awards: Zolotow Award (Commended, 2015), Mathical Award (Winner, 2015)
Grades: PK-2

This book describes many different situations where one animal is left out because there are only a certain amount of things. For example, there is one pair of underwear, but two bears that want to share it. It starts off with the number one and goes all the way to number ten. At the end, they all learn to share and march in a parade.

I would use this in the classroom because it is a creative way to introduce counting numbers and subtraction. It is an easy read since it is very repetitive and has a lot of different rhyming words. The appropriate grade for this book is kindergarten since that is the age where they get exposed to numbers but can still be used up till second grade. I would use this book to teach a subtraction lesson in my class because it clearly explains or shows how one animal is always left out. I can even use this book to find rhyming words out loud during a read aloud with my students. I have seen teachers do that in the classes I observed and children really do love watching out for rhyming words. This book is an easy read as well so I would even put it in my classroom library.

I Will Take a Nap

I Will Take a Nap

Author/Illustrator: Mo Willems
Genre: Fictional Graphic Novel
Awards: None
Grade: PK-2

The elephant, Gerald, is feeling quite cranky and decides to sleep. Unfortunately, his friend Piggy woke him up from his nap. They both began to bicker making them both cranky. Piggy fell fast asleep and began to snore really loud. Gerald thought he was still awake, but noticed he was not when Piggy's heard turned into a turnip.

I would use this book in my classroom for a good laugh or read. Students will really enjoy this book, especially if I can imitate the voices. This is an appropriate book for students in grades K-2. They will all enjoy the book and be able to read it once they learn how to since it is an easy read with many repetitive sentences and words. I would definitely put this book in my classroom library so students can get hooked on the other books this author has that are familiar to this one.

Too Many Tamales

Too Many Tamales

Author: Gary Soto
Illustrated by Ed Martinez
Genre: Realistic Fiction (Multicultural Book)
Awards: None
Grade: PK-2

Maria and her mother were making tamales for Christmas Eve. They were mixing the masa with their hands preparing them and having a good time. Since they were using their hands, Maria's mom took of her shiny ring and left it on the table. Maria wanted to try it on so she did and forgot she had it on and continued to mix the masa. Later on the day, she realized she had left the ring and thought the ring was now in one of the tamales. Her and her cousins decided to eat all the tamales to try and look for the ring. When they could not find it, Maria went up to mom to tell her and saw the ring on her hand. She was so happy to see it, but since there were no more tamales, they had to make a new batch for everyone to eat.

I would use this book in my classroom to teach students about Latino Culture. Since I am Hispanic, I personally know that this book defines what a Christmas Evening in the Latino culture looks like. This book is appropriate for readers in grades kinder to second grade because of easy language. I would use this book to teach a unit on Mexican culture or a unit on different culture during Christmas.

The Patchwork Quilt

The Patchwork Quilt

Author: Valerie Flournoy
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Genre: Realistic Fiction (Multicultural Book)
Awards: Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, Ezra Jack Keats Book Award
Grades: K-3

Tanya watched her grandmother as she looked at her quilt. Tanya did not understand why she had a dirty quilt when she could easily get her grandmother a new one. Even though she did not understand she offered to help her grandma anyway. As days went on, grandma causally would cut out cloth from different things and patch it on her quilt. Things such as a part of pant jeans and Tanya's robe. One afternoon, Tanya's family was outside playing in the snow while her grandmother stayed inside. Tanya's mother felt bad that grandma was left, but Tanya reassured her that she was not alone since she had the quilt to tell her stories. Grandma, unfortunately, got really sick and did not have the energy to finish the quilt. Tanya decided to help her grandmother out as she recovered. A year later, they all helped finish the quilt which turned into something big and meaningful. Her grandmother dedicated it to Tanya at the end.

I would use this book in my class room to teach students about different traditions or cultures a group of family may have. In this book, they made quilting a tradition by constantly helping their grandmother patch throughout the years. This book is appropriate for students in kindergarten up to third grade because they will be able to understand and enjoy the book. I would use this in my class for a social studies unit on culture and traditions or have in my classroom library for students to read.

The Little Red Hen

The Little Red Hen 

Author: A Little Golden Book series by Margot Zemach
Illustrator: J.P. Miller
Genre: Traditional Literature
Awards: Notable Children's Books
Grades: PK-3


The Little Red Hen has a grain of wheat that she wants to plant but no one wants to help her. She asks the duck, goose, cat and pig, and they all decline. Through the process of planting it, taking it out, and making it into flour, she would constantly ask them for help and they all said no. Once she baked the bread, she asked if they wanted to eat it and they all said yes but the Little Red Hen said no and ate it herself.

I would use this in my classroom to teach sequencing and as a fun read. It is an appropriate book for children in grades PK through 3rd grade because it isana easy, repetitive read that will encourage children to read more of the Little Golden Books Series. I would have this book in my classroom library for students to always look at and read or to teach a simple repetition lesson or sequencing lesson.

Wonder

Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards/Recognition: Bluebonnet Award, #1 New York Times Bestseller, One of Time Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time, A Parents Magazine Top 10 Book of the Year, An NPR Outstanding Backseat Book Club Pick,, An Entertainment Weekly 10 Great Kid's Books Selection, An E.B. White Read Aloud Award Winner, A USA Today Top 100 Best Seller, An ALA-ALSC Notable Book, A Washington Post Best Kid's Book, An IRA-CBC Teachers' Choice
Grades: 3-6

August Pullman also known as Auggie, is a ten year old boy living in Manhattan with a rare facial deformity. Because of this medical condition, he had to go through many surgeries causing him to be home schooled. Right after 4th grade, his mother decided to see how Auggie would do in a regular school for 5th grade and placed him in Beecher Prep, a middle school. At first, many students treated him differently because of the way looked. His classmates would act like he had the plague and overall bully him in school. He  had his friends, Summer and Jack to help him through this new transition. On Halloween, he dressed up as a character Jack did not expect him to be dressed as and talked really bad about him to one of his bullies, Julian, in front of Auggie. It was at this moment that Auggie wanted to quit school and stay home. Fortunately, his sister Via convinced him to stay which lead to him continuing his friendship with Jack. Everyone started to bully Jack as well because he became Auggie's best friend. Everything turned around when they went to the schools retreat. Some guys from another school bullied Auggie and Jack because of the way he looked, but luckily their classmates, also Julian's friends, defended them. Julian became less popular when they got back to school and Auggie became more accepted and liked by his classmates.

I would use this book in my class to teach the importance of acceptance of one another. It a beautiful book with a great moral lesson. Students in the upper grade such as third to fourth graders would benefit from this book since the characters are their around their age. I would use this book in class a book club book so that students get the opportunity to read and understand different peoples perspective over the same topic.

Wemberly Worried

Wemberly Worried

Author/Illustrator: Kevin Henkens
Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Awards: Greenwillow, 2000, ALA Notable Children's Book, 2000, CCBC Choices, 2001, IRA Children's Choices, 2001, IRA Teachers' choices, 2001, Parenting Magazine, Reading Magic Award, 2000, Publishers Weekly, Best Children's Books, 2001, School Library Journal, Best Children's Books, 2001, WLA Outstanding Children's Books, 2001.
Grades: PK-2

Wemberly was a little girl mouse who worried about many things. When she was about to start school, she worried about every possible outcome that could happen. Once she got there, her teacher had her meet a student in her class named Jewel. She was just like her; a shy mouse whocarried a stuff animal. By the end of the day, Wemberly stopped worrying because of all the fun she was having and had a great day at school.

I would read this book to my students because it teaches students not to worry that much. It also lets them know that school will be fun even if they did worry about it all along. I would ask parents to read it to their child as well before school starts to help them feel calmer about school. I think the best grade level to use this book for would be PK or kindergarten because that is the age Wemberly is in in the book. I would also use this book in a unit about feelings or emotions. I could also use this book to teach sequencing.

Mr. Goat's Valentine

Mr. Goat's Valentine

Author: Eve Bunting
llustrator: Kevin Zimmer
Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Awards: None
Grade: PK-2

Mr. Goat's Valentine is about Mr. Goat getting ready to celebrate Valentine's Day by buying what he says, "first love" presents. He gets her chocolates and flowers and even composes a song for her. At the end, he gives his presents to his mom who is his first love.

I would use this in my classroom because it is a funny story about Valentine's Day. Mr. Goat buys things that look bad and small bad, but to him they are the nicest things he can buy. I think this is a good book for students in second grade and below because it is easy to follow and easy to read. I would use this book in a unit in relationship to Valentine's Day or in a social studies unit dealing with holidays.

The Biggest Pumpkin Ever

The Biggest Pumpkin Ever

Author: Steven Kroll
Illustrator: Juni Bassett
Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Awards: None
Grades: K-2

There were two mice who had noticed a small pumpkin in the garden. Clayton wanted to make it grow to win the grand prize at the town's pumpkin contest. Desmond, another mouse, wanted to make it grow to make the biggest jack-o-lantern. They both feed and watered the pumpkin without noticing that they both were. One night, when it got really cold, they both went out to cover the big pumpkin with blankets. That is when they noticed that the pumpkin had got really big because they were both taking care of it. They decided to both keep it and take the pumpkin to the contest and make it a jack-o-lantern afterwards.

I really liked this book so I think I would use this in my classroom to teach students the different events that can happen in a book i.e. plot. It is an appropriate book for students in second grade and below because it is something that they will easily understand. To read on their own I believe they will have to be in late first grade or in second grade. I would use this book to teach either a science unit about harvesting crops or to teach plot in language arts.

Chicken Little

Chicken Little

Author/Illustrator: Laura Rader
Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Awards: None
Grade: PK-2

In this book, an acorn falls on Chicken Little's back making him think the word is falling. On his way to tell the king, he tells different animals that the sky is falling making the animals all follow him to the king. Once they arrive and tell the king, the king looks at Chicken Little's back and shows him the acorn to prove that the sky is not falling.

I would use this book in my classroom because it is a very repetitive book meaning the students will pick up on the text fast. It is appropriate for grades second grade and below since it is fun and an easy read. I would use this book to teach sequence or repetition. I would also use it to start an animal lesson to teach students the difference between a fictional animal and a real one.

The X Files Earth Children are Weird

The X Files Earth Children are Weird




Author: Chris Charter
Illustrator: Kim Smith
Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Awards: None
Grades: 1st-4th

Friends Dana and Fox are having a sleep over outside in a tent. They finished reading a book about aliens before bed which made Fox really scared. They both went outside the tent to look for aliens before bed. Fox would spy different things that made him believe there were real aliens outside, but Dana would always explain the real reasons behind it. Once they realized there were no aliens, they went inside the tent and saw two aliens inside. They ran inside the house really scared and decided to sleep in their room. At the end, the parents take off their masks and are aliens as well.

I would not use this book in my classroom because I do not like the ending. It personally caught me by surprise and startled me a bit, so I would not like my young students to feel the same.  The older the student reads it like in fourth grade he better. I would only use this book in my classroom to teach students about the genre but would probably skip the ending where the parents take off their masks. 

Poptastic Jungle

Poptastic Jungle

Author/Illustrator: Igloo Books
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Children's Literature/Popup Book
Awards: None
Grades: PK-1

Poptastic jungle is a book with characteristics of five specific animals. The elephant sucks up water and trumpets loudly. The Tiger roars loudly and scares animals. The crocodile tries to get flies with his claws. And lastly, the parrot flutters high in the air. Each page has the specific animal popping up in the middle with bright vivid colors.

I would use this book in my classroom to teach students what a popup book is and have students create their own. Because of the text, I believe this is a book for students who are below first grade. It describes what each animal does and has a picture of each one per page. I would use these for my classroom library as well so students can touch them and understand what a popup book is.  

My Friend Rabbit

My Friend Rabbit

Author/Illustrator: Eric Rohmann
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: Caldecott Medal, Gemini Award for Best Writing in a Children's or Youth's Program or Series
Grades: PK-2

This book is about a loving friendship between a mouse and a rabbit. The mouse says that wherever his friend rabbit goes, trouble follows them. They were playing with an airplane that got stuck in tree. Rabbit tried to get it down by stacking many animals on top of each other to reach the airplane. Although the animals ended up falling, they got the airplane out which made mouse realize what a good friend rabbit was even though he caused trouble. 

I would use this in the classroom to teach students about friendship. It has very minor words so it would be a great book to also use in the classroom library. Grades PK-2 would enjoy this book because it is a silly, fun book to read that teaches the importance of friendship. I could use this book to teach students the connections between TV cartoons and the actual books since this one is both.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author/Illustrator: Mo Willems
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: Caldecott Medal, Charlotte Zolotow Awards
Grade: PK-3

This book is about a Pigeon who wants to drive the bus. Unfortunately, no one will let him drive it so he lets out his frustration throughout the book. At the end, the bus driver thanks the audience for not allowing the pigeon to drive the bus.

I would use this in my classroom since it is an easy read and very enjoyable. I can read it to fill in time before lunch or any time where I have an extra minute or two. The appropriate grade levels are from PK-3rd since they can all read it and understand it enough to laugh and enjoy it. I would also put this book in my classroom library so students can read on their own and be motivated to read more books like these. 

No, David!

No, David!

Author/Illustrator: David Shannon
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: Caldecott Medal, Georgia Children's Book Award for Picture Storybook, Buckaroo Book Award for Children's, Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Awards for Grades K-3
Grade: K-3

No, David is about a boy who is constantly being said no to due to his actions. His mother says no to him for running down the street naked, playing with his food, and jumping on the bed. At the end his mother tells David that he loves him.

I would use this book in the class to teach students what it means to misbehave and relate that to the behavior I expect in the classroom. I would use this book in any grades between K-3 because they will all still enjoy to hear and see this book. I would use this book to teach behavior and will have it in our class library so students can read it since it is an easy read. 

Pinkalicious: Tickled Pink

Pinkalicious: Tickled Pink

Author/Illustrator: Victoria Kann
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: None
Grades: 2-4

A girl named Pinkalicious was at the library one day and found a joke book. She found many funny jokes and read them out loud to her friends to make them crack up. A classmate named Tiffany challenged her to tell her own funny joke since reading them off the book did not mean she was personally funny. Pinkalicious thought about a joke all day and night long and was worried she was not going to make her friends laugh. The next day when she told her joke, she tickled everyone causing them to laugh. She felt a lot better about herself, but still decided to stick with her joke book.

I would not use this book in my classroom to read aloud, but this might be a fun book to have in my classroom for students to read. The personalities of the characters are for an older crowd that would understand the humor of them. This particular book has is apart of a collection so I could also use this to motivate students to read more of the same collection if they like this book. 

It's Great to Work Together

It's Great to Work Together

Author/Illustrator: Jordan Collings
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: None
Grades: PK-1

Mrs. Clayton had announced to her class that they were going to have a treasure hunt day where they had to look for specific items as a team and write the location of the item on the back of their card. One of the classmates, Tia, had a brother who had done the hunt last year and won so she decided to look for items where they were placed last year just like her brother had said. While she looked, her teammates had found some of the items on the cards, but Tia did not listen to them. Since she did not work as team, her group lost the race. She learned that it was important to work as a team and apologized to her teammates.

I would use this book in my classroom to teach the importance of teamwork. This book gives the rsult of not working together which will teach my students how important it is to work with each other. The appropriate grade level for this is PK or Kinder to teach them as early as possible the meaning of teamwork. It can be used in first grade as well to reinforce or to reteach students the consequences of not working together. I would use this in any unit where y students have to work as a group. 

Love you Forever

Love you Forever

Author: Robert Munsch
Illustrator: Sheila McGraw
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: None
Grade: PK and Kindergarten

This sad book is about a mother who would sing to her boy as he grew up. No matter how old he got, she would hold him in her arms and would sing and rock him while he slept. When the mother got old, the son did the same to his mother until she passed away. At the end of the book, it shows he son holding his new daughter as she slept, singing her the same song.

I would recommend parents to read this book to their children but would not use it in my classroom because it is a sad book. The appropriate grade level for this book is Kindergarten so that students understand the feelings behind the story, but can be used for students younger. If I needed to use this book for a unit I would use it to show repetition.