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.

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.