Everywhere by: Bruce Brooks (realistic fiction)

Brooks presents a very short, concise novel about a boy named Peanuts. The entire book covers a time period of one day when his grandfather suffers a heart-attack. Throughout the story, Peanuts undergoes emotions of grief, worry, and most importantly, love. He is accompanied by another boy, Dooley, who ensures Peanuts that a simple "soul-switch" (similar to voo-doo) will heal his grandfather. The book concludes with the grandfather living, and an overpowering message about the significance of love.

This book is very practical because it contains some heavier themes in it, but would not take several weeks to read aloud in the classroom. Aside from the conflict of his grandfather's ailment, there is also a theme of friendship. Dooley and Peanuts are of two different races and this issue only makes a minor appearance in the story. This emphasizes how crossing races in the name of friendship truly does not need to be as groundbreaking as some literature presents.

I would use this book soley for students to practice identifying themes in the story. I would craft questions that emphasized higher levels of thinking in Bloom's Taxonomy (application, synthesis, evaluation, ect). This could be implemented in an informal setting (similar to a literacy circle).

The Wind in the Willows by: Kenneth Grahame (science fiction/fantasy)

"The Wind in the Willows" Wordle

This book is a fantasy book, as its main characters are personified animals. The text and dialogue is rich and complex so the tales can be used in older grades. The sophisticated vocabulary is especially excellent.

I created a wordle that represents some primary features of this book, however, I Wordle could also be implemented in the classroom by students. Since there are so many literary components to this book (theme, illustrations, writing style, structures/supports, genre, lessons, poems, lyrics, ect), I would assign each student a particular topic and ask them to create a wordle emphasizing the topic found in the book.

Dandelions by: Eve Bunting (fiction)

Eve Bunting's picture book tells the story of a family moving from Illinois across the Nebraska Territory during the nineteenth century. The pioneer family is traveling out west to claim free land. While, the promise of opportunity awaits them, conflicting emotions are also prevalent. Papa is excited to start their new life and is eager to build their new "soddie" (house). However, Mama, who happens to be pregnant, is distraught and lonely. There seems to be this tension between intrigue for change, as well as melancholy for the life left behind.

Zoe, the daughter, brings dandelions to their new home in attempt to brighten her mother's mood. She plants them on the roof and they flourish into a bright gold. This represents the journey the family had to make from leaving behind the familiar and starting anew.

I would use this book to model how we can relate to those generations before us. I would accompany the read aloud with an accountable talk, asking questions to guide student thinking towards relating to each Papa's, Mama's, and Zoe's feelings throughout different points in the story. I would ask them to give examples of when they felt uncomfortable about starting something new and following, I would ask them to give examples of when they thought the change they experienced was a good thing. Students could write or bring in an object to symbolize their experiences (similar to the dandelions).

Snowflake Bentley by: Jacqueline Martin (non-fiction)

This biography of Wilson Bentley, tells the story of a man during the 19th century who was enthralled with the formation of snowflakes. He took hundreds of photographs over long periods of time and continued his study of this unique form of water. This picture book is suitable for lower elementary grades because it includes fantastic visual components (water color illustrations and copies of photographs and woodcuts) as well as for older elementary grades because of its focus on the science concepts associated with snowflakes.

I would use this book as an alternative method of studying water. I would include this book in a book pass when beginning a new science unit on water. When students realize the topic of the book pass (water), they may even question why this book is included because it may not be obvious to everyone that a snowflake is just water in a different form. Here, as well as if the book was read aloud, will promote science-focused discussions with the students. Also, Bentley's story models how learning science truly can be an interesting time of inquiry (not just traditional material learned in textbooks).

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by: Barack Obama (non-fiction)

The beauty in this book truly lies in its illustrations, done by, Loren Long. The book features iconic individuals who have had tremendous influence throughout American history. Those presented include Martin Luther King Jr., Georgia O'Keefe, Albert Einstein, Billie Holiday, as well as others. The pages are uniquely laid out: the left side of the page starts a sentence, for example, "Have I told you you are creative.." and pictures Obama's daughters with along side with another unknown young girl (Georgia O'Keefe). The right page features a large illustration of Georgia O'Keefe painting with a short description of how she influenced America.

While this book is very simple, in that it does not present a challenging or complex reading, the format of the book attempts to see eye-to-eye with its intended audience. Readers can relate to the left page (young children) and at the same time, realize that these great leaders of our nation also once started as young children, just like us.

I would use this book as a way to promote positive character development. I would tell students to select a person in history (or current) in which they feel they share common characteristics. Students could select those mentioned in the this book or peruse through other resources to find a person. Students would briefly research this person and write a short synthesis of their contribution. Finally, after I would give each student a folder. One side would show a picture of them and their unique personal characteristic. On the second side of the folder, they could write or illustrate who they want to be when they get older. On the back, students could write any information about their researched person of history.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by: Scott O'Dell (multicultural)

This short chapter book tells the story of a Native American woman who escaped a rescue ship in order to join her abandoned brother. O'Dell's story is based off "The Lone Woman of San Nicholas", an Indian woman who was evacuated with her tribe from their island when European immigrants colonized America.
The woman, Karana escapes the ship to return to her forgotten younger brother. Tragically, the brother dies  and Karana is left alone on the island. She is forced to survive on the remote Pacific island for eighteen years.

I would recommend this book for students to read individually or I would read aloud excerpts and compare with excerpts from the Robin Crusoe (very similar stories). I would have students construct a Venn-diagram comparing the two stories and the perspectives of each main character (boy vs. girl perspective?)
Also, in social studies, this book could be used to introduce students to Pacific Indian tribes. Working in small groups, I would assign students to each create a poster about a specific tribe from this geographic region. Information on the poster may include the Indian's indigenous environment, food sources, clothing, food sources, clothing, history, and homes.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by: Joyce Sidman (poetry and non-fiction)

This book features a collection of twelve poems filled with exquisite and detailed illustrations to complement each. The first poem "Welcome to the Night" introduces the main subject of nocturnal natural wildlife. The remaining poems elaborate with factual information, describing various occurences that happen during the night. The book concludes by describing the night fading away and the sunlight coming through.

This is a great book to use with grades three and older to introduce science units featuring nocturnal events. Some of the margins also contain additional information and highlight science keywords in bold. The author also includes various types of poems in the book. This book can be used to introduce a new science unit to describe nature during the night. The book can also be used to incorporate literacy, specifically poetry. After students have experience with different formats of poems, I could use this book to give students practice of identifying some of these types.

Jumanji by: Chris Van Allsburg (science fiction/fantasy)

Jumanji Illustrations: At a Glance


The link above contains a short video of some selected pictures from Allsburg's picture book, Jumanji. This author and illustrator is well known for his unique drawings in other children's books such as "The Polar Express".

While Jumanji features an exciting and suspenseful plot for students, the students can also learn to appreciate how pictures contribute to a story. In the classroom, I would read this book aloud for simple enjoyment. Following, I would show this animoto video of some of the selected illustrations. For younger grades, I would encourage students to pay particular attention to Judy and Peter's facial expressions to draw conclusions about the action in the story. In older grades, I would guide children to looking at the perspective of each illustration's frame. For example, in some of the pictures, the point of view seems to be from above (observing the action), whereas in other scenes, the reader perspective is at eye level with the characters so that the reader feels closer to the action. Other features of visual images such as proportions, angles, and shading also contribute to the meaning of the story.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by: Crockett Johnson (modern fantasy)

This story is about a little boy who creates his own world through the use of a magical, purple crayon. It begins with the boy deciding to take a walk in the moonlight. However, since there was no moonlight he drew one for himself. He continues to draw things he desires, as well as escapes to avoid danger throughout his adventures during the night.

Since the book is an easier read (few text on each page, large illustrations, ect), my focus during classroom implementation would be critical understanding. Using the theme of the book: power of imagination and perseverance to determine fate; I would give students a different incomplete drawing. I would ask them to complete the drawing, using their imagination, to portray a personal desire. Following, I would present a hypothetical situation (conflict/dilemma) with an incomplete drawing to the students and ask, "what would you create/draw to make this situation better?"

This book gives an excellent opportunity for students to let their imagination run 'wild', all while under focused instruction by the teacher.

Amelia's Road by: Linda Altman (realistic fiction)

This book gives a realistic portrayal of the child in a migrant worker family. It begins with a young girl lamenting about her disdain for roads (los caminos). These roads take her away from familiarity and to fields where her family works in fields all day. These roads take her to new places and new people where people do not know her. She struggles to find a place she can call home. One day, she stumbles upon an old tree where its permanence inspires her to bury some of her most cherished treasures.

While the nation's population consists of about 3-5 million migrant workers (many from Carribean, Mexico, South America--- many US born citizens), this is a great book to introduce children to different families currently living in the US. As there are three primary streams of migrant workers (west, central, east), American geography could be incorporated throughout the reading. I would give each student a map where we could track Amelia's story as a class. Individually, students could research other topics associated with migrant work and add to their map appropriately. It would also be very easy to lead an accountable talk during the read-aloud because the content is very empathetically accessible (lonlieness, cherished items, feeling of "home").

I Once Was a Monkey: Stories Buddha Told by: Jeanne Lee (folk literature)

This book contains six Jatakas (stories) that give lessons of honesty, wisdom, and truth. Similar to "Aesop's Fables" (focus on philosophy of morality), these stories are through the perspective of Buddha that are especially popular in India. Each story begins with Buddha's reincarnation into a new organism (monkey, tree, golden antelope, ect). The stories' were ones that were said Buddha told his disciples in his teachings. While the stories' themes are central for children of all ages, the text and illustrations also give informational insight into religions outside of Christianity.

I would use this book after I have introduced and read several folk tales with the class. I would read one Jataka from this book aloud to the whole class and discuss the author's message. Students will share the stories relate to their life, while analyzing the characters' conflict, motives, and solution. I would then make copies of the remaining 5 Jatakas and allow students to choose which they would like to read independently (students could work in pairs). To emphasize conceptual and structural understanding, I would then ask students to create a venn-diagram of how to compare and contrast the stories between "Aesop's Fables" and the Jatakas found in "I Once was a Monkey".

Listen to the Wind by: Greg Mortenson (non-fiction)

This unique 'picture' book retells the story of Greg Mortenson, an American humanitarian who has built over 130 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is the children's picture book version of the novel, "Three Cups of Tea".

The story begins with Dr. Greg arriving in the small village of Korphe, tired and sick from 70 days of mountain climbing. He was shocked at the poor state of education in the village and became inspired to help. After one year in the states, he returned to the village, and with the help of the local Korphe people, built the new school.

The illustrations are particularly unique in this book. Rather than simple drawings or paintings, the pages look more like collages, made from various materials. Mortenson's method creates an three dimensional affect that is eye-catching to the reader. The author notes that in his original creation of the book, he in fact did create collages from raw materials. His inspiration was the Pakistani people; they did not waste a thing. He attempted to mimic this approach and diverged from his routine to draw on his expensive, clean-white paper. Instead, he used scrap materials he found around him.

The story's final section includes real photographs that were taken during the construction of the school. The "scrapbook" shows maps, photographs of the Korphe students, Korphe teacher (Hussein), and the new school where boys and girls are learning.

This book conveys how one person with determination and passion can change the world. It will inspire children to show compassion to those less fortunate. As a followup activity of reading this book aloud to my students, students may create their own inspirational scrapbook. Topics could include anything associated in the book. For example, students could research the countries of Pakistan or Afghanistan, create a terrain map of the area (mountains, rivers, ect), invent their own idea to help those they feel compassion towards, ect. This allows students to choose a subject/topic of interest, while exercising their creativity simultaneously.

The Year of the Dog by: Gracie Lin (multicultural)

Prezi Presentation

The Little Match Girl by: Jerry Pinkney (folk literature)

This picture book is a variant of the traditional Hans Christian Andersen's folk tale, The Little Match Girl. The plot remains the same as its original: a little girl is sent out on the streets to sell matches. No one will buy any from her and she begins to light the matches. One by one, the matches become her only source of warmth and enlighten the girls most cherished wishes. The last match reveals a vision of her deceased grandmother who takes the girl with her, only to leave the girl's body for others to find the next morning. In Pinkney's version, the little girl is of some different race (does not directly state, however, illustrations show a girl of darker complexion). The setting is not in rural Europe, but rather in an urban downtown America during the early twentieth century.

The theme also aligns with its original. Because the ideas in this book are so heavy, I would probably reserve this book for older elementary grades. I would use this as a book for whole-class discussion. Throughout each of the pages I would ask students how they thought the girl was thinking and feeling. I would ask them to take the perspectives of the other people who passed her by. At the end of the read-aloud I would ask students what message they thought the author was trying to give us. The whole focus of this story is to bring compassion and charity into the spotlight. We often think of our lives as not ideal and are always pursuing how to make it better. When our juxtaposed with this girl's story, we are all considered fortunate.

Storyteller by: Patricia Giff (historical fiction)

This novel is just over 150 pages and alternates between chapters headed by eighteenth century or twenty first century, following the stories of Elizabeth and Zee, two girls of different time periods. The book begins with the story of Elizabeth, a girl who has to move in with her Aunt Libby, because her father is working overseas. Elizabeth finds an old drawing of one of her ancestors, Zee and begins to investigate her past, with the help of her Uncle Harry.

The chapters accounting the eighteenth century story are narrated by Zee, a young woman who struggles to survive during the Revolutionary War. The author includes details that help structure a basic schema of the time period.

While the two girls obviously have different life experiences, common themes can be traced through their stories that help connect the two. I would consider using this book as a read-aloud for older elementary grades because of the historical context, as well as the structure of the book. The chapters are only a few pages each and would keep the students engaged in this quick-moving novel. I would also recommend for my students to read this independently. I would hand out a worksheet that had "talk back to the book" phrases so students would actively reflect on the text. This is a great book to draw contrasts and comparisons from, as well as personal connections.

Indian Shoes by: Cynthia Smith (multicultural)

This story follows the relationship of Ray Halfmoon and his grandfather through various heartwarming and humorous events. This realistic fiction story describes common experiences of any current young boy living in the city. The grandfather conveys his love and generosity towards Ray Halfmoon as he is always there to lend a helping hand.

The two characters in this book are of Seminole-Cherokee heritage. Most books portraying experiences of Native Americans focus on the traditional aspects of Indian culture. This book is a nice alternative because the context and setting is current and relatable. The grandfather frequently interjects throughout the story, giving the reader information about Native American culture.

If you are trying to ensure to incorporate books that portray different cultural experiences, I think this book is fantastic choice. It gives authentic details of indian tradition and in addition, it allows readers to understand that "multicultural" really is not anything too foreign or different that we cannot relate.

This is a great book for an emerging independent reader because it includes illustrations to complement the text. While the book maintains a central theme, the six short stories allow it to be read in small portions. I would use this book as a read-aloud when there is spare time in class. For example, if there is a transition period where there is a lapse of time, I would use this book as a read-aloud. Since the chapters are only about ten pages in length (pictures and large text), this is a realistic possibility. It is also a great choice for recreational read-aloud literature because the plot is lighthearted and comical. This will keep students interested and engaged.

The Lion and the Mouse by: Jerry Pinkney (traditional/folk)

This rendition of the traditional Aesop's fable is set in the heart of the Serengeti forest. The fable is the well-known story of a mighty lion and a meek mouse. However, obviously as the story progresses, the lion and mouse realize they need each other for survival. The lion is not too mighty to benefit from those smaller, and similarly, the mouse is not too meek to make a big difference.

This particular alternative to Aesop's fable is one that it is truly unique because it is almost entirely wordless. The story progresses through the author's vibrant illustrations. I would use this book as a way for students to predict the main ideas or events in a story. Just as when students go through a "book walk", students can use the pictures to brainstorm and predict the future events in the book. This will help children learn to use all features of the book to aid in comprehension, instead of relying only on the text to tell the story.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by: Brian Selznick (historical fiction-graphic novel)

This chapter book tells a mystery story about an orphaned boy who lives and works in a train station in Paris during the twentieth century. The narration is uniqe because the story is told through both text and illustrations. This graphic novel presents an alternative way to use visuals in a story. They are not simply used to complement or support what the text says, but is actually responsible for telling certain aspects of the story- seperate from the text.

The illustrations in this book are truly captivating. I would use sections of this book to my students and ask them to use the pictures as a source for context clues to predict or infer what is happening in the story. I could also have children write their own stories in this style: what portions of the book would be best told through writing? What portions of the text will be best portrayed through images? I think this will give students the opportunity to have a more creative approach to comprehension and story writing.

Through My Eyes by: Ruby Bridges (non-fiction)

This autobiography gives readers incredible insight for what it was like for six year old Ruby Bridges to be one of the first black students to attend an all-white elementary school in the deep south. Bridges gives a detailed account of the events leading up to her tremendous transition into a new school, as well describing her thoughts of loneliness and isolation once she enrolled in the new school. She speaks of the power of courage and prayer to combat adversity.

This book can be used in conjunction with The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles. While the Coles version may be more suitable for younger grades (K-2), this book includes letters, newspaper excerpts, and photographs from 1961. I would use this book to emphasize the importance of accepting differences in people and that differences are not valid reasons for unequal treatment among individuals. On a more historical note, Bridges' account presents outside events that places her experience into context with the civil rights movement on a greater scale. The final pages of the book also include a timeline of major events of the "civil rights movement and where new orleans school integration fits in" (55).

What is a Biome? by: Bobbie Kalman (non-fiction)

This is one from a series of three books by Kalman, which offers insight into our natural world. It describes different biomes (grasslands, scrublands, desert, etc.) and the climates in those regions. It also describes the animals and plants common to these particular biomes and how they adapt to their surroundings. The organization allows the young reader to clearly identify the relationships between geography, weather, and living organisms. The pages present photographs, drawings, and maps, as well as leveled text to keep the reader interested and informed. The final page notes how humans are jeopardizing these environments, however no solutions or recommendations are given.


In alignment with the NCSCOS science objectives, I would use this book as a resource in a 5th grade science unit. In 5th grade, students learn about the interdependence between plants and animals, as well as learn about landforms and climate. I would use this book to introduce a particular unit on one of these topics (plants/animals, landforms, or climate). I would read aloud pages, 4-8, which are introductions to the topics (What is a biome, what is a climate, adapting to biomes). Following, I would assign partners to a particular biome (e.g. deserts, wetlands, grasslands, ect). I would have each set of partners read their excerpt of the book and then research  their biome more on the internet. Students would create a presentation (powerpoint, poster, scrapbook, ect) that they can share with the class.