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HOT AND NEW
MARK TWAIN AWARD WINNER
Read: (9-16-13)
This book makes me cry. Cry a lot. It is about a beautiful boy named Auggie who has physical deformities that cause him to have issues at his school once he makes the transition from homeschooling to public schooling. He is teased and he does not have the privilege of having lots of friends, and one of the few friends he does have even starts joining in on the bullying. I believe this story has many valuable teaching points because even though Auggie is faced with adversity and hatred, he maintain his sweet soul and calm disposition. He relies on his supportive family to keep him grounded through the situations that, at times, get out of hand. I can teach my students about the importance of treating all people with kindness and gentleness. This chapter book is intended for 3rd or 4th grade students who can handle the emotional implications of the plot line. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

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The Little Engine That Could  By: Watty Piper

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The Little Engine That Could  By: Watty Piper

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Book read: (9-1-18)
This is a book that I was always read as a child. My Grandmother would read this story to us every night before bed and it always proved to teach me something new every time I would read it. In my opinion, this story is very inspiring to the reader. When it talks of a little train, who is the smallest of the neighboring trains, overcome an  obstacle that seems to be impossible, it encourages the reader to believe that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. Because of the nature of the writing and targeted audience of young readers (5-8 years of age), I would most likely use this book in my teaching if I was instructing K, 1st, or 2nd grade. Having faith in one's self is an important lesson to learn at any age, but it is especially important to a young learner. Also, students who enjoy cars, trains, and other automobiles would enjoy this read because it shares details about different types of train engines.

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Thank You, Mr. Falker. By: Patricia Polacco 

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Thank You, Mr. Falker. By: Patricia Polacco 

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Book read: (9-1-18)
This is a GREAT book. It encompasses so many life lessons, teaching points, and self assessment opportunities. It can be both encouraging to a young reader or an educator who is feeling discouraged. Mr. Falker is the kind of teacher/person that we should all aspire to be. Lending a helping hand when someone is having trouble comprehending something and being a protector to anyone who is being mistreated are two qualities that are exemplified by the characters in this book. I recommend this book to be read to a young literacy student who may be struggling with early reading practices or even an older child who has forgotten the impact that harsh words have on another person's heart. This picture book is considered fiction, but its events are inspired by the author's real life experiences. I think that that makes the story even more impactful for its audience of young to upper elementary students. I would definitely use this book to begin one of my literacy lessons.

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Weekends with Max and His Dad By: Linda Urban

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Weekends with Max and His Dad By: Linda Urban

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This book is considered an early chapter book that would suit the reading level of a late elementary school or even early middle school student. It is a valuable book to have in the classroom because it creates a story around a hardship that many young child face, divorce. Divorce can affect a child's performance and attitude towards school, so reading a novel that shines a light on the normalcy of it can help a child cope with the difficulties. The novel paints a picture of a fun weekend that max has with his dad that this full of all the things that a typical 3rd grader would love it do. Pretending to be a spy, walking the dogs, and even paying the neighbors a surprise visit are just a few of the adventures that Max gets to experience with his dad over the weekend. Because of the positive nature of this book in regards to a blended family dynamic, I would definitely use this book if I was ever to construct a lesson about families or if I had a student who really needed  some encouraging if there was a divorce happening at home.

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Dog Man Unleashed: Dog Man, Book 2 By: Dav Pilkey 

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Dog Man Unleashed: Dog Man, Book 2 By: Dav Pilkey 

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(HOT AND NEW BOOK)
Read (9-3-18)
Honestly, I have never been interested in graphic novels. I never really liked comic books so reading a graphic novel was never something that interested me. However, I do feel like the "Dog Man" Graphic novel series is one that would really interest a student who likes comedic literature as well as dogs! The graphic novel is intended for mid-level elementary- higher elementary students. In fact, my 3rd grade students love to read these novels! They always come to me and show me the jokes that they think are funny (it's a lot of the book). In the particular installment I read, there is a typical dog vs cat feud- like circumstance that is actually pretty funny. A cat is on the loose reeking havoc on the city and Dog Man, the half-human/ half-police dog, is on the case to put a stop to it! I think that this book would be good for the reader who is just really not into reading; The reader who "hates" reading because it's "boring". This graphic novel would definitely entertain even the most stubborn reader! The only thing that I was apprehensive about with this series is that the text is written as a child would write it, grammatical errors and all. I would be curious to see if this style of writing encouraged poor writing habits in my students.

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(NEWBERY AWARD WINNER)
This book is a very important one to add to the collection! It shines a light on the deaf culture and provides a window into the life of a deaf child. My third graders also love this book!  There are difficulties that come along with that life, but there is also so much beauty that can come from it, as shown in this graphic novel. I would recommend this book to any of my students who maybe have had a hard time adjusting to their differences. I would also recommend this book to any student who has ever felt like they need inspiration to find the positives in life and I could also use that to inspire a lesson about inclusion. This book is great for the advocacy for the deaf community and can be a great teaching tool when encouraging my students to be a friend to all or, like in the novel, to be a "side kick" to our friends that need us like El Deafo's friend was to her. This story is considered fiction, but has autobiographical elements since the book was inspired by the author, herself (who was also deaf).

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American Born Chinese By: Gene Luen Yang  

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American Born Chinese By: Gene Luen Yang  

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MULTICULTURAL
National Book Award Winner 2006
This graphic novel is a set of three stories that all feed into the same idea in the end. All in all, the stories relate to racial stereotypes that describe Chinese Americans and their experience in white-american culture, specially in the school system. Struggles like racial targeting and bullying come into play when the main character has to assimilate into a San Franciscan culture and is at times ridiculed for his differences. This novel is geared towards the reading and comprehensive capacity of an older middle-school to high-school student. This book could be used in teachings of racial equality and fair treatment of immigrants in the American school system. As an aspiring early education teacher, I wouldn't reference this book in any of my lessons. This book is considered fiction, even though it is full of real-life accounts.

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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns By: Frank Miller

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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns By: Frank Miller

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HIGH SCHOOL/ MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE

This graphic novel is a dark twist on a familiar story. For high school students, they will enjoy this book because it has story elements that they are very used to hearing about such as the classic storyline of the DC Comic hero, Batman. These series plays into the darker side of Batman's existence in the city of Gotham. There are details of Batman's real life ego, Bruce Wayne, of the loneliness that he faces and the personal terrors that accompany the horrific loss of his parents. I would recommend this book to an older student who likes Batman and wants to gain depth about his universe. Because of all the emotional drama, I would not recommend this graphic novel to the younger reader. The traumatic themes might be too intense for a student younger than ninth grade.

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Babymouse: Queen of the World By: Jennifer L. Holm 

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Babymouse: Queen of the World By: Jennifer L. Holm 

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HOT AND NEW
So, I've talked a lot about graphic novels that are more geared towards male readers. This graphic novel is a complete girly girl choice!  With themes that include Slumber parties and shopping sprees, I totally recommend this series to my students that love all things feminine! I read the first installment of the series and it is all about how Babymouse is embarking on an event that is coveted by young elementary school and young middle school students alike... an exclusive slumber party! This series strikes me as a just-for-fun fiction graphic novel series, but it is useful to have these light-hearted selection in the classroom. It is important for students to have literature options that they will truly enjoy. I'm not sure I could find much teaching points with this series, but I would definitely keep it in stock for my female graphic novel lovers!

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Harry Potter: Books 1-7 By: J.K. Rowling 

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Harry Potter: Books 1-7 By: J.K. Rowling 

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CARNEGIE MEDAL WINNER
(READ 2007-2016)
Oh, the Harry Potter books... What a wonderful series!! I spent a lot of my childhood years watching the movies with my family and watching my older siblings read all of the books. As many people know, this fiction series about a magical world that exists not to far from reality. All over the world, special children, with even more special abilities, are chosen to attend a school where they will learn how to use their magical powers. Throughout the entire series, a trio of young wizards is challenged with events of scary magical creatures, evil forces, and many more obstacles that inevitably grow their bond even more strong than they could have imagined. This series has a wide range of themes and grade level appropriatenesses. The first three books are a little more light hearted and may be suitable for early middle school students. As the series progresses, Rowling encompasses much more violent, dark themes into her writing. I would recommend the later editions to upper middle school and high school students. There are important themes of friendship, the knowledge of good and evil, and self- awareness that can be applied to lessons in a classroom setting.

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Last Stop on Market Street By: Matt De La Pena 

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Last Stop on Market Street By: Matt De La Pena 

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MULTICULTURAL
(AWARD WINNER)
The Last Stop On Market Street was a beautiful picture book for all young children. It covers the simple life that a young African-American child has with his grandmother. The young boy is at the age where he is noticing what other people has that he does not, like a car. The grandmother uses this as a teaching moment for her grandson that life isn’t always about the things you have or don’t have, but that you can love the life you live no matter the circumstances. This is a perfect book to teach young children that we all come from different places and backgrounds, and that’s ok. In the age of technology we live in, it is even more important to teach our youth to not be jealous about what other kids have while also not bullying other kids for what they don’t have.

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Balloons Over Broadway By: Melissa Sweet

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Balloons Over Broadway By: Melissa Sweet

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Balloons Over Broadway is a fun picture book that does a great job of teaching kids in the K-2nd grade level of how far an imagination can take you. The book goes through the story of the man that started the family event of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watching the parade is an annual tradition for many families and I think it would be a great way to teach kids that their imagination can take them anywhere.

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Snowflake Bentley By: Jacqueline Briggs Martin 

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Snowflake Bentley By: Jacqueline Briggs Martin 

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(CALDECOTT METAL WINNER)

Snowflake Bentley tells us the beautiful story of a young child’s passion turned into a lifelong love. As a young boy, Wilson Bentley was enamored by the tiny snowflakes. Bentley’s passion for snowflakes is the reason we know that each one is unique. This is a great way to teach students that a determination and passion can go on to reveal many unique facts about life. Many lessons of perseverance can be taught using the themes of this book!

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Hachiko is a bittersweet story about the loyalty of a dog to his owner. The dog loyally waited for his owner every day at the train station even after the owner’s death. This book would be good to teach children with an understanding of life and death the impact we as have humans can have on animals. I believe this would be a great way to teach children the importance and morality of treating animals with kindness and love.

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Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library By: Barbara Rosenstock 

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Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library By: Barbara Rosenstock 

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This book is a fun and cute way to show kids that reading can be fun and enjoyable. The authors make light of the love Thomas Jefferson had for reading books. The Library of Congress would not be what it is today and that is important to teaching our kids what reading can do for them. This book is better for kids in the age group where they begin to find that reading is not very fun. It can be challenging to encourage kids to read and we need to make sure they continue to do so as they grow older

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The Blue Whale is a fun way to teach kids several facts about blue whales. The author uses fun ways to teach kids about how big these whales are, how and what they eat, and the many different things it can do. This would be a great way to teach kids in the 2nd-3rd grade levels about blue whales. Having books like these in my classroom library would come in handy when I am looking for a piece of literature that encompasses several subjects that I am having to teach that day. Science books like these will also interest the students who are always so intrigued by the world around them and animals that they do not know a lot about.

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HOT AND NEW

Snakes is great way to teach kids in the 8-10 age range. Kids will be able to learn about different species of snakes while also having the opportunity to spot various snakes in their natural habitats. This will be a fun way to teach kids about an animal that could be potentially be deadly in hopes that they might be able to spot a dangerous snake in the wild on any potential adventure they could be on.

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At the Same Moment Around the World By: Clotide Perrin

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At the Same Moment Around the World By: Clotide Perrin

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This book is beautifully done and does a great job showing telling a fun story with each new page. The book takes you on an adventure to each of the original time zones, there used to be 24. This book is perfect for 1st & 2nd graders as we begin to teach them how the various time zones work and why we have them. This book does a great job illustrating how we can be just waking up in Georgia while someone in Italy or France might be getting out of school or off work in the early afternoon.

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CALDESCOTT AWARD WINNER

Bones is a fun way to introduce a young audience to bones of animals and humans alike. Steve Jenkins does an excellent job showing the opposite ends of bone size and weight in funny ways that can be entertaining and informative to children. The students will get great pictures to help them understand just what the words are trying to explain to them. This will be great way to jump start a lesson about the human skeleton with funny facts that should grab the interests of the kids.

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James Naismith is a relatable character from the beginning as he has zero interest in taking over a wild bunch of students in a gym class. However, he decides to make the best of it and that is the lesson to be taught here. Naismith took a bad situation that he didn’t want to be in and turned it into what is a worldwide sport. Naismith forever changed the sports world when he created basketball. This is just one of the many examples we have to teach kids that making the best of an unwanted situation can create something beautiful and fun.

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NEWBERY AWARD WINNER
Read: (9-15-18)
Jumanji is classic story about a crazy board that comes to life and does not return to normal unless the game is finished. The events in the book teacher the reader that even though trials may come, it is important to stay calm and rely on them to get you through to the end. I would recommend this story to any student who loves adventure but also isn't afraid of the thrill of the game! Students who read at a 2nd- 4th reading level would love to read about the adventures that Allen and his friends have as they are trying to complete the game of Jumanji! I could see myself using this book as a tool to teach students to be careful what they go snooping around for because you never know what kind of trouble you can get yourself into!

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NEWBERY AWARD WINNER
MULTICULTURAL
Read: (9-20-18)
Books that talk about family lineage are always books that I enjoy! This picture book is about a man who travels to American from Japan and discovers the wonders that our land has to offer. He makes several trips back and forth because he can't seem to shake the captivating beauty of the mountains in California. Several years later, his grandson decides to do the same thing because of the inspiring journey that is grandfather made over and over again. This book teaches that our discoveries matter and that chasing after the things that we make important in our lives speak volumes to the generations to come!
I recommend the book to anyone who loves a heart felt story with an inspiring message. A 2nd to 5th grade would have no problems reading and enjoying this wonderful story that could be used to teach the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone to learn something new!

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Sylvester and the Magic Pebble By: William Steig 

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Sylvester and the Magic Pebble By: William Steig 

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AWARD WINNER
Read: (9-23-18)
Wishing and wishing to be something that you are not can be a very dangerous thing to do. I stems from never thinking that that you sufficient the way that you are and that can lead you to all kinds of obstacles. in this story, a funny donkey wishes he has a rock. this was an accident, but it proves to be one of the biggest "uh-oh" moments that he has ever experienced. I recommend this picture book to students who love humorous literature with a fairytale twist of taking animals! The artwork in this book was truly remarkable and it draws the reader in just as much as the words on the page do. A younger reader would greatly appreciate the silliness of the book as well as the bright illustrations. There are many lessons of being grateful for who you are and the importance of family in this book that could be used in lessons!

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NEWBERY AWARD WINNER
MULTICULTURAL
This is definitely one of my most favorite picture books of all time. Madeline is a book that transports you across the world to a boarding school in paris. through her travels, i find myself wanting to travel to paris to see what is so beautifully presented in the book. Except for the appendicitis, I would not want to experience that. I recommend this picture book to any of my students that enjoy reading a story about a spunky girl who is not afraid of anything, not even a tiger at the zoo! Someone who loves getting lost the scenery showcased in this book would happily get lost in all it has to offer! This book is suited for a 1st or 2nd grade student.

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs By: Ronald Barrett

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs By: Ronald Barrett

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Read: (9-21-18)
I don't know about you, but I love food. I also love books about food! I love this whimsical book because it tells the impossible story of a city named Chewandswallow where food literally falls from the sky like rain! We are talking like ice cream and pizza falling from the sky. That is insane right? Any elementary school aged student would love this book, but especially the younger readers. They would love the insane illustrations as well as the rich storyline of the complications that come along with food being so accessible to everyone! Lessons that teach about what to do when you have an extreme excess of something caught be taught using this story.

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar By: Eric Carle 

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar By: Eric Carle 

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Read: (9-21-18)
Young readers such as kindergarten and 1st grade students love to read about what happens when a little green caterpillar keeps eating and eating! Throughout the story there are so many interactive moments that will really keep the reader motivated to see way is coming next as the story progresses. It is also so fun to see the caterpillar eat funny things like ice cream and candy because general knowledge tells us that that's not what caterpillars usually like eating. I would recommend this book to young students who enjoy colorful books that they can be active with. This book can be used to teach lessons about the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly or even that when we eat too much... we might start to feel very sick!

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NEW AND NOW SERIES

Fancy Nancy is one of those book series that is just so much fun to read. This book is perfect for the student who loves all things pink, glittery, and fancy! Aside form the glitz and glamour, this book is also packed with vocabulary that exposes the reader to vernacular that has never been defined in such a fun way! The way that Fancy Nancy delivers her vocabulary makes the usage of the words so memorable to the reader. When she shares a new word, she says that it is a "fancy word". For example, if she was saying the word "enormous", Nancy would say that it was a "fancy word for big". This method of storytelling can easily be implemented in a lesson about vocabulary and ways to introduce it into personal writing.

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MULTICULTURAL
NEW AND NOW

This story speaks to something that is not talked about very much in the mainstream children's literature. Actor Taye Diggs writes a story about a young boy who is discovering the blessings and difficulties of being of mixed race. Mike, the boy who's parents are African and Caucasian, figures out that he is so special and a perfect mix of both of his parents. Being of mixed ethnicity myself, I really identified with the experiences and questions that Mike had as he was navigating through his world of being bi-racial. I recommend this heartwarming story to anyone! In my classroom, I would read this story to my classroom to enforce the importance of celebrating our uniqueness and the uniqueness of others!

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A Bad Case of the Stripes By: David Shannon

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A Bad Case of the Stripes By: David Shannon

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MULTICULTURAL
This story is a classic. It"s another one of those books that helps to celebrate the individuality of each person. I recommend this book to any student who loves silly stories that make you laugh and find a new perspective. This book inspires children to see the bright-side in looking and being different while creating scenes with illustrations that are so pleasing to the eye. This is one of those fun books that I was use in my classroom to read between lessons or while the students are taking time to eat a snack and refocus. Having lighthearted stories in the classroom is a sure way to help students fall in love with literature.

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Where the Wild Things Are By: Maurice Sendak

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Where the Wild Things Are By: Maurice Sendak

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CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER
When I was young, I was always getting in trouble. I have always had a little bit of an attitude problem where I would talk back to my parents, storm off to my room, and not want to be around anyone until I had a chance to calm down. Sometimes I would even want to pack a bag and run away (I was a very dramatic child, obviously). Like Max, there would be times that I wanted to escape from reality and experience adventures! However, even though the adventures and the pals you meet along the way see to be a great escape, in the end there is nothing like being home with the people who never want to run away from you.

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MULTICULTURAL

Trombone Shorty is a great story about a young boy with a dream. He falls in love with the trombone in one of the greatest jazz meccas of the world, New Orleans. He knows he isn’t perfect, but Troy continues to dream and practice. I think that young kids, primarily in the K-3 group would love this book and the pictures involved. It would be great to introduce kids to this as many kids have an interest in music at young ages and I definitely think some of them would really attach to this story.

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I am Rosa Parks is a lighthearted well to tell a very serious story. The way Brad Meltzer wrote this book, Rose is depicted as the true American hero that she is. I think all ages will be engaged in this story. This book could be read at any time of the school year, but this would be a great way to introduce young kids to the Civil Rights movement and to use during Black History month. It is very important that students are taught about great heroes like Rosa Parks starting from a very young age. This book is very appealing to readers that enjoy great illustrations as well!

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Everyone loves turtles!! This story has a lot of fun picture and colors to go along with great writing. This book follows the story of a young loggerhead turtle, which is an endangered species. We get to see the wonders of life come full circle as the female turtle goes on the very same beach she was born on to lay her eggs. This is a great book for children in K-5 with a fun and informative story about a lovable animal.

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How Many Jelly Beans? Is the perfect way to teach kids in the K-2 age group about large numbers. Emma and Aiden want to know how many jelly beans they need, which I am sure most kids would say there is not a high enough number. I also think the many colors and the way the number of jelly beans grows will make kids laugh and have fun as the story progresses.

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Again, everyone loves turtles!!! This story is a great way to tell the story of Charles Darwin discovering these islands. He found them full of plant and animal life that had not yet been discovered anywhere else. The pictures in this book help to tell how beautiful this place. Kids K-5 will love this book and it is a great way to introduce them to Darwin and his beliefs.

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This chapter book is great for an reader (probably in 3rd-5th grade?middle school) who loves mystery books. The main character, Nate, is practice is infamous sleuthing skills to solve his latest case. The reader would love the journey that they are taken on with Nate while he is trying to figure out what in the world happened to the baseball team's second base placeholder. This book is relatable to older elementary readers because of the way that it is written and the type of speech that is encased in the authors words. And with every mystery story, the shocking ending was not short of entertaining! I recommend this series on every teachers bookshelf!

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The World According to Humphrey By: Betty G. Birney  

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The World According to Humphrey By: Betty G. Birney  

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This is such a cute chapter book! I recommend it for readers in 3rd-5th grade. Sometimes it can be hard for a young reader to get adjusted to reading books that do not have illustrations. However, I think when books like these are available to them, it makes the transition much easier! Although this book doesn't have any pictures, the words come to life and a reader could easily picture Humphrey scurrying around getting into all sorts of trouble when he decided to leave Mrs. Brisbane's classroom. I really enjoyed this read because it brought me back to a time when I was in a classroom with a class pet and how I got to bond with them. I would definitely recommend this read to my students!

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Judy Moody Was in a Mood By: Megan Mcdonald 

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Judy Moody Was in a Mood By: Megan Mcdonald 

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This is one of the very first chapter books that I remember reading as a young reader. I remember that I enjoyed this read so much because I greatly identified with Judy's character because I also had a very poor attitude when it came to going to school. At the end of each and every summer, I would dread the morning that meant that school was back in session. However, just like Judy Moody, I soon learned what you miss out in school when you're always in a bad mood and how much better your day can be when you change your perspective! I recommend this chapter book to any upper elementary students, but especially female students. I think a female student could really connect to a character like Judy Moody.

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A lot of readers enjoy mystery novels because of the twists and turns of adventure and suspense. "Encyclopedia Brown" books are the perfect mystery series for the younger audience of mystery novel lovers. In these books, the main character conducts his own detective agency where he solves cases for any case and every case in his neighborhood. These chapter books always inspired me as a younger reader. After transporting to another world while finishing one of these stories, I would always be thinking of ways that I could solve mysteries around my house like where that other sock always disappears to! Anyways, I would keep these books in my classroom because I think that they appeal to a wide variety of readers.

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This chapter book is a wild ride! Frozen lake monsters, insane asylums, and evil stepmothers?? This is one of the most exciting reads that I read during this project. The imagery in the story is one of the things that I loved most about this novel. The words on the page transported be to right where Rex was when he was working tirelessly to free his father from the prison that his evil stepmother's lies had gotten him in. I was really rooting for her to be exposed the whole time!! I would recommend this chapter book to any middle school student who loves adventure and for when good always wins!

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(HOT AND NEW BOOK)
(AWARD WINNING: PURA BELPRE HONOR)

This chapter book is the perfect read for a girl in her middle school years. Malu (Maria) is a cool girl who is trying to make the best of her days at school. I think that readers can relate to her

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon By: Kelly Barnhill

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon By: Kelly Barnhill

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This chapter book is perfect for anyone who loves adventure and fantasy! The book begins with the telling of the legend of a town that sacrifices a baby to a witch on the outskirts of town in order to keep peace within the community... creepy right? Well as the story goes on, the plot does not unfold the way that I originally thought that it would. This story is a perfect example of how things are not always as they appear. For there was no evil witch and she is not as scary as everyone made it seem. It just took one brave girl to figure that out. And that is the girl that inspired me in this read. Situations are worth analyzing and people are worth a second impression. I would recommend this book to any middle school student who loves adventure and surprises!

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(HOT AND NEW)
This book is pure magic! I love the twists and turns of the story about a 2 kids and their friend that go looking for the time-traveling father who is trapped on the most evil planet in an unknown universe. Now, I know that Disney has recently made a movie to recreate this story, but I don't know how one movie could have all of the content in that was in this book! There is so imagery and amazing storytelling that will transform you to the world outside of our world. I recommend this read to any middle school or high school student who is wanted to be transported by a good read!

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Sloth at the Zoom By: Helaine Becker
(HOT AND NEW BOOK)

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Sloth at the Zoom By: Helaine Becker
(HOT AND NEW BOOK)

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This book is one of those picture books that is so fun to watch a child experience. The types of print and language contained in this book really makes of the engaging storyline come to life! If you have ever seen the movie, ZooTopia, this book shares the same concept of showcasing how much slower sloths are used to moving. From the speech to the movement, sloths everywhere are just never in a hurry... especially compared to other zoo animals! But even though the sloths are not as fast as the cheetahs or have as many friends as the zebras, there are able to teach the other animals a valuable lesson: sometimes, life is more enjoyable when you slow down enough to experience it. I would recommend this book in a classroom setting because of the many teaching points that it offers. Plus, it is SUCH a cute story!

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This book is a tear jerker! A little girl, Callie, experiences her very first yard sale where her parents are selling most of their possessions. Except for this yard sale, the parents aren't just getting rid of belongings that they no longer need. Because of a money issue, the family is selling their items because they must move from their house into a smaller apartment in the city. All of these events in the book are being told through young callie's eyes. I think this would be a good book in a classroom setting during a perspective lesson or a lesson about reading prosody. There are many emotions in this book that are wonderfully wrapped up in the end when Callie realizes the truly important things in life could never be sold at a yard sale. The story is also something that could be very relatable to a student who has experience with the effects of financial stresses at home. It might be a positive experience for them to read a book like this.

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If a Horse Had Words By: Kelly Cooper & Lucy Eldridge 

(HOT AND NEW BOOK)

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If a Horse Had Words By: Kelly Cooper & Lucy Eldridge 

(HOT AND NEW BOOK)

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This book is such a sweet, fun read for any young student! The entertaining storyline of a baby horse that is just born and experiencing the world around for the very first time draws the reader in the first few pages. It is such a fun concept for a story to be written in a point of view of a character that we would never hear from in real life. The story gets even more exciting when the horse catches glimpse of the boy that becomes his very best friend and his biggest source of JOY! I really enjoyed how the story was written and the illustrations that brought so much life to the story. I would definitely keep this book in my classroom library and I'm sure any of my students would enjoy this read!

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Esperanza Rising By: Pam Munoz Ryan 

(MULTICULTURAL)
(JANE ADDAMS AWARD WINNER)

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Esperanza Rising By: Pam Munoz Ryan 

(MULTICULTURAL)
(JANE ADDAMS AWARD WINNER)

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This is one of those stories that really makes an impact on you after you get finished reading it. The story is all about the trials that a Mexican-born girl and her family as they transition into a placement that they are not at all familiar with. Esperanza was always used to the glitz and glamour of the privileged life that she had in her home country. Sadly, that fairytale life had to come to an end when she her to leave with her mother to California to begin working on a labor camp in order to survive. Even though it seemed like an impossible situation, Esperanza persevered and found the light in a seemingly dark place. I recommend this book to all upper elementary school and middle school students who love books full of culture and hope

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I love dogs. Who doesn't love dogs. I love the dogs in this story who continue to be a helper to their humans over and over again! The dog in this story reincarnates over and over and continues to be a helper to the human that he encounters. Reading this story made me think about my dog, bear, and what a joy he is to my life. Dogs are such wonderful things!! I might have cried at the ending... a lot. I'm a sucker for a sentimental read. I recommend this book for dog lovers everywhere, especially for middle school and high school aged readers.

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This story is about about what would happen if you got left behind; left behind after the rapture that is. Reading this book puts a chilling thought into your head about what it would like to look to the left and right and see people that you knew gone in a flash. Where did they go? Are they coming back? Why am I still HERE? There are religious remarks in this book, but I think that that the storyline is enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a partly mysterious story. I recommend this story to late middle school and high school students.

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This book is kind of scary. The whole concept of a bunch of young boys being dropped into an unknown area trapped and surrounded by forces wanting to harm them is not something that I would encourage a young read to read about. Although, I personally enjoyed this book. I liked the suspense of not knowing what was going to come next, if they would survive the night, or finding out what exactly was on the other side of that infamous maze. I don't think I'd recommend this read to anyone younger than 8th grade student. There is material in the book that I would not deem appropriate for a younger audience.