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By: Kristen Foote
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Status: Hot New Book (2017)
Read: 10/15/17

This book is a tell-all about fireflies. It does it in a humorous manner, as well! It discusses the lifecycle, anatomy, what it eats, and what makes it abdomen glow. This book is great for middle schoolers because they typically learn biology around this age. This book is filled with fun facts and definitions that help us better understand the life of a firefly. I can definitely see myself using this book as a resource when teaching science and the parts of different insects.

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Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat

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Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat

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By: Javaka Steptoe
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Award: Caldecott Medal
Status: Hot New Book (2016)
Read: 10/15/17

This book is about the gone-too-soon famous artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat. This books details Basquiat’s younger days as an aspiring artist. It discusses how his mother influenced his passion and his journey in becoming one of the most notorious artists ever. The book describes his life in a great way and the illustrations are even better. In fact, the illustrations were so good that it won a Caldecott Medal! This book is honestly great for all ages and can be used as a great resource to use when teaching children about famous artists in history. I can always teach kids about when you have a passion, you work every day to achieve greatness in that passion!

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Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives

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Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives

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By: Gene Barretta
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Read: 10/15/17
Gene Barretta takes us into the laboratory of Thomas Edison and describes some of his most famous inventions. Many people just know Thomas Edison for his invention of the lightbulb which is one of the most used technologies known to man and is still used to this day! This book shows readers all of his other inventions such as the iron storage battery built to power electric cars, the motorized pen which is used my tattoo artists, the X-ray machine used by doctors of many kinds, and an assortment of other amazing things! This book is great for middle schoolers and for those who want to learn about Thomas Edison’s impact on the world today. I can definitely teach my kids about where their favorite invention came from: the telephone.

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By: Ron Roy
Genre: Early Chapter Book
Read: 9/10/17

The book series is about a trio of friends who solve mysteries of all kinds from A to Z. You name it! This book specifically details the trio solving a kidnapping case in the deep wilderness of Maine. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose visit the cabin of a friend named Wallis Walker who is actually a mystery writer! The crew flies to Wallis’ cabin in Maine and while they are there, they spot a beautiful white wolf and her puppies. Not too long after, the pups are snatched! The group takes it upon themselves to solve the case of the disappearance and aid the mother wolf. This book is great for familiar lovers of the series and also for those students who love a good mystery! I can see myself using this book as a resource to show 2nd - 3rd grade kids how to solve problems using teamwork as their engine.

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By: Ben Hatke
Genre: Graphic Novel
Status: Hot New Book (2016)
Read: 9/16/17

This book is fresh take on the old classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. This story is centered on Jack and his autistic little sister, Maddy. One day, Jack and Maddy end up trading his mother’s car in for a handful of magical seeds. Like any normal kid would do, he turns over the car and plants the seeds in the backyard. Soon, an beautiful and amazing world of plants and vegetation sprouts. Within this mysterious world, they are met with countless dangerous elements and enemies that all seem like they have a personal vendetta with Jack and Maddy. This book is an amazing introduction to the graphic novel series. I feel as if this book would be great for teenagers who love fantasy books and also for readers who have may have a personal connection of having an autistic sibling who they would go through absolute lenghts to protect. I can see myself using this book to teach courage and the concept of loyalty using Jack and Maddy as subjects.

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By: Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Graphic Novel
Read: 9/17/17

The book is actually a graphic adaptation of Skeleton Key which is the third installment from the Alex Rider book series targeted for young adults. In this book, the teenage spy, Alex Rider, is described to have set off a chain events from what was supposed to be a simple recon mission. Eventually, these events lead to Rider working with the CIA and is being assigned to Skeleton Key, Cuba. His main mission is to stop the evil General Sarov who has plans of staging a coup d’etat by means of nuclear weapons. This book is great for readers who enjoy visuals and spy thrillers. I would recommend this book to teenagers and young adults. I can see myself using this book to teach the concept of Cause & Effect for comprehension purposes.

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By: Kadir Nelson
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Award: Coretta Scott King Honor
Read: 10/15/17

Would you spend 27 years of your life behind bars just to see a dream of yours fulfilled? What if you believed it was for the greater good? Well, that is exactly what our hero Nelson Mandela endured during his feat in ridding South Africa of hate and uniting all racial populations in the country! This book will satisfy the young minds of those who wonder about the trials and hardships that Mandela endured in order to make his personal dream come true. This book is great for children from 2nd grade to 7th grade due to the fact that they are usually studying important figures in history during these ages.

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By: Kyle Baker
Genre: Graphic Novel
Read: 9/18/17

This book is about the story of infamous slave rebellion that was led by Nat Turner. This graphic interpretation vividly illustrates the atrocities of slavery and the events that led to the rebellion. It details on some of Turner’s childhood and the things he went through during his time as a slave. This book is great for young adults who want to learn more about the slave rebellion and the famous Nat Turner who wasn’t scared to stand up for what he believed in. This book will definitely interest those who are intrigued by history. I can see myself using this book as a resource in history class to depict the horrendous things that slaves went through and the events leading up to the rebellion.

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Do You Know Dewey?: Exploring the Dewey Decimal System

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Do You Know Dewey?: Exploring the Dewey Decimal System

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By: Brian P. Cleary
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Read: 10/15/17

This book is about a man named Melvil Dewey who was so frustrated with the disorganization of libraries that he created his own system of organizing books. He created The Dewey Decimal System! The system was meant specifically for organizing nonfiction books into categories so that people could easily find books based on the desired subject. This book would be very helpful for K-5 and pretty much anybody else who is not familiar with the system. I can use this book to teach kids how to find any nonfiction book on any topic they want. Not only does the book help kids locate books, it help them do it fast instead of searching one book by one book.

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By: Lois Lowry
Genre: Upper Grade Level Chapter Book
Award: Newbery Medal
Read: High School Days

This book is about a dystopian future where sickness, pain, violence, differences, and choice are non-existent. This is the perfect world. However, a young boy becomes the new Receiver of Memories in which he meets with a man, named The Giver who enlightens him of the pains and joys that the older world brought. The boy begins to see the beauty of what was once then, and the ugliness of what is now. This book is upper grade level book is extremely thought provoking and a wonderful read for those interested in science fiction. I can see myself using this book to teach kids how there is no such thing as a perfect world. However, with every thunderstorm, there is always a rainbow at the end.

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Tooth by Tooth: Comparing Fangs, Tusks, And Chompers

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Tooth by Tooth: Comparing Fangs, Tusks, And Chompers

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By: Sara Levine
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Books
Read: 10/15/17

This books discusses the anatomy of human teeth and compares it to the teeth structure of other mammals. This book gives fun facts and displays easy-to-understand comparisons of the different kinds of teeth. This book can target readers from K-5 who are interested in dentistry, animals, or both! I can use this book to teach kids the differences and similarities of the anatomy of humans compared to other mammals.

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By: Cece Bell
Genre: Graphic Novel
Award: Newbery Honor
Read: 9/20/17

This book is an amazing read and is a beautiful take on those who may be dealing with deafness. The author loosely depicts her childhood and the things she went through when she received her first hearing aid. At first, she was rejected because she looked “different” from the other kids. She was effected by this social mistreatment, but she didn’t let it stop her from being herself. She soon started to view her hearing aid as a superpower because she felt as if she had “super hearing.” This book is great for teenagers and children who may be dealing with deafness themselves. I could use this book to help develop self-esteem in students and show them that the things that make them seem “different” could turn into something that makes them strong!

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By: Brian P. Cleary
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Read: 10/15/17

This books teaches its reader all about punctuation and how to use it. It uses a train station as the background hub for the many forms of punctuation. This book can be used to teach kids K-5 where they are being introduced to grammar. I can use this book to teach kids the differences and usages of the punctuation they will be exposed to as they progress as readers.

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By: Michael Dahl
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Read: 10/15/17

This books talks about how the word “synonym” is defined as words that have the same meaning. Throughout the book, it discusses the many different synonyms for some of the most common words we use in our vocabulary. This book seems to be aimed at an audience of children from 2nd to 5th grade because this is typically where they are introduced to writing narratives. I can use this book to help students spice up their writing by using synonyms for basic words we see every day. This makes children begin to think outside the box in order to make their writing more descriptive.

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By: Gail Gibbons
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Books
Read: 10/15/17

This book is all about Grizzly Bears. This book discusses their anatomy, what they eat, how they hunt, how they hibernate, and an assortment of other fun facts about the Grizzly. This book is great for 3rd through 7th grade readers. I can use this book to teach a section of biology on bears and about the biome that they live in and how their way of living compares to other mammals.

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By: Jonah and Jeanette Winter
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Read: 10/15/17

This books cleverly discusses the process scientists used back in the early 1940’s to create the atomic bomb. It discusses how the scientists had to operate stealthy and secretly in order to not reveal their plans of the creation of a nuclear bomb. This books is definitely made for middle schoolers because that is when they begin to learn about World War 2 and the race to build the biggest and baddest weapon. I can definitely use this book as the anticipatory set for when starting a course on World War 2.

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Hank Zipzer, The World’s Greatest Underachiever: The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down 

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Hank Zipzer, The World’s Greatest Underachiever: The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down 

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By: Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Genre: Upper-grade Chapter Book
Read: 9/24/17

The famous actor Henry Winkler, formerly known as The Fonz, has a series of books about the life and times of Hank Zipzer who is known for his great underachievements throughout the school. This book details his struggles in getting the lead role as King in the school play, “Anna and the King of Siam.” However, in order to be able to even audition, his father says he must get a B+ on his next Math test! This book is a great read and is filled with humorous jokes that will tickle students from 4th-6th grade. This book can appeal to those students who are interested in theatre and humor. I can see myself using this book to teach students how to create a story using dialogue in Language Arts since that is a concept that this book thrives on.

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By: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Illustrated by: Kadir Nelson
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Award: Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor
Read: 10/15/17

This books add beautiful illustrations to the amazing speech given by Martin Luther King Jr., himself. The “I Have A Dream” speech discusses MLK’s vision of a world where skin color didn’t make you any better or any less than your neighbor. This book can be read to kids of all ages. I can use this book to teach students on the importance to love thy neighbor no matter what differences you may have with them. We must all strive to creat a world where we are all unique, but equal.

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By: Mary Pope Osborne
Genre: Upper-grade Chapter Book
Read: 9/26/17

This book is apart of the Magic Treehouse House chapter book series. It is about our two favorite siblings, Jack and Annie, as they go on a trip and visit the Native American tribe named the Lakota (also named the Sioux). They discover the culture of the Lakota and importance of the Buffalo in this chapter book. This book would be great for upper grade level students in the 4th - 6th grade. I can definitely use this book as a resource in a course on Native Americans. I think it’s sometimes better to reach kids using a fictional story to support real facts and information on a historical group which Osborne does so well!

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By: Cory Doctorow & Jen Wang
Genre: Graphic Novels
Read: 9/22/17

This graphic novel is about a girl named Anda Bridge whose favorite hobby is gaming. Currently, her favorite game of choice is called Coarsegold Online which is a massive-multiplayer role playing game that indulges its consumers in a large fantasy world! Anda spends countless hours into the game due to its engaging story and friendly community. However, not everybody lives by a moral code in Scholar City. Anda comes across a avatar in the game who illegally obtains valuable goods in the game and sells them to wealthy consumers for currency. Anda soon finds out that the person behind the avatar is actually a poor Chinese farmer who is only doing it to provide extra money for his family. Anda is caught in a dilemma of whether or not she should report the gamer and his illegal behaviors or let it continue for the sake of him supporting his family. This book is great for girls who love video games as much as guys do. I feel as if I can use this book to teach kids about some of the social issues we face in today’s world, such as poverty and cultural differences.

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The Time Warp Trio: Sumemr Reading is Killing Me! 

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The Time Warp Trio: Sumemr Reading is Killing Me! 

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By: Jon Scieszka
Genre: Upper-grade Chapter Book
Read: 9/27/17

This book is the seventh book in The Time Warp Troo book series about 3 boys who use a magical book to travel in time! This addition to the series details the squad’s frantic summer when Fred accidentally let’s loose villains from class children’s books! The book is filled with literary allusions and may spark the reader’s interest in opening up a few classic reads. This book is meant for 4th-8th graders due to the fact that they are typically the ones who are familiar of the woes of summer reading. This book is great for those who love reading, those who are into comedy, and those who love an adventure! I can use this book to teach kids of the different literary classics that the world has known and loved for years while giving a humorous twist to engage my students.

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By: Bruce Hale
Genre: Upper-grade Chapter Book
Read: 9/28

The Chet Gecko Mustery series is about a 4th grade gecko who is known as the school’s number one private detective. In this mystery, Emerson Hicky Elementary has a food thief on their hands. The lunch ladies call on no one other than Chet Gecko, the cockroach casserole lover himself, to solve the mystery. However, as he gets deeper into the case, all evidence begins to point back to the gecko. Is Chet being framed? Or could Chet really the food thief? This book is great for 4th-6th graders who love a good mystery book. I can see myself referring kids to this book series in order to teach them how to become problem-solvers which Chet Gecko does on the daily.

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By: James Gelsey
Genre: First Chapter Book
Read: 9/11/17

This book is about our favorite occupants of the Mystery Machine and their eccentric fun-loving dog, Scooby-Doo! This mystery is probably one of the first ones that hits home for Shaggy and Scooby due to their passion for food. When they heard that their favorite pizza place, Louie’s Pizza Parlor, is being haunted by a karate-chopping ninja character, it was only right that they spring into action! This book is targeted to 2nd and 3rd graders and is great for lovers of dogs, mysteries, and delicious foods! I can see myself using this book to teach kids how to use teamwork to solve problems they may come to face.

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By: Shaquille O’ Neal
Status: Hot New Book (2016)
Read: 9/12/17

In this book by basketball legend, Shaquille O’ Neal, he depicts a younger version of himself as he tells a story about trying new things. In this story, Little Shaq is given an art project that he must create a painting. Unfortunately, Shaq has mixed feelings about this project because he doesn’t think his art skills are as good as his basketball skills. However, Little Shaq learns the lesson that you will never know anything if you don’t try! This book is a great read and will interest 1st - 3rd grade readers who love basketball and art. I can see myself reading this book as a tool to teach kids how to take a chance! You know know what you’re good at if you don’t try.

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By: Lauren Myracle
Genre: First Chapter Books
Read: 9/13/17

Ty is a second-grader who is very misunderstood, but is also an extremely huge dreamer who comes up with the craziest of plans! Usually, these plans tend to get him in some crazy predicaments, but it never stops him from dreaming. In this book, Ty goes on a school field trip to the zoo, but accidentally brings home a souvenir: a real penguin! Ty finds himself crafting crazy ways to somehow get this penguin back to it’s mother before he gets in serious trouble with his own mother. This book is considered a First Chaper book and is targeted to kids in 2nd and 3rd grade. This book would be great for those who love humorous books that involve character getting into a lot of mishaps. I can see myself using this book to teach children how to problem-solve.

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The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure 

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The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure 

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By: Doreen Cronin
Genre: First Chapter Book
Read: 9/14/17

This book is a part of a book series about a detective squad of little chickens. Their names are Dirt, Sweetie, Poppy, And Sugar. In this book, the chickens agree to help Tail, a nervous squirrel, to help identify the mysterious new object that he can only describe as “BIG” and “SCARY.” The team must gather up enough courage in order to travel and discover the unknown! The book is great for 1st and 2nd graders. This book will appeal to those who love animals and mysteries. I can see myself using this book to teach kids how to be courageous in anything they do, no matter what the odds are against you.

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By: Deborah Freedman
Genre: Early Picture Book
Status: Hot New Book (2017)
Read: 10/25/17

This book poetically depicts the building of the house. Not only does Freedman describe the different pieces that comes with building a house, she also describes how nature had something to do with it. This book makes you think about all the things that come together to make a house a home. This book is great for K - 5th grade readers. This book would appeal to those who love nature and those who are interested in the origins of things. I can see myself using this book to teach kids how to see the simple beauty in things we may take for granted on the daily.

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By: David Shannon
Genre: Early Picture Book
Read: 10/25/17

This books is about a girl, named Camilla Cream, who loves Lima beans! However, she decides that she doesn’t like Lima beans anymore because nobody at school likes them. One morning, she wakes up with a body full of colorful stripes. How intriguing! Her condition begins to worsen until one day a nice old lady decided to help Camilla by giving her a nice handful of lunar beans. Once she ate the Lima beans, Camilla turned back to normal! This book is great for children in K-5 who try and fit in with the crowd. I can use this book to show kids to be unique! Just because one person doesn’t like something, it doesn’t mean that you can’t like it. Be comfortable in your own skin...even if it’s striped.

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By: Nina Laden
Genre: Early Picture Books
Read: 10/25/17

This book is about a boy who thought that his dog wasn’t cool or fun enough...until one morning. The boy spotted his dog walking from out of a limousine in a full tuxedo! This was out of the ordinary, so the boy decides to follow his dog one night to see where he ventures off to. He comes to find out that his dog is actually an owner of an upscale club for dogs only! A place where dogs can be dogs. This book is great for kids K-5 who have always wondered what their dogs do when they are at school. The story may be a little fabricated due to the fact that dogs cannot get a business license, but it’s still an entertaining story! I could use this book to teach kids how to infer and use their imaginations to think beyond information that is given to them.

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By: Ysaye M. Barnwell
Genre: Early Picture Books
Read: 10/25/17

This book is about a little black girl who describes how there were no mirrors in her Nana’s house. The little girl never knew that her skin was too dark or her nose too flat. She didn’t know hate. She saw the beauty in everything from rubbish in the garbage to the cracks in the wall. Most importantly, she saw he beauty in her Nana’s eyes. This book is beautiful and can teach children to stop seeing things at face value and capture the beauty in literally everything that life has to offer. Even yourself. This books can really be read to children of all ages because of the important message, but it seems as if it was targeted towards K-5.

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By: Derek Munson
Genre: Early Picture Book
Read: 10/24/17

This books is a bout a a boy who REALLY does not like the new kid in town. Jeremy Ross was the one and only enemy on the boy’s list and he had to get rid of him by any means necessary. One day, his father suggests that he can get rid of his enemy only one way: Enemy Pie. The boy thought that the Pie was supposed to be disgusting and filled with the nastiest ingredients. However, once his dad baked the pie...it was just a regular pie! The Enemy Pie turned out to be a Friend Pie! This book was really good to read and it comes with a great message! This book is great for K-5 and anybody who many have an “enemy.” I can use this book to teach kids how to make friends out of those who they may not seem too fond of, at first.

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By: Amanda Noll
Genre: Early Picture Book
Read: 10/24/17

This book is about a boy named Gabe who, unlike other children, can’t go to sleep unless he ya Shi’a monster under his bed! Unfortunately for Ethan, his monster decides to take the night off and go fishing. This leads Ethan to having to hold auditions for a substitute monster! This book will definitely appeal to younger children in K-1 because they most likely can relate to the feeling of having monsters under their bed. I could use this book to teach kids how to be brave by showing them how fearless Ethan was when taking to all the different nasty monsters that he auditioned.

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By: David Wiesner
Genre: Early Picture Book
Award: Caldecott Award (2007)
Read: 10/24/17

Flotsam: the wreckage of a ship or its cargo floating on or washed up by the sea. A blonde-haired blue-eyed boy finds a washed up camera on the shore of the ocean. He quickly searches for the film to get them developed so he could get a chance to look at the previous pictures taken on the washed-up beach treasure. Tag along for the visual journey Wiesner takes us on as we dive deep into the ocean to reveal its many mysteries! This book will definitely catch the eye of those who love marine literature and enjoy exploration! The audience for this book can be kids from Kindergarten all the way to 6th grade!

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By:  Mildred Pitts Walter
Genre: Early Picture Book
Read: 10/24/17

Step-th-hump! Step-th-hump! Step-th-hump! Here comes Andro, the one-legged one-man band! Ty's family and friends won't believe him when he tells them he met a man who can make music with absolutely no instruments at all. Just hand him some household items and he'll be sure to have your whole town moving and grooving! This book will definitely trigger the interest in those who love music and also show kids how to make something unique out of ordinary things.This book will appeal to readers who love music and open up their minds to how to make music with out-of-the-ordinary materials. I can see myself using this book to teach kids the power of music and what it does for a community.

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By: Ezra Jack Keats
Genre: Early Picture Books
Read: 10/24/17

This early children's book travels within the vast imagination of young Louie, a recently adopted child of the neighborhood's so-called "junkman", as he searches for rocket ship parts out of scrap metal and all extraordinary things that space has to offer amongst a land of what the unimaginative call, "junk." This book would most likely enlighten the minds of those curious about space and encourage kids to utilize the full potential of their imagination! This book is great for K - 2nd grade readers. I can see myself using this book to teach kids how to use their imaginations and be creative !

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By: Eve Bunting
Genre: Early Picture Book
Read: 10/24/17

Riots. Looting. Mayhem. The city can be a pretty scary place because of its unpredictability! At least, that is what one boy found out when a fire erupts within his apartment building. The situation gets sticky as they evacuate and forget their cat, Jasmine, in the building as the flames continue to rise. Tensions rise and characters are morally tested as the reader finds their way through the smoky night. This book will for sure interest those who want to take a peek at the urban community lifestyle and witness some of the struggles they may face in their enviornment. This book is great for 1st - 3rd grade readers. I can see myself using this book to teach kids about how important it is to come together as a community during rough times.

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The Berenstain Bears and Baby Makes Five

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The Berenstain Bears and Baby Makes Five

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By: Stan & Jan Berenstain
Genre: Early Picture Books
Read: 8/29/17

We're back in Bear Country with our favorite bear family: the Berenstains! Only this time, there's a new addition to the family. It seems as if everybody is happy about the new baby except for middle bear (ex-youngest). She's the only one who isn't really accepting of the new sibling because now the spotlight has been taken from her! Oh-no! Now, the family must find some way to cope with the new conflict between the youngest bears. This book looks to inform those who may be having trouble coping with a new kid in the family and also satisfy the literary needs of the biggest Berenstain Bears fans. This book is great for K-2nd grade readers.