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Curtis, P.C.. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham. New York: Laurel-Leaf

The Watson family’s road trip takes them from Flint, MI to Birmingham, AL  where they find themselves within sight of the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.  Find out how the strong bonds of love and family help the Watsons get through this terrible tragedy.  Teachers will find that this story is an excellent way to introduce students to a complicated time in U.S. History.   The characters stand out in this novel and the author does an amazing job of creating very distinct personalities that each  brings their own special charisma to the story.  I think this is an excellent book; some parts sad, some parts laugh out loud funny, and always engrossing.

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Krosoczka, J.J. (2009). Lunch lady and the cyborg substitute. New York: Alfred A. Knopf

When a teacher misses a day of school for the first time in twenty years, the lunch lady at the school cafeteria knows something is up. Read this hilarious graphic novel to find out what happens when some suspicious behavior is noticed by the watchful Lunch Lady!  This graphic novel is perfect for English Learners to practice reading in English.  In this book, the students are trying to investigate the supposedly boring life of a cafeteria lady but the Lunch Lady is involved in her own investigations! This is a fun story. It was an enjoyable and fast read, and the comic book style may make it more appealing to reluctant readers.

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Creech, S. (2001). Love that dog. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Love that Dog gives us peek inside Miss Stretchberry’s class as the students are learning about poetry.  Written as a series of journal entries, we follow one student’s discovery of just how powerful and meaningful poetry can be.  With references to many well-known poems, this book is perfect for teaching a poetry unit.  The most notable characteristic of the book is its style.  The story is told from the perspective of the main character, Jack.  Jack brings the story to life as he dialogues with his teacher about poetry and composes poetry of his own.  The reader must infer from Jack’s journal what his teacher may have said or the poem the class was introduced to.  This is an outstanding book and I have used it to teach poetry to third and fourth graders but it can be used with any grade level.

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Willems, M. (2010). We are in a book. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children

Mo Willems illustrates a cute story in this Geisel Honor book about an elephant and a pig that discover that they are being read in a book.  Share the fun of Piggy and Gerald with students in a class read-aloud.  The illustrations in this picture book for beginning readers are great with speech bubbles to show dialogue.   I think this is a really cute and fun book.  The characters are likable and I like the idea that the characters in a book can see the reader.  Beginning readers will have lots of fun reading this book.

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Klassen, J. (2011). I want my hat back. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press

This is a hilarious tale about a bear longing for missing his hat. The reader can’t help but enjoy the bear’s quest in search of his missing hat. Read this simple but amusing story aloud to teach making predictions or inferences.

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Pinkney, J. (2009). The lion and the mouse. New York: Little, Brown and Company

Jerry Pinkney brings to life one of Aesop’s most well-known fables in this beautiful wordless picture book.  Through the stunning illustrations, readers of all ages will learn the timeless lesson of the importance of helping others.  This book reminds us that even the smallest of creatures can make the biggest difference.

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Underwood, D. (2010). The quiet book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

This is a simple and sweet book about some occasions when quiet may be the best response.

I plan to use this as a read aloud to give students a gentle reminder that in school, there are occasions when quiet will be the best response.

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Dean, J. (2016). Pete the cat: scuba-cat. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Pete the Cat is going on a scuba diving adventure and is excited that he might see a seahorse.

Join him as he meets with several sea creatures while searching for the elusive seahorse.

This is a fun read aloud for teaching habitats and animals.  It can also be used with a Venn Diagram to teach similarities and differences.

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Janeczko, P. (2005). A poke in the i.  Somerville: Candlewick Press

Beginning with the homonym in the title, A Poke in the I, this collection of entertaining concrete poems is creative and engaging.  Students of any age will discover that with a little imagination they too can create visually captivating and fun poetry.  I always enjoy teaching poetry and I’ve found that concrete poetry is a great hook.

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Chick, B. (2010). The secret zoo. New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books

Shortly after observing animals who had escaped from the zoo, Megan disappears.  Her brother Noah with friends Ella and Richie are convinced her disappearance has something to do with what she had seen.  They begin an adventure to rescue Megan that takes them wondrous worlds built by machines and magic.  The Secret Zoo, which is the first in a six book series, is perfect for a novel study in the upper elementary grades.

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Blood on the River:          James Town 1607'

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Blood on the River:          James Town 1607'

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Carbone, E. (2006). Blood on the river: James Town 1607. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Told from the perspective of Samuel Collier, the settlement of the James Town colony becomes a personal and engrossing story that provides context for rote facts.  A novel study with this realistic fiction text would be great way to teach both content and ELA standards.

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Barnhill, K. (2016). The girl who drank the moon. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Young Readers

The 2017 Newbery Medal; The New York Times Bestseller;  An Amazon Top 20 Best Book of 2016; A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016; A School Library Journal Best Book of 2016. These are just a few of the awards this book has won, and it absolutely merits each of them.  A witch, a dragon, abandoned babies, and moonlight makes for a magical story about love and family.  It is a wonderful book to recommend to students for the simple joy of reading.

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Spinner, S. (2014). Who was Clara Barton? New York: Grosset and Dunlap

The “Who was” books are great for teaching biography as well as content.  Who was Clara Barton? opens with Clara nursing her sick brother back to health.  It gives an overview of her childhood and highlights many of her contributions to humanitarian causes.

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Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: American Revolution

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Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: American Revolution

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Osborne, M. (2004). American Revolution: a nonfiction companion to Magic Tree House #22: Revolutionary War on Wednesday. New York: Random House

This book gives a very kid friendly overview of why people decided to settle in the American colonies and what life was like once they arrived.  It reads like a textbook, covering topics such as the physical geography of the colonies, houses, and jobs in the colonies, as well as the events of the Revolutionary War itself.  This is a great reference resource for 5th grade students.