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Book Award:Schneider Family Book Award
Title: A Friend for Henry
Author: Jenn Bailey
Illustrator: Mika Song
Publisher & Date: Chronicle Book LLC, February 26, 2019
Grade level: Pre K- 3rd
Genre: Fiction
Themes: Friendship, Internal Feelings, Diversity
36 pages

This sweet story is about a boy named Henry. Henry has autism and is looking for a friend at school. Some of the children are too loud, others don't listen. The book goes through his process of Henry trying to find the perfect fit for a friend.

I personally loved this story! I think it had a light but good way of introducing diversity and disabilities to young children. It shows that sometimes it's hard to find friends who are like you whether you have a disability or not. The illustrations really bring out the overall themes in the story, and I think that it would be a great book to include in a classroom. It definitly  would be a great book to use when talking about diversity!

A noticeable comment that I saw on Goodreads was that although the book jacket indicated that Henry was on the autism spectrum the text does not. The comment said that she sees this as a strength for the book and I completely agree. Labeling children does more harm than good, more often than not it only forms negative opinions of them from other children. Looking at some of the lower rated reviews some people commented that the lack of background information on Henry would make children confused and cause inferences. I can see where both ideas are coming from after reading the story.

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Title: The Good Egg
Author: Jory John
Illustrator: Pete Oswald
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publishing Date: February 12,2019
Grade Level: Preschool- 3rd
Genre: Fiction
Artistic Media: Digital
Theme: Accepting yourself and others

Literacy Elements:
This story is about a good egg. The Good Egg is as expected, helpful, follows rules, and is friendly. The rest of the eggs in the carton are the complete opposite. The Good Egg wants to make peace, but stress builds up and he begins to crack!

Personal Response:
I think that this story is a really good way to talk to kids about the importance of balancing self care and accepting others the way they are, rowdy or not. The illustrations in the book are probably my favorite part. They're super engaging and colorful.

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Title: Henry's Freedom Box
Author: Ellen Levine
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 2007
Grade Level: 4th
Genre: Historical Fiction
40 Pages
Theme: Slavery

Literacy Elements:
This story is about a boy growing up in slavery. It's based off of the true story of Henry Brown who mailed himself to freedom. It talks about the harsh conditions of slavery, as well as Henrys dreams of freedom, and the extremes he goes through to be freed.

Personal Response:
I personally think that this story is a great one to listen to in audio book format the way I did. It gives you the chance to put yourself in Henry the main characters shoes, and try to really understand what slaves went through. Ellen Levine does an amazing job going into detail in a way that young children would understand the harshness, but it also isn't too much.

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Author :Derrick Barnes
Title: I am Every Good Thing
Illustrations: Gordon C. James
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Published: 9/1/2020
Pages: 32
Preschool- 2
Genre:  Fiction
Artistic Media: Paintings by Gordon C James
Theme: Celebrating everything you are
Topic: Black Joy/ Self Love

Summary: This story encourages readers that they should celebrate everything that makes them who they are. The book gives lots of different things that might make up a person. It also emphasis that it's okay to fall down or make mistakes, but always to get back up.

Personal Response:
I love the affirmations in this book! I think it is a great story that will show kids that they are loved and valued no matter who they are.

Authors Background: Derrick Barnes has four sons. He grew up as an African American and understands the stereotyping that happens in the world, specially America. He wrote this book for all Black boys to know they are worthy of every good thing. Possible connections for students could be they are African American and have felt this stereotyping or any student who needs a reminder they are worthy of all of these things.

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Title: Counting in Dog Years: Sassy Poems about Math.
Poet: Betsy Franco
Illustrator: Priscilla Tey
Award: The Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children
Published: 10/11/2022
Page number: 40
Grade level: 3-7
Genre: Poetry
Themes: Math, Poetry
Summary: Betsy Franco does an amazing job at making two worlds collide, math and poetry. These two things are often looked at in a negative light in school, but she does a great job making them fun and enjoyable. The illustrations in the story are fun and inviting. It is a great book to have in the classroom because it's an example of how subjects can overlap and benefit from each other.
Type of Poetry: Rhyming
1.) Betsy was raised in Ohio.
2.) Her son is James Franco (in Spiderman).
3.) She is a member of the comedy troupe Suburban Squirrel.
Personal Response: I think this book is a great one to incorporate into a classroom. It's fun and engaging!

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Title: The Crossover
Author: Kwame Alexander
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Published: March 18, 2014
Grade Level: 3-7
Genre: Novel
Pages: 256
Theme: Family, Friendship, Loss

Literacy Elements:
This story is about a boy growing up playing basketball with his Dad. He navigates different feelings about his twin brother getting a girlfriend, leaving him feeling lonely.

Personal Response: I think this book is so fun and engaging to students who love basketball, or any sports. Family is a huge part of the story. When the main character looses his Dad we are shown that this helps him mend his relationship with his brother.

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Title: Lark and the Diamond Caper
Illustrator: Marcus Cutler
Author: Natasha Deen
Publisher: ‎Orca Book Publishers
Published: 9/19/2017
Pages: 96
Grade level: 1-3
Genre: Mystery/Fiction
Theme: Friendship
Summary: A pair of diamond earrings goes missing from a local general store. These two twins are ready to solve the mystery and figure out who took the earrings.

Personal Response: I think this book has a fun way of incorporating diversity into a mystery story. It shows different things minorities deal with regularly, and how they feel about them. Overall, I think this is a great early read for kids starting to read chapter books.

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Author: Richard and Florence Atwater
Illustrator: Robert Lawson
Publisher: Little, Brown Young
Readers
Published: 1938
Grade Level: 3rd- 7th
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 160
Theme: Adventure

Literacy Elements:
Mr. Popper's Penguins is a fun, heartwarming, classic story. The story has a catchy feel due to its score. This gives readers a small glimpse of the silly musicals of that era. Mr. Popper always wanted to see Antartica, and Antartica basically gets sent to him... in penguin form! The story is fun and silly, but also a great reminder that adventure can be found anywhere, maybe not with penguins though!

Personal Response: I loved this story as a kid, and loved it even more as an adult! It's so fun and exciting to see how Mr. Popper navigates getting penguins. All of the different adventures are engaging and fun.

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Title: I Just Ate My Friend
Author: Heidi McKinnon
Illustrator: Heidi McKinnon
Publisher:
‎Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: June, 26, 2018
Artistic Media: Ink, brush, photoshop
Theme: Friendship and Belonging
Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: preschool- 2nd
Pages: 40

Literacy Elements: This fun story is about a monster who eats his friend. He then goes on to search for another friend and really struggles to find somewhere where he belongs. Once he finds a friend he ends up getting eaten by the friend! Silly story, but it's a great way to introduce the idea that not everyone will want to be your friend, and that's totally okay.

Personal Response: I love the pictures throughout the story. I think it gives an idea of how the differences between the monster and other characters were unique and fun. One character didn't want to be friends with the monster because the monster could hurt it (it was so small). The pictures just make it a fun read for young readers!

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Title: The Worrysaurus
Author: Rachel Bright
Illustrator: Chris Chatterton
Publisher: Orchard Books; Illustrated edition
Published: October 6, 2020
Artistic Media: Sketch and Photoshop
Grade Level: Preschool- 1st
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 32
Theme: Worrying

Literacy Elements: This story is about a dinosaur who goes about his days worrying about everything. He worries so much that he doesn't enjoy the moments that he's in! He remembers advice that his mom gave him to help him deal with the butterflies he feels in his stomach, and then he feels way better.
Personal Response: I think this would be a great first day of kindergarten book! Students come in nervous about starting school, and this is a great book to help them deal with their anxiousness. The pictures are fun and engaging, and students would definitely love the story!

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Title: The Rough Patch
Author: Brian Lies
Illustrator: Brian Lies
Publisher: HarperCollins Children Books
Published: August 14, 2018
Grade Level: Preschool-3rd
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 40
Theme: Processing Death/Grief

Literacy Elements: Evan the fox did everything with his dog. One day the unthinkable happened and his dog dies. Evan turns to anger and frustration and ruins his whole garden. Eventually he starts to do better and goes to the fair, where he wins a prize.. another puppy!

Personal Response: I think this book is so good! It's a great way to talk to students about how we all process things differently, especially death. The pictures throughout the book do a great job at expressing the emotions that Evan is feeling at different stages of the grief process.

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Title: Ryan T Higgins
Author & Illustrator: Ryan T. Higgins
Publisher: Disney
Published: September 3rd, 2019
Theme: Teamwork and compassion
Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: 1st-3rd
Pages: 48

Literacy Elements: Bruce the bear doesn't like his neighbors. A huge storm forces all of them to stay in his home. The storm wrecks his house and even though he isn't very friendly to all of the neighbors they all come along side and help him rebuild his house.

Personal Response: I think this book is a great example of showing compassion and love even if people don't return that. It's always important to come alongside and help people, and you never know the difference that you're going to make in their lives!

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Title: The Cats in Krasinski Square
Author: Karen Hesse
Illustrator: Wendy Watson
Grade Level: 3rd-5th
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 32

Literacy Elements: This book is about a young Jewish girl in Poland during World War II. The story connects several universal themes including courage, strength, kindness. The young girl and her sister have the courage to try and get food to people who are behind the wall. They use cats to distract the military dogs, and push food through the cracks in the wall. I think that these connections to universal themes of courage do seem authentic. During war it would be really hard to have the courage to do something like that out of pure kindness for people who are suffering. Not to mention these girls were risking their own imprisonment by helping them!
Personal Response: I think that this book did an okay job at talking about what it would have been like being Jewish during World War Two. I think that it's a fun story of courage, but definitely didn't completely reflect the reality most jewish people were facing during the war. I think I would have liked it more from the perspective inside the wall versus people trying to help from the outside. I think the book was good, but not my favorite.

Effectiveness of Visual Activity: I think that creating a visual is an awesome way to connect to what you're reading. This is a great activity to make sure students aren't just reading quickly over things, but that they are actually understanding what they are reading.

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Title: The Thing about Jellyfish

Author: Ali Benjamin

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Published: September 22, 2015

Grade level: 5th and up

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Theme: death, grief, friendship

Literacy Elements:

This story is about Suzy. Suzy is a middle school girl struggling to fit in. Suzy has one best friend though, sadly her best friend dies. Suzy is convinced that the true tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting.

Personal response: I loved this book! Grief is such a complicated emotion that isn't talked about enough in my opinion.This book gives students something they can relate to in different ways. They might not be able to relate to the grief, but they might relate to the feelings of being left behind by friends and feeling different.

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Title: What a Waste

Author: Jess French

Publisher: ‎DK Children

Published: April 4th, 2019

Grade: Level: 1st- 4th

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 72

Theme: History of garbage

Artistic Media: Illustrations

Literacy Elements:

This book is great informational book for elementary students. It teaches students how our actions have affect on the Earth. The book talks about everything from recycling, pollution, and renewable energy.

Personal Response: I think that this book is so great! It has amazing visuals and facts to teach students about protecting the earth. We often don't realize how harmful we are as humans to the Earth. Teaching young kids to be mindful of their actions will help earth thrive!

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Title: Charlotte's Web

Author: E.B White

Illustrator: Garth Williams

Publisher: Harper and Brothers

Published: October 15, 1952

Theme: friendship and perseverance

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: 4th & 5th

Pages: 192

Literacy Elements: This story is about a pig named Wilbur and his friend Charlotte. Charlotte is a spider who lives in the doorway of his pigpen. Charlotte saves his life by spinning words about him in her web that people see as a miracle, saving his life, and helping him win awards at the county fair.

Personal Response: This story was one of my favorite stories growing up and I still think its a fun easy chapter book for younger readers. This story has a great moral plot about how friendship has immeasurable value. It also has a theme about how everyone must die. Wilbur was afraid to die, Charlotte was not. She focused on her accomplishments instead of what was to come. The book addresses death in a light manner for both children and adults, making it a good read overall.

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Title: Junie B Jones First Grader (at last!)

Author: Babara Park

Illustrator: Denise Brunkus

Publisher: ‎Random House Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition

Published: August 20, 2002

Theme: Accepting Change

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: 1st-3rd

Pages: 96

Literacy Elements: This book is from a series of books following the life of Junie B Jones. This particularly story is about Junie B jones in first grade. She starts the new school year anxious, and then her best friend from kindergarten starts acting off. This causes Junie to immediately think that "first grade is a flop."

Personal Response: This book gives me a sense of nostalgia from reading the Junie B Jones series when I was in early elementary grades. These books are all funny and have great lessons for students. Julie has a larger than life personality that makes all of her experiences fun to experience a long with her. This particular story is a good one for students on the first day of school. The anxious feelings of not knowing if your friends still like you, how you look, how smart you are, and many other things are lightly addressed in the book.

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Title: What Teachers Can't Do

Author: Douglas Wood

Illustrator: Doug Cushman

Publisher: ‎Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; First Edition

Published: June 1st, 2002

Theme: Teachers love for teaching

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Preschool-3rd

Pages: 32

Artistic Media: Colorful Drawings

Literacy Elements: This short story is about what teachers can't do. It goes over all the things they can't do because they are trying their very best to teach students.

Personal Response: This silly story has fun images for students to look at while reading. It also provides students with a small glimpse of how hard teachers work at helping them learn every day.

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Title: Story of the Cell

Author: Ashley Hannah George

Illustrator: Ashley Hannah George

Publisher: Independently published

Published: August 22, 2020

Theme: Cells

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level: 1st-3rd

Pages: 21

Literacy Elements:

This book is an introduction to different organelles. The Story of the Cell is a rhyming book about all the little hard workers within our cells. It's an easy and fun way to introduce basic concepts of microbiology to kids through poems and cute illustrations.

Personal Response: I think this book is a great book to include in a science lesson about cells! Its rhymes are easy to remember and learn the functions of organelles in the cell. I think memorizing fun things like phrases in a book like this one is a great thing to incorporate in any kind of lesson.

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Title: It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Author: Charles M. Shulz

Illustrator: Scott Jeralds

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: October 26, 1959

Theme: Keep the Faith

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool- 3rd

Artistic Media: Traditional hand drawn animation

Literacy Elements: This Halloween story follows the Charlie Brown characters. Linus wants everyone to wait to see the great pumpkin, but no one believes that it is real. Sally however, has a crush on Linus and decides to stay in the pumpkin patch with Linus. The Great Pumpkin never shows up, but Linus tells Charlie Brown that he will wait again next year to see it.

Personal Response: I think that this story has a great message to it. Linus didn't care that he wasn't involving himself in all of the activities that his friends were for Halloween. He was confident in what he wanted to do and stuck with it. Often it is easy to just go along with what everyone else is doing, but it's important for children to know that doing their own thing, and believing what they believe is perfectly fine as well.

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Title: Bad Kitty For President

Author: Nick Bruel

Illustrator: Nick Bruel

Publisher: Scholastic Inc

Published: January 2012

Theme: Humor, Adventure, Government

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: 2-4

Pages: 142

Artistic Media: Drawings

Literacy Elements:

This chapter book is about a cat who is annoyed with the stray cats in his neighborhood so he decides to run for his neighborhood cat presidency. The book follows the American electoral process and has fact pages throughout the book explaining what is happening.

Personal response:

I think this book is a great mid elementary school book! Nick Bruel incorporates humor and facts into his series of Bad Kitty books that most kids would thoroughly enjoy! Some of the facts might go over students heads, but I think using the books to start conversations about the election process would work well!

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Title: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

Authors: William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon

Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers

Published: February 2015

Theme: Perseverance and the power of Knowledge

Genre: Non Fiction Memoir

Grade Level: 3-6

Pages: 32

Artistic Media: Combinations of pencil, ink, and digital techniques

Literacy Elements: This book follows the true story of William Kamkwamba, a young boy from Malawi who builds a windmill to bring electricity to his village. The book has phrases from the Chichewa language, one of the languages spoken in Malawi.

Personal Response: This true story is so captivating and inspiring! The story shows a young boys ability to learn and even teach himself. I think this book definitely shows readers that we are capable of almost anything if we really put our minds to it! It's also a great story to talk about the harshness of natural disasters such as droughts and how they affect peoples every day lives.

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Title: Turkey Trouble

Author: Wendi Silvano

Ilustrator: Lee Harper

Publisher: Two Lions

Published: January 5, 2012

Theme: Problem Solving, Perseverence

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool- 2nd

Artistic Media: Watercolors or digital coloring

Literacy Elements:

This fun story is about a turkey trying to get out of being eaten for Thanksgiving. The turkey tries to disguise himself as every other farm animal throughout the story to escape.

Personal Response:

I think this story is a fun one for early elementary students. Students will be learning about the history of thanksgiving and being thankful throughout the week. This story has a light fun theme to switch things up. I would probably use this story to start a discussion on what different students have for their own Thanksgiving dinner!

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Title: If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

Author: Laura Numeroff

Illustrated: Felicia Bond

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: October 6, 2015

Theme: Cause and Effect

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool- 3rd

Artistic Media: Drawings

Literacy Elements:

This story is about what happened after a little boy gives a cookie to a mouse. Each action the boy takes leads to another request from the mouse.

Personal Response:

This story might be silly, but I know that a classroom full of kindergartners would be excited for every flip of the page! Young students can learn that every action has some sort of reaction with this story as well as everything is connected is small or big ways.

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Title: The Dot

Author: Peter H. Reynolds

Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: September 15, 2003

Theme: Creativity and Self expression

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: 2nd-3rd

Pages: 32

Artistic Media: Watercolor and ink

Literacy Elements:

This story is about a little girl who thinks that she isn't good at art. Her teacher encourages her and shows her that art can be many different things. The girl discovers throughout the book that she has the power to make anything out of even a dot!

Personal Response:

I think this book is a great story to encourage students to embrace their creativity. Students should understand that each person is unique and the things they create are unique to them. It's okay to not be like everyone else!

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Title: The Watcher

Author: Jeanette Winter

Illustrator: Jeanette Winter

Publisher : Beach Lane Books

Published: 2011

Theme: Animal Conservation and the works of Jane Goodall

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level:1st-4th

Pages: 48

Artistic Media: Pencils, Paints, Digital

Literacy Elements:

This book is about the life of Jane Goodall. It follows her passions about watching animals from an early age. The story uses vivid descriptions and dialog to enhance the stories characters.

Personal Response:

I thought that this book was a great educational book to have in a classroom. Students get to learn along side Jane in the story and walk a little in her shoes as she learned about chimpanzees. The story is a great demonstration of patience with learning and science as well. The book records her findings in a fun entertaining way for elementary students.

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Title: Wonder

Author: R.J Palacio

Publisher: Alfred A Knopf

Published: February 2012

Theme: Empathy, Kindness

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Pages: 310

Grade Level: 4-8

Literacy Elements:

This book follows part of the life of a boy named Auggie. Auggie has a facial deformity that affects the way he looks and is able to function. This severely affects his mental health as well as confidence. Despite his appearance he is still a very smart and brave boy. WE see this throughout the different lessons he learns in the book.

Personal Response:

This has always been one of my favorite books. I love how the story is told in the first person and by different characters and friends of Auggie. This story is a great example of how things affect peoples lives. It's a great reminder to be kind to everyone and to never bully people because of their appearance.

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Title: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Author: Shel Silverstein

Illustrator: Shel Silversteen

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Published: November 20, 1974

Theme: imagination, wonder, joys of childhood

Genre: Children's Poetry

Pages:192

Grade Level: 2nd-3rd

Artistic Media: Pen and Ink

Literacy Elements: This book is a collection of poems by Shel Silverstein. The book has different themes that cause students to use their imaginations while enjoying the pictures he drew alongside the poems. Many of the poems in the book rhyme as well.

Personal Response: I love poetry and I think that more people would if they were introduced to it at a young age like I was. I was read a lot of these poems as a young girl and rereading this book as an adult just made me appreciate them even more. The images in Shel Silverstein poems are so vivid and fun to think about at any age.

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Title: The Lighting Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Published: June 28, 2005

Theme: Greek Mythology

Genre: Fantasy

Grade Level: 5-9

Pages: 384

Literacy Elements:

This is the first book of the Percy Jackson series. It follows Percy Jackson as he discovers that he is a Demi-god. He is sent to camp Half-Blood, witch is a safe haven for demigods. He battles monsters, creates new friends, and uncovers many different things about his own identity.

Personal Response:

I thought that this book was a really good read. I learned about Greek mythology while I also was struck up into a really fun adventure. I think this book would be a great recommendation for students interested in Greek mythology, or just want a good adventure book series to read!

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Title: Why Should I Recycle?

Author: Jen Green

Illustrator: Mike Gordon

Publisher: Source books explore

Published: February 1st, 2005

Theme: Recycling

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level: Preschool- 2nd

Pages: 32

Artistic Media: Drawings

Curricular Connection: Environmental Science

Literacy Elements:

This book walks students through the importance of recycling and why we should do it. Students in the book ask the teacher important questions about recycling and they get to go to a recycling center to see all of the things recycled things can create.

Personal Response:

I think that this book would be great to read to students on earth day. In the book one of the students families start recycling after the student comes home and talks about the importance of it! I think it's so important to inspire students to help create a difference in our world by helping keep earth happy and healthy.

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Title: The Color Monster

Author: Anna LLenas

Illustrator: Anna LLenas

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Published: September 4, 2018

Theme: Feelings

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Preschool- 3rd

Pages: 20

Curricular Connection: Mental Health

Artistic Media: Mixed Media (pop up cutouts)

Literacy Elements:

This book follows a little girls "color monster," or in other words all of her feelings. In the beginning of the book all of his colors are all jumbled up and he doesn't understand his feelings. In the book she helps the monster sort his feelings into individual jars. Each page has a pop up representing the different feelings.

Personal Response:

This book was honestly one of my favorite reads so far! If I teach kindergarten or first grade I definitely will have this book in my classroom. The pop ups are a great way for students to really visualize what their feelings might look like and relate them to certain colors. I think it would also be fun to have them all draw their own color monsters and color them with how they are feeling the day we read the story!

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Title: Grumpy Monkey

Author: Suzanne Lang

Illustrated: Max Lang

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Published: September 7, 2021

Theme: Emotions

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool-2nd

Artistic Media: Markers, Drawings

Curricular Connection: Dealing with emotions

Literacy Elements:

This book follows a monkey who is having an off day and doesn't really realize it at first. Everyone else in the jungle definitely recognize that he is a little bit grumpy. Everyone suggests different things that he should do, but all that does is make the monkey more grumpy. Eventually with time, grumpy monkey realizes it's okay to be grumpy and let his feelings process and pass.

Personal Response:

I loved the pictures in this book. The story itself is cute and a great lesson to teach students, but the images really bring the fun out in the story. I like that the story makes it clear that it's okay to feel that way you are feeling, and that it takes time to process those feelings sometimes. On the other side of things, it shows it isn't always the best idea to continually ask people if they're not okay when it's clear that they are having a bad day.

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Title: Broken Crayons Still Color

Author: Toni Collier with Whitney Bak

Illustrator: Natalie Vasiliea

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Published: August 22,2023

Theme: Anxiety, New School

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: First- Third

Pages: 40

Artistic Media: Paintings

Curricular Connection: Mental Health

Literacy Elements:

This book follows a little girl dealing with really intense feelings. Her feelings are so intense she takes it out on her new box of crayons and they break. She starts to cry and then her crayons come alive and start giving her ways to deal with the way she is feeling. She uses these strategies throughout the book.

Personal Response:

I thought this book was really cute. It has a great message and it's a fun that the crayons come to life. I personally liked that the story mentions God and prayer as a way to deal with things. It doesn't force this belief at all, but a lot of students may be coming from homes where this is normal and want to talk about that/ have that as a way of comfort. I want all students to feel accepted and loved in my classroom as well as their beliefs. I wonder if the book would be allowed in a classroom though.

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Title: John Deere That's Who!

Illustrator: Tim Zeltner

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Published: March 28, 2017

Theme: John Deere Biography

Genre: Biography

Grade Level: Kindergarten-3rd

Pages: 40

Artistic Media: Paintings

Curricular Connection: Social Studies

Literacy Elements:

This biography follows the story of John Deere and how he became the man behind the famous green tractors. This book has engaging pictures to show the process he went though in order to create a plow.

Personal Response:

I thought that this was a really fun and informational biography. Many students especially in more rural areas will be familiar with John Deere tractors. Learning about the man behind the tractors is something that would be a fun lesson for students.

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Title: Wilderness Search Dogs

Author: Sara Green

Illustrator: N/A

Publisher: Bellwether Media

Published: 2014

Theme: Search Dogs

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level: 2nd-5th

Pages: 20

Curricular Connection: Science or Geography

Literacy Elements:

This non-fiction book explores the world of search and rescue dogs. It provides information about the skills, training, and important roles these dogs have in finding missing people in wilderness areas. The book uses real life photographs and scenarios to help students understand the topic better.

Personal Response:

I thought this book would be an interesting read for dog lovers. It's super informative and has great pictures and scenarios for students to see how these dogs work. Dogs are really smart animals. This book shows a lot of the science on how animals behaviors can be trained to benefit people.

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Kindergarten *where kindness matters everyday*

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Kindergarten *where kindness matters everyday*

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Title: Kindergarten

Author: Vera Ahiyya

Illustrator: Joey Chou

Publisher: Random House Studio

Published: 6/21/2022

Theme: Kindess

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Curricular Connection: Classroom Expectations

Literacy Elements:

This book is written by a kindergarten teacher out of Boston. She is all about showing diversity in her books and giving teachers and students helpful things in a classroom. This is apparent in the images she has the illustrator portray in her story. The book follows a little boy names Leo who is nervous about school. On the first day the teacher has students make a kindness pledge to make their kindergarten classroom a KINDergarten!

Personal Response:

I think this book is a great book for kindergarten. After reading this book to students I would probably do the activity that the teacher in the book does. Making a kindness pledge is a great idea to keep a classroom happy and functioning!

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Title: Class Goldfish

Author: Ryan T. Higgins

Illustrator: Ryan T. Higgins

Publisher: Disney

Published: March 28, 2023

Theme: Responsibility

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Preschool- 2nd

Pages: 48

Artistic Media:

Curricular Connection: Responsibility

Literacy Elements:

This Penelope Rex book is about Penelope taking the class goldfish home. Penelope is very scared of the class goldfish, and then she ends up loosing it the first night! After a stressful time trying to find the goldfish she finds it. Penelope demonstrates responsibility and even ends up really liking having the goldfish! To her shock at the end of the book her parents thought she did such an amazing job they bought Penelope her own pet!

Personal Response:

I love the Penelope Rex books. I think the pictures are so fun for students and the lessons Penelope learns in them are lessons all students will probably learn at some point or another.

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Title: Hope For the Elephants

Author: Patricia J. Murphy

Publisher: DK Publishing

Published: December 5, 2014

Theme: Elephants

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level: 2nd-4th

Pages: 45

Curricular Connection: Science

Literacy Elements:

This informational book on elephants has descriptive language and engaging storytelling. The book follows David to Asia and Africa to study elephants with his grandma. The book is full of facts about elephants and their environment.

Personal Response: I think this is a great read for students who are branching out on reading on their own. It could even be read out loud if a teacher really wanted too. Students definitely will learn fun information about elephants when they read this book.

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Title: Ducks away

Author: Mem Fox

Illustrator: Judy Horacek

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published: 2016

Theme: Problem Solving

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Preschool - Kindergarten

Pages: 28

Curricular Connection: Math

Literacy Elements:

This short story follows a mother duck whose ducklings keep falling into the river below her. She has to problem solve and figure out what to do! This book has bright colors and fun images to go along with the actions happening in the book.

Personal Response: I think this book could be a great book to get interactive with kindergarteners. When a duck falls off the bridge students should be able to realize that the action is subtraction. If I were reading this out loud I would continually ask students how many ducks the mother duck has now and why.

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Title: Again

Author: Emily Gravett

Illustrator: Emily Gravett

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Published: 2011

Theme: Patience

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Preschool-3rd

Literacy Elements:

This book is a book within a book. It follows a little dinosaur who wants to read his favorite book again and again. The book has his mom read the book to him, and each time she finishes he says, " again." At the end of the book his mom falls asleep and he gets angry resulting in the pages of the book being burnt!

Personal Response:

This definitely wasn't my favorite of books I've read. The burnt pages at the end of the book I think would make students laugh, but I didn't really like the way the book was written. I felt like it's theme wasn't very obvious and that students would probably get really bored with the story. The pictures are fun though.

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Title: That is Not a Good Idea

Author: Mo Williams

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2013

Theme: Story Telling

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: 2nd-3rd

Pages: 48

Artistic Media: pencil and watercolor

Curricular Connection: Story Telling

Literacy Elements:

This book is about a fox taking a duck to his house. The whole book is foreshadowing that the duck is going to get eaten, and that it is a horrible idea for the duck to follow the fox. At the end we find out the duck was two steps ahead of the fox and that the little ducklings were trying to tell him it was a bad idea and not the duck.

Personal Response:

I really liked this book because even though you thought it was going to be predictable, your predictions when reading it are most likely wrong! Books like that almost have a jump scare affect that most students will think are hilarious. This book might not have any big curricular connections but it's definitely a fun read for students.

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Title: Maddi's Fridge

Author: Lois Brandt

Illustrator: Vin Vogel

Publisher: Flashlight Press

Published: 2014

Theme: Friendship, Helping Others

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: Second-Third

Pages: 32

Curricular Connection: Social Issues, Empathy, Friendship, understanding perspectives, kindness, compassion.

Literacy Elements:

This book is about two friends Sofia and Maddie. Sofia discovers that her friend Maddi's fridge is empty. Sofia wants to help but she isn't sure what to do. The book explores friendship, empathy, and the importance of addressing childhood hunger.

Personal Response:

I think that this book is genuinely so amazing. It is lightly written with a really important message. So many kids struggle and don't tell anyone. I think this book is great and it shows that it's okay to tell a trusted adult if you know someone else is struggling with something, in fact that's the best thing you could do for your friend! This is a book I definitely want for my future classroom.

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Title: When Stars Are Scattered

Author: Victoria Jamieson

Illustrator: Omar Mohamed

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

Published: April 14, 2020

Theme: Resilience, hope, power of family bonds

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 4-8

Pages: 264

Curricular Connection: Awareness of real life challenges faced by refugees

Literacy Elements:

This graphic novel tells the true story of two Somali brothers, Omar and Hassan, as they navigate life in a refugee camp. The boys struggle through scarcity of resources, uncertainty of their future, and longing for their family and homeland. Hassan also relies on a wheelchair because he is unable to walk.

Personal Response:

I think that this book is a great demonstration of resilience and perseverance in several different ways. The boys not only are living on a refugee camp, but Hassan also has a disability. This book is very inclusive, and brings awareness to struggles that other people are facing all over the world every day.

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Title: The Boy Who Loved Math

Author: Deborah Helligman

Illustrator: LeUyen Pham

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Published: 2013

Theme: Determination and Innovation

Genre: Biography

Grade Level: Second and Third Grade

Pages: 37

Curricular Connection: Math

Literacy Elements:

This book is the biography of the mathematician Paul Erdos. It follows his life from a young boy who loved numbers and math. The book shows his unique approach to solving problems and how he collaborates with other mathematicians. This book has great vibrant illustrations and engaging storytelling.

Personal Response:

I think that this book is a great book for students! It shows how a boys determination helped him be able to become a great mathematician. While most students probably won't become mathematicians, the important lesson from this story is to be determined when chasing after goals. I think the book is also really great because a lot of students have the mindset that they won't ever be good at a topic like math. This story is a great reminder that anyone can accomplish anything at any age.

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Title: Volcanoes

Author: Seymour Simon

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers

Published: October 2, 2006

Theme: Volcanoes

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level: 3-6

Pages:32

Curricular Connection: Science

Artistic Media: Digital Camera Photos

Literacy Elements:

This nonfiction book uses descriptive language and informative text to get it's main points across. The book is meant to be both informative as well as entertaining. It talks about how volcanoes are formed, their different types, and what happens during volcanic eruptions.

Personal Response:

This book is filled with great facts and information about volcanoes. It would pair well with a science lesson about volcanoes. I think that this topic is one students should be pretty excited and entertained by so the book would most likely be very interesting for them!

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Title: No David!

Author: David Shannon

Illustrator: David Shannon

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Published: 1998

Theme: Staying out of trouble

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Kindergarten- First

Pages:32

Curricular Connection: Behavior, Following Rules, Making Good Choices

Literacy Elements:

This book follows a young boy who likes to make not great choices. The book has repetitive phrases to help with reading fluency, and simple vocabulary. The book also has great illustrations to help students follow what David is up to in the book.

Personal Response:

This book is such a classic! I remember reading it as a kid and loving it and can't wait to have it in my future classroom if I teach kindergarten or first grade! The story is predictable and silly, but a great story for teachers to talk about class expectations, reinforce behaviors, and how to make better choices!

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Title: Sneezy the Snowman

Author: Maureen Writght

Illustrator: Stephen Gilpin

Publisher: Two Lions

Published: September 24, 2012

Theme: Problem Solving

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Kindergarten-First

Pages: 32

Curricular connection: Winter, Weather, Why snow melts

Artistic Media: Drawings/ Painting

Literacy Elements:

This silly story follows a snowman who can't get warm without melting! He tries hot chocolate, a hot tub, and other things, but each time he melts and has to be remade. The kids in the story keep offering him clothes to warm up, and eventually he gets to warm from that too! The end of the book they find a solution to the problem!

Personal Response:

I think this book would be a really fun read to a class of young minds. It's silly and fun, but could also be used to talk about the simple science behind why snow melts. I loved the illustrations, and the repetitiveness in the plot. It's easy to understand, and visually very appealing.

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Title: Animals in Winter

Author: Henrietta Bancroft

Illustrator: Helen K. Davie

Publisher: Harper Collings

Published: December 1, 1996

Theme: Animal Adaption

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level: 2nd-3rd

Pages: 32

Curricular Connection: Science

Literacy Elements:

This book follows the lives of several different animals as the seasons change from fall to winter. The book is rich in new vocabulary for students and great information regarding the science of how animals survive long, cold winters.

Personal Response:

I think that this is a great educational book for students! It has vivid images to go along with the information presented in the book. I love at the end of the book it gives suggestions on how to help animals in winter so they can find food. This gives students something they can go home and possibly do and feel like they are helping animals survive during winter time.

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Title: Our World Is A Family

Author: Mary Whitehill and Jennifer Jackson

Illustrator: Nomar Perez

Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers

Published: 2022

Theme: Diversity

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level: Preschool-First

Pages: 32

Curricular Connection: Inclusion/ Diversity/ Different Cultures

Literacy Elements:

This book talks about how people from all over the world live in different situations. Sometimes the situations people are in are dangerous and cause them to have to leave their homes. The book gives suggestions to students on how they should treat new people in their neighborhood and make them feel included and loved in their new home.

Personal Response:

I think this book is a great example of inclusion and diversity. It shows students that people from all over the world have different experiences, speak different languages, and have different struggles. There is so much hate in this world right now and this book shows that simple acts of kindness do a great job at spreading love. Students should understand that it's important to accept everyone and d their best to show kindness.

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Title: Smarts!

Author: Thomas Armstrong

Illustrator: Tim Palin

Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing

Published: November 5th 2019

Theme: Everyone is smart in their own way

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade Level: Kindergarten- 4th

Pages: 44

Curricular Connection : Self confidence

Literacy Elements:

This book talks about how everyone is smart in their own ways. This might look like being good at music, sports, art, or so many different things. The book is a great reminder that it's okay to not be as good as someone else is at something.

Personal Response:

Comparison is the thief of joy! It's something that I know all students will struggle with at some point in their education, but I want to do my best as an educator to remind them daily that they are all so smart and capable! I think this book does an amazing job at showing all different areas that students might be smart in! Making mistakes is a normal part of growth and learning from it is the best thing you can do as the book says!