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Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems 

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Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems 

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A bus driver has to go somewhere, leaving his bus unattended. He asks the reader to not let the pigeon drive the bus. The persuasive pigeon spends the entirety of the book convincing the reader to let him drive the bus. This book highlights the theme of responsibility. The reader is responsible for watching the bus driver's bus and making sure the pigeon does not drive it. With responsibility comes consequences. One must learn to hold themselves accountable and deal with the consequences when their responsibility fails.

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Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants by Barbara Park

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Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants by Barbara Park

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Junie B’s dad doesn't let her stay up late and finish her school work. When the teacher asks the class to get out their work, Junie B copies another student, May’s, work. The teacher sends a note home and Junie B gets in trouble for cheating. Later in the book Junie B and her friend, Herb, cheat on the spelling test but then feel guilty and tell their parents what they did. Once again they get mad. This book has a great lesson about the consequences of cheating and lying which I think is important to install in children at an early age.

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This book is about a young boy, David, who is constantly told “no” or “not in the house” by his mother. He is always breaking the rules and portraying poor behavior. As a result of always being told no, David feels as though he isn't good enough for his mom. This causes him to feel sad and unworthy until the end of the book when his mother consoles him and finally says “Yes, David, I love you”. The main purpose of this story is to teach children about proper behavior and discipline. Not only does the book teach children about behavior and consequences, but it teaches the parents who may be reading the book to their child about ways to discipline rather than just saying no.

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The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop and Jean De la Fontaine

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The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop and Jean De la Fontaine

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A lion is resting in the jungle when a mouse accidentally steps on his paw. The lion awakes to find the mouse standing before him. The mouse is terrified that the lion is going to kill him so he begs the lion to let him go. He promises him that he will repay him one day if he is set free. The lion agrees to let him go. Later, the mouse is in the jungle when he hears a familiar roar of the lion. He follows the sound and finds the lion trapped in a net. The mouse begins gnawing at the rope to eventually set the lion free. This shares an important theme about keeping one's word and returning favors. Being an honest and trustworthy person is a good trait to have in life and is taught so wonderfully through this piece of children's literature.

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Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

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Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

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It tells the story of two boys who live in America and India, who write to each other from across the world. They describe where they live,  how they get to school, and about their families. The point of the story is to show that two peoples lives can be very different from one another but same in a sense that they both share commonalities such as bussing to school. This book teaches kids the value in learning about other people's cultures and ways of life because the world is far larger than the town you live in. It is also important to be appreciative of everything you have because there are many people around the world who would kill to be in your shoes.

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Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin 

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Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin 

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The farm cows come across a typewriter which they learn to use and begin demanding things such as heated blankets from their farmer. The farmer does not agree with their request which leads to the farm animals going on strike.  Since the farmer can’t run a farm with animals on strike, he decided to negotiate with the cows. Once they settled that dispute the ducks get a hold of the typewriter and begin making requests as well. This book portrays a meaningful theme about standing up for yourself and the value of compromise. It also highlights the ungratefulness of the cows. They were never satisfied with what they had. Children must learn to be grateful for every little thing they have.

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A Bad Case of Stripes is about a young girl, Camilla, who just wants to fit in with the other kids her age. She believes her friends will judge her for eating lima beans so she stays far away from them, but then she begins to develop an unknown illness of “stripes”. This illness begins to expand and Camilla experiences more than just striped skin. As doctors fail to diagnose Camilla, she begins to get worse and eventually morphs into the walls of her room. It is not until an old woman comes along with just what Camilla needs to return to her normal self. We see a meaningful theme about staying true to oneself and not changing to be better fit to society's norms. When Camilla decides to keep her integrity and eat the lima beans because she enjoys them, her stripes disappear. This is a very relatable theme that I believe will resonate with a lot of young readers, therefore making it an important part of children's literature. This book is in my Top 5 because the theme really stuck with me when I first read it. I oftentimes found myself changing to be better fit to society which caused a great deal of stress and anxiety. It is refreshing to see these common themes being portrayed in children's literature.

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo 

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo 

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This book tells the story of a rabbit who is made of china's journey from one owner to the next and all the crazy things that happen in between. In the beginning of the book, Edward is owned by a young girl who absolutely adores him. She places him at the dinner table with her, she tucks him into bed each night, and she dresses him in the finest outfits. However, Edward is not appreciative of any of it and is rather annoyed by her. A vacation gone wrong leads to the separation of Edward and this young girl. Edward ends up in the hands of another owner and is once again ungrateful for their caring actions. After Edward is separated from each owner he realizes his time with them wasn’t so bad and wishes to be back in their arms. In the end Edwards journey comes full circle as he ends up in the hands of a familiar face. Edward fails to realize all of the love he is given until it's gone. However, with time he slowly learns to be grateful for what he has which creates a wonderful theme for this children’s book. It is important to teach children to be grateful and appreciative for what they have, which is why I believe this book is an important piece of children’s literature.

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This Dr. Seuss classic is a poem that has a great message about the importance of seizing new opportunities, keeping an open mind and trying new things. It is a different style than most of the other books in the padlet, however, it has a wonderful theme about the journey of life and being grateful for each and every moment. This book is in my Top 5 because I love that it was intended as a graduation speech for young adults ready to take on the world. Not only is it perfect for young adults, but children too who have a a bright future ahead of them. We must e grateful for the small moments in life that make up our story.

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The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes 

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The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes 

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This book is about a 7 year old boy, Billy, who's about to enter the second grade. Before the end of summer Billy has a slight accident resulting in a bump on his head. Despite his fall, Billy remains excited for the second grade. That is until he overhears his mom expressing her concerns for billy. She says she's worried he may experience consequences later in life from the fall, and of course this worries Billy, making him scared to go back to school. Regardless of his worries, Billy has a good time at school. Throughout the book Billy begins to form stronger bonds with his mom, dad and sister through school projects he is assigned. The main idea of the book is growing up and learning to appreciate the people you have in your life.

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Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park 

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Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park 

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One day when Junie B Jones gets on the bus she asks another young girl if she can sit with her. The girl says no, causing Junie B to feel all kinds of emotions. She worries all day about riding the bus home and decides to instead hideout in the school in fear that the kids on the bus will do mean things to her. Excuse after excuse, Junie B avoids taking the bus until she realizes all her new friends will also be taking the bus. She even goes as far as calling 911. When her mother plans for her to sit with a friend, Grace, on the bus, all her worries disappear. This is a comedic story that teaches children to keep an open mind about things. Junie B decided after one bus ride that she hated it, but she really just needed to give it a second chance. Not only does the story have a great message, portrayed through the theme, but creative journal entries to make the reading engaging for young readers.

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This is about a good egg who is surrounded by naughty eggs who don't listen and break the rules. The good egg tries everyday to get them to do what they're supposed to but they never listen and the good eggs shell begins to crack because he was so overwhelmed with trying to control everyone else. He knows he cannot do it any longer so he decides to leave. After leaving he does things he enjoys like reading, floating in the river, writing in his journal, etc. His shell begins to fix itself and he decides to return to his fellow eggs because he is lonely. But he promised himself that he would be good to the other eggs while also being good to himself. This lesson is so important. You cannot tend to other people's needs if you are not tending to your own. It's like the saying, “you can’t pour from an empty glass”. I think that's so important for children to understand at a young age because it's fairly easy to forget to take care of yourself. This book is in my Top 5 because my mom always taught me the importance of self-care and making sure you are okay before you go out of your way to check on others.

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This book is about a lighthouse that was “built to last forever”. The story focuses on the last keeper of the lighthouse before it is modernized. The lighthouse has remained a constant as the world around it is changing. The keeper is isolated from life but interacts when shipments of letters, supplies and people come through. The story switches from the perspective of the keepers daily thoughts to his log that he's kept over the years. It contains many important events from his past. As I said the world is changing but the lighthouse remains the same. Eventually it becomes time for the keeper to retire and the lighthouse to grow, so the keeper moves away to the mainland, however he can still see the light of the lighthouse. This book embodies the themes relating to loneliness, the cirlce of life, and hard work. At times the lighthouse keeper felt lonely, having little interaction with people, but he found comfort in his work and remained grateful for this long-lasting job.

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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

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The story of a mouse who is given a cookie is about perseverance and self-reliance. Once the mouse is given a cookie he begins to have many needs which are all adhered to by the young boy. The mouse becomes reliant on the boy to answer these many needs. This book is important in children's literature because it teaches them about the importance of being independent and how it can be harmful to be reliant on one person. However it also teaches children the idea of persistence in order to get what you want. This book has multiple messages that are all important in children’s literature.

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The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires 

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The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires 

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A young girl who is determined to create the most magnificent things goes to work with her assistant dog.  Despite her determination she is constantly unsatisfied with her creations. She feels frustrated because things aren’t going as perfectly as she would like. However, she doesn't give up and eventually creates the most magnificent thing. The theme of this story is perseverance. Despite the many challenges we will come across in life, we must push forward and do our best. This is an amazing lesson for young children as it teaches them the significance of determination and the importance of never giving up. This book is in my Top 5; although it has a cliche theme of never giving up, I truly believe it is important to understand that failure is inevitable and we must move forward despite it.

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This book takes place in the late 1960’s during the Vietnam war. This book is about a young boy, Holling, who's in the seventh grade and believes his teacher Mrs. Baker hates him. Holling experiences the expected embarrassment of the seventh grade but also finds himself constantly being picked on. Not only does he get picked on by his peers but his teacher makes him read Shakespeare on Wednesdays while all the other students partake in religious classes. Although Holling is not a fan of the readings, he finds himself learning a lot from them. Holling experiences embarrassment, betrayal and hatred throughout his time in the seventh grade, but it isn't all so bad. As the year comes to an end Holling finds himself to be pretty fond of Mrs. Baker as he spends more time with her. He ends the year on a good note and looks forward to the future and its uncertainty. This is a coming of age book where a young boy discovers his interests.

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Sam-I-am is attempting to get the narrator to try green eggs and ham. Through a great deal of rhyming, he offers different places to eat the food as well and different people to eat the food with. In the end Sam-I-am is successful in getting the narrator to try this unique food and they end up loving it. He is very persistent in telling the reader to try this concoction and ends up with success. Being persistent is key when persuading somebody; a great lesson to teach children in school as persuasive assignments will become common.

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The Smart Cookie by Jory John and Pete Oswald

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The Smart Cookie by Jory John and Pete Oswald

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This book is about a smart cookie who did not always feel smart. In the beginning he is shy and fears sharing his ideas with the others at the bakery school. He did not have the answers for everything in school, but felt as though he needed to. He ensured the reader that he cares about school but sometimes gets distracted and messes up. One day his teacher assigns homework to create something original and share it with the class. After lots of thinking the smart cookie decides to write a poem, but then fears sharing it with the class after seeing all his classmates' creations. Despite this fear, he perseveres and begins to read his poem to the class. As their laughs grow louder his confidence grows stronger. The smart cookie is filled with joy knowing he did a good job in class. The smart cookie realized that not everyone is perfect at everything and not everyone has all the answers. Everyone is unique and portrays strengths in different topics. It is important for children to understand that making mistakes and being wrong is how they are going to learn and grow. The Smart Cookie is one of my Top 5 because its theme really resonated with me as I was always a shy student who feared being wrong. School plays a large role in children's lives and understanding that it is okay to be wrong at an early stage is very important.