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"The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus"

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"The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus"

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By: Jen Bryant
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“Words, Peter learned, were powerful things.” This book chronicles the life and times of a young Peter Roget and his love for words. He constantly made lists as a way to cope. Peter faced some hard times, including the death of his father at a young age. His love for words and obsession with writing those alternatives down in list form spawned one of the most important resources that we have access to today. The way that the words and illustrations in this book are presented in such an artistic fashion makes the book that much more enjoyable!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 5-8
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Teaching Points:
-Vocabulary
-Language

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By: Diane Lang
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This is such a fun and cute book! It is presented as a rhyming poem, and breaks down classifications of animals in the process. I love how detailed the animal illustrations are, and the inclusiveness of the animal world. On the page with the humans, regarding our role as mammals, there are many different family types and people represented, which I also appreciated. This is a great read for introducing animals and their classifications to students!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-3
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Teaching Points:
-Animals
-Animal Classes

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“Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11”

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“Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11”

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By: Julie Gassman
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This book is a chilling recounting of a dark day in American History – 9/11. All modes of transportation were shut down in order to take precautions against further casualties in case of further attacks. The only way out of Manhattan was by water. People loaded boats, not caring the destination. Rescue workers arrived by boat, hoping to help in the midst of the wreckage. This is a great introductory book for students just learning about the attacks. The simplistic illustrations give an appropriate depiction of the events of the day and the impact the attacks had on a city and a nation.

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 3-8
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Teaching Points:
-History
-Heroism

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By: Jennifer Roy
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Irena Sandler was a social worker and nurse in Warsaw, Poland during the rise of the Nazi party. When they came into full power, she saw the way that things changed, and the horrible things that were happening to Jews and Nazi opposers. As a young girl, she was taught by her father that the only thing that truly mattered about people is whether they are good or bad. She could not stand by and watch good people be treated this way. She decided, with the organization and help of her friends and neighbors, to start smuggling children from the ghettos, teaching them how to pass as Catholics. She gave them new names, and wrote those along with their Jewish names and where they were sent, on pieces of paper. These papers were put into jars and buried under trees for safe keeping. She was eventually arrested and tortured, but she never divulged the names of any of the children she helped. This story is an emotionally charged read that captures the essence of a truly dark time in history. It also serves as a reminder that even a single person can make a big change.

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 4-8
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Teaching Points:
-Holocaust
-WWII
-Hope
-Perseverance
-Bravery

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“For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story”

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“For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story”

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By: Rebecca Langston-George
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The story of Malala is certainly an inspirational tale that all children should hear. It captivates the importance of education and the rights we should all have to attend school and be educated. This book takes a very close look at the fight that Malala and her father stood up against in pursuit of education for girls in Pakistan. The Taliban threatened them, and attempted to intimidate them into silence and submission. They even sent threatening messages to the father to close his school, because he refused to stop educating girls. Malala did not cower in fear. Under a pen name, she dictated a blog over the phone to a BBC reporter about what it felt like to be a girl who was denied the rights to education. Eventually, she and her family were forced to evacuate. A short while after they were able to return home, Malala was shot on her way to school. She underwent numerous procedures, and was transferred to two different hospitals before she was fully recovered, and able to deliver another speech before the United Nations. This harrowing tale is a must read for students that can show them how strong one voice can be and how precious education truly is.

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 3-6
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Teaching Points:
-Equality
-Women's Rights/History
-Strength in Adversity

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By: Seth Fishman
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This is a book with a LOT of numbers! It starts by talking about the sun being a very big star. It then delves into the number of stars, planets, people on earth, etc. Meyers takes us on a front row seat in a literary tour of the world, showing us just how magical all of the numbers are in comparison to one another. The author uses lots of numbers and facts associated with them to convey just how vast and expansive the universe is! It is packed with fun facts, cute pictures, and a great look into the expanse of our universe!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-5
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Teaching Points:
-Outer Space
-Numbers
-Comparisons

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By: Melissa Stewart
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This is a fun book about the sounds that animals make! The pervading theme throughout the book is “Can an aardvark bark?” In the quest to find the answer, we meet all sorts of animals, like a male barking tree frog, a whining porcupine, a capybara, and more! This is a whimsically entertaining and also informative book about the sounds that animals make.

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: Preschool-1
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Teaching Points:
-Animals

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"Book of Bones: 10 Record Breaking Animals"

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"Book of Bones: 10 Record Breaking Animals"

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By: Gabrielle Balkan
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“Guess who has the heaviest bones?”

This book is presented in the format of a question followed by a series of facts. It’s like a guessing game! The bones of the animal in question are laid out, and then the fully illustrated version of the animal is presented on the next page! The focus is on 10 animals with record-breaking bone structures! For those readers looking for a fun book with fast facts they can share on the fly, look no further than this treasure!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-5
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Teaching Points:
-Science
-Histroy

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"Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles"

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"Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles"

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By: Patricia Valdez
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Joan Procter was the first female curator of the Reptile House at the London Zoo! This book chronicles the life of this lizard loving lady, and how she came to be in that glorious position. She loved reptiles so much, that she got a crocodile for her sixteenth birthday! Joan sought out the curator of reptiles and fish at the Natural History Museum. He mentored her, and asked her to take over his position upon his retirement. This book shows readers about the beauty in pursuing your passions, no matter what they may look like!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-5
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Teaching Points:
-Science/Reptiles
-Women's History

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"Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Protest of a Song"

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"Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Protest of a Song"

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By: Gary Golio
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This book channels the song that caused a nation to writhe in itself, to sit tall and pay attention. Billie Holiday was a musical voice to be rivaled. The book begins by chronicling her journey into entertainment – an industry where white artists were the dominant presence. Her song, Strange Fruit, was about the lynching of black people across the nation. It is a chilling song, and very graphic. This book uses bold strokes of color as the backsplash for lyrics from the song in order to convey the messages without being ruthlessly graphic. This book is certainly one for older readers. It has the potential to promote serious conversations about the history of lynching, race relations, and the power of art to present powerful messages.

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 4-8
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Teaching Points:
-History
-Racism
-Music and the Arts

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By: Chelsea Clinton
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Following some serious female empowerment and uprisings among the political community, Chelsea Clinton wrote this book of the strength of women. From the literal trek to freedom forged by those like Harriet Tubman and Ruby Bridges, to the groundbreaking political movements of Sonia Sotomayor. Clinton follows 13 historic heroines and their ability to stand tall and be heard! This book channels inner strength and challenges the misogynistic overtones that still pervade many areas of modern society. It can serve as a source of inspiration for young girls of all shapes and colors!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-3
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Teaching Points:
-Inner Strength
-Feminism
-Sexism
-Women's History

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By: Candace Fleming
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This book is a poetically mysterious dive into the deep unknown world of the giant squid. Described to be as big as a bus, yet having the ability to hide from its prey as well as those who seek to discover it! The book seeks to capture the attention of the readers with dramatic word play, enticing artwork, and a large pull-out centerfold that is an artistic masterpiece! Children of all ages can enjoy this eerily informative peek into the existence of something truly larger than life!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 2-7
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Teaching Points:
-Deep Sea Life
-Poetry
-Literacy
-Wordplay

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By: Meghan Mccarthy
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This is a fun illustrated story of how ordinary gum was transformed into bubble gum! Walter Deemer, was an ordinary accountant in a candy factory. The space was so small that a new lab was added in the room next to his office where they were working on a top-secret project – a new kind of gum. Walter thought about what would make gum more fun, blowing bubbles! Before he knew it, he was secretly working on the project and he even came up with a winning combination. But it did not last long. He pressed on and eventually found the winning combination that gave us bubble gum! It is a treat for young readers everywhere!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-5
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Teaching Points:
-History
-Science
-Experimentation

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“Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear”

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“Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear”

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By: Lindsay Mattick
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This book is presented in a story within a story format. It is the real-life story that inspired the creation of the fictional “Winnie the Pooh” character that we know and love. The reader is able to follow the story that the author, Lindsay Mattick, is telling to her son. The tale is about her great-grandfather Harry who, during WWI, saved the bear when he was just a cub. After trying several names, he named him Winnipeg, after his hometown. The bear was shipped off to the zoo in London, where a young boy named Christopher Robin Milne, the son of the great author A.A. Milne who wrote the timeless tales of Winnie-the-Pooh. The reader even gets to see the full circle relationship between Harry and Winnie. When he saw Winnie at the zoo, he was so glad to see that she was happy and being well taken care of. Additionally, there are real artifacts and photos included at the book’s end. This brings the real historical elements to life for the reader.

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 3-5
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Teaching Points:
-WWII
-Family Genealogy

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By: Patricia Polacco
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This book follows the story of a young Patricia Polacco, and her struggles with dyslexia. Early in life, her grandfather shares a family tradition of “sweet” reading with her. She is so excited to learn to read, but struggles when she finally gets to school. Over the next few years, she skates by in her classes, never really enjoying reading as she does not know how. She is even picked on quite intensely, and made to feel dumb and incapable. That is, until she meets Mr. Falker, her fourth-grade teacher. He recognizes her disability, and is able to help her learn to read and reignite her love for it! This type of educator is so important for a student to know!

*Nonfiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 3-5
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Teaching Points:
-Dyslexia
-Learning Disabilities
-Perseverance
-Kindness
-Determination
-The Power of Words

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By: Drew Daywalt
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This is the harrowing tale of three great warriors. Rock, from the Kingdom of Backgarden. Paper, from Desk Mountain. Scissors, from the tiny village of Junk Drawer. Within their own domain, each is victorious against all they come against in battle. Seeking someone who can defeat them, they each travel from their own home. They end up meeting in the Great Cavern of Two-Car Garage. Here, Rock defeats scissors, paper defeats rock, and scissors defeats paper. They are so happy to have finally met their match in one another, and become the best of friends, even continuing to duel one another in battle. Children all over the world pay homage to these great warriors each time they play rock-paper-scissors. This was such an amazingly humorous and entertaining read! The author uses a familiar game and common home environment to create an engaging read that can capture attention and really be memorable! Every time I play the game, I will think of this book!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 3-5
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Teaching Points:
-Wordplay
-Personification

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By: Antoinette Portis
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This is a very simple book that gets straight to the point. We see bunny playing with a box, imagining that it is many different things. To Bunny, the box is a race car to drive, a mountain to climb, even a rocket to jet into outer space! I love this book because it focuses on the imagination of children and literally encourages thinking outside of the box!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: Preschool-1
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Teaching Points:
-Imagination
-Creativity

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By: B.J. Novak
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This amazingly innovative book is a favorite among young readers! Although a book with “no pictures”, it features illustrations of various words. Because there are so many silly things throughout the book that “the reader has to read”, it is quite humorous! Many of the pages are random funny sentences that only serve to engage the readers and clearly evoke laughter. BUT – the entire premise is genius in that it is so captivating! It’s “the book that makes grown-ups have to say silly things”. This book promotes language, encourages literacy, and awakens the senses of imagination through a series of intentionally nonsensical yet whimsical happenings!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-3
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Teaching Points:
-Literacy
-Language
-Imagination

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"The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend"

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"The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend"

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By: Dan Santat
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On an island where imaginary friends live and wait to be imagined by a real child, we are introduced to Beekle. Sadly though, he is not imagined by a child as quickly as others, even though he thinks of his friend constantly. So, he decides to embark on an unimaginable journey to find his child. He goes through some scary things, but presses onward as he thinks only of his friend. One day, she finds him while he is waiting in the trees! It was an immediate connection, like they had known each other all along. She even presented him with a picture she drew of how she imagined they would meet, right there among the trees. Though whimsical in nature, the story presents readers with the theme of pressing on through fears and focusing on your inner driving forces and motivations. It also reminds us that, when we put our minds to it, we can do the unimaginable!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-3
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Teaching Points:
-Friendship
-Bravery/Courage
-Perseverance

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By: Jon Scieszka
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This book depicts the tale of the 3 little pigs from the perspective of Alexander T. Wolf, or “A. Wolf” for short. That alone is enough to catch the attention of young readers! The story goes through the traditional tale, with the spin that the wolf was only trying to borrow a cup of sugar to make a cake for his granny’s birthday. Obviously, because he is a wolf, the pigs won’t give him the time of day. As for blowing down the houses? Well, he simply has a cold of course! And wouldn’t you just know it – at the very moment he is turned down by the pigs, he feels a sneeze coming on which results in the houses being destroyed and a “perfectly good-looking ham just sitting there”. This story has ling since been one of my favorite reads! Young readers always seem to get a kick out of hearing the tale from the other side, especially after hearing the original story for most of their lives.

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 3-5
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Teaching Points:
-Creativity
-Imagination
-Narrative Perspective

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By: Judy Finchler
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Miss Malarkey is one dedicated teacher! The students in her school are presented with a reading challenge. Should they read 1000 books during the challenge, the principal has agreed to sleep on the roof of the school and dye his hair purple! Game on! The students begin reading feverishly in order to see this goal met. All except the narrator, who hates reading! He is interested in video games. Miss Malarkey spends her time during the school year attempting to find a book that contains all of the elements this student is looking for. During the course of the book, he watches his friends, who previously only wanted to play games with him, begin to fall in love with reading and want to discuss books more. By the end of the story, Miss Malarkey is able to find a book that contains all of the elements that this student is looking for! He even stays up late in his room to read the book which is so good that he cannot put it down! As an educator, I find this book incredibly inspiring and personally relateable. It is amazing to see that this teacher put everything she had into giving this student a chance to learn to love a book. Furthermore, she got to be there for the “AHA” moment when he did just that!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: 2-4
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Teaching Points:
-Perseverance
-Dedication

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By: Philip C. Stead
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Amos McGee is the zookeeper for the city zoo. He tends to the animals very well, and has very friendly relationships with them. He plays chess with the elephants and tells stories to the owl in the evening. There is an unspoken mutual respect among them. Amos gets sick and has to stay in bed, unable to tend to his daily friendly duties with the animals. So, in true classic fiction fashion, the animals board a bus to Amos’ home where they care for him! This story is such a timeless tale of selflessness and compassion. The use of animals and the simplistic delivery of the theme are sure to capture the hearts of adults and the attention of children.

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-3
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Teaching Points:
-Compassion
-Friendship
-Selflessness

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By: Jessie Sima
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This book is a genuinely sweet look into the life of Kelp, a narwhal that looks and feels different than his family. When he is one day swept away by a current, he winds up on land and discovers the world above the sea. Not only does he discover other animals, he finds what he believes to be “land narwhals”. He discovers that they are actually unicorns, and that he is one! While spending time with his newly discovered breed, he begins to miss his family at sea. “Did he want to be a land narwhal with the unicorns…or a sea unicorn with the narwhals?” This was one of my favorite parts of the story! Ultimately, Kelp discovers that he does not have to choose, and that he can be with everyone he loves and who loves him just for who he is! Young readers will enjoy this vibrant take on family, love, and acceptance!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-3
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Teaching Points:
-Acceptance
-Family Relationships
-Fitting In
-Being Unique

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By: Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers
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This book enters into personified world of crayons. When a young boy named Duncan goes to get his crayons, he instead is met with letters that the crayons have written to him detailing their qualms with the amount of usage they do or do not get. The blue crayon, his favorite color, feels overwhelmed with being the favorite. The red crayon feels overworked, as it has to work hard year-round, including holidays. The peach crayon, funnily enough, is upset that the peeling has been removed and that it is now “naked” and embarrassed to leave the crayon box. In the end, Duncan created an amazing work of art including all of the colors. It was a very cute and creative look at problem solving and working together!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-2
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Teaching Points:
-Problem Solving
-Teamwork
-Imagination
-Creativity

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By: Aaron Reynolds
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This book is such a cute creepy tale about overcoming fears! Jasper Rabbit gets new underwear from his mother. But, when the lights go out at bedtime, Jasper notices that the underwear glow and look really REALLY creepy! This book chronicles (in a very cute way) the process that Jasper takes to get over his fear of the underwear. We see him try to hide them, destroy them, even try to ship them all the way to China! When he does, he realizes that his dark room is not the same without the glow of his “creepy” underwear. In the end, Jasper loves his underwear and discovers that they are not so creepy after all! This is such a fun way to introduce lots of new concepts to children – new underwear, new experiences, and overcoming fears and seeing the good in things!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-2
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Teaching Points:
-Overcoming Fears
-Trying Something New
-Finding Inner Strength

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By: Aaron Blabey
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Thelma is a small pony surrounded by friends who love her the way that she is. Especially her friend Otis. In spite of this, she wants to be a unicorn more than anything! After a silly series of events involving a carrot and an overturned truck carrying a load of glitter, she gets her wish and becomes a beautiful unicorn! However, she quickly learns that what she wished for wasn’t all that she really wanted. She was lonely, had no privacy from the public eye, and missed her life on the farm. In the end, Thelma realizes that she is fine just the way that she is! This story is so cute and imaginative in the way they present the message of self-love to readers! Kids love the unicorn theme, which is really popular right now, and also learn that having yourself and people that care about you and love you are all that are really important.

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: Preschool-2
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Teaching Points:
-Self Love
-Self-Esteem
-Friendship
-Acceptance

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By: Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum & Ed Fotheringham
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“Does YOUR sibling ever act like a MONSTER?” That’s the question asked on the back cover of this amazing book! It follows the story of Mia and Lucy and the ever so bumpy relationship between big and little sisters. Lucy wants nothing more than a little peace and quiet, but her littler sister Mia is always following her and getting into her things! When she finally tells her to go away, she finds that her little sister has disappeared into a land of monsters! Realizing how much she misses her sister, Lucy yells at the monsters to go away and brings her little sister back home. I love the message of sibling rivalry and love that is so comically portrayed in this book. It was also great to see the big sister be the hero!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-2
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Teaching Points:
-Family Relationships
-Power of Words
-Imagination

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"Princess Truly in my Magical, Sparkling Curls"

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"Princess Truly in my Magical, Sparkling Curls"

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By: Kelly Greenawalt
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The Princess Truly books are a series of books that represent young black girls. This series is dear to my heart, as it represents something that I have struggled with before and seen my own children struggle with – black hair. This book promotes a positive, strong, and beautiful image of natural hair and how smart and wonderful girls can be! Reading this book children of all ethnicities and backgrounds is also important, as it can spark conversation and awareness about differences. The overriding theme of this book is about embracing and growing in what makes you unique!

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-2
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Teaching Points:
-Self-Confidence
-Embracing Differences
-Uniqueness

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By: Tony Johnston
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10 Fat Turkeys walks children through a silly series of actions performed by turkeys! This is a book that allows students the opportunity to learn and practice counting backward, from 10 to 1. Through each numerical shift, there is a series of rhyming words associated with the upcoming numbers (i.e. 10 Fat Turkeys…swinging from a vine. Gobble Gobble, Wobble Wobble, Whoops! Now there are…9!) I enjoy reading this book to younger students, because it keeps them engaged and entertained while also allowing them to learn.

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: Pre-K - K
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Teaching Points:
-Counting
-Number Recognition
-Rhyming

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By: Maurice Sendak
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This book is, by far, one of my all-time favorites! Max is quite a spirited young boy who finds himself in some trouble with his mother. When sent to his room, his imagination runs wild as his room is transformed into a wild jungle where he meets monsters called the wild things. He even becomes their king! I find this book fascinating, even beyond the vivid depiction of imagery that it presents. From my childlike perspective, I always imagined that I could create a world of my own where I could be the strongest and allow anything in my imagination to become reality! Reading this classic as an adult, I see the perspective of a loving mother. No matter what Max did to misbehave, his mother still made him dinner and showed him mercy and love.

*Fiction Picture Book
*Target Audience: K-2
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Teaching Points:
-Imagination
-Strength
-Creativity