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This is a fun ABC book that celebrates and acknowledged 26 diverse women from different parts of the world. This book brings attention to diversity as well as women. The book features women from Argentina all the way to Zambia. This book is moderately to very complex because most of the places in this book are likely new to the children. A discussion will likely have to happen explaining that these are all names of various places and having a map or globe may be useful during this read aloud. A fun lesson to go along with this could be for the children to create a venn diagram to compare and contrast some of the girls introduced in this book.

1.RL.IKI.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories including written details and illustrations when developmentally appropriate.

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By Matt de la Peña, Illustrated by Christian Robinson

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In this book, Milo people watches from the subway and imagines what their lives may look like. When he sees a boy get off the subway and go about his life he realizes that there is more to a person than what meets the eye. This book is moderately complex because of its varied sentence structure and frequent use of tier II vocabulary. It also forced children to relate this to their own life experiences and have an understanding of their differences. The children could do think- pair- share groups for this book. They could get in pairs and tell each other a story about themselves that explains who they are. For example, I could explain how I went to a Catholic school, had nuns as teachers, and wore kilts everyday as my uniform.

1.SL.PKI.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

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This book is about a young boy named Joe who often gets looked at because he only has one leg. On the playground he often liked to play pirates and one day the other children decide to stop staring so much and play along. This book has lots of varied sentence structure and vocabulary. It also introduces a topic that could be relevant in a child's life or in your classroom. Therefor, the complexity is moderate. An educational, eye opening lesson for this could be for children to have an open discussion about disabilities. Sometimes they are visible to the eye, while other times they are not. Allowing children to share what they have seen/know about disability and have the opportunity to ask questions would be very beneficial.

2.SL.CC.1 Participate with varied peers and adults in collaborative conversations in small or large groups about appropriate 2nd grade topics and texts.

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By Traci Sorell, Illustrated by Frane Lessac

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We Are Still Here! : Native American Truths Everyone Should Know

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We Are Still Here! : Native American Truths Everyone Should Know

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This book plays tribute to moments in Native American history that go untalked about far too often. After each tribute, the author says "we are still here" which creates repetition and reminds the children Native Americans are still present. This book is very complex because of its deeper, historical meaning. Also, there are lots of tier III vocabulary used and there is some figurative language. Since this book is so dense and filled with important topics, allowing the children to reflect on what they learned. Next, holding an open discussion where they are allowed to ask questions they may have about this important topic.

2.SL.CC.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather information or clarify something that is not understood.

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Written and Illustrated by Juana Martinez- Neal

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This book is about a young girl named Zonia, an Asháninka girl, who is exploring the rainforest when she comes across an empty patch. She runs home to tell her mother and brainstorm ways to save her home, the Peruvian rainforest. This book brings an important topic that many children may not be familiar with. Therefore, although the language and sentence structure, the subject and meaning are both deeper and complicated for many children. A great activity for this could be for children to talk about their environment. For example, in Knoxville, TN they could talk about trees and the woods and how to preserve it. In what ways can we support and help the environment? Children can draw ways they can help, such as picking up trash, using reusable water bottles, and avoiding straws.

1.SL.PKI.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions, when appropriate, to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
1.SL.CC.1 Participate with varied peers and adults in collaborative conversations in small or large groups about appropriate 1st grade topics and texts.

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By Carrie Finison, Illustrated by Daniel Wiseman

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This book introduces the important topic of consent. A little boy named Doug does not like hugs and that is okay! Respecting others wishes and preferences is an important topic for children to understand. This is a moderately complex book for multiple reasons. The vocabulary is pretty simple, but the sentence structure is varied (lots of compound, complex, and simple sentences). Also, this may be a difficult concept or topic for some children to unpack which adds to the complexity. A good activity to go along with this would be an open discussion where the children are welcome to open up about their knowledge of consent and other situations consent may be relevant. This could lead into a conversation of boundaries and how to respect these in our classroom as well.

1.SL.CC.1 Participate with varied peers and adults in collaborative conversations in small or large groups about appropriate 1st grade topics and texts.
2.SL.CC.1 Participate with varied peers and adults in collaborative conversations in small or large groups about appropriate 2nd grade topics and texts.

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By Nikki Grimes, Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

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In this fun book, a child dreads the idea of bath time, but once in there there is a "sea" of excitement to discover. This book encourages curiosity and imagination even in the smallest things, like taking a bath. This book uses very simple sentences and structure, therefor it is just slightly complex. The plot is straightforward and follows a chronological order. Also, bath time is something young children are very familiar with, therefor this book should be simple to understand for most children. A fun activity to go along with this book could be for children to draw and write some words/ a short sentence (depending on their writing level) about bath time at their own house. What toys do they use? Are their bubbles? How often? These are all examples of prompts they could use to inspire their responses.

1.SL.PKI.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions, when appropriate, to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

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Written and Illustrated by Maurice Sendak

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In this book, a little boy named Max often feels useless and unseen so when he escapes to a magical world he see various creature. This book shows the imagination of children and the capabilities that come along with it. This book has a lot of action verbs and feeling words that fit into the tier II category adding to the complexity. It is moderately- very complex with a plot that will likely need extra explanation and support from teachers. A fun activity for this book could be having the children act out the various action verbs used in the book. For example, tumbled, and gnashed.

K.FL.VA.7b With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
iv. Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action.

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By Michelle Markel, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

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Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909

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Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909

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In this book, a young girl named Clara comes to America, knowing no english, and is expected to work long hours in a factory for small pay. She realizes this is unfair and leads the largest walkout of women workers in the country's history. This book challenges children to look at a concept that is still relevant today. It is very complex because of the varied sentence structure, tier II and III vocabulary, and deeper meaning. Something interesting about this book is a section called "More About the Garment Industry" at the end. Reading this section and then having children form their own opinions on the topic could not only work on their writing skills, but give them a chance to voice their opinions on an important topic.

2.W.TTP.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts. a. Introduce topic or text.
b. State an opinion.
c. Supply reasons to support the opinion.

d. Use linking words to connect the reasons to the opinion. e. Provide a concluding statement or section.

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By Abby Huntsman, Illustrated by Joanne Lew- Vriethoff

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In this book, a girl named Isabelle's teacher asks the class what they want to be when they grow up. Everybody seemed to have a response except Isabelle, but she knew she enjoyed helping others. Her father took her on a walk, pointing out the various jobs people have to help others. At the end she discovers it is okay to not know exactly what she wants to do right now. This book is very complex because of the various tier III words and varied sentence structure. Also, the illustrations support the book and allow the children to extend it's meaning past the text. Since many different occupations are introduced during this book, a fun activity could be for the class as a whole to create a graphic organizer. This could look at various jobs introduced in the book, as well as other ones the children are aware of.

1.RL.KID.3 Using graphic organizers or including written details and illustrations when developmentally appropriate, describe characters, settings, and major events in a story using key details.

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By J. Phillip Miller and Sheppard M. Greene, Illustrated by Paul Meisel

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This book celebrated diversity and explains to children that being different is okay. Our differences is what makes us who we are, being unique is a good thing. This book is just slightly complex, the vocabulary is the only thing that slightly ups this book's complexity. There are a couple tier III words such as Mecca and parakeet. Other than that, the sentence structure is simple and the plot is chronological and easy to follow. A fun activity for this could be for children to write their own "you". For example they could draw themselves and write various aspects that makes them who they are such as eye color, hometown, family life, etc...

1.SL.PKI.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

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In this book, a little boy is confused on the term human race and has the mindset he must win. He has lots of questions and  discovers at the end that life is not a race and sometimes taking it slow can be beneficial in life. This book has all sorts of sentence structure variations and lots of tier II vocabulary. Therefore, this book is moderately complex. It is relatively easy to understand, but some explanation may be necessary for younger children or certain groups. A fun activity for this could be focuses on question words and forming sentences using question words. The children could get into small groups and discuss first review the question words and form a question they have about any topic they wish. This could also be a great center for specific learning groups and readers.

K.FFL.SC.6 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing with adult support.
e. Understand and use question words (interrogatives) when speaking and in shared

language activities.

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In this fun story, a happy, fun loving little girl named Ruby develops a worry. It starts small, but becomes bigger and bigger distracting her from her everyday life. At the end of the story, Ruby realizes that worries are normal, everybody gets them, and talking about that can be very beneficial in relieving them. This book is moderately complex because the sentence structures are majority simple and compound, with all tier I and II vocabulary. Nonetheless, the topic of a worry is somewhat abstract and can be difficult for children to comprehend. This could be a great lesson to talk about the importance of speaking up or talking to somebody when you are feeling down or worried. For more of a ELA approach, a vocabulary lesson acknowledging various emotions would pair great with this book. This children could get in think- pair- share groups to come up with something they feel worried, uneasy, or anxious about and why. This will help them to build on the vocabulary while also having the opportunity to talk about anything that may be weighing on them.

K.FL.VA.7a Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Kindergarten conversations, reading, and content.
i. Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately.

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By Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illustrated by Jen Corace

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This is a very sweet little book about a little pea who has to eat candy for dinner, but hates it. His favorite food is Spinach, but can only eat it when he finishes his candy. This book is just slightly complex. The sentences are all simple or compound and the vocabulary includes lots of high frequency words. The plot is straightforward, but does have some irony which could be a fun topic to discuss with this book for more advanced readers who are ready for rhetorical devices. A fun lesson for Kindergarteners or 1st graders could be for them to form an opinion piece, just as the little pea does. The teacher would first teach or review what an opinion is and then encourage to brainstorm an opinion they have. They could then write a sentence and/or draw a picture relating to their opinion. For example, it could say "dogs are the best animal" or "spinach is gross".

K.W.TTP.1 With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing, dictating, and/or writing to compose opinion pieces.

1.W.TTP.1 With prompting and support, write opinion pieces introducing the topic or text, stating an opinion, supplying a reason for the opinion, and providing some sense of closure.

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By Maribeth Boelts, Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones

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In this book, a fad over a new pair of expensive sneakers goes through the school. Jeremy wants this new pair of shoes so bad, but his Grandmother cannot afford them so he has to come up with a plan B. This book is moderately complex because the language, although varied, is pretty simple (mostly tier I and II words). The plot is straightforward and evident throughout. A fun activity for this book could be a fun way to analyze comprehension by creating a chart about the characters in the book. The class as a whole could recall the book's main characters and use their knowledge from the book to assign characteristics to each person in "Those Shoes".

1.RL.KID.3 Using graphic organizers or including written details and illustrations when developmentally appropriate, describe characters, settings, and major events in a story using key details.

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By Grace Byers, Illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

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This heartwarming, uplifting book, focuses on female empowerment and a respect for diversity. This book is just slightly complex because of its simple structured sentences and straightforward message. These is some varied vocabulary in "I am Enough", but other than that there is not much to the complexity. The main purpose of this book is to inspire and educate children on important, relevant topics. A fun activity for this book could be a writing lesson. This book follows somewhat of a poem format as many of the sentences begin with "Like the". Having the children choose an object, person, or animal and create their own line to add to "I am Enough" could be a lot of fun. For example, they could say "Like the sun, I am bright" or "Like a whale, I am strong and rare". This is an opinion writing piece that also reveals creativity, while working on writing skills.

1.W.TTP.1 With prompting and support, write opinion pieces introducing the topic or text, stating an opinion, supplying a reason for the opinion, and providing some sense of closure.

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In this book, a little boy and his family explain their life as truck stop owners. They wake up early each morning to get everything prepared and greet the various truck stop regulars and daily customers. This book offers a unique daily routine for a child, but is overall just slightly complex. Some of the names of the types of trucks coming to the stop add to the vocabulary, but other than that it is quote simple. It is straightforward and consist of mainly simple and compound sentences. For this book, I think a fun activity could be for children to pick their favorite/most interesting truck that comes to the stop in the book. They could draw and also write a couple sentences explaining why this truck stuck out to them.

1.W.TTP.1 With prompting and support, write opinion pieces introducing the topic or text, stating an opinion, supplying a reason for the opinion, and providing some sense of closure.

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By Irene Latham and Karim Shamsi-Basha, Illustrated by Yuko Shumizu

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This book follows a man named Alaa who stays in Aleppo during the Syria Civil War and cares for all the cats who got left behind from their owners fleeing the country. I would say the complexity of this book is between moderately and very complex. My reasoning for this is because although it is mainly tier I and II vocabulary, the concept and typical sentence structure is on the more difficult side. The underlying theme of this book is war and the hardships that come along with it for not only people, but animals so it is a lot to grasp for some children in my opinion. Something that stuck out to me in this book was that the cats are more realistic looking and do now show emotion in their faces. A great activity to go along with this book could be having the children listen to the book and draw the emotions they believe the cats/ a specific cat are most likely feeling in this text. This helps children with their listening and comprehension skills.

1.SL.PKI.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions, when appropriate, to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

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This book is about a boy who loves to draw, but becomes obsessed with the idea of perfection. One day his sister introduces him to the term "ish" and he embraces it with open arms. This book is just moderately complex even though it has some variation in sentence structure. The vocabulary is pretty simple and the book is in chronological order. The purpose and underlying message of this book is easily revealed though context clues. This book highlights a lot of verbs and I think it could be a great introduction to various types of verbs in either Kindergarten or 1st grade depending on the group of children. For example, the children could each pull a verb of their choice out of the book and then as a class or in smaller groups, we could discuss what the verb means, why it is a verb, and even draw a picture of it's meaning.

1.FL.SC.6 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing. d. Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future.

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By Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell

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Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born

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Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born

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This book retells the story of how a little girl was united with her family on the day she was born through adoption. This text is moderately complex because although the vocabulary is majority tier I and II, the sentence structure is varied. Also, there is shifts in time, as the girl's parents recall the night she was born. This book could be a great addition to a lesson about past, present, and future and the grammatical structures that go along with this. For example, the children could look at the context clues, including verb tenses, in this book to discover how the reader knows when the author is talking in what tense.

2.FL.SC.6 "Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing. d. Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs".