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Author: John David Anderson
Grade Level: 3-7
I believe this book should be read more towards the end of elementary school and especially in middle school as it goes over the topic of harsh words. At Frost's school, cell phones have been banned so he and his friends come up with a new way to communicate: by posting sticky notes for each other all over the school. Soon the entire school catches on and the messages are not always nice words. This story can be used as a writing prompt in the classroom on how words should be used carefully or even how bullying might impact one's life as bullying is a big topic in schools today. In regards to the complexity, from what I read, it was moderately complex. However, the subject it discusses is so universal right now that I believe it should be used in the classroom.
Standards:
7.RI.KID.3 Analyze the relationships and interactions among individuals, events, and/or ideas in a text.
6.RI.CS.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in a text.

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Author: Alison McGhee
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Grade Level: Pre-K-K
This picture book tells the story of a father explaining his tattoos to his son. With tattoos becoming more and more common being visible, this story would be a good read aloud for the younger students. It discusses how the father got tattoos for important milestones in his life such as meeting his wife, going on a deployment, and even his son being born. The activity I would pair with this is to have the students pick an important milestone thus far in their lives and draw a "tattoo" then explain why they chose it as if they were explaining it to their own family member. The text complexity of this book is slightly complex.
Standards:
K.SL.PKI.5 Add drawings or other visual displays of descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

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Author: R.J. Palacio
Grade Level: 3-7
This could be used as a read aloud or not, it's an excellent book either way. It shows the perspectives from August "Auggie" Pullman, his family, and his classmates as his navigates his way through the first year of public school. Auggie was born with a severe facial deformity that prevented him from going to school until 5th grade where the entire community then begins to struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. This is an excellent book for everyone as it discusses how one person's experience can impact the lives of those around them as can the words that are said to them. However, the experiences in this book could be seen as very complex for most students.
Standards:
5.RI.KID.2 Determine the central idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text

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Author: Julia Cook
Illustrator: Kelsey De Weerd
Grade Level: K-3
This book follows RJ as he demonstrates that he does not like the word no and instead tries to convince others to change that word to a yes, we will see, or even a maybe. It teaches students how to better use their social skills and it is best for students who are entering school that have not been around peers their age before now. With this book, I would do an activity that asks students to write about a time when they were told no and they did not like it, similar to RJ. The complexity of this book is slightly complex.
Standards:
K.SL.PKI.6 With guidance and support, express thoughts, feelings, and ideas through speaking

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If You're So Smart, How Come You Can't Spell Mississippi

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If You're So Smart, How Come You Can't Spell Mississippi

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Author: Barbara Esham
Illustrator: Mike Gordon
Grade Level: Pre-K-3
This book is part of a set of texts that supports various forms of learning, creativity, and intelligence. In this story, Katie learns that her father has trouble with spelling even though he is one of the busiest attorneys in town. It divulges into the topic of dyslexia and how it can impact your life far into adulthood. This text is perfect to be read aloud and then paired with an activity of purposely misspelled words so that students could potentially see how people with dyslexia see words. The text complexity is between slightly and moderately complex due to the vocabulary.
Standards:
2.RL.KID.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

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Author: Sara Pennypacker
Illustrator: Marla Frazee
Grade Level: 2-3
Clementine is not having the best week and let's be honest, we all have those weeks. Clementine is a high energy third grader who has a hard time concentrating like her teacher would like her to do which ends up getting her into trouble often. This book is excellent as either a read aloud or independent reading for students, but it goes over the topic that not everybody learns the same way and that is okay! With this story, I would pair it with another book that goes over either students learning in different ways or just having different abilities in general then having an open discussion or journal entries where students are able to express themselves over the books. The complexity of this book would be between slightly complex and moderately due to that not everybody has high energy like Clementine does so they may not understand what she is feeling or going through.
Standards:
3.RL.KID.3 Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

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Author: Marianne Richmond
Grade Level: 1-2
This book is good for encouraging students to remain brave, courageous, and cheerful. It reminds the students that their bravery might show up in all different kinds of ways when they need it to. This could be a great pairing activity for students to write down different scenarios where they might need to be brave or where they have had to be brave because they were scared themselves. The text complexity is slightly complex due to the pictures, life experiences, and vocabulary.
Standards:
2.W.TTP.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts.

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Author: Scott O'Dell
Grade Level: 2-5
This story is one according to history so it could be a good tie to a Social Studies class. Karana lived on an island alone for 18 years during the early 1800's after her brother was killed by a pack of wild wolves. This is an adventure story of Karana having to fight the same pack of wild dogs, guard against the sea otter hunters constantly, and keep a good food supply. I would pair this with a writing assignment where students could imagine themselves on an island alone much like Karana and discuss how they might handle similar situations. The complexity of this text is very complex just because it is not everyday that you are stranded on an island for 18 years.
Standards:
5.W.TTP.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using an effective technique, such as descriptive details and clear event sequences.

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Authors: Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan
Grade Level: Pre-K-K
Llama Llama books have become increasingly popular so having a book that promotes reading will help students want to read on their own! This book goes with Llama Llama to school while he is learning to read along with the other students. He gets so excited that he cannot wait to get home to show Mama Llama that he is becoming a reader. This could be paired greatly with letter card activities in the classroom as the book goes over letters and word cards. The complexity for this text is slightly complex, however for younger readers it might be better to be read aloud due to the amount of words.
Standards:
K.FFL.F.5 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
K.FFL.PA.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

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Author: Cece Bell
Grade Level: 3-7
This graphic novel dictates the author's real life experience of losing her hearing at a young age and having to go to school with the Phonic Ear. Cece Bell made her bulky hearing aid into a superpower which many young students can relate to that are either deaf or hard of hearing and might have their own bulky hearing aids of their own. Even if they do not, they can still relate to having to make friends and them not understanding or being isolated from their classmates because of their hearing loss. This story is a great addition to any library because it allows for students who are not deaf or hard of hearing to see what it is like, with pictures, living with hearing loss at such a young age. With this novel, I would have the students write in journals after reading about how they felt or if they have ever experienced something similar such as being isolated from their classmates themselves. Due to the life experiences that are discussed in this novel, such as meningitis, the text complexity of this is moderately complex.
Standards:
7.RL.CS.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including allusions to other texts and repetition of words and phrases.

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Author: Sally J. Pla
Illustrator: Ken Min
Grade Level: K-3
We all have bad days and Sammy is having a really bad one at school. When he comes home, he finds out that his brother Benji, who has autism, is having a bad day too! When Benji has these bad days, there is a special box that makes him feel cozy and safe, but Sammy does not have one and feels like no one cares or notices him. Little does Sammy know, that his brother Benji does notice and may have an idea on how to help his bad day. This book is a great addition to any library, not just because it goes over how a brother deals with a family member having autism, but it also goes over that when we think that no one cares or notices it is likely the opposite. With this book, I would have students write about a bad day they had and what would have made it better: a special box like Benji's? The text complexity for this book is slightly complex, however for younger readers it would be easier read aloud since there are longer passages on some pages.
Standards:
2.FL.F.5 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

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Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Grade Level: 5-7
This story takes place during the late 60's so that may be a problem for some students, however the message that is portrayed is timeless. Holling Hoodhood must spend his Wednesday afternoons with his teacher Mrs. Baker while the rest of the class has religious instruction. During this time, Holling's teacher has his read Shakespeare but he is way more worried about Vietnam and being on his best behavior because his father's business depends on it. While this story talks about items from the past, the biggest thing is the author has Holling find Motivation (aka The Big M) and muster up the courage to embrace his destiny which is an excellent lesson that everybody (not just students) can benefit from. This can also be tied as well to a Social Studies lesson since it discusses topics such as Vietnam. The complexity for this novel is between slightly and moderately complex due to mainly the life experiences.
Standards:
You could tie in Social Studies standards over Vietnam
7.RL.IKI.9 Compare and contrast an historical account with a fictional portrayal of the same time, place, or character.
6.RL.KID.3 Describe how the plot of a story or drama unfolds, as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

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Author: Anthony Doerr
Grade Level: 4-6
This novel is excellent to tie into Social Studies as it follows two children whose paths cross during World War II. Marie-Laure is from Paris and happens to be blind when she runs into Werner Pfenning who is an orphan from Germany. They both try to survive the devastation of an occupied France, but more important the book shows that even during dark times people try to be good to one another. This story will be great to pair with a Social Studies assignment or even have the students discuss among themselves how they might have handled situations that arose throughout the story. The complexity is between moderately complex and very complex due to the life experiences and the vocabulary that is used throughout.
Standards:
You could tie in multiple Social Studies standards over World War II.
7.RL.IKI.9 Compare and contrast an historical account with a fictional portrayal of the same time, place, or character.

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Author: Becky Carey
Illustrator: Bonnie Leick
Grade Level: 2-3
In this book, the author details her life experience when her daughter happened to be born with Down Syndrome. Carey talks about how her daughter, Tessa, fell in love with her son as soon as she was put into his arms. Carey also divulges into topics such as how their lives changed due to stereotypes of children with Down Syndrome. This book is a great tool to introduce students to individuals with disabilities especially at such a young age. An activity I would pair with this is having students right down something unique about them that they think no body else has, whether it is visible or not. This text is slightly complex, even though it is suggested for grades 2-3 it could be read to the younger students.
Standards:
3.RL.IKI.7 Explain how illustrations in a text contribute to what is conveyed by the words.

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Author: Kwame Alexander
Grade Level: 5-7
This novel goes into the lives of twins who love basketball so much that they have forgotten the consequences of breaking rules. The story follows the basketball team over a season and what happens off the court in the twins' house. I think it will be great for both boys and girls because it discusses about how the lives of Josh and Jordan change after they begin breaking rules. It will be a good reminder for the students as well that if you do something wrong, a consequence of some sort will follow. I think that since the format of this story is more poems for the chapters that having the students write their own poems of an event in their life would be a good activity to pair with it. The complexity of this text would be between slightly complex and moderately complex due to the language and life experiences.
Standards:
7.RL.CS.5 Analyze the form or structure of a story, poem, or drama, considering how text form or structure contributes to its theme and meaning.
7.RL.KID.3 Analyze how specific elements of a story or drama interact with and affect each other

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Author: Maribeth Boelts
Illustrator: Noah Z. Jones
Grade Level: K-3
This story goes over the topic of wanting something that everybody else has. Jeremy wants the same shoes that his classmates has, but his grandmother reminds him they only have room for "needs" not "wants." This book will be great for a read aloud because it goes over the topic that not all families come from wealthy backgrounds and we all need a reminder of that. For an activity to go with this, I would have students write down different tasks they could perform to help out local families that are not as fortunate as others. The complexity of this is slightly complex, but would need to be read aloud to the younger kiddos.
Standards:
1.RL.CS.4 Identify words and phrases in stories and poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

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The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck

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The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck

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Author: Laura Murray
Illustrator: Mike Lowery
Grade Level: K-3
This fun book follows the gingerbread man as he goes with his class to the fire station on a field trip. It goes into detail what firefighters wear with their gear, what they do around the station, and how they handle calls for fires. This would be great to pair with a community activity such as going out and learning more about a local fire station or even writing to get more information from a fire station that may be further away. The complexity of this text is slightly complex, it would just need to be read aloud most likely to younger readers as it is set up much like a graphic novel and has multiple words on one page.
Standards:
2.RL.KID.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

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Author: Raina Telgemeier
Grade Level: 3-7
This book is for all of my friends who have ever had to get braces. I had to get braces in fifth grade and then hurry up the process due to me moving which resulted in having six to eight rubber bands in my mouth at one time. It was uncomfortable, luckily I had a great friend group that did not betray me. Unfortunately, Raina does not have that luck. She severely injures her two front teeth and begins a long process of fixing the teeth, getting braces, and having head gear. Raina is also starting sixth grade and has to deal with her friends turning against her plus boy confusion! This book would be perfect for mostly girls, but I believe that guys could relate to the experiences in the story as well. The complexity of the graphic novel overall would have to be somewhere in between slightly complex and moderately complex.
Standards:
5.RL.KID.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in a text.
6.RL.CS.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.

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Author: Lisa Mantchev
Illustrator: Taeeun Yoo
Grade Level: Pre-K-3
This picture book talks about the story of a little boy and his pet elephant that are not allowed inside of a Pet Club. So the boy finds the best solution that involves all kinds of unusual animals. The message this book tells is one that all students, no matter the grade, should know and understand: people come in all shapes and sizes, but they should not be left out of things just like animals. For an activity pairing, I would ask the students to discuss with each other and then write in their journals about how they think the pet elephant felt not being allowed inside of the Pet Club. The text complexity for this book is slightly complex.
Standards:
1.RL.KID.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

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Author: Erin Teagan
Grade Level: 5-7
After the death of her grandfather, nothing has been right for Madeline Little. In this book, you follow Madeline's adventure starting middle school and having her best friend being at a different school. She would much rather be in the research lab with her dad or even write Standard Operations Procedures in her lab notebook than hang out with kids from her school that are not even her friends. This book would be great to tie into a science class as it has multiple vocabulary words that are used throughout science classes. It also is good to use with students that may be going through a big change themselves. However, not all students experience a big change in their lives so that portion could be seen as moderately complex.
Standards:
Could tie in Science standards since it discusses subjects such as the Standards Operations Procedures or a research lab.
5.FL.VA.7c Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships.