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"The Real McCoy" tells of the life of Elijah McCoy, Canadian and African-American inventor who would provide an interesting character for study. I believe students interested in science, Social Studies or African-American history would be drawn to this book. I would use this book to accompany a unit on steam locomotion in fourth grade or westward expansion in fifth. This book could even be used in Science as students learn about the scientific process and the steps to inventing. Students could plan an invention, write up a brochure to sell their product and even create a prototype.

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Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport *Recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator, the Caldecott Honor, IRA-CBC Children's Choices Award and the Orbis Pictus Honor Book Award* (3/25)

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Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport *Recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator, the Caldecott Honor, IRA-CBC Children's Choices Award and the Orbis Pictus Honor Book Award* (3/25)

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Martin's Big Words is an excellent book to add to my collection because students at all levels should be exposed to the life and words of this great American hero. Not only that, the courageous life of Dr. King should be required learning for any student living in or near Atlanta, as his story and his city's are intertwined like a legend- and theirs is a tragic, bittersweet and inspiring legend that should be retold for many generations to come. I love the textured illustrations which bring this story to life, and the story itself includes actual quotes by Dr. King. This story can obviously preface a civil rights movement, and will definitely be of interest to students who enjoy learning about history. As students have been exposed to the injustices and courage that mark the life and death of Dr. King, this book would make a good anticipatory set or hook to begin a lesson on civil rights. Older students particularly could be engaged in a discussion regarding the race tensions of the era and can extend their conversation to parallels with our current political and social climate in America. Students could be engaged in a speech-writing exercise in which they write about their own "dream" for America today- how they hope their own generation will one day change the world as Dr. King and his peers did.

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Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya (3/15)

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Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya (3/15)

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Faithful Elephants is a heartbreaking true story that takes place in Japan during World War II. As the country was being bombed, the decision was made at the Ueno Zoo to put down all the animals as safety concerns arose in Tokyo. The main attractions, the elephants, had to be starved to death; to this point, this story can certainly be traumatic for certain age groups. Every time I read it, there is one page in particular that makes me well up in tears. This story would interest students who like to read about the history of wars or even animals. Sometimes students learn about war in terms of treaties and events that strip war of the raw human element of wartime. With the current state of the world, children may have become desensitized to violence and war and the loss of human life. I believe this story can be used to facilitate grand conversations regarding the effects of war on the human spirit. Students can discuss the appropriateness of the decision made at the Ueno Zoo, and they can be prompted by questions like, "if you were the director of the zoo... what would YOU have done?" This activity can extend into an opinion writing piece, particularly in fifth grade. War is a difficult concept to understand, even for adults. There is no rhyme or reason to wanting to end another person's life, and sometimes my fifth grade students ask questions during Social Studies lessons like, "why couldn't the world leaders just talk... why did they feel so much hate... why are countries still at war?" I believe there aren't answers to such questions, but with conversations over books like Faithful Elephants, we can at least help students make a little sense of the senselessness of war.

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Underground by Shane W. Evans *Recipient of Coretta Scott King Award* (3/4)

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Underground by Shane W. Evans *Recipient of Coretta Scott King Award* (3/4)

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"Underground" addresses the perils of traveling through the night, escaping to freedom. I love the expressions in the illustrated people's faces which coupled with the sparse text, add to the hushed tone of the story. Because the story is primarily told through the illustrations, this would be a good book for a younger age group in order to develop their inferencing skills. However, older students such as fourth and fifth graders can also reflect on the images in this book in order to create their own descriptive writing to accompany the captivating images. Students could incorporate background knowledge about slavery and the conditions of slaves in order to add historical detail to their writing.

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The Piñata Maker (El PInatero) by George Ancona (3/4)

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The Piñata Maker (El PInatero) by George Ancona (3/4)

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The Piñata Maker by George Ancona is a very detailed nonfiction picture book, detailing the arduous and dying art of piñata craft. This book is packed with information on the process of making one of the most iconic Mexican symbols, using photographs to tell the story of both piñata and piñata maker. This book could appeal to students of Latino or Mexican background, but could also be of interest to students with artistic inclinations. I would use this book as an example of a sequence or process text structure. The students could apply what they learned in The Piñata Maker the create their own recipe or instructions for their favorite food or hobby. Visual arts could also be incorporated into a literacy lesson using this book, as children could create their own piñata or at least design a 2D plan for one. Students could write about their design using descriptive language.

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A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston (3/4)

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A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston (3/4)

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"A Butterfly is Patient" is beautifully illustrated and detailed with information about the life cycles and anatomy of butterflies and specific species. I love that this is an unconventional nonfiction book, as the writing is flowery and descriptive, but it also packed with scientific academic language and nonfiction text features. Obviously I would include a reading of this book in a Kindergarten or second grade study of insect life cycle. There is more than enough information about the hatching, growth and life of a butterfly to be examined, so this could serve as a mentor text for the unit. Students could design their own species of butterfly and even relate the physical aspects of their creations to survival and defense, such as camouflage and size.

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"River of Dreams" follows the history of the Hudson River, pairing informative and descriptive text with interesting watercolor pictures. I liked that the book includes many diagrams, captions and other informative text features.  This book is packed with history and information, as well as biographies of individuals such as Benedict Arnold and King George III which are to be of interest to the history buffs in your class. In the fourth grade, this book can be a part of the European exploration study in Social Studies. The maps included in this book could provide points of study in regards to navigation techniques used by explorers in the 1500s and 1600s. For writing, this book could provide a starting point for students to reflect on exploration and write about it from the point of view of Native Americans.

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Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery by William Miller *Smithsonian Magazine "Notable Children's Book"* (3/4)

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Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery by William Miller *Smithsonian Magazine "Notable Children's Book"* (3/4)

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"Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery" recounts the events of Frederick Douglass' early life. The pastel artwork contributes to the dreamlike mood of the text created by passages such as- "Lying in the dark of the woods, he wished he were an animal: a creature with fur and claws to protect himself. He wished he were a bird, able to soar over the treetops, fly on the wind as far as the sea." Third and fifth grade students would benefit from experiencing this book as it is pertinent to Social Studies standards regarding the study of slavery, Frederick Douglass and heroic traits. I would also use this book as a mentor text in the classroom, revisiting it to teach small moment or descriptive writing, as well as teaching visualizing strategies. "He dreamed of stealing a boat, rowing down the river to the sea, rowing all the way to New York. But all Frederick could do was dream."

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The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis *Recipient of the Caldecott Honor and The Robert F. Sibert Medal* (2/22)

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The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis *Recipient of the Caldecott Honor and The Robert F. Sibert Medal* (2/22)

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The Wall is an autobiographical story about Peter Sis' childhood experiences during the Cold War. I enjoyed the book due to its eclectic art style as well as unconventional story technique, but I fear this would not make a good Read Aloud text. The book can be confusing to read at first glance because at times it reads like a graphic novel and there is just an overwhelming amount of information. This would definitely interest students that are interested in war topics as well as graphic novels. Even after several reads, I felt I discovered something new on every page each time. I would use this as a mentor text, as it could certainly be read and experienced in pieces. Students could practice writing their own memoirs and using visuals to tell the story of their lives. Furthermore, this would accompany the fifth grade Cold War unit perfectly. I would use a couple pages at a time in small groups, in order for students to use inference strategies to use text clues, image and background knowledge to make sense of the story.

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When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan *Recipient of ALA Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Award and Flora Stieglitz Straus Award* (3/4)

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When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan *Recipient of ALA Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Award and Flora Stieglitz Straus Award* (3/4)

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The story of Marian Anderson is truly inspiring, as she was a groundbreaking classical singer in the 1930's who was thrust in the spotlight after being publicly denied the opportunity to perform for an integrated audience. Eventually, with the aid Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, she had the opportunity to sing for more than 70,000 and a radio audience. This book would interest students of all ages and grade levels as the illustrations and story as equally captivating. I love the muted illustrations, and I got goosebumps on the page where she stands in front of a crowd with a stage light glow around her. The biographical information and timeline in the back of the book supplement beautifully written, descriptive text. This book could interest female students as well as students interested in the arts. I would actually incorporate this book into a study of text features, for example in second grade, as the timeline of her life can provide a point of study. Students can conduct research on their own life and create a timeline of their own life. This book could also be used as an example of descriptive writing, and students could be scaffolded through their own descriptive writing piece.

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Rosa by Nikki Giovanni *Recipient of the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator* (2/22)

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Rosa by Nikki Giovanni *Recipient of the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator* (2/22)

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Rosa by Nikki Giovanni tells the story of Rosa Parks and her courageous efforts in advocating for change during the Civil Rights Movement. The illustrations in this book certainly earned the Coretta Scott King Award with Bryan Collier's distinct, evocative style of art. Students interested in the history of the civil rights movement would enjoy this book. I would like to include this book in a Civil Rights unit, during Black History month or during Women's History month. This book can also be used in the study of characteristics of heroes and students can write about the character traits people like Rosa and other famous Americans possessed that made them the inspirational figures of history we look up to today.

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Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson *Recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award* (3/4)

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Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson *Recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award* (3/4)

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Heart and Soul provides several vignettes, stories about African-American experiences, covering everything from slavery to reconstruction to civil rights. I love the illustrations because they depict African Americans in a variety of powerful moments in American history- my favorite piece being "Strikers", a two-page span of African-American men holding picket signs. This would be the perfect book to have on hand during Black History Month, as each page can provide a point of study for each day of the month. Students interested in African-American history would love this book! I would use these stories as example of small moment writing, particularly in second grade, and students can be expected to use these stories and mentor texts to support them through their own small moment writing. The idea is for students to take one small moment and expand on it, every single second, with as much description as possible.

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I liked "A Drop of Water" for the amazing photography provided, including images of bubbles and snowflakes. The book also includes thought-provoking activities and experiments which I believe would interest many students, especially those interested in science. Standards such as second grade's in which students learn about the water cycle and changes that water undergoes in various states of matter can be supported by this book. Several pages in this book would be the perfect anticipatory sets in which students can engage in an "I see, I think, I wonder" activity about an image. However, the many experiments in the book could also activities in which the class engages in order to investigate the properties of water. Pollution can also be discussed in terms of how human and natural waste affects our water supply, ecosystems and other animals.

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Pablo Picasso: Breaking All the Rules by True Kelley (2/22) 

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Pablo Picasso: Breaking All the Rules by True Kelley (2/22) 

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I like the eclectic style of the illustrations, which is different from page to page. Images of Picasso's work are found throughout the book, paired with an expanse of information on Picasso's life and works. An art teacher could certainly incorporate this book into a study of Picasso's legendary, style and works. Artistic students could be drawn to the story of the life and art of Picasso and could certainly draw inspiration from this book. However, I would also incorporate this book in a study of the biographical genre. This book could be compared and contrasted to a more conventional example of the biography genre. Students could be challenged to create and name their own style using various medium of art in order to create a self-portrait. They could then write a biography of their own life to pair with their artwork.

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The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock *Recipient of the Caldecott Medal* *HOT 2014* (2/22)

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The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock *Recipient of the Caldecott Medal* *HOT 2014* (2/22)

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The Noisy Paint Box tell the story of abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky is credited as the first abstract painter, and this picture book illustrates his life as a child, a student and an artist. In regards to the story, Rosenstock depicts Kandinsky as a very curious and creative child who was being stifled by strict parents, uninterested in his interest in art. This book would be a good read for artistic students or students who are interested in biographies. The title and content of this book can be a good starting point to discuss figurative language. I would also use this book incorporate visual arts and writing into the classroom. For example, students could create a descriptive writing piece about their dream career and they can paint an item representative of that dream, their own noisy paint box.

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Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras (2/22)

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Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras (2/22)

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This book colorfully describes the holiday of the Day of the Dead and the art of Mexican artists Jose Guadalupe Posada who popularized a specific style of skeleton that is widely used in Day of the Dead celebrations. I love the pre-Hispanic style of art, incorporating elements of Aztec art with the theme of Mexican art. Personally, I celebrate this holiday, so I would enjoy sharing this book with my own students in order to share something about my culture and family's native country. This book would be of high-interest during October and on Halloween, but could also interest students who are Mexican or also celebrate this holiday. In order to incorporate visual arts with this book, students could create their own skeleton and use adjectives and other descriptive language (perhaps poetry) to describe their creation. At any grade level (but specifically K through third), students can practice taking measurements of themselves or classmates in order to label their skeleton drawings to practice the concept of scale as related to Science and Math.

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When the Horses Ride By: Children in the Times of War by Eloise Greenfield (2/22)

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When the Horses Ride By: Children in the Times of War by Eloise Greenfield (2/22)

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I love that this book describes wars through the poetic descriptions of children. The illustrations are creatively constructed with different artistic mediums such as watercolor, paint and pastels. Students interested in topics of war and historical events would enjoy this book. This book could be incorporated into third, fourth and fifth grade standards which examine various wars in American and world history. With this book, a discussion can be generated among students about the effects of war on children their own age and how they may cope during such strife. Students could write poems, imagining what the landscape of a certain war would be and what their opinion on war is from a child's point of view.