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Author: Hans and Monique Hagen
Publisher: Levine Querido
Date published: March 29, 2022
Number of pages: 56
Grade level: preschool-4th
Genre: poetry
Summary: This little girl struggles welcoming a new sister into her life and deals with the emotions that come with it.
Personal response: I understand how it might be to welcome someone new in the family so this is a great book to introduce to young kids.
Link: You are the Loveliest

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Author: Laurel Goodluck
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Date published: October 4, 2022
Grade level: 1st
Number of pages: 32
Summary: This story is about two cousins who are attached at the hip. They have the best relationship to where it seems like they are best friends.
Personal response: I love this relationship between the cousins because I also have good relationship with my cousin so this was amazing to read.
Link: Forever Cousins

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Author: Nadine Roberts
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Date published: April 13, 2021
Number of pages: 72
Awards: New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book
Grade level: 2nd
Summary: This story is about a rabbit and its father trying to figure out what is on the other side of the forest.
Personal response: I loved seeing the journey and relationship between and child and its father:
Link: On the Other Side of the Forest

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Author: Maryann Cocco-Leffler
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Date published: August 9, 2022
Number of pages: 48
Awards: Ortis Picture Awards
Grade level: 3-4
Genre: Picture book biography
Summary: Standing up for what you believe is so important to ensuring you are protecting yourself and the people around you.
Personal response: I love the message behind the story that you need to stand up fro yourself and the people around you.
Link: Fighting for Yes

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Author: E.B. White
Publisher: Harper & Brohters
Date published: October 15, 1952
Number of pages: 192
Awards: John Newbery Medal
Genre: Animal fantasy, fiction
Summary: This story is about the journey between a spider named Charlotte and her loyalty to her friend pig named Wilbur. They go through the story with their friendship battling the ins and outs of it.
Personal response: I have always loved reading this book growing up and taught me a lot about friendship.
Link: Charlotte's Web

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Author: Beth Ferry
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Date published: October 27, 2020
Number of pages: 32
Genre: fiction, children's literature
Grade level: k-2
Summary: this story shows how the animals live in their natural habitat and what they believe in doing.
Personal response: I loved how the story showcases how each animal might believe in something different.
Link: We Believe In You

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Author: Allan Wolf
Publisher: Candlewick
Date published: August 30, 2022
Number of pages: 32
Genre: fiction
Grade level: pre-k-2nd
Summary: Violet sits on a blanket with her family on a picnic and dreams of the universe.
Personal response: I loved the theme behind it that our hopes and dreams are within reach.
Link: The Blanket Where Violet Sits

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Author: Annette Bay Pimentel
Publisher: Sourcebooks Explore
Date published: March 10, 2022
Number of pages: 35
Genre: biography
Awards: American Library Association
Grade level: 2-4
Summary: The main character Jennifer wanted to change the world in any way she could. She didn't care about the obstacles she had to overcome from her disability in order to do this.
Personal response: I loved the message that you don't need people approval or your own disability to stop you change the world.
Link: All the Way to the Top

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Author: Charlotte Sullivan Wild
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Date published: January 4, 2022
Number of pages: 40
Awards: Stonewall Book Award
Genre: fiction
Grade level: pre-k - 4th
Summary: This story is about the battle Violet faces to ask her crush to b her valentine. She is overcoming a lot of personal battles that made her into the person she becomes.
Personal response: I really liked how you can see the battle Violet faces because this is something that a lot of little girls face.
Link: Love Violet

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Author: Margaret Read MacDonald
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company
Date published: March 1, 2015
Number of pages: 32
Genre: folklore
Grade level: Pre-k - 4th
Summary: A little girl lives in a village and meet a crocodile. The croc makes a promise to take her to party and decides whether or not to follow through.
Personal response: I really enjoyed reading this book and learning that you can't make a promise that you aren't willing to fulfill.
Link: Party Croc!

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Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Publisher: First Second, a division of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Date published: October 18, 2022
Number of pages: 224
Awards: 2023 Pura Belpre Children's Author Award
Genre: graphic novel, fiction
Grade level: 3-7
Summary: this story is about a young girl whose hates going to get her hair done. Through her struggles and insecurities she shows the power of accepting yourself and being proud of who you are.
Personal response: I loved how this book showcases that even though are different, everyone has some sort of beauty in them.

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Author: Christian Robinson and Adam Rex
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Date published: June 28, 2016
Number of pages: 40
Awards: Margaret Wise Brown Prize
Genre: fiction
Grade level: 2nd
Summary: Shows how students won't be alone on the first day of school because it is everyones first day
Personal response: I loved the message of showing that you're not alone in school.

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Author: Lisa Fipps
Publisher: Penguin young readers
Date published: March 2021
Number of pages: 256
Awards: Printz honor Winner
Genre: fiction
Grade level: 5th grade
Summary: The main character Ellie is tried of feeling fathomed and finally does something about it.
Personal response: I really liked the message behind this book. It can teach students about bullying and how it can really hurt people at times.
Link: Starfish

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Author: Annie Barrows
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Date published: 2007
Number of pages: 111
Genre: fiction
Grade level: 3rd grade
Awards: NY Times Bestseller
Summary: This is about the friendship go Ivy and Bean. They are total opposites but they learn to accept each other differences and become best friends.
Personal response: I love the message that even though you are not the same you can be best friends.
Link: Ivy and Bean

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Author: Christian Robinson
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Date published: March 5, 2019
Number of pages: 56
Genre: fiction
Grade level: 1st grade
Summary: This story is about the journey between a little girl and her cat. They take on the world together and share experiences they will never forget.
Personal response: This is a great book for students to read if they also have a cat so they can relate
Link: Another

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Author: Kate DiCamillo
Publisher: Candlewick
Date published: December 8, 2015
Number of pages: 240
Genre: fiction
Awards: Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner
Grade level: 4th grade
Summary: This story is about a rabbit named Edward Tulane who once lost his owner. He then went on a journey trying to find his owner while seeing all these amazing places.
Personal response: I loved seeing the journey of the rabbit. It showed lessons about how sometimes things will not always be nice in this world but you will do anything for your owner.
Link: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

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Author: Shaw Kuzki
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Date published: March 16, 2021
Number of pages: 176
Genre: historical fiction
Awards: Shogakukan Children's Book Award
Grade level: 4th-5th grade
Summary: Nozomi and her friends very much enjoy watching the lanterns take off and shares her memories with them as well as what she has learned from it.
Personal response: I loved being able to read this book because of how touching it was. It showed her own perspective of how even a lantern can change the way she is.
Link: Soul Lanterns

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Author: Sharon Draper
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Date published: May 1, 2012
Number of pages: 320
Genre: fiction
Awards: Ranked #4 Children's Books on Disabilities
Grade level: 5th grade
Summary: This is about a little girl named Melody who has a disability that is unknown but shocks everyone with how smart she is.
Personal response: I found this book very inspirational. I read this book in another class with one of my students and it really touched her and I.
Link: Out of My Mind

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Author: Gloria Amescua
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Date published: August 17, 2021
Number of pages: 48
Genre: biography
Awards: ranked 40th for children's Mexico books
Grade level: 3rd
Summary: A young girl who lived in Mexico learned all things amazing things that related to her lifestyle. Until they were told to flee and start a new life. This was hard for her to manage but was able to learn how to showcase her culture through art.
Personal response: I really enjoyed reading this especially because it is something very realistic. A lot of people go through this or have no idea what it is about this is a great way to showcase it.
Link: Child of the Flower-Song People

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Author: Sara Levine
Publisher: Millbrook Press
Date published: 2016
Number of pages: 32
Genre: informational
Awards: 2017 Winner: Children's Science Picture Book
Grade level: 2nd
Summary: This books shares information on different kinds of teeth and how you can tell the species by the type of teeth they have.
Personal Response: I liked reading an informational book because I haven't read one in awhile and it was interesting to learn about.
Link: Tooth by Tooth

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Author: Jeanne Manford
Publisher: Magination Press
Date published: September 6, 2022
Number of pages: 40
Genre: fiction
Awards: Orbis Picture Awards
Grade level: Kindergarten-6th
Theme: gays, standing up for yourself and others.
Summary: When her son was treated horribly for being gay in New York City, the mother complains to the city that he wasn't treated appropriately. The city quickly learned its lesson from a strong parade.
Personal response: I really enjoyed reading this because students are able to find ways to stand up for others whether it is for the LGBTQ community or something else.
Link: The Mother of a Movement

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Author: Ali Benjamin
Publisher: Brown Books for Young Readers;
Date published: April 4, 2017
Number of pages: 352
Genre: fiction
Awards: 2015 National Book Award
Grade level: 5th
Theme: grief
Summary: after dealing with a tragic death of her friend, the main character deals with grieving and lets her imagination tell her otherwise.
Personal response: I think this a great lesson to show kids about grief and how it can be hard.
Link: The Thing about Jellyfish

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Author: Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Kim Lien
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Date published: 2021
Number of pages: 40
Genre: fiction
Theme: keep going
Summary: A young Vietnamese boy is set off on a voyage and stumbles upon rough patches along the way. He realizes that he is not alone and that the destination will be worth it once he gets there.
Personal response: I loved the message behind it by saying even though you come across hard paths in your voyage, your destination will be worth it.
Link: My First Day

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Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Date published: 2010
Number of pages: 32
Genre: fiction
Awards: Pura Belpre award
Theme: family is everything
Summary: two cousins who lives in two different countries realize that their lives aren't as different as they thought
Personal response: I loved that the story showcases the two different lives of these cousins but they can come together in the end and still be family.
Link: Dear Primo

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Author: Ashley Bryan
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Date published: 2003
Number of pages: 40
Genre: fiction
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award:
Theme: beauty is within yourself
Summary: the black bird was voted the most beautiful bird in the forest. All the other colorful birds wanted some black color on them so they could be as beautiful as the black bird. The black bird tried to explain to the others that beauty comes from within.
Personal response: I loved the message that the black bird sent to the others that beauty is from within
Link: Beautiful Blackbird

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Author: Lisa Schroeder
Publisher: Square Fish
Date published: March 29, 2016
Number of pages: 256
Genre: fairytale, fiction
Awards:  Utah Beehive Award Nominee
Theme: Good vs Evil
Summary: Violet and her mother have locked away in a tower by the evil queen who has a spell on the entire kingdom. The queen wants one thing, beauty, which Violet has.
Personal response: I really love fairytale books and this is such a good one to showcase mother and daughter relationships but also good vs evil.
Link: The Girl in the Tower

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Author: Ben Hatke
Publisher: First Second
Date published: June 7, 2016
Number of pages: 40
Genre: fiction
Awards: #1 New York Times-bestselling graphic novel
Theme: loyalty
Summary: Goblin and his friend skeleton spend the days playing with treasure. But one day, a gang of "heroic" adventurers bursts in. It is up to Goblin and Skeleton to save the day.
Personal response: I loved the relationship between these two friends and how they will always be there for one another.
Link: Nobody Likes a Goblin

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Author: Melanie Florence
Illustrator: Gabrielle Grimard
Publisher: Second Story Press
Date published: September 2017
Number of pages: 24
Awards: 2018 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award in the Children's Picture Book
Genre: historical fiction
Grade level: Kindergarten-3rd grade
Theme: taken cultures
Summary: A young girl asks her grandfather how to say "grandpa" in Cree. He struggles to say the word because he doesn't remember. His language was stolen from his as a little boy. The young girl buy herself a Cree dictionary and shows her grandfather how to say grandpa in Cree.
Personal Response: I loved being able to see the relationship between the two in the story and how loosing your culture can weigh you down.
Link: Stolen Words

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Author & Illustrator: Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Date published: April 2, 2019

Number of pages: 32
Genre: fiction
Awards: Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner

Grade level: Pre-k - 1st grade

Summary: A little boy is exploring a forest and expressing what he sees in the forest in his art work. Each aspect of the forest leads him to using a different kind of art.
Link: My Forest is Green

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Author & Illustrator: Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Date published: March 3, 2020

Number of pages: 32
Genre: fiction
Awards: Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award

Grade level: Pre-k - 1st grade

Summary: A young girl is passing by the dunes with her mother. She is describing the ocean using the sensory details.The words she uses to describe are so simple yet so powerful.
Link: My Ocean is Blue

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Author: Sara Greenwood & Luisa Uribe
Publisher: Random House Studio
Date published: October 11, 2022
Number of pages: 40
Awards: Charlotte Huck Award
Genre: fiction
Grade level: Kindergarten-3rd grade
Theme: It is okay to be sad when remembering someone
Plot: A young girl is feeling the sad emotions that come with not seeing their sibling. Her sibling is in prison and is learning how to cope with the pain of missing him.
Personal response: I really like how realistic this can be. A lot of students and children have family members in prison and might be able to relate to this.
Link: My Brother Is Away

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Author: Margaret Read MacDonald
Publisher: Two Lions
Date published: January 29, 2013
Number of pages: 32
Genre: folklore
Theme: Never give up
Plot: This story is about a group of animals searching for water in a drought. Some animals try to give up, while the gecko won't.
Personal response: I loved the message behind it how you should never give up.
Link: Give Up, Gecko!

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Author: Rafe Martin and David Shannon
Publisher: Puffin Books
Date published: 1992
Number of pages: 32
Awards: NE Golden Sower Award, Georgia Children's Book Award
Genre: fiction, folklore
Theme: beauty is from within
Plot: Stepsisters want to marry the invisible being but only the girl who can see the invisible being can marry him. The rough face girl is able to see him and ends up marrying him.
Personal response: I love the message behind the story, how beauty is from within.
Link: The Rough Face Girl

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Author: Hena Khan
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Date published: April 19, 2022
Number of pages: 144
Genre: fiction
Grade level: 2nd-4th grade
Theme: It takes time and reflection to accept people
Plot: Zara is the queen of her neighborhood. She loves making the rules and playing games. But once she moves to a new neighborhood, Naomi is the new queen. Zara feels threatened and wants to win a Guinness World Record to allow her to feel seen.
Personal Response: I loved the message behind the book of how you don't need to be the best at everything you do.
Link: Zara's Rules for Record Breaking Fun Chapter 1

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Author: Ai-LingLouie
Publisher: Puffin books
Date published: May 7, 1996
Number of pages: 32
Awards: Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
Genre: fiction, folklore
Theme: jealousy never wins
Plot: Yen Shen shares rice with a magical fish. Her stepmother then kills the fish. The magic of the fish brings her to a festival where young women find un-married men.
Personal response: I thought it was a great twist on the original story and a great way to showcase their cultural.
Link: Yen-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China

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Author: Aida Salazar
Publisher: Scholastic Inc
Date published: 2019
Number of pages: 256
Awards: International Latino Book Award Winner
Genre: fiction
Theme: first love and gender identity
Plot: About a young girl diving through her emotional years with first loves, first periods and even gender identity
Personal response: I think this a really good book for young teens to look and realize that they are not alone in the growing up process.
Link: The Moon Within

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Author: Linds Sue Park
Illustrator: Robert Sae-Hang
Publisher: Harper Collins
Date published: March 16, 2021
Number of pages: 72
Ages 9-12
Awards: Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry
Genre: Sijo
Theme: reality
Plot: The teacher brings up a question of what would be one thing you would save in a fire. The students give great responses that are either silly or heartwarming.
Personal Response: I think this book is super realistic for a teacher to ask her students which makes it more real for students.
Link: The One Thing You'd Save

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Author: James Christopher Carroll
Illustrator: James Christopher Carroll
Publisher: Creative Company
Date published: August 9, 2022
Number of pages: 16
Awards: Children's Weather books
Genre: poetry
Theme: open-ended
Ages 9-12
Plot: A poetic personification of the winter season, Mother Winter goes walking "on the longest cold night," inviting the reader along to experience chill winds, icy ponds, white snowdrifts, and other quiet wonders.
Personal Response: This is a great way for young students to be introduced to poetry.
Link: Mother Winter

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Author: Raul the third
Publisher: Versify; Bilingual edition
Date published: September 21, 2021
Number of pages: 48
Awards: Pura Belpré Medal
Genre: fiction
Theme: go with the flow
Plot: these two friends are trying to cross a bridge to get to a party, when they realize there is too much traffic and can't make it across the bridge. So instead, they decide to have the party on the bridge.
Personal response: I thought it was a super happy and uplifting book and is a great way to introduce some Spanish into a kids vocabulary
Link: Vamos Let's Cross the Bridge

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Author: James E. Ransome
Illustrator: James E. Ransome
Publisher: Holiday House
Date published: March 1, 2011
Number of pages: 32
Awards: Children's Literature Legacy Award
Genre: fiction
Theme: some people might not seem who they are
Plot: Tom is really excited about his new bike and can't wait to show it to his best friend until it get taken.
Personal Response: I loved reading this book because this it shows the unhappy turns that friendship can take at times.
Link: New Red Bike

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Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Illustrator: Rose Bousamra
Publisher: First second, a division of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Date published: October 18, 2022
Number of pages: 224
Awards: Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award
Genre: fiction novel
Theme: facing your fears
Plot: a girl enters the salon and realizes its her biggest fear.
Personal response: I loved how relatable this can be for some people especially for people with frizzy hair like she does.
Link: Book review of Frizzy

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Author: Jon Scieszka
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Date published: 1989
Number of pages: 32
Awards: American Library Association
Genre: fiction
Theme: Empathy and forgiveness
Plot: This story about a wolf and its three little pigs. The wolf accidentally sneezes and blows the pigs house down when asking for sugar for his grandmothers birthday cake. He then gets upset that the pigs are disrespecting the grandmother. The cops show up and try to settle it out but convict the wolf of stereotyping.
Personal response: I think this book is a little more realistic than the first one but still doesn't imply the best message
Link: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

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Author: James Marshall
Publisher: Penguins Young Readers Group
Date published: September 29, 1989
Number of pages: 32
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Be smart and brave
Plot: This story about three pigs on an adventure. They each build a house out of different materials and see who can stand the longest. The bad wolf keeps them in a trap and ends up eating the pigs for dinner.
Personal response: I think this book is interesting but there isn't a greta message behind it.
Link: The Three Little Pigs

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Author: Katherine Applegate
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Date published: March 21, 2021
Number of pages: 96
Awards: #1 New York Time Bestseller
Genre: fiction
Theme: friendships are so meaningful
Plot: this story takes you along the life between an older dog and a younger brand new puppy. There might be differences but in the end they are best friends.
Personal Response: I loved how you could bring in friendship between two animals that children love.
Link: Doggo and Pupper

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Author: Theresa Howell
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: April 12, 2016
Number of pages: 40
Awards: Children's book award 2017
Genre: juvenile fiction
Theme: art can inspire transformation
Plot: This little girl loved giving kindness to the people around her. She met this man who was a painter and painted along with him and soon enough, the entire city gathered with them.
Personal Response: I thought it was very inspiring for young students to spread kindness and joy to the people around them.
Link: Maybe Something Beautiful

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Author: Hannah Carmona
Publisher: Lantana publishing
Date published: March 2021
Number of pages: 32
Awards: 2022 Outstanding International Book
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Theme: the love for your home to take you through so many different emotions.
Plot: Anita watches the dragons fly in the sky but she doesn't let them scare her.
Personal response: I love how there is connection to your home and how brave and courageous she is.
Link: Anita and the Dragons

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Author: Julie Flett
Publisher: Greystone books
Date Published: May 25, 2021
Number of pages: 47
Awards: American Indian Library Association Award.
Genre: children's literature, fiction
Theme: Everyone plays in their life and can express how happy they are in their own way.
Plot: This books shows the depiction between how children and animals play. They can play by making noises or moving their bodies.
Personal response: I really enjoyed it and loved that it is a bilingual book as well.
Link: We All Play

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Author: Ibtihaj Muhammad
Publisher: New York: Little, Brown and Company
Date published: 2023
Number of pages: 34
Awards: New York Times bestseller
Genre: Fiction
Theme: lets make this world a happier place
Plot: The main character, Faizah, tries to make the world and school a kinder place. After a couple days realization, she can see that doing kind things to the people around you can come back to you in beautiful ways.
Personal Response: I thought it was super eye opening to watch her get these amazing things in return especially after she was kind.
Link: The Kindest Red

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Author: Darren Lebeuf
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Date published: September 7, 2021
Number of pages: 32
Awards: Schneider Family Book award
Genre: realistic fiction
Theme: A city can mean a whole lot to someone.
Plot: A young girl with a visual impairment takes us through her city with her father.
Personal Response: I loved how personal it was to the little girl and made you realize how important everyones home is to them. It also paved a great way to introduce disabilities to students as well.
Link: My City Speaks

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Author: Christian Robinson
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Date published: June 2, 2020
Number of pages: 40
Awards: Picture This Recommendation List, New York Public Library Best Books for Kids, Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr., etc.
Synopsis: No matter where you live in the world, or what you're feeling, you will always matter
Genre: Fiction
Theme: You matter everyday, whenever, wherever
Plot: The book You Matter explains how no matter where you are in the world, the ocean, the streets, the park, you matter to everyone around you because you are a person who has feelings.
Personal Response: I loved how this related to not only people but also animals too. For example it showed a fish getting lost from its school, or a dog lost from its owner. It was perfect example, using amazing visuals, that everyone and thing in the world matters.
Link: You matter