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Freedom in Congo Square by R. Gregory Christie.

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Freedom in Congo Square by R. Gregory Christie.

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Freedom in Congo Square follows the lives of slaves in New Orleans. The book goes through each day and what is to be done on the plantation. Each page ends with a countdown to when they can all go to Congo Square. Finally, on Sunday they get a day off and are free to gather in Congo Square. I would read this book with third graders because they are now at an age where they can understand slavery. I also believe that the story hits the surface level of slavery which is good for third graders because they are not old enough to hear the horrors of slavery. I think that the story is also good because it humanizes slaves and shows students that they had culture and community despite being in slavery. At the end of the book, there is a list of vocab words and their definitions. Therefore, I can not only teach my students about history through this book, but also have a vocabulary lesson to go along with it. Due to this, I would say that the language is moderately complex and the meaning is as well. The text is slightly complex since the sentences do not consume the pages. (Aligns with 3.FL.VA.7aDetermine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies).

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Most Marshmallows written and Illustrated by Rowboat Watkins.

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Most Marshmallows written and Illustrated by Rowboat Watkins.

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Most Marshmallows is a cute story about where marshmallows come from. They do not grow on trees but in fact they grew up in houses. They live a regular life just like you and me. This book would be great to use in the classroom because it is fun and allows the students to open their imagination. Also the story comes together at the end to say that marshmallows can do anything and be anything just like we can, which is a great lesson for students. The story can lead to a fun activity in class using s'mores and coming up with things that marshmallows can do, which would help see where they are at with writing. Additionally, I would use this book with first graders to analyze their phonics and fluency abilities. The text and language of the story are slightly complex which makes it an easy read for first graders. The sentences are short and the words few which aligns more with a first graders reading level. (Aligns with 1.FL.F.5Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension and 1. FL.WC.4Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly).

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A Different Pond by Bao Phi, Illustrated by Thi Bui.

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A Different Pond by Bao Phi, Illustrated by Thi Bui.

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A Different Pond follows a young boy and his father going fishing together. It is an inspirational story that teaches that things come with hard work. His father has two jobs and yet they still have to fish for their food. This story is about life and family. The author specifically said that he wrote this book because he desired to have a book with characters that looked like himself so he could read them to his daughter. The characters in the story are of Asian heritage so having this book allows Asian Americans to have representation inside my classroom. I would use this book with third graders because they are able to understand the meaning of "you have to work hard for what you have". The father says that "everything in America is expensive" which is a great quote to go over with students. I want them to comprehend this as well as see the importance of having Asian Americans be the lead characters. The text and language are moderately complex since the form of the book relates to a comic strip which could take some getting used to for students. (Aligns with 2.FL.F.5Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension).

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Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh. 

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Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh. 

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Separate is Never Equal follows the story of Sylvia Mendez and her family as they worked toward desegregation in California. Her family fought to have their children, which included Sylvia, attend the schools near them. However, they were told that the kids had to go to the Mexican school. By the end, they succeed in their efforts and the Mendez children are allowed to attend the white schools. The meaning behind this story is very complex; therefore, I would read it with fifth grades. The story demands that the students have a prior knowledge of the treatment of African Americans in American history. It also requires them to know about the civil rights movement and how it impacted people. This book would be great for fifth graders as American History is already in their curriculum. I believe this book is great for so many reasons. It teaches students about different ethnicities, such as Hispanic as seen in this book, that were impacted by segregation and it highlights bullying in schools. There is a lot of comprehension and vocabulary to go over with students while reading this book. (Aligns with 5. FL.F.5 Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding).

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The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali.

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The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali.

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The Proudest Blue follows the lives of two sisters on the first day of class and one's first day of Hijab. The story is told from the perspective of the youngest sister. She is so proud of her sister for wearing her Hijab and is confused as to why no one accepts it. Throughout the story, she defends her sister and defends the hijab. I would read this book with second graders as they learn about figurative language. The little sister compares the blue hijab to so much, and I would like to access if the students are comprehending the similes. This book shows a different culture that is not discussed often. It is good for students to see someone different than them and to learn about the significance of the hijab. The text and language are moderately complex due to the similes. The meaning is also moderately complex as it shows the importance of the Islamic culture. (Aligns with 2.FL.F.5Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension).

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Hair Like Mine by Latashia M. Perry, Illustrated by Bea Jackson.

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Hair Like Mine by Latashia M. Perry, Illustrated by Bea Jackson.

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Hair like Mine follows a little girl who has never seen someone with hair like her. Her mother tells her that no two people are the same, so she goes throughout the day trying to prove her mother wrong. However, she cannot and is still left disappointed by the fact that no one has the same hair as her. Her mother teaches her the wonderful lesson at the end that being different is a good thing. This book is good to read with second graders to teach them the importance of differences. It is also good for students to see the diversity in the book and to see strong leading female characters. I would monitor students fluency and comprehension throughout reading the book. The text and language complexity are moderate as there are some difficult aspects to understand. The meaning is rich therefore it is moderately complex as well. (Aligns with 2.FL.F.5Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension).

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A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant

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A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant

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The inspirational children's book A Splash of Red follows the life of artist Horace Pippin. From a very young age, Horace loved art. He loved the way it felt and loved to draw for everyone he knew. Unfortunately during WWI, he was shot which caused him to lose the use of his arm. He worked hard but he eventually regained feeling and was able to return to doing what he loved. This book is great because it teaches students that they can overcome anything. They may feel like it is the end; however, with enough work and determination, anything is possible. I would read this book with third graders. For one, they are in the middle of elementary school and they need motivation to continue their learning journey. I could do an assignment where the students draw something they have overcome to see how they are comprehending the meaning behind the book. The text and language are moderately complex as there are a lot of relatively more difficult words on each page. (Aligns with 3.FL.F.5 Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding).

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El Deafo is a graphic that follows the life of a young girl. When she was little, the girl contracted meningitis which led her to become deaf. The story follows as she learns to adapt to her new life without the ability to hear. I would read this book with fifth graders because of the text complexity. This book is heavy on the knowledge demands. The students will learn a lot through reading this book. They will learn about meningitis and see life from a new perspective. The most important thing is that the students will see someone with a disability overcome it and show that the disabilities do not define who we are as people. This book offers more representation in the classroom. Additionally, I would analyze the students vocabulary and comprehension skills throughout. (Aligns with 5. FL.F.5 Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding).

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The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes.

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The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes.

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The King of Kindergarten follows a little boy on his first day of kindergarten. The little boy's mom is describing to him how his first day will go in the classroom. It goes from getting ready and transitions into the lessons the teacher will teach. This book would be a great read aloud for kindergartners on the first day of school. They all have a mix of emotions about starting school, so this book would be good to calm their worries. However, the text complexity and language of the story are a little difficult, so this would also be good to read with fourth graders. There is a lot of great vocabulary that the book offers which can be turned into a good lesson for the students. Also, the main character is an African American which offers representation in the classroom. The text and language of the book are moderately complex as the pages are long and the words can be difficult. (Aligns with 4.FL.VA.7 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies).

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The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, Illustrated by Adam Rex. 

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The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, Illustrated by Adam Rex. 

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The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors is a hilarious tale of how this popular game came to be. Rock is strong and cannot find a worthy opponent. He goes throughout "kingdoms" in search for his perfect match. This book is great because it is light-hearted and is a good way for students to practice reading. I would use this book with fourth graders due to the text complexity. The pages are heavy in words, also the language can be difficult for younger students. There is an abundance of tone changes throughout the story; therefore, I believe this book would work great to practice fluency with the students. I can model to them how the story should be read and read it in a monotone voice to see if they can see the difference tone plays in reading a story. The meaning and knowledge demands are slightly complex since the book discusses a tale of the beloved game. (Aligns with 4. FL.F.5Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings).

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We're All Wonders follows the inspirational life of August Pullman, who does not look like any of the other kids. He was born with facial differences and he is picked on due to these differences. The story goes through Auggie's imagination and leads him to discover that he is indeed filled with wonder and so is everyone. This story is full of great lessons for students. Wonder discusses the issues of bullying, differences in the form of disabilities, the wonder in everyone, and the importance of kindness. I would read this book with first graders because I think it is perfect to see how the are doing with the aspect of fluency that deals with tone and pauses. Also, I can judge their phonemic awareness of the words. The book is slightly complex in text and language. However, meaning becomes moderately complex due to the abundance of lessons throughout. (Aligns with 1.FL.F.5Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings).

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Perfectly Norman follows the life of young boy Norman. Norman has always lived a normal life until one day he grows wings. He believes this is the best thing to ever happen to him, but he slowly starts to realize maybe they are not all great. By the end, Norman realizes that there is no such thing as perfectly normal, but he can be perfectly himself. I believe this is a great book to read with second graders because it discusses the importance of personality and uniqueness. Students can see that they are important just by being themselves. Norman's parents are an interracial couple and students need to see that it is a good thing. Additionally, there are a decent amount of italicized words which are meant to be emphasized when read. This gives a great opportunity to see how the students are doing with fluency. I also love the art decisions in the book, which would be great to discuss with students. The text and language are slightly complex. The meaning is moderately complex because Norman is finding himself throughout the story. The book demands some sympathy and understanding of the situation Norman is going through. Some students might have gone through a similar situation. (Aligns with 2.FL.F.5 Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings).

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Going Home With Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons, Illustrated by Daniel Miner. 

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Going Home With Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons, Illustrated by Daniel Miner. 

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Going Home With Daddy follows the story of a young African American boy Lil' Alan. Each summer he anticipates going to his Granny's house for a family Reunion. Throughout the story, he explores the true meaning of family. This book lays out an opportunity for a teacher to get to know their students more personally. After reading this to a third grade class, third grade because of the text and language complexity, I would assign the students a writing assignment where they would tell me what they believe family means and some of their family traditions. This is an opportunity to not only see their writing skills, but also see how well they comprehend the story. Additionally, it is good to have representation in the classroom. The text and language are moderately complex as the words fill up the pages. Meaning is also moderately complex since it goes through Lil' Alan's individual family. Knowledge demands are slightly to moderately complex since the students are required to have some knowledge of the characteristics of the family Lil' Alan describes. (Aligns with 3.FL.F.5 3.FL.SC.6Demonstrate 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).

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The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat. 

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The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat. 

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The Adventures of Beekle tells the story of an imaginary friend that is waiting to become real in someone's mind. Beekle searches around to find anyone. Once he is thought by someone he can leave his world and enter the imagination of someone. This book is good for the classroom because it offers a different perspective for students to think about, also it highlights the importance of friendship. This book would be good for first graders as the words do not fill up the pages, so it would be easier for them to read. This book would be good for fluency, but also phonemic awareness to see if the student knows the sounds of the words. The text structure and language are slightly complex which is good for a first grader. The meaning is slightly complex since it is told from the perspective of Beekle. The knowledge that students need is mainly the idea of imagination and imaginary friends. (Aligns with 1. FL.PA.2.Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds(phonemes)).

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Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and Winifred Conkling.

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Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and Winifred Conkling.

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Hidden Figures follows the lives of four African American women that worked for NASA during the space race. They were very good at math which made them perfect for the job; however, during this time blacks and whites were segregated which made it very difficult for them to do their job. As a math major I would want to include this book in my future classroom library. Additionally, students need to comprehend the severity of the racial issues in the country. Students will also see a group of people that are not only marginalized for their gender but also for their skin color. Both of those characteristics had nothing to do with their abilities in math, which they proved. This book contains some complex history and mathematical terms so I would read it with fifth graders. The text structure itself is moderately complex. The language is moderate as well since it includes the mathematical terms. The meaning is very complex since there are multiple levels of meaning. The knowledge demands are very complex because students need to understand math, racial tension, WWII, and the space race. (Aligns with 5. FL.F.5Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding).

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The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis.

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The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis.

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The Wall follows young Peter as he grew up during the communist regime. In school he was only able to draw certain things which shows the force of control from a communist government. He starts to find access to Western culture but that is taken from him. The book goes on to describe that battle and then eventually the government is overthrown. This book is dense as it discusses the heavy topic communism. Therefore, I would read it with fifth graders. After reading this book with the students, I would get there reactions and opinions toward it. Then we can go over the historical significance of the book. I want the students to understand how Peter suffered and how blessed they are to have the life they live. The text is moderately complex as it may be difficult to understand. The language is moderately complex as well. The meaning is very and maybe even exceedingly complex since it discusses communism. The book requires the students to have some knowledge of communism and the impact it has. (Aligns with 5. FL.F.5Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding).

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A Ticket Around the World by Natalia Diaz and Melissa Owens.

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A Ticket Around the World by Natalia Diaz and Melissa Owens.

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A Ticket Around the World follows a young boy that travels to different countries around the world. He travels to countries like Costa Rica, Morocco, and India. He discusses the different cultures and aspects that each country has to offer. I would use this text with fifth graders as it offers some complex language and ideas when discussing different cultures. This book should be used to show students all that is in the world. This broadens students perspective and shows them a different life outside of their own. It is important to show students there are so many wonderful cultures in the world that they might not even know about. This is important for fifth grade as these students are about to go to middle school and see the world from a new lens. The text features are moderately complex as it uses graphics and the text describes the country. Language is moderately complex since students will not know the other languages represented in the book. The meaning is moderately complex since the goal of the book is to educate students about the world, but the theme may get lost. The book requires knowledge of the countries mentioned in a sense that students should be familiar that these places are countries in the world. (Aligns with 5. FL.F.5Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding).

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The Book of Mistakes follows someone that is drawing a picture but continues to make mistakes along the way. As the speaker continues, the readers can see how the picture can be changed into something so beautiful. All we need to do is change our perspective. I would read this book with second graders to show the importance of perspective and that it is okay to make mistakes. Mistakes help us learn. It would be awesome to have the students create a drawing themselves before reading the book, then after reading they can tell me how they could transform their drawing into something else just like the speaker did. Students need to understand that mistakes allow you to learn and mistakes do not end things, but rather transform them. The language and text structure is slightly complex as the words are not hard and there are few throughout the book. The meaning is moderately complex as there are multiple ways to look at a mistake. Knowledge demands are slightly complex because students understand mistakes in the second grade. (Aligns with 2.FL.F.5 Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding).

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What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada, Illustrated by Mae Besom.

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What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada, Illustrated by Mae Besom.

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What Do You Do With a Problem? follows a young boy who struggles with worry. Throughout the book, the problem grows only causing the boy more distress. Finally he decides to overcome his problem and ends up finding beauty in the worry. This book would be best to read to second graders. The first two years of school prepare the student how to behave in the classroom. When you get to second grade, school is more geared toward learning. This can be a scary time for second graders, but they need to know that it will all be okay. I would use this book at the beginning of the year, and use it to help alleviate some possible worry that could be going on in my students' minds. It could be used for fluency practice as it forces the reader to pause and change tone of voice. The text structure is slightly complex as it is clear to understand and uses some graphics. There are some words that may be hard for a second grader to read so the language is moderately complex. The meaning is moderately complex due to the fact that the problem itself is never identified. For knowledge demands, students would need to understand problem and solution. (Aligns with 2.FL.F.5Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.)

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The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena, Illustrated by Christian Robinson.

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The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena, Illustrated by Christian Robinson.

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The Last Stop on Market Street follows a young African American boy CJ and his Nana riding the bus home from church. They do this every Sunday, so CJ starts to question the need for the bus. A diverse group of people ride the bus and Nana points out the beauty of some. By the end, CJ saw the beauty in the bus and the people. This book would be great for the third grade level. I would love to use this book to highlight the importance of diversity in the classroom and the world. This book goes further than just highlighting differences in skin color, but also disabilities. The text structure and language is relatively easy to understand; however, the meaning is very complex because the students really need to understand that diversity is good. The knowledge demands are also very complex as the student needs to understand the bus system and the differences that each person on the bus has. (Aligns with 3.FL.F.5 Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding).