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Author: Amanda Noll
Illustrator: Howard McWilliam
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Date: September 1, 2016
# of Pages: 32
Visual Elements: Drawn colorful illustrations
Grade Level: K - 2nd
Genre: Fiction

Topic: Monsters, Being Scared, Problem-Solving
Summary: This book is about Ethan's search for the perfect monster to keep his little sister in bed at night. He tries with multiple monsters to keep his sister in bed in order to sleep but has problems with her not being scared by them. Eventually he finds a monster that scares her, but it is his monster! Luckily his monster has a little sister that is scary to his little sister.

Personal Response: This book is really fun and interactive to read. I felt like I was trying to help find the right monster for his sister and I was reading. Listening to a read aloud is also a really great way to experience a book. This book is fun and tells a funny story!

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Author/Illustrator: Crockett Johnson

Publisher: HarperCollins

Date: 1955

Pages: 64

Age Range: 2-5

Genre: Fiction

Topic: Action, adventure, reality

Summary: This book is a story about a young boy named Harold who carries his purple crayon with him and uses his crayon to solve problems and create different realities.

Personal Response: I think this is another great book to have in a young elementary classroom. It teaches children about creativity and to use their imagination.

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The Dot

Author/Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds

Publisher: Candlewick; 1st edition

Date: September 15, 2003

Pages: 32

Age Range: K - 4th grade

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Topic: Confidence, Patience, Influence, Potential, Creativity Summary: This book is about a young child in an art class who believes they cannot draw. After some encouragement from her teacher, she begins making her artwork out of dots, and soon begins to fall in love with art and expressing her creativity.

Personal Response: I really enjoyed this book! The illustrations are simple but effective, and I love the progression of the story and the character development. I think this book shares an important message about the significance of role models in our lives. I think that teachers are essential for encouraging children to pursue and expand their creativity, confidence, and growth, and this book is an excellent example of that.

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Author - Katherine A. Applegate
Publisher -  HarperCollins
Date - January 6, 2015
# of pages - 336
Grade level - 3rd-7th
Genre - Animal Fiction

Summary - I started out with the Dominican Republic flag because that is where Ivan is from and where he was captured. He was then taken to Big Top Mall where he remained for over two decades. Number 3 is his friends at the mall. Stella the old elephant, Bob the stray dog, and Julia who was human. Stella started to get sick due to an infection so they bought a new baby elephant named Ruby. Stella wanted to make sure she was safe and told Ivan to take good care of her if she died. Shortly after Stella died. After her death Ivan was looking over Ruby and realized that the mall is like a prison and he wants out. He ends up in a zoo and slowly starts to fit in and eventually gets a visit from his friends and is happy.

Personal values - I think this book can teach kids about friendship and dreams. It can also teach the kids that some people are in a bad situation and sometimes it's hard to get out, but it is possible and will be worth it in the end. This book has lots of good teaching opportunities.

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Author: E.B. White
Illustrator: Garth Williams
Publisher: Harper & Brothers
Date: October 15, 1952
# of Pages: 192 Pages
Visual Elements: symbolism, foreshadowing,
Grade Level: 4th and 5th grade
Genre: Novel, Fiction
Themes: Friendship, coming of age
Setting: Farm

Summary: This chapter book tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friend Charlotte, the spider. When Fern’s father is going to kill the pig’s new litter she is devasted so Charlotte starts writing messages on her web to try and persuade him not to kill Wilbur. People come from all over to see these messages at the fair and eventually, her father decides not to slaughter Wilbur anymore.

Personal Response: I enjoyed reading this Newbery Medal Award book. I haven’t read this book since I was in 5th grade so I enjoyed reading it again. I loved how it teaches kids the story of friendship and coming of age.

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Author: Alan Gratz

Illustrator: N/A

Publisher: Starscape

Date: August 29, 2017

# of Pages: 256

Visual Elements: Chapter book, no pictures

Grade Level: 3rd - 7th grade

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Fighting for censorship, Determination, Family

Setting: School

Summary:  This book is about Amy Anne Ollinger who loves books. One day she went to the library and discovered that her favorite book was banned. She was so upset and started her own secret library from her locker. She got caught and fought her way to fight censorship.

Personal Response: I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was interesting to read a book about someone who is so passionate about banning books and how to put a stop to it. It shows when you are dedicated to something you can make a difference to bring about change. This book promotes reading and I loved how Amy Anne told her story.

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Author: Jasmine Warga

Illustrator: Jasmine Warga

Publisher: Balzer + Bray, Harper Collins Publishers

Date: May 28, 2019

# of Pages: 352

Visual Elements: Poetry Chapter book, (no illustrations other than the cover)

Grade Level: Fourth-Sixth grade

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Theme: Empathy, Bravery, Resilience

Setting: Syria/America

Summary: Jude moves from Syria with her mom to America. There is a war surrounding them in Syria so they move to be safe. Jude’s mother is pregnant and they all move in with their Uncle. Jude’s brother and father stay behind. It is a big adjustment moving to a new place and Jude struggles to make friends. She writes to her friend back in Syria but has a hard time making a friend with Sarah, her cousin she is staying with. She finally finds her place in America and has a part in the school play. Her baby sister is born and she sees her brother and dad are safe.

Response to Book: I really enjoyed this book because it made me think of how hard people have it. It is really sad that she left her dad and brother behind but I was happy to see that she got to see them in the end. The book talks about belonging and how as Jude stays in America she finds her place. It was interesting to read about the Arabic words in this book. It had a glossary page that showed the meanings.

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Author: Jerry Craft

Illustrator: Jerry Craft

Publisher: Harper Collins

Date: February 5, 2015

# of Pages: 259

Visual Elements: Hardcover, graphic novel, bright colors, cartoon drawings

Grade Level: 5th - 8th grade

Genre: Graphic novel, fiction

Themes: racial prejudice, friendship, bullying, new situations, and confidence

Setting: School

Summary: Jordan Banks loves to draw cartoons. His parents send him to a private school instead of the art school of his dreams. He is a new kid and one of the only kids of color. Jordan has a hard time fitting in and meets a bully. He overcomes the bully and makes friends. He finally finds his confidence in himself.

Personal Response:  I enjoyed reading this book and could connect to the story and Jordan Banks. When I first went to high school I was very new and didn’t know anyone. It was challenging at first but then I was able to find my friends and fit in. I enjoyed how this book teaches children about finding their confidence and staying strong in difficult times.

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Author: Shirley Climo

Illustrator: Ruth Heller

Publisher: Harper Collins

Date: 1992

# of Pages: 32

Visual Elements: novel, bright colors, visuals that represent the culture, colored pencil

Grade Level: Preschool - Third grade

Genre: Fairy tales, folk tales, fables

Themes: Don’t let people discourage you, bad might lead to good, love

Setting: Egypt

Summary: Rhodopis is a sold as a slave. She has blone hair, blue eyes, and light skin. She was often called “Rosy Rhodopis” because of her rosy red cheeks. The servants teased her and were very mean. She befriended animals and would dance with them. Her master noticed and ordered her slippers so she would sparkle when she danced. The servants were jealous and ordered her ridiculous tasks. The great falcon took the slipper to the Pharoah. The Pharaoh searched for who the slipper belonged to and it was Rhodophis.

Personal Response: I was surprised that the Egyptian Cinderella made Rhodopis a slave, and the step-sisters in this story were servants. I think reading the different cultures version of Cinderella is great for students to see how diverse cultures are. It also shows how this is a form of traditional literature that is passed down throughout the world.

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The Sleeping Beauty
Author- Trina Schart Hyman
Illustrator- Trina Schart Hyman
Publisher- Little, Brown & Co.
Date/# of pages- Oct. 30th, 1977/ 48 pages
Genre- Folktales (Traditional)
Grade Level- Pre-K - 4th
Topic- This is the story of a Queen and a King who want to have a baby but struggle, so they decide to make a wish for a baby girl. To celebrate their child, they have a party. One fair lady is not invited and because of this, decides to curse the child. The King tried to protect his daughter, but she eventually fell into a deep sleep where she could only be woken by a kiss. One day a prince comes along and rescues the princess as well as the whole castle.
My Views- This might have been one of the first fairy tales/folklore stories that I ever heard. Even though this story is very old compared to children's literature now, the story has not lost its meaning or significance. The story has been adapted overtime for movies and other retellings. I found it very interesting to go back and find traditional fairy tale stories such as this one. Books like this can be used to help students learn about figurative language and features within a text.  It's important for students to have access to a variety of types of literature. Folklore and fairy tales have their place in the learning journey just as much as informative text types. It can be inspiring to read stories such as this one where even when a task seems impossible, you can work through it and have a positive end result.

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Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Dave McKean
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date/Number of Pages: July 2nd, 2002, 176 pages
Grade Level: 4th-5th grade
Genre:  fantasy fiction
Visual Elements: Not a lot of visuals throughout the book it's a chapter book. Most the visuals are in black and gloomy images.
Themes: home, family, and being courageous
Settings: England
Literacy Elements: In the book it's about a young girl names Coraline and she is unhappy with her home life she thinks everything is unfair. Her family move to an apartment house called the Pink Palace. She then discovers a weird door with another mother and father who listen to her and spoil her with whatever she wants. She then finds out that they are evil especially the mother. The other mother kidnaps Coraline's real parents and Coraline then has to save her parents. She ends up saving her parents and realizing she should be thankful for her parents.
Response: I love this book it's one of my favorite books. I really enjoy fantasy fictions. I think that this book has a deeper meaning behind it and shows that kids need to be thankful for what they have in their life.

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One theme I noticed in the book was how much the character valued family. Jessie's goal was to get across the sea and get her grandmother to America; she wanted a better life for her. Once Jessie got to America, she got help from her aunt. She lived with her, but she also got access to education. As Jessie got older, she hung on to her mother's wedding ring to use in her own wedding. It was very special because her mother had passed already. Another theme was education and specifically historical fiction. The author included a variety of historical elements that were accurate and meaningful. This story is meant to reflect the immigrants that arrived at Ellis Island. Many moved to America for a better life. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend this to others.

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Authors: Kelly Barnhill
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Date: August 9, 2016
# of Pages: 400
Visual Elements: Illustrated book cover
Grade Level: 5-9
Genre: Fiction
Topic: Kindness, Overcoming challenges, Fantasy
Summary: Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch, Xan, who lives in the forest. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. But as Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge — with dangerous consequences.
My Views: This book was an interesting read that I really enjoyed. The characters are fun and interesting making the story an exciting read. I was able to connect to the motherly love shared in this book! I could see myself using this book to help students get excited about reading! It could be recommended to students struggling to find books that keep them entertained. Or just to encourage students to read more non-fiction and fantasy stories.

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Title: Jo Jo Makoons

Author: Dawn Quigley

Illustrator: Tara Adibert

Publisher/Date: HarperCollins/ May 11, 2021

# of Pages: 80

Grade Level: 2nd-3rd

Genre: Juvenile fiction

Theme: Resilience, hope, and dream

Topic: Friends, family, pets

Medium: Digital graphics

Summary: JoJo is an active young native American girl who loves who she is. She is 7 years old and lives on the Ojibwe reservation. Her best friend is her Mimi, her cat, and she has a friend, Fern, from school. She becomes worried that Fern will not want to be her friend, so she searches for a way to make new friends.

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Author & Illustrator - Corinna Luyken
Publisher -Penguin Young Readers Group
Date - March 16, 2021
# of pages - 56
Grade level - 1st-4th
Genre - children's literature, fiction
Theme - strong, creative, connected
Topic- In this poem, the author uses figurative language to depict humans like trees. The little girl in the poem talks about the tree within her and within all of us. The poem does a great job of explaining families to young readers
My Views- I really enjoyed this poem. It has beautiful visuals and imagery. I think that figurative language can be tricky for early learners so having clear and striking visuals can help students to interpret the message in the poem. I appreciated how the author told the story in a meaningful way. The poem has a wonderful message about families.

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Written by: Andrea Beaty

Illustrated by: David Roberts

Published by: Abrams Books for Young Readers

Read by: Lea Michele

Grade level: 1st - 3rd

Genre- Childrens Picture Book

Topic-A story of a young and determined girl who dreams of becoming a great engineer.

My Views- This book was very wholesome. I really enjoyed reading it through StoryOnline because it made the story come to life. This is a great book for kids because it teaches them that just trying is enough, just because you make a mistake doesn't mean that you aren't good enough. You need to stay determined and keep trying to achieve your dreams.

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Story Plot:

This book celebrates ideas that come in all shapes and sizes. This book

follows a boy that has an idea, an idea that he doesn't know what to do with it. He's afraid

others will think his ideas are too strange, too different, or too wild. For fear of what

others think, he keeps his ideas to himself.

Personal Response:

The first time I read this book was when my college professor read

this book out-loud on the first day of class. Needless to say, it's a great book for all ages.

We have all been scared to share our ideas because we're too scared of what others might

think.

Curriculum Connections:

This book is for anyone who has ever had an idea. This is

such a great book and a must add to a classroom library. Students can create idea crowns,

where they get to share all the great ideas that they have.

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Author- Max Brallier
Illustrator- Douglas Holgate
Publisher- Scholastic Incorporated
Date/ # of Pages- 2020/ 309 pages
Genre- Fantasy and Sci-fi chapter book
Grade Level- 3rd- 7th
Topic- A boy and his friends have to face and fight against a monster. Jack is 13 years old and gets his friends to help him save the world. The illustrations work to support the action and suspense within the story.
My Views- I think this book is really fun and exciting for students. Fantasy is a very interesting genre and most kids really enjoy it. Its really important to provide students with books that are fun and just for personal reading outside of classes.

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Author: Thanhhà Lai
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: January 3, 2013
# of Pages: 288
Grade Level: 3rd-7th
Genre: Fiction
Themes: Culture, family, traditions
Summary: Inside Out and Back Again is about a young girl named Ha who lives in Vietnam during the time of the Vietnam War. She leaves with her mother and two brothers to Alabama in hopes of creating a new life and escaping the war.
Personal Response: I really connected to this book. I actually remembered reading this when I was younger but wanted to read it again to remind myself of the story. This book really does a wonderful job of using language to communicate the emotions of the little girl. The vulnerability in this book is something I really admire.

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Author: Cece Bell

Illustrator: David Lasky (Colorist)

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Date: September 2nd, 2014.

# of pages: 248

Visual Elements: Hardcopy Graphic novel. The illustrations are what make the story come to life.

Grade Level: 3rd-7th

Genre: Non-Fiction Biography

Themes: Acceptance, friendship, Difference

Setting: Roanoke, Virginia

Summary: This book is about Cece, a bunny who gets meningitis that leads to her deafness. Cece struggles fitting in at school because she has a hearing device. It is hard for her to make friends because other people look different than her. When Cece becomes friends with Laura, who was very mean. She introduces Cece as her “deaf friend”. Cece comes up with “El Deafo” to be her alter ego. It is her superhero that helps her escape the world and be herself. Cece learns to become confident in herself despite the differences she has.

Personal Response: I really enjoyed reading his book because the author shared her experiences in life. It was inspiring to hear such a vulnerable story told in a new way. Children will be able to connect with this book because of the images and characters. Overall, this is a very powerful story that I recommend to others.

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Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: Rafael Lopez

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Date: August 28th, 2018

# of Pages: 32 Pages

Visual Elements: painting, watercolor, vibrant colors

Grade Level: K-3rd

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction

Topic: Differences should be accepted. sense of belonging

My Views: This story focuses on the differences each person has and how when you go to a new place it can feel like you don’t belong/ fit in. It’s our differences that make us unique and special. Rigoberto thought he was the only one that was different but found out he and Angelina had a lot in common. Students need to be encouraged to connect to others around them. Building a sense of community in the classroom is a future goal of mine. By sharing books like this, we can show students meaningful examples of how to connect with others and accept our differences.

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Author- Lisa Fipps
Illustrator- Lisa Fipps
Publisher- Penguin Young Readers
Date/ # of Pages- 2021/ 256 pages
Genre- Fiction chapter book
Grade Level- 5-8
Topic- At her 5th birthday. she is made fun of for her weight. Throughout the book, she learns to embrace who she is and be proud of her body.
My Views- I think this book is very important for students, parents and even educators to read. We need specific examples of inclusivity in children's literature. I could see myself using this book as a part of a social and emotional learning unit for middle school students. The message is strong and the authors message is clear throughout.

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The Snowy Day

Author- Ezra Jack Keats

Illustrator- Ezra Jack Keats

Publisher- Viking Books for Young Readers

Date/ # of pages- January 1, 1996/ 16 pages

Grade Level- Pre-k to K

Genre- Realistic Fiction

Topic- Peter goes on an adventure through the snow. He makes footprints as he walks and makes a snowman in the snow.

My views- I thought this book was very cute and the illustrations were nice for children. I wish the book had a more detailed story or structure but other than that I thought it was enjoyable and appropriate for the grade level.

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Author: Christain Robinson

Illustrator: Christain Robinson

Publisher: Atheneum books for young readers

Publishing date: June 2nd, 2020

Pages: 40 pages

Grade level: 2-6 years old (Pre-k to 3rd)

Genre: Children's Literature

Topic: Love, community

My Views: This book tells the story of many people that could feel like they don't matter whether you are a tiny bug or a dinosaur. I think this book is great and will inspire students to be more confident in themselves. Life begins, when we can learn to embrace who we are and support others even with their differences.

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Speak Up by: Miranda Paul and Ebony Glenn

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Speak Up by: Miranda Paul and Ebony Glenn

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Author- Miranda Paul
Illustrator- Ebony Glenn
Publisher- HMH Books
Date/ # of pages- July 2020/ 34 pages
Genre- Childrens Picture Book
Grade Level- 2nd-4th
Topic- This book is about a diverse group of young children and how they navigate school along with the ups and downs of life. The kids gather the courage to speak up about things like bullying, loneliness, fear and many more.
My Views- I enjoyed reading this book because it is not often that you find a book that encourages students to speak up for what is right. This is a very hard thing to do, especially as kids. It is important to show examples of diversity in children's literature. The students worked together to grow and become even better people. Our voice matters and I appreciate a book that inspires young students to get out of their comfort zone and stand up for what is right.

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Author- Grace Byers
Illustrator- Keturah A. Bobo
Publisher- HarperCollins Publishers
Date/ Number of pages- March 6, 2018/ 32 pages
Grade Level- PreK-3rd
Genre- Picture Book
Theme- Rhyming book focused around loving oneself
Topic- How to love yourself and appreciate your differences. The book follows the life and journey of a little girl who struggles it fit in and begins to compare herself to others due to this.
My view/Connections- I feel that this would eb a great book to plan a lesson around. Students need to feel welcomed and supported; this isn't always easy depending on their background. In order to encourage students to connect with each other, we need to model positive strategies to love oneself. This book reminded me of the Social and Emotional model. I think this book could be a wonderful example of how to treat others as well as yourself. Overall, I think this is a book I would love to have in my classroom, and I hope to incorporate it into my teaching philosophy.

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Author- Elisha Cooper
Illustrator-
Publisher- Roaring Brook Press
Date/ # of pages- 2017/ 32 pages
Genre- Picture Book
Grade Level- K-1
Topic- In the story, a large, white cat welcomes a new black cat into a family. The white cat then dies, and the cycle begins anew when the family adopts a new kitten. Cooper was inspired to write the story after his family experienced a similar situation.
My Views- I think this story is a great way to inspire students/children to show compassion. This book is inspiring for young readers and teaches children about life situations such as mourning a loved one. This book would be great for any social emotional learning lesson. The book has sweet illustrations that kids will enjoy.

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Strictly No Elephants by: Lisa Mantchev
Illustrator- Taeeun Yoo
Publisher-Simon and Schuster books for young readers
Date/ # of pages- January 2017,
Grade Level- 4-8yrs
Genre- Social and Emotional picture book
Topic- The book tells a story of a little boy and his pet elephant. They struggle to feel accepted because they are different. By creating their own friends and space to play, they find a sense of belonging and invite others to do the same.
My Views- I adore this book. This was my very first book I purchased as a future teacher. This book is great for building SEL lesson plans. Students will learn to accept their differences and appreciate others as well as how to show support for another. This book has strong visuals and colors to go along with the interesting story. I recommend this book to all. The story can help students to learn about inclusion and equity in a meaningful way while still being fun.