Author: Raúl the Third

Book: ¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge

Publish Date: September 21, 2021

# of Pages: 48 pages 

Grade Level: Preschool to Second Grade 

Genre: fiction and children's literature 

Theme: Exploring culture

Summary: People are always crossing the bridge for work, to visit family and friends, or to play. Different directions for crossing the bridge. Different forms of transportation, bicycles, buses, cars, walking, etc. Little Lobo and his dog Bernabe have a new truck and use it to carry different party supplies over the bridge as their job. The traffic on the bridge is backed up and they go through the adventure of if they will pass in time. 

Personal Response: A great book for young children with engaging illustrations and text bubbles for the readers to understand.

Biographic Information:

Title: Wonder

Author: R. J. Palacio

Publish Date: February 14, 2012

Publisher: Random House UK

# of Pages: 315 pages 

Age Level: 9-11 years

Genre: Novel, Fiction, Children's Literature 

Theme: Kindness can make a huge difference

Summary: A story about a boy named August, who was home-schooled until he was in fourth grade he had a disability called craniofacial abnormalities which made him a target for bullies. With him starting school in the fifth grade he tries to navigate public school, bullies, and wanting nothing more than to be treated normally.

Personal Response: Reading this book has taught me many lessons but more importantly how to accept everyone for who they are instead of how they look. Which correlates with the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover." It tells an amazing story that it is always important you are putting yourself in someone else's shoes or looking through things from their perspective.

Title: A Poem Grows Inside You

Award: Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award 2023

Publication Date: November 22, 2022

Poet: Katey Howes

Illustrator: Heather Brockman Lee

Published By: The Innovation Press

Genre: Fiction, Children's Literature

Grade Level: 1st to 2nd Grade

Type of Poetry: Children's Poetry Books 

Theme: A message that is communicated through poetry and illustrations. It encourages the usage of poetry. 

Summary: A story that shows there is a story inside all of us, we are waiting for the rhythm to awaken and for us to start growing. Using metaphors and pictures, they tell the story that there is beauty within us and we have all these powers. For instance, courage, and creativity. It shows that we are waiting for the right time in life when we will bloom into a flower and we won't need to hold onto seeds anymore. 

Personal Response: This book beautifully captured the idea of poem starters, making sure that the character was filled with hope, inspiration, wonder, and the realistic idea that your time will come. It really sparks the reader's creativity and introduces children to poetry writing.

Title: Chalk

Author: Bill Thomson

Publication Date: March 1, 2010

Publisher: Amazon Publishing

Grade Level: Pre K - 2 

Genre: Children's Literature, Fantasy

Theme: Be careful what you wish for

# of Pages: 40 

Summary: A picture book with no words telling the story of three children in a park, a dinosaur, and a bag of chalk. The kids begin to draw with the chalk and it starts to come to life. A sun, a dinosaur, etc. They. then have to deal with the results of the drawings. 

Personal Response:  Since this book had no words you had to somewhat come up with your interpretations of each page in the book. I think this book suits well for young elementary students because they get to use their imagination and relate to the images of kids drawing with chalk and each of their pictures coming to life. I also thought the theme of this book is something that should be taught to young students in a way where they can understand bad things can happen so you need to be careful with what you wish for.

Title: The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

Author: Joanna Cole

Illustrator: Bruce Degen

Date: March 1st, 2010

Publisher:‎ Scholastic Press; First Edition

Genre: Fiction

Themes: this book talks about climate change. It focuses on global warming so children can understand the crisis and how to go about solving it. 

Grade Level: 2-5

# of Pages: 48

Summary: The author explains throughout the story that the earth is getting warmer. Through the illustrations, they fill the pages with color which helps make the children find science easy and fun to learn. The book talks about finding solutions to global warming.

Personal Response: It teaches young children the importance of science and how to understand it in a fun and simple way through story-telling and illustrations. It creates a positive look towards science that makes children want to learn and read it.

Title: The Giving Tree

Author: Shel Silverstein

Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Publisher Date: October 7, 1964

Published By: Harper and Row

Genre: Picture Book, Children's Literature, Fiction

# of Pages: 57 pages

Grade Level: 2nd to 3rd

Summary: The story is about life and friendship between a little boy and an apple tree. The tree was always very "giving" and the boy was very "receiving." Throughout the book, he evolves from a little boy to a middle-aged, and then an old man.

Personal Response: This book has so many interpretations and messages but lets you explore what you're reading and the emotions you can feel. It does a good job without having the readers what to think and instead, you can conclude to your own conclusions. In society, we have everyone telling us how we should feel or what we need or can't do. This book allows children to explore their own emotions and I think that's very important.

Title: Sisters

Author and Illustrator: Raina Telegemeier

Publisher: Graphic; First Edition

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comics, Autobiography

Grade Level: Third to Seventh

# of Pages: 20

Theme: The connection sisters have and the things they go through; facing fears, connecting with each other, and the adventures of growing up.

Summary: The story is about a relationship between Raina and her younger sister Amara. They take a long summer road true from San Francisco to Colorado and they go through family conflict and not having to navigate through difficulties alone because they have each other.

Personal Response: I have a sister and growing up living in the same house we definitely went through the same emotions the sisters did in the novel. A great book for an upper elementary classroom. Students with sisters or just siblings can relate and connect to the story.

Biological Information:

Title: Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

Author: Barbara Park

Illustrator: Denise Brunkus

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: July 28, 1992

Grade Level: Kindergarten to Third Grade

# of Pages: 80 pages

Genre: Fiction, Humor

Theme: There are consequences when you hide from your problems. And the reality of navigating through new changes, challenges, and anxiety.

Summary: In this book, Junie B. Jones has mixed emotions about riding the bus to school for the first time. On her first day, she is able to ride the bus successfully, however she no longer wants to ride the bus because of a rumor spreading around.

Personal Response: This story is great for all ages, especially when young children are ready to read by themselves. A great story to keep children and students engaged with her fun vocabulary and witty stories.

Title: Broken Crayons Still Color

Author: Toni Collier, Whitney Bak

Illustrator: Natalie Vasilica

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Publishing Date: August 22, 2023

# of pages: 40 pages

Grade Level: First to Second Grade

Genre: Children's Literature, Christian Fiction

Theme: Even when we are broken, we still should find the need to make a positive impact.

Summary: Avery has big emotions and anxiety while facing new changes in her life. When she uses her crayons too forcefully she discovers that they have personalities and feelings too. Through the usage of her crayons, they show her how to use her love of coloring to manage her emotions and overwhelming feelings. She becomes creative and uses positive thinking while discovering God and realizes there are beautiful things even with broken crayons.

Personal Response: It helps young children process big emotions and feelings, build a social-emotional tool kit, and find the positive things in life's challenges. A great story for children to connect that we will always face challenges and we may feel broken but there is always something to look at that is beautiful and positive even when life feels hard.

Title: Memory Jars

Author: Vera Brosgol

Publishing Date: May 25, 2021

# of pages: 48 pages

Grade Level: Preschool and up

Genre: Fiction, Children's Literature

Theme: Nothing will ever stay the same, but our memories keep things for us.

Summary: Towards the beginning of the story, Freda is devastated when she isn't able to eat all of the blueberries she picked. She has to wait an entire year before they are back; the last thing she wants to do is lose them. Her friend Gran suggests putting her blueberries in jars and using them as jam, She realizes that some things are best saved as memories.

Personal Response: I feel like this book is a great read-aloud for the end of the school year for each of the students to reflect on all the memories they have created. The illustrations and words are engaging and powerful. This can inspire students to create a "memory jar" and start looking at things in a bigger picture.