Illustrated by: Carrie Hartman

Genre: fiction, picture book

Summary: It's Hard to Be a Verb! by Julia Cook is a children's book that follows the story of a young boy named Louis, who struggles to control his impulses and stay focused. He finds it challenging to sit still and pay attention, and his body always seems to want to move. His mother encourages him to "focus his energy" and teaches him techniques like counting to ten and visualizing success to help him stay calm and in control. The book highlights the importance of understanding and managing emotions, providing relatable insights for children with high energy and short attention spans.

High-Quality Resource: The author, Julia Cook, is a former teacher and school counselor. She is known for writing books that express social-emotional topics. Her books are praised for their ability to explain complex concepts in a way that is accessible to children. It's Hard to Be a Verb has won two awards: Mom's Choice and National AEP.

Standard: K.RL.IKI.7 With prompting and support, orally describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear.

Activity: illustration-Story Connection Chart--

I will create a two-column chart to record the relationship between illustrations and the story. One column will be labeled "Illustrations" and the other side "Story." As I read, students will be asked to describe what they see in the picture, and then explain how it relates to what is happening in the story. For example: Illustration: Louis looks frustrated. Story: Louis is having trouble sitting still and focusing. This activity allows students to make explicit connections between visual information and text.

Illustrator: Shane W. Evans

Genre: realistic fiction

Summary: My Brother Charlie is narrated by a young girl who shares her experiences growing up with her brother, Charlie. She describes Charlie as a loving and caring brother, highlighting his unique qualities and the challenges he faces due to his autism. The story emphasizes that, although Charlie sometimes struggles with communication and social interactions, he has many wonderful traits that make him special, such as his love for music and his big heart.

The book aims to foster understanding and acceptance of individuals with autism, showing that every child is unique and has their own strengths and abilities.

High-Quality Resource: The author Holly Robinson Peete is a mother of a child with autism. Through this story, Holly brings personal experience and literary knowledge making her insights particularly valuable and reputable for parents, educators, and caregivers. My Brother Charlie received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Children's in 2011.

Standard: K.RL.KID.3 With prompting and support, orally identify major events in a story.

Activity: I will read the story aloud, pausing occasionally to ask guiding questions such as "What do you think just happened or What is Callie doing to help Charlie?" After reading, our classroom will create a visual story map using picture cards and we will have to sequence the major events in the correct order. Cards could be Charlie and Callie playing together, Charlie having different emotions, Callie helping Charlie communicate, etc.

Genre: Fiction

Summary: We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio is a picture book adaptation of Wonder, focusing on Auggie, a boy born with a facial difference. The story presents Auggie’s perspective as he navigates feeling different from others. Though he knows he’s an ordinary kid, people often treat him unkindly because of how he looks. Auggie finds comfort in imagining himself and his dog, Daisy, traveling to space, where they can escape the stares and judgment. The book emphasizes kindness and empathy, encouraging readers to recognize that everyone is unique in their own way and to treat others with compassion.

High-Quality Resource: R.J. Palacio is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder. The picture book adaption We're All Wonders was nominated for the California Young Reader Medal.

Standard: K.RL.KID.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Activity: Wonder Question Detectives"

After reading the story, I will display the words Who, Where, When, and How, and ask students questions related to these words (Who is the story about?) After we go through each question, students will be asked to draw one detail that stuck out to them in the story. They will share their drawings with a partner and explain which detail they drew.

Illustrator: Caitriona Sweeney

Genre: Fiction

Summary: A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor is a story about a young boy who befriends Simon, a classmate with autism. At first, the boy doesn’t understand Simon’s behavior, but over time, he learns to appreciate their differences and builds a meaningful friendship. The book teaches children about empathy, acceptance, and the importance of including others, even when they may seem different.

High-Quality Resource: Gaynor's work highlights the importance of diversity, social awareness, and promoting kindness among children. Her stories have made a meaningful contribution to children's literature, especially in promoting understanding of special needs. A Friend Like Simon was awarded the Moonbeam Children's Book Award in 2009.

Standard: K.RL.CS.6 With prompting and support, define the role of authors and illustrators in the telling of a story.

Activity: I will say this book was written by Katie Gaynor. She is the author of the story. The person who draws the pictures in a story is called the illustrator. The illustrator for this book is Caitriona Sweeney. I will use chart paper and write the word author and draw a pen next to it, then will write the word illustrator and draw a paintbrush beside it. As we read, I will point out places where we can see the author and illustrator's work. (Look at this picture. The illustrator drew this to show us what is happening in the story. The author uses these words to tell us how Matthew and Simon feel). After reading, we will have a class discussion to answer questions about the author and illustrator. (Who wrote the words? Who drew the picture? What did the author help us learn? What did the illustrator help us see?)

Illustrator: Camila Carrossine

Genre: fiction

Summary: Included: A Book for Children on Inclusion by Jayneen Sanders is a story designed to teach young children the importance of inclusion and acceptance. The book centers around a group of diverse children who learn to appreciate their differences and similarities. Through simple, engaging language and vibrant illustrations, it conveys how everyone deserves to feel included, regardless of their background, abilities, or appearances. The story emphasizes that being different is something to celebrate and that each person’s unique qualities contribute to the group's overall richness.

High-Quality Resource: Jayneen Sanders is a well-regarded author, educator, and advocate for children’s rights. Jayneen has written numerous books aimed at helping children understand important topics like body safety, consent, gender equality, and emotional well-being. Her book Included won the Next Generation Indie Book.

Standard: K.RL.KID.3 With prompting and support, orally identify characters in a story.

Activity: Character Identification

After reading the book, the students will discuss the characters. I will use picture cards of characters from the story and ask students to name the characters and describe their traits. Then, students will choose one character to draw and write 1 sentence describing their chosen character in their response journals.

Illustrator: Daniel Rieley

Genre: biography, nonfiction

Summary: The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca is a biographical picture book that tells the inspiring story of Temple Grandin, an animal scientist who is also one of the most well-known advocates for autism. Temple was diagnosed with autism at a young age, and the book recounts how she overcame challenges related to her condition by thinking in pictures instead of words. Her visual thinking ability gives her a unique perspective, enabling her to see things that others cannot, leading to groundbreaking innovations.

High-Quality Resource: Julia Finley Mosca has written several books that focus on promoting diversity, inclusion, and perseverance. She is known for writing educational and inspiring biographies of notable figures who have made significant contributions in their field. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures won the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award and the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books Selection.

Standard: K.RL.CS.4 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in text.

Activity: There are many subject-specific vocabulary terms in this book such as engineer, livestock, autism, diagnose, innovate, etc. For this activity, as I read, students will be asked to raise their hands anytime I read a word they are not sure of. We will write these words on the board. After our read-aloud, we will complete a word detective work. For each unknown word, I will ask the class "What do you think this word means...are there any clues we can find in the pictures or the story to help us?" Then, as a class we will develop simple definitions for each word. Example: Humane: being kind to animals.

Illustrator: Cece Bell and David Lasky

Genre: Graphic novel, autobiography

Summary: El Deafo by Cece Bell is a graphic novel that tells the semi-autobiographical story of the author’s childhood experiences growing up deaf. The story centers around Cece, a young girl who loses her hearing to meningitis at age four. As she navigates her world with her new Phonic Ear hearing aid, she struggles with feelings of isolation and the challenges of fitting in. Her journey is about finding confidence in her differences and learning that being unique can be empowering.

High-Quality Resource: El Deafo is a semi-autobiographical account of Cece Bell's childhood, making it a first-hand source of what it is like growing up deaf. The book has won prestigious awards like the Newbery Honor and the Eisner Award, which are indicators of its literary quality and educational value.

Standard: K.RL.CS.5 Recognize common types of texts.

Activity: We will begin with a brief discussion about different types of texts. I will ask students if they have ever read a graphic novel. I will explain that El Deafo is a graphic novel, a specific type of book that combines pictures and words and can look like a comic. I will read a few pages from El Deafo to the class. After reading, we will discuss elements of graphic novels through questions like "What do you notice about the pictures?" "What are in the speech bubbles and why are they important?" Lastly, students will create their own one-page graphic novel using these elements.

Illustrator: Merrilee Liddiard

Genre: realistic fiction

Summary: When Charley Met Emma by Amy Webb is a story about a young boy named Charley who feels uncomfortable and curious when he meets Emma, a girl who uses a wheelchair and has limb differences. At first, Charley doesn't know what to say or how to act. Emma, however, kindly explains that while she looks different, she likes to play and have fun just like other kids. Throughout the book, Charley learns about kindness, acceptance, and how to be a good friend by asking questions respectfully and showing empathy.

High-Quality Resource: When Charley Met Emma is a 2019 Gold Medal Moonbeam award winner as well as a 2019 INDIE Bronze Medal winner.

Standard: K.RL.KID.2 With prompting and support, orally retell familiar stories, including key details.

Activity: I will read the story aloud to the class. After reading, students will gather in a circle and I will explain that we will work together to retell the story. I will prompt discussion by asking questions such as "What happened when Charley first met Emma? or "How did Charley feel when he first learned about Emma?" As a group, students will retell the entire story, including key details.