Illustrated By: Lane Smith

Copyright Date: 1989
Publisher: Viking Press

A hilarious and witty twist on the classic story of the three little pigs that twists the point of view and perspective from the wolf. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Compare and contrast two different point of views of the same account.  

Copyright Date: August 30, 2016
 Publisher: Chronicle Books

2017 Caldecott Honor

As a cat walks about outside he encounters a variety of animals and creatures that spark curiosity and imagination in a repetitive manner. 

How did you find this book?           
ALSC Caldecott Medal Home Page

Discuss with children how everyone views things differently and has different perspectives and that it is okay to not see what someone else sees. 

Annotation: Chloe and her friends isolate the new student Maya and make fun of her. Maya suddenly stops coming to school and moves away. Chloe learns about the impact of kindness and regrets not befriending Maya.
How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
This book would be a great lesson on bullying. It can teach students about being kind and the impact that hurtful and unkind words and/or actions can have on others. Kindness can make the world a better place.

Annotation:Molly Lou Melon is short, clumsy, has buckteeth and a squeaky voice. Her grandma has always told her to be proud of who she is. A bully picks on her at school but learns a lesson about being yourself. 
How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
I would use this book in my classroom to teach students to be comfortable in their own skin. It is a great lesson for students that no matter how small or different you are from everyone else, you can still be good at something. It can also be used as a lesson on how to stand up to bullies by being kind, rather than stooping to their level and being unkind as well. 

Illustrated by:Tara Calahan King
Copyright Date:September 2000
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Awards or Medals: 

Annotation:
Jeremy Ross moves into the house down the street and becomes enemy number one. Dad has the perfect idea to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie, however this recipe requires spending the entire day with the enemy.

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Teach students not to judge a book by its cover and you should really get to know someone instead of deciding whether or not you should be their friend based upon the little things you do know about them or how they look. 

Illustrarted By: Wendy Popp            

Copyright Date: 1998
Publisher: Children’s Book Press     

Anna has never seen a person with dark skin before and is scared of her new second-grade teacher. Anna quickly discovers that she loves her teacher, but someone sends her a cruel message. Sister Anne turns it into a learning experience for Anna. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Teach students about racism and discrimination and not to judge a book by its cover. 

Bobby has the worst, meanest, strictest teacher, Bobby believes she is a monster! One day Bobby sees his teacher at the park and gets to know her and realizes she might not be a monster after all. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Opener to beginning of the year to make students more comfortable with teacher.  Great way to break the ice and get students to open up to you and warm up. 

Illustrated By: Christian Robinson

Copyright Date: January 8, 2015
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books

2016 Newbery Medal

A story highlighting the relationship between a grandparent and her grandchild. CJ begins to question why their lives are not like the lives of his friends. However, his grandma helps him see the importance and distinction in their daily lives. 

How did you find this book?                                                             
UNLV Teacher Development & Resources Booklists & Awards - Newberry Medal

Discuss theme, “appreciate what we have and not worrying about all the things we want.”, or “giving to others instead of wanting”, another theme is the “finding of beauty in unexpected places”. 

Copyright Date: August 30, 2016
Publisher: Random House Children's Book

Beans knows his parents lie, and all grown-ups lie but he and his friends are the savviest in all of the Key West. In the middle of the Great Depression, with no jobs, no money, he has a plan for big great things.

How did you find this book?
Scott O'Dell Award website

Classroom Use:
Discuss and teach/learn about the era of the Great Depression

Copyright Date: September 13, 2016
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

A picture book written in a poetic manner, about slavery. It tells the story of slave’s given individual monetary value given their plantation owners, and their lives on the plantation.

How did you find this book?                                                             
UNLV Teacher Development & Resources Booklists & Awards - Newberry Medal

Great source to reference about primary sources, discussion about sale, treatment and perception of slaves by their white owners; along with the feelings and dreams of these slaves.

Copyright Date: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Candlewick

2017 Caldecott Honor

Annotation:
A picture book all in a language that is completely made up, in a repetitive pattern, about curious little insects and a sprouting plant.

How did you find this book?           
ALSC Caldecott Medal Home Page

Great for students to practice inferring and decoding skills by looking for patterns in the text, and picking up clues from the illustrations to infer what is going to happen in the story. 

Illustrated By: Marc Lizano

Copyright Date: April 1, 2014
 Publisher: First Second 

A grandmother tells her granddaughter her story as a young Jewish girl in Paris who was hidden away from the Nazis by neighbors and friends when her parents had been taken to concentration camps, told in a comic book style.

How did you find this book?           
UNLV Teacher Development & Resources Booklists & Awards - Batchelder Award

Teach students about the Holocaust and the Nazis, could also teach point of view.

Copyright Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

One of Mexico’s cherished legends, about the forming of the two volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl, and Popocatépetl, 

How did you find this book?           
Amazon’s Most Gifted Children’s Multicultural Literature

Could compare this version of volcanoes forming to another one from a different culture. Could also be used to study volcanoes, possibly building one.

Illustrated By: June 28, 2016
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

The folktale of the Kingdom of Morocco and the fountains of cool water with the storytellers. The forgetting of the storytellers and how they are diminishing, except for a young boy who stays to listen.

 How did you find this book?         
Amazon’s Most Gifted Children’s Multicultural Literature

Have students reflect about stories passed down within their families and cultures. Students could write stories and share. Students could also interview their elders for other possible stories. 

Illustrated By: September 19, 2012
Publisher: Chronicle Books 

A funny retelling of how Ganesha helped write the epic poem of Hindu literature, the Mahabharata. 

How did you find this book?           
Amazon’s Most Gifted Children’s Multicultural Literature

Compare and Contrast stories to traditional telling of the creation of the epic poem Mahabharata, or compare different kinds of mythology from different cultures. 

A bus driver asks for help watching his bus while he steps away and a pigeon wants to take his place. The pigeon begs, pleads throughout the whole book allowing children to respond to the pigeon’s unrealistic requests. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Interactive story to get students engaged and participating. Students can then make a list including arguments for and against letting the pigeon drive the bus, and perhaps hold a mock debate.

It's time for the little red chicken's bedtime story. The chicken can't help but interrupt papa and soon they are out of stories. The little red chicken tells her papa a story, but he doesn’t make it to the end without interrupting himself.

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
This could be used to help with classroom management and students who interrupt. A good opener or conversation starter for students to brainstorm ideas on what makes a good listener and what does not make a good listener.  

A rabbit has a box that takes him to different worlds from a racecar driver, to a firefighter blazing fires, or a pirate ship. The rabbit proves that anything is possible as long as you have your imagination. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Great for students to get creative juices flowing. Teach students that it is okay to use their imagination and have fun regardless of what they have in front of them. Students could brainstorm all the things they could do with a box, perhaps a STEM activity to get them engineering with boxes.  

All the birds have laid eggs except for duck. Duck finds the most beautiful egg in the whole world, although the other birds do not agree. After everyone’s egg hatches, everyone is surprised to see Duck’s egg hatch. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Introduction to the life cycle of chickens. Students can be exposed to many different eggs and what hatches from them. While reading ask probing questions such as predictions on what will hatch, can a duck hatch an alligator, etc. Then students can be taught about the life cycle of a chicken. 

Copyright Date:April 8, 2014
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Awards or Medals: 

Caldecott Medal 

Annotation:
Somewhere on an island far away, imaginary friends are born and wait to be chosen by a real child. When one imaginary friend doesn’t get chosen after waiting, he takes off on an adventure to look for his perfect match. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Teach children patience and courage. You can’t always wait for a friend to come to us, sometimes you have to make the first move. Sometimes finding a a true and best friend isn’t easy and it takes time and patience. 

Illustrarted By: Bryan Collier

Copyright Date: October 1, 2001
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

2002 Caldecott Medal

2002 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award for Picture Book

A picture-book biography introducing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Great book for Black History Month and Civil Rights unit study. 

 

Illustrated By: Jessie Hartland

Copyright Date: October 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Annotation:
A biography of Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer.Ada Lovelace had a vision of the computer-driven world we live in today. She was able to demonstrate how the machine would be coded, and in doing that she wrote the first computer program. 

How did you find this book?           
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

Introduction book for coding and its history and the evolution of the computer. Could also discuss woman’s involvement in STEM which used to be very minimal

Illustrated By: C.F. Payne

Copyright Date: February 2016
 Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Eureka Nonfiction Gold Award (CA)

NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book

Annotation:
A biography of Mary Garber, one of the first female sports journalists in American history during a time when women weren’t involved in journalism, much less sports, or African-American sports. 

How did you find this book?           
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

Teach students about women’s rights and the evolution of careers in sports for women.

Copyright Date: February 15, 2016
Publisher: Children's Book Press

An informational ABC like book in Spanish and English about a cloud forest in the Andes of Ecuador and a zoologist’s hunt for the elusive olinguito, a new mammal species identified in the Americas in 1978. 

How did you find this book?
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

Classroom Use:
Great way to learn the alphabet and vocabulary, while also learning about non-fictional information and non-fictional books, teach Spanish.

Illustrated By: Elizabeth Baddeley

Copyright Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher:Simon & Schuster

A picture book about Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her fight against inequality, unfair treatment, and standing up for what’s right for people everywhere.

How did you find this book?
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

Classroom Use:
Discuss the supreme court and the justice system, equality, female empowerment, and a great vocabulary opportunity. 

Copyright Date: September, 2016
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

A book with lots of numbers, images, and reliable science information. The graphics and illustrations along with the creative infographics make for an intriguing way to read scientific research.

How did you find this book?
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

Classroom Use:
Great way to introduce non-fiction book and text features. Such as charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. (RI 4.7)

Copyright Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Court

A mix of White’s personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with a twist that tells the story of this American literary icon. 

How did you find this book?
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

Classroom Use:
Introduce author before beginning Charlotte’s Web whole group read aloud.

Illustrarted By: Bryan Collier

Copyright Date: May 2004
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

A picture book about animals drawn to scale showing their actual size such as butterflies, crocodiles and squid eyes. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
A great book for a science unit on animals and their anatomy, or an introduction to animals for reports. Students could also draw and structure actual size models of animals by measuring.  

Illustrated By: Matt Phelan

Copyright Date: November 7, 2006
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Lucky, a ten-year-old girl is on a search for her Higher Power in order to not be abandoned by Brigitte, her guardian, who wants to return home to France because she is tired of the 43 people population of Hard Pan. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Take excerpt from book and discuss how Lucky doesn’t feel like she is loved or belongs to anyone because she doesn’t have the “ideal” family structure. Can be used to teach students that all families are different and everyone is special and loved differently. Can also be used to be grateful and appreciative of what you do have instead of focusing on what you don’t have. 

Illustrated By: Patricia Castelao

Copyright Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins

The story of a gorilla named Ivan, held captive in a shopping mall for over 20 years and his daily life. Ivan meets Ruby, a baby elephant and his perspective on his life changes. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Whole class reading, grade level text for upper elementary. Teach students about friendships in unexpected places. Can also be used as a discussion for animal cruelty and beliefs about circus/zoos.  

Copyright Date: Februrary 22, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins

The diary of a young refugee fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama, inspired by the author’s experience. Follow along Ha and her family’s trials and tribulations aboard a ship and their voyage to America. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Social Studies lesson about Vietnam and the Fall of Saigon. Could also discuss refugees and why people flee their home countries. Geography lesson could also be done following Ha’s voyage by using a map and pin pointing all the places they passed by or stopped in. 

Copyright Date: March 9, 2015
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

A girl laughs when someone teases a student on the playground, however another students takes the teasing too far and she is torn between standing up to the bully she fears or being kind to her classmate.

How did you find this book?
Notable Books for a Global Society- 2016 List of Winners 

Classroom Use:
Encourage students to find the courage to take a stance against bullying and show compassion towards others.

Illustrated By: Rafael Yockteng

Copyright Date: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Groundwood Books

A young girl describes her dangerous and difficult life as a migrant as her and her father travel north toward the U.S. border.

How did you find this book?
Notable Books for a Global Society- 2016 List of Winners 

Classroom Use:
Introduce students to migration, refugees, and why people flee to the U.S. to live a better life. Discuss the hardships people endure during their voyage to the U.S.

Illustrated By: Ted Papoulas

Copyright Date: March 1, 2016
 Publisher: Peachtree Publishers

A story about a young boy who can hear and his deaf parents. His father wants him to explain how everything sounds but the boy finds it difficult until he stops in the library and discovers a way to help him explain what he is hearing to his father.

How did you find this book?
Notable Books for a Global Society - 2017 List

Classroom Use:
Great introduction for students to learn and some sign language and the difficulties of students with hearing impairments. 

Illustrated By: Rafael Lopez

Copyright Date: March 9, 2015
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Court

Awards or Medals: 2017 Carnegie Medal winner

A story inspired by a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers long ago on an island where only men were allowed to play congas and bongos. 

How did you find this book?
Notable Books for a Global Society- 2016 List of Winners 

Classroom Use:
Introduction to women’s rights, rise against stereotypes and discrimination, follow your dreams regardless of what everyone thinks you can and can’t do.

Illustrated By: Julie Morstad

Copyright Date: March 2016
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

The changing of the seasons told in a fun and rhyming way.

How did you find this book?
NCTE 2017 Notable Poetry Books
Classroom Use:
Great introduction for students for the four seasons, how they change and the effects they all have.

Copyright Date: 2013
Publisher: WordSong

Gabby’s decides to write to escape from her parents’ arguments, with the help of a new teacher, Gabby begins to write more and more and take her to places she’s never been before.

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Discuss with students the importance of writing and how it can help to express oneself in ways other than talking. 

Illustrated By: Peter Sis        

Copyright Date: 2002
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

A book full of puns and rhymes about strange animals on an island far far away unknown to most.

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Students could create their own puns and rhymes about animals, flowers, vegetation, etc 

Illustrated By: Oliver Jeffers

Copyright Date: September 29, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins

Sam was a lonely little boy until one day he wished for a friend, and along came Fred, a one of a kind imaginary friend who was also looking for a friend, together they form an unexpected friendship. 

How did you find this book?
Author's Website
Classroom Use:
A great book to discuss friendship. What are the qualities of a good friend? Discuss ways of making new friends. You can also discuss having lots of friends and how it is ok to have more than one really good friend. 

Copyright Date: October 14, 2014
Publisher: Philomel Books

A creative and funny story about all the letters in the alphabet, from A all the way to Z, every letter telling a story of everything that begins with that letter such as Bernard and Bob and burning bridges. 

How did you find this book?
Author’s Website
Classroom Use:
Ideal in a kindergarten classroom, although the book is quite long, could focus on one letter a week and discuss all the words that begin with the letter of the week.  

 

Illustrated By: Oliver Jeffers

Copyright Date: June 27, 2013
Publisher: Philomel Books

Goodreads Picture Book of the Year 

E.B. White Read Aloud

Duncan goes to color, but when he opens his box of crayons, he finds letters from the crayons saying they had all quit. Duncan has to get creative in order to find a way to get all his crayons back. 

How did you find this book?
Author’s Website
Classroom Use:
Great book to discuss feelings and emotions outside of the basics like happiness or sadness. Could list the crayons and their feelings like frustration, exhaustion, empty. Great opportunity for vocabulary. 

Copyright Date: March 4, 2010
Publisher: Philomel Books

A little girl has a special someone who inspires magic and curiosity. One day she finds the chair empty and finds herself feeling empty. She bottles up her heart until she encounters someone who makes her want to it out of the bottle. 

How did you find this book?
Author’s Website
Classroom Use:
Could be used as a discussion on death and losing someone asking probing questions or giving writing prompts such as: Have you ever lost someone you love? How did that make you feel?  What does it mean to "bottle up your emotions.” Could also reference the metaphor “heart of stone”. This book could also be used as a science lesson about the heart and how it works. 

Copyright Date: June 10, 2006
Publisher: Philomel Books

Henry loves to eat books and the more books he eats, the smarter he gets. One day, Henry doesn’t feel good and doesn’t feel as smart. Henry has to come up with a way to get smart without eating books. 

How did you find this book?
Author's website
Classroom Use:
Great introduction to different genres or types of books. Could ask the students to name all the types of book Henry ate, then explain them such as informational, encyclopedias, etc. 

Illustrarted By: Henry Cole

Copyright Date: April 26, 2005
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Two penguins, Roy and Silo penguin want to have a family however, they are a little bit different from everyone else, and they create a nontraditional family. The zookeeper helps them welcome a baby of their own. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Discussion for students to be content with who you are and not having to change despite what others might think or say, have dreams and goals and not let anyone get in the way of that.  

Illustrated By: Laura Cornell

Copyright Date: August 9, 2016
Publisher: Candlewick

Annotation:
Heather’s has two mommies. When Heather starts school, someone asks her about her dad, but she doesn’t have one. Then something interesting happens. Heather and her classmates are asked to draw pictures of their families and no one’s looks the same. 

How did you find this book?           
NCAC Issues: Books 

I would not use this book in my classroom.

Illustrated By: Laura Cornell

Copyright Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Inc

George may look like a boy, but she knows she's not a boy, she knows she's a girl. George wants to try out for Charlotte in the school play but the teacher says she can't because she's a boy. 
 How did you find this book?           
Top Ten Most Challenged Books Lists

I would not use this book in my classroom.

Illustrated by:Marla Frazee
Copyright Date:September 8, 2009
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Awards or Medals: 

Annotation:
This book follows people of all ages throughout their days. It shows the importance all of the things in this world no matter how big or small. It shows the impact that every individual has in this world. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Great introduction to environmental lesson that can teach students the impact that every living thing, such as animals, plants, people, etc can have in this world. It can also teach that everything in this world is connected to the other.

Copyright Date: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Kids Can Press

A little girl and her best friend, her dog, has a wonderful idea to make the most magnificent thing. She tries and fails many times and gets angry and frustrated. She gives up, takes a walk and returns feeling better, getting it just right. 

How did you find this book?           
UNLV Teacher Development & Resources Booklists: Best Stem Books 

I would use this book as an opening book for a science unit on engineering. It is a great tool to teach students that no one is perfect and there is a lot of trial and error in engineering. It teaches students to use their imagination, be creative and innovative. 

Illustrated By: Jane Manning

Copyright Date: 2000
Publisher: Harper Collins

A twist on the classic Cinderella, about a cowgirl named Cindy Ellen, who lives with the crabbiest stepmother in Mississippi and two evil stepsisters. Cindy’s fairy godmother comes along and helps Cindy win first place at the rodeo and the heart of Joe Prince.

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics and patterns of events in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.

Copyright Date: June 2, 2016
Publisher: Harper Collins

Floyd gets his kite stuck in a tree and throws his shoe to knock it down, but it gets stuck. He throws up his other shoe and it gets stuck. He decides to throw other things and they all get stuck. 

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Have students remember or recall the sequence of events and the order of the items getting stuck in the tree. 

Illustrarted By: Sara Palacios           

Copyright Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Children’s Book Press   Awards or Medals: 

Marisol McDonald has mismatched everything, her hair, her clothes, her weird lunch, and unusual choice of games at recess. Marisol McDonald thinks she is normal, however to everyone else it doesn’t make sense, and that’s okay with her.

How did you find this book?
Title presented in class
Classroom Use:
Teach students to be yourself, it is okay to be different and be proud of your background and culture and heritage.