Publisher, Date : | HarperCollins, 2012

Page Number : | 336

Grade Level : | 2-5

Genre : | Biographical Fiction

Literacy Elements : | Ivan (the gorilla) lives with his elephant and dog friend in an exhibit in the mall. They live in glass/ metal cages and Ivan likes to watch TV and make art. The universal themes presented were relationships, courage, sadness, hope and strength. When Ivans friend Stella the elephant dies and a new baby elephant (Ruby) is brought in, Ivan is determined to find a new home. He ends up escaping and him and Ruby get placed into the zoo while the dog finds a new loving home.

Personal Response : | I thought this was a cute story about courage, hope, strength, and success. Ivan eventually gets out of the mall exhibit into a zoo. I think kids would enjoy this chapter book.

Publisher, Date : | Quill Tree Books, 2019

Grade Level : | 3-8

Genre : | Graphic novel/realistic fiction

Literacy Elements : | Jordan is the new kid at a new school. He often feels like he isnt seen by others and that his voice is not heard. He starts making new friends named Lian and Drew. He learns that differences are okay and he starts to feel heard. 

Personal Response : | This is a good chapter book to have in class for students to read. Many students might be able to relate to a part of the story and it has a good ending.

Illustrator: | Maurice Sendak

Page Number : | 48

Grade Level : | PreK-K

Genre : | Fiction

Literacy Elements : | Max is a boy who seems to always get himself him trouble. When evening he decideds to "run away". His room suddenly becomes a jungle, where he meets the 'wild things'. He soon becomes their king and plays with them throught the night. Soon , however, he finds himself feeling sad and lonely and realizes being home is best.

Personal Response : | Another one of the classic books that was my favorite growing up. I always related to wanting to play all day and feeling frustrated when my mother didn't understand when I was young. I think this is a great book for reaching students and has a theme of that your parents or caretakers still love you even when you act, "wild."

Publisher, Date : | HarperCollins, 1999

Page Number : | 64

Grade Level : | PreK-4th

Genre : | Fable

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a boy who has a tree and they love each other. The boy climbs up the tree, eats the apples, swings from the branches, and rests in the shade. As the boy starts to get older, he wants different things. He wants to make money and sail away. The tree gives the boy all he needs until it has nothing left to give. The boy comes back and the tree and boy are both happy. 

Personal Response : | My mom would read this book to me as a kid. It is such a heart warming read that shows the power of giving and helping others. 

Publisher, Date : | HarperCollins, 2010

Page Number : | 214

Grade Level : | 1-4

Genre : | Fiction, Humor

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a boy named Nate Wright who is in sixth-grade. He really enjoys drawing comics. He lives with his dad and sister, and he hangs out with best friends Teddy and Francis. Unlike his sister, Ellen, and brainiac classmate, Gina, Nate isn't the best student. He does seem to excel at getting in trouble though. This story walks you through his life and what he goes through.

Personal Response : | I think second graders would really enjoy this chapter book. It is full of things that they can relate to and comedy that will make them laugh.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a moose coming to visit and wanting jam to go with it. He ends up eating all the muffins and wants to go to the store to get more muffin mix to make more. The moral of the story is that the moose is never sattisfied.

Personal Response : | I would read this book to my students while volunteering at my church to show them that if they keep getting more and more and more they will never be satisfied. 

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a small pig. She wants a pancake so she gets a pancake but then she wants syrup to go on it. She ends up making a mess and getting all sticky so she has to take a bath. In the bath there sre too many bubbles and she makes a mess of bubbles all over the bathroom. It continues along the pigs journey of just wanting a simple pancake.

Personal Response : | This is another book in the 'If you give a mouse a cookie' series. I really enjoyed reading these when I was little. My mother would always read them to me and my siblings. It is a very fun and light book that children will enjoy.

Literacy Elements : | This story describes a set of events that occurs after a young boy gives a mouse a cookie. Once the mouse is given the cookie, he asks for a glass of milk, which ends up leading to a series of additional questions. Each event that occurs makes the mouse want something new, creating a seemingly endless stream of demands.

Personal Response : | This book shows that Its not good to constantly ask for things. I remember having this book as a child and reading it many times. It is a classic and one of my favorites from my childhood.

Literacy Elements : | The BFG is a friendly giant. He enjoys giving friendly dreams to children. He meets an orphan named sopie and together they help eachother fight the child eating giants.

Personal Response : | I loved this book and I think muy students would too.

Illustrator: | Kate Dicamillio

Publisher, Date : | 2000, Candlewick Press

Page Number : | 182

Grade Level : | 3-6

Genre : | Children's Novel

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a young girl named Opal who lives in a trailer park. She goes to the store for her dad and runs into a dog. She takes the dog home to her dad who is the local preacher and begs her to let her keep him. Opal is dealing with the dissapearance of her mother who she knows little about but struggles not having a relationship with her. She also tells the dog about how she has no friends at school and the dog ends up becoming her best friend and they do everything together.

Personal Response : | A good read for a heart warming story. Frienship can be found in many forms and sometimes it takes a furry friend to help us get through hard times.

Illustrator: | Lane Smith

Literacy Elements : | This is about the three little pigs but told from the wolfs perspective.He claimed he was making a cake for his grandma and needed sugar. He went to the pigs house to ask but had a horrible cold so he sneezed and the house blew down and he didnt want to just leave the pig so he ate it. Same thing happened at the stick house. When it came to the brick house he tried everything he could to get the oig out but was unsuccessful.

Personal Response : | I liked this perspective because it shows how the wolf tried to cover what he did by saying he was making a cake for his grandma.

Literacy Elements : | This book is about a 12 year old girl who is stranted on an island with wolves. She tries to adapt to their lifestyle and be with them to survive. She ends up being stuck on this island for 18 years. 

Personal Response : | This is a good chapter book about overcoming harship. I think it is a very interesting read that kids would be super intereted in. I remember reading this book in either elementary or middle school, and I found it very interesting and it captured my imagination.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about David. He goes to school and is a trouble maker. The teacher is constantly consulting him until one day he owns up to his actions and recieves praise for it.

Personal Response : | This was a pretty good story. I would have it on my shelfs because students might like it too. I remember reading this book as a child, and it always made me crack up. Also, I loved this series since my fathers name is David.

Literacy Elements : | Amy is extremely passionate about reading and people being able to choose what they read. She fights back when they try to ban her from giving students books out of her locker. She is a passionate soul that is hard working and fights in a respectful way for what she believes in.

Personal Response : | I enjoyed this book because it showed the grit of passionate readers. It also showed students that its okay to stand up for what they believe in when they don't necessarily agree with the decisions being made by others. I read a book in highschool called fahrenheit 451 and this book reminded me a little of that book as the focal point is the love for reading and not being able to.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a mom and child who always buy flower seeds only to plant them and watch them grow. They continuously buy more and more. 

Personal Response : | I thought this was a cute book because my mom and I would plant flowers together and both love flowers so I felt a connection in a sense.

Illustrator: | Susan L. Roth

Publisher, Date : | Lee & Low Books, February 9, 2021

Page Number : | 48

Grade Level : | Age 8-12

Genre : | Nonfiction

Personal Response : | This book was a beautifully written story about the native Hawaiian species, the Kamehameha Butterfly. It was a very interesting and insightful read, and Ive learned a lot about this species that I had no idea about before. The story highlighted that a group of fifth graders were able to make it the state insect, and since then a conservation group has been created to help the species revive and continue to thrive in Hawaii.

Publisher, Date : | Random House, 1971

Page Number : | 64

Grade Level : | K-4

Genre : | Fiction

Literacy Elements : | This story is about the environment and nature. It teaches about fighting for our environment. This story is about a boy chopping down trees. The Lorax character stands up for the trees and the environment. The family  took all the trees leaving nothing behind, only looking for money. The businessman ruined these beautiful vibrant trees, killing off the animals that live there, and polluting the air.

Personal Response : | This is a classic super cute book that teacher youth about environmental safety and the importance of keeping our forests healthy. I really enjoy reading it, and think it is a great choice to read to my students.

Literacy Elements : | This book is about a girl named Maisie who is an artist. Within her drawing, she is taken to a different world where only her and her artistic abilities exist. 

Literacy Elements : | This story is about Daniel, an Iranian refugee. He moved to Oklahoma and luckily had a really good teacher who was very sympathetic towards him.

Personal Response : | I would recommend this book to family and friends to read. It doesn't take a super long time to read and is very insightful for those who are curious about what other people go through regarding discrimination, racism, and bullying.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about the first girl to ever run the Boston Marathon. She wasn't allowed to sign up for it because at the time people didn't believe women could run 26.2 miles. She ran it unofficially to prove that women can run 26.2 miles.

Personal Response : | I liked the cover of this book, the visuals are amazing. My mom is blonde and ran the Boston Marathon so in a way reading this book reminded me of her. I think this book would be great to inspire young students to chase their dreams.

Literacy Elements : | This story about a young boy living in a refugee camp in Africa while a war is going on. He is seperated from his mom waiting for the war to end. He is with his brothers and goes to school.

Personal Response : | This was a very heart warming book, talking about what kids in refugee camps think at times and how they view their living.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a little duckling who is born looking different than his siblings. He is rejected and made fun of, until he blossoms into a beautiful duck. 

Personal Response : | This is the story of accepting others as they are. Students can relate to this, they can understand people grow at different rates and to be accepting.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about two young girls Lina and Feroza families, who are living in a refugee camp in Pakistan, having fled the war in Afghanistan. The girls become friends when each finds one sandal from a matching pair. They decide to share the sandals, taking turns wearing them.

Personal Response : | I loved this book because it showed a good outcome of a difficult time. It was a beautiful message that tells us to be thankful for what we have, and to think of others.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a boy named CJ and his family. Together, they live a life with routines that presents challenging times. Sometimes, CJ wonders what it may be like if his family had a car of their own like the ones all of his friends families had. He comes to realise that his family is okay without it and values his routine more.

Personal Response : | I liked this book to make students aware of what other kids go through when they move from another country. 

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a young bat named Stellaluna who finds herself lost. The story revolves around her journey of returning to her mom and her friends, as well as what she faces in her journey along her way. 

Personal Response : | Super cute story! I love bats and I think students enjoy stories with animals that are the main character.

Literacy Elements : | This story was about two kids and two parents from different families who share going to the park to walk their dog in common. They young bo and girl became friends eventually and would look forward to seeing eachother at the park.

Personal Response : | I thought this would be a cute book for younger kids around the same age group as the two kids. It's a great book to introduce perspective and how it can change the tone of the story.

Literacy Elements : | The story takes place in Japan where a young boy named chibi hides because he is afraid of his teachers, and he plays alone at recess.He would go cross eyes so he wouldnt have to see things he didnt want to. He was always behind everyone else. He would bring a rice ball for lunch everyday. 5 years went by and he was in 6th grade. His 6th grade teacher was amazed about how much chibi knew about the garden and things outside. Chibi would draw pictures of things he found outside and the teacher displayed them. They had a child show where chibi immitaded crows at all stages of life. All the students were amazed and relized where chibi grew up. 

Personal Response : | I liked this story because it is an example I feel other students can relate to. Chibi is a quiet kid so other students label him in a negative way but he actually has a story just like everyone else and once they realized that they began to understand him more.

Literacy Elements : | A girl named maya was new to school. She would try to ask people to play but nobody would so she played alone. People would laugh at her daily for weeks. Her clothes were handed down and kids would make fun of her. The teacher gave a lesson on kindness and student went around saying something kind they did. One girl was sad maya moved schools and they she wasnt able to be kind to her. 

Personal Response : | This book would be a good one to read when talking about kindness. Kids were so kmean to Maya that she didnt like going to school and being made fun of. It wasnt until she was gone that people wanted to be nice to her.

Literacy Elements : | This story was about a girl who grew up with sled dogs. She begged her dad to let her go to outside school with her sister. He was reluctant but he let her. The nun was the teacher and she cut her hair and changed her name and gave her chores. She got asked to stand in front of the class and read but froze because she didnt know how to read. She got in trouble and sent to do more chores. She used every task as an oppertunity to learn new words. She burnt her stocking to make a statement to the nun. By the end she was able to read with confidence in front of the class.

Personal Response : | Good book for showing an overcoming story. The girl was knocked down again and again by different things and she percerviered and learned how to read to prove it to herself and the people around her.

Publisher, Date : | 2015, Random House Children's  Books

Literacy Elements : | Tells the story about their grandpa and grandma meeting, them having his dad and he was born because of it having her own family. 

Personal Response : | I enjoyed the deeper connections to family and ancestry. This would be a great book to introduce children to the connections of a family tree and how it works. Sometimes this concept can be confusing for most, as I know it was for me.

Literacy Elements : | Starts with a girl named sonia planting flowers in her garden.She has diabetiesand talks about it openly. she met a friend with rafiel who has asthma. Then they introduce a boy named Anthony who uses a wheelchair. Madison has a guide dog because she is blind. 

Personal Response : | This was a cute book that talked about different students medical needs and how they overcome them to solve daily tasks and use their five senses to help guide them.

Literacy Elements : | War comes to Aleppo where he lives. He is an EMT and works in the community during the war. He misses seeing his family before the war. The town is sad and empty because people fled. There were many abandoned cats left behind by families. He takes care of the cats by giving them meat. This brings him a lot of joy. He also brings the cats water every day. He gets a place for the cats and people volunteer to take care of them so he can save them all. 

Personal Response : | This showed a man doing the right thing in a time of tragedy. He is able to save his country and the cats.

Literacy Elements : | About a 6 year old boy named Mario. One chemical used in the spray had a dangerous component that nobody knew about. He got a microscope as a gift and he looked at dirty water under the microscope. He found a lot of knew bugs under his microscope. He examined everything and used the bathroom as a labratory.

Personal Response : | This showed how excited students can get when learning about something they have a lot of interest in.

Literacy Elements : | Junie B jones is in kindergarten. Her mom wants her to ride the bus home from school, but Lucille told her people will spill chocolate milk on her and make fun of her which causes her to fear taking the bus home. She hides in the closet of her classroom after school to miss the bus but then ends up getting locked in the school. She panicks and calls 911 and her mom got her and talked to her about following the rules and riding the bus. She makes a friend named Grace who also rides the bus home so she has someone to ride with and then she starts taking the bus home.

Personal Response : | It was a cute read about kids being scared of riding the bus home from school. Many kids might have this fear so the book was good to show perserverance.

Literacy Elements : | The tree house takes a boy named Jack and his siter annie back in time to when dinosaurs existed. Once they arrive, they meet a lot of different dinosaurs and find out new information on all sorts of prehistoric animals. It is their job to figure out how to get back home before it turns dark.

Personal Response : | This book is in a series. Each one is different. I think this would be good for students who like reading about mystery and adventure.

Literacy Elements : | The story of an immigrant coming here and feeling alone. Nobody spoke the same language. At home, she would hide under her blankets and speak her language. A girl waved at her at the park. When she went up to her she asked her to play. She wanted to express how happy she was they were friends but couldnt. Her friend brought her a list of words to read and practice. They shared laughs together and she would practice the words under her blanket.

Personal Response : | This was a cute read about a child who immigrated here and a local child tries to make her feel like she belongs.

Literacy Elements : | This story starts with a young girl named Ha and her papaya tree. She loves maintaining her tree. Vietnam starts going into war and her family hasnt heard from her dad in 6 years. Once the war breaks out, the family decides to move. They end up in an internment camp in guam before being accepted into the U.S. Once they get to the U.S they settle in alabama where they have to adjust to their new life.

Personal Response : | I liked this book because it showed the perspective of a little girl having to move to the U.S and what her family went through. The war caused them to leave and they went to an internment camp before being accepted in Alabama.

Literacy Elements : | This book is about a young bunny saying goodnight to the objects and creatures in his bedroom. He falls asleep as the lighs in his room get more dim. He also has a big picture moon window.  

Personal Response : | I would suggest that students read this book at home with a parent before going to sleep one night, and then they practice and say goodnight to the things in their room. I remember this book being one of my favorites and being read to me a lot by my parents. It brings back happy memories.

Literacy Elements : | 3 pigs live together and are making Porridge. While the porridge is cooking they decide to take a walk. While the pigs are away, Goldilocks eats all of the little pigs porridge. Then she breaks the little pigs chair, and falls asleep in his tiny bed. When the bears get home from their walk, they find out what she did and get mad but then everything is okay.

Personal Response : | A classic I grew up reading. This story is cute because it has a mix of everything. Goldilocks is kind of like the princess of the story and then there are bears so every student should be relatively engaged in the story.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a young boy who escapes his home where he iss abused. He escaped by hiding in a giant peach. Once he gets out in his magic peach he makes friends and starts to enjoy the beauties of life.

Personal Response : | This book is an amazing classic. It draws you and and keeps you hooked the whole time.

Literacy Elements : | The story is about  a young girl naked Cinderella who's parents are divorced and her dad re-marries. She gets two new step-sisters. Cinderella is always in charge of the chores around the house. She also sleeps in the attic. Her fairy Godmother finds her crying because she wants to go to this ball. She ends up going and gets a spell cast on her that results in a beautiful dress. However she has to get back to the palace by midnight because thats when everything goes back to normal and the spell wears off. She dances with the prince and then has to hurry back home. As she is leaving the ball she drops her glass slipper and the prince picks it up. He is in love with her and vows to find his mystery girl and he eventually finds Cinderella, gives her her slipper and they get married.

Personal Response : | A classic story that every kid shoud read. 

Literacy Elements : | This picture book celebrates African American boys and some have a variety of skin tones. It noted that every child may have different skin tones and hairstyles but each one was born to be individually awesome. 

Personal Response : | Cute book to build strong classroom community. The book celebrates that our differences make us unique.

Literacy Elements : | This is about a young boy named Charlie who lives on the out skirts of his town. His family is poor and his grandparents live with his family. Charlie passed the chocolate factory everyday on his way to school and always dreamed of going. One day his dad lost his job and things got much worse. Charlie ended up buying a chocolate bar and inside was a golden ticket to go to the factory and tour it. He goes with his dad and different things happen to each person.

Personal Response : | I grew up reading this book and being obsessed with the movie. Its a classic and I would recommend it to my students.

Literacy Elements : | This story is about a colorful fish with metalic scales. When other people ask for his rainbow scales, he doesnt share because he likes them too much. Blue fish gets so sad that he no longer is rainbow fish's friend.

Personal Response : | A cute book to show the importance of sharing to students. 

Literacy Elements : | This book is about a stuffed bear that just wants someone to take him home and what heppens when someone finally does. 

Personal Response : | I think kids would really enjoy this book. I know that I loved it as a kid.