Illustrator: Linda Davick

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

Published: August 27, 2019

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Seems to be illustrations that were hand drawn through technology, like an iPad

Literacy Elements: In the story, Riley never has any pronouns, everyone just calls them Riley. Throughout the story we see Riley go through school and every day life dressing up as what they want to be. Their outfit can be something that will help them get over their fears like their first day of school. Riley's outfit can also be something fun and interesting like how they wore space pajamas on Universe Day. At the end, a child asks Riley if they are a girl or a boy and Riley does not give an exact response. They respond with what they are trying to be that day which is a mix of things!

My Response: I personally really like the message of this book. With all of the chatter happening today about not being able to speak up or stand up for LGBTQIA+ rights, this book is a great way to explain genders to students. Talking about genders can be a really challenging and nerve-racking thing to talk about because you never know what kind of questions students might ask. This book is a great way to explain to students that their biological gender should not define them if they do not want it to. That way, students can be whoever they want to be in the classroom and in life.

Curricular Connections: This book can be connected to science. For example, if classes are learning about the two biological genders, a teacher can read this book to show that even though there are only two biological genders, people can be whatever they feel like being and that their gender should not define them!

Illustrator: David Litchfield.

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

Published: September 13, 2022

Number of pages: 48

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Genre: Nonfiction

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that capture what skies can look like at different locations and times around the world.

Literacy Elements: This book is about all of the different ways the sky can appear glowing. This can be the sunrise, sunset, fireflies, auroras, volcanoes, rainbows, meteor showers, city lights, and more. At the very end of the book there are tidbits about what you can do to have less light pollution where you live.

My Response: I thought this book was very well written for the grade levels it is aimed at. Children can read this book and want to see some of the types of sky glowing that they read about, but to do that they will have to work on creating less light pollution.

Curricular Connections: This book would be great to use for a science lesson about light pollution and what it can do to our skies!

Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

Publisher: Philomel Books

Published: June 27, 2013

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that have been blended together throughout the entire book with each page having an illustration that looks like a child could've drawn it.

Literacy Elements: In this story a box of crayons writes to their owner, Duncan, about what they are feeling and what they want to be used for. Each crayon has their own feeling about how they are being used. Some of the emotions included are happy, jealousy, depression, anger, embarrassed, etc. At the end of the book, Duncan finds a way to make every crayon feel better, he uses every single one in a drawing that he later gives to his teacher.

My Response: I thought that this was a very cute book. It has many emotions that children can feel throughout it and uses good, descriptive words to go along with that emotion. A lot of times, children can have a difficult time explaining how they feel. With this book, they could tell a teacher how they are feeling. For example, if they are feeling overworked, they could say they are feeling like the blue crayon. Or if they are feeling invisible, they could say that they are feeling like the pink crayon.

Curricular Connections: While this is a good literacy book, this could be used in any subject. Like I stated above, students can use this book to elaborate what they are feeling. Out of anything, I think this book would be great in the guidance counselor's office.

Illustrator: Kristyna Litten

Publisher: Magination Press

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that depict what is happening all around in the book.

Literacy Elements: This book is talking about a certain day in June where everyone is united. Specifically, anyone who is LGBTQIA+. This book goes through what a pride parade might often look like. This can be who you will see, what they could be wearing, or who they might even be supporting (equality).

My Response: This is a good book to explain to young children about what LGBTQIA+ is. While this book does not specifically talk about what this is, it shows different types of couples and people in the parade. The main message of this book is equality, which is important for children to know and understand at a young age.

Curricular Connections: This book can (and will) be hard to bring into the classroom. Lots of schools these days are banning any talk about LGBTQIA+. One thing I can think of is if a teacher is doing a lesson on the first pride parade or even when gay marriage became legal and what has become of it.

Illustrator: Cece Bell & David Lasky

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Published: September 2, 2014

Number of pages: 248

Grade Level: 3rd - 7th grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations to portray what is happening throughout the entire book.

Literacy Elements: This book is about Cece Bell's life as a child. When she was only 4 years old, she became deaf. The book goes through her life about how she learned how to adapt her hearing to listen to the world around her. She faces bullying and struggles throughout the book, but she remains strong and even creates a superhero identity for herself, El Deafo.

My Response: This was a wonderful book to read! It not only gave insight to the readers about what being deaf is like, but it also gave the readers an insight into what someone feels like when they are being singled out or bullied. This is a great book to have in a classroom just because it teaches readers to be welcoming and to not be judgy about what other's appearances are.

Curricular Connections: Out of all curricular classes, I would say that this is best suited for a literacy class. There are many aspects in this book that teachers can dive into like onomatopoeias or metaphors.

Illustrator: Petra Mathers

Publisher: Clarion Books

Published: April 6, 2009

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations portraying not only the clothing that each animal wears and cherishes, but also what they do together.

Literacy Elements: This book goes through the different viewpoints of clothing items owned by different characters. The whole book is mostly happy and light with the exception of one piece of clothing that now works as a dust rag and is sad that it is not worn anymore. Besides this one clothing item, every other item talks about what they do and when/why they are worn!

My Response: I thought that this was a really cute poetry book! As a kid, I never liked poetry and I always dreaded reading it and creating it. I always struggled coming up with things that rhymed, so I am always impressed when I see others accomplish this!

Curricular Connections: This book would probably be best for teaching students the very beginning of poetry. When I was first taught, I was taught through rhyming. This book's poetry is rhyming, so I think that this would be a great start to a poetry unit in a literature class!

Illustrator: Pedro Martín

Publisher: Dial Books

Published: August 1, 2023

Number of pages: 320 pages

Grade Level: 5th - 9th grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn comic like (graphic novel) illustrations.

Literacy Elements: Pedro is one of 9 siblings. He and his family have to travels thousands of miles to go to Mexico and retrieve their grandfather to bring him back to the United States. Throughout this book, Pedro learns what it was like to not only live in Mexico, but to also live and survive in it during the Mexican Revolution. Hearing stories about how his grandfather, he started to think that he is a real like superhero and becomes interested in his grandfather's life story.

My Response: I thought that this was a really great book! Not only would this be a good book for anyone to read, but also for someone who is interested in or who is of Mexican decent. There are lots of funny and interesting moments throughout the book too!

Curricular Connection: This would be a good book to put in a social studies class that is specifically learning about the Mexican Revolution. The class would be able to read about what people had to do to survive during that time.

Illustrator: Renée Graef

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: April 12, 2005

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Beautiful hand drawn illustrations portraying what each favorite thing the author is describing/talking about.

Literacy Elements: This book might remind you of the song Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. This book was created because of the movie. The book's words go along with the song and describe so many things that go from cream colored ponies to crisp apple strudel.

My Response: I have always loved this book. We had this in my house growing up and I often read it or had it read to me as a bed time story. I specifically loved the detailed illustrations that went along with the book. It made imagining what the author was talking about easier for me.

Curricular Connections: I honestly think that this would be a good book for an art class. With the amount of realistic detail that was put into the illustrations, I feel like this would be a good example of how to draw a realistic image.

Illustrator: Roy McKie

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Published: January 1, 1961

Number of pages: 72

Grade Level: Preschool - 2nd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that mainly stay to a few colors: red, orange, yellow, black, and brown.

Literacy Elements: This is a cute short book that shows the three characters on the cover competing to see who can hold the most amount of apples on their heads. They end up starting a conundrum with the town and run/fall into an apple cart. After the dust clears from the crash, the whole town has ten apples up on their head!

My Response: This was also a book that I read growing up. This book is a good starter book to teach poetry and even just teaching how to rhyme. Honestly though, any Dr. Seuss book is normally a good book to teach rhyming.

Curricular Connections: This book would be good to use in a literacy classroom to teach rhyming and/or beginners poetry.

Illustrator: Arnold Lobel

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: May 31, 2011

Number of pages: 64

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations. It almost looks like they were drawn right on the page using pastels.

Literacy Elements: Each chapter in this book is about a different adventure that Frog and Toad go on together and what they end up learning. For example, one story was about will power and sometimes you have to give up what you want to keep your willpower/be able to say no.

My Response: Frog and Toad books are always a classic!n I wasn't a big fan of them growing up, but being able to reread it, I enjoyed it and the messages behind it.

Curricular Connections: This book would probably just be best in a literacy class to be used as a silent reading book or even a read aloud book to the classroom.

Personal Responses: I really liked reading this book. While in school I have had to read lots of stories about people's lives during World War II, but they normally end in a sad way. I liked that this story had a happier ending than most WWII stories.

Academic Values: This would be a fantastic book for students to read when they are learning about World War II. This book gives them an insider viewpoint to what lives were like during the war. Also, I think that since this is not a harsh book for students to read, it would be better for the younger grades, like fourth or fifth, depending on when they start to learn about WWII. This is a nice book that doesn't scare them, but gives them a look inside the war.

Effectiveness of Visual Representation Activity: I think that this is a super fun and great activity for students to do. Not only are they able to tap into their creative side, but the are also able to visually demonstrate their comprehension from the story.

Illustrator: Ruth Heller

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: January 18, 1996

Number of pages: 48

Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that show a classic Cinderella tale, but in a different culture.

Literacy Elements: This book goes through the life of Pear Blossom and what she has to endure when her father marries a new woman who also has a daughter. The step mother and step sister assign her tasks that are nearly impossible, but with the help from the animals around her, she is able to get them done and still be able to stay in her home. At one point Pear Blossom lost her sandal and a high level man decided that whoever's foot fit in the shoe will be his wife.

My Response: I thought that this was an interesting book. I have only ever known our "regular" Cinderella, so I enjoyed reading a different culture's. It was also interesting for me to see the different aspects of this story compared to my Cinderella and how different they are. And yet, both are still able to follow the same story line.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book for kids to read who are learning about types of writing. There are so many different Cinderella stories, but they mostly all follow the same story line.

Illustrator: Ruth Heller

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: February 28, 1992

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations. The illustrations almost look like they are from a colored pencil.

Literacy Elements: This story is another type of Cinderella story. This book follows the life of a greek girl who was a slave. The other women constantly made fun of her and the shoes that her owner had made for her. One day, she lost a shoe and it ended up with the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh decided that whoever's shoe this was, was going to be his bride. Eventually, the Pharaoh found her and she not only tried on the shoe, but also showed the other shoe she owned.

My Response: I enjoyed reading this book. While I would still have to say I prefer our "regular" Cinderella, it was still nice to read another culture's version. I liked having the opportunity to read and learn new things about Egypt and that time period.

Curricular Connections: This is another good book to have students read if they are learning about a consistent story line. While this book is not the original Cinderella, it still follows a very similar story line.

Illustrator: Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published: November 9, 2004

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media:

Literacy Elements: This story is about the story of slaves who came from Africa. A few of these Africans had wings. These people looked like everyone else, so they hid their wings for a while. Eventually, on a cotton farm, the slaves started collapsing from not only being whipped but also from the heat. There was an older man, who was also a slave, and said "magic words" to these people who were hiding their wings. After the words were spoken, these people were able to fly away from their masters. Everyone else who did not have wings asked the man to be able to fly and leave too, but he told them that they would have to find a chance to run away. The masters never spoke of this event, but everyone else who saw it has told their children about the amazing thing that happened in that field.

My Response: I personally didn't really learn anything from this book. I have already spent years of my educational path learning about slavery and the paths people had to go down. However, if I did not know anything about slavery, I would've learned a lot from this book! This book teaches the readers that you cannot treat people the way slaves were treated and everyone is the same. You never know who might be hiding something big from everyone else. So overall, I liked this book!

Curricular Connections: This is a great book for students to read who are just starting to learn about slavery. While this book is more of a culture tale (traditional literature), it is still good to read to lean about what slaves went through with their owners.

Illustrator: Wendy Watson

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published: August 1, 2004

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: 2nd - 5th grade

Artistic Media: Beautiful, hand drawn illustrations that portray hard times during World War II.

Literacy Elements: This book takes a deep look at a young girls life during WWII. Her and her sister decide that they are going to smuggle food into the ghetto part of town where they have friends who are hungry. The soldiers find out about the smuggling plans and the sisters need to quickly come up with a new plan. They decide that they are going to round up the cats that have been wandering around town and release them all at the same time to distract the sniffing guard dogs away from the food in baskets.

My Response: I thought that this was a really great book! Not only does it teach readers a little about what it was like to live in the war, but it also has a happy ending, which does not happen a lot during war books.

Curricular Connections: This would be a really great book to read in a classroom that is learning about World War II. It does not go too deep into the war, but it is still able to give the readers an inside to what living during the war was like and what kind of hardships they had to face.

Illustrator: Jarrett Pumphrey & Jerome Pumphrey

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published: January 30, 2024

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 2nd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations, almost looks like it was drawn through a piece of technology, like an iPad.

Literacy Elements: This book follows a kids story about how he helped his Papa at the farmer's market and how their stand was the last stand. At one point in the book, Papa became too tired to do his harvesting and deliveries, so he had to come up with a way to step up and do Papa's job. With hard work and labor, he was able to bring their deliveries and work at the last stand. At the end of the book, we are able to see him as an adult and how he is doing with the last stand.

My Response: I thought that this was a very cute book! I enjoyed reading it and watching how he would overcome the obstacles of the pumpkins being too heavy and how he would make deliveries.

Curricular Connections: I think that this would be a good book to just read for independent reading. I can't think of any lesson in any subject that this book would go along with. That is why I think teachers should still have this book in their classroom library, but to not enforce their students to read it. They can read it if they want to.

Personal Responses: I thought that this book was super cute! I have always been a sucker for a royalty book, which is why I actually picked this book. Overall I liked how the story included what can happen to kids when their parents find out how they truly feel. It is not always happy on the spot.

Explanation of Journey Map: My map starts in the top left and then you follow the arrows. My first drawing is when the dressmaker meets the prince, revealing his face on accident. Next, it is the first time she seems him in a fully dress out on the town. Then, it is the prince saying that he doesn't want to get betrothed. After that, it is the king and queen finding out about what the prince does. Finally, my last drawing is the king showing his acceptance to his son by wearing a dress in a fashion show.

Personal/Academic Values: I think that this is a good book to have in a classroom. This book shows children that it is okay to dress, and to feel, however they want to. There shouldn't be any labels on clothing that makes that piece considered boy clothing or girl clothing.

Illustrator: Christian Robinson

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Published: August 25, 2015

Number of pages: 52

Grade Level: Preschool - Kindergarten

Artistic Media: Illustrations that only contain white, blue, and black. Leo looks like he was drawn with a blue colored pencil.

Literacy Elements: This book follows Leo as he leaves is original house because the people who moved in there didn't want a ghost. He eventually ran into a girl who could see him. She at first thought that he was her imaginary friend, but she is later proven wrong. A burglar breaks into the house and Leo uses his ghost abilities to trap him and save his new friend and her family. At the end, she asks how he was able to trap the thief, and Leo tells her that he is not an imaginary friend, he is in fact a ghost.

My Response: I thought that this was a really sweet book. This book could definitely be used for children who are scared of ghosts and might even think that there is one in their house. This book can show them that ghosts are friendly and that they can be their friend too!

Curricular Connections: I don't think that this book would be particularly good in any subject. I think that this book would be best as an independent read.

Illustrator: Jen Wang

Publisher: First Second

Published: February 13, 2018

Number of pages: 288

Grade Level: 7th - 9th grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations throughout the entire book. Incredible detail on the outfits that are drawn throughout the story.

Literacy Elements: This book is about a prince who secretly likes to wear dresses. He finds a dressmaker and hires her to make him dresses. Once she accidentally reveals his identity, they go on adventures throughout the town together when the prince is wearing his dresses. The prince grows in his own self worth and the dressmaker grows in her confidence in her work.

My Response: I really liked this book! I am always down for a book that includes royalty. This book did not go along the path that I thought it was going to go down, but I loved the way it went!

Curricular Connections: This is a really good book for kids to read, especially if they want to wear clothes that are deemed for the other gender. This wouldn't be a good book to assign for a classroom, but I think that this would do well in a classroom library.

Illustrator: Nora Twomey

Publisher: Groundwood Books

Published: January 1, 2018

Number of pages: 80

Grade Level: 5th - 9th grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that almost look like they were drawn through a technology application.

Literacy Elements: This book is about a girl, Parvana, who lives in Afghanistan. All of a sudden her father is taken away and sent to prison. Without her father their family cannot make any money or buy anything. After nearly running out of food Parvana chops off her hair to make her look like a boy. She does jobs around town to save up money to try and get her father out of prison.

My Response: This book is an incredible book. Going into it, I had no idea how realistic it was going to be. While this book might seem light heartened to children, there is a very big message behind it.

Curricular Connection: This would be a great book to read in a social studies class. The class could be learning about war in Afghanistan and would read this book to see what it is actually like as a young woman over there.

Illustrator: H. A. Rey

Publisher: Clarion Books

Published: August 9, 2010

Number of pages: 24

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Classic Curious George illustrations. The images have a fun, wonder like feel to them.

Literacy Elements: This book follows George through his thoughts about hibernation and winter in general. We see all the different things he does to try and hibernate like a bear. For example, trying to turn his room into a cave. By the end, George finally falls asleep and when he wakes up, he thinks he slept through the entire winter. However, he only slept through the night. The Man in the Yellow Hat then showed him how much fun winter could be.

My Response: This was a really cute, nice, easy read. I loved the Curious George show as a kid, which is why I picked this book to read. I have never met a child who doesn't like Curious George, so this is always a good choice to read for younger kids.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library. For a younger class, like kindergarten, this book could introduce the topic of hibernation and what animals go through during that time.

Illustrator: Subi Bosa

Publisher: Lerner Publications

Published: January 1, 2023

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: 1st - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Illustrations look like they were created through a technology drawing app.

Literacy Elements: This book follows Bo along his journey through starting on a basketball team. When he starts off, he thinks he is going to be the star and make a bunch of points. However, at practice he finds out that he cannot seem to get the ball in the basket. Later, his grandpa has a famous basketball player come in and talk to Bo about how there is more to basketball than just shooting. Come game time, Bo asks his coach if he can be point guard and he passes the ball well throughout the entire game.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book. This book is a good book to show to kids for them to learn about teamwork. While they might not be good at what they envisioned themselves to excel at, there are always other parts that they could be great at.

Curricular Connection: This book wouldn't be a great book for any particular academic subject. However, I do think this book could be good in a PE setting. This book could teach students about basketball and teamwork.

The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel by Deborah Ellis

This book was an amazing read. We, the readers, follow a young girl named Parvana who lives in Afghanistan during war time. She and her family struggle once her father is taken away to jail. Without the father, they have no income and the women are not allowed to go outside. Eventually, Parvana cuts her hair off to make her look like a man. For me, while I know that people have had to, and still do, have to do things like this, it is astonishing to think about. This book allowed me to fully step into Parvana's shoes and watch her story play out.

My heart map has 7 sections : The middle is Parvana since this is a heart map about her. We have the scissors that cut her hair to fully go for her transformation, the handcuffs her father was taken away in, her family she wants to protect, landmines that she has to watch out for when walking, the money she has to make and save to get her father out of jail, and her shop/market stall where she makes money by selling items and offering to read or write something.

1. Why do you think Parvana felt the need to step up and take over the "breadwinner" title of the family?

2. What does the book tell us when Parvana finds another person who is a girl dressed and acts like a boy?

Thoughts: Amy Anne did not understand why adults felt the need to ban certain books at her school library. When she went to the first school board meeting about it, it was originally for her to give a speech about her favorite book, which was on the banned book list. She got too nervous and did not do her speech, so she wanted to create a way to read, and get others to read, the newly banned books.

Feelings: Amy Anne is overlooked by her family. Under heard by the principal and her family too. She also feels fulfillment with her B.B.L.L. but is also scared of getting caught and possibly suspended.

Actions: Amy Anne creates the B.B.L.L. (Banned Books Locker Library) for her and her schoolmates. She spent her own money that she had been saving to purchase books on the banned book list and took initiative to get more money from bake sales to buy more books.

Illustrator: Paige Pooler

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Published: May 12, 2020

Number of pages: 28

Grade Level: Kindergarten - 2nd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that are more cartoon like than real life.

Literacy Elements: This book follows a few dogs that are at a dog park and while they are at the park, a mystery appears. One of the dog's favorite ball pops. Scout, a mystery solver, takes charge to look at all of the clues and find out who had popped the ball.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book. My main take away from this was that this book teaches you not to jump to conclusions. While everyone in the book thought one dog did it, it turned out to be someone not even on their radar.

Curricular Connections: This book would not be good for any specific lesson in the classroom, unless this is read in kindergarten. This book could be used to teach students to not jump to conclusions about something missing or lost.

Illustrator: Emily Bolam

Publisher: Blue Apple Books

Published: May 4, 2021

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - Kindergarten

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that look more like a marker and pencil than on a technology device.

Literacy Elements: This book follows along a few animals and we learn if they have to flush the toilet or brush their teeth. While reading we learn that only humans have to flush and brush their teeth.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute, easy book to read. This would be a good book to use to teach young students bathroom etiquette while using the bathroom and while brushing your teeth.

Curricular Connections: This book would be a good book to use in a health/PE classroom stance. This would be a good tool to use to teach students how to properly use the bathroom and how to brush their teeth.

Illustrator: Melissa Sweet

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published: January 8, 2013

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Drawings that look like cut up pieces of something blended together. Along with images from colored pencils or oils. The shapes are more rough than smooth in this book.

Literacy Elements: This book follow Horace from a young age and we learn that he always loved to draw. One day, he won some art supplies, but then he and his family needed to make money. Since he had to go to work, he had less and less time for art. Eventually, a war started and he went off to go fight. One day he was shot in his drawing arm. He learns that he can hold his bad arm with his good arm and he starts to make artwork again. He is eventually noticed and has a gallery filled with his work.

My Response: I thought that this was a really sweet book. I liked that it showed that no matter what happens that you should never give up on your dream. I do also like that this is the life story of a real person so students can't just say that this is all make believe and cannot become true. Plus, I enjoyed how Horace's perseverance came through in the book.

Curricular Connections: The only class subject I can see this book being used in is in an art class. This book can show students that no matter what is happening in their life, there is always a way to express it.

Illustrator: Nicola Kent

Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers

Published: March 1, 2024

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool & Up

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations with crayons used throughout.

Literacy Elements: This book is about learning how to measure certain parts of your body. Whether that is your height, your smallest bone, or your largest bone. We learn about all the different types of numbers all around our body. This includes our hair, blood veins, nerve endings, eyes, fingers, and toes. This book explains that even though we all have all of these characteristics, we are all special and unique.

My Response: I thought that this was a really cute, short book. This would be a great book to use when learning about measurements in math class. Even though this book starts at preschool, I still think that it can be used up to 5th grade. With a fun activity created to go along with this book and the measuring unit, students can still have a lot of fun with it.

Curricular Connections: An activity that can go along with this book is measuring yourself on Halloween. I remember when I was in elementary school on Halloween and in math class, we would lay on the ground and our partner would lay out candy corn measuring our length. At the end, you stand up and count how many candy corn you are. Not only is this an activity that can go with this book, but this is also a fun activity. You don't only need to do this on Halloween. You can do it around Christmas and use candy canes, Easter and use Peeps or jellybeans, or Saint Patricks day and use gummy clovers.

Cultural Xray: This X-ray is of the character Omar. This is the main character in the story. On the outside we see some of the things that we learn about in the book. For example he is a student, muslim, an older brother, smart, and a refugee. Inside Omar we see that he cares about his younger brother, foster mother, school, his native country and his dreams.

Effectiveness: I think that this is a really effective activity to give students so they can learn and think about a character more. While I did read the book, doing this activity made me think about the Omar differently and remember traits that made him who he is.

Illustrator: Victoria Jamieson

Publisher: Dial Books

Published: April 14, 2020

Number of pages: 264

Grade Level: 4th - 7th grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that look like they were made through technology, like an iPad.

Literacy Elements: Omar and his little brother Hassan live as refugees in Kenya. We watch them grow up with no parents, just their foster mother Fatuma. Omar has the responsibilities of keeping up with the household, watching Hassan, and going to school. Eventually, they get a meeting with the UN to potentially get moved to America.

My Response: This was such an amazing book to read. Not only did it make me thankful for what I have, but also grateful for the opportunities around me. I, and many others, often take what we are given on a day to day basis for granted. We don't really think about if we will be able to become a teacher or be able to support our siblings. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a heartfelt story.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book for either a social studies class or a literature class. In social studies, the class would have to be learning about refugees and what it was like to live in a refugee camp.

Illustrator: H.A Rey

Publisher: HMH Books For Young Readers

Published: August 21, 2012

Number of pages: 31

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Amazing wonder like hand drawn illustrations to create this curious monkey.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Curious George as he learns what it takes to be a librarian and take care of the library. This includes finding certain books with just a description of the book. Whether that is the color, size, or even title.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book to read. I read these books a lot as a kid so it was just a classic book to read.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library. I am not sure that this would be a good book for a particular class subject. Maybe a class could read it if they are learning what to do and what not to do when going to the library.

Illustrator: Peter Brown

Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers

Published: September 7, 2010

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: No drawings since this was an audiobook for me.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow a young bear who comes across a human. She takes him to her mom begging her to let her keep him as a pet. Her mom warns her that people make terrible pets. She and the human have fun together and then she learns about the responsibilities you have to have to take care of a pet. At the end, she realizes that the human has his own family and she lets him go.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book. This is a good book to teach children the responsibilities they have to have if they want to have a pet.

Curricular Connections: This would not be a good book for any particular subject. However, this would be a cute book for a classroom library.

Illustrator: Pete Oswald

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: February 12, 2019

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that have soft lines throughout the book.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow the Good Egg and how they try to keep their carton in line. The Good Egg eventually finds out that trying to make others act well can be tiring and stressful. The Good Egg has to take some time to themselves to recuperate and relax. After taking some mental health time, the Good Egg feels ready and returns to their carton to be with their friends again.

My Response: I thought that this was a really cute book. It teaches children that they shouldn't worry too much about others because that worry can affect you. I also liked that it showed the good egg taking some time for themselves. This is really important because every now and then people do need a mental health day or just some time to relax.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library or a guidance counselor's office. This book could also be good in a health class when students are learning about mental health.

Illustrator: Charlene Chua

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Published: January 4, 2022

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool & Up

Artistic Media: Cute hand drawn illustrations to show the characters throughout the book.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Violet and her path through her shyness. There is one person in her class that she wants to talk to, but she is too shy. On Valentine's Day, she made a valentine for Mira. However, she got nervous and didn't give it to her until recess, where it got destroyed in the snow. Mira still thought it was pretty and she and Violet then went on an adventure.

My Response: This was a cute book. It would be a good one to show how students can overcome their own shyness and how their classmate do actually want to be friends with them and play together. This would also be a good book to read on Valentine's Day.

Curricular Connections: Since lots of parents might consider this book to be promoting LGBTQIA+ since it is one girl saying "I love you" to another girl, this might not be the best book to have in a classroom. However, if that was not a current issue, I do think that this would be good in a classroom library or a special book to read on Valentine's Day.

Illustrator: Axel Scheffler

Publisher: Dial Books

Published: January 27, 2005

Number of pages: 26

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Fun, hand drawn illustrations that make fun animals come to life in the book.

Literacy Elements: In this book we watch a mouse make up a Gruffalo to get rid of a fox, owl, and a snake. The mouse creates the Gruffalo and tells each animal that the Gruffalo likes certain types of food with each of the animals the mouse is talking to. Doing this makes all of the predators leave the mouse alone. The Gruffalo meets the mouse eventually and thinks that the mouse would taste good, but the mouse thinks quickly on his feet to not get eaten. By the end the Gruffalo is afraid of the mouse because he thinks that the mouse is the top animal in the forest.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book to read. I am honestly not sure if I would want to do an entire lesson off of this book. I just don't think that lying is a good thing to promote to young readers because they might think that they can lie and get away with it.

Curricular Connections: This book would be good for a science lesson about the food web. The mouse keeps running into predators that would normally eat a mouse, which could help students learn about what animals eat.

Illustrator: David Shannon

Publisher: Orchard Books

Published: September 1, 1998

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: A fun child like type of drawings that look like any child would draw.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow David and his Mother along a reckless path that David creates. We see him draw on walls, track mud through the house, and break a vase. At the end David is told that he is not behaving. We learn that even though David is being a pain for his mother, she still loves him.

My Response: I thought that this was a really cute book. I like that even though he was creating trouble all around him, he is told no so that he will learn. I do also like that he did have to face a consequence for breaking something.

Curricular Connections: I think that this would be a good book to have in a classroom library. This would not be a good book for any particular subject.

Illustrator: Peter Brown

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Published: August 21, 2012

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: A creepy like drawing that is still "scary" but not too scary to scare someone.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Jusper and watch him to continue pulling carrots from a specific carrot field. One day, three carrots started following him. He felt like something was following him and he felt like it was Creepy Carrots. His mom did not believe him about these carrots though. He eventually creates a barrier for the carrots to not be able to get out and he felt safer. The carrots were also happy because their plan worked to get Jusper to stop eating them.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book. I especially liked the part where he and his dad looked under his bed for Creepy Carrots, like monsters under our beds. I also really liked the ending how it showed not only the happy ending for Jusper but also for the carrots.

Curricular Connections: I think that this would be a good book for a classroom library. This would not be a good book to read for any particular subject.

Illustrator: Pete Oswald

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: August 29, 2017

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that have soft edges throughout the entire book.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow the Bad Seed and how he acts bad. Not putting things back, lying, cutting in line, being loud, and more. We learn that he was not always a bad seed though. By escaping death, he turns into the "Bad Seed". He ends up deciding that he does not want to be bad anymore and he wants to be happy. He now says please and thank you but still makes a few bad mistakes.

My Response: I thought that this was a really cute book. This book teaches us that anyone can change no matter what they are going through.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library. This would also be a good book to use in teaching kids about emotions. This book could be a tool to use to show them that anyone can change how they act and feel everyday.

Illustrator: Subi Bosa

Publisher: Lerner Publications

Published: January 1, 2023

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: 1st - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that look like they were created through a technology application.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Bo and how he learns how to deal with a bully. He asks his grandpa what to do and the advice given is to try and be nice and if that does not work, get a teacher. Bo does this, trying to be nice, and befriends the bully.

My Response: I really liked this book. This is a good book to teach kids on what to do if someone is bullying them. Or if they feel like they see bullying happen in their school.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book in a classroom library and a good book to have in a guidance counselor's office.

Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Publisher: HarperCollins (Harper & Row)

Published: October 7, 1974

Number of pages: 64

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media:

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow a boy and a tree. The boy keeps asking the tree to give him things that he "needs". Whether this is taking the tree's apples to make money, cutting off the branches to make a house, or cutting the whole tree down to make a sail boat. By the end, there is no tree left to give anything else to the boy. Except, since it is now a stump, the boy, now old man, can sit on that tree trunk.

My Response: I have always loved this book. This was one of the classic bed time story books that my mom would read to me and my sister. I have always and will always think that this is a good book to read, no matter the age.

Curricular Connections: I think this book could be used in a literacy class. The teacher can ask students to create something that the boy could've done differently with the tree. This could either be a paper or a drawing. This would also be good in a classroom library.

Illustrator: Marc Brown

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Published: January 28, 2003

Number of pages: 24

Grade Level: 1st - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that look like the characters were almost outlined in pencil.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow D.W. taking home her class gerbil, Speedy. Throughout the story Speedy keeps escaping and D.W. and her family continuously have to search for him. By the end D.W. is worried that she can't go back to school because Speedy is missing. Once she climbs into her bed, she finds Speedy.

My Response: I thought that this was a good, classic Arthur book. I used to watch the show a lot as a kid and I had no idea that they made books too. Since I watched the show when I was younger, I was reading the book with the characters voices.

Curricular Connections: This would just be good for a classroom library, not any particular subject.

Illustrator: Ken Edwards

Publisher: Scholastic

Published: July 19, 2002

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Classic hand drawn Clifford illustrations. Thick outlines of the characters in the book.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Clifford and his journey to an upset stomach. By eating treats upon treats, he and his friends start to feel sick. When Clifford's owner comes back, she tells them that they shouldn't have eaten all of the dog treats.

My Response: I thought that this was a good book to teach kids about portion control. If you continue to eat and eat and eat, you will get sick, just like Clifford and his friends.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to use in a health class. The lesson would be about stop eating when you are full, or feel sick, and portion control. This would also be a good book in a classroom library.

Illustrator: Steve Haefele

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Published: April 6, 1999

Number of pages: 43

Grade Level: Kindergarten - 4th grade

Artistic Media: Regular Cat In The Hat drawings with thick outlines of characters and other objects on the page.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow along with the Cat In The Hat and learn about dinosaurs. First we see fossils and then we move onto what dinosaurs' names are and what they might've looked like. The Cat then teaches us what they ate and how they might've hunted too.

My Response: I thought that this was a good book. I liked that it teaches the reader how to say the name of a certain type of dinosaur. I think that this is a good book to read out loud though for younger readers. That way they can hear the name of the dinosaur they are saying.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to read in a science class. The class would be learning about dinosaurs and fossils, and the teacher could do a read aloud of this book to help the students learn. This would also be good in a classroom library.

Illustrator: Marcelle Geneste

Publisher: Random House

Published: January 1, 1993

Number of pages: 24

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Beautiful hand drawn illustrations where the colors blend together really well.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow the little puppy moving into his new home. The barn animals are all hovering over him and making him feel little. When he hears that a chick is missing, he thinks that he can sniff them out and find them. Eventually, he does find them across the pond. He swims back with the chick and returns them to their mom. From that day on, the puppy didn't feel little anymore.

My Response: I thought that this was an adorable book. I was really into dog or puppy books when I was younger and this definitely would've been a book I would read. I really like how the author described how the puppy felt because sometimes kids, or even adults, can feel small when they get to a new place.

Curricular Connections: This book would not be good for any particular classroom subject, just as a classroom library book.

Illustrator: Tom Brannon

Publisher: Little Simon

Published: October 5, 2004

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: 1st - 2nd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations with think outlines of the characters.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Rerun and how he wants a dog for Christmas. At one point, Snoopy's brother Spike came into town. Rerun was going to keep him, but his mother said no and Spike had to leave, Lucy, Rerun's older sister, signed him up in the school play to make him forget about Spike. He had one line and he forgot it until the very last minute. He said his line correctly and had a merry Christmas.

My Response: This is a cute book. I was not excepting the mother to actually kick Rerun's new dog, only for a little bit, out of the house. I was disappointed that he did not get a dog in the end. However, that does show readers that you cannot always get what you want.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to read around the holidays. This could also be a good classroom library book.

Illustrator: Sally Huss

Publisher: W Pub Group

Published: January 1, 1997

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: 2nd - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations where the outlines of characters are not connected together. Also, the colors for character go outside the lines.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow a dad who is watching his daughter grow up. He sees her be an angel in a pageant, ballerina, softball player, and eventually a young woman. He realizes that he is lucky to have her and thanks God for her and the butterfly kisses they give to each other.

My Response: I thought that this was a sweet book. It makes you think about how your dad might feel watching yourself grow up into who you are today.

Curricular Connections: This would not be a good book to read to a class or to have in a classroom. This book continuously talks about God and I know that classes are not allowed to have books like that in them. However, if they were specifically a Christian school, then I think that this book would be okay to be in.

Illustrator: Steve Björkman

Publisher: Beaufort Books

Published: October 19, 2010

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 2nd grade

Artistic Media: Fun hand drawn illustrations to show the good chaos happening in the neighborhood.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow a group of kids playing hide and seek around the neighborhood. With all of the neighbors doing tasks, the kids found plenty of spaces to hide. At the end it started raining and everyone went inside.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book. I liked how there were objects that the author gave you on each page to try and find.

Curricular Connections: I think that this would be a good book to have in a classroom library. I do not think that this could be used for any particular subject.

Illustrator: Grace Zong

Publisher: Charlesbridge

Published: December 1, 2015

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that have soft outlines in the same color as that character or object.

Literacy Elements: In this story we follow Goldy in her quest to say happy new year to the Chans. She tries three different porridges, chairs, and beds until she find the right one for her. At the end she comes back to the Chans and helps them clean up.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book. I have only ever read or heard of the "regular" Goldilocks story so this was interesting to watch. I also like that this book was focused more on Chinese culture.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library. This could also be used to help teach students about the different versions of stories out in the world.

Illustrator: Anna Llenas

Publisher: Union Square Kids

Published: September 1, 2015

Number of pages: 20

Grade Level: Preschool - 2nd

Artistic Media: hand drawn illustrations where the colors go outside the lines and look like crayons.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow the Color Monster in separating his feelings. We learn about what stereotypical colors mean for emotions. Blue is sad, red is anger, green is calm, yellow is happy, and black is fear. At the end we learn about one more color, pink, and think that it is for love.

My Response: I thought that this was a cute book. I have never read any of the color monster books, so I enjoyed this one. I like how it teaches the readers how they might be feeling and what color they can use if they want to express it.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a guidance counselor's office. This book could help students explain how they are feeling.

Illustrator: Subi Bosa

Publisher: Lerner Publications

Published: January 1, 2023

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: 1st - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that seem to have been made through technology.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Bo as he is told to mail a bill. He did not do what he was asked to and lied about it later. His grandfather then taught him a lesson that lying always comes back to hurt you and others. Bo understood that lying was not the right action and suffered his consequence of sweeping hair.

My Response: I thought that this was a good children's book. This is a good book to use to teach younger students about lying. No one wants their kids or other people lying to them.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library. This would not be a good book to use for a certain subject.

Illustrator: Subi Bosa

Publisher: Lerner Publications

Published: January 1, 2023

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: 1st - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that have smooth edges that also were made through some sort of technology.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Bo in learning what poetry is and how to write it. He is confused once he gets back home, but one of the customers helps him. He says to think about what you like when you are writing it and think of it like music. It can flow to a beat or rhyme. Come class time, Bo reads his poem out loud and the whole class likes it.

My Response: I thought that this was a good book. I know when I was younger I hated having to write my own poetry. I always struggled with it, so I related to Bo in this book.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to use in a literacy class. The class would be learning about poetry and the teacher could read this aloud to help the students learn how to write it once they are home.

Illustrator: Victoria Kann

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: January 5, 2016

Number of pages: 40

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that focus a lot on the color on each page.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Pinkalicious and how she eats so many pink cupcakes, she turns pink. The doctor told her to not eat anything else that is pink and focus on eating green food. Later that night she snuck into the kitchen and ate another pink cupcake. The next day she woke up red and decided that she had to eat a bunch of green foods to return to herself.

My Response: I have always loved this book. It has been years since I last read it and it still puts a smile on my face. This is such a creative and fun book to read no matter the age.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library. This could also be used to teach kids that they cannot eat too much of one thing or else they could get sick.

Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: December 13, 2005

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations that really focus in on every detail on every page.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow Fancy Nancy and her mission to make her family fancy as well. She gives them accessories and they all leave to go eat. After tripping and spilling the parfaits, they go home. Nancy comes out of the bathroom all clean and her parents tell her that they love her. Before she goes to bed, she thanks them for being fancy for the day.

My Response: This is a great book. This is another book that I had when I was younger and I loved to read it. I loved Fancy Nancy overall, I even had a game based off of the books. I always liked that she does not care what other people think and I love that the parents go along with her crazy, fancy ideas.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library. This would not really go along with any particular subject.

Illustrator: Stan Berenstain & Jen Berenstain

Publisher: Random House Books

Published: March 12, 1985

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool - 2nd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations with a bunch of color on every page.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow the Berenstain Bear family on their journey to eat healthier food. The cubs and Papa only want to eat junk food and Mama helps them switch over to healthy food like vegetables, fruit, water, bread, cheese, and more. At the end they run a race as a family and win a prize. When they get home, the cubs both say to Papa that he should have carrot sticks and raisins as a reward.

My Response: This has been a book I have known for a long time. This was at my grandparents house and I would often read this. I always liked the Berenstain Bear books so I always looked for them when I was at their house. I never noticed that this book was actually teaching the reader something though.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to use in a health class. When students are learning about what foods are good for you and which ones are bad, the teacher can read aloud this book to help them learn. This can also be used in a classroom library.

Illustrator: Betsy Lewin

Publisher: Simon Spotlight

Published: December 13, 2016

Number of pages: 32

Grade Level: Kindergarten - 2nd grade

Artistic Media: Hand drawn illustrations with outlines of characters that look like paint or a marker.

Literacy Elements: In this book we follow a farmer who has cows that type. The cows ask for heated blankets. When the farmer says no, the cows go on strike. The hens join the cows and go on strike too until they get heated blankets. The farmer eventually makes the deal that they will get the blankets if he gets the type writer back. At the end, the ducks have the type writer and are asking for a diving board.

My Response: This is a cute book. I remember I used to read this to my little brother at bed time. This is a classic for me and will always be a good book choice. It is cute, funny, and creative.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in a classroom library, not for any subject.