Written and Illustrated by: Mo Willems

Reading Level: First/Second Grade 

Genre: Fiction, Humor, Picture book Artistic Media: Drawing 

Publication Date: April 1st 2003

Themes: Responsibility, Blame and Patience 

Summary: In the story “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” a man leaves his bus unattended and asks the audience to not let the pigeon drive the bus. The pigeon wants to and tries to convince the reader to say yes. By the time the pigeon became very worked up, the driver was back. 

My Connections/Comments: This story can be used to teach children that even though it may be difficult to go against what you want to do at times it is still more important to do what is right. I have read a couple of these Pigeon books to my class and the kids always really enjoy listening to them. I thought it was interesting that this was Mo the Emmy award-winning writer and animator very first picture book. I looked into the book reviews on good reads and readers seemed to really like it overall. The book is rated 4.33 out of 5 stars with many positive reviews. 

Curricular Connections: I think this book could be a good example of narrative writing for a first-grade class. You could use it to spark inspiration and from there have them create their own story using this same format.

Written By: Jon Scieszia  Illustrated By: Lane Smith 

Reading Level: 1-3 

Genre: Fictional, Fairytail, Humor, Picture book Artistic Media: Drawing, Cartoony 

Publication Date: This story was published in 1989

Themes: Satire, Perspective, Truth

Summary: This book retells the story of the three little pigs, this time from the perspective of the wolf. The wolf begins by explaining that he has gotten a reputation as a bad guy throughout history because he dines on little animals. Then he goes on a journey to each of his neighbor's houses looking for a cup of sugar for a cake he is making for his sick grandmother. The wolf was feeling sick as well and ended up sneezing which blew over each of the pigs houses besides the pig that built his house out of bricks.

My Connections/Comments: I remember reading this book when I was in elementary school. It was one of my favorites because of the authors sense of humor and the twist on the traditional story.

Curricular Connections: When I read this book in elementary school we did something similar to the paired books discussion. Our teacher had us create a compare and contrast of these two books using a venn diagram. This book can be used to teach students about perspectives, tone and empathy.

Written By: Sonia Sotomayor Illustrated By: Rafael Lopez

Reading Level: pre k- 4th 

Genre: Nonfiction, Educational, Picture book Artistic Media: Drawing and Painting 

Publication Date: September 10, 2019 

Themes: Diversity, Self Acceptance, individuality  

Summary: In this vibrant book the author creates a story of a group of children with various life challenges who come together and share their hardships. Each child explained what they have and how it affects their lives in a way that is easy for students to understand and relate 

My Connections/Comments: I love that this book encourages children to ask questions about one another. When we ask questions it helps us realize that we are not so different from each other and creates a more inclusive society. 

Curricular Connections: You could tie this book into the social studies curriculum by highlighting diversity. I would love to read this book to my class at the beginning of the school year. I think it set a good foundation for this class, students would see each other's differences more as strengths than anything else and it would help them understand ways to support each other. 

Written By: Sonia Sotomayor Illustrated By: Rafael Lopez

Reading Level: pre k- 4th 

Genre: Nonfiction, Educational, Picture book Artistic Media: Drawing and Painting 

Publication Date: September 10, 2019 

Themes: Diversity, Self Acceptance, individuality  

Summary: In this vibrant book the author creates a story of a group of children with various life challenges who come together and share their hardships. Each child explained what they have and how it affects their lives in a way that is easy for students to understand and relate 

My Connections/Comments: I love that this book encourages children to ask questions about one another. When we ask questions it helps us realize that we are not so different from each other and creates a more inclusive society. 

Curricular Connections: You could tie this book into the social studies curriculum by highlighting diversity. I would love to read this book to my class at the beginning of the school year. I think it set a good foundation for this class, students would see each other's differences more as strengths than anything else and it would help them understand ways to support each other. 

Written By and Illustrated By: James Marshall 

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: picture book, fairy tale, folk tale  Artistic Media: Cartoon drawings and paintings

Publication Date:1989   Themes: Resourcefulness, hard work, cleverness, karma

Summary: This is a classic story of the three little pigs. Each pig leaves home and must build themselves a house, the first pig built his of straw the next of sticks, and the third of bricks. The big bad wolf went one by one huffing and puffing each house over until he made it to the pig who built his house out of brick. He tried huffing and puffing until he got frustrated because it was not working and ended up trying to get in through the chimney where the smart pig had a pot of boiling water waiting for him at the bottom.

My Connections/Comments: I enjoyed reading this story because it reminded me of my childhood and I liked the humor in the story. This book is definitely a fun read for both students and teachers.

Curricular Connections:

This story could be useful in teaching students the basic features of a story like plot, setting, and characters. An idea of a class activity could be reading the different versions of this story and comparing and contrasting them.

Written By and Illustrated By: Jory John and Pete Oswald

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Fiction  Artistic Media: 

Publication Date: 2019 Themes: Self Care, Growth, Worrying about yourself 

Summary: This story is about an egg who is known for being good. The egg watched over everyone around him making sure that they didn’t get into too much trouble. The good egg spent so much time worrying about the others around him that his shell started cracking. So the good egg decided he needed to leave to focus on himself. Once he left he leaned how to relax and take care of himself and his shell started coming back together. He misses his friends so he goes back and realizes that he doesn’t need to worry about others as much as he thought and that he should focus on himself.

My Connections/Comments: I read this book to my kindergarten class and they absolutely loved it. They thought it was very funny and I loved the message that it sent them about taking care of yourself before worrying about others because we can’t always control what others do and especially at this age kids are super interested in whatever their friends are doing.

Curricular Connections: This book would help students gain emotional intellegence and self care skills.

Written By and Illustrated By: David Shannon

Reading Level:k-3

Genre: Fiction  Artistic Media: Acrylic Paint

Publication Date: 1998 Themes: Self Acceptance,Individuality , Not worrying about others opinions Summary: Camilla really liked lima beans but she stopped eating them because her friends did not like them and she didn’t want to get made fun of for eating them. One morning Camilla woke up with rainbow stripes all over her body the doctors came and could not figure it out so thye sent her back to school. At school the kids teased her and yelled out colors and patterns at her to watch her turn. More experts came and could not help her, they only made situations worse. Her Family had an old lady come who brought lima beans, Camilla had to accept herself and eat the Lima beans which turned her back into her true self.

My Connections/Comments: This was one of my favorite books as a child, so I was excited to read it again.I really like the message of the book, I think its so important to teach children not to worry about what others think about you. 

Curricular Connections:The students can learn social intelligence skills from this book like why we shouldn’t value others opinions more than our own and why it is important not to tease people. This book has very bright and intriguing illustrations so it could also be used to teach art skills like painting. 

Written By and Illustrated By: Jory John and Pete Oswald

Reading Level: k-2

Genre:  fictional, humor, picture book Artistic Media: Colorful with personified treats 

Publication Date:2021 Themes: Individuality, personal growth, friendship and self appreciation

Summary: This story follows a cookie who lives among other sweet treats. The cookie was not confident because he often messed up in class and didn’t feel as smart as the other treats. Until one day his teacher gave the class an assignment to create anything. This worried the cookie at first until he came up with the idea of writing a poem about how he was feeling, crumby. When the cookie shared his poem infront of the class everyone loved it and the cookie gained lots of confidence from this and from then on he learned that everyone has there own talents and we are all smart cookies.

My Connections/Comments: I was drwn to this book because I have enjoyed the authors other books and I thought the cover was super cute. This book shared such an important lesson for kids about celebrating what makes you uniquely you.

Curricular Connections: This story would be great to share with a class who is lacking confidence when it comes to writing, it would help empower those students to share their work without the fear of being judged. You could even give your students the same assignment that Ms.Biscotti gave their class to create anything and do a show and tell of what they came up with.

Written By and Illustrated By: E.B White and Garth Williams 

Reading Level: 4-6th

Genre: Fiction, fantasy  Artistic Media: black and white images  

Publication Date: Themes: 

Summary: The story starts out with a girl named Fern who stops her dad from slaughtering a pig named Wilbur who was the runt of his litter. Fern's parents move Wilbur to Fern's aunt and uncle's farm where Wilbur makes friends with a spider named Charlotte and other farm animals. A sheep living there tells Wilbur that the family is planning on slaughtering Wilbur for Christmas. Charlotte comes up with a plan to help Wilbur escape being slaughtered she writes words in her web to describe Wilbur. The Zuckermans cannot believe what they see and enter Wilbur into the fair. Charlotte comes to the fair with Wilbur and is healthy enough to spin one last word saying Humble. Wilbur ends up winning third in the fair. Charlotte was dying but had laid thousands of eggs which Wilbur ended up watching over with respect to her friend.

My Connections/Comments: I really enjoyed reading this book again it brought me back to my childhood. I think this book has a lot of great lessons for children as it shares the importance of friendship and teaches lessons about life and death which can be difficult subjects for children to comprehend.

Curricular Connections: This book can be used to teach many different concepts to a class. It would be good for teaching students about the setting, character, plot, and themes of stories. You could also do an engaging activity with the class where you have them create an alternative ending to the story or have them create a drawing of the scene as they hear them.

Written By and Illustrated By: Joanne Cole and Bruce Degen

Reading Level: Grades 2-4

Genre: Educational Fiction  Artistic Media: Detailed and colorful images 

Publication Date: October 18th, 1990 Themes: Science, Education, Teamwork and Exploration 

Summary: In the story The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System the crazy teacher Ms. Frizzle takes the students on another crazy adventure. This time they go into the solar system, and while they go through the galaxy they learn about all the different planets the moon, and the sun. The book teaches students in an easy-to-grasp way about the significance of gravity and why we orbit. As they go along their journey the class works together to solve problems and make their way back to school safely. 

My Connections/Comments: I am very familiar with the magic school bus, I had a teacher when I was younger who used to constantly compare herself to Ms. Frizzle. I think that the Magic School Bus stories are always great books to read to a class so that they can learn about a topic in an entertaining and memorable way.

Curricular Connections: This book would be a great way to introduce students to learning about more complex topics like the solar system and gravity. A fun way to incorporate this book as a lesson is you have students create a model of the solar system.

Written by Corey Rosen Schwarts and Beth Coulton 

Illustrated by Nate Wragg

Reading level: Kindergarten through 3rd grade 

Pages: 32 Genre: Fiction, Fairy Tale 

Publication Date: February 6th 2014

Artistic Media: Vibrant, Action-packed Themes: Humor,

Summary: This book is a twist on the classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The three bears, Mamma Bear, Pappa Bear, and Baby Bear had a band but they were missing someone who could hit a high note so they sought to find one. Meanwhile, Goldi had broken into their home after smelling their porridge and stumbled open their studio. She gave all of the instruments a try but destroyed their equipment. When the bears got home from their unsuccessful auditions they found Goldi fast asleep on the piano. They woke her and she was so started that she hit a perfect High C. They requested her to sing a song and were pleased so she joined their band renaming it the Goldi Rocks and the Great Three Bear Band. 

My Comments/Connections:

Curricular Connections:

Written By and Illustrated By: Krina Patel Sage

Reading Level: Grades 2-5

Genre: Poetry, Haiku Artistic Media: 

Publication Date: March 7th, 2023 Themes: Nature, Seasons, Observation of surroundings, Knowledge and appreciation of flowers/plants

Summary: This book of Haikus focuses on the different types of plants and flowers that blossom during the seasons. The poems encourage children to appreciate the natural beauty around them and learn more about it. The author is telling the story from a third-person perspective from the view of a young girl who is enchanted by nature's gifts. 

My Connections/Comments: I enjoyed listening to this story, I learned a little bit about different flowers and when they bloom. After reading this it makes me want to show more appreciation to the natural beauty all around me that I can sometimes easily overlook. I think the author did a great job evoking those feelings in an engaging way. 

Curricular Connections: This would be a great example of poetry you could use with students when introducing them to Haikus. It could be something they could easily try to recreate focusing on another topic.

Written by: Seth Meyers

Illustrated by: Rob Sayegh Jr.

Reading Level: 1st-3rd grade

Publication Date: March 15th  2022

Summary: This book tells the story of a bear who is scared of almost everything even just looking in the mirror and brushing his teeth. And his friend Rabbit who is not scared of anything and loves adventure. Rabbit encourages Bear to take Adventures and face his fears. Rabbit and Bear went on an adventure, Bear was doing everything even though he was scared They came to a bridge where Bear was too scared to pass over so he went home and went to bed.  The fearless rabbit went on the bridge trying to prove that it was not scary she jumped and jumped until the bridge broke and finally rabbit was scared. Luckily a bird was following them and went to get Bear. Bear came back Not scared of anything because his courage took over because needing to save a friend.

My Connections/Comments: I enjoyed reading this book. I believe it has a great message for kids teaching them that it is okay to be scared and that sometimes even the bravest people get scared but sometimes we must face our fears and be brave, especially in times of need. 

Curricular Connections: This book could be used in a social and emotional intelligence exercise to teach children how they can support one another when they are feeling scared or anxious. Sometimes all we need is a friend's support this would help the students become supportive friends and build empathy and understanding for others.

Written By: Bruce Hale

Illustrated By: Guy Francis

Reading Level: K-2nd grade

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy

Artistic Media: Cartoon, Colorful and Playful

Themes: Self Control, Responsibility, Growth and Friendship

Publication Date: July 9th 2013

Summary: This story follows the life of a young shark named Clark. Clark loves life and everything about it.

My Connections/Comments:

Curricular Connections:

Written By: Catherine Steir

Illustrated By: Lynne Avril Cravath

Reading Level: 2-3rd Grade

Genre: Educational nonfiction

Artistic Media:

Themes: Democratic Process, Leadership, Participation

Publication Date: March 1st 2007

Summary: This story explains to children the process of being elected president in a way that is easy to understand and exciting. The story is told from the imagination of a few diverse children who dream of running the country. From the book, children learn about parts of the process such as campaigning, conventions, debates, and other responsibilities of being a candidate.

My Connections/Comments: I read this book to my class of kindergarteners as I thought it would be relevant because of the current election. They really enjoyed it because none of them really knew anything about the process. I think this book is a great tool for teaching students about our democracy and the election process.

Curricular Connections: Something that could be fun to try with a class is to run a class election where students make their own campaigns and do speeches/debates. This would provide an interactive way to teach students about the election process and democracy in an engaging way.

Title: Hike

Written and Illustrated by::  Pete Oswald 

Themes: Family, Nature, Presence, Teamwork 

Publication Date: March 17th 2020

Summary: This book has almost no words besides just a few Onomatopoeias that are used to help the reader understand what is taking place. The book's illustrations tell the story of a father and a son who go for a long hike together. It captures the beauty of nature and the relationship between a father and son as they go through challenges on the hike like climbing over steep rocks. When the father and son make it to the top of the mountain they plant a tree together that symbolizes their relationship.  

My Connections/Comments: This book was really cool I've never seen a book like this that has little words and uses illustrations to tell a story. Although this book did not have many words I think that it still beautifully portrayed the relationship of the Father and Son as well as the beauty of nature. I wonder why the author chose to write the book like this rather than including Dialogue.

Curriculum Connections:
After "reading" this book to the class it would be fun to have them try to create their own wordless story where they create a plot using only their illustrations. This would challenge them to convey the emotions of their characters through their facial expressions and body language.

Written and Illustrated by: Andrew Clements and Brian Selznick

Publication date: September 1st, 1996

Themes: Creativity, Influence, Rebellion

Summary: Findle tells the story of a fifth-grade boy Nick Allen who decides to rename the pen a frindle. Nick is known for being a funny kid who likes to push the boundaries and drive his teachers crazy. Nick's teacher Mrs. Ganger is known around the school for being very strict and obsessed with words and the dictionary doesn’t like Nicks antics at first. Despite this Nick's class goes along with the new name and it rapidly spreads around the school and eventually the nation. Nick ends up becoming famous for the word and making lots of money when a businessman makes a line of pens naming them Frindle. Although at first, Mrs. Granger is upset by Nick trying to change pen's name she remembers she had originally told him that if everyone started using a different word for something then it would eventually end up in the dictionary. By the end of the story, Mrs. Granger is proud of Nick for the initiative he took and the creativity he had.

Personal Response: This book was a fun read I like the idea it shares that one child can make such a big difference. I thought it was also really interesting to think that all words start with one person and eventually become a part of everyone's personal dictionary.

Curricular Connections: This book would be a great way to talk to students about how words become a part of the dictionary and how our language evolves. A fun idea could be having students create their own name for a simple everyday word and see if they could get their friends and family to start using it.

Written and Illustrated by: Lauren Child 

Publication date: September 4th, 2002

Themes: Individuality, Problem-Solving, Friendship

Summary: This book tells the story of a young girl named Clarice Bean a very imaginative young girl who is obsessed with Ruby Redfort a detective in a fictional book she is reading. Clarice and her best friend Betty are in the midst of working on a class project together when all of a sudden Betty isn’t showing up to school. Since Betty is gone her teacher pairs her up with a boy named Karl instead who is known for being pretty naughty. Clarice takes this as her opportunity to investigate and channel her inner Ruby Redfort. Through her investigation Clarice finds out that Betty was simply gone due to a family trip she didn’t know about. Although Clarice was initially upet about being paired with karl she realized he wasnt so bad afterall, they work together and end up winning the class competition. 

Personal Response: I think this book shares a really powerful message for young readers not to judge a book off its cover. This book was fun to read as you can really hear Clarices quirky tone through her words. 

Curricular Connections: This book could be a great mentor book for a language arts class. You could have students come up with their own mystery and characters like Clarices Ruby Refort and get creative on ways they will investigate and solve the mystery.

Written and Illustrated by:  R. J. Palacio

Publication date: February 14th 2012

Themes: Kindness, Empathy, Family, Friendship and Adversity
Summary: This book tells the story of a child named Auggie Pullman who was born with facial deformality. August was homeschooled until the fifth grade when his parents decided it was time for him to experience a traditional school environment. August had a hard time starting at the new school with many kids bullying him because he was different but he found some good friends along the way, Summer and Jack. Throughout the book the characters each learn their own lessons on friendship and loyalty especially jack who felt peer pressured to be mean to auggie till he realized those friends were bullies. At the end of the school year the students in his grade went on an over night camping trip, Jack and Auggie had stepped away and ran into some older kids from another school. Things got aggressive as the older kids were harassing them. Soon after some of the other students in auggies grade who had bullied him stepped up and defended the two boys. Finally August felt supported and safe among his peers showing that tehy had grew to accept and appreciate him

Personal Response: I really enjoyed reading this Book again, I originally read it in the sixth grade and loved its message then. I have now found a deep resonation with it now after working in schools and seeing really just how mean kids can be to their peers when someone is just a little different. I think this book shares such an important message teaching kids that even though we may look different, we are all really not that different inside. 

Curricular Connections: This book is pretty unique as it shares Auggies story from each of the main characters perspectives. That could be turned into a fun writing assignment for students to write a story and share other peoples perspectives of the same events. This book also creates a great opportunity to share with kids that our physical differences do not make us lesser that anyone else.

Written and Illustrated by: Mary Pope Osborne  

Publication date: January 4th 2022

Themes: Teamwork, Problem-solving, Wildlife Conservation, and Friendship
Summary: Like the other Magic Treehouse books Jack and Annie go on another crazy adventure in this book. This time they go to Africa to a wildlife conservation site where they plan to learn about endangered Rhinos and help protect them against dangers like poachers. Along the way, Jack and Annie meet a ranger who teaches them the importance of protecting this wildlife and the struggles these animals face with threats from poachers and loss of their habitat. Jack, Annie, and a few other wildlife rangers work together to save a Rhino mother and her calf from a poacher using the recourses from the magical book they received and what they had learned. By the end, Jack and Annie had gained a deeper appreciation for wildlife and learned the importance of preserving it as well as the power of teamwork and small efforts. 

Personal Response: I enjoyed reading Magic Tree House Rhinos at Recess, it has been a while since I have read a book from this series but it used to be one of my favorites. I appreciate how the series and this book, in particular, introduce students to big issues like endangered animals and wildlife conservation in a way that is informational but still entertaining for young readers. I liked how the author Mary Pope Osborne included facts about Rhinos and the environments they live in as well as efforts we can take to protect them in a very engaging way. This story teaches students the power of teamwork, courage, and adventure as the two main characters Jack and Annie go through a wildlife preserve in Africa. It also encourages students to get curious about the natural world by teaching them about animals like Rhinos and ways to protect them from harm like poachers. 

Curricular Connections: This book could be used as an opening to discuss endangered animals with students and how we can make a difference in protecting them and preserving their habitats. As an activity, you could have students research different endangered animals and come up with ways that we could help protect them from dangers.

Written and Illustrated by: Barbara Park

Publication date: August 29, 1996.

Reading Level:1st to 3rd grade

Themes: Self Acceptance, Confidence, Envy, Friendship 

Summary: In this book Junie B Jones meets a new boy named Warren who she and her friends Lucille and Grace all instantly had big crushes on. Junie described him as Handsome Warren. Junie and her friends each try to gain Warren's attention in their own way. Grace tries winning him over by showing off her athletic abilities, Lucille flaunts her fancy clothes and Junie even tries a mix of tactics from being silly and bragging to trying to dress fancy like Lucille. Despite them trying their hardest to impress handsome Warren this only made him overwhelmed and annoyed by all of their attention. In the end, Junie and her friends learn that it is more important to be true to yourself and that it can be draining to try to impress someone.  

Personal Response: I enjoyed reading this book, it brought me back as these were some of my favorite books to read when I was in first or second grade. I like the message this book provides for young readers in an entertaining way that it is important to be yourself because that is when people will like you.

Curricular Connections: This book could be used to teach students about narrative writing, specifically character development. A fun activity you could try with students is to have them create a short story about a time that they tried to act differently to try to impress someone and the lesson that they learned from it.

Author: Alan Grantz

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Censorship, Advocacy, Community

Summary: This book tells the story of a young girl named Amy whose favorite was banned from her school library because someone's mom complained about it. Amy protested the book being banned but when that didn't work she started a secret library in her school locker made up of banned books.

My Connections/Comments: This book brings up a lot of great points on censorship like who has the right to ban a book. I thought Amy's perspective and passion were very inspiring, she really loved her book and was angry to see it go.

Curricular Connections: A teacher could use this book as a jumpstart into the discussion of banned books. The students could research a banned book that they enjoy and write a letter to someone demanding the book be unbanned.

Written By: Kristen Nordstrom

Illustrated By: Paul Boston

Reading Level: Grade 2-5

Genre: Science, Nonfiction

Artistic Media: Detailed digital images

Pages: 48

Themes: Science, Nature, Invention, Creativity and Problem Solving

Publication Date: July 13, 2021

Summary: This book introduces children to the world of biomimicry, which is when scientists create technology that mimics nature in order to solve human challenges. This book uses real-life examples such as a bullet train designed with a beak nose like a kingfisher bird's pointed beak to show how we use aspects of nature to improve our world.

My Connections/Comments:

Curricular Connections: This informational book is written in a clear way that uses inquiry and critical thinking to help students clearly understand the topic of biomimicry. An activity that would be fun to try with a class when introducing thus topic is you could introduce a few human problems to students and allow them to research to come to a nature-inspired solution and have the students create a poster of their design.

Written By: Natalia Maguire Illustrated By:  Anastasia Zababashkina

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Fiction, Educational  Artistic Media: colorful illustrations

Publication Date: June 17, 2020

Themes: Emotions, mind-body connection, SEL

Summary:  This story helps children recognize and understand the signals that our bodies give us when we are experiencing emotions. First, the boy gets anxiously excited when waiting for a surprise visit from his grandma and grandpa. During a zoo trip with them and goes through the feelings of being scared, disgusted, sad, angry, and happy, learning to identify those emotions and respond to them in a calm way.

My Connections/Comments: I enjoyed this book because it describes different ways that our bodies tell us how we are feeling. It can be difficult for children to recognize their feelings or why they’re body is having a certain kind of reaction. I like how it includes a breathing method in the book for children to use when they feel overwhelmed. 

Curricular Connections: This book would be beneficial to use in a social-emotional learning lesson to teach students how to recognize each emotion and respond to it. I would have my class describe a time they felt each emotion and draw how their body felt during it.   

Written and Illustrated By: Lidia Brankovic

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Fictional, SEL, Fantasy  Artistic Media: Colorful, Digital illustrations

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Themes: Empathy, Emotional Awareness 

Summary: This book tells a story about a hotel that has a room for each emotion, the hotel manager describes the different rooms that she provides for each feeling, some needing more room than others. The manager emphasizes that she does not judge any emotion she listens to them and gives them what they need at the moment, modeling for children how they should react to their emotions when they “check-in”.

My Connections/Comments: This book would be a good tool for teaching children the identities of each emotion and what to do when they arise. I really liked how the author described gratitude saying that she is happy to be able to accommodate each emotion. Then switches the tone in the book to thankfulness and starts to describe the happy emotions she feels for having each emotion in her Grand Hotel.

Curricular Connections: This book would be really great for an SEL lesson, especially for younger students. The idea of emotions checking in and out. It is engaging for young readers and would help them understand the concept of emotions and realize that they come and go.

Title: When Things Get Too Loud: A Story About Sensory Overload

Written and Illustrated By: Anne Alcott

Reading Level: Pre K-2 

Genre: Fiction, Educational  Artistic Media: colorful digital illustrations

Publication Date: July 8, 2021

Themes: Sensory awareness/Over stimulation, problem solving, empathy 

Summary: This story follows a little boy named Beau who struggles with sensory overload. The book introduces a ‘feel o meter’ that Beau uses to determine when he is at his best and when things are getting too loud. It follows Beau through regular scenarios that may trigger his sensory overload and uses his feel-o-meter to assess the situation and act accordingly.

My Connections/Comments: I really enjoy how this book provides a tool for children to assess how they are feeling in a tangible way. It helps them understand their feelings and find ways to self-regulate.

Curricular Connections: This book teaches students self-awareness and provides tools for self regulation. I think that having students create their own ‘feel-o-meter’ would be a great activity for an SEL lesson and it could be a resource that they refer to when they are feeling overwhelmed teaching kids to be self-sufficient.  

Written By: Maribeth Boelts

Illustrated By: Noah Z. Jones

Reading Level: K-3 

Genre: Realistic Fiction Artistic Media: 

Publication Date: September 11, 2007

Themes: Necessities, Empathy, Friendship, Generosity, Peer Pressure 

Summary: The main character Jermy really wants a pair of shoes that every cool kid has. He begs his grandma but she tells him that they are too expensive and they only have money for necessities. When his shoes fall apart his school counselor gives him a pair of loaner shoes that he gets made fun of for by everyone except for Antonio. That day he goes to the store and finds a pair of those shoes for cheaper but they are a bit too small for him. He wears them anyway and hurts his feet, then decides it is too painful to wear them anymore. One day he and his grandma have Antonio over for dinner where he admires Jermys shoes, which gives him an idea. He then left the shoes on Antonio's doorstep for him to keep.

My Connections/Comments: This story shares a heartwarming message about generosity and friendship. It perfectly describes the feelings kids have to fit in with their peers, often by wearing the best new thing. It shares the message to kids that it's not about what you wear but about the type of person you are. 

Curricular Connections: This book would be great for an SEL lesson because it teaches kids in a subtle and relatable way about peer pressure. At such a young age it can be difficult to to understand the concept of not having enough money to buy certain things especially when other kids in your class have it. I think this would help students understand this concept and gain empathy for those who do not own as nice of pieces as you.

Written By: Jory John

Illustrated By: Pete Oswald 

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Fiction, Humor, SEL  Artistic Media: Colorful, Humorous Illustrations

Publication Date: August 29, 2017

Themes: Self Transformation, Empathy, Growth Mindset, Self Awareness  

Summary: This book tells the story of a sunflower seed who describes himself as bad because of the way he is disruptive and chooses to be unkind. Throughout the story, the seed reflects on a time when he used to be happy living on a sunflower farm until one day he was chewed up and spit out by a baseball fan, and his traumatic experience changed his personality to be bad. When reflecting on this he realized he didn't want to be bad and unhappy forever so he changed his perspective and decided to be nicer one day at a time. 

My Connections/Comments: I enjoy how this book uses humor to teach about bad behaviors and self-awareness. The illustrations make the story more engaging for readers and help to carry the themes.

Curricular Connections: This book helps children recognize their “bad” behaviors and make positive changes by altering their thoughts and changing their behavior. This book would be a fun read for a casual SEL lesson.

Written and Illustrated By: Beth Ferry, Chow Hon Lam 

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Fiction, SEL  Artistic Media: Vibrant, detailed Illustrations

Publication Date: February 11, 2020

Themes: Independence, Adventure, Self Discovery 

Summary: Teetu the bunny was tired of living in his home with all his many brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles, and his mom and dad. He wanted to go somewhere not so crowded, somewhere he could explore. He leaves his home and goes on an adventure, writing down all the wonderful things he saw on his journey. Later he runs into his family who had gone out looking for him. While he enjoyed his adventure he realizes that he misses his family and his home, so he goes back with them sharing all the details of his adventure. 

My Connections/Comments: I enjoy how this book highlights the power of curiosity and adventure while also keeping in mind the balance and safety of his home life.

Curricular Connections: This book could be used in an SEL lesson to teach students the power of independence. An activity that could be done with a class is to have them create a story of a time they adventured on their own but felt sad because they got lonely and missed home. 

Written and Illustrated By: David McKee

Reading Level: K-2

Genre: Fiction, Fable, SEL  Artistic Media: Vibrant, Colorful acrylic patchwork Illustrations

Publication Date: 1968

Themes:  Self Acceptance, Diversity, Friendship 

Summary: Elmer was different than the other elephants, he was born with colorful patchwork skin. Elmer did not enjoy his colorful patchwork, he felt as though he didn’t fit in which he longed so badly to do. One day he decides to cover himself in berry juice so that he can fit in with the other elephants but when none of the elephants recognize him he he realizes that it is best if he is just himself.

My Connections/Comments: I really enjoyed reading this book again, it is a story that I read and loved as a child. I can now see the true lessons behind the text. In elementary school, it can be really easy for kids to judge themselves for not being like others, so sharing a story like this is super helpful for their self-esteem because it shows children that being unique is beautiful.

Curricular Connections: This story shares a great message about accepting diversity and being true to yourself which is really important to share with children and would be perfect for a SEL lesson specifically when learning about diversity and self-acceptance.

Written and Illustrated By:  Jane Manning

Reading Level: Pre K-2

Genre: Realistic Fiction, SEL

Artistic Media: Watercolor Illustrations 

Publication Date: August 16, 2012

Themes:  Self Expression, Identity, Personal Growth 

Summary: This book tells the story of a young girl named Millie who was very quiet and often overlooked. She was tired of feeling invisible and decided to become “Millie fierce”. She changed her character to be mean, destructive, and wild so that she would be noticed. While her plan worked and she became noticed she started to lose the positive attention from the people around her. One day she even stole the large piece of cake from the birthday boy bringing him to tears. She felt bad realizing her actions were hurting those around her, so she decided to change her actions and start being known for being kind to others.

My Connections/Comments: I like the message that this book sends to children, that it is better to be remembered for being kind and doing nice things for others rather than being mean and destructive. 

Curricular Connections: This book would be great for an SEL lesson, often when students are acting out and being disruptive it is due to them seeking attention. I think this would be a great story for them and open their eyes in a discrete way to realize that, that is not the way to get attention and not the kind of attention that they are seeking.

Written and Illustrated By: Julia Cook and Tammie Lyon

Reading Level: 3-5

Genre: Realistic Fiction, SEL

Artistic Media: Colorful drawings 

Publication Date: May 28, 2009

Themes: Courage, Empathy, Awareness, Friendship

Summary: “Mean Maxine” is a bully at school everyone is scared to stick up to her and just goes along with whatever she tells them to do. Maxine targets the smartest boy at school Winston, making him do her homework and give her his lunch money. One day Maxine invited a girl over, when she was there Maxine got bullied by her older brother and realized this was probably why Maxine was bullying people at school. When the girl went home she told her mom, and her mom gave her “Bully Beans” which she and her friends would eat to give them the courage to stick up to Maxine. It worked, they all ate the beans and stuck up to Maxine as a group. From that day forward Maxine no longer bullied the kids at school and even ended up taking some bully beans in hopes of sticking up to her brother.

My Connections/Comments: I really enjoyed this book, I think it shares some meaningful advice for children. The mom introduced the bully beans with the acronym of Bullies Everywhere Are Now Stopped and ways of how to stick up to the bully in the group giving the kids the confidence to stand up to her.

Curricular Connections: This book teaches students not to be a bystanders and to say something when people are getting bullied, either to a teacher or directly standing up to the bully. This would be a good book to read with a class specifically if there is bullying amongst the kids. At the end of the book the author wrote some tips to read with a class, so that they can consider if they are being a bully, being bullied, or being a bystander.

Written and Illustrated By: Julia Cook and Anita DuFalla

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Realistic Fiction, SEL

Artistic Media: Colorful Illustrations

Publication Date: January 15, 2012

Themes: Anxiety, Emotional Awareness

Summary: This book tells the story of Wilma Jean a girl who is constanly worried. She even has a little song every time she is feeling anxious that describes the effects her body feels it goes “my tongue got salty, My throat got tight, I gritted my teeth because nothing felt right, My stomach felt like it was tied up in a knot, my knees locked up and, my face got hot”. Her mom and teacher help her recognize her worries and identify the things she can and can not control. 

My Connections/Comments:I like reading this book because I used to be a very anxious kid I'd worry about a lot of things that were out of my control.  I think it's important to teach kids to not worry about things that are out of their control because that will only make them spiral and can lead to having serious physical symptoms.

Curricular Connections: I think this would be a great Book for a SEL lesson. I think it's important to teach kids to recognize signs of anxiety and provide them with tools to work through it. An activity that you can do with students is have them write a list of the things that they're worried about that are in their control and a list of things that are out of their control most likely they will notice that a lot of the things they are worried about are completely in their control, and if not they should not be worrying about it

Written and Illustrated By: Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers 

Reading Level: Pre K-2

Genre: Fictional Picture book 

Artistic Media: Mixed media, drawings with colored pencil and watercolor

Publication Date: June 27, 2013

Themes: Creativity, Self Expression, Empathy 

Summary: A young boy named Duncan finds notes left behind from his crayons complaining and saying they are going to quit. They each have different reasons why, some feeling overlooked while others feel overused. Duncan created the solution of using every color in a single picture and his teacher loved his creativity.

My Connections/Comments: I thought this was a really cute story, and I liked hearing the perspectives of the crayons.

Curricular Connections: I think this book could inspire creativity among the students. For an art lesson, a teacher could assign students to create an image using every color.

Written By: Zack Bush and Laurie Friedman 

Illustrated By: Sarah Van Evera

Reading Level: K-2

Genre: Fictional Picture book 

Artistic Media:

Publication Date: July 3, 2020

Themes: Friendship, 

Summary: This book is about friendship, specifically how to be a good friend and how to make friends.The author shares tips on how to make friends by sharing ways for children to ask other children to play and explains that sometimes friendship can be hard but that only makes it more meaningful. 

My Connections/Comments: I thought this book shared a sweet message for children about making friends. I think this would be nice to read in early elementary or even to preschool aged students. 

Curricular Connections: I would share this with a class on the first week of school to give them a friendly reminder of what being a friend means and how to be a good friend.

Written and Illustrated By: Patty Brozo 

Reading Level: Pre K-3 

Genre: Fiction SEL

Artistic Media: Colorful, Cartoon Illustrations

Publication Date: July 30, 2019

Themes: Kindness, Friendship, Inclusivity

Summary: This book tells the story of a class of students who made sure to include some of their fellow students at recess who they noticed were playing all by themselves at recess. The kids were upset by the fact that they were playing all by themselves so they invited them to play, embracing their differences. When the class came in from recess they thought of an idea to get all the kids involved at recess. The class worked together to make a buddy bench where kids could sit when they were playing alone.

My Connections/Comments: This story was really sweet and made me genuinely happy. I think it is a message that needs to be shared with all students. When certain students are consistently excluded at recess it can really affect their self-esteem 

Curricular Connections: This story could be used in an SEL lesson to teach students the power of inclusion and kindness.

Written and Illustrated By: Beverly Cleary and Louis Darling

Reading Level: 3rd-6th

Genre: Fiction

Artistic Media: Ink Illustrations

Publication Date: 1955

Themes: Family, Understanding, Patience and Growing Up

Summary: This book tells the story of 2 sisters, Ramona and Beezus. Ramona is the responsible older sister while Beezus is the unpredictable younger sister who is unaware of how her actions affect those around her, especially Ramona. Through some challenges, Ramona learns that despite their differences she and Beeus have an unbreakable bond that she must hold close.

My Connections/Comments: I enjoyed reading this book a lot. It reminded me of my siblings and the challenges we faced growing up together. I think that it is a relatable story for lots of children and shares a heartfelt message about family.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to have in your classroom library because it is a good example of narrative storytelling. A class project that could be done with the book is to create a compare and contrast between the two characters Romona and Beezus.

Written and Illustrated By: Dick King-Smith and Jill Barton

Reading Level: 3rd-6th

Genre: Fiction

Artistic Media: Ink and Watercolor Illustrations

Publication Date: 2000

Themes: Friendship, Change, Growth

Summary: Princess Penelope was a spoiled princess and her parents the king and queen had no idea what to do. They thought that getting their daughter an animal might teach her some responsibility and patience. The pig would not listen to Penelope, only to her trainer Johnny so the princess hired him to be her personal pig trainer. Through their training, Johnny not only taught Lollipop some lessons but gave Princess Penelope some lessons along the way as well.

My Connections/Comments: This book is apart of the curriculum at the school I work at so I have been really interested in reading it. I think it shares some important lessons for children and still a very entertaining read.

Curricular Connections: This book would be great for discussing character development with a class since you can really see Penelope change throughout the story.

Written and Illustrated By: CeCe Bell

Reading Level: 

Genre: Fiction, Graphic Novel

Artistic Media:

Publication Date: September 2, 2014

Themes: Self Acceptance, Disability, Friendship, Confidence 

Summary: This book tells the story of a bunny CeCe who is sick when she is little and loses her hearing. She has to relearn how to communicate with her friends and family. They took her to the doctor and got her a set of personalized hearing aids, she likes them because they help her hear but they make he self conscious of the way that they look and how people would perceive her. Struggling to fit in and find her place CeCe creates her alter ego El Deafo since she has super hearing with her phonic ear. From there she goes on a journey of self-acceptance learning to love the things that make her different and making friends along the way.

My Connections/Comments: This book was really cute and a super fun read. I enjoy how quickly you can move through chapters with the graphic novel and it is very entertaining with all of the pictures.

Curricular Connections: This book shares a super important message of accepting the things that make you different and even turning them into superpowers. Not many kids are exposed to people with disabilities so when the time comes they can be judgmental without even knowing it, I think reading a book like this with a class would be helpful for them to understand that we are all so similar despite our differences.

Written and Illustrated By: Maurice Sendak

Reading Level: PreK-3rd

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy 

Artistic Media: Ink and Watercolor Illustrations

Publication Date: 1963

Themes: Creativity, Adventure, Imagination

Summary: Max came to dinner wearing his wolf suit, telling his mom he would eat her up she sent him to bed without any dinner. When he went to his room his imagination took over and a forest grew, and a boat appeared. He sailed off to where the wild things are, there he became king of the wild things until he gets homesick, and decides to sail back home. When he gets home he finds his dinner waiting for him on his bedside table, like he never left.

My Connections/Comments: This story was really interesting, I remember reading it as a child but I thought there was a lot more to the story. The author doesn’t give a lot of details and leaves most to up to the interpretation of the reader, which I think can be really fun especially for younger audiences.

Curricular Connections: A fun challenge you could have students do is write a story similar to this creating there own imaginitory land they go off to. They could create creatures and landscapes ect.

Written and Illustrated By: Jory John and Pete Oswald 

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Fiction

Artistic Media: Colorful Digital Illustrations

Publication Date: December 3, 2019

Themes: Friendship, Empathy, Inclusion 

Summary: There was a bean who used to be in a close friend group until his 3 friends became very popular and were known as the “cool beans”. As they became more popular he started to feel like an average bean inadequate to the others. However when the bean had dropped his lunch a cool bean was there to help him and when he scraped his leg at recess another cool bean helped wrap his leg. The bean realizes that being a cool bean isn’t about how you look or how popular you are its about how you treat others.  

My Connections/Comments: I thought this story was super cute, I read it to my class and they were obsessed with the cool beans, so I think they got a lot out of the message of being cool means being kind to others. 

Curricular Connections: This would be a good SEL book to teach that how we treat others makes us cool.

Written and Illustrated By: Emily Kate Moon

Reading Level: K-3

Genre:  Informational Picture Book

Artistic Media: Watercolor and Digital Illustration

Publication Date: March 23, 2021

Themes: Environmental Science, Water Cycle, Adventure

Summary: This story follows a water droplet named Drop as she journeys through the water cycle. She falls from clouds, swims through rivers, gets drunk by animals and disposed of, and eventually evaporates back into the sky. Drops Adventure explains the water cycle in an engaging and easy-to-understand way for children.

My Connections/Comments: The illustrations in the book make it fun and engaging for kids while still being informational.

Curricular Connections: This book would be great when teaching a science class, it could be used as an introduction to the water cycle.

Written and Illustrated By: Gabrielle Balkan and Alberto Lot

Reading Level: 1st-5th

Genre: Nonfiction, Informational Picture Book 

Artistic Media: Colorful Digital Illustrations

Publication Date: March 7, 2023

Themes: Exploration, Problem-Solving, Navigation

Summary: This book uses a raccoon to explain to children the many reasons we use maps, from getting to where we want to go and finding things. 

My Connections/Comments: I think it's important to teach students about Maps since everything is almost digital now many children do not know how to read maps.  so this book would be really enlightening for them.

Curricular Connections: I think this book could be helpful for teaching students about maps specifically when teaching geography. I fun thing to do with a class could be to have them draw a map of their bedrooms like the one in the story. 

Written and Illustrated By: Ezra Jack Keats

Reading Level: Pre K-1

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Artistic Media: Watercolor and Ink Illustrations

Publication Date:1962

Themes: Imagination, Independence, Weather

Summary: This book tells the story of a young boy who wakes up one morning to snow everywhere. He goes off for an adventure in the snow. Making snow angels, and snowmen and even joining a snowball fight, even though he knew he was too young. Before he went home he put a snowball in his pocket and when looking for it later that night he found it was melted. He went to bed imagining the snow had all melted and it was a sunny day but he woke to a new snowfall.

My Connections/Comments: I really enjoyed the illustrations in this story. I think they allow room for imagination but still beautifully depict the story. I also enjoy the cute story of a kid playing by themselves in the snow, I used to do this a lot as a kid so it brought back some good memories.

Written and Illustrated By: Dan Santat

Reading Level: Pre K-3

Genre: Fiction

Artistic Media: Digital Illustrations

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Themes: Confidence, Overcoming Fears, Perseverance 

Summary: This book focuses on what happened to Humpty Dumpty after he took his “great fall”.He explains that the reason he was on the wall was so that he could look at the birds. So he created a paper bird but that wasn’t enough he needed to face his fears and climb the wall again. He climbs the wall and turns into a bird an flys away, overcoming his fears.

My Connections/Comments: This book was interesting. It was not the ending I thought it would be but it does share an important theme of never giving up and facing your fears. 

Curricular Connections: I think this could be a good book to read when narrative writing. You could have students create an unexpected ending to a traditional story.

Written and Illustrated By: Ainsley Earhardt and  Kim Barnes

Reading Level: Pre K-3

Genre: Fiction

Artistic Media: Digital Illustrations

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Themes: Love, Affection and Inspiration

Summary: This book celebrates what makes you, you. It shares inspiring messages about doing whatever you want to do and having confidence in your abilities. Encouraging kids to love themselves and what they contribute to the world.

My Connections/Comments: I think this story is super cute, I actually bought this book for my niece's birthday.  

Curricular Connections: Im not sure if this book could fit anywhere within the curriculum but I think it could be a good book for the class library.

Written and Illustrated By: Jory John and Pete Oswald 

Reading Level: PreK-3

Genre: Fiction

Artistic Media: Digital Illustrations

Publication Date: February 11, 2020

Themes: Problem-Solving, Adventure, Teamwork, Self Care 

Summary: This story is about an egg named Shell who stays at home while the rest of his carton roommates go for an adventure. The other eggs hid in the store, meanwhile, shell used the time to relax. He got scared after a while when his roommates didn’t come back then he decided to go looking for them. He finds them all besides meg, he and his roommates work together to find Meg by following clues. The eggs find her hiding in a thing of coffee and all the eggs decide to do it again the next day.

My Connections/Comments: I really enjoy the books by this author, I appreciate how he includes humor in his books while still sending a valuable message to children.

Curricular Connections: This book could be a good SEL lesson book since it shares the concept of teamwork and self-care.

Written and Illustrated By: Nikki Slade Robinson

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Fiction

Artistic Media: Watercolor and Ink Illustrations 

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Themes: Winter, Friendship, Change, Curiosity 

Summary: This book is about a squirrel who is discovering snow for the first time. His friend Bird tells him all about the winter and snow. Explaining how each snowflake is different and you can skate on frozen ice. Then one morning he woke up and all the snow was gone. He thought someone had stolen all the snow, but the bird knew. At the end of the book, the author shares explanations for each of the aspects of snow the squirrel questioned.

My Connections/Comments: I thought this book was very cute and entertaining, I appreciate how it shares answers to common questions at the end.

Curricular Connections: I think this book could be a good introduction to teaching students about winter and all of the aspects of snow. 

Written and Illustrated By: Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake

Reading Level: 3rd-7th

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy 

Artistic Media: Ink Illustrations

Publication Date: 1988

Themes: Intelligence, Family, Challenge, Love

Summary: Matilda is not a normal child, she is incredibly gifted and can read way beyond her age level. Matilda's parents were very dismissive and they did not how her love and affection so she relied on books for a source of comfort. Matilda goes to a very unwelcoming school with a scary headmistress, but she forms a bond with a very nice teacher Ms. Honey who is the niece of the mean headmistress. Throughout her childhood, Matilda gained some abilities that allowed her to move things with her mind, and she used these powers to help her and Ms. Honey escape her terrible home and build a new better life together. 

My Connections/Comments: I enjoyed reading this book, I really liked the movie as a child so it was very cool to come full circle and be able to compare the two.

Curricular Connections: A cool activity that could be done with students is to read the book and watch the movie and create a vin diagram comparing the book and the movie.

Written and Illustrated By: Carole Lindstrom and Steph Littlebird

Reading Level: K-3

Genre: Nonfiction, Cultural 

Artistic Media: Digital illustrations and watercolor 

Publication Date: February 23, 2021

Themes: Memories, Energy, Family, Culture

Summary: This story is told from the perspective of a young Native American girl. She explains that in her culture, hair shares a large significance, it holds memories and sources of strength. Throughout the story, the girl reflects on where her hair was at pivotal points in her life reinforcing the theme that our hair is a memory holder. At the end of the boo,k the girl cut her hair to honor the memories she had made with her grandfather that were stored in her hair and sent them with him.

My Connections/Comments: I liked this book, it made me think about my own memories that are stored in my hair. Things I can’t even remember what my hair was with me for, what it saw, and what I experienced.

Curricular Connections: This book could be used in the curriculum in a variety of ways, I could see using it as a way to discuss different cultures or simply as a book for discussing writing styles and tone.

Written and Illustrated By: Alicia D. Williams and Briana Uchendu

Reading Level: 3rd-8th

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Artistic Media: Digital Illustrations

Publication Date: February 2, 2021

Themes: Race, Social Issues, Communication, Safety 

Summary: This book is about a young African American boy named Jay. Jay shares about his life as a child, he plays with his friends gets his cheeks squished by his grandma, and is always wondering if he is growing because he wants to be big and strong when he grows up. As he gets older his family starts giving him suggestions on how to act in certain situations and Jay wonders what he has done wrong. One day his parents sit him down for “the talk” Through pictures the illustrator conveys the realities of being a black child in America. Jay realizes that it is with his family that he feels the safest.

My Connections/Comments: I thought this book was incredible and would be a great read for all children. I really like how the book portrays the talk through illustrations, it is very powerful and gives the reader an image of what it is actually like to be an African American in today's society.

Curricular Connections: This book would be great to use when discussing civil rights and racial injustices with a class. It would help students grow empathy and learn about the injustices that go on in America and inspire kids to make a change.