Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, Published on September 25, 2018 – Publisher. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

Grade level: 5th/6th grade, 10-12 years old, based on what customers say

Genre: Horror fiction

Themes: It's difficult to accept loss

Number of pages: 224 

Personal Response: I found this story mesmerizing and crazy. I knew by reading the back of the book that I was going to be in for a great story. Although this was a fiction book, sometimes I find myself thinking about whether this would happen in real life. If it did, the kids would have told someone, and they most definitely wouldn't believe them.

Synopsis: This story is about three little pigs who build their houses out of straw, sticks, and bricks. The pigs with straw and sticks house get their house blown down and ruined by the big bad wolf. The pig with the brick house eventually gets the same. None of the three little pigs live.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Be observant and witty

Plot: The book is about three little pigs who make their own house, and get eaten by the big bad wolf.

Personal Response: I have heard this story a million times since I was a kid, so this was nothing new to me. It's an entertaining but sad story.

Teaching Resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F-22Y6Wg60

Synopsis: This book is the real version of the three little pigs and the version of the bug bad wolf.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Stereotypes 

Plot: This version of the story is from the wolf's point of view. He said he never voluntarily went to bully the three little pigs, he simply just needed a cup of sugar from them. His continuous sneezing is the reason for the pigs dying and their houses collapsing, and he got blamed for it all.

Artistic Media: Coloring

Curricular Connections: Being social

Personal Response: I enjoyed this story more than the original. It was more detailed and funny.

Teaching Resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw6fHKFxx1U

Synopsis: This book is about a teenage girl names Livy who is in middle school. She is in the age of puberty and realizing how difficult reality actually is. Anxiety sets in as her evil twin, and she figures out how to deal with it.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Life is difficult but not as bad with a friend to help.

Plot: This book is mainly about how Viola is the manifestation of Livy's anxiety, a gloomy twin that only Livy can see or understand. Livy tries to counter Viola's harsh judgment, but nothing seems to work until she makes new friends at school. Viola's days, Livy hopes, are sorted.

Artistic Media: Graphic design 

Curricular Connections: Mental health/ Anxiety

Personal Response: I personally related to this book a lot. Young girls everyday deal with mental health and have no idea how to even start with remedies. 

Teaching Resource: Amazon Prime

Personal Response: 

Awards: Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

Synopsis: Gigi is very excited to have her grandfather, Ojiisan visiting from Japan. Gigi has been planning lots of things for them to do together, she’s even been practicing her Japanese. When they pick up Ojiisan from the airport Gigi realizes she doesn’t know how to interact with her grandfather. Gigi learns from her mom how Japanese culture and American culture are different. Gigi and Ojiisan find their own way to connect and share their cultures.

Poet/Author: Nikole Hannah-Jones, Renée Watson

Illustrator: Nikkolas Smith

Publisher: Kokila

Publication date: November 16, 2021

Number of pages: 48

Grade level: 2nd grade and beyond

Poetry type: Interconnected Free verse

Curricular connection: History, poetry

Summary: This book is a children's picture book about a young student who receives a family tree assignment. She discovers with the help of her grandma, that over 400 years ago, her ancestors were taken and brought to America by the slave trade. She learned about how they grew up and survived.

Activity: Although ancestory.com costs money to use, maybe the students can get permission from their parents to do some research at school relating to this history.

 

Poet/Author: Ted Koosner and Connie Wanek

Illustrator: Richard Jones

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication date: March 15, 2022

Number of Pages: 72

Grade level: 2nd grade through 5th grade

Poetry type: Free verse

Curricular connection: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Science

Summary: This book finds its way into the reader's heart. It's a book about being free and enjoying your childhood as a young kid. It gives readers the opportunity to compare what they are reading to everyday scenarios and objects around them.

Activity: Students can create their own poem, with colors and crafts to add. Have the topic for the poem be similar to this book, Fire, Air, Earth, and Water so you can see how your students think.

 

Theme: insecurities

Curricular Connections: 5th and 6th grade

Personal Response: I really enjoyed this book, and related to the theme. I dealt with something similar at Ellie's ago.

Synopsis: Cece, a deaf bunny who is self-conscious about wearing her Phonic Ear to school, creates the superhero persona El Deafo to gain confidence in making new friends

Synopsis:  The story of a post-colonial food, a shared tradition across the North American continent, is told in the book. This is about more than just food, referencing cultural issues like displacement, starvation, and the struggle to survive.

Genre: food, culture, Native American, Nonfiction,

Theme: Native American Culture

Plot: How to make fry bread in the Native American culture.

Curricular Connections: Culture

Personal Response: I personally thought this book was educational and would be great to read for any class.

Publisher: Gecko Press

Publication Date: 2022

Number of pages: 22

Genre: Children's Literature, Fiction

Sypnosis: In this horrifyingly funny and unique adventure, a child hides in three well-known fairy tale homes before turning on their hide-and-seek pursuers.

Curricular Connections: Games

Personal Response: Although this is a children's book, is it a little scary. I did thoroughly enjoy it and felt that it was funny and terrifying at the same time.

Teacher Resource: https://geckopress.com/qa-with-clotilde-perrin-gotcha/

Publisher: Gecko Press

Publication Date: September 1, 2018

Number of pages: 12 pages

Genre: Children's literature, Fiction

Summary: A remarkable pop-up book that exposes the darkest secrets of the most well-known fairytale villains, including giants, wolves, and witches. Lift the flaps to get a close-up look at each villain and discover what's concealed behind their ears, beneath their clothing, in their pockets, or even the waiting victim of their last meal.

Curricular connections: bad people, forest

Personal Response: I LOVED THIS book. Not only were the pages fun to play with, but it reminded me of my picture flip books when I was a kid. This is perfect for a younger audience.

Teacher Resource: https://booksellersnz.wordpress.com/2018/11/28/book-review-inside-the-villains-by-clotilde-perrin/

Author: Kate and Jol Temple 

Illustrator: Terri Rose Baynton 

Publication Date: February 2018 

Number of Pages:

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Fear and courage, acceptance and rejection

Summary: This book tells the tale of 2 seals, a mother, and her baby calf who have to leave their home. There are two different stories in this book. If you read it from front to back, then it tells the story of the mother and her calf who meet three unwelcoming seals that won't share their home rock. If you read the story from back to front, then it depicts a story of the three seals welcoming the mother and her baby due to their understanding of the old home being ruined. Room on our Rock shows an example of how including someone or excluding someone can change everything.

Personal Response: I found this story heartwarming, and also sad. The front to back story was not as positive as the back to front story.

Teaching resource: http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2018/06/review-room-on-our-rock.html

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Theme: appreciating gifts and love

Summary: Omar and his brother are separated from their mother as they are put in a refugee camp. They were put here during the war in Somalia, and grow up here throughout the book. They go through many challenges and are just hoping to get re-settled in North America. This shows the different ways that others live and it's not all sunshine and rainbows for everyone.

Personal Connections: I loved this book and all the words in it. There are not many books that I am extremely interested in, but this one, in particular, had me excited to finish it., especially with it being a comic. I would refer it to anyone.

Teaching resource: https://booksupnorth.com/kids-review-when-stars-are-scattered/#:~:text=The%20book%20is%20about%20two,re%2Dsettlement%20in%20North%20America.

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Date published: March 3, 2020

Number of pages: 32

Genre: fiction

Awards: Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award

Grade level: Pre-k - 1st grade

Summary: The young girl on the cover uses words to describe the oceaan are so simple yet so powerful.

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Date: May 7, 2013

Number of pages: 32

Awards: Pura Belpre Award

Grade Level: 1st-4th

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Always and forever your family.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Maintaining connections no matter the distance

Plot: Olu and Greta, two cousins, are followed as they try to stay close to one another. 

Illustrator: Shennen Bersani

Publisher: Arbordale Publishing

Date: February 10, 2016

Number of pages: 32

Awards: Children’s Choice Book Awards Winner

Grade Level: Kinder-3rd

Genre: Non-Fiction

Theme: All about heroes and how mighty and strong they are.

Illustrator: Thi Bui

Publisher: Capstone Young Readers

Date: August 1, 2017

Number of pages: 32

Awards: Caldecott Medal

Grade Level: 2nd-3rd

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Always be grateful for your family and food and shelter.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Ancestry / Names having meaning

Summary: It focuses on a young girl and her curiosity over her very long name. The main character Alma is concerned about her name, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela, “not fitting” on a piece of paper.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Imagination and creativity / Creating relationships

Published: March 13, 2017

Publisher:  Xist Publishing

Pages: 31

Genre: Children’s Literature

Synopsis: A sad monster attends school. He is depressed since he has no friends or anyone close to a friend. 

Published: December 15, 2020

Publisher: Rosen Publishing Group

Pages: 34

Genre: Fiction and Children’s Literature

Published: September 2019

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Pages: 36

Genre: Fiction and Poetry

Author: Brian P. Cleary 

Illustrator: Brian Gable 

Publisher: Millbrook Press 

Date: August 1, 2007

Number of Pages: 31

Synopsis: This book gives math definitions and shows readers how addition operations work.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: math 

Author: Hyewon Yum

Illustrator: Hyewon Yum

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams 

Date: May 5, 2020

Number of Pages: 36

Synopsis: The little lion does not want a haircut 

Genre: Fiction

Theme: reasonings below the surface

Plot: This is a story about a lion who needs to get a haircut 

Author: Kimberlee Gard 

Illustrator: Sandie Sonke

Publisher: Familius 

Date: August 1, 2019

Number of Pages: 32

Genre: fiction

Theme: Everyone matters

Plot: The  punctuations all  have a  different job and personality  that we see throughout the  story.

Themes: This book deeply explores the themes of family differences, love, and acceptance.

Grade Level: Preschool- Third Grade

Personal Response: THIS BOOK WAS PRECIOUS, I love dogs.

Author: Jenni Desmond 

Illustrator: Jenni Desmond 

Publisher: Blue Apple Books 

Date: September 11, 2012

Number of Pages: 32

Synopsis: Red cat and blue cat live in the same house and do not get along. 

Theme: Be Yourself 

Personal Response: I love animals, so this book was also a favorite.