https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja 10 recent picture books that are high quality read-aloud material. en-us 2020-04-04 22:26:55 UTC 2026-02-11 03:47:34 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4da.png jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492793182 This beautifully illustrated children's book is designed to reflect on American history and specifically black history in America. It introduces concepts such as slavery, the civil rights movement, and the black lives matter movement to students. Some children who have not been exposed to topics like this may struggle to understand some of the themes in this book. However, this is a great book to begin discussions on american history for younger students. Teachers could use this poem to also look at decoding certain words to build vocabulary.
This book could be good in a third or fourth grade classroom. The text is moderately complex because even though the visuals are stunning in this book, they only somewhat support the text and are not necessary for understanding the text. As well, the vocabulary is not too difficult to infer from the context of the poem. However, I think the most complex part is understanding the knowledge demand, specifically the cultural demands. The focus of this book should be to build knowledge and cultural background.]]> 2020-04-04 22:32:59 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492793182 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492794835 2020-04-04 22:37:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492794835 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492846971 This wistfully illustrated picture book tells the story of a man living in a lighthouse and follows him throughout this part of his life. His wife comes to live with him and they have a child as they live in the lighthouse, while the lighthouse says 'hello' to passing animals and ships. This book is a recent Caldecott Award Winner and the unique 'old-timey' style of this book creates a unique, nostalgic atmosphere for readers. Some activities related to this book could be to discuss what types of animals they might see in the lighthouse, create their own lighthouse, collaborate with peers on creating a creative presentation interpreting the book, or students could do a research project on lighthouses today.
This book would be great for a first to second grade classroom. This book is moderately complex and first or second graders should be able to figure out the vocabulary and understand the book. The book focuses back and forth between the lighthouse and the people living inside as well as using illustrations that make it easier to understand what is going on. The vocabulary should be easy for first or second graders because it is pretty conventional and if they struggle, words can be inferred from the text. There are only a few instances of multiple meanings and prior experience is not necessarily needed, other than knowing what a lighthouse is. The focus of this book should be to expand on the topic. ]]> 2020-04-05 01:33:29 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492846971 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492855805 2020-04-05 02:02:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492855805 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492855860 This book illustrates a grandmother bringing her grandson to their soup kitchen. CJ, the grandson, is a bright-eyed kid who questions the world around him while his nana helps him see the beauty of the world around him. Some concepts in this book may be difficult for some students to understand due to cultural differences. However, this book also brings up themes of shared experiences. This could be a great community based lesson for a classroom to get more connected to the neighborhood around them. If the school permits field trips, they could learn more about their public transportation system, or volunteer at a soup kitchen, or other experiences that might be specific to that community. This could be a great way to teach students more about the shared experiences between different people everyday such as people who ride the bus, go to the soup kitchen, and people who live around them. 
This book would be great for first or second grade. I would say this book is leaning more towards very complex because of the complex cultural themes and underlying meanings within it. These may be hard to understand for some students without teachers explicitly teaching about the topics. There are diverse and illustrative set of vocabulary words throughout the text that teachers might have to break down for some classrooms, depending on the reading levels represented. However, the focus of this book should be on understanding more about the different cultures around them.]]> 2020-04-05 02:02:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492855860 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492859845 2020-04-05 02:19:09 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492859845 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492859956 This book describes a boy wants to be a part of a trend at his school of an expensive pair of shoes. Unfortunately, his grandma cannot afford them. Throughout the book he gets laughed at for not having 'those shoes' and feels left out. He finds a pair that are too small at a thrift shop and ends up giving them to his friend that also cannot afford them. Just in that synopsis, there is a lot to unpack, especially for students who have never encountered a problem like this before. Students could brainstorm on moments when they have felt left out of something that everyone else seemed to enjoy then, they could brainstorm a time when they helped someone else. Another concept that teachers could cover  could be that families can look different. It appeared that Jeremy, the boy in this book, lived with his grandmother, so teachers could explore what different types of households there are, if students want to share. 
This could be good for a first or second grade classroom. I would say this text is very complex because of the cultural contexts in this book. The vocabulary in this book is pretty straightforward and can be decoded by first or second grade students. The illustrations add to the text but are not necessary. There are many hidden meanings that can be discussed in this book as well. However, life experiences and cultural knowledge are important to understanding the complexity of this text and is the reason why it is very complex. The focus of this book should be learning to think about the people around you and what they might be going through.]]> 2020-04-05 02:19:39 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492859956 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492872168 2020-04-05 03:02:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492872168 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492872358 This whimsical book about a brother trying to get his sister to bed could be the starting point for many fun activities in the classroom. Students could create their own monsters using different mediums and supplies and present them to the class. As well, teachers could promote group discussion about how do you get to bed? and when have you been scared? This book could promote creativity in the classroom and maybe tie some standards to it. This book is very well illustrated and really draws the reader in. For students learning how to read, trying to sound out some of the words and working on some of the made-up vocabulary and maybe making up some of their own. This book is very straightforward and directed at younger students.
This would be great for a kindergarten to first grade classroom. This book is slightly complex because there isn't much cultural, life experiences, or hidden meanings to this text. It is wonderfully illustrated and the illustrations add a lot to the text. The focus of this book should be creativity and connection.]]> 2020-04-05 03:02:59 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492872358 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492879772 2020-04-05 03:29:27 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492879772 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492879948 This heartwarming book is about a lion that visits the library for story time. This book could be used as a catalyst to have some fun creative or interactive activities in the classroom. Something that came to mind was that learning more about the library and even visiting it could be a great way to incorporate real-world experiences in the classroom. A fun activity to do as well could be 'what other animals could go to the library and what would they keep coming back for?' For this activity, students could research different animals and which ones could survive in a library and would be good around kids. This could tie into a science related standard as well. 
This book would be great with kindergarten to first grade students because of the slight complexity of the text. The vocabulary is simple enough for students to be able to infer from the text. The only prior knowledge they would need to know would be what a lion is and what a library is. There are not many hidden meanings throughout the text and there is not much cultural knowledge needed. The focus of this book should be expanding on previous knowledge.]]> 2020-04-05 03:30:16 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492879948 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492887573 2020-04-05 03:54:33 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492887573 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492887734 This is a fun interactive book to read to students. The narrator, the reader, and the main character all interact throughout the book, similar to Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. This book could lead to some fun activities for students in the classroom. Students could learn about the different animals in the book such as alligators. Students could act out the book, having a student be a narrator and a student being Snappsy. Students could even write a story about something else that Snappsy would do and how they would narrate it. The emphasis on understanding this book is how the teacher reads it. The teacher needs to be very interactive and animated during the reading in order for students to get excited about it and understand. 
This book would be great for a first or second grade classroom. I would say it is slightly complex because of the simple vocabulary and little to no prior knowledge or cultural context needed. However, there are hidden meanings and the illustrations support the text throughout the book. The focus of this book should be making sure students understand the meaning of it and are engaged as well as building on concepts presented in the book. ]]> 2020-04-05 03:55:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492887734 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492891393 2020-04-05 04:07:25 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492891393 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492891591 This is a charming book about a girl who loves to hula-hoop. She gets in trouble because she hula-hoops instead of getting sugar to her mom for a birthday party they are getting ready, but later she finds out that everyone loves to hula-hoop and it brings them together. Hula-hooping could be a fun exercise to do in the classroom. Having fun competitions would be a great interactive way to incorporate physical activity into the classroom. Another way to use this in the classroom could be to research about the history of hula-hoops and students could interview their parents about them. Another aspect of this book to use could be bringing a community together. What is an activity that your community enjoys? If there isn't one, what event could we do that could bring together the community around us? This can connect students to their community and allow them to think deeper about connecting the people around them. 
This would be great for a first or second grade classroom. I think this book is moderately complex. The vocabulary is straight forward for first or second grade students as well as there are some cultural aspects to consider. I don't think that prior knowledge and hidden meanings are too prevalent in this text. The focus of this text should be to build vocabulary and learn more about their community. ]]> 2020-04-05 04:08:08 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492891591 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492899043 2020-04-05 04:32:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492899043 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492899341 This book is about a young girl who gets a bad case of stripes because she is embarrassed that she likes lima beans. This story could cover some different concepts in the classroom. Students could discuss a time they felt out of place and how they made someone feel that they have a place, students could talk about something they have felt embarrassed about liking before, and teachers could even talk about lima beans. Social concepts could be used for discussion of this book. Tackling concepts such as bullying and embarrassment could also be part of the discussion of this book. Students could also have creative activities such as coloring in an outline of a person. Another idea could be to research different types of doctors. This book can open up multiple different conversations and connections to standards.
This book would be best in a first or second grade classroom. This book is moderately complex because some of the vocabulary might need to be explained by the teacher. As well, some life experience should be connected to the book, such as feeling nervous the first day of school etc. There is not much cultural complexity for this book and not too many hidden meanings. The illustrations are appealing and add to help students visualize what is going on in the story. The focus of this book should be social concepts and relating shared experiences to each other. ]]> 2020-04-05 04:33:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/492899341 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/493300875 2020-04-05 14:37:21 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/493300875 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/493306389 This book shows a bear, who loves honey, deal with a bee strike and how he makes it right. The life-like watercolor illustrations help tell this story. This book opens up many avenues of discussion for a classroom. Teachers could talk about sharing and how we live with with each other. Teachers could hold a discussion on if they ever feel that they were taken advantage of or they felt guilty for taking advantage of someone else. This could also lead to discussion of the environment since bees are endangered. Students could learn about bears and bees and how they contribute to the environment. Maybe teachers could even arrange a fieldtrip to see people taking care of bees or to a museum that has an exhibit on bees and why they are important. To connect with community, maybe they could start a community garden and ensure that there are plenty of flowers that are good for bees. However this text is used in the classroom, students will have the opportunity to discuss social issues or learn more about the natural world around them. 
This book would be best for a first or second grade classroom. I think that this book is moderately complex because of the prior knowledge needed to understand that bees make honey and what a strike is. There are not many hidden meanings in this text and the vocabulary is pretty straight forward. The illustrations assist in helping to visualize the story and connect the vocabulary. The focus of this book should be to relate it to the world around students as well as discussing social issues in the classroom. ]]> 2020-04-05 14:42:40 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/493306389 jdweaver1 https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/493314638 2020-04-05 14:50:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jdweaver1/rm0toaiukwja/wish/493314638