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

Grade Level: Preschool- Third Grade

Summary: A bulldog and a poodle learn that family is about love, not appearances. Gaston may not look like his sisters but in this heartwarming tale he’ll find that being family means loving people for who they truly are, no matter what!

Curricular Connections: This book relates strongly to social-emotional learning because it is all about love and acceptance. It bring awareness to the idea that our uniqueness is what makes us who we are and what brings us together. Family differences are the root of what makes each and every family unique in their own ways. 

Teaching Resources: I think a fun activity for this book would be making a family tree and sharing it with the class. This way the students get to learn more about each other while also relating it to the story.

Themes: Empathy, embarrassment, pride, and new experiences.

Grade Level: Preschool-Third Grade

Summary: This story is about the anxieties and fears kids might face when they first start school, with a very clever twist: It's the school itself that's brand new and worried about the first day. This school has feelings kids will recognize and relate to, and the book provides realistic but reassuring information about what they might expect. 

Curricular Connections: This book relates to the idea of social-emotional learning because it touches on and brings awareness to anxiety. It is noted throughout the story that these feelings are normal and something that everyone feels. I think this is a great story and one that will be a must share in my future classroom.

Teaching Resources: This would be a great book to read on the first day of school to students to let them know that any nerves or fears the kids may be feeling is more than normal and that the school and teachers are feeling the same way!

Author: Kimberlee Gard 

Illustrator: Sandie Sonke

Publisher: Familius 

Date: August 1, 2019
Number of Pages: 32

Genre: fiction

Award: none

Synopsis: This book personifies punctuation and takes the reader through a day in their lives. The reader learns what the purpose of each form of punctuation is.
Theme: Everyone matters
Plot: The  punctuations all  have a  different job and personality  that we see throughout the  story.

Artistic Media: drawing

Curricular Connections: This is a great book for teaching students ELA, specifically punctuation.
Teaching Resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVjEPmmHPhE

Author: Jenny Lacika

Genre: informational 

Grade Level: Preschool-2nd grade
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Date: May 3, 2022
Number of Pages: 32

Synopsis: This story about math is about a boy and his sister. The boy wants to protect the toys from his sister, so he has to build a wall big enough and string enough to keep her away.
Theme: sharing 

Curricular Connection: I like that this book can be used in either a literacy lesson or in connection to a math lesson, so it would be a good resource to have in class. 

Teaching Activity: Students will think about what object they would try to keep from a sibling or a friend and then design their plan for how to keep the toys safe. 

 

Author: Annette Bay Pimentel

Genre: Biography
Publisher: Sourcebooks Explore
Date: March 10, 2020
Number of Pages: 32
Theme: determination

Grade Level: 2-4

Summary: This story is about a young girl with a disability who works hard to convince congress to pass ADA.

My Response: This is a great story for students to read that will encourage and inspire them. 

Teaching Activity: We can go around the class saying what we would all do to persuade congress if we were in the story. 

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. They go to great lengths to be just like the other. 

Genre: Fiction 

Theme: Be Yourself 

Plot: Red cat and blue cat want to be just like each other, until they realize they love who they already are. 

Curricular Connection: This will help students with building friendships and being themselves. 

My Response: I like that this author took a serious message and made it fun by making it about cats. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

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 and his dad cannot figure out why. Eventually, he learns that it is because the little lion wants to look like his dad!

Genre: Fiction

Theme: reasonings below the surface

Plot: This is a story about a lion who needs to get a haircut but does not want to get one. 

Curricular Connection: I think this book will be a good example of why communication is important.

My Response: I think that this is a heartfelt book that students may relate to.

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Author: Thyra Heder 

Illustrator: Thyra Heder 

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers 

Date: October 3, 2017

Number of Pages: 43

Synopsis: The girl loved Alfie, but thought he wasn’t amused by her. Alfie loved the girl, but escaped to get her a present and the girl thought ALfie was missing. 

Genre: Fiction

Theme: perspective

Plot: A little girl gets a six year old turtle on her sixth birthday and we see both perspectives of their life together. 

Curricular Connection:This will teach students that a story may look different from different perspectives.

My Response: I really like that we see the story from both sides. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Author: Antoinette Portis 

Illustrator: Antoinette Portis 

Publisher: Neal Porter Books 

Date: December 28, 2021

Number of Pages: 42

Synopsis: The young girl sees water everywhere such as faucets and sprinklers.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: water vocabulary 

Plot: This is the story of a girl discovering water in all parts of her life and the world. 

Curricular Connection: This is a good story to teach kids vocabulary. 

My Response: This is a good book for lower leveled readers to learn about water. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Author: Ashley Spires 

Illustrator: Ashley Spires 

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Date: May 2, 2017

Number of Pages: 33

Synopsis: Lou’s friends want to play a game in the tree, but Lou isn’t so sure that she can climb the tree. 

Genre: Fiction

Theme: bravery

Plot: Lou can do many things, but she is scared to climb a tree. 

Curricular Connection: This can connect to friendships and trying new things. 

My Response: This is a good story to teach students about facing their fears.

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Author: Meika Hashimoto

Illustrator: Steve Lambe 

Publisher: Andrew McMeel Publishing

Number of Pages: 34

Synopsis: The monster is afraid to admit that he is scared to lose his tooth. In the end, he sees that there was nothing to be scared about.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: bravery

Plot: The scared monster was worried about losing a tooth. 

Curricular Connection: This will teach students about not being afraid in real life scenarios. 

My Response: I like that this book is for readers at the age where they can relate to losing teeth. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Author: Devin Scillian 

Illustrator: Tim Bowers 

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press 

Date: May 1, 2013

Number of Pages: 32

Synopsis: The hamster sees the cat roaming free, and is tempted to do the same. The hamster escapes and quickly runs into danger.

Genre: Fiction

Theme: safety

Plot: The pet hamster is tempted by the cat to escape his cage. 

Curricular Connection:This will be a good safety lesson for young kids.

My Response: This is great to teach kids that just because they see someone else doing something, doesn’t mean they should. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Author: Lisa Bullard 

Illustrator: Wes Thomas 

Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group 

Date: August 1, 2011

Number of Pages: 24

Synopsis: Tyler recognized how bad trash is for the environment, so he decided to do something about it and reuse his old things to help the Earth!

Genre: Fiction 

Theme: reuse and recycle 

Plot: We throw away all our old things, so instead he choose to reuse his old things. 

Curricular Connection: This is a good lesson about our Earth, more specifically recycling and reusing. 

My Response: This is a good age-appropriate book to teach an important lesson. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

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 

Plot: This book personifies addition and takes us through a story about addition. 

Curricular Connection: This book will help in the classroom with math lessons. 

My Response: This is a good way to introduce a math lesson in a fun, engaging way. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Author: Christine Platt 

Illustrator: Sharon Sordo

Publisher: Magic Wagon 

Date: December 15, 2018

Number of Pages: 34

Synopsis: This story takes us through a day in the life of Ana and Andrew on a snow day with their family. 

Genre: Fiction

Theme: seasons 

Plot: Ana and Andrew observe the snow each day. 

Curricular Connection: This story will be a good intro in class before we enter a lesson about seasons, especially Winter. 

My Response: I think that this is a fun read for students that they can relate to, especially living in Idaho. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Published: March 2006

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Pages: 41

Genre: Fiction

Awards: Notable Children's Book Award

Synopsis: Scaredy Squirrel, a squirrel who never leaves his nut tree because he's afraid of the unknown "out there." Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of a lot of things: bees, germs, martians, the unknown. He's so afraid that he has his daily routine down to an exact, repetitive science where he never leaves his tree so he never has to deal with anything amiss.

Curricular Connections: This book relates to social-emotional learning and is so relatable for many people. It brings awareness to the anxieties people feel. 

Artistic Media: Drawing, watercolors, markers

Personal Response: I loved this book and the way the author portrays the anxieties and the feeling of being scared that people feel too often. The backup plan that Scaredy had is something that we all subconsciously have as well. 

Published: February 3, 2022

Publisher: Andersen Press USA

Pages: 30 

Genre: Children’s Literature 

Awards: N/A

Synopsis: Everyone in Hero's gang possesses a unique talent. All of them, excluding Pip. Pip lacks physical strength, is unable to move quickly, and cannot make himself invisible. Pip may not have any extraordinary skills, but when bully Solo invades their territory, he proves to the gang that all it takes is bravery to be a hero.

Curricular Connections: This book relates to social-emotional learning and how important it is to be brave!

Artistic Media: Drawing, colored pencils, marker

Personal Response: I loved this book and the message that it portrays. I think it’s so important for little kids to understand that having the courage, persistence, and perseverance can change your perspective and outlook on life. 

Published: September 2019

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Pages: 36

Genre: Fiction and Poetry

Awards: N/A

Synopsis: This picture book does a wonderful job of normalizing the causes of children's (and adults') crying. It doesn't judge and doesn't denigrate. Instead, a few of the many causes of tears—such as anger, grief, and happiness—are discussed. Crying is regarded as a typical human reaction.

Curricular Connections: This book relates heavily to social-emotional learning and brings awareness and normalcy to crying and how it makes us feel. 

Artistic Media: 

Personal Response: I absolutely loved this book and the message that is sent throughout the entire book. It reassures us that crying is okay and normal. It is good to let out our emotions and it is a normal part of life!

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Published: 2006

Publisher: Holiday House

Pages: 36

Genre: Fiction

Awards: N/A 

Synopsis: The nouns and verbs make their own field day because Mr. Wright's class is having a field day outside and they don't want to lose out on the fun. The nouns and verbs split up into teams and quickly discover that they must cooperate in order to accomplish anything.

Curricular Connections: This book relates to English Language Arts and helps students understand the difference between nouns and verbs. It also brings them to life and lets students imaginations soar. 

Artistic Media: Drawing, colored pencils, markers

Personal Response: I loved this book and the way that it brings nouns and verbs to life. It shows students that in order for nouns and verbs to be what they are, they need to work together.

Published: December 15, 2020

Publisher: Rosen Publishing Group

Pages: 34

Genre: Fiction and Children’s Literature

Awards: N/A

Synopsis: Sophia has spent most of her life in a wheelchair. As a result, many claim that she is incapable of performing specific activities like swimming, biking, or cartwheels. Then, one morning, Sophia awakens with a case of the can-dos! She has complete confidence in herself; all she needs to do is demonstrate it to others. She makes the decision to learn ballet, but she is informed that she cannot enroll in classes. Sophia decides to show that she can dance while using a wheelchair.

Curricular Connections: This book relates to social-emotional learning while also spreading awareness to people with disabilities. I love how it brings the idea of self-confidence and perseverance to life through such a heartwarming story.

Artistic Media: Drawing and painting

Personal Response: I loved this story and the strong message that it has. I think it is so important for us teachers to share stories like this to our classrooms to spread awareness and empower those around us!

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Published: August 2011

Publisher: Little Birdie Readers

Pages: 22

Genre: Fairytale

Awards: 2012 Animal Behavior Society's Outstanding Children's Book Award

Synopsis: This story is a retelling of Goldie and the Three Hares. 

Curricular Connections: This book relates to ELA and the telling of fairy tales. It is so important for students to hear fairy tales in the classroom.

Artistic Media: Paint, markers, pen, and ink

Personal Response: I loved this book because it was such a familiar story but told in a special way! I think it is so important to show the similarities and differences to students and allow them to find and interact with these stories. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Published: March 13, 2017

Publisher:  Xist Publishing

Pages: 31

Genre: Children’s Literature

Awards: N/A

Synopsis: A sad monster attends school. He is depressed since he has no friends or anyone close to a friend. He wonders if anyone has the ability to bring him joy?

Curricular Connections: This book relates to social-emotional learning and emotions. The monster is always sad but finds things to bring him joy. 

Artistic Media: Drawing, water colors, pen and ink

Personal Response: The Sad, Sad Monster is a charming tale for young readers and infants who enjoy monsters. I loved this book because it shows children that what they are feeling may be what others are feeling. 

Teaching Resource: Epic Link

Published: 2003

Publisher: Holiday House

Pages: 36

Genre: Fiction

Awards: N/A

Synopsis: The students' letters asking punctuation to return home are a tangle, and they can't read their book. Punctuation chooses to take a trip after a lesson goes wrong on the hottest, stickiest day of the year. The students might come to understand the hard work that commas, apostrophes, exclamation points, and question marks do if they have to go without punctuation for a while.

Curricular Connections: This book relates to ELA learning and helps students understand punctuation.

Artistic Media: Paint, marker, and watercolors

Personal Response: This creative and humorous story demonstrates the significance of punctuation in reading and writing as well as the various varieties and their functions.

Published: August 1, 2015

Publisher: Rourke Educational Media

Pages: 49

Genre: Fiction

Awards: N/A

Synopsis: Barrett's day is going to be fantastic. His best friend will be his field trip companion, and they will visit a farm. They think that today, nothing can go wrong. When Barrett exits the restroom, he discovers that everyone has vanished. Has Barrett been forgotten about? Barrett must enter the corn maze after thoroughly inspecting the entire farm. Can he locate his class there? Can Barrett overcome his fear and navigate the maze? 

Curricular Connections: This book relates to social-emotional learning and the idea of friendship and how important it is. 

Artistic Media: Drawing, watercolors, marker

Personal Response: I loved this book and the message behind it. I think it is so important for students to understand friendship and what it means to have a true friendship in your life. It is one of the most important things and this book does a great job at addressing it.