Synopsis: No matter who you are, what you believe or what you do, you matter.
Genre: Fiction
Theme: You matter everyday
Plot: Starting from the smallest thing to see to the biggest, it will always matter. You will always matter. Everything is connected and will always be valued in a way that shows that it and you will always matter all the time.
Artistic Media: Pastels, paint and markers
Curricular Connections: This book connects to the arts due to how precise the illustrations are. The illustrations speak the theme of the story, you matter. Through the color and the detail it shows and speaks volumes. This book also goes with social emotional learning aspects that can help students learn and feel worthy in many ways. This book creates a safe place and feeling for students who may be struggling emotionally.
Personal Response: I personally loved this book. I feel like this book spoke a message that is not necessarily spoke about often to younger students and that is why we may see students struggling emotionally. By getting them to a place where they feel comfortable and know that it is okay to feel a certain way and that they are still valued is so important for themselves and their education journey as well. This book is very inspiring and and speaks a powerful message.
Teacher Resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltOaIsWXpHA

Artistic Media: Pencil, Pen, watercolors  

Curricular Connections: This book connects individuality and social emotional learning to always believe in yourself and to never give up on your dreams.
Personal Response:  I love this book because it is so cute and fun! This book is great for younger students to be inspired to keep on reaching for the stars everyday and to never give up on their dreams. Children truly do have such a great connection with animals at a young age and this book is unique, fun and inspiring for young children to listen too. I loved this book and its message.
Teacher Resources: https://youtu.be/Ayi6M31EjNY

Synopsis: This book goes through the struggles and stress a little dog goes through in a hectic city. It turns out, he just needed a little change of scenery to be free and let all the stress and overdwhelemness get out.
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Emotion, Life, Living adaptability
Plot: This book follows the life of a little dog in a loud, hectic and busy city. We see his owner take control and realize that his dog needs to get out of the craziness and have a free and stressful say. He takes his dog to the beach and we realize how his emotions are set free and he feels relaxed again when he returns back to the city.
Artistic Media: Colored pencil and marker
Curricular Connections: This book connects to mental health and regulating emotions. It shows how to put your emotions first and recognize how you are feeling.
Personal Response: I personally loved this book. I feel like this book had a very powerful message, especially for young children to read. It shows how you needs to learn how to regulate emotions and recognize how you are feeling. Putting your emotions first is so important when you feel stressed and sometimes we all need a day to just be free and feel relaxed. Everyone, including animals, sometimes just need a day to let go.
Teacher Resources: https://youtu.be/LZhNCsftZzY

Synopsis: This book is about a young girl, Marlene, who does not like her curly and frizzy hair. As readers, we get taken along her journey through her accepting who is she and loving herself.
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Self-worth, identity and acceptance
Plot: This book follows the life and journey of a young girl accepting who she is. It is taken place in her hometown where we see her struggle with her hair and not liking the way she is. This book shows us the journey of self-love may be hard, but we should and will all get there.
Artistic Media: Colored pencil and marker
Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning and how to accept yourself as you are. As well as gaining confidence and knowing you are perfect just he way you are.
Personal Response: I personally loved this book because of the message it was portraying. Self-love and acceptance is very hard for people, so I think this book is very eye opening and inspiring for young children to read.
Teacher Resources: https://youtu.be/hsVX-9L0ycc (a book review) 

Personal Response: I personally loved this story. I believe it has a powerful message. It is educational for students because they learn and read about the slave trade and experiences individuals had to go through during 1619. It is definitely a book I would want my future students to read.
Teacher Resources: I would create an activity out of this book for my future students. The activity I could have my students do is having them create a family tree where they can only go back three generations as well. Then the students can share their family trees with the rest of the class.

Illustrator: Derek Sullivan

Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company
Date: March 1, 2015
Number of Pages: 32
Awards: N/A
Synopsis: A young girl does not keep her promise and learns the consequences and life lessons that come along with it.
Genre: Folklore
Theme: Life, Meaning of Promise
Plot: A young girl named Zuva leaves her village to go down to the river to catch fish. She comes into contact with a crocodile who she knows is not allowed to enter the village. The crocodile tells Zuva that if he helps her catch fish then she has to promise to take him to the big party happening in the village. Zuva did not think that the crocodile would really show up and that she does not have to tell him that he can not come. He ends up coming to the party and a people do not like him. Zuva learns an important lesson of making promises and keeping them.
Artistic Media: Watercolors and pastels
Curricular Connections: This book connects to biology, history, and cultures.
Personal Response:  I personally have love this book because of the message it is teaching young kids. Making a promise is such an important lesson to learn and this book does it in a fun and educational way while learning about the culture of Zimbabwe.
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library

Illustrator: Charlene Chua 

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Date: January 4, 2022
Number of Pages: 40
Awards: Stonewall Book Award and Charlotte Huck Award   
Synopsis: A young girl gets the courage to ask her crush to be her Valentine. We go through the journey with her and see her thrive through overcoming obstacles.
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Love connects to courage 
Plot: Violet has a crush on Mira, but she does not know how to go about it. Violet decides she is going to ask her to be her Valentine, but she is scared of being embarrassed, laughed at or rejected. One day at school, Violet fell in front of the whole class and everyone laughed at her expect for Mira. Mira ran after Violet to comfort her and Violet realized that her feelings are reciprocated.
Artistic Media: Watercolors
Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning anf communication. As well as learning to move past your fears.
Personal Response:  I personally liked this book because of the message it teaches young students to not be scared of embarrassment and to be courageous. This book is a really good way of showing communication skills as well.   
Teacher Resources: https://youtu.be/9NMNZcS0Y1k

Illustrator: Luisa Uribe 

Publisher: Random House Studio
Date: October 11, 2022
Number of Pages: 40
Awards: Charlotte Huck Award
Synopsis: A young girl is going through a journey of her dealing with her brother being incarcerated.
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Life, memories, family, healing, emotions
Plot: A young girl goes through all of her past memories with her brother and she does not know how to deal with her brother being arrested. She is sad, mad and confused. Her parents and the young girl go visit her brother and when she sees many other individuals who are missing their brothers it is a comforting feeling for her. As well as being able to see her brother makes her feel some sort of clarity.
Artistic Media: Color Pencils and watercolors
Curricular Connections: This book connects to social justice and social emotional learning. 
Personal Response:  I personally have love this book because it speaks of a situation that is really hard and sensitive for some people, especially young kids. I think this books portrays a great message that can be comforting for some kids who may be going through the same thing. This book is definitely one I will want in my classroom one day.
Teacher Resources: https://youtu.be/zvOn2Cu7PkQ

Illustrator: Dom Lee 

Publisher: Lee &Low
Date: March 1993
Number of Pages: 32
Awards: N/A
Synopsis: One similarity can bring so many different people together. Shorty and his family and other Japanese Americans are sent to an internment camp and they build a baseball diamond that brings joy.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Theme: Life, Sports, Happiness
Plot: After being sent to a internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Shorty and his family and Japanese Americans seek joy in something that connects them all. Shorty and his father build a baseball diamond where they create a league so everyone starts having fun out of a struggling time. 
Artistic Media: Color Pencils and ink
Curricular Connections: This book connects to history and social emotional learning.   
Personal Response:  I personally really love this book because it shows making joy out of a time of struggle. It brings the idea of connecting with people in a fun way with baseball and many young kids connect to sports. This book is also educational with bringing awareness of what Japanese Americans had to go through. I definitely want to have this book in my future classroom.
Teacher Resources: https://youtu.be/TooObOfOx4w

Illustrator: Christian Robinson 

Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Date: June 28, 2018
Number of Pages: 40
Awards: Margaret Wise Brown Prize in Childrens Literature and Charlotte Zolotow Award
Synopsis: Everyone goes through new experiences in life and it is ok to feel scared or anxious.
Genre: Fiction and childrens literature
Theme: Life, new experiences, mental health, confidence, empathy
Plot: This book is about bringing awareness to the experiences and anxiety that students potentially get on the first day of school. Though, this book brings the twist of the school being new and having its first day and provides a comforting feeling for the students reading to know that everyone can go through the same thing.
Artistic Media: Color Pencils, pen and ink
Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning because it connects to bringing awareness of anxiety and experiencing new experiences like the first day of school.
Personal Response:  I personally really love this book because it is a great book to help students who are feeling scared for the first day of school. It also is a great icebreaker for the class to help create a safe place for the students. It is definitely a book I would read on the first day of school in my classroom.
Teacher Resources: This is a book that would be good for the teacher to read on the first day of school to help students who are scared, feel overwhelmed and have anxiety. It will help create a safe place and community in the classroom. 

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Date: March 5, 2015
Number of Pages: 56
Awards: A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book for 2019.
Synopsis: Experiencing new experiences and new worlds is so important and is eye opening.
Genre: Fiction and children's literature
Theme: Raises perspectives of reality, others identity and perspectives. 

Plot: This book follows a young girl and her cat who become adventurous and look through new perspectives. It is an eye opening book for young children to realize it is ok to be open and view new things and people. 

Artistic Media: Color Pencils, pen and ink
Curricular Connections: This book connects to life in general as well as bringing in history, cultures and biology.
Personal Response:  I personally really love this book because it is a great book to help students recognize how looking at new worlds and experiencing something new is so fun and creates a different perspective that they may have never thought of. This book is so fun and is great for students!
Teacher Resources: An activity a teacher can do with this book is split the class up into groups and give them all a new place from around the world. Then they all have to do research and compare and contrast the places to where they live.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Adults
Date: September 2016
Grade Level: 5th - 6th grade
Number of Pages: 210
Awards: New York Times bestseller status,  International Reading Association's Children's Book Award, American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations
Synopsis: Is it worth it? Will this help save your family? Portraying what risk is worth to take and if speaking up is going to help.
Genre: Science Fiction  

Plot: This book follows a young girl named Rosi and her brother Bobo who are being raised by foster parents. We follow them and others that go through risks that could either save her family and possibly all of humanity. 

Curricular Connections: This book connects to science and the future. As well as connecting to history.
Personal Response:  I really like this book because science fictions and thrillers have always been super interesting to me!
Teacher Resources: https://www.amazon.com/Children-Exile-Margaret-Peterson-Haddix/dp/1442450037

Publisher: Square Fish
Date: March 29, 2016
Grade Level: 2nd - 5th grade
Number of Pages: 256
Awards: N/A
Synopsis: Good will always beats evil.
Genre: Fantasy Fiction  

Plot: This book follows a young girl named Violet and her mother who get locked in a tower by the vil queen. As the readers, we witness the obstacles they go through and how they beat them through courage and determination.

Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning.
Personal Response:  I really like this book because it is fun, but also gives a powerful message of never giving up which I believe should be a message educators should be portraying to their students.
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library 

Illustrator: Garth Williams 

Publisher: Harper & Brothers
Date: October 15, 1952
Number of Pages: 192
Awards:  John Newbery Medal
Synopsis: Being a loyal friend is so important as life goes on and changes. 
Genre: Animal Fantasy
Theme: Courage, compassion, the ever changing cycle of life and loyalty.
Plot: This book goes through the journey of a spider named Charlotte and her loyalty she puts out into her friendship with Wilbur to try to save his life from being slaughtered. Charlotte is trustworthy and gives all of the animals in the barn advice. Charlotte goes on to write messages in her web to try to get the farmers attention to not slaughter Wilbur. Charlottes life span ends and her egg sac explodes which ends up leaving Wilbur with three of her daughters.
Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning and life.
Personal Response:  I personally really love this book because it is a great book to help students recognize the meaning of friendship and what it can look like. I have always love this book since I was a kid and I would love to read this book to my future students depending on which grade I teach!
Teacher Resources:  Creating a journey map of one of the characters. 

Illustrator: Peggy Collins 

Publisher: Pajama Press
Date: Nov 30, 2021
Number of Pages: 32
Awards: Schneider Family Book Award

Synopsis: Things may sent you back in life, but everything works out and there are ways to help and do the same things.
Genre: Fiction and children's literature
Theme: Life, barriers, resilience
Plot: A young girl named Aria who is from Afghanistan loses her leg in an accident and now has a prosthetic leg. She is really excited to go back to school, but also worried about how she will be able to do certain things. The wooden benches at school were burned for warmth during the war which means at school the students have to sit on the floor. Aria does not know how she is going to do this with her losing a leg. Her and her mother then find a way to help her.
Artistic Media: Color Pencils, pen and ink
Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning and history.
Personal Response:  I personally really love this book because it helps bring awareness to individuals that have things that set them back, but they make the best out of the situation. This is a very motivating book and I think would be great for young students to read.
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library

Publisher: Disney Press
Date: 2022
Number of Pages: 272
Awards: PEN USA Award, the Américas Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, and the Orbis Pictus Award

Synopsis: A look into the magical world and deciding if going into something dangerous is worth it to save the things and people you care about.
Genre: Fantasy Fiction and children's literature
Theme: Magic, royalty, loyalty, Fantasy
Plot: Solimar, the soon to be princess and Mexican heroine, learns that she has been given a gift to not only predict the near future, but also help the young monarch butterflies that she has always had somewhat of a calling too. She has to use this magic to also help save the kingdom, her family and the villagers since a king came and took them hostage. This job is dangerous, but she knows this is what has to be done. We witness her magical journey and experiences she goes through. 

Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning and history.
Personal Response:  I personally really love this book because it brings the fun in fantasy and magic to life and portrays the message of family and celebrations. I think this would be such a fun book for students to read!
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library

Publisher: Harper Collins
Date: February 5, 2019
Grade Level: 3rd - 7th grade
Number of Pages: 256
Awards: Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award
Synopsis: Change can be scary and really hard, but it can also be the best thing to happen.
Genre: Fiction 
Theme: Friendship, Life, Diversity 

Plot: This book follows along the story of Jordan Banks who is a new African American student from Washington Heights. His parents sent him to a private school to try to give him educational opportunities that they never got. Jordan experienced bullies, feeling different, excluded and not feeling wanted. It was hard for him to go through this and we see him overcome his tough experiences and meet new friends. Jordan and his friends learn the importance of friendship and that it is ok to be different. 

Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning.
Personal Response:  I personally did enjoy this book because it has such a great message and it is very eye opening while reading it. This book showed the importance of diversity in schools and how being accepting to others is so important. As well as knowing how to create friendships and bond with others that are different from you. It is a great story for students to read. This book could also be comforting to students who struggle with having different backgrounds or are different from other students in their school.
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library 

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Date: August 9, 2022
Number of Pages: 48
Awards: Ortis Picture Awards
Synopsis: Standing up for what you believe in is so much more than you think. No matter what is holding you back, you can do it.
Genre: Picture book biography
Artistic Media: Graphic Images
Theme: Bravery, making a difference and fighting for change 

Plot: This book follows along the biography of Judith who her whole life she always heard the word "no" and it always seemed like it was because she's in a wheel chair. Judith was no able to attend public school and this was heartbreaking for her because she always wanted to be an educator, but she was told "no". Judith knew she had to begin to fight for what she believed in and in 1977 was when the 504 gave Judith a big achievement. 

Curricular Connections: This book connects to social emotional learning.
Personal Response:  I personally did enjoy this book because it has such a great message and it is very eye opening while reading it. This book shows students that even if there are things holding them back, they can still achieve their goals. Thebook is very motivating for students.
Teacher Resources: An activity to go along with this book could be having students create a "law" that they believe should be passed in the classroom and they will give speeches to the class. 

 

Illustrator: Luisa Uribe 

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Date: February 14, 2012
Number of Pages: 310
Awards: Bandung Film Festival for Imported Film; Humanitarian Award

Synopsis: Being born to stand out is so important to understand. Let people accept you for who you are.
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Empathy, friendship, acceptance, differences
Plot: A young boy named Auggie was born with facial differences and he faces bullying and everyone misunderstanding him at school. He enters fifth grade at a private school and all he wants is to be treated like a normal kid. As the school year goes on, Auggie gains so much acceptance and confidence from his peers and receives an award for his strength. Auggie learns what it is like to be independent and learns to be brave through tough situations because at the end of the day, he was born to stand out.
Curricular Connections: This book connects to  social emotional learning. 
Personal Response:  I love this book because it is inspiring and motivating to students who may be struggling with their appearances and/or bullying. I will implement this book into my classroom one day because it helps students understand how important it is to accept everyone for who they are and to not be timid to stand out.
Teacher Resources: An activity that could be done with this book is when students are done sharing their current story they wrote, the students will give the sharer a compliment and celebrate their peers work, This is a way of choosing kindness and lifting each other up. As well as the students being brave to share their story. 

Illustrator: Nabigal-Nayagam Haider Ali
Publisher: Sourcebook Explore

Genre: Biography

Grade Level: K-5
Number of Pages: 32
Synopsis: No matter what there is holding you back, you can achieve anything you put your mind too. 

Plot: The book is a true story on how a 8 year old girl became a disability rights activist. We witness her make strives for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Curricular Connection: Social emotional learning. 

Personal response: I loved this book and I personally believe it is a great book for students of all ages to read. It shows the message of how being brave and accomplishing anything you put your mind too can be done. 

Teacher Resource: Students get put into groups and have to come up with a rule that they believe should be passed in the classroom. They share it with the class. 

Illustrator: T.S. Spookytooth
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group

Grade Level: 2nd

Genre: Informational
Number of Pages: 32
Synopsis: Informing kids on all different kinds of human teeth to all different kinds of species. 

Plot: This book is about informing readers on all different kinds of human teeth to different animals teeth. This book informed on the idea of comparing and contrasting teeth, as well as including open-end questions on what kind of animal would have certain kind of teeth. 

Personal Response: I personally did enjoy this book because it was very informative, but fun at the same time. It did a good job at keeping the readers attention the entires time, which is especially important for young kids. 

Teacher Resource: Students take a picture of their teeth and pick a animal to comapre their teeth too. While writing facts about both. 

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers 

Date: May 1, 2012
Genre: Fiction

Number of Pages: 320
Synopsis: You are a lot smarter than people and you may believe. Always believe in your capabilities and let them shine!

Plot: The book is about a young girl who has cerebral palsy. Her whole life this disability has held her back, but we witness her overcome her disability and prove all of her classmates wrong. She shows and proves how she belongs and is just as smart as anyone else.
Curricular Connection: Social emotional learning

Personal response: I loved this book and it has a great message for students to understand. It is inspiring and motivating for students who may be struggling with disabilities. It is a really great book and I definitely recommend it. 

Teacher Resource: Boise Public Library 

Personal Response: I think this was a great book to read, especially for the younger students who are learning about adjectives. It has them picture the words in their minds just from the specific detail in the story.
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library

Personal Response: I think this was a great book to read, especially for the middle graders because it helps the young preteens understand it is ok to go through everything they are.
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library

Personal Response: I think this was a great book to read and I love how it is educational, but also a loving story. It helps the younger kids put into perspective how individuals were treated in the First Nations. This is a book I would love for my students to read because it shows them to always appreciate their cultures.
Teacher Resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJxpzyVRc7w

Personal Response: This story is so great and I love how it shows the love and connection that families share. It shows how  distance will not diminish the connection you have in families.
Teacher Resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TXPRfzHCn0

Personal Response: I really did like this book because it helps teaches the life lesson of actions may having consequences to younger children. This is such an important life lesson and for children to read it in a book it helps them learn in a fun way.
Teacher Resources: Epic Books!

Personal Response: I really did like this book because it helps teaches the life lesson of what it means to be a good friend and how kindness truly matters. This book portrays a great message for young kids.
Teacher Resources: Epic Books!

Personal Response: This book was great and would be so good for young children to read. Opening your mind to new friendships and being kind to one another can create the most genuine friendships!
Teacher Resources: Epic Books!

Personal Response: This book was great and I think is great for older students to read because it is so important to understand that grief comes in different ways and it is ok to feel so many different feelings.
Teacher Resources: Amazon 

Personal Response: I thought this was a great book and portrays a great message for young students to understand that there is always room for everyone and anyone no matter what.  

Personal Response: I thought this was a great book and portrays a great message for young students to understand that there is always room for everyone and anyone no matter what.  

Personal Response: I think this a great book and makes a connection for always looking out for your friends and remembering there are always people close to you.
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library 

Personal Response: I thought this was a great book and portrays a great message in a very educational way for students to understand. This book does it in a way that is easy for students to follow and has them using their imaginations.
Teacher Resources:  Epic!

Personal Response: I thought this was a great book and portrays a great message! This book would be great to help students who are struggling with losing someone close to them.  

Personal Response: I love this book and think it is educational, but also fun. It is a great book for students to read and shows students that it is important to understand all communities are different. It is a eye opening book as well.
Teacher Resource: https://youtu.be/SSZUOhCTNbM

Personal Response: I love this book and think it is so important for students to read. All young kids need to know that they are perfect the way they are to to be confident in that and this book does a great job at portraying that message.
Teacher Resources: https://youtu.be/62vDZBDUGhU

Personal Response: I love this book and I think it would be good to help students who are going through the loss of someone they love because it helps shows that the family history is always there.
Teacher Resources: Boise Public Library!

Personal Response: I love this book and it is so motivating and inspiring to those who may also be in a wheelchair. This book spreads great awareness to all and is so important!
Teacher resources: Epic!

Personal Response: I love this book and it is so motivating for all students to understand to never give up no matter what. I will be sharing this book with my class one day because it is so important to understand to always do what you love and do not listen to others!
Teacher resources: https://youtu.be/cqDq8o_5NWI

Personal Response: I love this book and the message it portrayed because I like how it encourages individuals how taking risks can be so scary, but sometimes they need to be done and it could be worth it.
Teacher resources: https://youtu.be/JdbIqlMyIlU

Personal Response: I love this book and the message it portrays because I like how it is motivating children to know change is hard, but to always stay strong through it. As well as to always be positive even if it is hard to me. It is a great book and can be relatable for so many!
Teacher resources: Boise Public Library!