The Wide Mouthed Frog

Author/Illustrator: Kevin Faulkner/Jonathan Lambert
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Grade Level: Prek-K

This book is about a wide mouth frog who eats flies. He hops along meeting several animals throughout his day. He introduces himself as the wide-mouthed frog and says that he eats flies. He follows with, "What do you eat?" He came upon an alligator one day and the alligator said he eats wide-mouthed frogs. The frog disguised his mouth as being small and hopped into the pond.

This book is designed for students in the early elementary levels such as prek and kindergarten. This book has no true purpose to it. It is a silly book with large pop outs to entertain young readers. I would use this book in my classroom during read aloud. I probably would not put it in my library for fear that the students would rip the pages.

Galimoto

Author/Illustrator: Karen Lynn Williams

Genre: Multicultural

Awards: None

Grade Level: 1st-3rd

This book is about a young boy named Kondi who lives in the small village of Nsanje. Kondi wants to collect enough wire to make a Galimoto, which means car in Chichewa. All he has is a small piece of wire to beginn with. He goes throught the village and makes trades, and deals with other people to gather enough wire for his Galimoto. In the end he finds enough wire after all and everyone is excited to see his Galimoto.

This book is structured for students from 1st to 3rd grade. I would use this book in my classroom to teach students about other cultures and their values. I would explain how Kondi was so excited to gather wire to make a Galimoto and all we have to do is go to the store to buy a toy one and we still aren't happy sometimes. I will have students think about how tehy could use their resources to make more of what they have.

Crow Boy

Author/Illustrator: Taro Yashima
Genre: Multicultural
Awards: None
Grade Level: 2nd-4th

This book is about a young Japanese boy named Chibi who sticks to himself in school. He is really shy and others make fun of him because of it. He spends his pass time staring at the ceiling, at his desk, and the clock until it is time to leave school everyday. No matter what, Chibi would always be at school day after day. A new teacher showed  up in sixthg rade and took interest in the knowledge and abilities that Chibi had. He encouraged him and became his friend. During the talent show one day Chibi got up and performed crow calls. The students were taken back by his performance and pictures the tiny village from past the mountains that he came. The new teacher explained that Chibi learned those calls on his long walk he made to school everyday. Everyone felt terrible for misjudging Chibi. From that day forward he became known as the crow boy.

This book is aimed for students from 2nd to 4th grade. The sentences are simple and straight forward. This book shows us some of the customs of the Japanese culture. Everything from what they wear, what their houses are like, their language, and food. I would use this book to teach students that everyone comes from a different background. We do not know why some people are how they are, but we should be willing to learn.

Mama, Do You Love Me?

Author/Illustrator: Barbara M. Joosse/Barbara Lavallee

Genre: Multicultural

Awards: None

Grade Level: Prek-1st

This book is about a young Eskimo girl who asks her mom if she loved her. She will make up scenarios and ask her mom whom always replies with, "Still, I would love you." She young girl uses different items from their culture to make up the scenarios.

This book is simple and to the point. I would recommend this book for students in preschool to first grade. I would use this book to teach how different cultures have different things that are specific to them. In this book parkas, ermine, and lemmings are examples of things they use/experience. I could have students write their own Mama do you love me sentences using things specific to our culture.

Mirandy And Brother Wind

Author/Illustrator: Patricia C. McKissack/Jerry Pinkey

Genre: Multicultural

Awards: None
Grade Level: 3rd-5th

This book is about a young girl named Mirandy who is determined to win the cake walk. In order to complete this task she thinks she needs to capture brother wind who will be her partner. All throughout the book she tries different ways to capture him, but he is too fast. In the mean time Ezel wanted her to go with him, but when he realized she wasn't he made up a fib that he was going with someone else and was gonna win. She really tried now to catch Brother Wind and eneded up succeeding. At the cake walk she saw Ezel's partner and asked where he was. She said she turned him down because he was clumsy. Mirandy defended Ezel and ran off to brother wind for a wish. Ezel and Mirandy were the talk of the town for weeks after the cake walk thanks to Brother Wind.

This book is aimed for students from 3rd to 5th grade. I say this because the words are small and the structure is a little complex for younger students. I would not use this book for instructional purposes, but I would keep it in my classroom library. This book shows the traditions of different cultures such as Brother Wind.

Whoever You Are

Author/Illustrator: Mem Fox/Leslie Staub
Genre: Multicultural
Awards: None
Grade Level: Prek-1st

This book takes the reader allover the Earth to see what other children are like. Others might have different skin, different homes, different ways of transportation, school, or even playing. Though our lifestyles might be different, we are still all the same. We all have emotions, we all laugh, and we all love. Whoever you are.

This is a really simple book for students in Prek to first grade. I would use this book in the classroom to show students that no matter where we are on this Earth or who we are it is what on the inside that brings us all together. I could have students draw a picture of themselves and describe who they are, where they are from, etc. I could also have them list reasons they are alike with one another.

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Author/Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: 3rd-5th

Trisha has all the hopes in the world to read, but can't get it right. Students make fun of her in school because she is the only one who struggles. Her mom got a job that moved her to another school where students didn't know this. Mr. Falker, her new teacher, saw through her inability to read and realized that not only could she read but she had so much more to bring. Mr. Falker worked with Trisha after school to help her read. When she read for the first time she was completely over joyed and ran home to tell all.

This story is for students from 3rd to 5th grade. It doesn't clearly state that she has a disability, but the author creates this character with dyslexia. This book can be read to students to show that we do not all learn at the same pace, and sometimes students need extra help or an alternate way to learn material.

Charlotte's Web

Author/Illustrator: E.B White/ Garth Williams

Genre: Fantasy

Awards: Newberry Honor 

Grade Level: 3rd-5th

A young girl named Fern begged her dad to spare the life of a little runt piglet. He agrees but gave him to her to look after. She named him Wilbur and they became the best of friends. So much to the point where her mother sold him to the Zuckerman barn. Wilbur friends a spider named Charlotte. Charlotte keeps Wilbur's mind off of Fern whom he misses terribly. As Wilbur starts to fit in and become close to the animals, especially Charlotte, he gets news that the farmer is fattening him to be sold. Charlotte starts planning a way to save Wilbur's life. Charlotte starts spinning words about Wilbur into her web which catches the attention of the farmer. They decide to take him to the fair to show him off and Charlotte tags along though she is about to lay eggs. Though Charlotte is not at best she still is determined to help Wilbur win first place when she sees his competition. She writes the word Humble on her web. Although Wilbur did not win he was called to receive a special award. Once back in his pen Wilbur notices Charlotte is not well, and she breaks the news. She will not be returning to the barn with him, this will be their final goodbye. Wilbur takes her sac with him and awaits the arrival of his new friend. None of which will ever replace Charlotte.

This book is a great read for students in 3rd through 5th grade. It is a good beginner chapter book because of the vocabulary and structure of the sentences. I would most likely use this book in my classroom for book clubs/guided reading groups. I would not use it for instructional purposes.  

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Author/Illustrator: Jon Scieszka/Lane Smith
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: Caldecott Honor Award
Grade Level: 2nd-4th

This book is filled with all of your everyday fairytales... but with a twist. Scieszka takes regular fairytales stories and adds comedy, twists, and completely turns them upside down. Be ready to laugh at little red running shorts, the really ugly duckling, and more.

This book would be perfect for students from 2nd to fourth grade. I could use this book to have students compare and contrast fairytales with Scieszka's version of the story. These stories are also pretty short and can be used to pass time in the classroom.

The Polar Express

Author/Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg
Genre: Fiction
Awards: Caldecott Awards
Grade Level: Prek-6th

A young boy lays quietly on Christmas Eve night listening for s special sound that was replaced with the sound of a train whistle. He stepped out to see the train and was asked if he was boarding the Polar Express. With hesitation he did. Children in pajamas filled the train awaiting their destination... The North Pole. Here Santa Claus would give the first gift of Christmas to someone special. When the young boy was chosen he chose something special, a bell from Santa's sleigh. On the way home, he realized it fell through a hole in his pocket. Santa came through on Christmas morning with it in a small box. It made the most beautiful noise when shook, but only if you believe.

This is a great book for all ages of elementary students. I would not use this book for instructional purposes. I recall reading this book in elementary and the teachers making a huge deal of it. All students came to school in their pajamas, got hot chocolate, went to the front office to get a polar express ticket, and watched the movie. I would love to do that with my students in the future.

Universe Journey Into Deep Space

Author/Illustrator: Dr. Mike Goldsmith/Dr. Mark A. Garlick

Genre: Nonfiction

Awards: None

Grade Level: 4th-6th

This book goes into detail about some of the neighboring galaxies to the Earth. You will learn so many neat facts in this book and will be amazed at how far we have come to learn about things in space. The illustrations in this book almost look real. You will feel like you are actually traveling through space.

This is a great book for students on the upper end of elementary school. I could possibly use this book to teach topics in science or use it as a resource when research projects are assigned. I do not have a clear use for this book in my classroom, but I would definitely keep this one in my library. It's worth it.

Fly Guy Presents: Firefighters

Author/Illustrator: Tedd Arnold
Genre: Non-Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: Prek-1st

This book is about Buzz and his pet fly named Fly Guy. In this book, they are on their way to a field trip to the fire station.  Here they learn everything you could possibly think of when it comes to firefighters. You will learn what their uniform consists of, how much it weighs, what they do, how fast their trucks go, and even about the fire station dogs.

This book is a great read for Prek-1st grade students. It's a great for introducing non-fiction books because it still has a storyline of a young boy and his pet fly going to visit the station. I wouldn't use this book in my classroom to teach, but I would have it in my library.

The Moon Book

Author/Illustrator: Gail Gibbons
Genre: Non-Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: 1st-3rd

Have you ever wondered what the moon was made up? How big is the mood? Why does the moon only show sometimes? Then you should definitely read this book. All of your questions about moons will be answered. This book goes into detail on the phases of the moon, what the moon effects, the size of the moon, and even ancient myths about it.

This book is great for students from first grade to about third. I wouldn't use this book for read aloud purposes, but maybe as a resource reference. The book is great for young readers because its pictures are still cartoonish and fun. The structure of this book is fun as well as some of the facts provided.

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Author/Illustrator: Deborah Hopkinson/James Ransome
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: 2nd-4th

This book is about a young girl named Clara who was sold into slavery and separated from her mother. She was working in the fields with a young boy named Jack. An older woman who was a seamstress took the role as her aunt. She told her she'd never survive if she didn't take care of herself. Her aunt taught her how to be a seamstress so she would be able to go work in the big house. The white lady in the big house loved her work and invited her to be a seamstress. As Clara worked in the big house she overhear people talking about escaping through the underground railroad. She decided she would too. She saved all the scraps from sewing and over months sewed together a quilt that looked as a map would all the way to Canada, Freedom. Once finished her and Jack set out to escape, they picked up her mother along the way and made it to freedom.

This book is great for upper elementary students because the structure is suitable for them. I would use this book in my class when covering a social studies topic of the underground railroad. I could have students draw their own map of the quilt.

Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, their lives and dreams

Author/Illustrator: Ashley Bryan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: 3rd-5th

This book is about 11 slaves from the 1800s. In the beginning you will see all eleven slaves and the price that they can be bought for. Throughout the book will be each slaves story. They will tell what their job is and on the following page what they dream to be/have one day. The author of this book was given documents of slaves and she chose eleven of the slaves and made them come to life with what she thought they were like.

This book has a lot of words and paragraphs and is structured for upper elementary students. I would use this book in my classroom when talking about slavery. I could use it to have students research famous slaves and create there own article like in this book.

Freedom School, Yes!

Author/Illustrator: Amy Littlesugar/Floyd Cooper
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: 2nd-5th

 A young girl named Jolie awoke when a brick flew threw her window. This wouldn't have happened if her mom had not volunteered to house a freedom school teacher. These teachers were as young as 18 coming to teach children about who they are and their history. Everyone is Jolie's community was against this except her mom. Few children attended the classes at first. Within the first few days people had burned the church down because they did not want this white lady teaching them. However, this did not stop them. The classes got bigger and they decided to rebuild the church and the new freedom school. Jolie grew to love school and took an interest in a mathematician who loved stars as much as Jolie did. As the community began to accept the freedom teacher more people attended the school and got involved. Jolie's uncle shared something special with her, a medal. He was awarded a medal for saving the life of a white man at war. He states that though he saved a white man he is still not allowed to sit next to one. He tells Jolie, "You all got to grow up and change that."

This is a great read. The print on the pages are small and there are a lot of character so I think this book would be best fit for student from second grade to fifth. If I used this book in my classroom I would use it to teach students about civil rights. This book was set in the 1960s in Mississippi when civil rights were still not granted to black people.

John, Paul, George & Ben

Author/Illustrator: Lane Smith
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: Kindergarten-1st

This book is about to young lives of John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, and Ben Franklin. Oh, and Thomas Jefferson. These historical figures have all done something great in their adulthood and left footprints in history. This book is a comical read about how they came to be who they are and why they might have done the things they did. For example at the beginning of every school year when they were asked to write their names on the board Jon would always write it so big it could be seen from outer space. This is similar to how he signed another very important document.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom if I was teaching younger elementary students. I would use it to introduce some of our greatest historical figures. This book could be used as a read aloud before beginning a social studies lesson.

Just Like Josh Gibson

Author/Illustrator: Angela Johnson/Beth Peck
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: 1st-4th

This book is about overcoming challenges and people who are always telling you no. A young girl who loved baseball was not allowed to play the game because she was a girl. In the 40s girls didn't play boy sports. She knew the ins and out of baseball. She attended every game and every practice. Sometimes they would let her join in on a practice, but never a game. One day during a game Danny fell and got injured. They all turned to this young girl to step up to the plate. She hit a home run that won the game. This book outlines the challenges she faced to play the sport she loved just like Josh Gibsons. Josh Gibson was one of the best negro league baseball players who never made it to the majors.

This book would be great for students anywhere from 1st grade to 4th. I could use this book to teach students to overcome challenges and to never give up just like the young girl in the story. This is also a great read for girls who love sports. Most girls think that sports books are only for boys, but this one has a different perspective.

Love You, Daddy

Author/Illustrator: Amy West

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Awards: None

Grade Level: 2nd-3rd

This is a short chapter book about a young girl, named Katie, whose dad goes off to war. The days leading up to his departure he held his wife and daughter just a little closer. He was off, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Katie and her mother wrote letters every day to him. During his leave, Katie's moms best friend came to stay with them during her pregnancy, and their whole apartment building supported each other as their loved ones were gone at war. On what should have been an exciting day, Katie and her mother received the worst news.

This is a great short chapter book for young readers. It is geared toward 2nd and 3rd graders. I would even say 1st but the content and vocabulary might be a little above their reading level. I would not use this book in my classroom to teach a lesson, but I might use it for guided reading groups when I introduce them to chapter books.

Amazing Grace

Author/Illustrator: Mary Hoffman/Caroline Binch
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards:
Grade Level: Pk-1st

This book is about a young girl named Grace. At her school, they were having auditions for the play Peter Pan. Of course, Grace wanted the lead role, but others told her she could not be Peter Pan because of the color of her skin and her gender. This upset Grace very much. When she explained to her mother and grandma why she was upset they told her not to listen to them. They took her to a ballet to watch a young girl just like she has the lead role in Romeo and Juliet event though they were not the same skin. After watching this play, Grace knew there was nothing she could not do. She marched into auditions the next week and blew everyone away.

This a great book for young readers ages Prek-1st grade. I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students that not only differences are okay but that they can do anything that they put their mind to. Being told no might increase their drive to do it.

Lily Brown's Painting

Author/Illustrator: Angela Johnson/E.B. Lewis
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: Pk-1

This book is about a young girl named Lily Brown. She used paint to explore the world around her and to draw things she saw the way depicted through her own eyes. This young girl takes in every ounce of her surroundings and puts it into a painting. She is searching for her view of the world.

This book would be especially useful for students in the Prek-1st grade. These children are still growing up and exploring the world around them. They do not yet understand the world so they have a different outlook on it. I would use this book in my classroom to help students understand that it is okay to have different opinions and thoughts over a subject or how something looks.