Smile

Author/Illustrator: Raina Telgemeier 

Genre: Graphic Novel

Grade level: 3-6

A little girl name Raina wants to fit in like everyone else and be a normal 6th grader. One night after a girl scout meeting she trips and falls and injures her two front teeth. One problem leads to another and another. She keeps getting her braces taken on and off and on again. She gets surgery and a fake retainer with teeth attached. To top the icing on the cake she is forced to wear incredibly embarrassing headgear! She has to deal with many major problems on top of all these dental problems. She has to deal with boys, her friends that are being mean, and a major earthquake! At the end she grows up and stands up for herself and learns to love herself more than she ever could. 

This book is a great book for children. It teaches them about the pressures of school and friends and how to fit in. It can be used to teach children how their feelings of acceptance and some things they are feeling during school is normal and everyone feels it. There are some great vocabulary words that can be used for vocabulary tests and spelling, 

The illustrations are obviously in comic form. They are super fun and portray the characters in a very humorous way. You can tell exactly what each character is feeling. It is very lively and fluid. 

The Wide-Mouthed Frog

Author: Keith Faulkner 

Illustrator: Jonathan Lambert

Genre: Fantasy pop-up

Grade level: K-3

This story is about a frog that decides to go and visit his friends. We are introduced to all of his little friends. They open their mouth up wide and list what they like to eat and place inside their mouths. He eventually comes across an alligator and asks him what he likes to eat. He said that he likes to eat wide-mouthed frogs! Frog quickly jumps into the water and saves himself. 

This can be used in a lesson to talk about what each type of animal would eat. We can also learn about different types of animals and their habitats and eating habits. There could be a research project done on an animal.

The illustrations are obviously super cool! The popup is the animals opening up their mouth big and wide and all the things inside as well. It is brightly colored and really makes the story come to life. 

Feathers: Not Just for Flying

Author: Melissa Stewart

Illustrator: Sarah S. Brannen 

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade level: K-4

In this book we discover the beauty and multipurpose functions that bird feathers possess. There are 16 varieties of birds and their feathers that this book talks about and examines closely. A blue jay's feathers act as a warm blanket. A willow ptarmigan grow long feathers to cover their toes so they can run through the snow. Mute swans use their  feathers to stay afloat like a life jacket and much more. 

This book can be used in the classroom to inform students about birds. These are interesting facts that many people are unaware of. When learning about animals we can learn how they can have different functions. 

The illustrations are beautiful watercolored illustrations. They look as if they are in a scrapbooking fashion. There are sidebars that include interesting facts about each. There are pictures of the bird as well as a picture of the feather life sized. 

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus 

Author: Jennifer Fisher Bryant

Illustrator: Melissa Sweet 

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade level: K-4

Award: Caldecott Honor and Sibert Medal

There is a young boy named Peter Roget. He loved making lists. It starts out in Switzerland. He makes lists to help him remember his school lessons. It takes us through his life in England and Scotland as well. His mother never understood his love for list making.  He never let that get in the way of his passion. He writes his own books of list words that have the same meaning. This is what we know now as a synonym. He does exceptionally well in medical school and eventually earns a good job. Eventually all his collections get put into a thesaurus and he continues his list making because that is his passion. 

This book can be used to teach about thesaurus's. It is a good to know where it comes from and the history of a thesaurus in order to truly appreciate it and know how to use it. It is an interesting untold story that students can research about. 

The illustrations were amazing. There is a lot of precision and color in the illustrations. The illustrations are mixed-media illustrations and convey Roget's list making perfectly. The illustrations are not like the traditional illustrations they look more abstract than normal. 

Pop!: The Invention of Bubblegum

Author/Illustrator: Meghan McCarthy

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade level: K-4

The story begins with a factory owned by the Fleer family. They made large quantities of gum and candy in the 1920s. One of the factories employees was named Walter Diemer and he was a simple accountant that didn't know anything about gum. Time passed and the office next to Diemer's became a laboratory. It was occupied with many different technicians trying to come up with new kinds of gum. Gum wasn't very exciting but they decided that they should make gum be able to blow bubbles. The technicians didn't have any luck with it and they were about to give up when Walter was asked to watch a kettle holding a gum experiment. He became fascinated and he had no idea what he was doing but he eventually came up with the perfect mixture.

This book can be used in the classroom to encourage students to never give up on their dreams. It also can be used for a research project. I myself never knew the story about gum and this is a very interesting read to find out a little bit more about it. 

The illustrations are very cute and cartoonish. The big eyes look like they're about to pop just like the title and the idea of gum. The color scheme and style make it seem as if it is in the 1920s. They include fun-facts about bubble gum. 

Balloons Over Broadway

Author/Illustrator: Melissa Sweet

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade level: K-3

Award: Caldecott Honor

This book is about a boy named Tony who mastered the art of making marionettes at a young age. His talents eventually takes him the New York City. He started his career at Macy's. He would create and design a puppet parade for the holidays in the store window. Everyone loved his work and it was met with much success. He eventually took on a bigger project. He created a parade filled with dancing and music that was loved by his fellow immigrant workers. Many of those immigrant workers were missing home during the Christmas holiday and so Tony added those songs so they could celebrate and feel at home. Each year that passed his parade got better and better. The marionettes got bigger and the talent got better. 

This book can be used to encourage students to be creative. It can also be used for a research project on someone interesting that you don't normally hear about everyday. There could be a wax museum project where you research someone and this could be used as one of the tools to research with. 

The illustrations are so cute! They are very colorful and fun. They are very happy and modern and just give you a very happy vibe. The illustrations are in a variety of drawings and paper mache puppets, objects, and collages. Overall a very interesting collection of illustrations that go well with the story. A well deserved Caldecott Honor award book. 

A Little Book of Sloth

Author/photographer: Lucy Cooke

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade level: K-4

This book is a book about Sloths in Avarios Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica which is the world's only sloth orphanage. We meet the queen of the sanctuary named Buttercup who started the whole thing. She is the oldest sloth living in captivity. She is eventually joined by many others. There are very small sloths that are so small they need clothes made for them with socks to keep them warm. There are twin sloths and injured sloths and sloths that give very nice hugs. It describes the different sloths and how they live such awesome, laid back lives. It describes how they survive in the wild. 

This book can be used to learn about animals. It can also be used to learn about different animals that live in Costa Rica. It can also be used to expound on the different cultures in the world and how their are differences not only in culture but animals that roam around such as a squirrel and a rabbit roam around the U.S. 

The illustrations are photographs taken of the sloths and the sanctuary. The images show how they interact, live, and look like. It shows them growing up and how they go about their daily lives. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Author: J.K. Rowling

Genre: Fantasy

Grade level: 3-6

There is a boy named Harry who's parents were killed by a bad wizard named Voldemort. He tried to kill Harry but was unsuccessful. Harry lives with a family called the Dursley's and they spoil their own children while Harry has to sleep in the attic. Harry exhibits special powers at the zoo when the glass breaks and he is punished for the incident. Letters come for Harry but Mr. Dursley hides them. Eventually Hagrid comes to give him his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. A month later he boards the train to London to go to school. He meets Hermoine and Ron on the train and they become great friends. There is a troll roaming around the school and together they defeat the troll. For Christmas he receives his fathers invisibility cloak and he explores the school. They find out a three headed dog is guarding the sorcerer stone which is capable of providing eternal life and wealth. Harry finds out that Voldemort is trying the steal the stone. Harry decides that he should find the stone before Voldemort does. They make it past lots of different quarrels and eventually make it to be face to face with a guy named Quirrell and he puts him in front of the mirror that shows you what you always desire and he desires to have the stone and he feels it in his pocket. He tells Quirrell something else and a voice tells him that Harry is lying. He reveals a face on the back of his head and that face is Voldemort who tells Quirrell to kill Harry he is burned when he comes in contact with Harry. Harry faints and wakes up in the hospital with Dumbledore the headmaster by his side who tells him that he saved him just in time and they decided to destroy the stone. 

This book is a very good book to introduce to your students. There is a lot of very good vocabulary that can be used in weekly vocab and spelling tests. It is a very imaginative book that can be used for all sorts of activities and prompts for journal writings. 

The cover art is very cartoonish and there are a couple hints to what the book would be about with the unicorn in the background and the broomstick. On hardcover books the lettering of the Harry Potter is gold and in different material than the rest of the book. 

Holes 

Author: Louis Satcher 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade level: 3-5

Award: John Newberry Medal

Stanley Yelnats has a curse on him and his family put on his great great grandfather. He is sent to Camp Green Lake for a crime that he did not commit. They are forced to dig giant holes everyday. He soon realizes that the warden is looking for something and that is why they dig holes. He meets other boys at camp and we learn about why his family has a curse because his great great grandfather did not take Madame Zeroni up the mountain and sing a song when she helped him fatten up a pig to hopefully win over a girl he loved. The thing that the warden was looking for was a treasure a big treasure that kissing kate barlow collected. The love of her life was killed and so she went seeking for revenge. She would kill people and kiss them after they were dead. She would rob people and eventually she runs into stanleys great grandfather. When the man she loved was killed rain stopped falling and the lake dried up. Stanley makes a friend named Zero and eventually Zero runs away from the camp after saving Stanley. Stanley eventually goes after Zero and the two make their way up the mountain. Zero gets hurt and Stanley has to carry him up the mountain. They reach the top and find onions and water where they eat and drink and stanley sings the song he learned from his ancestors. This breaks the curse and on the way back they find the treasure as well. Zero hires a private investigator and finds his mom. 

This book can be used in the classroom for a variety of reasons. There is lots of vocabulary that can be learned. Each week there could be a weekly spelling test on words from the story. This book also teaching about perseverance and friendship and would be a great prompt maker for journal entries. 

The cover art is pretty abstract. It looks as if it is a moon. The colors are pretty bold and bland. 

Mama Played Baseball

Author: David A. Adler

Illustrator: Chris O'Leary

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-3

Amy's dad is away at war. While he is away at war her mother has to be able to work to provide for their family. She takes a job on a professional baseball team. At first she doesn't understand why her mother would be playing baseball but as she watched how hard she worked and how good she was she would end up being the one who cheers the loudest in the entire stadium. Amy starts to work on a surprise for her father for when he returns from war. In the end Amy's mother tells her that she's gong to take her somewhere as a surprise. She thinks that they are going to a game since her mother has her uniform on but instead she takes her to the base where her dad is returning home from war. They both tell each other they like their uniforms when they see each other. 

This book can be used to talk about WWII. It can also be used to teach about women's rights and how they changed over the years. We could also learn about technology since there are technological things that are talked about in the book. 

The illustrations in the book are very lightly colored and perfectly drawn for the time period. It is detailed to where you can tell when this took place. 

Child of the Civil Rights Movement

Author: Paula Young Shelton

Illustrator: Raul Colon 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-3

A little girl named Paula who lives in New York grew up following Jim Crow Laws. One day they were watching tv a story appeared and it was about freedom riders. Paula's parents wanted to immediately do something to help protest the Jim Crow Laws. They moved to Georgia instantly. While living there they are denied access into things just based on the color of their skin and Paula never understood why. She would cry every time that they would be denied access. She soon would be surrounded by her uncle Martin Luther King Jr and many others protesting against Jim Crow Laws. She talks about different things that happened in order to eventually pass the Voting Rights Acts. 

This book can be used to teach about the civil rights movement. There is a lot of information in this book about the movement and is in the viewpoint of a child. This book can relate to students on a personal level since it is in the viewpoint of a young child. It can teach lessons about racism and segregation. 

The illustrations are very colorful depictions of what it was like to be black during that time period. It showcases emotions as well as detailed things to illustrate the time period this was taking place. The blurred edges of the illustrations give it the feel of a memory which it is a child's memory. 

Red Kits, Blue Kit

Author: Ji-li Jiang

Illustrator: Greg Ruth

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-3

Tai Chan likes to fly kites with his father. He flies a red kite. His father flies a blue kite. They fly their kites together all the time with a sense of freedom while he tells him stories. Then one day Japanese soldiers come to their town and ransack it. They take his father to a labor camp and Tai Chan is left in the care of his grandmother. The son and father still fly their kites so they can be free together despite being far away not not exactly free. In the end he returns to his son and they are free again together. 

This story can be used in the classroom to teach a child to be thankful for what they have. It also can be used to teach children about what it was like when China was invaded by Japanese soldiers and put them into labor camps and separated their families. 

The illustrations are beautiful and brightly colored. The kits are the only things that are brightly colored. Everything else is a kind of dull color of dim browns in order for the kites to pop out to the readers. They are layered showing lots of different views. You can see the different action going on in the background of the war. 

Back of the Bus

Author: Aaron Reynolds

Illustrator: Floyd Cooper

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-4

A small boy plays with his marbles on a long bus ride. He heard angry voices and kept asking his mom if they had done something wrong. The bus pulled up and their were police all over. He witnesses Rosa Parks refuse to get up from her seat. He witnesses her being taken away to jail. This was a story in the viewpoint of a child.

This story can be used to learn about the Civil rights movement. It can also be used to teach a lesson about racism and what it was like for children during that time period. Learning about segregation as well. 

The illustrations are beautiful and detailed realistic paintings. It is perfect for the view of a child and portrays emotions through the artwork. 

Baseball Saved Us

Author: Ken Mochizuki

Illustrator: Dom Lee

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-4

Award: Washington State Book Award

There is a boy who is nicknamed Shorty because of his size. Shorty and his family are taken to an interment camp. Shorty's dad decided that it was time to build a baseball field. The community is all for the sport in order to boost moral. Shorty is not very good but he practice a lot and eventually gets much better. He is motivated by one of the guards that sits and watches him. Shorty is faced with many racial slurs, negative comments, and bullying for his Japanese nature. In the end he is up to bat again in a game winning situation. He tunes out the heckling and he comes up big for his team in the end and wins. 

This book can be used to talk about how the Japanese were treated during WWI. This can be used to learn about how racism is bad and how they were treated during this time. 

The illustrations are very interesting. They are mostly dark colors to represent how depressing and how dark and dreary their time is. Each page is differently occupied with the illustrations. Some pages occupy the whole page and some have white borders. Some even cover a two page spread. The illustrator used beeswax on paper scratching out images and adding oil and paint for color. 

Separate is Never Equal

Author/Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-3

Award: Pura Belpre Award

Sylvia was placed in a Mexican school rather than a white only school based on her ethnic background. They realized that she was being given a second class education compared to those in the white schools. They decide to appeal the schools placement and the racism is exposed because they told her they would teach her how to speak english even though she speaks perfect english. Her parent's took the battle all the way to court and encouraged other hispanic families facing similar situations to stand up and do something as well. 

This book can be used to talk about the civil rights movement. It also can be used to discuss racism. It also can be an introduction to learning about the Brown Vs. Board of education. 

The illustrations are folk art. The color scheme is more dark and the illustration fill the page. They don't do a good job of showing exactly what the characters are feeling. In a book about discrimination I believe the characters should be shown how they are feeling within the illustrations. 

Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving

Author/Illustrator: Kimberly and James Dean

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-3

Pete the cat is in a thanksgiving school play. He recounts the story of the first thanksgiving. He recounts about the pilgrims and their journey. He talks about how he befriended the Indians and how they came to have the first thanksgiving. At the end of the story Pete and his sibling and mom are all going around saying what they are each thankful for. 

This story can be used to recount the story of thanksgiving. It can be read during thanksgiving time and can be used to make fun thanksgiving themed activities. 

The illustrations are very fun and colorful. They look to be as if children drew them. This is a lift the flap book. Their is an array of different color schemes used in this book. 

The Wall

Author: Eve Bunting

Illustrator: Ronald Himler

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-3

A young boy and his father visit the Vietnamese Veterans Memorial building in Washington D.C. This is not an ordinary sight seeing visit. They are looking for the boys grandfather's name on the wall. The boy notices different types of people approaching the wall leaving different kinds of momentos. They finally find the name and they quietly stand in front of it to mourn the great loss. He tells the boy that he is very proud that his fathers name is on the wall. 

This book would be perfect to learn about the Vietnam war. It can be used as kind of an introduction to learning about the war. it can also be used to teach about what a solider is and what they do in war. 

The illustrations are beautiful. They are somber dark paintings that represent the grief and the reverence the book is supposed to convey.  

Players in Pigtails

Author: Shana Corey 

Illustrator: Rebecca Gibbons

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade level: K-4

Katie Casey doesn't like to do the normal things a woman would do like cooking, sewing, etc. She would rather play baseball. Many people make comments to her that baseball is not for girls and she should just stick to ballet. Baseball started to change because during WWII boys were drafted into the war and there was no time for baseball. Then the owner of the Chicago Cubs questions that if women can work in factories and the work force, then they should be able to play baseball as well. At first his ideas aren't received well but eventually he finds ways to convince the public that it is a good idea. 

This book is perfect to teach about women rights. This could also be used during a WWII lesson as well. There is a lot of good vocabulary throughout the book as well for a vocal or spelling lesson. 

The illustrations were very stiff. They are colorful and semi realistic. There isn't much movement in them. There are many different details that hint that the time period is during WWII. 

A Storm Called Katrina

Author: Myron Uhlberg

Illustrator: Colin Bootman

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Grade Level: K-3

This is a story of a 10 year old boy who lived in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina hit. When the storm hits nobody is worried about it at all until it starts to worsen. Since they were not prepared, there was no time to gather up any of their belongings except his horn. They find a piece of floating porch and Louis and his mother climb aboard while his dad pushes them safely along. On the way they saw a lot of disturbing images. They make it to the super dome and they lose his father. Louis has to prove he is a big boy and help find his father. 

This book can be used in the classroom to talk about natural disasters. It also can be used to talk about hurricane Katrina and it's affects on history. It can also be used during black history month. 

The illustrations are beautiful. They are extremely realistic and the coloring and details are amazing. They are oil paintings. There is a combination of light and dark in his images. 

Spike in the City

Author/Illustrator: Paulette Bogan

Genre: Fantasy- Audio Book

Grade level: K-3

Shannon took Spike to his first big trip to the city. He adventured through the city, got all muddy and gross, met some not very nice dogs, and other horrible things. He did not like his trip in the city. He liked the park where he could play but soon after he ran into trouble with other dogs and lost his owner. Eventually he finds Shannon and she is so happy to see him and he is so happy to see her. They ride off in a taxi together most likely back to where they came from.

This book is good to use in the classroom because it is an audio book. The author is the one who is reading it and she gives special behind the scenes details and guides the reading smoothly. She also provides activities and word games to go along with the book. This would be a good book to teach about the differences from a rural and an urban place.

The illustrations are very humorous and fun. They are colorful and don't quite take up the entire page.  There is a border around the pictures. The words are written on the bottom of the page in the white space. The characters are very fun and exhibit great expressions that really portray the mood theyre in. 

Cinderella

Author/Illustrator: Marcia Brown

Genre: Traditional Literature

Grade level: K-3

Award: Caldecott Medal

A young girls mother dies and her father remarries. The woman her father remarried has two daughters of her own already. They are very envious of the girls beauty so they made her do all the chores and treated her very poorly. One day the king organizes a ball for his son to find someone to marry. Cinderella isn't aloud to go. She meets her fairy Godmother who helps her go to the ball. At the ball she meets the prince and he falls in love with her. When the clock strikes midnight the spell will go away so Cinderella runs away leaving only a glass slipper behind. The prince searches far and wide and despite all the efforts of the step mom and step sisters to hide Cinderella, he finds her and they eventually get married. 

This book can be used when talking about fairytales and discussing differences between several different genres. It can also be used as a guided reading tool or just a fun book to read during read aloud time. 

The illustrations are very interesting and whimsical. They are watercolored pictures and the setting seems to be taking place somewhere in the 14th century. They are delicate but detailed illustrations that help you feel as if you are a part of the time period. 

The Lion and the Mouse

Author/Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

Genre: Traditional literature

Grade level: K-3

Award: Caldecott Medal

This book has no words in it. It is all illustrations in order to tell the story of Aesop's popular fable. A small mouse escapes the claws of a hungry owl. He finds himself in the trapped in the paws of a lion shortly after. The lion decides to let the mouse go. Soon after the lion is caught in a trap. The lion could not escape. The mouse comes to the rescue to repay the lion for what he had done for him and nibbles on the ropes in order to free him. In the final pages the lion and his cubs prowl around with the mouse family on their back. 

This book is a very interesting book that can be used to talk about kindness. It also is interesting to talk about how pictures can create a story. Students could create their own story using only pictures. 

The illustrations are very beautiful. They are color watercolor paintings as well as colored pencils. They are realistic paintings. The expressions are very unique to the story and still look realistic. Since the story has no words, the illustrations needed to convey emotion and expressions in them. 

Johnny Appleseed

Author/Illustrator: Steven Kellogg

Genre: Traditional literature

Grade level: K-3

John was a historical figure whose adventures were turned into legends. John was born in Massachusetts during the revolutionary war and he headed west as soon as he could. It shares a lot about his interest in apples. It shares many different stories such as how he walked hundred of miles through the Pennsylvania forest. He befriended many Native Americans by giving them seeds. It included many stories such as how he got bit by a rattlesnake, had a wolf as a pet, and hangout with a bear family. 

This book can be used to talk about autumn fruits. There can be a lesson based on all things autumn and children can have fun activities that are autumn themed. It can also teach a lesson about sharing. 

The illustrations are realistic colorful. They add to the story and make it memorable. They are very detailed and bold. It has a warmer color scheme since it is mostly taking place in autumn. 

Little Red Riding Hood

Author/Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney 

Genre: Traditional literature

Grade level: K-3

This is the classic story of little red riding hood. Her grandmother was sick and her mother wanted her to deliver a basket to help her feel better. She was supposed to go straight to her grandmothers house. On the way she got sidetracked by a sly wolf. The wolf thought that Red and her grandmother would make a nice snack. When the wolf arrived at the grandmothers house he gobbled her up and dressed up as the grandma in hopes to trick red riding hood. He gobbled up red as well. A lumberjack was walking by and hear the commotion. He saw the wolf and something moving in his stomach and cut out Red and her grandmother out and they shared the goodie basket with him in thanks.

This book can be used to teach us about following advice. It can also be used to teach new vocabulary words. Some of the words in this story are challenging words that can be used in a vocabulary building lesson. 

The illustrations are very realistic. Red looks more of African decent in these illustrations. There were hidden picture puzzles in the watercolor pictures. The illustrations give the book an antiquated feel. 

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Author: B. G. Hennessy 

Illustrator: Boris Kulikov

Genre: Traditional literature

Grade level: K-3

A little shepherd is tending to his sheep one day and he becomes very bored. He decides to play a prank on his neighbors in order to have a little bit more fun. He decides to run and yell "Wolf!" so all his neighbors come running out. He does this and once he does he laughs and mocks at them when they run out and their is no wolf in site. He repeats it one more time. On the third day an actual wolf comes and no one in the town comes to help and the little boy is left to defend his sheep all by himself. 

This book can be used to learn a lesson about lying. A lot of children are often faced with many boy who cried wolf situations. This could be used to teach them how to be honest and make sure that we tell the truth so that we are trustworthy and people believe in our word. 

The illustrations are very fun. They are bold illustrations that are colorful and they show the characters emotions well. They are watercolor illustrations that portray a realistic looking character. The illustrations are obnoxious since the boy is meant to be portrayed as obnoxious. They fit very well with the story. 

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Author/Illustrator: Beatrix Potter

Genre: Traditional literature

Grade level: K-3

Petter Rabbit and his siblings were always warned to stay away from Mr McGregors garden. Their father was captured there and turned into rabbit pie. Peter can't help himself and he goes to the garden anyways. He enters the garden and starts to eat all the delicious things in his Garden. Mr McGregor comes out and catches him and Peter must try to escape to save his life. He eventually escapes an when he gets home he is punished by his mother and sent to bed early. 

This book could be used to enforce rules. It can be read in the beginning of the year when rules are being told in order to show an example that every choice we make has consequences. There are also some new vocabulary books that can be useful. 

The illustrations in this book are very beautiful. They don't cover the entire page and are simple realistic watercolor paintings. The colors are not very bold but it is still a vibrant book. 

Paul Bunyun

Author/Illustrator: Steven Kellogg 

Genre: Traditional Literature

Grade level: K-3

Paul was born in Maine but his family moved West. He saves an ox from a blizzard and decides to call him Babe. They travel across the United States and is credited to making a lot of the different landforms in the U.S such as digging the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, and gauging up the Grand Canyon. The story says that he is probably still wandering around the Alaskan wilderness to this day. 

This book is a good book to introduce during a geography unit to have a fun way to say how those things came to be. Then we would learn about how they actually came to be in the unit. It can also be used as a guided reading book. 

The illustrations are very detailed. They are colorful but lightly colored with what seems to be colored pencils. The illustrations are very humorous and add a lot of humor to the story. It helps children know that these things are not actually real or fact. 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Author/Illustrator: James Marshall 

Genre: Traditional Literature

Grade level: K-3

Award: Caldecott Honor Medal

This is the re-telling of the traditional story of goldilocks. Goldilocks is sent on an errand by her mother and her mother specifically tells her to not take the shortcut. She decides to not follow her mothers orders and takes the shortcut and she stumbles across a house that she just decides to go inside. She see three bowls of porridge and takes a sip from each bowl since one was too hot one was too cold and the last one was just right. She did the same thing with the rocking chairs and ended up breaking one of the rocking chairs that was just right. After all this she goes and does the same thing with the beds and ends up falling asleep. Three bears come home and see that their porridge has been eaten and their chairs have been sat in and broken. Papa bears voice woke Goldilocks up and she ran away never to be seen again. 

This book is a good book to teach young children about manners. This teaches that we should respect other people's belongings and we should always ask before using anything that is not ours. It can also be used as a prompt for a journal to help students brain storm a time where they did not use their manners. 

The illustrations are fun colorful cartoon characters. The expressions of the characters reveal their true characters and add to the descriptions given of exactly what it going on in the story. 

Rapunzel

Author/Illustrator: Paul O. Zeilinsky 

Genre: Traditional Literature

Grade Level: K-3

Award: Caldecott Medal

This book is a retold version of the traditional story of Rapunzel. There is a husband and wife who had everything they wanted in life except for a chid. One day they find out that the wife is pregnant and they are filled with joy. She is overcome with the craving of some herbs she sees from outside her window and she tells her husband she will die if she doesn't have some. He goes down to get some for her but it isn't enough and so the next day he goes again and is caught by the sorceress. She tells him that he can take the herb in exchange for the baby when she is born and he agrees and she raises Rapunzel in isolation in a big tower when she turns 12. A prince comes and sees how the sorceress goes up by calling her to let down her hair and he goes up and eventually they become lovers and she falls pregnant. The sorceress punishes Rapunzel and cuts off her hair and pushes her out of the tower to go and die in the wilderness. She doesn't die and has twins. The prince is deceived by the sorceress and she pushes him down to die but he doesnt die and eventually he finds Rapunzel in the woods and they live happily. 

This book can be used to teach children about folk tales and traditional literature. This can also be used to learn new vocabulary words. The language in the book is very detailed and advanced for young readers and could really help them learn new vocab. 

The illustrations are very colorful. They are very realistic and romantic. They are similar to an Italian paintings. The pictures don't necessarily convey emotions very well, but they give the student something to keep their interest on. 

The Ugly Duckling

Author: Hans Christian Andersen

Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

Genre: Traditional Literature

Grade Level: K-3

This book is a new adaption to the traditional story of the ugly duckling. It is a survival story of an awkward and ugly little bird who travels through life being made fun of, hunted, and cruel seasons. He was born and everyone in the farm had started to pick on him. Eventually he had enough and ran away. He roamed far and wide and was never accepted anywhere. He become more and more unhappy and lonely as time went on. He eventually blooms into a beautiful and graceful swan and everyone who had not believed in him or made fun of him were in shock. 

This book is a good book to teach children about patience. It is also a good anti-bullying book. It puts into perspective how being mean to someone over something they can't control can drive them away and make them be sad. 

The illustrations are beautiful watercolor pictures. They are colorful and elegant and give the book a traditional yet modern vibe. 

In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall

Author: Folami Abiade 

Illustrator: Javaka Steptoe

Genre: Poetry

Grade level: 2-5

Award: Coretta Scott King

This is a collection of poems honoring fathers. Different writers write poems about how they felt about their own fathers. Some recalled memories of their father's rough hands from how hard he had worked and some recalled playful games they would play with their father. Each poem reflects found memories of different fathers.

This book is good to use to teach about the role of a father. It can be used as a journal prompt where students can recall memories with their families. 

The illustrations are very interesting. They are collage styled pictures and are different pieces of fabrics cut and pasted as well as other material things. They go well with the different meanings of the poems 

The Blacker the Berry

Author: Joyce Carol Thomas

Illustrator: Floyd Cooper

Genre: Poetry

Grade level: 2-5

Award: Coretta Scott King illustration award and author 

This book is a collection of poems that celebrate a wide variety of skin colors. Each poem shows a different berry and skin color. It helps children appreciate the beauty of different skin colors. It is all conveyed through the eyes of a child. 

This book can be used as a journal response prompt where students must appreciate themselves and their own skin. It can be used during the poetry unit as well.

The pictures capture the happiness of the child and are very light and beautiful. They go along with the poem well and really demonstrate exactly what the lesson the poem is trying to get across. 

A Full Moon is Rising

Author: Marilyn Singer

Illustrator: Julia Cairns

Genre: Poetry

Grade level: 2-5

These poems celebrate the magic of a full moon and how people experience it all over the world. There are poems set in many different settings such as the city and the country. There are poems from Africa all the way to Columbia. Different religions and traditions were included in the book with different festivals involving the moon. The end poems and pages include a map and has all the locations traveled throughout the different poems. In the back of the book there is an explanation of each countries culture

This book can be used to talk about different cultures. It also can be used to talk about different religious practices or different celebrations in different parts of the world. It also can be used to talk about traditions and what they are. 

The illustrations are very colorful and detailed to show different cultures very well. The color scheme is mostly warm colors that are darker to represent the night time and the moon. 

A Poke in the I

Author: Paul B. Janeczko

Illustrator: Chris Raschka

Genre: Poetry

Grade level: 2-6

This is a collection of concrete poems by an array of different authors. Some of the poems are just one word but the design and the arrangement of the words make it interesting and beautiful. The poems are arranged by subject. The poems that are about similar things are placed next to each other in the book. 

This book can be used in the classroom during the poetry unit. It can also be used in art class because of the very interesting illustrations in the book. I can use it to do a combined art and poetry lesson and project in the classroom.

The illustrations are a combination of ink, watercolors, and collage work. They are very interesting designs are are very abstract. They coincide with the poems. Without the illustrations the poems would not be complete. 

Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons

Author/ Illustrator: Jon J Muth 

Genre: Poetry

Grade level: K-3

This book is about a Panda and some children that live through a year with four seasons. Each page is a haiku. It is an alphabet book and ends with the last season. 

This book can be used to teach about seasons as well as types of poetry like a haiku. 

The illustrations are cute and colorful and fun. They portray how fun and silly the panda is and help illustrate the different seasons. 

Now We Are Six

Author: A. A Milne

Illustrator: E.H Shepard

Genre: Poetry

Grade Level: K-3

This is a book of 35 children verses. This book is original Winnie-the-pooh and quote a few of the poems in this book are of them. There is also a lot of nonsense poems about kings and emperors. There are poems about the Knight Whose Armer Didn't Squeak, Alexander the Beetle, and much more. 

This book can be introduced in the poetry unit. It is very imaginative and well written. It is not an ordinary book of poem and it included Pooh walking through the poems as if he is walking through the story making appearances in some of the poems. It can be a model for children to expand their imagination.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. They are sketches that really help bring the story to life and really make the book seem as if the book is not just a collection of poems, but an actual story. 

Dirty Beasts

Author: Roald Dahl 

Illustrator: Quentin Blake

Genre: Poetry

Grade level: K-4

This book is a collection of poems about unsuspecting animals. Each one is a story about an animal. It is very fun and kid friendly. The poems are all rhyming poems and they each tell a different story. It gets children's imaginations going and is really amusing entertainment. 

This book can be used during a poetry unit. It can also be used just for entertainment and learning purposes. It is very fun and exciting and really can help pique the interests of young readers to poetry.

The illustrations are watercolor fantasy pictures. They help the poems come to life and give the book an extra something special to make poetry less formal and more appropriate for children.

A Child's Garden of Verses 

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson 

Illustrator: Tasha Tudor 

Genre: Poetry

Grade level: K-5

This book is a collection of poetry for children. It is about darkness and solitude. The poem's are put into a kid friendly manor to teach them about the realities of life and sadness. Some poems are rhyming poems and some are not. This poems are written in the perspective of children and really relate to children and the innocence of what it's like to be a child

I could use this in the classroom during a poetry unit. I can also use this to help children relate to poems. A lot of the time poems can be hard to understand and pretty un-relatable to a small child. These poems can be used to relate to them on a personable level.

The illustrations are very beautiful. They are whimsical like and really add a lot to the poems. They capture the essence of how great it is to be a child. 

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Author/Cover Art: Shel Silverstein

Genre: Poetry

Grade level: K-6

This book is a collection of poems by Shel Silverstein. The rhyming patterns are different in each poem and therefore not predictable. They all have a very humorous tone to them and are all about different things so they do not need to be read in specific order. All the poems give very descriptive details and really helps the reader imagine what is going on in addition to some art sketches. There are many poems in the book that refer to holidays and family relationships along with friendships as well. 

This book will be used during a poetry unit in class. It is very entertaining and can give children entertaining ideas to write their own poems. It also teaches some morals in life and can be used to teach morals to students as well. 

The illustrations are very amusing. They are sketches in black and white and are very detailed. They are super animated and help add an extra something special to these great poems. 

Roller Girl

Author/Illustrator: Victoria Jamieson 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: K-4

Award: Newbery Award 

This book is about a little girl and her best friend. Her mother takes her to the roller derby one time and thats when she decides that she wants to be a roller derby girl someday. She signs up for summer camp thinking that her friend will also sign up since they are best friends and do everything together. Instead her friend Nicole signs up for dance camp and she starts to make different friends. Astrid makes new friends and eventually learns how to skate and ends up growing so much this summer she thought was going to be horrible. 

This book is a good book to teach a lesson about change. It can help students identify with change in their lives and being okay with growth. It also teaches us that we all have different interests and that doesn't mean we can't be friends with those who don't share the same interests as us.

This is a graphic novel. It looks like a comic book style. It is very colorful and very fun. The text is in speech bubbles and the font is very comic book like. 

Millions of Cats

Author/Illustrator: Wanda Ga'g

Genre: Fantasy

Grade level: K-2

Awards: Newbery Medal 

There once was a very old couple that lived in a nice clean home. The old man wanted a fluffy little cat. The old man said he will get her a cat. He set out to look for one. He came to a hill and saw cats everywhere. He chose the prettiest cat and started to leave but then he saw another one and liked that one as well. He took all the ones he kept seeing and thought it was more beautiful than the last. He brought so many cats back home with him. Each cat took a sip of water and the whole pond was gone. They were hungry as well and each cat ate a mouthful of grass and nothing was left. The old woman saw all the cats coming and she was shocked because she only wanted 1 cat. They let the cats decide which one to keep. Each cat started to fight because they all thought they were prettier than the last. They all ran away and they found a little poor kitten scared and skinny. They kept the kitten that was not the prettiest but they loved it and thought she was the most beautiful one after all. 

This book is a great story. It can be used to teach may valuable lessons to children. In it they talk about big numbers so this could be used in a math lesson referring to big numbers. It can also be used to teach children to be humble as well as how only basing things off of the way people look is not good as well. 

The illustrations are very interesting. The cover is orange, black and yellow, which are pretty odd colors together. The inside pictures are in ink and in black and white. It is a really cool feel to the book making it seem almost vintage. 

The Missing Tooth

Author: Joanna Cole

Illustrator: Marylin Hafner

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade level: K-3

Arlo and Robby were the best of friends! They both had the same things like bikes, peanut butter ice cream and much more. They even have a tooth missing in the same spot. They wore the same thing to school one day even. They match all over even their teeth match. Robby said he had a wiggly tooth and Arlo wanted to be the same so he pretended that his was loose too even though it wasn't. They made a deal that whoever's tooth comes out first owes the other one 10 cents. Robby's tooth finally came out and Arlo was sad because they are not the same. Arlo was jealous of Robby and was mean to Robby. Robby went home and Arlo was lonely. One of Robby's card fell out of his deck and Arlo saw it and wanted to keep it. He figured it would make Robby sad if he took it. He gave back the card to Robby and they said sorry and Robby gave back his 10 cents but Arlo let him keep it and they went to go play. Arlo's mouth bumped on the bar and he lost a tooth in a different place than Robby's. They were still best friends anyway. 

This is a good story to teach children about differences. It is okay to be different than others. We can still befriend them. It also teaches that if there is an argument, there is always forgiveness and communication skills that can get them through it. It also has a beautiful message of doing the right thing. 

The illustrations in this book are colorful realistic looking drawings. They fill the entire page up with warm and cool colors with the writing in the white space of the illustrations. 

Enemy Pie

Author: Derek Munson

Illustrator: Tara Calahan King 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade level: K-3

It should have been a perfect summer for this little boy until a boy named Jeremy Ross moved into the neighborhood. He was a bully and would laugh at him. His dad said he knew a way to get rid of enemies. He pulled out a recipe book off the kitchen shelf and said "Enemy Pie." Enemy pie was a secret recipe and I thought of all the gross things you'd put in enemy pie. They were all gross things and his dad said that he didn't need any of those ingredients. He was confused when he smelt something really good and said that enemy pie shouldn't smell this good. Dad said that if it smelt bad the enemy wouldn't eat it and it looked good enough to eat. The little boy thought all these horrible things would happen when you eat enemy pie. Dad told him that he needed to be nice to him all day. They rode bikes for a while and threw water balloons. He was kind of having fun with his enemy. He couldn't tell his dad because he worked so hard on the enemy pie. He let him win a game just to be nice. Enemies aren't allowed in the treehouse but Jeremy was being a bad enemy and being nice. He tore the enemy list off the wall. He was thinking that he should just not give the enemy pie to Jeremy.  He told Jeremy not to eat the pie and he felt relieved that he had saved his life. His dad was eating half of the pie. They became friends. 

This book is good to talk about how to not judge someone. We can teach children how sometimes first impressions are not what that person is all about. We must always give someone a chance to prove and be themselves before we judge their character. 

The illustrations in this book are very fun. They are warm colors and showcase all the different emotions of the characters. They take up the whole page and are very cartoonish.