Harriet Tubman

Author: Marion Dane Bauer

Illustrator: Tamie Lyon

Genre: Biography

Grade Level: PreK-3

This book tells us the story of Harriet Tubman. It starts out by telling us that she was a slave along with all her family. It defines what a slave is for young readers. Harriet eventually decides that she doesn't want to be a slave anymore. She ran away and followed the North star to eventually make it to the North where it was illegal to own slaves. She made the risky trip back to help save her sister and two children. She then began going back at night to help free her brothers and parents along with more slaves. After the war ended Harriet Tubman became and activist for women's rights. 

I would use this in my classroom to talk about women's rights and civil rights. Also can be used to inspire children to follow their dreams and fight for what they believe in. 

The illustrations are realistic and kid friendly. They depict her journey and the color scheme is pretty dim with a cool color scheme to show her journey through the night. 

Christopher Columbus 

Author: Marion Dane Bauer

Illustrator: Liz Goulet Dubois

Genre: Biography 

Grade Level: PreK-3

This book is all about Christopher Columbus and his dream to adventure and discover the world. It tells about how he sails across the ocean to an unknown land and how many others followed. He seeks funding and help from the King of Portugal but is denied. He then asked the King and Queen of Spain for many years until they finally agreed. Eventually he lands in what he believes to be the West Indies and has no idea that he has just discovered a new country. It keeps the story simple for young children and short and sweet. It introduces Christopher Columbus to young readers. 

I could use this in the classroom to inspire young readers to follow their dreams. It is also very important to learn about the discovery of the Americas and the Indians. It can be used to teach about history. We could read this book on Columbus Day. 

The illustrations depict his journey with colorful and kid friendly pictures. The pictures are realistic but also kid friendly. 

A Picture Book of Rosa Parks

Author: David A. Adler

Illustrator: Robert Casilla

Genre: Biography

Grade Level: 3-5

This book outlines the story of Rosa Parks and her courage. Rosa Parks used to work in the cotton fields when she was a young girl and later learned how to read and write. She was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement and Equality for Everyone.  It shares the story of how she would not get up to give up her seat on a bus for a white person and how she was arrested for it. She won many different awards and is credited to starting the civil rights movement. 

The illustrations are very colorful and depict real life people and go along really well with what the text is saying. The pictures are vibrant and really add a lot of interest to the book making it appropriate for a wide variety and range of audience.

I would use this book when teaching about the civil rights movement and segregation. Also could use this to talk about historical figures that changed the course of history and had a huge impact on the U.S. 

Abraham Lincoln 

Author: Marion Dane Bauer

Illustrator: Liz Goulet Dubois

Genre: Biography

Grade Level: PreK-K 

This book is a biography of Abraham Lincoln when he was President of the United States. He thought that slavery was wrong and he fought a war to hold the country together. He wanted to make sure everyone was free and slavery would be abolished. It introduces Lincoln to young readers.

The illustrations are colorful and detailed pictures are kid friendly and realistic paintings. It helps keep the attention of the young readers and helps bring it to life. 

We can use this in the classroom to introduce Abraham Lincoln and the events of his life. It can inspire them to stand up for what is right. 

I Am Jackie Robinson

Author: Brad Meltzer

Illustrator: Christopher Eliopoulos

Genre: Biography

Grade Level: K-2

This book is about famous baseball player Jackie Robinson and how life was not fair to him. It tells about his life and how he lived in a time before the Civil Rights movement and African Americans were treated poorly. Even though he was a very good athlete he was not allowed on certain teams all because of the color of his skin. He became the first African American to play in the Major League baseball and his bravery led to sports equality in America. 

The illustrations are very colorful and fun. The characters have a sort of bobblehead appearance and portray the events of Jackie's life pretty well. Thought bubbles were also used to add in conversations. Real images and a timeline were also present in the book to show the reader that this is a true story and why it is a biography. 

This book can be used in the classroom to bring to light African American History and providing good role models for children. It can also be used to encourage students to strive and dream.

Alexander, and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Author: Judith Viorst

Illustrator: Ray Cruz 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: K-2

Alexander went to bed with gum in his mouth and woke up with it stuck in his hair. He got up and tripped on a skateboard and he could already tell that his day was going to be terrible. He didn't find anything in his breakfast cereal box while his siblings found really cool things in theirs. He thinks about moving to Australia. Everything that he did throughout the day was bad and he could tell that it was going to end up being a very bad day. There was lima beans for dinner and he hates lima beans!It turned out to be a very bad day just like he was expecting. His mom told him that some days are just going to be like that sometime... even in Australia. 

The illustrations are not colored they are black and white realistic drawings. The cover is colored but none of the pictures inside the book are. It shows the expressions of Alexander very well and help set the mood of the book. 

I can use this in the classroom to discuss feelings and how we each can go through bad days. It can also be used to expand vocabulary and can be used to compare and contrast to another book where children actually face hardships that are truly terrible. 

Parts

Author and Illustrator: Tedd Arnold

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: K-2

A boy is worried because there are some unusual things happening to him. First his hair is falling out when he combs through his hair and then skin started to peel from his toes. Then something grey and wet is falling from his nose. Perhaps it is his brain he thinks! Something came out of his belly button and he thinks that it is his stuffing coming out. A tooth is coming loose as well. He finds his dads masking tape and tapes himself together in hopes to keep everything together. His parents come home and see him all wrapped up in masking tape and begin to explain to him that all these things happening to him are normal. In the end it leaves the readers with a question as the little boy asks what this yellow stuff is from his ear. 

The illustrations are very funny looking characters with no necks and big heads. They give the book a very creepy vibe that its supposed to bring with all these things that are happening to the young boy. The color scheme is very vibrant and fun and give the illustrations life. 

I could use this in the classroom to entertain the readers as well as talk about a time where something like this happened to them and what they thought. It can be used in a health lesson. 

No, David! 

Author and Illustrator: David Shannon 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: K-2

Awards: Caldecott Medal

David's mom always said No, David! This book is a collection of illustrations that show David doing a lot of different mischievous things and his mother saying No, David! As he goes through all of the mischievous things such as playing baseball in the house, reaching for cookies, and other things, the ending eventually has his mom comforting David and saying Yes! I love you.

The illustrations take up the whole page. They are very colorful and vibrant and really portray the mischievous acts that David commits. Without these types of illustrations the story would not make sense at all. 

I could use this in the classroom to talk about classroom rules and what is appropriate to do vs what is not. We can talk about how David feels when his mother says no all the time and how important it is to include that his mother loves him at the end. 

Giggle, Giggle, Quack

Author: Doreen Cronin

Illustrator: Betsy Lewin

Genre: Fantasy

Grade Level: K-1

Farmer Brown is going on vacation and so he asks his brother Bob to take care of his farm. He warns him to watch out for the duck. Bob follows all the instructions that his brother gave him all the while not realizing that the Duck is changing all of the notes to accommodate to him and his friends needs. The farmer calls Bob and hears the chuckling and comes racing back to the farm because he knows that the Duck is up to.

The illustrations are very colorful and fun. The watercolor pictures demonstrates the emotions of the animals and gives the book a very fun personality. They take up the entire page.

I could use this in the classroom to learn new vocabulary words. It can also demonstrate different animals and just to entertain the children. 

Henry's Freedom Box

Author: Ellen Levine

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade: K-3

Awards: Caldecott Medal

Henry is a slave who doesn't know how old he is. There is no records kept of slaves' birthdays. He dreams about freedom all the time. The reality of freedom drifts farther away as he is pulled away from his family and starts to work in a warehouse. He eventually grows up and gets married but is again devastated when his family is sold in the slave market. One day he lifts a crate at the warehouse and has an idea. He will mail himself to the North and he finally wakes up to a birthday which is his freedom. 

The illustrations in this are very realistic giving the book a vibe that this is not a fairytale or a fiction book. It portrays his emotions and the color scheme helps set the mood of the story as well.

I can use this in my class to help teach the children about slavery. It shows what its like to be a slave and portrays the feelings a slave would have. 

Pancho Rabbit And The Coyote

Author and Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh 

Genre: Multicultural 

Grade Level: K-2

A young rabbit named Poncho is eagerly awaiting for the return of his father who traveled north 2 years ago to find work to earn money for his family. Papa Rabbit does not return so Poncho sets out to find him. He packs some of his dads favorite foods and heads north. On his way, he meets a coyote. The coyote offers to help Poncho in exchange for some of the food he packed. They travel together until all the food is gone and the coyote decides that he is still hungry and that he wants to eat Poncho! As he is going to start to eat him Papa Rabbit hears his cries for help and comes to the rescue. Him and his friends were attacked by a gang of crows and they took the money and gifts that they were bringing back to their families and left them stranded in the desert. Poncho knows the way back home and they all return to their families. This time Papa needs to leave to find work his family says that they will all go with him. 

The illustrations are very dark and help us feel the emotions that the characters are feeling as they journey throughout the story. There are different textures and real life pictures included within the patterns and shapes of the pictures. It gives the pictures a sort of 3-D vibe. 

I can use this in a classroom to discuss that hardships that many different cultures face. It brings to light immigration in a kid friendly way. 

Joseph had a little overcoat

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Author and Illustrator: Simms Taback 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Awards: Caldecott Medal, National Jewish Book Award for Children's Picture Book

Grade Level: K-2

Joseph had an overcoat that was filled with holes. As his overcoat got too old and shabby he made it into a jacket, then a vest, then a scarf, then a necktie, then a handkerchief, then a button as they all got progressively older and more worn out. Eventually he lost the button and was left with nothing. He made a book about it and showed that you can always make something out of nothing. 

The illustrations are bold and cheerful paintings. The color scheme looks as though it would take place in the fall. There are die-cut holes in the pictures that depict what Joseph is going to make next. The children can guess what he will be making next based on those die-cut holes.

I could use this in my classroom as a motivator for students that they can always make something out of nothing and become what they dream of becoming.