What's New in Picture Books
May 8, 2018
Presented by Kay Richardson, Stephanie Miles, Susan Cook, Kim Dornburgh, Phyllis Brown, and Katie Kibler
I Am the Rain by John Paterson
Fiction -- All ages "Because of me the land is green. I'm why the sky is blue. All of life depends on me. I'm even part of you." Lyrical verses present water in its many colors, shapes, and forms as it follows its natural cycle through the seasons. From rain to rivers, from fog to thunderheads, from snowflakes to ocean waves - water is always changing. Along the way, water speaks for itself, connecting deeply with readers. The evocative illustrations highlight water's many moods. "I can show you rainbows/ in mist or morning dew/ I can be a muddy flood/or a pool of aqua blue." Teachers and parents will appreciate the Explore More section in the back of the book that includes "The Science Behind the Poetry," STEM activities, water conservation tips, and more. Connections: Such a beautiful book! A rare and wonderful mix of poetry, figurative language, and science! Share this unique book to nurture a love of planet Earth and for a vivid description of the water cycle. Alliteration, personification, and imagery create lasting impressions for the reader and combine into an excellent mentor text for informational writing with illustrative flair! This book includes a nonfiction section in the back for further exploration into the science behind the lovely poem. |
Thank You Earth: A Love Letter to Our Planet
by April Pulley Sayre Poetry -- all ages April Pulley Sayre, award-winning photographer and acclaimed author of more than sixty-five books, introduces concepts of science, nature, and language arts through stunning photographs and a poetic text structured as a simple thank-you note. Includes backmatter with kid-friendly ideas for conservation projects information about the photographs, and additional resources to extend student thinking. Connections: Touching on subjects from life cycles to weather, colors, shapes, and patterns, this is an ideal resource for science and language art curriculums and a terrific book for bedtime sharing. Thank You, Earth is a great choice for Earth Day celebrations, as well as family and group read-alouds. It is an easy format for students to use as a writing mentor poem/letter for thanking either a person, place or thing. Life on Earth by John Richards and Ed Simkins Nonfiction -- all ages In order to survive, all living things on Earth must adapt to their environment. They all have certain senses that help them hunt for prey or ways they protect themselves. It's impossible to learn all of it, but through the infographics in this book, readers are sure to understand a great deal. With colorful diagrams and succinct text, each chapter covers a different facet of life on Earth, including how plants protect themselves, cold adaptations, and the carbon cycle. Connections: This book presents life science topics completely in infographics. Each 2 page spread has a clear title and step by step labeled text, diagrams, maps, and "Try This" boxes to engage readers by suggesting activities and asking questions related to the text. The layout of each topic is a great balance of visual features and text features with clear, concise and easy to follow information. The infographic style helps to present logical information in a visual way making it easier to teach, learn and remember! This book serves as a great science mentor text for learning how animals survive on our planet Earth and a great writing mentor text for sharing student research in an appealing format. |
I Am Enough by Grace Byers
Fiction -- All ages This is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo. We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it. Connections: Build classroom community with at the beginning of the year using I Am Enough as a mentor text. It is full of friends playing together and supporting each other. Have students draw and write captions of friends and their favorite things to do in the classroom and at recess and lunch. The main message in I Am Enough is self-acceptance. There are many things that make you unique, and they should be celebrated! Have students write a poem with the start of each line “I am…” or share in a video (i.e. Flipgrid) with the words that describe themselves. To go deeper, the book jacket speaks of the author's background of being bullied throughout school because of her diversity and being a daughter of deaf parents. The author chose to take this experience and make a difference by volunteering for organizations that promote kindness and to stop bullying. Discuss and celebrate throughout the year acts of kindness as well as conflict resolution using the R-Factor. |
Rodent Rascals by Roxie Munroe
Nonfiction -- All ages What is the smallest rodent in the world? What is the biggest? How long can rodents live? How do they find mates? In this wonderfully detailed new book from an award-winning author, life-sized illustrations of rodent species from around the world accompany simple, thorough text describing their life cycles, sizes, habitats, and ranges. From ground hogs to guinea pigs and pygmy jerboas to capybaras, kids will learn all about the rascally rodents who share our world! Connections: This informational text will grab your attention with actual size rodents, starting with the smallest pygmy and ending with the largest capybara. The writing is conversational and quite charming yet full of information. Young researchers will enjoy grabbing all of the amazing facts to share while older students might decide to create a map depicting where rodents live or perhaps a graph of rodent sizes. This text includes a thorough introduction to rodents as well as a glossary and websites for further investigation. Paired Text Suggestion: The Story of Jumping Mouse by John Steptoe (Fiction) |
Heal the Earth by Julian Lennon
Fiction -- all ages Jump aboard the White Feather Flier, a magical plane that can go wherever you want. This time, Lennon’s interactive book immerses children in a fun and unique journey where they can: Bring medicine to people in need! Dive below the ocean to bleached coral reefs! Visit the city to cultivate green spaces! Help the rainforest return and give its animals a home! Explore the planet, meet new people, and help make the world a better place! The Flier's mission is to transport readers around the world, to engage them in helping to save the environment, and to teach one and all to love our planet. Connections: A great book to show younger students where we are in the world and how we are all connected. The message of the book: If we teach the children of the world to love each other and understand their planet, they will naturally want to take care of it. This would work well to spark ideas of how students can help to improve their world. https://whitefeatherfoundation.com/ Link to the White Feather Foundation for more ideas of how to further engage students in the mission of taking care of our planet. |
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
Fiction -- Grades Pre-K to 2nd It's said there's a story behind every name and Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela is surely a moniker worthy of six tales. After complaining that her name is so long that it "never fits," Alma's father shares stories with the girl about the people she's been named after, including a book lover, an artist, and a deeply spiritual woman, among others. At the story's end, the only tale readers have not heard is Alma's. "You will make your own story," states her father. Connections: This story can encourage students to explore and learn about the meaning of his/her name. It can spark conversations at home with loved ones further deepening bonding and the ever important personal family connections to school. The idea that each student is special and important. This story could be used to meet various social studies standards referring to past and present. Listen to the author! Pairs well with Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. |
Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller
Fiction -- All ages When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate wants to make her feel better, wondering: What does it mean to be kind? From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving story explores what kindness is, and how any act, big or small, can make a difference―or at least help a friend. With a gentle text from the award-winning author of Sophie's Squash, Pat Zietlow Miller, and irresistible art from Jen Hill, Be Kind is an unforgettable story about how two simple words can change the world. Connections: This is book that would give LivBits Heartbeeps! Narrated by an introspective girl who is pondering ways to share kindness, Be Kind is a great book to teach theme and build a caring community in your classroom. It begins with an E + R = O scenario that causes the narrator to reflect and think about how to help a friend. The diversity in the characters represents “mirrors and windows” and builds empathy by showing students someone who is different to expand their views. The sweet ending demonstrates that a kindness will always be appreciated -- even if it takes a little time. The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates Nonfiction -- All ages In the tradition of Alison McGhee’s Someday, beloved illustrator Amy June Bates makes her authorial debut alongside her eleven-year-old daughter with this timely and timeless picture book about acceptance. By the door there is an umbrella. It is big. It is so big that when it starts to rain there is room for everyone underneath. It doesn’t matter if you are tall. Or plaid. Or hairy. It doesn’t matter how many legs you have. Don’t worry that there won’t be enough room under the umbrella. Because there will always be room. Lush illustrations and simple, lyrical text subtly address themes of inclusion and tolerance in this sweet story that accomplished illustrator Amy June Bates cowrote with her daughter, Juniper, while walking to school together in the rain. Connections: Another book full of heart. I think this one will find its way to every teacher’s shelf! With the simple theme of including others in friendship, this book seeks to heal a world that at times, can feel divided. Hope is reflected in the shining yellow sun and the sweet umbrella’s smile is uplifting. This wonderful story would speak volumes to your students as a beginning-of-the-year read aloud. The precious watercolors and array of characters will stay with readers long after they’ve closed the book. |
What If... by Samantha Berger
Fiction -- All ages This girl is determined to express herself! If she can't draw her dreams, she'll sculpt or build, carve or collage. If she can't do that, she'll turn her world into a canvas. And if everything around her is taken away, she'll sing, dance, and dream... Stunning mixed media illustrations, lyrical text, and a breathtaking gatefold conjure powerful magic in this heartfelt affirmation of art, imagination, and the resilience of the human spirit. Connections: Classrooms may use this as a launch to a discussion on creativity, the power of imagination and the importance of self-expression. Art, classroom and makerspace teachers will love using this book for it’s simple message, “I will always create.” This book would also be a great addition to a collection on mindset and R Factor. Notice how she has a positive mindset and doesn’t get stuck when different items she has used to create are no longer available. |
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
Biography -- All ages When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering. She wanted to be an astronaut. Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.” Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space. This book will inspire other young girls to reach for the stars, to aspire for the impossible, and to persist with childlike imagination. Connections: Read this with your students to inspire conversations about being above the line and living the dream! This picture book biography captures so many aspects of the R-Factor (E + R + O; Discuss how words can have an affect on those around us. Have students share a time when someone’s words affected them in a positive, inspiring way and a negative, discouraging way) Also discuss growth mindset (curiosity, determination, and hard work) and the learning pit with students. Mae’s mom tells her she'll have to become an astronaut, says anything's possible if she believes it and works hard for it, and takes her to the library for books about space and astronauts. Have a class discussion on what each person’s dream is...what are ways that you can support these goals now (write SMART goals). |
The Weaver by Qian Shi
Fiction -- All ages Stanley is a spider, a weaver and a collector. On his web he collects seeds, twigs, leaves and all kinds of precious things he cannot name. Stanley is very proud of his collection, but what can one tiny spider do when it is washed away? In this stunning, deceptively simple and thoughtful debut from animator, illustrator and writer Qian Shi we discover the difference between what you collect in the world and what you collect in your heart. Connections: Just as Stanley the spider leaves his memories on a web for others to enjoy...students might enjoy creating their own webs of memories and use this text for a narrative writing jumping board. The emotions of the insects lend themselves to great discussions of feelings and grit and how you leave footprints behind. Paired Text Suggestion: Next Time You See a Spiderweb by Emily Morgan (Nonfiction) |
What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada
Fiction -- All ages In this story, a child is visited by his first chance and unsure what to do with it, he lets it go. Later on, when a new chance arrives he reaches for it, but this time he misses and falls. Embarrassed and afraid, he begins ignoring each new chance that comes by, even though he still wants to take them. Then one day he realizes that he doesn't need to be brave all the time, just at the right time, to find out what amazing things can happen when he takes a chance. Connections: This book will inspire kids of all ages and parents alike to find the courage to go for the opportunities that come their way. Because you never know when a chance, once taken, might be the one to change everything. The final addition to the award-winning What Do You Do With…? picture book series created by New York Times best selling author Kobi Yamada and illustrator by Mae Besom. |
Petra by Marianna Coppo
Fiction -- Grades Pre-K to 1st Petra is a little rock who believes she is a mighty mountain . . . until a dog fetches her for its owner, and she is tossed into a bird's nest. A mountain? No, Petra is now an egg! An egg of the world in a world of possibility. Until she's flung into a pond, and becomes an amazing island . . . and, eventually, a little girl's pet rock. What will she be tomorrow? Who knows? But she's a rock, and this is how she rolls! Connections: Petra stresses the importance of positive mindset, having a purpose even if we don’t know exactly what the purpose is especially after change. This story can be a great reminder of the celebration of differences and inclusion. Equally it focuses on how our lives are ever changing. Being flexible, staying positive and believing in one’s self will help to overcome any challenges that come your way. Everyone has a purpose. Be patient and accepting of change when it comes your way. Listen to a book review and interview with the author. |
Dude! by Aaron Reynolds
Fiction -- All ages Dude! You have to read this book. It's totally about this platypus and this beaver who are friends. They want to go surfing but dude, there's this shark who's in the ocean, too. But don't worry. This shark approaches and you'll never guess what happens. Connections: This book is a riot! Kids will fall for this as hard as they fell for BJ Novak’s, The Book With No Pictures! Fun, colorful artwork again by Dan Santat is paired with Aaron Reynolds’ hilarious (and hilariously simple) text! A creative study of nuance as one word is repeatedly spoken in a variety of contexts and characters to reflect wholly different meanings. A beautiful book to show budding artists how complementary and essential the illustrations can be in telling the story. Dude! will have students in stitches -- and teachers, too! Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman Fiction -- All ages The filming of an underwater TV show goes awry when the crew gets interrupted by a... SHARRRK! Poor Shark, he wasn't trying to scare them, he's just misunderstood! Then he's accused of trying to eat a fish. Will Shark ever catch a break? After all, he wasn't going to eat the fish, he was just showing it his new tooth! Or was he? Explosively funny, extraordinarily clever, and even full of fun shark facts, this surprisingly endearing story gets to the heart of what it feels like to be misunderstood by the people around you. Connections: This book is just absolutely hilarious from beginning to end! Kids will love it! The eyes of the characters tell the whole story and the author’s use of fun font and text size for emphasis help with pacing and reading fluency. The speech bubble “asides” will crack you up and totally define the voice of each character. And the ending? Well…what did you expect?! |
Tree Song by Tiffany Stone
Fiction -- All ages Listen to the music of the trees. This joyful book follows the life cycle of a tree as it grows from seedling to mature tree, and finally gives way to a new sapling. At every stage of the tree’s life, children are seen playing under its branches. Each season brings with it new sounds, whether it’s the chirping of birds in the spring or the flitter flutter of leaves in the fall. As well as a home for animals, the tree provides a canopy for a summer picnic, and a perfect place to hang a swing. Most important of all, when old age fells the tree, it provides an acorn from which a new tree will grow. Connections: Colorful illustrations with lots of small details will capture the attention of young readers, while the lyrical text makes this an ideal read-aloud book. It can also serve as the perfect introduction to nature’s life cycles in science. During writers’ workshop it serves as an introduction to poetry as each page presents itself as a stanza in a poem, complete with onomatopoeia to add interest to each action: “Twitter. Trickle. Rustle. Growl.” or “Pushhhhhhh, Ta-Da! Seed sprouts, sing out tree-tra-la!” Everything You Need for a Treehouse by Carter Higgins Fiction -- All ages Featuring beautiful images and a lyrical text with an exquisitely readable cadence, this book gives life and meaning to all the requisite elements of a treehouse, from time, timber, and rafters to ropes of twisted twine that invite visitors to sprawl out on a limb and slide back down again. For anyone who's ever wanted to escape real life and live in a nostalgic dream come true, this poignant picture book captures the universal timelessness of treehouses and celebrates all the creativity and adventure they spark. Connections: In today’s busy world of technology, this book beckons young and old to get outside, where life really happens! This story invites creativity and making! Your students will love the challenge of using design thinking to look at an outdoor space and plan their own unique getaway- What would your perfect treehouse look like? Who would it invite? How would you spend your time there? “Everything you need for a treehouse starts with time and looking up and imagining a home of timber and rafters in wrangled, gnarled bark.” |
Love by Matt de la Pena
Fiction -- All ages "In the beginning there is light and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed and the sound of their voices is love. ... A cab driver plays love softly on his radio while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city and everything smells new, and it smells like life." In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that's soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age. Connections: What does love mean to your students? Matt says, "Truth be told, a story isn’t fully realized until a reader puts pieces of him or herself into the margins." Love is something we all know. But we know it in different ways. Have students write their own definitions and examples of what love is. Then ask, how does our school show love? Students can go out into the building using their iPads to collect photos that show or symbolize love. Have students share what they’ve found in class to compare, contrast and analyze what type of love is depicted. What kinds of love seem to be most evident? Where is love needed? |
She Persisted, Around the World by Chelsea Clinton
Biography -- All ages Women around the world have long dreamed big, even when they've been told their dreams didn't matter. They've spoken out, risen up and fought for what's right, even when they've been told to be quiet. Whether in science, the arts, sports or activism, women and girls throughout history have been determined to break barriers and change the status quo. They haven't let anyone get in their way and have helped us better understand our world and what's possible. In this companion book to She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, Chelsea Clinton introduces readers to a group of thirteen incredible women who have shaped history all across the globe. She Persisted Around the World is a book for everyone who has ever aimed high and been told to step down, for everyone who has ever raised their voice and been told to quiet down, and for everyone who has ever felt small, unimportant or unworthy. Alexandra Boiger's vibrant artwork accompanies this inspiring text that shows readers of all ages that, no matter what obstacles come their way, they have the power to persist and succeed. Connections: Students can use this text as a mentor for paragraph/summary writing...finding the most important details to include with great leads that draw the reader in. This book has endless growth mindset lessons. The cultural diversity represented in this book is wide and rich...love it! |
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Islandborn by Junot Diaz
Fiction -- Grades 3rd and up So when Lola's teacher asks the students to draw a picture of where their families immigrated from, all the kids are excited. Except Lola. She can't remember The Island—she left when she was just a baby. But with the help of her family and friends, and their memories—joyous, fantastical, heartbreaking, and frightening—Lola's imagination takes her on an extraordinary journey back to The Island. As she draws closer to the heart of her family's story, Lola comes to understand the truth of her abuela's words: “Just because you don't remember a place doesn't mean it's not in you.” Connections: Gloriously illustrated and lyrically written, Islandborn is a celebration of creativity, diversity, and our imagination's boundless ability to connect us—to our families, to our past and to ourselves. This book touches on the topic of emigration and immigration and why people sometimes leave the homeland that they love. This book would work well to begin the conversation of why people may need to leave their home by researching the story in this book regarding why the people in the story left their homeland. |
But Bear Came Back by Tammi Sauer
Fiction -- Grades Pre-K to 1st Knock, knock. Who’s there? A BEAR! A furry, friendly PERSISTENT bear. And no matter how many times a particular little boy tries to tell him that bears don’t belong in houses, he keeps coming back—until, one day, he doesn’t. Only then does the boy realize how much he cares about the bear...and misses him. Can he find his friend again? A funny, surprising story about two unexpected pals. Connections: Positive growth mindset both for a persistent bear and a boy who realizes he needs to find his friend again. A great book for text to text connections would be Cynthia Rylant’s The Old Woman Who Named Things: missing something; acceptance; growing and changing. But Bear Came Back focuses on the importance of valuing people or even certain situations in your life because changes can happen anytime. Also, the idea of being persistent and persevering with things that are important to you. |
Meet My Family! by Laura Purdie Salas
Nonfiction -- All ages What kind of families do animal babies have? All different kinds! Charming text and sweet illustrations introduce a wolf pup cared for by the pack, a young orangutan snuggling with its mother high in a tree, a poison dart frog tadpole riding piggyback on its dad, and more. Featuring rhyming verse and informational text, this book lets you discover just how diverse the animal kingdom really is! Connections: Looking to spice up your nonfiction writing? Here are three wonderful mentor texts with different strengths your students can use as models for informational writing. In Meet My Family!, each page is written from the animal’s point of view. Kids will enjoy that the animals are children (like themselves) and will relate to their antics. The author interjects humor and uses engaging writing that pulls the audience in: “But check this out!” and in Wolf Pups, “Sometimes my pop--hey!--wrestles with me. I--oops--even--oof--win sometimes.” The illustrations are incredible and the animal families reflect the diversity found in our students’ families. This point is beautifully driven home on the last page in both the text and illustration, “Every family’s different--each family is just right! We live in every kind of family you can think of!” Also included in the back of the book are an extensive and kid-friendly glossary, map, and heartfelt author’s note. This book would be lovely to pair with Alphamals A-Z and Hidden Dangers: Seek and Find 13 of the World's Deadliest Animals for studying writer’s craft. Alphamals beautifully uses figurative language and has stunning artwork. The leads in Hidden Dangers are engaging for readers and will leave them wanting to know more. |
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Fiction -- All ages Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around. Inside, the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family unfolds as the keeper boils water for tea, lights the lamp's wick, and writes every detail in his logbook. Step back in time and through the door of this iconic lighthouse into a cozy dollhouse-like interior with the extraordinary Caldecott Medal winning (2016 Finding Winnie) artist Sophie Blackall. Stunning, vibrant, finely detailed illustrations with circular insets capture the joy and hardships exquisitely! Readers will be mesmerized, poring over each page! Connections: This stunning story captures the memories and stories of a family who lived in a lighthouse in a lyrical fashion. Readers are swept back to a time in history to see a glimpse of how communication with ships, the tender and loved ones has changed over time! Students will savor the descriptive writing and the repetitive “Hello! Hello! Hello!” Teachers can use the back matter as a model for informative writing, encouraging students to then tell the story of an object or event in history in a more poetic way. |
Bird Builds a Nest by Martin Jenkins
Fiction -- Grades K to 3rd It’s time for Bird to build her nest! Follow her as she pulls a worm out of the ground, lifts some twigs that are just the right size, and pushes the twigs into place. Uh-oh! One of the twigs falls to the ground! But after a day of hard work, Bird’s nest is ready and waiting. Can you guess what it’s waiting for? Connections: Read this first and then experiment with gravity or an extension activity regarding the lives of birds. STEM lesson with a cluster of questions and activities to challenge primary students to consider force in their own lives—things that are easy or heavy to move, the directional distinction between pushing and pulling, the force of gravity at work when an object is dropped. Also discuss the law of motion, stating that “More force is needed to change the motion of heavier objects than to change the motion of lighter objects”. Explore this with objects in the classroom or head outside on the playground! A Place to Start a Family: Poems About Creatures That Build by David L. Harrison Poetry -- Grades K to 3rd Many animals build something--a nest, tunnel, or web--in order to pair up, lay eggs, give birth, and otherwise perpetuate their species. Organized based on where creatures live--underground, in the water, on land, or in the air--twelve poems bring fish, insects, reptiles, mammals, and birds to life. Back matter includes more information about each animal. Connections: During a second reading of A Place to Start a Family, keep a running list on chart paper of the animals and their construction techniques. Use online resources and additional books that explore animal building techniques to learn more about the construction processes of these animals. Expand your study to include additional animals found in the different ecosystems featured in the book. Older students can explore how animal builders have adapted to their environment, maximizing their chances of survival. A Place to Start a Family is organized in sections that feature different locations that animals build their homes: underground, on the land, in the water, and in the air. Select a habitat within walking distance of your school, such as a park, urban garden, pond, field, or woods. Study the animal life in this habitat, learning about the animals that live on the land, in the water (pond, wetland, puddle), and in the air. Divide students into small groups based on these 4 areas of the habitat and have them conduct further research on these animals. Decide how groups will share their finding with each other and what product they might make to demonstrate their learning. |
Penguins Don't Wear Sweaters by Marikka Tamura
Fiction -- All ages This uplifting, charmingly told story, tells what happens when well-meaning humans knit sweaters for penguins who've encountered an oil spill. You may have seen the cute pictures of penguins wearing sweaters--but did you know why they were wearing them? Debut author Marikka Tamura answers this question in this colorful, kid-friendly book that is told simply and charmingly. Penguins love the sea. Happy in the dark blue water. But what is this? One day something is floating in the water. Dark. Gooey. Oily . . . When the penguins become coated in an oil spill, many Big Boots arrive. The humans want to help the cold, greasy penguins, so they knit sweaters to keep them warm. The Big Boots mean well, but . . . penguins don't wear sweaters! So after a good, soapy scrub, the penguins dive back into the deep blue sea, happily dressed only in their own penguin feathers. Connections: Environmental impact of humans. Saving species. Animal/ habitat research. |
No Biggy! A Story About Overcoming Everyday Obstacles
by Elycia Rubin Fiction -- Grades K to 2nd Getting frustrated is a part of life! And whether the curious little girl in this story is working on a puzzle, getting the zipper to slide all the way up her jacket or trying to spread peanut butter on a piece of toast, she learns to manage frustration by taking a deep breath, saying "No biggy!" and trying again. She even teaches her mommy and daddy a thing or two! Yes, grown-ups get frustrated a lot, too. The heartfelt, meaningful text and playful, vibrant illustrations make this book a family favorite any time of day. Connections: This is a good mindset book that will help students to think about what choices they can make when they become frustrated and when things don’t go the way they wanted them to go. Fits well with the Adapt and Adjust part of our Mindset program. |
Wordy Birdy by Tammi Sauer
Fiction -- Grades K to 1st Wordy Birdy LOVES to talk. “Hello, sunrise. Hello, pink sky. Hello, orange sky. . . .” But does she love to listen? NOPE. One day, while she’s walking through the forest, her gift of the gab gets her into hot water: “That’s a pretty tree and that’s a pretty tree and that’s a pretty danger sign and that’s a pretty tree. . . .” Will this inattentive bird walk right into danger? Will her faraway thoughts lead her along a path of doom? It’s up to her long-suffering, heard-it-all-before pals Squirrel, Raccoon, and Rabbit to save their distracted friend. Connections: Great story for modeling speech bubbles. Can be an engaging strategy for reluctant writers. LISTENING is an important part of a conversation. This story illustrates how Wordy Birdy doesn’t listen. Students can share how it feels when others don’t listen and how squirrel, rabbit and raccoon might feel. Wordy Birdy’s friends are modeling persistence in trying to help her and not leaving her alone when she gets herself into danger. True friends never let you down. |
Forever or a Day by Sarah Jacoby
Fiction -- All ages Celebrate the time you have with the ones you love. The seconds that count in catching the bus; The idyllic hours that slip by so quickly during a perfect day on the lake; The summer days that disappear into blissful happiness . . .This gorgeous picture book is a conversation between parent and child across the course of a single day. Inviting comparisons to All the Wonderful Things You Will Be, I Wish You More, and Love, this celebration of cherished moments with loved ones is at once simple, profound, and truly beautiful. Connections: This gorgeous, thoughtful book will have you coming back to read it time and time again. Forever or a Day respects readers by lifting up their thinking with challenging, metaphorical depictions of time. The lyrical writing (onomatopoeia, alliteration) and questions sprinkled throughout the story, lead students to pause, reflect, and make personal connections. This perfectly illustrated book is a celebration of time and a gentle reminder to choose carefully how we spend it. |
Dream Big: A True Story of Courage and Determination
by Dave McGillivray with Nancy Feehrer Nonfiction -- Grades K to 5th In Dream Big: A True Story of Courage and Determination, Dave is a small kid who wants more than anything to be a professional athlete. But there’s one problem. You have to be tall to play basketball. You have to be big to play football. And Dave? He’s little, but his dreams are BIG. He turns to running, because you don’t have to be big to be a marathon runner! But you do need to train. And Dave doesn’t do much training before he crosses his first starting line of the Boston Marathon. Which is probably why he doesn’t quite cross the finish line on his first attempt at the famous race. But his Grandpa believes in him, and that’s enough to make Dave train hard for the next Boston Marathon. But will his Grandpa be there to see him succeed? Connections: This is a good fit for mindset with this true story of passion, determination, and grit. Students that have a dream of participating in a sport or activity but they don’t really fit into that mold may find this motivational and inspirational. |
With My Hands: Poems About Making Things
by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater Poetry -- All ages Building, baking, folding, drawing, shaping . . . making something with your own hands is a special, personal experience. Taking an idea from your imagination and turning it into something real is satisfying and makes the maker proud. With My Hands is an inspiring invitation to tap into creativity and enjoy the hands-on energy that comes from making things. Connections: Each poem presented opportunities! Start maker projects with a poem from With My Hands. This is an excellent classroom resource to inspire art, creativity and STEM. Building, baking, folding, drawing, shaping . . . making something with your own hands is a special, personal experience. Taking an idea from your imagination and turning it into something real is satisfying and makes the maker proud. Use in a poetry study to show visual poetry; for example, verses for "Knitting" are positioned to remind the reader of how the stitches of a sweater might be knitted and the words in "Glitter Picture" are positioned the way glitter falls which is all over the place! |
The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner
Fiction -- Grades 1st to 3rd DK's The Bee Book is a wonderful introduction to the humble honeybee: nature's hardest worker, and much more than just a provider of honey! Bees are incredibly industrious, brilliant at building, super social, and--most importantly--responsible for a third of every mouthful of food you eat! Find out how bees talk to one another, what it takes to become a queen bee, what the life of a worker bee is like, and more. The contents include bee anatomy, types of bee, hives, colonies, pollination, making honey, and more. Discover just how much they matter, why they are declining, and what you can do to help! Connections: All grades have research standards and information text writing requirements. This book is a beautiful example, similar to Gail Gibbons, who uses illustrations vs. photographs to tell a bee’s story. Information text features include: a hook; table of contents; diagrams; charts; labels; captions; bold words; illustrations and color to engage the reader; close-ups; cut outs; index; about the author. Students can learn specifics about the bee from the types of bees, the hive, pollination, bee communication, how we are all interdependent; and much more. This is a great book to pair with The King of Bees. The King of Bees by Lester L. Laminack Fiction -- Grades Pre-K to 2nd Henry can't wait until he can have a bee suit of his own so he can help his Aunt Lilla with the sister bees. Day after day as Henry observes his Aunt Lilla work with the beehives on their Lowcountry farm, he becomes fascinated with her bee suit and her ability to communicate with the bees. When he learns that the bees are getting ready to look for a new place to live, he tries to find a way to communicate with the sister bees to convince them to stay. Connections: This story pairs well with The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner. It is a fictional story with facts about bees weaved throughout. Aunt Lilla is a beekeeper and her nephew Henry, whom she is raising, is OBSERVING her with the bees and other jobs around their home. Henry uses QUESTIONING to learn about the bees and students can discuss the importance of a quality question when wondering. Henry uses bravery and kindness to help lure the swarm of sister bees to a new box. Responsibility, paying attention to detail and caring about quality are evident in this story. |
Honorable Mentions
They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki
The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell by Candace Fleming & Gerard Dubois
I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoet
Scientist, Scientist, What Do You See? by Chris Ferrie
A House That Once Was by Julie Fogliano
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margo Lee Shetterly
A Most Unusual Day by Sydra Mallery
Sometimes You Fly by Katherine Applegate
A Seed is the Start by Melissa Stewart
Seed School: Growing Up Amazing by Joan Holub
Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki
The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell by Candace Fleming & Gerard Dubois
I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoet
Scientist, Scientist, What Do You See? by Chris Ferrie
A House That Once Was by Julie Fogliano
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margo Lee Shetterly
A Most Unusual Day by Sydra Mallery
Sometimes You Fly by Katherine Applegate
A Seed is the Start by Melissa Stewart
Seed School: Growing Up Amazing by Joan Holub
Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders