Reading and Responding: A Guide to Literature in the Classroom [1 ed.] 9781425895952, 9781425811020

Citation preview

K–6 Level

Author Denise Ryan

Publishing Credits Robin Erickson, Production Director; Lee Aucoin, Creative Director; Timothy J. Bradley, Illustration Manager; Sara Johnson, M.S.Ed., Editorial Director; Grace Alba, Designer; Sandra Canchola, Editorial Assistant; Corinne Burton, M.A.Ed., Publisher

Image Credits Cover, p.1 Alamy; All other images Shutterstock

Shell Education

5301 Oceanus Drive Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1030 http://www.shelleducation.com

ISBN 978-1-4258-1102-0

© 2014 Shell Educational Publishing, Inc.

The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use only. The reproduction of any part for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any form without written permission from the publisher.

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Table of Contents Chapter 1 Literature to Delight and Challenge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Chapter 2 Alphabet Books: A Springboard to Imagination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Chapter 3 Books Out Loud. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Chapter 4 Stories for All: An Invitation to Read. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Chapter 5 Series and Chapter Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Chapter 6 Information Please . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Chapter 7 Poetry: The Sounds of Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Appendices Appendix A: Student Reproducibles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Appendix B: References and Literature Cited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Appendix C: Contents of the Digital Resource CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

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Literature to Delight and Challenge …if there is no teacher in there constantly encouraging, probing, pushing, delighting and challenging kids to read widely and deeply within and beyond their immediately perceived horizons, who will do it? Dr. Paul Brock Teaching Literature

This book is intended to provide experienced and novice teachers with a practical resource highlighting the wide range of literature that has an important place in elementary classrooms. Literature can excite, inspire, amuse, and delight students from their very first year of school and is a key element of the literacy curriculum at all levels of schooling. The exploration, enjoyment, and study of literature can include literature in English, or in translation, from many cultures and countries. Students can encounter literature from all over the world; places such as North America, Great Britain, Europe, and Australia. Many of the texts discussed in this book have been chosen from these sources. Literary texts may be contemporary, historical, or classic. They may be set in today’s world, in the past, or sometimes in more than one time. Young readers have quickly become accustomed to reading texts that are often described as multimodal, as they often include various combinations of written, visual, and oral texts. This wide range of different kinds of texts fits within the broad definition of literature, and is reflected in the selection in the following chapters.

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The first book ever printed in what is now the United States is a tiny hymnal printed in 1640 by Puritan leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Only 11 copies of the Bay Psalm Book survive.

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Reading and Responding: A Guide to Literature aims to expand teachers’ knowledge and appreciation of the great variety of literary texts that can be introduced into classrooms. These texts will take students into new realms of experience, imagined and actual, and increase their understanding of the lives of others. Literature enables students to encounter characters' different ideas and feelings, and to make connections with their own experiences. Students who read and listen to carefully chosen literature are more likely to become appreciative, competent, and enthusiastic readers who ask many questions and seek answers. Access to a rich array of literature will broaden students’ knowledge of the English language, as they actively read and listen to the patterns and cadences of language used for many purposes. Wolfgang Iser (1978) gave us a full description of the active reader. He suggested that the “unsaid” (the telling gaps or blanks) in a work of fiction is filled by the reader and in the process the “said” expands and triggers reflections in the reader. The reader’s activity is still controlled by the text, but the reader “sets the work in motion and becomes a kind of co-author.” Authors, it appear, really need readers to complete the realization of their work. When students are introduced, through literature, to the world of ideas, experiences, and words, they will gain new perspectives on the world, as well as the sheer joy of playing with language.

John Newbery, an English author and bookseller, was the first publisher to devote himself to publishing for children. The Newbery award is named in his honor.

You can introduce many texts into classrooms—books to enrich and extend all curriculum areas, including picture books for all ages and stories that appeal to the imagination. You can provide books in multiple copies for small-group work. Texts can represent a range of themes, genres, cultures, authors, and illustrators. In such classrooms, students debate and discuss ideas about the motivations of characters, about the events in a story, key themes and ideas, and share their individual responses to texts. They learn that texts can be interpreted in different ways, and they learn to justify their own interpretations to others.

This book provides information about a range of children’s books that can be listened to, read, explored, and discussed in the classroom. It provides print and digital titles under various categories, as well as suggesting how these texts can be introduced to readers and how considered responses can be encouraged. The books suggested in this resource are new and old, contemporary and classic; many will be found in school or local libraries, others are recent publications that are available in bookshops or can be purchased online. A few will require a search to be undertaken but can usually be purchased from online out-of-print vendors. The emphasis placed upon picture books is a deliberate one because, as Margaret Meek (1982) said, “Fluent readers and absolute beginners both need picture books as the beginning of thinking.” Children and adults remember their responses to the picture books they encountered

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when they were very young, such as “I loved it when Max stared into the monsters’ yellow eyes without blinking once,” and “I still love hearing ‘Oh, how Peter wished he could whistle!’ in Whistle for Willie. I couldn’t whistle either!" and “I was really worried when Peter went into Mr. McGregor’s garden.” When deciding what kinds of books are to be in your classroom, consider not only what the students are reading now but also the stories with which they are familiar, as well as stories that they have not yet encountered. Hundreds of children’s books pour from the presses of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries each year. Keeping up with this output is impossible. Yet, if you want to help develop students’ appreciation of folktales, picture books, novels, poetry and nonfiction; stimulate their curiosity; and broaden their knowledge then you must be prepared to read, read, read. Of course there are published lists of recommended titles, reviews in journals and magazines, and books such as this one to guide you, but there’s really no substitute for reading as widely as possible.

The final volume of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is the all-time children’s best seller. It has sold more than 15 million copies! The series has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide.

In the next seven chapters, you will find guides to many different kinds of literature for students at all elementary grade levels. Each chapter discusses a different kind of text, including alphabet books, picture books, chapter books and novels, pop-up books, informational books, and poetry. The book lists are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather a sample of what is available. Some texts will remind you of your own reading experiences, some will be old favorites, while others may be new to you.

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Alphabet Books: A Springboard to Imagination The decisive matter is how the teacher’s imagination engages with the text —a prelude, naturally, to the student’s engagement. Robert Coles The Call of Stories

Two things that we have had in classrooms since 1872 are students and alphabet books. What has changed is the number and variety of alphabet books that can excite, motivate, and inform young readers and writers. We can be selective and adventurous in choosing from the many engaging alphabet books that introduce readers to word play while providing great models for writing and research. Although all alphabet books help students with letter recognition and reinforce letter/sound relationships, there are some written expressly for this purpose while others incorporate additional opportunities for learning, such as rich language, historical information, word play, nonfiction content (e.g., geography, information about a particular time period, or deep exploration of a scientific concept), or reinforcement of literary style. The following are some examples. © Shell Education

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Illustrators and authors frequently use language quite brilliantly to illustrate the power and expansiveness of language. For example, Brian Wildsmith’s ABC, which may be in your school library, designates i for iguana, a word less obvious to young children than the more standard but dated i for ink. When young readers encounter Wildsmith’s iguana, a beautiful multicolored reptile, they will want to know more about these amazing creatures. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Not all alphabet books concentrate on naming; some deal with the positioning of letters. Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom treats young readers to a jazzy alternative to the alphabet song. They can chant, “A told B, and B told C, ‘I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree;’” and for a show-stopping alternative to reading aloud, the book can be paired with Ray Charles’ The Alphabet Song free mp3 download so the students can explore the alphabet with a musical master. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Some alphabet books show a topic or concept as it evolves over time or during a certain time period. An example of this is Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz ABZ. This book celebrates jazz music through the ages. In an extraordinary feat Marsalis harmonizes his love and knowledge of jazz’s most celebrated artists with an astounding diversity of poetic forms—from simple blues (Count Basie) to a complex pantoum (Charlie Parker), from a tender sonnet (Sarah Vaughan) to a performance poem snapping the rhythms of Art Blakey to life. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Alphabet books not only use the ABC structure for organizational patterns and topic exploration, many focus upon word play. Catherine Hepworth’s Antics! An Alphabetical Anthology is a perfect model of this. This enchantingly witty alphabet book is for word lovers no matter what their age. It spotlights twenty-six words, all with the word ant hidden in the syllables. The philosophical Kant, the artistic “Rembran(d)t” and the worldly Nonchalant all appear. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

The book, Letter Perfect: The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet from A to Z by David Sacks traces the history of our alphabet through the ancient Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans and up through medieval Europe to the present day. This book about the alphabet is intended for an adult reader.

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The depth of specific content-area topics, such as addition and subtraction in mathematics, animals in science, or geography in social studies are also explored in alphabet books, further reinforcing for students the breadth of information available to learn and know. Anna Goes to Zambia by Sharon Callen and Bettina Guthridge is a clear example of this. It takes us on a journey around the world in alphabetical order. The reader visits countries including Australia, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Kenya, Panama, Peru, Turkey, the United States, and Zambia in a trice! It’s great fun while introducing students to many of the world’s countries. Recommended interest level: grades 1 and up. Ann Jonas’ Aardvarks, Disembark! presents information about endangered and extinct animals through the story of Noah and the ark. As the waters recede, Noah must empty his vessel and does so in alphabetical order. His biological

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roll call allows the more conventional creatures to emerge, but Noah soon discovers all sorts of less familiar animals still left on board. He “didn’t know their names, so he could only call, ‘Disembark, everyone! Everyone, disembark!’” They start down Mount Ararat, in familiar alphabetical order, taking an entire day to reach the bottom. Who are these forgotten animals, the aye-ayes, the gavials, the tarpons, and the wanderoos? Most are either endangered or extinct, and, in an informative appendix the status and environmental location of each is provided. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Literary style and devices can be exemplified creatively through alphabet books further enhancing students’ understanding of those concepts. For example, assonance and alliteration mark Jeanne and William Steig’s alphabetic poetry in Alpha Beta Chowder where memorable creatures such as Ivan the Terrible, ‘inclined to be irksome and irritated by infants’ and Daphne who ‘dresses divinely’ unlike the deplorable Dora, who’s ‘definitely dowdy in that dismal dirndl’ are introduced. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. A Zeal of Zebras: An Alphabet of Collective Nouns from Woop Studios gives us wonderful examples of collective nouns such as a caravan of camels, an aurora of polar bears, an embarrassment of pandas, an implausibility of gnus, and a venom of spiders. From the mesmerizing cover to the delightful artwork and clever word play this fascinating book brings an exciting angle to the world of collective nouns. This is one of those must-have books! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Many alphabet books depend heavily on text. In doing so, they expand their audience to older students. Books such as Alligators to Zooplankton: A-Z: A Dictionary of Water Babies by Les Kaufman resemble mini-encyclopedias, combining the traditional format of letter/word identification with expository text, informative charts, handsome illustrations, a detailed bibliography and an index. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Why not ensure that the students you teach are introduced to these great alphabet books?

Alphabet Books Worth Searching For… Most of these books can be purchased at your local bookshop or online if they are not in your school or local library. A Is for Art: an Abstract Alphabet written and illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson This book portrays a remarkable journey of discovery about art and language through painting, collage, and sculpture. With literal renderings of each letter, complete with witty titles and playful alliterative captions, Johnson’s abstract art forges connections between words, objects, and ideas. Recommended interest level: grades 1 and up. ABC3D written and illustrated by Marion Bataille

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ABC3D is a masterpiece of origami, manuscript engineering, and paper mechanics that brings the alphabet to life. Through ingenious paper tucks, folds, and levers the letters leap up from the page. For example, C does a pirouette to become D, V is reflected in a mirrored page to become W and X loses a leg to become Y. It’s a work of art. ABC3D is the 2009 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year. Recommended interest level: grades K and up. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: The Military Alphabet written and illustrated by Chris l. Demarest

The English word alphabet comes to us, by way of Latin, from the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and beta. These Greek words were in turn derived from the original Semitic names for the symbols: aleph (ox) and beth (house).

Stephen T. Johnson

This book introduces the International Communications Alphabet used by the military and the aviation industry. Recommended interest level: grades 1–4. Alphabeep! A Zipping, Zooming ABC written by Debora Pearson, illustrated by Edward Miller With bright colors and lots of action on each page this book is guaranteed to be a favorite with students who love vehicles of every shape, size, and description. Recommended interest level: grades K–1. Alphabet City written and illustrated by

Using New York as an inspiration Johnson has captured each letter of the alphabet as it occurs naturally in city surroundings. Recommended interest level: grades PreK and up. Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World written by Cynthia Chin-Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy There are 26 amazing women and 26 amazing stories in this particularly engaging book. Each woman is featured on a full page that includes an introduction, a quote, and a striking mixed-media art piece. Entries include Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Grace Hopper, Lena Horne, Maya Lin, Nawal El Sadaawi, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and Ursula Le Guin. With subjects drawn from many cultures, the author introduces students to the struggles and achievements of women from many times and many places. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Ancient Egypt from A-Z written by Barbara Pradal Price and Paulita

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Sedgwick Each letter of the alphabet introduces the art, customs, important events and famous people of ancient Egypt. Used copies are available from online used book sellers. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Animalia written and illustrated by Graeme Base This alliterative alphabet book features 26 animals from the animal kingdom and dozens of small objects to identify. Some are subtle, some are well hidden, and some may take time to identify such as the philosopher and the politician. It’s a visual feast! Recommended interest level: grades K and up. The Christmas Alphabet written and illustrated by Robert Sabuda Robert Sabuda has dispensed with distracting graphics and illustrations and let the powerful elegance of die-cut white paper with subtle mechanisms surprise the reader. This book shares a creative approach to the sights and symbols of Christmas and masterfully uses space, shape, and color. Recommended interest level: grades K and up. Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss Featuring a delightful cast of characters such as Aunt Annie’s alligator and a ZizzerZazzer-Zuzz, learning the alphabet is great fun with Dr. Seuss. The playful rhyme and rhythm of this book makes it a beloved read-aloud as well as a foundational book for early learning. Everyone will love the zany illustrations and the fanciful way that they interact with the text to make the story come alive. Recommended interest level: grades K–1.

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The last letter of the alphabet is pronounced zee by Americans and zed by Australian, British, and Canadian speakers. The older pronunciation of zed was inherited from Old French. The American zee is a dialect form heard in England in the 17th century. It was approved by Noah Webster in his American Dictionary of the English Language (1828).

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Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert This collection of letter-by-letter depictions of food from apples to zucchini is illustrated with rich colorful collage. There’s a glossary that includes pronunciation, origin, history, and botanical information all of which will help you discuss the fruits and vegetables. Yum! Recommended interest level: grades K–2. G Is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book written by David M. Schwartz, illustrated by Marissa Moss Do you know what a rhombicosidodecahedron is? You will after reading this great alphabet book! It explains the meaning of mathematical terms from abacus, binary and cubit to x-axis and zillion, all of which are accompanied by quirky illustrations. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet written and illustrated by David McLimans This is a black-and-white alphabet book that is sophisticated enough to intrigue and captivate readers of any age. The dramatic and contemporary interpretation of an illuminated alphabet melds animals and letters into 26 unique and elegant graphic images. It is a Caldecott Honor Book. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet written and illustrated by Leslie McGuirk Two alphabet books that enjoyed immense popularity in the nineteenth century were Edward Lear’s 1846 A Book of Nonsense and Walter Crane’s 1874 Absurd ABC.

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Amazing rocks, found on a stretch of beach near the author’s home, comprise this unique alphabet book. A is for Addition so there are rocks in the shape of numbers. B is for Bird so there’s a bird rock on a nest with an egg. The rock that is used to show O for “Ouch!” looks as though it is wincing. This quirky title may inspire students to find their own found art. Recommended interest level: grades K–3.

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John Burningham’s ABC written and illustrated by John Burningham Bursting with color, this book is a feast for the eye and a springboard for the imagination. Each page depicts a letter, a word, and an illustration of the word, which all plays together to reinforce the letter-sound relationship. This book is out of print but you may be able to purchase it online if it’s not in the library. Recommended interest level: grades K–1. Lights on Broadway: A Theatrical Tour from A to Z written by Harriet Ziefert and Brian Stokes Mitchell, illustrated by Elliot Kreloff Brian Stokes Mitchell, a Tony Award winner, brings star power to this Broadway treasure. With entries such as audition, box office, marquee, and understudy, readers will discover Broadway from A to Z. Kreloff’s dynamic illustrations come from someone who clearly knows theater well. Bonus material includes an online, behind-the-scenes video hosted by Mitchell. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

About 100 languages rely on the Roman alphabet. The modern English alphabet is quite similar to the version of the Roman alphabet that we inherited from the Irish. There are some variations though. English uses 26 letters, Finnish uses 21 letters, and Croatian uses 30.

The Most Amazing Hide and Seek Alphabet Book written and illustrated by Robert Crowther At first glance the book appears to be in black and white until the pop-ups reveal startling color. This bright, inviting alphabet book is an international bestseller from one of the world’s leading paper engineers. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC written by June Sobel, illustrated by Henry Cole The captain of this brave and bumbling crew has ordered them to capture the entire alphabet…and they’ll walk the plank if they’re missing a single letter! These swashbuckling mateys embark on an adventure unlike any other and they can’t rest until they have found an A, a Z, and everything in between. Recommended interest level: grades K–3.

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Superhero ABC written and illustrated by Bob McLeod "Astro-Man: Always Alert for an Alien Attack." There’s an alphabet’s worth of superheroes in this comic-book format alphabet book drawn by one of Marvel’s long time artists. With sleek, dynamic composition on oversized pages, readers will be inspired to create their own alphabetical creations to add to the ranks of Goo-Girl and Sky-Boy. Recommended interest level: grades K–4. The Queen’s Progress: An Elizabethan Alphabet written by Celeste David Mannis, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline This alphabetically arranged, large-format picture book has a prose text that informs readers about Queen Elizabeth I’s annual royal progresses through England with her entourage. Meanwhile, a separate text keyed to the alphabet and in rhymed couplets (and larger type) dramatizes a particular summer progress in which a young kitchen maid helps foil a plan to assassinate the queen. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

Ideas for Working with Alphabet Books Our Class from A–Z Involve everyone in making a class-member alphabet book. Include a photo of each child, their name, a featured first letter and one sentence about each child, which they are to contribute. For example, Xavier goes to soccer practice every Tuesday. Zoe loves to play on the monkey bars. Ask the students to suggest names for any letter that’s missing. There is a blank template that can be used to create an alphabet book located on the Digital Resource CD.

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Alphabet City Create a class Alphabet City frieze using Stephen Johnson’s book of the same name as a model. Use photographs of signs in your community such as a stop sign, the school’s name, a pedestrian crossing, a no-parking sign, and playground equipment. There is a blank template that can be used to create an alphabet book located on the Digital Resource CD. An A-Z of Dinosaurs Make a class dinosaur alphabet book. Brainstorm the names of dinosaurs (tyrannosaurus, brachiosaurus, velociraptor and so on), transfer the names onto cards and then place them in alphabetical order under the students’ guidance. Leave gaps for the letters that do not have a dinosaur name and discuss how these gaps might be filled. For example, the students could borrow books about dinosaurs from the library and search for dinosaur names that will suit. There is a blank template that can be used to create an alphabet book located on the Digital Resource CD. Most Influential Scientists: Past and Present Prepare a class alphabet book based upon Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin–Lee. Each child researches the work of one influential scientist and then writes a brief entry for the class book. There is a blank template that can be used to create an alphabet book located in Digital Resource CD. Favorite Authors: Past and Present Involve everyone in helping prepare a wall—a bulletin board of the students’ 26 favorite authors. Include the authors’ names and the titles of one or two books that each one has written. You can use either their first name or last name to place them in alphabetical order. Display as many of the books mentioned as you can and encourage the students to read one by an author who is not known to them.

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Books Out Loud Three golden apples fell from heaven… one for the storyteller, one for the listener, and one for the one who heard. Armenian folksaying

Sharing the Reading Experience Children who are immersed in a rich language environment through hearing stories and talking about them grow as readers and thinkers. Consider the language students encounter in a story: words they can absorb into their own language databases, expressions that range from the archaic to the contemporary, patterns that ring in their ears and seduce them into joining in. Through listening students come to understand what to expect of a story or rhyme’s structural patterns and conventions. It enables them to understand words, ideas, customs, and values that lie outside their reading ability and experiences. Regardless of their age, listening to stories told or read aloud gives students their future strength as readers and writers.

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As Jim Trelease says in The Read-Aloud Handbook (2006), "As little as fifteen minutes a day spent reading aloud to students can have a significant effect on their becoming lifelong readers."

If you are looking for a read‑aloud book from Africa you can’t pass up The Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa written by Diane Stewart and illustrated by Jude Daly.

In Booktalk: Occasional Writing on Literature and Children (1986) Aidan Chambers explains that the art of reading lies in talking about what you have read. Children are usually keen to talk about what they have enjoyed— they like to explore those aspects of a story implicit in the text and they enjoy pondering the connections they have made between what they have read or heard and their own lives and the lives lived in other stories. Stories become memorable if students are encouraged to pose their own questions about them and to search for answers. Unless students are given opportunities to say, in their own way, what they think, stories in print can mean very little to them. The great challenge for us lies in creating environments where genuine sharing can occur.

To begin with, we need to choose books to share that will provide an experience rich and varied enough that all the students will find something they can and want to share with others. We should make the books we read aloud available for independent browsing and reading, along with related books and media.

What Books Should I Read Aloud? This is a difficult question to answer because not everyone likes the same thing, however, what follows is a list of books that many students have enjoyed. Some of these suggested books have been published recently and some have been around for a long time. Bridget Fidget written and illustrated by Joe Berger One morning, a giant surprise box arrives. Quick as a flash, Bridget Fidget is out of bed and downstairs. It must be—a unicorn! Just what Bridget has always wanted. But the big box is full of smaller boxes. Could it be a penguin? Or maybe just…a mouse? Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1.

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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? written by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle The gently rhyming text and bold-colored collages have a big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck-parade across the pages. The text patterns are repeated over and over again so that young students can chime in with the reader, easily predicting the next rhyme. They will enjoy Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See?, too. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. Elmer written and illustrated by David McKee Elmer the elephant is a very colorful character. He tries to blend in with the herd but soon he realizes that he’s happiest being himself. This comical fable is a celebration of individuality and laughter. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. Here Comes Mother Goose edited by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells This is an entire procession of best-loved nursery rhyme characters as well as an array of folk you may not have met before. Along with "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary," "Simple Simon," and "The Queen of Hearts," there are "My Aunt Jane," "Dusty Bill from Vinegar Hill," and "Susianna from Alabama"—all illustrated in glowing color. It’s beautiful and beguiling! Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Lucy Goosey written by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Ann James Lucy Goosey doesn’t want to leave the pond, even if it means being left behind. But when Lucy Goosey finds herself all alone, she must make a brave decision. Is it more terrifying to be alone, or to face one’s greatest fear? This is a heart-warming story about a child’s fear of the unknown, and how a mother’s unconditional love can make anything possible. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. The Snowy Day written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats This is a gentle tale of a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen in the night. The little boy celebrates the snow-draped city with a day of simple adventures—experimenting with footprints, knocking snow from a tree, creating snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day. The Snowy Day is a strikingly beautiful, ageless book. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1.

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar written and illustrated by Eric Carle This book is a perennial favorite with students and adults alike. Its imaginative illustrations and clever cut-out details chart the progress of a very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through the week and eventually turns into a beautiful butterfly. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. Where Is the Green Sheep? written by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek In this rhythmic, rollicking quest for the green sheep, the listener will come across many other amazing sheep. The sheep encountered through this book also reinforce word relationships such as opposites or similarities. Pairings include scared sheet and scared sheep, red sheep and blue sheep, and wind sheep and wave sheep. "Green sheep" is a favorite of many young listeners and is sure to delight readers of all ages. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. Who Sank the Boat? written and illustrated by Pamela Allen One warm sunny morning, for no particular reason a donkey, a cow, a pig, a sheep, and a tiny little mouse decide to go for a row in a boat. Who sank the boat? Was it the cow or the donkey or the sheep with her knitting? Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. A Dark, Dark Tale written and illustrated by Ruth Brown “Once upon a time there was a dark, dark moor. On the moor there was a dark, dark wood. In the wood there was a dark, dark house.” Young listeners are engrossed as the journey continues up the dark stairway through hidden passages, around sharp corners, and behind windblown curtains. This spooky read-aloud pretends to be scarier than it is and listeners just love the punch line. Actually, they enjoy the whole book and love predicting the ending. This book is a must! Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2.

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Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House written by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood Two new neighbors playing "Three Little Pigs" discover that friends are what make a house a home. Clancy has just moved to a new house. He is missing his old house terribly—the new house is much too big and much too lonely. How will he ever make it his home? As despair takes hold, Clancy hears a small voice. Soon Clancy, with the help of his new friend Millie, is building towers to the sky and trains to the street outside, and together they build the home that Clancy thought he had lost forever. Recommended interest level: grades K–1. How to Heal a Broken Wing written and illustrated by Bob Graham This book is a beautifully rendered, award-winning story of hope and compassion in a big city. In the busy city, no one sees the bird with a broken wing. No one, except a young boy named Will. With the help of his parents, Will takes the bird home to care for it. With rest, time, and a little hope, perhaps the bird will fly again. Keen-eyed readers will be able to spot Graham’s clever visual allusions. Recommended interest level: grades K–1. Cuckoo, Cuckoo: A Folktale from Mexico retold by Sarah Keane, illustrated by Clare Fennell Cuckoo is a very beautiful bird. The parrots admit that she is very beautiful, but all she does is sing. They need everyone to help collect seeds for winter, not just sing all day and night! While all the birds are asleep, tired from their hard work, Cuckoo notices fire in the forest. Although she alerts Owl to the danger, the birds keep sleeping, so Cuckoo begins to collect the seeds. She works all night long until she manages to collect them all. “It just shows you. You can’t tell much about a bird by looking at its feathers,” says Owl. This gentle folk tale from Mexico is enhanced by Clare Fennell’s beautiful illustrations. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? written by Julie Middleton, illustrated by Russell Ayto Dad is convinced that he knows all there is to know about dinosaurs. He knows that they are definitely dead, however, he finds out how alive the dinosaurs are in this delightfully humorous story. He should have listened to Dave! Recommended interest level: grades K–2.

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Isabella’s Garden written by Glenda Millard, illustrated by Rebecca Cool A lyrical, uplifting picture book stunningly illustrated in luminous colors is a must-have book to welcome spring. In Isabella’s garden, amazing things come from the tiniest seeds as they bloom and flourish and make way for a whole new season of growth. Echoing “The House That Jack Built” this award-winning story is bursting with life. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. Little Red Riding Hood retold by Lari Don, illustrated by Célia Chauffrey, story CD narrated by Imelda Staunton Storyteller Lari Don and illustrator Célia Chauffrey bring originality and wit to this new version of a well-loved tale. The wolf is just scary enough for students to enjoy, and the detailed illustrations create an enticing world of quirky characters. The book comes with a story CD narrated by Imelda Staunton, well-known for her roles in the Harry Potter film series in which she played Professor Umbridge. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble written and illustrated by William Steig On a rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that has unexpected results. How Sylvester is eventually reunited with his family and restored to his true self make a story that is tender and filled with magic. William Steig was awarded the Caldecott medal for his glowing illustration of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, which is considered a modern classic. Recommended interest level: grades K–3. This Is Our House written by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Bob Graham George says the cardboard house is his and his alone. It isn’t for girls, small people, twins, people with glasses, or people who like tunnels. But when he leaves the cardboard house for a little while, he comes back to find that there are some people inside who don’t think it is for people who have red hair like George. George makes a big discovery—that letting everyone into his playhouse is a lot more fun than keeping them out. Recommended interest level: grades K–3.

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day written by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz This book is a winner with everyone! From the moment Alexander wakes up with gum in his hair, things just do not go his way. At breakfast, Alexander’s brothers Nick and Anthony reach into their cereal boxes and pull out amazing prizes, while all Alexander ends up with is…cereal. The situation does not get any better at school, in fact it gets worse. No wonder Alexander wants to move to Australia! An online adaptation, read by Judith Viorst, is available from the Kennedy Center. Recommended interest level: grades K–4.

Dog Loves Books written and illustrated by Louise Yates Dog loves books about dinosaurs, and Dog loves books about aliens. In fact, Dog loves all books! Dog has his very own bookshop, although he doesn’t have many customers. But that’s all right because when Dog is surrounded by books he is never short of friends or fun. And when someone does come into the shop, Dog knows just which books to recommend. This whimsical story is accompanied by soft watercolor and pencil drawings that give the book a dreamy quality. Everyone will want to go to Dog’s bookstore! Recommended interest level: grades K–4. Old Tom’s Holiday written and illustrated by Leigh Hobbs When Angela Throgmorton wins a luxury holiday, she has to leave Old Tom—her irrepressible cat—at home…or so she thinks! While Angela only sees things that remind her of Old Tom, keen-eyed young readers will spot Old Tom himself. This funny, affectionate story is superbly illustrated with Leigh Hobbs’ exuberant artwork. Recommended interest level: grades K–4. Sarah’s Journal written by Helen Bethune, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen As Sarah sails across the Atlantic from England to Massachusetts to begin a new life with her family, she records her experiences in her journal. We learn that the long sea journey is uncomfortable, with most family members ill. Their house has bark walls and dirt floors and Sarah misses her friends. She discovers that life is very different than what she was used to but, as time goes by, she begins to enjoy life in the New World. Sarah’s Journal invites listeners to discuss early European settlement in America. Recommended interest level: grades 1–4.

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Marshall Armstrong Is New to Our School written and illustrated by David Macintosh Brilliant and witty, Marshall Armstrong definitely stands out from the crowd; but will he find it easy to make friends? Marshall doesn’t fit in but it doesn’t take long for him to prove that you don’t have to follow the crowd to be the most popular kid on the playground. As one child said, “The story is really, really good and fantastic because it’s strange and weird.” Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. 365 Penguins written by Jean-Luc Fromental, illustrated by Joëlle Jolivet On the first day of the New Year the mailman brings a surprise—a penguin! One by one, day by day, penguins fill the house. At first they are cute, but with every passing day the penguins pile up—along with the family’s problems. Recommended interest level: grades K–4. House Held Up by Trees written by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Jon Klassen When the house was new, not a single tree, shoot, or seedling remained in its perfect lawn. The children who lived there followed the scent of wild trees to neighboring lots where there were secret places to play. When the children grew up and moved away, their father, alone in the house, continued his battle against blowing seeds, plucking up sprouting trees, Until one day the father, too, moved away. As the empty house began to decline, the seeds, shoots, and trees approach once more. This wistful, lyrical story evokes time’s inexorable passage and the awe-inspiring power of nature to lift us up. Pulitzer Prize winning poet Ted Kooser’s House Held Up by Trees is imbued with a haunting beauty. Recommended interest level: grades K–5. How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen written by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Quentin Blake Tom likes fooling around. In fact, he’s really rather good at it, much to the annoyance of Aunt Fidget Wonkham-Strong. One day this fearsome lady, in her iron hat, decides to teach Tom a lesson and summons Captain Najork and his hired sportsmen. Luckily, when it comes to fooling around, Tom doesn’t mess around. His skills prove to be so polished that the results of the contest are completely unexpected. (You can follow this reading with A Near Thing for Captain Najork. Both books have been reissued after having been out of print.) Recommended interest level: grades 1–6.

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Revolting Rhymes written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake Originally published in 1982, Dahl put his distinctive spin on six traditional tales including "Snow White" (“From now on, Queen, you’re Number Two. Snow White is prettier than you!,” says the Magic Mirror) and "The Three Little Pigs." This reissued collection is for those who love their fairy tales with a satirical and worldly twist. Recommended interest level: grades 1–6. Letters from Father Christmas (also known as The Father Christmas Letters) written and illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien To the children of J.R.R. Tolkien, the interest and importance of Father Christmas extended beyond his filling of their stockings on Christmas Eve. He wrote a letter to them every year in which he described in words and pictures his house and his friends and the events, hilarious or alarming, at the North Pole. Thirteen of these letters in Father Christmas’ shaky handwriting are reproduced here. Why not read a letter a day leading up to Christmas? Recommended interest level: grades 3–6. The Secret Garden written by Frances Hodgson Burnett Little Mary Lennox is orphaned and alone in India, where her parents had settled during British colonial rule of the country. Sent far away to live with her uncle in England, Mary is angry with the world, feeling abandoned and unhappy with the strange new life to which she must adjust. She is cared for by a cheery maid, Martha, who encourages the stern little girl to explore the vast and beautiful estate that she must now call “home.” Mary takes Martha’s advice, although she cannot bring herself to believe that it will make any difference. Nothing seems to capture her interest, until the day that she discovers a secret garden. The film adaptation of this timeless tale of a special place where magic, hope, and love grow is available on DVD. It is also included in the text exemplars list within the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. Recommended interest level: grades 3–6.

Eric Carle’s most famous book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has been translated into more than 50 languages.

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The Little Prince written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry This delightful book was first published in 1943, only a year before de Saint-Exupéry’s Lockheed P-38 vanished over the Mediterranean during a reconnaissance mission. More than seventy years later, this fable of love and loneliness has lost none of its power. The Little Prince is the most translated book in the French language. With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the vagaries of adult behavior through a series of extraordinary encounters. His personal odyssey culminates in a voyage to Earth and further adventures. Recommended interest level: grades 4–7. The Snow Goose written by Paul Gallico, illustrated by Angela Barrett This modern classic is set in the years just before the remarkable evacuation of Dunkirk in the Second World War. Beautifully written with a powerful ending and breathtakingly illustrated by Angela Barrett, this is a superb edition of Paul Gallico’s masterpiece. It was shortlisted for the 2009 Kate Greenaway medal. Recommended interest level: grades 4–7.

Ideas for the Classroom Acting It Out Select and read a story to your class and then have the students act out various parts of it. There’s no need to act out every event in a story even though it’s preferable to follow the story’s chronological sequence. You can move from action to oral language and then to a combination of both; and from individual responses to having the students work with partners and then in small groups. Acting it out is a wonderful comprehension exercise! If you are teaching students in the early years, Where the Wild Things Are is a great story to act out. Comparing One way to organize the sharing of different but related works is to create comparison charts which demonstrate particular characteristics within categories such as variations in story structure, settings, cultures, resolutions, language peculiarities, and analyses of artistic interpretation. A sample chart is included in Appendix A (page 128).

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#51102—Reading and Responding: A Guide to Literature

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Writing a News Report Turn a story such as 365 Penguins into a news report. Begin this activity by reviewing how news reports are structured. Examine the parts of actual news stories (e.g., headline: catches your attention; dateline: tells where the story came from and when it was written; slugline: does a similar job to the headline with a little more detail; body: gives more details, usually answers questions, and often has quotations from the people who saw or heard what happened). Depending on the age of the students, also share and discuss journalistic style as well as content in order to support their report writing. Then read the story aloud. Have students share ideas about what happened in the book and record those on chart paper. Then have students use the shared information and the template found in Appendix A (page 129) to write their reports. Book Title: 365 Penguins Headline: Penguins overrun home! Dateline: Northern Hemisphere. Winter 2006 Slugline: Penguins cause havoc. Feeding becomes a nightmare. Who? Penguins, family, Amy, Uncle Victor What? Try to solve where the penguins are coming from, how to feed them, what to name them, where they are to go, and why they are in the north. When? Started New Year’s Day and continued throughout the year.

The bronze sculpture of Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings in the Boston Public Garden turned 25 in 2012. The sculpture of Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings was created by Nancy Schön.

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Tips for Reading Aloud • Try to find books that match your class’ interests. Ask your librarian for suggestions, use the lists in this book, and check with the children’s bookseller at your favorite book store.

• Practice at home by reading out loud one of your favorite books to yourself. Make sure you read with energy and conviction and concentrate on varying your pace and volume where appropriate. • Don’t be surprised if students want to hear a favorite book again and again. That’s fine. As they get to really know the story well, invite them to join in with the reading. • Vary the subject matter of what you read as well as the type of book. In addition to fiction, you might also read rhymes, poetry, magazine articles, and factual books. • Some students love hearing and reading about the same characters. If that’s what your students like, choose several short books in a series or a longer novel. Reading a chapter a day can work well.

• When reading a chapter of a book each day, always briefly review what happened in the previous day’s chapter before starting the next one.

• Try reading to your class first thing in the morning as opposed to later in the day. Leave the book you have read or are reading in a position where the students can browse through it during the day (and watch who does).

As of 2009, more than 19 million copies of Where the Wild Things Are have been sold worldwide with 10 million of those being in the United States.

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#51102—Reading and Responding: A Guide to Literature

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Stories for All: An Invitation to Read ‘Oh Sarah,’ Ermingard whispered joyfully, ‘it is like a story!’ ‘It is a story,’ said Sarah. ‘Everything’s a story—I am a story, Miss Michen is a story.’ Frances Hodgson Burnett A Little Princess

It is possible to do so much with stories, for it is through story that students (and adults) can compare the world that authors and illustrators create with their own representations, re‑evaluate feelings and ideas, come to terms with past experiences, enter into the lives of others, and refine one’s ability to predict and anticipate. Students can become reflective participants and spectators for stories to be built on, borrowed, and burrowed into while providing wonderful stimuli for talk and extended reading and discovery. If we want students to make words work for them then we should be prepared to demonstrate that words can work in pleasurable ways. We need to help them read, talk, and laugh about many different kinds of texts from highly predictable books such as traditional tales, nursery rhymes, and alphabet books, to folk and fairy tales, fantasy and science fiction, myths, and legends.

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Many of the books listed below are easily available, others are harder to find and some are out of print, although they may be in your school or local public library. They are listed as examples of how you and your class can classify books so that you can start everyone in your class on a reading journey. You can add to the lists or commence some new categories suggested by the students in your class.

Stories for Everyone to Enjoy Classics, Folktales, and Variations 3 Little Culottes written by Sylvia Chausse, illustrated by Anne Letuffe This book is a delightful version of "The Three Little Pigs." Lucette, Paulette, and Marie-Antoinette, three strong-spirited little piglets, lose their bloomers and have to search all over the French countryside for their rather large culottes. Told in rhyming verse, the language is playful and inventive while Anne Letuffe’s collage, paint, and fabric illustrations add a rich layer to the story. What fun students would have comparing a traditional telling with this one! Recommended interest level: grades 1–3. The Bears’ Story by Baldwin B. Bear written by Nicholas Wu, illustrated by Annie White Baldwin B. Bear, usually known as Papa Bear, believes that it is high time that the true story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears was told to all. He says that Mama Bear, whose name is Babette, did not make porridge that was too hot. Her porridge was always just right. Goldilocks did not break Bess’s (Baby Bear’s) chair. It was carved from one piece of wood so it couldn’t be broken. And Goldilocks did not sleep on Bess’ bed. Oh, and the porridge was not left to cool. It seems that the story we know is completely wrong! Recommended interest level: grades K–1. The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Other Aesop Fables retold by Leah Osei, illustrated by Patrizia Donaera This book provides a perfect way to introduce young, independent readers to Aesop’s fables. Along with "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," this short collection includes "The Grasshopper and the Ant," "The Wolf and His Shadow" and "Zeus and the Jackdaw." Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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The Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables illustrated by Don Daily This book is a collection of twenty of Aesop’s best-loved fables. There are more than fifty full-color illustrations which make this collection a must. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. The Emperor’s New Clothes: A Tale Set in China written and illustrated by Demi This spectacular version of Hans Christian Andersen’s story, set in ancient China, has little text but overflows, literally, with exquisite artwork. Several of the pages fold out to three- or four-page spreads, lavishly decorated with metallic gold; deep red; and delicate, pale green. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. The Giant’s Toe written and illustrated by Brock Cole This is a wonderful reworking of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and details a tale of an elderly, rather dull-witted giant and his "toe." Chopped off while he hoed his cabbages, the toe proceeds to give the giant a very hard time, disposing of his prized hen (that lays golden eggs) and his harp (that sings all by itself). Recommended interest level: grades 1–3. The Glass Slippers written by Sharon Callen, illustrated by Claire Chrystall The Fairy Godmother certainly struggled with the development of her glass-blowing skills. She tried to create some magnificent glass slippers for Cinderella but the heels were much too high. She tried again but the slippers were much too big and after her third attempt they were much too small. Eventually, the Fairy Godmother perfected her skills and made Cinderella some slippers with wings. Cinderella and Prince Charming danced all night but when the clock struck midnight the slippers flapped their wings! Oh no! What more could go wrong? The Glass Slippers is a Cinderella tale that will generate many smiles. Recommended interest level: grades K–1. Hansel and Gretel retold by Ian Wallace This book is set in the darkest reaches of the Black Forest and reveals the harsh realities of life in Canada’s Maritime provinces. Wallace’s Hansel and Gretel is a brooding, surrealistic version of the classic fairy tale. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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The Princess and the Pizza written by Mary Jane Auch, illustrated by Herm Auch This fairy tale parody finds Paulina the Princess competing against her peers for the hand of Prince Drupert, the sorry-looking son of the overbearing Queen Zelda. Paulina knows the old pea-in-the-mattress trick (“That’s so once-upon-a-time” she scoffs to herself) and is not intimidated by the other finalists. The kitchen assignment comes close to defeating her, however, Queen Zelda is very impressed. Paulina rejects the prince and opens her own successful pizza parlor business…thank goodness! Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. The Little Prince written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry This fable of love and loneliness has lost none of its power. With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the vagaries of adult behavior through a series of extraordinary encounters. This delightful popup edition has the original text and charming illustrations. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. The Prince of Peas written by Sylvie Chausse, illustrated by Anne Letuffe This book is a play on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea. Princess Antoinette’s journey for romance starts in the center of France where she meets several suitors. However, each potential husband must pass her mother’s “pea test,” whereby Queen Louise hides a pea under his mattress in an attempt to identify the true Prince of Peas. Will Queen Louise help Princess Antoinette find her true Prince of Peas? Make sure you read Andersen’s fairy tale to your class so it can be compared to this version. Recommended interest level: grades 1–3. Snow White retold and illustrated by Jane Ray This classic story is retold and illustrated in six beautiful three-dimensional scenes. She returns to the original Grimm fairytale for elements of the story giving Snow White’s world a real sense of theatrical drama and romance. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Snow White in New York written and illustrated by Fiona French This book is a sophisticated, art deco interpretation of the traditional tale. Set in New York City in the 1920s, this Snow White is a beautiful flapper, protected by seven jazzmen. Instead of a wicked stepmother, her arch enemy is the Queen of the Underworld and her Prince Charming is a reporter from the New York Mirror. Snow White in New York is the winner of the Kate Greenway Medal, awarded for distinguished illustration in a book for children, and is a perfect book to use as a model for rewriting a well-known story, placing it in a different setting and time. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale written and illustrated by Steven Guarnaccia In another version of "The Three Little Pigs" Steven Guarnaccia has combined a delightfully fractured fairy tale within an ultra-stylish presentation of the pigs and their homes, which have been designed by three famous architects—Frank Gehry, Phillip Johnson, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Each house is filled with clever details, including furnishings by the architects. Of course not all the houses are going to protect the pigs from the wolf’s huffing and puffing, however, the wolf and readers are in for a surprise ending. The endpapers, printed with design icons, are also a delight for readers. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs written by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith This book is a spoof on the three little pigs’ story, this time told from the wolf’s point of view. “There’s obviously been some kind of mistake,” writes Alexander T. Wolf from the pig penitentiary where he’s doing time for his alleged crimes of 10 years ago. The 10th-anniversary edition includes an impassioned letter from A. Wolf himself. There’s obviously more than one side to this story! Follow up the "true story" with The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales—kids will love the "Really Ugly Duckling" and "Little Red Running Shorts." Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Stories on a Theme or Topic Mathematics 12 Ways to Get to 11 written by Eve Merriam, illustrated by Bernie Karlin In twelve witty and engaging spreads there is a cornucopia of colorful objects to count and some clever surprises. It all adds up to an imaginative counting adventure. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. Anno’s Counting Book written and illustrated by Mitsumasa Anno This book is an excellent introduction to number systems and a wonderful wordless counting book. First, there is an empty field. Then, it is January and all alone in the snow stands one yellow house. In front of the house one child builds a snowman. Behind the house are one tree and one crow. Five months later in June, there are six buildings in the field, six children playing, and six adults working. Recommended interest level: grades 1–3. Cluck O’Clock written by Kes Gray, illustrated by Mary McQuillan This imaginative book shows a group of chickens having a full day on the farm, from eating breakfast early in the morning to avoiding a fox late at night. Telling the time has never been funnier, as the hens' clock counts from food time until fox time. But there may not be a next time unless Colin and the hens save themselves from the greedy fox! Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. Counting on Frank written and illustrated by Rod Clement Frank loves to calculate things. He knows how many humpback whales would fit in his house. He knows how long it would take to fill his bathroom with water. But can Frank guess the number of jellybeans in the jar? Recommended interest level: grades K–2. The Grapes of Math written by Greg Tang, illustrated by Harry Briggs Greg Tang shows readers creative ways to use patterns and combinations of numbers to solve math puzzles quickly and effectively. Every doublepage spread features bright computer-generated art with accompanying verses that give hints that will help readers find the solutions to each math riddle: subtracting in order to add, looking for patterns, and seeking familiar number combinations. We'll all wish we had this book a long time ago! Recommended interest level: grades 2–5.

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My Grandmother’s Clock written by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Stephen Lambert In this book, grandma explains how you can tell the time without a clock. She says that you can count seconds by the beating of your heart, an hour is how long it takes the bathwater to go cold, and you know each day is over when your mother kisses you goodnight. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. How Many? Spectacular Paper Sculptures by Ron Van Der Meer in collaboration with paper engineer Graham Brown This book is a superb example of paper engineering and will fascinate all readers aged 6 to 60+. Readers can have fun trying to answer all of van der Meer’s questions about numbers, objects, and shapes in each popup, or they can simply marvel at the inventiveness and intricacy of the special effects. Recommended interest level: grades K and up. Olivia Counts written and illustrated by Ian Falconer Learning to count to ten is great fun when accompanied by Olivia, piglet superstar of Ian Falconer’s Caldecott Honor Book Olivia. Olivia Counts starts with one ball at the beach and finishes with ten Olivias jumping rope, doing handstands, and sprawling on a beach towel. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–K. Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (A Math Adventure) written by Cindy Neuschwander, illustrated by Wayne Geehan Sir Cumference, his wife Lady Di Ameter, and their son Radius use geometry and problem-solving techniques to help King Arthur who is not satisfied with his current table he uses for meetings with his knights. He asks Sir Cumference to make him a new one. After a number of failed attempts and a few introductions to geometric shapes, King Arthur is finally happy with a circular table. The play on words is a delight! Recommended interest level: grades 1 and up. Ten, Nine, Eight written and illustrated by Molly Bang A Caldecott Honor Book, this is a rhythmic, reverse counting book featuring a little girl and her father making a game of getting ready for bed. Recommended interest level: grades K–1.

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What’s the Time Mr. Wolf? written and illustrated by Annie Kubler Annie Kubler’s interpretation of the evergreen children’s game What’s the Time Mr. Wolf? features digital and analogue clocks on each page while we follow Mr. Wolf and Little Wolf through the hours of their day. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure written by Julie Ellis, illustrated by Phyllis Hornung In ancient Greece, young Pythagoras discovers a special number pattern and uses it to solve problems involving right angles. He is a curious boy who travels with his father from Samos to Alexandria where he meets a builder, Neferheperhersekeper, who introduces him to the right angle. There are many delightful puns their help to explain the math. What a fun and clever introduction to Pythagoras’s Theorem! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

Science The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon When William Kamkwamba’s village in Malawi experienced a severe drought, the crops began to fail. William, who spent his days in a community library, worked out how to bring electricity to his village. He saw a picture of a windmill on the cover of a book called Using Energy and read that you could use a windmill to pump water and generate electricity. A windmill would help his family overcome hunger because the crops could be irrigated. With help from his parents and sisters, he built one out of junkyard scraps and harnessed the wind. This inspiring story of ingenuity, courage, and determination is beautifully illustrated. Recommended interest level: grades 1–3. The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry This beautiful picture book explains the importance of saving the rain forests. Exhausted from his labors, a man who was chopping down a great kapok tree in the Brazilian rain forest puts down his ax and goes to sleep. As he sleeps, creatures of the rain forest—snakes, butterflies, and a jaguar—plead with him not to destroy their world. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Hey! Get Off Our Train! written and illustrated by John Burningham In this book, a boy goes to sleep clutching his pajama-case dog. He dreams of an elaborate journey by train during which one endangered animal after another—an elephant, a seal, a tiger—try to join the boy and his dog. Children will discover the perils facing animals around the world but they will be happy to see the boy and his dog rescuing the animals one by one. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. Island: A Story of the Galápagos written and illustrated by Jason Chin Filled with beautiful, intricate artwork, this book describes the Galápagos Islands by charting how a fictional island first makes its appearance as a volcano erupting above sea level. The new island supports many plants and animals, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world. The island grows and changes as new eruptions lead to the appearance of other, nearby islands. Finally, the island slowly shrinks and sinks beneath the water. With masterful art, this book is a remarkable introduction to the Galápagos Islands. Recommended interest level: grades K–4. Nature’s Patchwork Quilt: Understanding Habitats written by Mary Miché, illustrated by Consie Powell Author Mary Miché introduces readers to nature by referring to it as a patchwork quilt of different habitats. Earth’s major habitats are spread before readers, ready to be examined. The double-page spreads present different habitats as well as concepts such as adaptations, biodiversity, and survival mechanisms. The book ends with a recognition of the work environmentalists do in helping to preserve habitats. Recommended interest level: grades K–3. The Story of Rosy Dock written and illustrated by Jeannie Baker This book shows the devastating effect of an introduced plant to the desert areas of central Australia. Jeannie Baker’s intricately constructed collages illustrate this gentle ecological lesson about rosy dock, an imported plant that now threatens many indigenous plants and animals with extinction. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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The Whales’ Song written by Dyan Sheldon, illustrated by Gary Blythe This is the story of Lilly and how she is captured by the story of the whales’ song that is told to her by her grandmother. A species once so plentiful that her grandmother would hear them sing at night, they are just a memory of an era of whaling that has gone. Lilly’s mystical connection with the whales is the focus of the story. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Q Is for Quark: A Science Alphabet Book written by David Schwartz, illustrated by Kim Doner This is an informative book filled with readable and clear explanations for some very complex concepts—atoms, clones, gravity, xylem, and more. Even if readers are not studying jet propulsion or Occam’s razor they will enjoy browsing through this very appealing book. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. S Is for Scientists: A Discovery Alphabet written by Larry Verstraete, illustrated by David Geister Each letter of the alphabet book is introduced with a four-line poem whose science-related subject is further explained in a sidebar describing the discovery of the particular scientist. Realistic, colorful illustrations support the cavalcade of facts. The book covers a wide range of fields and time periods which span up to the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1991. Recommended interest level: grades 1–6.

Social Studies Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride written by Pam M. Ryan, illustrated by Brian Selznick This story tells of two incredible pioneering women, Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt, who slip away from a formal dinner party at the White House in 1933 and take to the skies. Eleanor, inspired by Amelia’s description of Washington viewed from her aircraft at night, accepts the pilot’s offer of an after-dinner flight over the Capital. Before dessert is served, the two are off to the airport and up in the sky! The story, based upon diaries and newspaper events, has some fictional flourishes, too. Award-winning illustrator Brian Selznick researched the topic carefully, and reproduced authentic wallpaper and china patterns for his black, white, and purple illustrations. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Angels of Mercy: The Army Nurses of World War II written by Betsy Kuhn This is a compelling account of the American army nurses who served during World War II. The author interviewed many of them, relating their stories of the harsh reality of war. The book covers the years between the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the postwar occupation forces, interweaving episodes from the war in the Pacific, North Africa, and the liberation of Dachau, Germany. This tribute to the Army nurses contains many photographs of the women who served their country in a time of crisis. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Hannah’s Journal written by Maria Moss In 1901, life in Lithuania grew more and more dangerous for Jewish people. Cousin Esther had a passage for two aboard a ship bound for New York, so Hannah convinced her parents to let her use one of the tickets. They endure the perilous journey across the Atlantic, but even after they see the Statue of Liberty, they have to spend almost a month on Ellis Island as they wait for their American sponsor to find them. Finally, he is found and they begin their life in New York. Hannah recorded her experiences in a journal her father gave her before she left her homeland. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters written by Barack Obama, illustrated by Loren Long This beautiful book is a tribute to thirteen innovative Americans: from the artistry of Georgia O’Keefe to the courage of Jackie Robinson; to the patriotism of George Washington, President Obama sees the traits of these extraordinary citizens within his own children, and within all of America’s children. The evocative illustrations are breathtaking. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

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Me on the Map written by Joan Sweeney, illustrated by Annette Cable What a great introduction to maps and geography! A young girl shows readers herself on a map of her room, her room on the map of her house, her house on the map of her street—all the way to her country on a map of the world. She then shows how readers can find their own country, state, and town—all the way back to their room. Bright artwork helps make this book playful and fun. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States written by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn In this book, poems evocative of seven geographical regions create a beautiful portrait of the United States. Voices of beloved poets including Langston Hughes, Carl Sandburg, Nikki Giovanni, and Lilian Moore blend with new voices that sing of landscapes and daily life across the land. Complementing the poems are maps of the regions and facts about each state, along with textured artwork by Stephen Alcorn. Recommended interest level: grades 3–5. The Road Trip to Yosemite written by Helen Bethune, illustrated by Joy Allen Amelia and Oliver’s family plan to go on a road trip to Yosemite National Park. How long will the trip take? What is the best way to go? Will the GPS help them navigate the journey? And, more importantly, will they see bears? This charming little book is for newly independent readers. Recommended interest level: grades 1–2. Sarah’s Journal written by Helen Bethune, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen In 1634, Sarah and her family left England forever and sailed to Massachusetts to make a new life. Sarah described the hazardous journey across the Atlantic before the ship eventually reached land and the family made its way to Salem. Sarah continued to keep her diary, so we are able to learn about her life in the New World—the village, the meetinghouse, Sarah’s school, and what food was grown. Gently and lovingly illustrated, this book is an excellent introduction to early European settlement in America. Recommended interest level: grades 1–4.

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Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt written by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by James Ransome Clara, a young slave, works as a seamstress in the Big House and dreams of freedom. While white men visit the house, their drivers sit in the kitchen and talk of runaway slaves and a path to freedom that anyone could follow if only they had a map. Clara realizes that she could use the cloth in her bag and secretly make a map of the land—a freedom quilt. The work takes a long time as Clara waits for scraps of cloth that are the right colors: blue for creeks and rivers, green for fields, and white for roads. When the map is finally finished Clara is the first to use it, but she leaves the quilt itself behind to help others find their way. Based on a little-known chapter in the history of the Underground Railroad, this is a powerful, inspiring story, beautifully illustrated. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. This Is the Tower That Frank Built written by Sharon Callen, illustrated by Bettina Guthridge This cumulative tale is fiction based on fact. It tells us all about the amazing building: 8 Spruce Street, New York City. There’s a school, a pool, a playroom and apartments in its 76 stories. Its rippling walls change color with the sun. The tower, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, was named the World’s Best New Skyscraper in 2012. Recommended interest level: grades 1–2. Where the Buffaloes Begin written by Olaf Baker, illustrated by Stephen Gammell Originally published in 1915, this story is a retelling of a Blackfoot tale. Little Wolf rides his pony at night to where, legend has it, a buffalo herd rises and thunders across the prairie. Little Wolf guides the buffaloes and, in doing so, saves his village from attack from an enemy tribe. Where the Buffaloes Begin is a Caldecott Honor book. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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Specific Genres Fantasy and Adventure Galax-Arena written by Gillian Rubinstein This acclaimed science fiction novel is a gripping, futuristic story in which Peter, Joella, and Liane succeed in escaping from a life in which they were forced to perform acrobatics in a highly competitive, dangerous world. Recommended interest level: grades 6 and up. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone written by J. K. Rowling, illustrated by Mary GrandePré J. K. Rowling’s debut novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (also known as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) is a bestseller worldwide. In the non-magic human world—the world of “Muggles”—Harry is a nobody; he’s treated like dirt by his aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning bolt on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers. Humorous, haunting, and suspenseful, this is award-winning adventure left kids clamoring for more! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Hatchet written by Gary Paulsen Hatchet is a dramatic 1988 Newbery Honor book. Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the plane in which he is flying crashes. Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, the hatchet his mother had given him, and a dreadful secret. It takes all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive. Hatchet is a page-turning, heart-stopping adventure. Recommended interest level: grades 6 and up. James and the Giant Peach written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake After a rhinoceros tragically eats James Henry Trotter’s parents, he goes to live with his two horrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. Life there is no fun at all until James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree and strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it’s a big as a house. Inside, James meets a bunch of oversized friends: Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug,

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and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the great adventure begins! James and the Giant Peach is one of Roald Dahl’s best-loved books. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Journey to the Center of the Earth written by Sally Odgers, illustrated by Mike Brownlow Here the reader takes on a most unexpected field trip, as the characters soar toward Iceland’s volcanoes and pass through molten magma! The trip was much more exciting than the usual things they did at the Interactive Learning Center, that’s for sure! Glowingly illustrated by Mike Brownlow, you too will want to put on a safety suit and see what is at Earth’s center. Recommended interest level: grades 1–3. Kenny and the Dragon written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi Kenny is a little rabbit with a very big problem. His two best friends are heading for a battle of legendary proportions—with each other! In one corner there is Graeme, a well-read and cultured dragon with sophisticated tastes. In the other there’s George, a retired knight and dragon slayer who would be happy to spend the rest of his days in his bookshop. Neither wants to fight, but the village townspeople want to remove Graeme from their midst and call George out of retirement. Can Kenny avert disaster? It’s an amusing story that addresses a number of important issues. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Knight and the Dragon written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola What happens when a sheepish knight and a not-so-fierce dragon fight for the very first time? It’s certainly not an ordinary battle since the knight has to go to the castle library to learn about dragon-fighting and the dragon must search through his ancestor’s things to find out how to fight a knight! This lively, colorful story is one that all children find delightful. Don’t miss it! It’s sure to be in the library. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) written by Rick Riordan, illustrated by John Rocco Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school…again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be coming to life and crossing Percy's path. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. The first installment of Rick Riordan’s best-selling series is a nonstop, thrilling ride full of suspense and surprises! Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

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The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) written by Rick Riordan Jason has no memory of his previous life. He awakens one day and apparently has a girlfriend, Piper, and a best friend, Leo. They are teen demigods who are just coming to understand their unique abilities as they learn how much depends upon their wits, courage, and fast-growing friendship. Action scenes come frequently as the three characters fight monstrous enemies in North American locations including the Grand Canyon, Detroit, Chicago, Quebec City, Omaha, Pikes Peak, and Sonoma Valley. This book will please fans of The Lightning Thief. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Moby Dick: A Pop-Up Book written and illustrated by Sam Ita Moby Dick, Herman Melville’s epic saga of Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest for the white whale, comes to life in this three-dimensional graphic novel—the first of its kind. There is not just one pop-up per spread, but several surrounded by colourful comic-book style panels. Sam Ita has also created a pop-up book of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne’s engrossing undersea story. The lost city of Atlantis, complete with ancient artifacts, temples, and columns rises from the page as if emerging from the waves. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Peter Pan: A Classic Pop-Up Sound Book written and illustrated by Robert Sabuda J. M. Barrie’s classic story of Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael, and John comes to life in this elaborate edition. It blends storytelling, art, and sound to make the story even more magical. The masterful art will entice students to quickly collapse one illustration to see what the next page delivers. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Planet Puzzle written by Bill Condon, illustrated by Kimberley Scott In this book, Amarissa, Zachariah, and Saskia play a question and answer game as they peer at planet Earth on their space craft screen. And a puzzle it is. They discover that Earthlings drink water, don’t wear anti-fume shields, and don’t have to put glue on their shoes to make sure they stay on the planet. What a very strange place it must be! Recommended interest level: grades 1–3.

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A Wrinkle in Time written by Madeleine L’Engle This science fiction fantasy novel was first published in 1962 and made into a film in 2003. When Charles Wallace Murry goes searching through a "wrinkle in time" for his lost father, he finds himself on an evil planet where all life is enslaved by a huge pulsating brain known as "It." Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

Mystery The Egypt Game written by Zipha Keatley Snyder, illustrated by Alton Raible In this book, Melanie Ross and April Hall become fast friends when they realize that they both have a strong love for anything that has to do with Egypt. Melanie and April find an abandoned lot behind an antique shop and begin to play the Egypt Game: holding ceremonies, wearing costumes, and creating a secret code. Soon other friends join in the game, but it isn’t long before strange things begin to happen to everyone. What will it take for them to realize that the Egypt Game has gone too far? Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Mysteries of Harris Burdick written by Chris Van Allsburg The legend says that there once was a man named Harris Burdick who went to a publisher with twelve illustrations that he wanted to make into books. He wrote captions to go with each illustration to briefly explain the stories he intended to write. Then, he disappeared and no one has heard from him since. The illustrations are beautiful and mysterious and will evoke all sorts of discussion among students. They can even be used as writing prompts! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Piggins written by Jane Yolen This book is written as a parody on English mysteries including the classic mystery ingredients: fancy jewels, a butler, and dinner guests. When Mrs. Reynard’s diamond necklace goes missing during a blackout, all of the dinner guests go on a search. Of course it is the butler, Piggins, who ends up solving the mystery and helping to catch the culprits! Recommended interest level: grades K–3.

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You might know that Spike Jonze directed the film version of Where the Wild Things Are, but did you know it was filmed on twelve locations in Australia?

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What Really Happened to Humpty? From the Files of a Hard-Boiled Detective written by Jeanie Franz Ranson, illustrated by Stephen Axelsen Joe Dumpty is a detective and Humpty Dumpty’s brother. He arrives on the scene after Humtpy’s big fall to figure out what really happened— did he fall or was he pushed? Classic Mother Goose characters, such as Bo Peep and Goldilocks, appear in this hilarious version of the classic fairytale. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. When You Reach Me written by Rebecca Stead In this book, a sixth-grade girl named Miranda is living in New York City. The year is 1979. Miranda’s mother is studying to be a game show contestant, hoping to win $20,000. Miranda receives a mysterious letter that may be from the future or the past—she can’t tell. This 2010 Newbery Medal winner is a fascinating story of time warp, depicting life in the 1970s using amazing characters and an exciting plot that all students will enjoy! Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

Humor Anastasia Krupnik written by Lois Lowry What a life! Anastasia Krupnik has an awful teacher who can’t understand why Anastasia doesn’t capitalize or punctuate her poems. Then, there’s Washburn Cummings, a very interesting sixth-grade boy who doesn’t even know she is alive. Even her parents have become difficult. They insist she visit her 92-year-old grandmother who can never remember Anastasia’s name. On top of that, they’re going to have a baby—at their age! It’s enough to make a kid want to do something terrible. Anastasia knows that if she didn’t have her secret green notebook to write in, she would never make it to her eleventh birthday. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash illustrated by Steven Kellogg

written by Trinka Hakes Noble,

What started off as an ordinary class trip to the farm, turned into chaos as one zany incident lead to another. A tangled mess of cows, pigs, corn, school lunches, eggs, and a large boa constrictor contribute to the chaos of the trip, ending with the snake eating the laundry hanging on the line and the teacher rushing the kids back onto the bus in a quick escape from the farm. It’s definitely one of the most memorable books about farm adventures ever written. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1.

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Matilda written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake Matilda is a brilliant and sensitive child, with ordinary and rather unpleasant parents, who are contemptuous of their daughter’s prodigious talents and her discovery of her telekinetic abilities. Matilda constantly pulls pranks on her family as discipline for their misdeeds, such as gluing her father’s hat to his head with superglue, hiding a parrot in the chimney, and tricking the family into thinking there is a ghost in the house. One day, when she is attacked by her odious headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, Matilda discovers she has a remarkable power with which to avenge herself! This beloved Roald Dahl title is now available in a gorgeous hardcover classic edition. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. How to Eat Fried Worms written by Thomas Rockwell, illustrated by Emily A. McCully Billy must eat 15 worms in 15 days—but the reward will be worth it: $50 for a shiny new minibike. Luckily, Billy’s friends cook up these fat juicy worms in a variety of appetizing ways—drenched in ketchup and mustard, fried in butter and cornmeal, and even an ice cream worm cake. Billy’s family, after checking with the doctor, takes everything in stride. They even help Billy through his gastronomic ordeal, which twists and turns with each new day, leaving the outcome of the bet continually in doubt. It’s a hilarious story that will revolt and delight many students in your class. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Sideways Stories from Wayside School written by Louis Sachar, illustrated by Adam McCauley and Julie Brincklo Wayside School was built with one classroom on top of another, thirty stories high (the builder said he was sorry), instead of one story high with thirty classrooms. Maybe that’s why all kinds of funny things happen at Wayside—especially on the thirteenth floor. As befits such a quirky school, the tales are rather quirky too. In one, Jason is stuck to his seat by a large wad of chewing gum. His teacher tries throwing iced water on him (to chill the gum to brittleness) and turning him upside down. She even considers cutting his pants off. Finally, though, he falls from his upside-down position when kissed (ugh!) by one of the girls in the class. There are two other books in this collection of quirky tales: Wayside School is Falling Down and Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales written by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith The entire book, with its unconventional page arrangement and eclectic, frenetic mix of text and pictures, deconstructs not only the tradition of the fairytale but also the entire notion of a book. In these irreverent variations on well-known tales, the ugly duckling grows up to be an ugly duck and the princess who kisses the frog wins only a mouthful of amphibian slime. There are ten complete fairly stupid tales that leave the reader laughing at the end of each one. Interestingly, even the youngest listeners and readers "get it." Recommended interest level: grades 1 and up.

Stories from Around the World Africa Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions written by Margaret Musgrove, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon This stunning ABC book provides fascinating facts about African tribes and customs. The different tribes are listed in alphabetical order and the illustrations are rich and beautiful. Meticulously researched, the book ends with a map of Africa that shows where each tribe lives. Artists Leo and Diane Dillon won their second consecutive Caldecott Medal for this engaging book. Recommended interest level: grades K–3. Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales edited by Nelson Mandela

J.K. Rowling’s Quidditch Through the Ages is a great companion to the Harry Potter books. It tells you all you could ever need to know about the history, the rules, and the breaking of the rules of the noble wizarding sport of Quidditch.

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This collection of short fables is a compilation of writings and translations by numerous authors and features illustrations by a diverse range of artists, mostly from South Africa. The selections are also from Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Morocco. Each story is introduced with a short source note and a frontispiece map matches each tale to its geographical area. This patchwork of fables will provide depth and breadth to any classroom collection of picture books about Africa and its people. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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We All Went on Safari written by Laurie Krebs, illustrated by Julia Cairns Join Arusha, Mosi, Tumpe, and their Maasai friends as they set out on a counting journey through the grasslands of Tanzania. They encounter many animals including elephants, lions, and monkeys while counting from one to ten in English and Swahili. The rhythmic text is accompanied by notes about each of the animals, information about Tanzania and the Maasai people, a map, and a glossary of Maasai names. Recommended interest level: grades K and up. Why Anansi Has Eight Thin Legs: A Tale from West Africa written by Leah Osei, illustrated by Katie Saunders Anansi the Spider is a mischievous folk hero who appears in traditional Ashanti tales from Ghana, West Africa. In this tale, Anansi loves nothing more than to taste other people’s food, but his greedy nature and unwillingness to help his friends eventually results in his legs being pulled in all different directions at once. Not only does he end up with eight very thin legs but also it seems that he may have to cook his own dinner! Recommended interest level: grades K–2. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears retold by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon This story is a cumulative tale from West Africa. A mosquito brags to an iguana that he spied a farmer digging yams as big as mosquitoes. The iguana scoffs at such nonsense, puts sticks in his ears and scuttles off through the reeds. He sets off a chain reaction among the many animals that live there. Eventually the king lion calls a meeting to try and resolve the situation. The chain of events is traced back to the culprit, the pesky mosquito. The illustrators of Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears were awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1976. It was the first of their two consecutive wins; the second was for Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions. Recommended interest level: grades K and up.

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Asia C Is for China written by Sungwan So From Abacus to Zen, this spectacular photographic alphabet book introduces young readers to the rich culture and natural beauty of China. The colorful images explore the country’s customs, ancient and modern, illustrating not only the hubbub of street life in the cities, but also the rhythms of day-to-day life in rural areas. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends from Vietnam retold by Thich Nhat Hanh The fifteen stories in this book include traditional and historical legends as well as new tales inspired by Vietnam’s recent past. The tales are told in beautiful prose and are accompanied by finely crafted black and white illustrations. The stories are organized under the following categories: Beginnings, Customs and Culture, and Conflict and Change. The author is a Buddhist monk, poet, and scholar and was nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Firekeeper’s Son written by Linda Sue Park and illustrated by Julie Downing Set in 19th century Korea, the story centers around a bonfire signal system. At sunset, Sang-hee’s father always climbs the mountain and lights a fire that signals to another fire keeper on the next mountain to light his fire, and so on, all the way to the peak closest to the king’s palace. The fires assure the king that all is well in the land. Then one evening, Sang-hee’s father breaks his ankle so the boy has to keep the light burning. He has to ascend alone in the darkness with a bucket of burning coals. A sense of inherited mission pervades the conclusion as Sang-hee realizes that he, too, is “part of the king’s guard.” The illustrator’s watercolor and pastel double-page illustrations personalize the history. Readers will be intrigued by this early form of communication, caught up in the story’s drama, and satisfied by the resolution. Recommended interest level: grades 1–3. The Quarrelling Kites written by Lin Acacio-Flores, illustrated by Hermès Alègrè This story from the Philippines tells of two very quarrelsome kites and the father and son who fix the kites with running repairs. This is a lovely tale of camaraderie and friendship and the unspoken bonds of love between

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a father and son. The Quarreling Kites was awarded 3rd prize in the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award in 1995. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. The Red Piano written by Andre LeBlanc, illustrated by Stephane-Yves Barroux First published in France, this lavishly produced book is the extraordinary and haunting story of exiled piano virtuoso Zhu Xiao-Mei. It follows a young girl during the time of China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). She is taken from her family and sent to a far-off labor camp. Forbidden to play the piano, which she loves, she bravely finds a way of smuggling hand-written music into the camp and sneaks away at night to practice in a secret location. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Ruby’s Wish written by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by Sophie Blackall Ruby stands out because she insists on always wearing red, the color of celebration (“Even when her mother made her wear somber colors like her other cousins, Ruby would tie up her jet-black hair with red ribbons”) but even more so because of her quiet dissatisfaction with the family’s traditional gender inequity. Determined to study reading and writing—even when it means long hours catching up on more wifely training—Ruby eventually comes to the attention of her grandfather, the wise house patriarch, who springs a surprise as the time for her to wed approaches. Sophie Blackall captures the Chinese culture expertly, with elegant calligraphy, muted period clothing, and countless fine details from a porcelain bowl full of terrapins to ink smudges on Ruby’s cousins’ faces. Ruby’s Wish is based upon the inspirational story of the author’s grandmother. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. The Story about Ping written by Marjorie Flack, illustrated by Kurt Wiese The Story about Ping is the much-loved tale of a little duck alone on the Yangtze River. On a day like any other, Ping sets off from the boat he calls home with his comically large family in search of “pleasant things to eat.” On this particular day, he is accidentally left behind when the boat leaves. Undaunted, the little duck heads out onto the Yangtze in search of his family, only to find new friends and adventures—and a bit of peril— around every bend. Certainly intended to be read aloud, The Story About Ping deserves a place in every young reader’s (and listener’s) classroom. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2.

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The Two Bullies translated by Isao Morimoto, illustrated by Junko Morimoto Ni-ou was the strongest man in Japan and Dokkoi was the strongest man in China, but when they sit within hearing distance of each other they show that bravery is not one of their strengths. The Two Bullies is illustrated with great inventiveness, humor, and beauty, using both traditional and modern elements of style. Recommended interest level: grades 1 and up.

Australia Are We There Yet? A Journey Around Australia written and illustrated by Alison Lester Join Grace and her family on a year of adventure as they hit the road camping, experiencing and meeting all the people and places that make up Australia. This is a funny and heartfelt story based on an actual journey undertaken by award-winning author and illustrator, Alison Lester. Are We There Yet? was the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year in 2005. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. Diary of a Wombat written by Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley An enterprising wombat answers the question, “What, exactly, do wombats do all day?” After explaining his unique Australian heritage, the wombat paints a funny, if rather dull, picture of his daily routine. “Monday Morning: Slept. / Afternoon: Slept. / Evening: Ate grass. / Scratched. / Night: Ate grass.” Things begin to perk up, however, when the wombat discovers her new human neighbors. The diary indirectly informs readers about a wombat's habitat and nocturnal lifestyle and Bruce Whatley’s paintings of the chocolate-brown creature are humorous and delightful. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. Possum Magic written by Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas Grandma Poss uses her best bush magic to make Hush invisible so that the baby possum is protected from snakes. But when Hush longs to see herself again, the two possums make their way around Australia’s capital cities to find the magic food that will make Hush visible again. Although the characters, locales, and vocabulary are thoroughly Australian, Possum Magic has universal appeal. There’s a simplified map and glossary in the back to help you out! The whimsical illustrations are entrancing. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2.

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The Rainbow Serpent written and illustrated by Dick Roughsey The Rainbow Serpent is a retelling of an Aboriginal story of creation featuring Goorialla, the rainbow serpent. The rainbow serpent came from beneath the ground and created huge ridges, mountains, and gorges as it pushed upwards. This book was a deserved winner of the Australian Picture Book of the Year in 1976. The evocative illustrations capture the gray-greens of the eucalyptus trees, and the ochres and reds of inland Australia. This book may be hard to find but a determined search will be worth the effort. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Storm Boy written by Colin Thiele, illustrated by Robert Ingpen Storm Boy is a moving story that became a magical film. Storm Boy likes to wander through the sand dunes along the fierce deserted coast that faces out into the Southern Ocean. After a pelican mother is shot, Storm Boy rescues her three chicks and nurses them back to health. He names them Mr. Proud, Mr. Ponder, and Mr. Percival. The story then concentrates on the conflict between his lifestyle and the externally imposed requirement to attend school, and the fate of Mr. Percival. This edition features glorious illustrations from master illustrator Robert Ingpen, a winner of the internationally acclaimed Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration. His work captures the wave-beaten shore and the windswept dunes of the Coorong in South Australia. If there is one Australian book that you should read to your class it is Storm Boy—just make sure you have a box of tissues nearby! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Tiddalick, the Greedy Frog: An Aboriginal Dreamtime Story retold by Nicholas Wu, illustrated by Nina Rycroft Long ago in Dreamtime, Tiddalick, the largest frog ever known, awoke with a huge thirst. He started to drink until there was no water left on Earth. Soon creatures everywhere were dying and trees were wilting. The animals pondered their terrible plight until wise old wombat suggested that if Tiddalick was made to laugh the water might flow from his mouth. The animals thought it was a good idea, however no matter what they did, Tiddalick was not amused. How were the lakes and rivers replenished? You will have to read this Aboriginal dreamtime story to find out! Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Europe The Adventures of Pinocchio written by Carlo Collodi, illustrated by Roberto Innocenti There are a large number of editions of this classic Italian tale, many of which have been simplified. This is an unabridged translation of the original text, not a synthesized version. Pinocchio’s creator and father, Geppetto, loves him dearly. Although Pinocchio loves him just as much, the wayward puppet finds it almost impossible to be the good loving son he wishes to be. More than anything, Pinocchio wishes to be a real boy, so Blue Fairy promises to grant his wish if he can prove that he is brave, loyal, and honest. But Pinocchio is easily tempted into making the wrong choices and before long he is drawn into a series of magical and often frightening adventures. Will he ever learn the difference between good and bad? Roberto Innocenti, who is from Florence and is a winner of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award, has brought Carlo Collodi’s story to life with illustrations that are simply breathtaking. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Bremen Town Musicians retold by Leah Osei, illustrated by Tracie Grimwood Hoping to start a new life away from his cruel master, an old donkey leaves the farm to travel to Bremen, Germany, where he plans to become a musician. On the way, he meets a dog, a cat, and a rooster. With a bray, a bark, a meow, and a cock-a-doodle-doo, they become friends and decide to travel together along the road to Bremen, for they too wish to start new lives. The animals have a great adventure with an unexpected surprise in this beautifully illustrated retelling of the classic story from the Brothers Grimm. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. The Greatest Skating Race: A World War II Story from the Netherlands written by Louise Borden, illustrated by Niki Daly In 1941, Piet, a young Dutch boy from Sluis, is given the assignment of a lifetime: he is asked to skate along the frozen canals of the Netherlands and across the Belgian border in order to guide two children to their aunt’s house in Bruges, where the children are to remain for the duration of the war. German soldiers have taken their father, and the children are no longer safe in Sluis—but the journey with Piet, past soldiers and enemies, is fraught with danger. Along the treacherous path to Belgium the three children skate using every bit of speed, courage, and strength they can muster. All the time they try to appear like innocent schoolchildren simply out for a skate, for if the German soldiers discover their escape

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plan, the children will be in grave danger. Louise Borden’s moving text captures the tension and fear of Piet’s mission, while Niki Daly’s evocative illustrations bring the children and their perilous journey into vivid focus. Recommended interest level: grades 2–5. Katie Morag and the New Pier written and illustrated by Mairi Hedderwick Katie Morag, is always up to something whether she’s mixed up in a parcel-posting problem, having bright ideas to help Grannie Island out of a spot of sheep trouble or planning the best wedding ever, Katie Morag McColl guarantees a story to cherish. When workmen arrive on the Isle of Struay to build a grand new pier, everyone looks forward to the changes it will bring to island life. But there is one person who’s not so sure. Granny Island is worried that the old ways will be lost forever. Fourteen books make up the Katie Morag series set on a fictional island off the west coast of Scotland. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles written by Rupert Kingfisher, illustrated by Sue Hellard ‘In the city of Paris, on the banks of the river, tucked away down a winding alley there is a shop…’ It is in the basement of this small, rather shabby looking shop that Madame Pamplemousse makes the rarest, most delicious delicacies in all of Paris. Monsieur Lard, who runs a fancy restaurant wants to be recognized as a famous chef but his cooking is “revolting.” This delightful modern day fairytale will enchant all readers. After you have read about Madame’s incredible edibles, there’s Madame Pamplemousse and the Time-Travelling Cafe and Madame Pamplemousse and the Enchanted Sweet Shop to enjoy too. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Madeline written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans The original Madeline was named a Caldecott Honor Book, and the first of its sequels, Madeline’s Rescue received a Caldecott Medal. Madeline has been described as charmingly impetuous, irrepressible, mischievous, and precocious. She may have been the smallest of the 12 little girls in two straight lines, but she certainly was the feistiest. Wearing their flat sailor hats and identical coats, Madeline’s classmates all look alike except for their hair. But Madeline stands out, not because of the way she looks, but because unlike the other girls, she is utterly fearless. Bemelmans takes Madeline’s readers on whirlwind adventures in Paris, London, Rome, and the French countryside. Recommended interest level: grades K–3.

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Market Day written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Holly Berry Inspired by memories of her childhood, Eve Bunting’s text conveys all the charm of a very important day in a small Irish village. Thursday is market day in Tess’ small village, and the excitement begins when Father gives her a market day penny to spend. Together with her best friend Wee Boy, Tess explores the wondrous rollicking grounds. There are pigs, chickens, and sheep to see, gob stoppers and cherry lips to eat, an amazing sword-swallower to watch, and much more. Eve Bunting and Holly Berry have created a boisterous, exuberant tribute to an Irish marketplace. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. Rechenka’s Eggs written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco This story is about an old woman who uses the Ukrainian art of egg painting to prepare beautiful eggs for an Easter festival. In Rechenka’s Eggs Babushka is known throughout all of Moskva for her skill. She also has an eye for the wonders of nature, so it is no surprise when she befriends an injured goose she names Rechenka. But, when Rechenka turns over a basket of Babuska’s specially prepared eggs, the reader is surprised by another wonder that saves the day! Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. The Red Balloon written by Albert Lamorisse This book tells the beguiling story of Pascal; who finds a magical balloon that leads him into adventure in the back streets of Paris. The evocative photographs were taken during the making of the children’s film. This magical book has become an enduring children’s classic. Recommended interest level: grades 1 and up. Starting School written by Alan and Janet Ahlberg, illustrated by Janet Ahlberg This is an enchanting picture book for reassuring children who are about to start school for the very first time. The first four months of school for eight first graders are chronicled in wonderful watercolor detail. Lines of text are interrupted by numerous small pictures that show a multi racial class of children getting used to things such as "The First Day," a book corner, a box of dress-up clothes, the toilets, lockers, classroom routines, and saying goodbye to parents. Three other parts, "The Second Day," "Time Goes By," and "Christmas Comes" follow with learning to read and write, show-and-tell, and the class rabbit who is finally named Ronald. Numerous pictures show the small school obstacles that each five year old must overcome. Recommended interest level: grades pre K–2 (and parents, too).

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The Story of Ferdinand written by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936! This "new" edition contains the original text and illustrations with watercolor tones added. Ferdinand, a little bull, much prefers to sit under a tree and smell the flowers rather than snorting and head-butting other bulls. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow until the day he is bitten by a bee. This happens on the very day that five men come to choose the “biggest, fastest, roughest bull” for the bullfights in Madrid. Ferdinand’s day in the bullring provides a lesson in non-violent tranquility. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1.

North America America the Beautiful: A Pop-Up Book written by Robert Sabuda and Robert Clarke Sabuda Prepare to be astonished by this three-dimensional marvel. Master paper engineer Robert Sabuda has reinterpreted the classic American anthem “America the Beautiful” in a dazzling way. From the Golden Gate Bridge to Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty and a Mississippi river boat to the small inset booklets featuring American symbols such as the Liberty Bell and the Twin Towers, this book is a masterpiece—and a wonderful way to view America. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Coyote: A Trickster Tale written by Sam Besson, illustrated by Clare Fennell Stunningly illustrated by Clare Fennell, this Isleta Pueblo story tells of when Coyote saw a flock of crows singing and dancing, chanting, and laughing. He stopped and came up close to watch them but forgot that the crows were always trying to trick him. Coyote had a nose for trouble and he was following his nose again. He finds it! Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Cuckoo, Cuckoo: A Folktale from Mexico written by Sarah Keane, illustrated by Clare Fennell This story introduces readers to Cuckoo, a very, very beautiful bird. She may be beautiful but all she does is sing, much to the annoyance of the parrots who remind her that they have to collect seeds for the winter, not sing all day and night! But when the birds, exhausted from their work, are threatened by fire, Cuckoo comes to the rescue even though she loses her voice and her beautiful plumage. Now we know why cuckoos are ashcolored. Clare Fennell’s glowing artwork makes this little book a delight! Recommended interest level: grades K–2.

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Ghost Wings written by Barbara M. Joosse, illustrated by Giselle Potter Ghost Wings, set in Mexico, is a touching story of a little girl whose very best friend is her grandmother. One spring Grandmother becomes as thin as smoke. When she dies, Papa says, “When you love someone they never really leave.” But to the little girl, Grandmother is impossibly far away. Ghost Wings’ poignant message of endurance and love is sure to linger long after the book is closed. The artwork is luminous and beautiful. Recommended interest level: grades K–3. The Desert Is Theirs written by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall Other names considered for Nancy Drew, a character created by Edward Stratemeyer, included Diana Dare, Stella Strong, Helen Hale, and Nan Nelson.

Byrd Baylor’s poetic text and Peter Parnall’s striking illustrations describe the animal and plant life found in the desert of the Southwest of the United States, while paying tribute to the Desert People who know the desert’s secrets. The sky, stone, and sand of the desert are all extraordinarily beautiful in this Caldecott Honor book. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola When a severe drought threatens the existence of a tribe, a courageous Comanche girl sacrifices her most treasured possession. The Great Spirit’s answer results not only in much needed rain but a very special gift in return. Thick clusters of vivid blue flowers spread over the hills of Texas! Tomie dePaola’s powerful retelling and glowing full-page illustrations capture the traditions of the Comanche people and the Texas landscape. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. Ox-Cart Man written by Donald Hall, illustrated by Barbara Cooney A 1980 Caldecott Award winner, Ox-Cart Man is a lyrical journey through the seasons and passing years enjoyed by one family in New England. It describes the day-to-day life in the early nineteenth century and provides a clear explanation of what the earth can produce and how families can work together. Barbara Cooney’s illustrations and this gentle story, which evokes a quiet time in American life that is irrevocably past, are highly recommended. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2.

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SkySisters written by Jan Bourdeau Waboose, illustrated by Brian Deines Two young Ojibway sisters, Alex (Nimise) and Allie (Nishiime) go out into the winter night to see the Aurora Borealis, which their people call the SkySpirits. When they reach the top of Coyote Hill they catch snowflakes, listen to the voices of coyotes, make snow angels, and gaze at the stars. When the Northern Lights appear dancing and shimmering in the night sky the girls watch in awe, and then decide that the SkySpirits are really the SkySisters. The highly textured illustrations highlight the prevailing imagery of snow, frozen breath, and the glorious night sky. Recommended interest level: grades K–3. That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton written by Sarah Ellis In May 1912, one month after the horrific sinking of the Titanic, Dorothy’s teacher encourages her to write an account of her experience on the ship, hoping that it will help Dorothy to come to terms with her trauma. And so begins a remarkable story, which reads like a time capsule of the era. Through Dorothy’s eyes, award-winning author Sarah Ellis takes a unique perspective on the Titanic tragedy, exploring the concept of survivor guilt with devastating honesty. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. This Land Is Your Land written by Woody Guthrie, illustrated by Kathy Jacobson Woody Guthrie’s classic ballad is brought to life in this richly illustrated edition. The lyrics and detailed paintings invite readers, no matter what their age, on a journey across the United States from California to the New York Island, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

South America and the Caribbean B Is for Brazil written and photographed by Maria de Fatima Campos From deep in the Amazon rain forest to the busy streets of São Paulo, B Is for Brazil shows this large and beautiful country in all its colorful diversity by leading readers on an alphabetical tour. From the Amazon rain forest to the world-famous Carnival, from technology to the Xavante people, the book captures modern, vibrant Brazil. Recommended interest level: grades K–2.

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Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella retold by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Brian Pinkney Adapted from a traditional Creole story, this retelling captures the ageold story of Cinderella, while melding it with the beauty of the Caribbean and the musical language of the islands. The story, which takes place on the island of Martinique, is told from the view of Cendrillon’s godmother. There’s a glossary and pronunciation guide for all the French Creole words but most can be understood by using context clues. The beautiful, rich artwork by award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney adds superbly to this wonderful version of Cinderella. Recommended interest level: grades K–3. Escape from Pacaya written by Nicolas Brasch, illustrated by Mark Jones Pacaya is an active complex volcano in Guatemala. Its last reported eruption, in May 2010, caused ash to rain down in Guatemala City, Antigua, and Escuintla. The beautifully illustrated Escape from Pacaya tells of how Juan, his mother, and his little sister escaped from the erupting, fiery volcano… but where was his father? Recommended interest level: grades K–2. Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott Jabuti the Tortoise tells the tale of the Amazon jungle’s shiny-shelled mischief-maker. Jabuti is not the cleverest trickster—he’s duped by a crabby vulture—but the colorful pipe player and his songs are well loved. Well, by everyone except his victims. Just ask Tapir and Jaguar! Gerald McDermott’s vibrant colors and simply shaped jungle creatures are quite startling. Recommended interest level: grades K–3. The Magic Bean Tree: A Legend from Argentina retold by Nancy Van Laan, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal In the middle of the wide Argentine pampas there once grew a magic tree. Above this tree slept a bird so evil that it could stop the rain from falling. Not far from the tree lived a brave boy who set out to save his village and all the creatures from dying from thirst. Illustrated in folk-art like paintings and retold with drama and simplicity, this legend of a child’s courage explains why the people of Argentina believe that good luck can be found in the shade of a carob tree. Recommended interest level: grades K–3.

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The Nutmeg Princess written by Richardo Keens-Douglas, illustrated by Annouchka Galouchko On a Caribbean island called the “Isle of Spice,” there was a lake with a nutmeg grove nearby. On the lake, some said, lives the Nutmeg Princess who would only appear when the nutmeg was ripe for picking and the sweet smell of spice filled the air. If you were lucky, you might see her, but to do so you had to rise at 4 a.m. and sit by the edge of the lake. Two children, Aglo and Petal, are determined to do just that and the townspeople follow along. However, only the two children see her and receive her wisdom. “Go now, follow your dreams, and if you believe in yourselves, all things are possible.” Then, she was gone: only to reappear to those with a good heart. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2.

Stories for Fun! Boom! written by Mark Haddon Boom! is a fun adventure novel of two boys determined to uncover secrets at their school. When two friends, Jim and Charlie, overhear their teachers speaking a weird language, there's no doubt they come from some alien planet. Why else would Mr. Kidd's eyes flash blue light? Follow Jim and Charlie to the staffroom and start a quest to reveal their teachers' true identities. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Dirty Beasts written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake Roald Dahl’s mischievous animals, from Stingaling the Scorpion to CrockyWocky the crocodile, are nothing short of outrageous. And there’s a clever pig with a plan to save his own bacon and an anteater with an unusually large appetite, too. Kids love this crazy collection of rhymes, even though they cry “Yuck!” Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. House Held Up By Trees written by Ted Kooser and illustrated by Jon Klassen Ted Kooser has written a story imbued with haunting beauty of man and nature. For years a family waits for a tree to grow on their land, and for years not a single tree sprouts. Many years pass until the tree starts to grow, but is the family too late? The author of this book has read the story to students in Grades 2, 4, and 6 and, without exception, they were all captivated. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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How to Survive in the Jungle written by Bill Condon, illustrated by Mike Gordon Bradley D. Mented is a wild and crazy action man. His TV program, The Wild and Crazy Action Man Show provides you with a complete guide to surviving in the jungle. It’s dangerous and deadly but it’s such fun! Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Keats’s Neighbourhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Treasury written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats Ezra Jack Keats forever changed the landscape of American children’s literature when he chose an African-American boy as the hero in The Snowy Day. Today, he is widely acknowledged as one of the first picturebook creators to feature realistic, friendly, multiethnic urban settings in his books. This beautiful collection brings ten of his best-loved stories together, including "The Snowy Day," "Whistle for Willie," "Hi, Cat!," and "Peter’s Chair." Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. Mommy written by Maurice Sendak, in collaboration with Arthur Yorinks and paper engineer Matthew Reinhart This humorous and intricately engineered book is almost wordless. It tells the story of a young boy searching for his “mommy” among monsters and mummies in a haunted mansion. Despite the scary surroundings and characters the boy isn’t scared at all. When he finally finds his mother it becomes clear why he is so comfortable with these familiar surroundings. Recommended interest level: grades 1 and up. The Marshmallow Man written by Jordan Moore, illustrated by John Nez Charlie and Elliot go to the state fair. They have alligator kabobs, funnel cakes, and milk chocolate popcorn, and that’s just the start. They have cranberry wontons, strawberry jam, salsa, and ice cream pizzas too…then they go on the roller coaster. (You can guess what happens!) But even though Charlie does feel rather ill, he can’t resist the fried bubblegum (marshmallow battered and fried). John Nez’s wonderful illustrations make the reader feel as if there is marshmallow oozing out of the pages. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated) written by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith Princess Hyacinth has a problem: she floats. So the king and queen have pebbles sewn into her socks, and force her to wear a crown encrusted with the heaviest jewels in the kingdom to keep her earthbound. One day Hyacinth comes across a balloon man and decides to take off all her princess clothes, grab a balloon, and float free. Alas, when the balloon man lets go of the string, off she goes. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Tell Me a Picture written by Quentin Blake In Tell Me a Picture, Quentin Blake has chosen twenty-six paintings and drawings, all with stories in mind. Some are by illustrators of children’s books from all over the world. Others are by artists whose pictures you usually see in art galleries. Each one is packed full of detail and ready to tell stories to everyone. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly designed and illustrated by Jeremy Holmes This is a quirky rendition of the universally familiar rhyme that is clever, fresh, and unexpected. It’s not a traditional pop-up book, but when you turn the last page the old lady’s eyes close! Recommended interest level: grades K and up. Why Do I Have to Eat Off the Floor? written by Chris Hornsey, illustrated by Gwyn Perkins Why can’t I drive the car? Because you are too small to drive. Why can’t I jump on the chair? Because chairs are for sitting. These seemingly innocent questions take on a crazy new twist as the illustrations reveal that the questions are being asked by a dog. The understated text beautifully sets off the grandiose ambitions of this little dog with BIG ideas. And his owner patiently answers all his questions, until finally she has to tell it like it is: But why do I have to eat off the floor? Because you’re a DOG, Murphy! Recommended interest level: grades 1–2.

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Your Guide to Superheroes written by James Reid, illustrated by Tom Bonson “Have you ever had a problem? / Have things not gone as you planned? / Then, read our guide to superheroes. / You’ll find one to lend a hand. / Our superheroes are fantastic. / There’s not a problem they can’t fix. / They’ll come to help you straight away, with all their special tricks.” Meet Dr. Hart Beat, Sir Smart, Ms. Vera Alert and Super Ray, and other superheroes; they will solve all your problems—well, maybe. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

Random Recommendations Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type written by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows love to type. All day long he hears Click, Clack, MOO; Click, Clack, MOO; Clickety, Clack, MOO; but Farmer Brown’s problems really begin when his cows start leaving him notes. First they demand better working conditions, then they stage a strike! This book is a 2001 Caldecott Honor Book and is recommended for interest with students in grades PreK–1. The Dark written by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen Laszlo is a small boy living in a big house in which darkness lurks, especially in the basement. Each morning, Laszlo peeks in the basement and says “Hi” to the dark, in the hope that if he visits the dark in its room maybe it won’t visit him in his room. Lemony Snicket’s text is typically eerie and suitably spooky, but without his usual droll tone. Jon Klassen’s subtle use of light and shade manages to capture Laszlo’s emotions. This is a simple but highly effective story. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. Dog Loves Books written and illustrated by Louise Yates Dog loves books about dinosaurs, and Dog loves books about aliens—in fact Dog loves all books! Dog has his very own bookstore, although he has very few customers. But that’s all right because when Dog is surrounded by books he is never short of friends—or fun. And when someone does come to his bookstore, Dog knows just which books to recommend. Recommended interest level: grades K–4.

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Fantastic Mr. Fox written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake .

Every time Mr. Fox steals a chicken from the farm, Farmers Bogus, Bunce, and Bean grow wild with rage! They’re the nastiest crooks in the valley, and they’ve concocted a cunning plan to dig him out of his hole once and for all. But it never occurs to them that Mr. Fox has a fantastic plan of his own. A Fantastic Mr. Fox movie was released in 2009 with voiceovers by George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, and others. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Harriet the Spy written and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh This book is about an intensely curious and intelligent girl who literally spies on people and writes about them in her secret notebook. Harriet is one of literature’s most unforgettable characters. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. The Polar Express written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg The Polar Express is considered to be a classic Christmas story for young children. It was awarded the Caldecott Medal for children’s literature in 1986 and was adapted as an Oscarnominated motion-picture film in 2004. The book starts off on Christmas Eve when a young boy is lying in bed waiting to hear the sound of Santa Claus’ sleigh bells. Suddenly, he hears loud rumbling outside on the street as a magical train called The Polar Express pulls up in front of his house. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

Ten Classic Picture Books Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss The Keeping Quilt, by Patricia Polacco The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

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Possum Come A-Knockin’ written by Nancy Van Laan, illustrated by George Booth This book is a delightful rhythmic read-aloud. Everyone will want to slap their thighs and stomp their feet when a rollicking possum comes a-knockin. But does he? Children will love the nonsense! Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Who Wants to be a Poodle, I Don’t written and illustrated by Lauren Child Trixie Twinkle Toes Trot-a-lot Delight is sick of being a poodle. She does not like her poodley name, she does not like poodley posing and she certainly doesn’t like the pink poodle that her owner insists on buying. Trixie would love to be daring and dangerous but will she ever get the chance? Lauren Child’s story is full of her usual humor and wordplay. Recommended interest level: grades K–2.

Books by an Author-Illustrator Pamela Allen Pamela Allen’s books are full of the music of language; they are "fragments of theater" designed to be read aloud. Her books have gained classic status through their enduring popularity with the very young. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Some of her books include: • Shhh! Little Mouse • Alexander’s Outing • Share Said the Rooster • Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella • The Potato People • Mr. McGee and the Biting Flea • Brown Bread and Honey • The Toymaker and the Bird

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Look for books by these author-illustrators

Marc Brown Marc Brown is famous for writing and illustrating the Arthur book series. The first book in the Arthur adventure series was Arthur’s Nose. Now there are more than twenty books in the series. Out of the Arthur series grew a new series of books based on Arthur’s little sister, D.W. You can look for Marc Brown’s children’s names, Tolon, Tucker, and Eliza hidden in the Arthur Adventure books. Recommended interest level: grades K–2.

Alison Lester

Junko Morimoto

Bob Graham

Maurice Sendak

Chris Van Allsburg

Mercer Mayer

David Wiesner

Mick Inkpen

Dr. Seuss

Oliver Jeffers

Eric Carle

Patricia Polacco

Ezra Jack Keats

Shaun Tan

Graeme Base

Tomie dePaola

Jeannie Baker

Anthony Browne Anthony Browne has more than forty much admired books to his name. He blends near photographic realism with fantastical, surreal touches and ingenious visual puns. His skillful use of color, pattern, and background subtly convey empathy for his lonely and sensitive characters. Recommended interest level: grades K and up. Some of his books include: • Willy the Wimp

• My Mum

• Willy the Champ

• My Brother

• Gorilla

• Into the Forest

• My Dad

• Little Beauty

Tomie dePaola In January 2011, Tomie dePaola was awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal by the American Library Association recognizing his "significant and lasting contributions to children’s literature." He is best known for his picture books such as Strega Nona which was awarded a Caldecott Honor in 1976. Recommended interest level: grades K and up.

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Dr. Seuss said he expected to spend “a week or so” writing The Cat in the Hat. It ended up taking him a year and a half.

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Books by an Author-Illustrator Team Roald Dahl (author) Quentin Blake (illustrator) Quentin Blake, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Illustration in 2002 and many other awards, is best known for his humorous illustrations of Roald Dahl’s stories and poems. What tales of the unexpected they are! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Some of their books and poems include: • Danny, the Champion of the World • The BFG • The Twits • The Witches • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory • George’s Marvelous Medicine • Revolting Rhymes • Fantastic Mr. Fox • James and the Giant Peach • Matilda

Laura Numeroff (author) Felicia Bond (illustrator) Laura Numeroff’s books are famous for their playful circular pattern and are illustrated in vibrant colors. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is considered a contemporary classic, with over four Look for books illustrated million copies sold. Recommended by these American artists interest level: grades 1 and up. Some of their books include:

Allen Say

Jerry Pinkney

Barry Moser

John Nez

Chris Raschka

Lane Smith

Ed Emberley

Mercer Mayer

Ed Young

Michael Lacapa

• If You Give a Cat a Cupcake

Gerald McDermott

Mordicai Gerstein

• If You Give a Dog a Donut

Hilary Knight

Ruth Heller

• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie • If You Give a Moose a Muffin • If You Give a Pig a Pancake

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The Caldecott Medal The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. It was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. You can find out about the medal and honor books by going to www.ala.org. Some recent medal winners include: This Is Not My Hat, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen; A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka; A Sick Day for Amos McGee, written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead; and The Lion & the Mouse, written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Recent Caldecott Honor books include: Creepy Carrots! written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown; Extra Yarn, written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen; and Green, written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

Children’s Choice Book Awards The Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards is a national book awards program where children and teens of all ages select the winning titles. Conducted by the Children’s Book Council, the program was created to allow young readers to voice their opinions about the books being written for them. You can find out about the awards by going to www.bookweekonline.com/about-CCBAs. Some recent medal winners include: Nighttime Ninja, written by Barbara DaCosta and illustrated by Ed Young; Lulu the Big Little Chick, written and illustrated by Paulette Bogan; Bad Kitty for President, written and illustrated by Nick Bruel; Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka; Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess and Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life both written and illustrated by Rachel Renee Russell; and The Fault in Our Stars, written by John Green.

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Classroom Ideas for Working with a Story Favorite Picture Book Author Report Have students create an oral presentation answering the questions below and instruct them to include a visual to support their presentation, as well. Students can use the planning guide from Appendix A (pages 130–131) to support their ideas. • Who is your favorite picture book author?

• What makes this author’s work appealing and why do you like it better than those written by others? • What questions would you like to ask the author and the illustrator if they visited your classroom?

Create a Storyboard Imagine that the book you have read is going to be made into a movie and use words or pictures (or both) to record a sequence of events from the book. Depending on the age of the students, choose whether they should use three frames to record one scene from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end of the book; or create a more detailed storyboard, telling the story in six or nine frames. There are storyboard templates for use with this activity located in Appendix A (pages 132–134). Looking Closely Provide each student with a “looking glass” made from a toilet paper or paper towel roll. Instruct them to use their looking glasses to carefully examine the illustrations throughout their selected book. Then students answer the questions below using the activity sheet provided in Appendix A (page 136). • Look closely at an illustration in one of your favorite picture books and then prepare a list of all the things that you can see in it. • If you had to delete two or three illustrations from the picture book which ones would you choose? Why would you do so?

• Choose another illustration from the book. What do you think about when you look at it?

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Web of Wonder Have students use a web like the one below to brainstorm ideas and questions about a picture book you have just read. Allow them time to write down any questions they had before, during, and after reading the story. There is a graphic organizer for use with this activity located in Appendix A (page 135).

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Why did…?

When did…?

What if they…?

Why did she/ he/they…?

How did…?

I wonder if…?

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Create an Alphabox Students work in pairs to create an Alphabox using words from the text. To do this, they search the book for words that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Alison Lester’s Magic Beach was used to create the example below. A template for this activity can be found in Appendix A (page 137). A

B

C

D

E

angelfish answer adrift

beach buckets bay buckles brass beacon blinks

castle crabs cloudy convoys cargo chest cliff

dragon darting digging driftwood drag dazzled

edge evening

F flames fading feathers fighting fire

G glee grey glittering glow

H heads hauling hook

I islands

J jetty jumping

K king

L laughing limpets leather-bound line

M moat magic monstrous moon

N navigate no one nibble night

O old

P plunging prancing peering pools pearls paddling path

Q queen

R rescue racing

S sparkling sea splashing shrieking spades shadows shark shore silvery

T towers tossing tails thundering treasure tide tangerine thrashing

U

V

W wild wind world waves wide

X

YZ

The process of producing a pop-up book is very complicated and generally takes well over 12 months to complete.

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Series and Chapter Books The first sentence of every novel should be: ‘Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.’ Meander if you want to get to town. Michael Ondaatje

Many students enjoy reading several books by a favorite author or a series of books about a familiar set of characters. Actually, so do adults! You have probably heard your friends say something like “I can’t wait until there’s another Anita Shreve book to read at the beach” or “Do you know if there’s another John Grisham book out yet?" or "I’ve always loved Richard Ford’s books." We all know how popular Harry Potter was, and is, with millions of young readers—and older ones, too. And we know that boys love Anthony Horowitz’s series featuring Alex Rider (the world’s most successful 14-year-old spy) and preschoolers love the Maisy books with Maisy and her animal friends and toys. There are many fine series and individual books that, if introduced, will cater to all readers’ interests. Friends, fantasy, mystery, and humor are the themes that link the most widely read books, so it’s a good idea to keep these themes in mind when selecting books to read out loud or for students to read independently. You can work with “chapter books” or novels that students have read as a group or a class, different stories which explore the same theme, or a novel that has been read to the class over a period of time. And you can introduce particular series by reading one or two aloud to your class; keen readers will follow and read more once they discover the series’ characters. © Shell Education

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Sometimes stories leave the reader puzzled. There are questions unanswered or resolutions that do not please. After reading a chapter book or novel, readers need to be provided time to think about what they have read and become aware of the thinking of those around them. We need to encourage students to pose their own questions, make their own statements, and not always answer pre-set questions after the reading of a story. Such a practice usually stifles students’ own responses by focusing attention on what should be known about a story rather than encouraging readers to pose their own questions about what they found interesting, confusing, etc. It is through genuine inquiry that students learn, so they need to have a chance to seek and solve problems.

Series and Chapter Books to Enjoy Series Here are some great series that you can introduce to your class—watch the students blossom as readers. Amelia Bedelia Series written by Peggy and Herman Parish, illustrated by Wallace Tripp, Fritz Siebel, Lynn Sweat, and Lynn Avril (the current illustrator) For nearly half a century housekeeper Amelia Bedelia has been turning ordinary tasks into extraordinary fun. She draws the drapes with a pencil and sketchpad. She makes sponge cake with a real sponge. She recruits a train conductor to lead an orchestra. And when she’s driving toward a fork in the road, she’s also on the lookout for a spoon. Recommended interest level: grades K–3. Other books in this series include: • Amelia Bedelia Helps Out • Teach Us Amelia Bedelia • Come Back, Amelia Bedelia • Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia • Amelia Bedelia and the Baby • Amelia Bedelia and the Cat • Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm • Amelia Bedelia’s First Valentine • An Amelia Bedelia Celebration: Four Stories Tall

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Alex Rider Series written by Anthony Horowitz Alex Rider has proven to be a valuable resource to MI6. He is highly skilled in numerous activities: karate, languages, climbing, snowboarding, surfing, scuba-diving, canoeing, kite-surfing—you name it! Readers who have enjoyed Robert Muchamore’s The Cherub Series are likely to find Alex Rider before you do. Recommended interest level: grades 6 and up. Other books in this series include: • Crocodile Tears

• Eagle Strike

• Snakehead

• Skeleton Key

• Ark Angel

• Point Blank

• Scorpia

• Stormbreaker

Angelina Ballerina Series written by Katharine Holabird, illustrated by Helen Craig Angelina is a little mouse with big dreams to be the greatest ballerina in all of Mouseland. She dances all the time—even when she is supposed to be doing chores or getting ready for school. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Other books in this series include: • Angelina at the Palace • Angelina’s Baby Sister • Angelina’s Birthday • Angelina on Stage • Angelina, Star of the Show

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The Borrowers Series written by Mary Norton, illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush The Borrowers, a Carnegie Medal winner, has stolen the hearts of thousands of readers since its 1953 publication. Secretive and resourceful, the Borrowers live concealed in the houses of full-sized human beings, subsisting on bits of food and cleverly using odds and ends that they ‘borrow’ and fashion into clothing, tools, and furnishings. If The Borrowers are not carried in your school library, you can purchase used copies online. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

Norman Bridwell, the author of Clifford the Big Red Dog, nearly called the dog Tiny but his wife suggested Clifford—the name of her childhood imaginary friend.

Other books in this series include: • The Borrowers Afield • The Borrowers Afloat • The Borrowers Aloft • The Borrowers Avenged The Chronicles of Narnia Series written by C.S. Lewis Welcome to Narnia…the land between the lamppost and the castle of Cair Paravel on the eastern sea, where animals talk, where magical things happen, and where the adventure begins. Over the past fifty years, C. S. Lewis’ classic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia has fascinated generations of readers. Millions of fans have embraced the recent movies The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Recommended interest level: grades 6 and up. Clarice Bean Series written by Lauren Child Lauren Child’s wacky, wonderful books are full of color and scattered text. Clarice Bean’s family members lurk in doorways, flick noses and throw up their hands in dismay, all with equal measures of melodrama. With big words for big thoughts, sideways lines for sideways ideas, and a curly, flowery font for Mom’s pronouncements, there’s excitement on every page. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Other books in this series include: • Clarice Bean, That’s Me • Clarice Bean Spells Trouble • My Uncle Is a Hunckle, says Clarice Bean • What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean? • Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now Clementine Series written by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Maria Frazee Sometimes touching and frequently amusing, this engaging chapter book is well suited to reading aloud or reading independently. As Clementine says, “Spectacularful ideas are always springing up in my brain.” Clementine is an ingenuous girl with a talent for trouble and a good heart. Her best friend is her neighbor Margaret, who experiences both qualities firsthand. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Other books in the series include: • Talented Clementine • Clementine’s Letter Conspiracy 365 Series written by Gabrielle Lord This exciting twelve-book series commences with Conspiracy 365: January and ends with Conspiracy 365: December. The stories are ones of international intrigue and adventure. The chapters are days and are broken into time periods such as 12:37 a.m. Zach, a 12-year-old reviewer said of Conspiracy 365: January "I would recommend the book to fans of thrilling mystery-filled novels." That says it all! Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney This hilarious book chronicles a year in the life of Greg Heffley, a middle school student whose mother has forced him to keep a diary. Written as a series of diary entries and "doodles," Greg tells the story of his life in middle school and the challenges and funny adventures that he has. This series is great for reluctant readers. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

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Other books in the series include: • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Elmer Series written and illustrated by David McKee Elmer, a brightly colored patchwork elephant, is different from all the other elephants, so he tries to change himself in order to blend in more easily. However, Elmer discovers that being an individual isn’t so bad after all. David McKee’s comical fable is a celebration of individuality and the power of laughter. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. Other books in this series include: • Elmer and the Butterfly • Elmer and the Hippos • Elmer and Wilbur • Elmer’s New Friend If You Give a Mouse a Cookie written by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond This is the first book in a delightful series. Each story is made up of a chain of fanciful interactions between a child and an animal. I mean, who would ever suspect that a tiny little mouse could wear out an energetic young boy? Well, if you’re going to go around giving an exuberantly bossy rodent a cookie, you’d best be prepared to do one or two more favors before your day is through! Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Other books in this series include: • If You Take a Mouse to School The Oxford English Dictionary lists 21 words that were introduced into the language by Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland.

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• If You Give a Moose a Muffin • If You Give a Pig a Pancake

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Olivia Series written and illustrated by Ian Falconer Stage designer and artist Ian Falconer didn’t initially set out to write books for students, but an impromptu gift for his young niece became the delightful Olivia series. ‘She’s not really a bratty character, but she does get away with a lot,’ Ian Falconer admits when describing the precocious piglet. A recording of Dame Edna Everage reading all five Olivia stories is available on CD. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Other books in this series include: • Olivia ... and the Missing Toy • Olivia Forms a Band • Olivia Helps with Christmas • Olivia Saves the Circus Pippi Longstocking Series written by Astrid Lindgren Pippi is an irrepressible, irreverent, and irrefutably delightful girl who lives alone (with a monkey) in her wacky house, Villa Villekulla. When she’s not dancing with the burglars who were just trying to rob her house, she’s attempting to learn the “pluttification” tables at school; fighting Adolf, the strongest man in the world at the circus; or playing tag with police officers. Pippi’s high-spirited, good-natured hijinks cause as much trouble as fun, but a more generous child you won’t find anywhere. She has been immortalized in numerous films, including a 1988 film from Columbia Pictures, New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Other books in the series include: • Pippi Goes Aboard • Pippi in the South Seas

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Rocket Writes a Story written and illustrated by Tad Hills Rocket loves books and now that he knows how to read he collects words. In fact he’s collected so many words he doesn’t know what to do with them so a little yellow bird suggests that he write a story. Rocket tries but it’s harder than he anticipates until he finds the right inspiration and idea. Rocket Writes a Story is a sequel to Rocket Learns to Read and was declared one of the best books of 2012 by School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. Ivy + Bean written by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie Blackall Ivy has just moved in across the street from Bean, who wants no part of her. She thinks Ivy looks dull and always has her nose in a book. Bean, on the other hand, is a spark plug; she’s full of tricks, especially ones that can be played on her older sister, Nancy. But the day Bean pulls a trick that goes wrong and Ivy comes to her rescue, a friendship is born. This is a great series about two feisty girls, beautifully illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Other books in the series include: • Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record • Ivy + Bean Take Care of the Babysitter A Series of Unfortunate Events Series written by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist The adventures of the three Baudelaire orphans are very popular with readers everywhere. New readers will be delighted with this gleefully ghastly series for which this book is the first. The events that unfold are bleak, and things never turn out how you would hope, but these linguistically playful books always result in readers wanting to hear or read all thirteen of them. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Some books in the series include:

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• The Bad Beginning

• The Miserable Mill

• The Reptile Room

• The Austere Academy

• The Wide Window

• The Vile Village

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Sinbad the Sailor written by Jordan Moore and illustrated by Chris Embleton-Hall Originally the voyages of Sinbad and his motley crew were part of Tales from the Arabian Nights. The tales chronicle the disastrous shipwrecks they faced during their seven voyages on the high seas. This short chapter book introduces young readers to two of these swashbuckling adventures—"The Snoring Island" and "Deadly Diamonds." Amusingly illustrated in glowing jewel tones young readers will sail through these tales. Then you can read The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor by John Yeoman and illustrated by Quentin Blake. Children will love these travelers’ yarns. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

Starring Jules (as Herself) written by Beth Ain and illustrated by Anne Keenan Higgins Jules Bloom is a seven-year-old girl living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her parents and younger brother, Big Henry. She is quirky and vivacious and one day, while amusing her brother in a café, her performance is noticed by a casting agent who asks Jules to audition for a commercial. Jules agrees, however the impending audition is a catalyst for Jules in dealing with a rift with her former best friend, finding common ground with a new friend, and overcoming anxieties. This is the first novel in a new series of early chapter books. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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Stories with the Same Characters Charlie and Lola Charlie and Lola are characters created by Lauren Child. They were introduced in a series of picture books and later became television stars. Although their main audience is three- to seven-year-olds, everyone responds enthusiastically to the wild typography, colors, and patterns of the illustrations and to Lola’s fiercely held opinions. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Some of the Charlie and Lola books are as follows: • I Will Never NOT EVER Eat A Tomato • I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed • I Am Too Absolutely Small for School • But Excuse Me That Is My Book • I Absolutely Must Do Coloring Now or Painting or Drawing Ivy + Bean The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn’t be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hide quickly, Ivy comes to the rescue. There are nine books in the Ivy + Bean series, which are written by Annie Barrows and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. It’s the perfect series for readers in grades 2 and up. Waldo in Where’s Waldo? is known as Wally in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand; Waldo in Canada and the US; Vili in Hungary; Holger in Denmark; Charlie in France; Valdas in Lithuania; and Hetti in India.

Some of the Ivy + Bean books are as follows: • Ivy + Bean • Ivy + Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go • Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record • Ivy + Bean Take Care of the Babysitter • Ivy + Bean: Bound to Be Bad • Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance

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James Adams, Lauren Adams, Kyle Blueman, and Dave Moss James Adams plus agents and staff appear in The Cherub Series by Robert Muchamore. The series, with nineteen CHERUB agents, twelve CHERUB staff, and fourteen CHERUB targets includes titles such as: • The Recruit • Class A • Maximum Security • Divine Madness • Brigands MC • Shadow Wave The CHERUB agents are aged between ten and seventeen; they live in the real world, slipping under adult radar and getting information that sends criminals to jail. The Cherub Series is particularly popular in the upper elementary years. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Ramona Quimby, Beezus Quimby, and Henry Huggins The Ramona books make up a series of eight novels by Beverly Cleary. They feature Ramona Quimby, her family, and friends. Kids everywhere love Ramona’s unique way of looking at the world and no matter what happens, Ramona’s curious spirit shines through. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. The eight books are now available in a boxed set. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Ramona, Beezus, and Henry books are as follows: • Beezus and Ramona • Ramona and Her Mother • Ramona Quimby, Age 8 • Ramona Forever • Ramona the Brave • Ramona the Pest • Ramona’s World

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Read the book, then See the film or See the film, then read the book. The Hobbit: There and Back Again (2014)

Curious George (2006)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Heidi (2005)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Captain Underpants (2012) The Lorax (2012) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009) Where the Wild Things Are (2009) Call of the Wild (2009) Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2009) Nim’s Island (2008) The Tale of Despereaux (2008) Bridge to Terabithia (2007) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) Nancy Drew (2007) Charlotte’s Web (2006)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) The Polar Express (2004) Eloise at the Plaza (2003) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Babar, King of the Elephants (1999) Madeline: Lost in Paris (1999) The Borrowers (1997) Harriet the Spy (1996) Matilda (1996) James and the Giant Peach (1996) The Secret Garden (1993) Alice in Wonderland (1988) The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988)

Lemony Snicket is really Daniel Handler—author, musician, theater critic, and filmmaker.

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Chapter Books to Read Aloud A Baseball Giant written by Nicolas Brasch, illustrated by Mark Jones Based on a true story, this short chapter book tells us about how young Japanese baseball player Eiji Sawamura struck out the great American baseball players Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx, all in a row! Imaginatively and sympathetically illustrated by Mark Jones, A Baseball Giant is an endearing story about a little-known event in baseball’s history. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: A Fable written by John Boyne John Boyne’s childhood fable based on the Holocaust may prompt some difficult questions. It is a touching tale of an odd friendship between two boys in horrendous circumstances and a reminder of man’s capacity for inhumanity. Subtitled in this fable as in other modern fables such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, John Boyne uses Bruno to reveal the flaws in an adult world. It is elegant storytelling with emotional impact and an ending that in true fairytale style, is grotesquely clever. The film, directed by Mark Herman, starring David Thewlis and Vera Farmiga, was released in 2009. This book is for mature readers and listeners. Recommended interest level: grades 6 and up. Charlotte’s Web written by E.B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams This award-winning novel is all about a pig named Wilbur who is saved from being slaughtered by an intelligent spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages praising Wilbur such as “Some Pig” in her web in order to persuade the farmer to let him live. The 2006 film has voiceovers by Julia Roberts, John Cleese, Robert Redford, and Oprah Winfrey among others. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Ethan Long’s Up! Tall! High! is the winner of the 2013 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished American book for beginning readers.

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Dear Mr. Henshaw written by Beverly Cleary It’s not easy being the new kid in town, with recently divorced parents, no dog anymore, and a lunch that gets stolen every day (all the good stuff, anyway). Writing letters, first to the real Mr. Henshaw and then in a diary to a pretend Mr. Henshaw may be just what is needed. Dear Mr. Henshaw is a winner of the Newbery Medal. Recommended interest level: grade 3 and up. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler written by E.L. Konigsburg Claudia knew that she could not pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away, so she decided not to run from somewhere but to somewhere. And so, after some careful planning she and her brother escaped—right into a mystery that made headlines. After reading this book you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art or any other wonderful museum without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and Jamie. Such is the impact of this timeless novel! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Haunting written by Margaret Mahy

Dr. Seuss used only 50 words in Green Eggs and Ham and 49 of them are one-syllable words. The only multi-syllable word is “anywhere."

The family of Barney’s dead mother is aware that there is something special about this particular boy. As he resigns himself to being haunted again, Barney’s sister and brother set out to discover the reason behind his supernatural attraction. The Haunting is a winner of the Carnegie Medal. If this book is not in the library you can buy used copies online. Recommended interest level: grades 6 and up.

Leviathan Trilogy: Book 1 written by Scott Westerfield, illustrated by Keith Thompson It’s on the cusp of World War I and all the European powers are building arms. Aleksander Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run from his enemies when he meets Deryn Sharp, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. Both children end up on the Leviathan, a massive airship. Westerfield’s superb storytelling is accompanied by intricate and evocative illustrations. Recommended interest level: grades 6 and up.

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The Tale of Despereaux written by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering Despereaux Tilling is a mouse that is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light and Miggery Sow, a serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other’s lives. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Treasure Island written by Robert Louis Stevenson This book is the most popular pirate story ever written in English, featuring one of literature’s most beloved “bad guys,” Long John Silver. It is a story of suspense and adventure on the high seas, all seen through the eyes of an unforgettable character, Jim Hawkins. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Where the Red Fern Grows written by Wilson Rawls This book shares the loving tale of a boy named Billy and his two dogs Old Dan and Little Ann. Set in the Cherokee country, the hunting adventures that the three of them get into are sure to grab readers and leave them wanting more. Over time, Billy trains Old Dan and Little Ann to be the finest hunting team in the valley until one day when something happens that will change their lives forever. This is truly a story you will never forget. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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Ideas for Working with Chapter Books Great Reads Make a Great Reads chart where students add recommended books to one or more categories. Let students know that anyone who adds a book to the chart must be prepared to talk about it with another class member. Our Great Reads

Books you couldn’t put down…

Books you’ve read over and over…

Books you’d like made into a film…

The series that everyone reads…

Here is the beginning of a Great Reads chart from a fifth grade class. Our Great Reads Books you couldn’t put down…

Books you’ve read over and over…

They Came on Viking Ships by Jackie French (It’s hard though.)—Josh

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White— Maddison

Going Along With Lewis and Clark by Barbara Fifer—Cleo

Books you’d like made into a film…

The series that everyone reads…

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson—Mason

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (I’ve read ten of them!)— Luis

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey—Santiago

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl—James

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Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park— Ava

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Drawing Conclusions Students create a chart and choose a character from the novel you have just read and record his or her actions in the column on the left. Then, they write inferences about the character’s feelings or reactions in the column on the right. Make sure they respond to both questions in the Inferences column. A full-size version of ths chart can be found in Appendix A (page 138). Person’s Actions: Text Evidence

Inferences

What were the actions of the person in the story? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

How did the person feel as a result of his or her actions or the events that occurred?

What were the events that happened to that person? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Would you have felt the same way as the person in the story? Why or why not?

Some Novel Questions Use discussion and text-based questions to support students’ comprehension during and after reading a selected text. Below are some sample questions. • Reread page/chapter _____. What does the author say about the setting? • Reread page/chapter _____. What does the author say about the characters? • What do you think are the good things about living in this family/place/era? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. • What problems do you think the characters are going to encounter? What evidence in the text makes you think this? • How does the author describe __________? • What issues have concerned you? Why?

• Have your feelings changed about the characters? How have they done so? • If you were the author would you have made the characters behave differently? Why or why not?

• How has/have _______ changed by the end of the book? Cite evidence from the text. • What questions would you like to ask the author?

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Create a Word Splash Students choose a brief section of the story that they would recommend others read. They select four to six words that are important or interesting and write these words in a box using a print size or font that gives a clue to the meaning of each word. Students then challenge their reading partner to predict the meaning of the word before he or she reads the text. After reading, the partner can check to confirm the meaning or change the definition. This activity invites close reading and using text evidence to support a response. A recording sheet for this activity can be found in Appendix A (pages 139). Here’s a word splash that a student named Laura created after she read Tomi Ungerer’s retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" included in A Storybook from Tomi Ungerer.

f e r o c io u s (p. 84) sum ptu ous (p. 84)

l a ck e y (p. 84)

ra mp a rts

(p. 84)

sup erst itio us (p. 84)

Here is what Alex, Laura’s reading partner, wrote.

Predictions before reading: 1. sumptuous: very fancy

2. ferocious: will attack you

3. superstitious: doesn’t know about things

4. ramparts: I think they are part of a building 5. lackey: a worker

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Understanding after reading: 1. sumptuous: very luxurious

2. ferocious: extremely savage

3. superstitious: believe that things will happen by magic 4. ramparts: protective walls around a castle 5. lackey: a servant

What Do You Think? These questions can be used to stimulate a class discussion. (You don’t have to use them all!) Older students could use a response journal to record their responses, which may be shared with others.

1. What part of the story/novel did you like best?

2. What part of the story/novel did you like the least? 3. What places did the book remind you of? How did they do so? 4. What characters did you like best? Explain why and provide at least one example from the text. 5. What other stories, including films, are like this one? 6. Would you like to read another book by this author? Why or why not? 7. What part of the story would you change? Explain why and provide examples from the text. 8. What did the story help you think about or understand? 9. What piece would you choose to read to others? Why?

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Newbery Medal Awards The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children’s book published the previous year. Recent winners are: The One and Only Ivan, written by Katherine Applegate; Dead End in Norvelt, written by Jack Gantos; Moon Over Manifest, written by Clare Vanderpool; When You Reach Me, written by Rebecca Stead; The Graveyard Book, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean; Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village written by Laura Amy Schlitz; and The Higher Power of Lucky, written by Susan Patron and illustrated by Matt Phelan.

International Book Awards The International Board on Books for Young Readers (IBBY) gives an award every second year to a living author whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children’s literature. Recent winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing are: Maria Teresa Andruetto (Argentina), David Almond (UK), Jürg Schubiger (Switzerland), Margaret Mahy (New Zealand), and Martin Waddell (UK).

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Information Please Classroom libraries are a literacy necessity; they are integral to successful teaching and learning and must become a top priority if our students are to become thriving, engaged readers. Regie Routman

The very first thing we need to do with informational picture books is make them available in the classroom! Strangely, it is often hard to find a wide range of informational books (nonfiction) available for browsing, reading, and seeking information in many classrooms. Nonfiction books and magazines seem to have taken up permanent residence in the library; however they really do need to make their way into every classroom as well! Studies of early readers and interviews with avid readers have found they almost always have access to books at home. Since many students do not have that access, it is paramount that classrooms have many appealing books on different topics and at varying levels of challenge that students can look through, read, and talk about every day. Of course not only do classroom libraries provide students with immediate access to books; they provide teachers with the opportunity to put the right book into a child’s hands at a moment’s notice.

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Some of the first nonfiction books for young readers were published in the UK by Ladybird Books immediately after World War II. Well-known authors and artists were commissioned to write and illustrate books about nature, geography, history, and religion.

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Here are some fantastic informational books for any classroom library.

Informational Picture Books Worth Searching For The Natural World Alligators and Crocodiles! written by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Meryl Henderson Crocodile-like animals lived on Earth more than two hundred million years ago. Today, their descendants are found in the lakes, rivers, and wetlands of five continents. They belong to a special group of reptiles called crocodilians. Laurence Pringle takes readers into the world of Earth’s largest living reptiles, but beware! Crocodiles may appear to be awkward—they’re not. They can move like lightning, have 24 sharp teeth meant to grasp and crush, and they can exert enormous pressure when closing their jaws. And watch out for the tail—it inflicts powerful blows. Recommended interest level: grades 2–4. Animal Architects written and illustrated by John Nicholson This beautifully illustrated, prize-winning book is about shells, nests, galleries, dens, bowers, and lodges—all the remarkable and complex structures that animals around the world build to shelter themselves and their young. Readers will find out how these industrious animals adjust their homes for temperature and comfort, make escape hatches, and store food for their young. Precise colored-pencil illustrations show compelling cross-sections of the structures as well as step-by-step illustrations that demonstrate the building process. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Barry Moser Gentle text and stunning watercolor illustrations bring “a certain part of the country called Appalachia” alive. The author and illustrator both grew up in Appalachia and have teamed up to share a beautiful story about the people of this region and what life is like for those who live there. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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Bats! Strange and Wonderful written by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Meryl Henderson Bats are Earth’s only flying mammal. In this book, which features stunning illustrations, young readers can discover how bats pluck insects out of the air, fish from the water, and help giant trees and tropical plants to reproduce. Despite what is often thought, bats actually pose little risk to humans, providing they are left alone. Just make sure you don’t leave this book alone. Recommended interest level: grades 2–4. The Big Caribou Herd: Life in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge written and illustrated by Bruce Hiscock In this picture book we follow the migration of the great Porcupine Caribou Herd as they cross the mountains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to reach their calving ground on the coastal plain. Along the way the herd encounters wolves, grizzly bears, snowy owls, muskoxen, wolverines, and other animals that live in this very special part of Alaska. At the end of the book there are facts about each animal. Recommended interest level: grades 2–4. Big Picture Book of Environments written by John Long Big Picture Book of Environments explores the origins of the universe and the solar system, and the evolution of life on Earth. Watch as continents shift over billions of years and the first stirrings of life appear and evolve, over millennia, into the birds, beasts, plants and fish we know today. Four billion years of evolution is told simply, with stunning images, using the latest scientific research. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Big Storm written and illustrated by Bruce Hiscock On the last day of March, 1982, a storm swept in from the Pacific coast. Over the next six days, the weather system crossed the United States, developing into one of the most powerful storms ever recorded. It caused heavy rains in California, avalanches in the Sierra Nevada, blizzards in the Rockies, tornadoes in the Midwest, and deep snow from the Great Lakes to the East Coast. How did one storm cause so much damage and where did it come from? This book gives you the answers. You’ll never look at a rainy day in the same way again! Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

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Black Bear: North America’s Bear written and photographed by Stephen R. Swinburne The American black bear is the continent’s smallest and most widely distributed bear. It is estimated that there are about 600,000 black bears in America. It’s probably a good idea to be introduced to black bears, their behavior and their habitat in case you ever encounter one. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Coyote: North American Dog written and photographed by Stephen R. Swinburne Stephen Swinburne, writer and photographer, considers the past and the present history of the coyote and what the future may hold for North America’s native dog. You might wish to read this book to your class and then introduce Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest to them. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Could a Tyrannosaurus Play Table Tennis? written and illustrated by Andrew Plant Well, could he? What about an Iguanodon; could he ice skate? Could a Wannanosaurus lift weights? In this book, you’ll find all sorts of dinosaurs— from nearly the biggest to just about the smallest—all drawn to scale in relation to the things around them, whether it’s a golf club, a table tennis table, or a basketball court. There’s also some extra information, like what period the dinosaur lived in, where its fossils were found, how big it was, and what it ate. So now, what do you think? Could he? Recommended interest level: grades K–4. Giant Sequoia Trees written by Ginger Wadsworth, photographed by Frank Staub The splendid giant sequoia trees grow naturally on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Ginger Wadsworth’s book about these magnificent trees is photo-filled and sharply focused on the environment, life cycle, and interconnected nature of the plants, animals, and natural events that allow sequoias to continue to grow. It’s a captivating book about captivating trees. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Glaciers written by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Cheryl Nathan This lively look at glaciers and how they have changed the face of our planet will certainly whet the appetite of young readers. It explains the complex force of nature and delivers fascinating information about these large, long-lasting flows of ice. There’s a brief list of recommended books at the end of the book so kids will be able to seek more information about these cool bodies of ice. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Oceans and Seas written by Steven Savage, illustrated by Peter Bull In this book, readers travel from the seashore to the deepest depths and from warm tropical waters to the frigid Arctic. Along the way they examine coral reefs, shipwrecks, sharks, whales, and seals. The book’s innovative structure (there are special page links to access information on related topics) invites readers to chart their own course of scientific exploration. Recommended interest level: grades 2–4. Penguins (Smithsonian) written by Seymour Simon Acclaimed writer Seymour Simon teamed up with the Smithsonian Institution to take readers on a journey to the Antarctic region for a closeup look at the most appealing of birds—penguins. The well-organized text describes where the birds live; how they walk, feed, and swim; their mating and chick rearing; and their predators. Direct references to the photographs make the content easy for the youngest reader or listener to follow. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–3. Tierra del Fuego: A Journey to the End of the Earth written and photographed by Peter Lourie Come to the far south to the legendary land of Tierra del Fuego, the "Land of Fire," and explore the history and culture of the land. Glorious photographs, maps, and period illustrations make this photo-essay a must for young adventurers. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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The Volcano Book: Erupting Near You written by Dr. Gill Jolly, illustrated by Guy Holt Some explode, some pop, and some just fizz. What exactly is a volcano? Where are the biggest, loudest, and most dangerous ones? Who lives alongside them, and why? The Volcano Book: Erupting Near You takes readers to the hottest centers of Earth—and below the surface. There are brilliant full-color photographs, intriguing, accessible facts, and sidebars packed full of interesting figures and information. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Wild Horses: Black Hills Sanctuary written by Cris Peterson, photographs by Alvis Upitis This inspiring book, a tribute to the American mustang, features breathtaking photos of horses running wild and free on an eleven thousand acre wild horse sanctuary in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Yukon River: An Adventure to the Gold Fields of the Klondike written and photographed by Peter Lourie Take an exciting 460-mile canoe trip down the Yukon River to the gold fields of the Klondike. From Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory, onwards to the Arctic Circle, the rugged route of the gold rush comes alive in words and stunning photographs. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

The Built Environment 13 Buildings Children Should Know written by Annette Roeder Thirteen of the world’s most iconic buildings are introduced to young readers through lively text and illustration. The book features the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Parthenon, Notre Dame de Paris, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Tower of London, Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Taj Mahal, Neuschwanstein Castle, the Beijing National Stadium, the Sydney Opera House, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Chrysler Building, and the Eiffel Tower. There are line drawings, quizzes, tips, timelines, photographs, and an extensive and easy-to-read glossary. What buildings do the students in your class think should be added to this book? Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

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Brooklyn Bridge written and illustrated by Lynn Curlee Lynn Curlee’s prose, accompanied by maps, paintings, diagrams, specifications, and timelines, tells the story of the monumental feat of engineering and craftsmanship which resulted in the Brooklyn Bridge, completed in 1883. The author pays tribute to the remarkable people who designed and built the massive structure. Readers who are fascinated with how things work will have all their questions about designing and constructing a suspension bridge answered. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Castle written and illustrated by David Macaulay In this Caldecott Honor Book, David Macaulay sets his sights on the creation and destiny of a castle in northwest Wales perched on a bluff by the sea. Children who love to know how things work will appreciate how Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning of both the castle and town, while being beguiled by the mystery, intrigue, and grandeur of the castle itself. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Empire State Building: When New York Reached for the Skies written by Elizabeth Mann, illustrated by Alan Witschonke, photographs by Lewis Hine With profiles describing the people who dreamed and built this wonder of architecture and archival photographs of the steelworkers high above the city streets, this account of the creation of the tallest building in the world for the time is outstanding. The technical information is engaging and easily understood. The map of New York City, a page of fast facts, and photographs of significant events since the building’s construction make this a very appealing book for browsers and readers alike. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. The Great Wall: The Story of Thousands of Miles and Earth and Stone that Turned a Nation into a Fortress written by Elizabeth Mann, illustrated by Alan Witschonke The Great Wall of China was built more than 2000 years ago, around 221  b.c. and is the longest man-made structure in the world. This book answers questions such as Why was it built? How did the workmen transport the stone? and How did they build it on such steep hillsides? Lavishly illustrated, this book about a wonder of the world will be a wonder in your classroom. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

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Pyramid written and illustrated by David Macaulay A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Nominee for nonfiction, the richly detailed, lovingly rendered black and white illustrations and the concise text help readers come to know the philosophy of life and death in ancient Egypt. David Macaulay explains the backbreaking tasks of planning, hauling, chiseling, digging, and hoisting that went into the construction of the awe-inspiring Great Pyramid of Khufu. This fabulous book is a must for the classroom. It needs to be browsed through time and time again. Watch students become budding Egyptologists as soon as you make it available to them. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. River Roads West: America’s First Highways written by Peter and Connie Roop Discover the history of the United States by traveling its major rivers— from the time before Europeans arrived to the nineteenth century. You can go on exciting rides on and over, down and around the Hudson, the Ohio, the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande, the Colorado, and the Columbia Rivers. River Roads West: America's First Highways is a story told through photographs, paintings, prints, and original maps. Dip in anywhere. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Steamboats: The Story of Lakers, Ferries, and Majestic Paddle-Wheelers written and photographed by Karl Zimmermann Karl Zimmermann takes readers aboard lakers, ferries, and paddlewheelers for a close look at steamboats of the past and present to share the development of this vessel and its importance to European and American life. This book is filled with amazing facts that will leave readers spinning as well as incredible photographs of these intricate vessels. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Subway: The Story of Tunnels, Tubes, and Tracks written by Larry Dane Brimmer, illustrated by Neil Waldman Beneath the streets of New York, London, Paris, and many other cities lay massive, underground worlds of tunnels and trains, transporting millions of people. Underground railways, or subways, are engineering marvels. But why were they built? And how were they built? Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

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This Is… written and illustrated by Miroslav Sasek A number of facsimile editions of Czech artist and author Miroslav Sasek’s delightful series have been reissued recently including This Is Australia, This Is Israel, This Is Greece, This Is Ireland, This Is Paris, This Is Venice, This Is London, This Is New York, This Is San Francisco, and This Is the Way to the Moon. Sasek’s brilliant, quirky, colorful illustrations will dazzle kids and adults alike. The reissued editions have updated information in the back of each book. It appears on a "This Is…Today" page. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

Biography 13 American Artists Children Should Know written by Brad Finger This book commences with Winslow Homer and ends with Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns. In between these entries we can find out why Georgia O’Keeffe painted all those flowers, how Joseph Cornell created his incredible boxes, and why Jackson Pollock poured and dripped paint, as well as the answer to the question, “Who was Whistler’s mother?” This book is a delightful and colorful introduction to thirteen wonderful artists with high-quality reproductions of well-known works. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Cleopatra written by Diane Stanley, illustrated by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt at the age of eighteen, was determined to unite the world under Egyptian rule. Legendary leaders risked kingdoms to win her heart, and her epic life has inspired countless tales throughout history. The author and illustrator make the captivating Cleopatra seem incredibly real as we read about this strong-willed and ambitious leader. Along with lucid text there’s a map of Egypt and the Roman Provinces, a pronunciation guide, a brief bibliography and importantly, full-color, beautiful artwork. Just like Cleopatra, it’s hard to resist! Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

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J. J. Audubon’s The Birds of America, published in 1840, sold for $8,802,500 in March 2000. That’s the highest price ever paid for a book.

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Harry Houdini for Kids: His Life and Adventures with 21 Magic Tricks and Illusions written by Laurie Carlson, illustrated by Joan Sommers Design Harry Houdini, illusionist, escape artist, movie star, aviator, and spy was an international celebrity and the world’s most famous magician. This biography looks at all the facets of Houdini’s life and also includes 21 magic tricks and illusions that require close reading. Houdini was an artist who created his acts carefully and, in some cases, practiced them for years. Readers will discover how he devised his most legendary stunts as well as the science and logic behind many of his acts. This biography may magically vanish from your classroom library and appear in many students’ hands. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Joan of Arc written and illustrated by Diane Stanley Diane Stanley tells the story of Jeanne d’Arc, a young French girl who became a symbol of France’s national pride as she lead France to independence from English rule. It is a story of vision and bravery, fierce determination, and tragic martyrdom. The book presents historical information in a very accessible way and is beautifully illustrated in glowing colors. Children will find the story of this legendary figure fascinating and one that they may not have heard before. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Pocahontas written and illustrated by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire First published in 1946 with d’Aulaire’s beautiful lithographic prints, the tale of the first colony at Jamestown is told from the perspective of the princess daughter of the powerful chief Powhatan. The engrossing story of the Native American princess who became an ambassador and peacekeeper between the Powhatan and the colonists is one of the great stories of the American colony’s earliest days. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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The Man Who Walked Between the Towers written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein In 1974, French aerialist Philippe Petit threw a tightrope between the two World Trade Center towers in New York City and spent an hour walking, dancing, and performing high-wire tricks high up in the sky. This book captures the magic of the event with lyrical words and beautiful paintings that present the detail, daring, and drama of Petit’s feat. Only the last pages hint of tragedy: “Now the towers are gone. But in memory, as if printed on the sky, the towers are still there.” The Man Who Walked Between the Towers won the 2004 Caldecott Medal, the 2004 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Picture Books, and the 2006 Carnegie Medal for excellence in Children’s Video. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. A Roman Soldier’s Handbook written by Alison Hawes Are you fit and strong, willing to serve for 25 years, and obey orders without questioning? Can you speak Latin? Then you just may qualify to join one of the strongest armies in the world! Find out what it would have been like to serve as a soldier in the army of Ancient Rome. You’ll know what to do if you lose your sword in battle, how to attack a fort, and how to choose a position for your camp. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Who Was Dr. Seuss? written by Janet Pascal, illustrated by Nancy Harrison This biography, with black and white illustrations throughout, reveals the amazingly gifted man behind much-loved books such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hatches an Egg, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Theodor Seuss Geisel, a writer, poet, and cartoonist was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1904 and died in La Jolla, California in 1991. Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2, has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Who Was Neil Armstrong? written by Roberta Edwards, illustrated by Nancy Harrison and Stephen Marchesi Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon on July 20, 1969. Who was this man who was the first to walk on the Moon? Not only was he an American astronaut, he was also an aerospace engineer, a naval aviator, a test pilot, a Korean War veteran, and a university professor. This book tells young readers about the commander of Apollo 11 and his incredible accomplishments. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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Reference Books for All 1001 Hideous History Facts: Delve into the Depths of Our Despicable Past written by Alex Woolf Prepare to be disgusted, revolted, and amused by this collection of 1,001 facts from the putrid past! A team of cartoon characters will take you on a journey through time to learn about the most appalling acts of our ancestors, from ancient history to the Middle Ages, right up to the present. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Book of Space: Questions and Answers written by Rosie McCormick This well-researched book will not only answer students’ many questions about space but will generate even more questions. The information provided gives students the opportunity to say “Oh, I knew that!” It is available in two formats—large and small—and is part of Pearson’s iOpeners nonfiction program. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. China: Land of Dragons and Emperors by Adeline Yen Mah Do you know why the opening time for the Beijing Olympics was set at 8:08 p.m. on August 8, 2008? Or what the secrets guarded by the silent terracotta army are inside the First Chinese Emperor’s tomb? This book introduces readers to the most famous people and events in China during the last 2,200 years. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

D Is for Dahl: A Gloriumptious A-Z Guide to the World of Roald Dahl written by Roald Dahl, compiled by Wendy Cooling, illustrated by Quentin Blake From Aardvark to Zipfizzing this is the alphabetical guide to everything you needed to know—and a lot more that you didn’t—about much loved author Roald Dahl. It’s packed with fascinating and completely unnecessary facts about Dahl’s life. Once you dip in to D Is for Dahl you’ll be sucked into an irresistible vortex and come out a complete Dahlmaniac! Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

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Encylopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up written and illustrated by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart If you had a vote in your classroom for the best book of the year, there’s no doubt that this visually stunning book would be the winner. Each spread features a spectacular paper sculpture of a particular species of dinosaur, such as "Triceratops" or "Ankylosaurus," accompanied by brief, explanatory paragraphs. Smaller fold-out sections open like miniature books and incorporate pop–ups that introduce other dinosaurs and their characteristics. The 3D creatures move with a life of their own as they lurch towards readers with jaws wide open. This book is so enticing it’s likely that you will need more than one copy. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. How Cool Stuff Works by Chris Woodford, Luke Collins, Clint Witchalls, Ben Morgan, and James Flint, illustrated by Kevin Jones Everyone will want to flip through the facts and discover how a mobile works, what’s inside an iPod®, how a space shuttle flies, what the future holds for a bionic body, and more. With eye-popping photos, a reference section that has a timeline from 3200 b.c. to 2004, brief biographies of "groundbreakers" and understandable techno terms in the glossary, this 256-page book is one that kids will wrestle to read. Don’t let it hide in the library—it needs to be in your classroom now! Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. The Most Stupendous Atlas of the Whole Wide World by the Brainwaves written by Ralph Lazar This crazy atlas, also available as a DK eBook, is packed with fantastic foldout pages with mad maps, perfect pull-outs, and fabulous facts on places and people. Readers will learn about climate, oceans, and Earth in space. It’s a terrific tour of the world! Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

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Pick Me Up! Stuff You Need to Know written by David Roberts and Jeremy Leslie, illustrated by Ian Pierce It’s hard to think of a question that isn’t answered in this book. Do you need to know if Beethoven was a punk? Have you wondered what the connection is between dogs and rockets? What I’d like to know is how many hours it would take a reader to read every word in the book. Lots! It’s a book that asks to be browsed through over and over again. The result will be many exclamations that commence with, “Hey, did you know…?” Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections written by Richard Platt, illustrated by Stephen Biesty This book needs to be released from the library and be a resident in your classroom—immediately! It’s a dazzling book offering page after page of cutaway illustrations that reveal the hidden architecture of eighteen celebrated structures, from a Gothic It took Noah Webster 36 years cathedral to a space shuttle. Two foldouts, each to write his first dictionary. nearly three feet in length, suggest the majestic scale of their subjects: respectively, the ocean liner Queen Mary and a steam train built in 1928. The artwork is linked to paragraphs of quirkily explanatory text (the entry about galleons proclaims that sailors killed 4,000 rats on an Atlantic crossing in 1622). Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Train Your Brain to Be a Genius written by John Woodward This book tells us that our brain contains millions of nerve cells and there’s no doubt that by reading it they will start buzzing. Readers will love the scientific explanations of the functioning of the brain, the discussion of the lives of various geniuses throughout history, and countless gems of information. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Train Your Brain to Be a Math Genius: Your Brilliant Brain and How to Train It prepared by Dorling Kindersley Packed with things to do, Train Your Brain to Be a Math Genius will make worrying about fractions a thing of the past and help you calculate equations that will make you sing. Not only does this book have activities, puzzles, tips, and tricks to boost your brainpower, it also has a section on “Great Brains,” which is all about mathematics geniuses and the importance of their discoveries. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

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The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown Ups written and illustrated by Gina Ingoglia Featuring 33 different trees that grow in North America, from rural Georgia, to the streets of New York City, to the California suburbs. Each profile includes a beautiful watercolor illustration showing the tree as it appears in a particular season, as well as depictions of its leaf, flower, and seed. This guide provides answers to so many tree-related questions such as What kind of tree is that?, Why do leaves change color?, and How do trees grow? This book is a delight. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. World Atlas written by Anna Prokos This well-researched book will entice all young readers. It includes detailed maps of the Arctic and the Antarctic, which makes it the perfect book for classroom browsing as well as group discussion. World Atlas is part of Pearson’s iOpeners nonfiction program. Recommended interest level: grades K–2. The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North America written by Bill Thompson III The 300 species most likely to be encountered in North America are described on a full page and a color photograph of the bird, two if the male and female have different plumage, accompanies each. There are notes on habitat and what to look and listen for, too. The list of resources includes organizations, other field guides, audio guides, and apps. This is a great title specifically aimed at young readers. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

Picture It Errata: A Book of Historical Errors written by A.J. Wood, illustrated by Hemesh Alles Test your knowledge of history. Would a Viking have listened to the radio? Would an Inca warrior have ridden a camel? Try to find all ten errors hidden in each of the twelve incredibly detailed scenes from cultures as diverse as Aztec to Zulu, and places as distant as Australia to the Arctic. If you get stuck, you will find the answers plus lots more information in the back of the book. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

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Grandfather’s Journey written and illustrated by Allen Say Through compelling reminiscences of his grandfather’s life in America and Japan, Allen Say has written and illustrated a poignant account of his family’s cross-cultural experience. When in one country he invariably misses the other. His grandfather, he tells us, would understand. Grandfather’s Journey was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1994. Recommended interest level: grades K and up. Look Again! from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York This book draws upon the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, presenting some fifteen famous works of art in a fun and novel way. Each reproduction is prefaced by a page with a cutout circle that gives an intriguing glimpse of the painting that lies beneath ensuring that the reader becomes really interested! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein In 1974, as the World Trade Center was being completed, a young French aerialist named Philippe Petit threw a tightrope between the two towers and spent almost an hour walking, dancing, and performing tricks more than 130 feet above the ground. Just as the massive towers remain a memory, so does the image of a young man walking in the air between them. A short animated film narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal was made in 2005. It won the award for the Best Animated Film Made for Children at the 2006 Ottawa International Animation Festival. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Mosque written and illustrated by David Macaulay David Macaulay uses clear language and exemplary drawings to explore a majestic structure’s design and construction. Mosque is one of his latest books in his brilliant series of architectural books which include Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, Pyramid, Underground, Mill, Castle, and Unbuilding (the Empire State skyscraper). Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

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Queenie: One Elephant’s Story written by Corinne Fenton, illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe This is the true story of an Indian elephant that was taken into captivity in 1902. She spent more than forty years at the Melbourne Zoo in Australia where her life was a mixture of hard work and what seemed to be happy times. Queenie was the highlight of a trip to the zoo, giving pleasure to the children who rode on her. The true story is beautifully told and is brought to life by award-winning illustrator Peter Gouldthorpe. Recommended interest level: grades K and up. Tell Me a Picture written and illustrated by Quentin Blake Children will want to talk about the atmospheric paintings in this grand book even if the images are unfamiliar to them—they are like magnets. Quentin Blake has chosen some of his favorite paintings and encourages everyone to look for the stories they tell. Young students cavort through the book providing model comments such as, "He doesn’t look very happy. I wonder why not." "Why has she left that doll on the ground?" "You have to look very closely to see what’s going on." The whole idea of the book is to allow the viewers to have their own personal reactions. Keep looking! Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up.

Ideas for Using Informational Picture Books KWL The KWL teaching strategy—What do I know? What do I want to know? and What did I learn?—helps students set a purpose for their reading. It encourages them to share their knowledge, pose questions, and locate information to answer their questions. It also helps readers to build upon their prior knowledge. Below is an example. For a complete version to use with students, see Appendix A (page 141). What do I know about (the topic)?

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What do I want to know about (the topic)?

What did I learn and what surprised me?

These are questions I have about (the topic) that weren’t answered in the book.

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Question Web Question webs help readers gather and organize relevant information. The webs help them identify the main ideas and link them to supporting details. Once readers have identified what they believe to be the main idea within a book or article, they pose a central question. After doing so it’s best if they read the text through again and then add supporting details to the web, showing how they relate to the main idea. Below is a completed example. A template to use for this activity is located in Appendix A (page 142). Question: What did dinosaurs eat? some ate meat (p.13)

most ate plants (p.13)

lizards, other dinosaurs, insects (p.14, 15, and 16)

leaves, twigs, seeds (p.17, 18, and 19)

meateaters are called carnivores (p.13)

planteaters are called herbivores (p.13)

Compare and Contrast H-Chart A compare and contrast chart can be used to show the similarities and differences between topics. Such a chart helps students retrieve information from a text, analyze the gathered information, and create their own generalization. Below is a completed example. A graphic organizer to use with this activity is located in Appendix A (page 143). Silkworms Eat mulberry leaves (p. 2) Silk from their cocoons is used to make silk thread (p. 5)

Bees Both are insects (p. 2 and p. 6) are useful to humans

Make and eat honey twice a day (p. 7) Have four wings (p. 7)

Summary: Silkworms and bees are both insects that are useful to humans.

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Fact or Opinion Quite often young (and not-so-young) readers believe that everything they read in a nonfiction book is true. However, authors often include their own viewpoints. Discriminating between fact and opinion is an important skill, which enables students to become critical readers. After reading a text, ask questions such as the following: • How do you know these are facts/opinions? (We can search for key signal words such as "maybe," "I think" "scientists have established"...)

• Do you agree with the author’s opinion? Why or why not? • What is your own opinion?

• Where could you check these facts?

A wall of chart the following definitions could be useful, too: A fact is something that is true and can be checked using one or more sources. An opinion is someone’s personal feeling or attitude about something.

Students use the template found in Appendix A (page 144) to support their analysis of facts and opinions in the texts that they read. Question Builder Encouraging readers to generate questions during and after reading is an excellent way in which to assist their learning and support overall comprehension in an active and ongoing process. With this activity, students summarize the text and generate questions using frames such as, “I was confused when…” or “I wonder if…” Use the student template with this activity located in Appendix A (page 145). Text Features The way a text is organized is an important feature of nonfiction texts. Organizational features such as chapter headings, paragraphs, glossaries, captions, indexes, and a range of graphics help readers locate information. Features such as illustrations, photographs, maps, charts, graphs, and tables are used to complement the text and aid understanding. A chart for helping students understand and analyze the text features in the books they read is located in Appendix A (page 146).

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Award-Winning Informational Books for Young Readers The Robert F. Sibert Medal honors the most distinguished nonfiction book for children from birth through age 14. The award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. 2013 Sibert Medal Winner Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon written by Steve Sheinkin, illustrated by Jay Colvin 2013 Sibert Honor Books Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin written and illustrated by Robert Byrd Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 written by Phillip M. Hoose Titanic: Voices from the Disaster written by Deborah Hopkinson, design by Phil Falco 2012 Sibert Medal Winner Balloons Over Broadway written and illustrated by Melissa Sweet 2012 Sibert Honor Books Black & White written by Larry Dane Brimner, design by Bill Anton Drawing from Memory written and illustrated by Allen Say The Elephant Scientist written by Caitlin O’Connell, photographs by Timothy Rodwell Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer

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Poetry: The Sounds of Language Poetry should be fireworks—packed carefully and artfully, ready to explode with unexpected effects. Lilian Moore

Choosing Poems There are many reasons why we might choose particular poems to introduce to students. We may want to explore the ideas, themes, or emotions expressed in poetry. We may wish to encourage students to see what they know well in different ways. Or we may want to explore the sounds of particular words or nonsensical words that urge us to create silly syllables ourselves, rhymes that can be chanted and extended, rhythms that excite, or expressions that make us ponder. The language structures and vocabulary that are embedded in poetry and song offer a superb store of word power for students’ future reading, writing, and speaking.

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When selecting poems to introduce consider the following questions: • What picture books might be considered poems? • What poems or rhymes do you know well?

• What rhymes and chants do the students know well?

• What popular song lyrics could be examined as poetry?

• Is there a theme or topic that you would like to focus upon? • What is your favorite anthology? • Who is your favorite poet?

• Is there a poet you could invite to your classroom?

• Are there posters in the library that feature a poet, a poem, or part of a poem? Could you use these?

Poetry for Everyone Poetry written by these poets encourages thought, fun, and fantasy while discovering much about worlds present and past. A. A. Milne Aileen Fisher Arnold Adoff Benjamin Zephaniah Betsy Franco Bobbi Katz Carl Sandburg Colin West David Harrison David McCord Dennis Lee Dr. Seuss

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Edward Lear E.E. Cummings Eloise Greenfield Eve Merriam Hilaire Belloc Jack Prelutsky J. Patrick Lewis Jane Yolen Janeen Brian Judith Viorst Karla Kuskin Kenn Nesbitt

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Langston Hughes Lee Bennett Hopkins Michael Rosen Myra Cohn Livingston Nikki Giovanni Patrcia Hubell Roald Dahl Rose Fyleman Shel Silverstein X.J. Kennedy

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Poems Readers Will Love! Alligator Pie written by Dennis Lee, illustrated by Frank Newfield First published in 1974, this very popular collection offers 64 pages of zany humor and rollicking rhythm. Look for Lee’s other delights too: Jelly Belly, Bubblegum Delicious, and The Ice Cream Store. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Around the World in Twenty-Eight Pages selected by Sarah Keane, illustrated by Bettina Guthridge Readers can take a quick trip to New York, South Carolina, Schenectady, Peru, Australia, Transylvania, and Canada, and then sail across the English Channel. It’s a rather frantic trip but a fun one with poems from renowned poets including Eve Merriam, Diane Siebert, Colin McNaughton, Roger McGough, and Jack Prelutsky. The wacky illustrations by Bettina Guthridge add to the fun. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry edited by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson, foreword by Eric Carle This full-color treasury contains nearly two hundred poems all chosen by Bill Martin Jr. and features original illustrations by award-winning artists, including Lois Ehlert, Steven Kellogg, and Chris Raschka. It’s a finely crafted, handsome anthology capped off with tributes to Bill Martin Jr. by Eric Carle and Steven Kellogg. Recommended interest level: grades PreK and up. Click, Rumble, Roar: Poems About Machines selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, photographs by Anna Held Audette Click, rumble, roar, whirr, clunk, wheeze, zoom—the sounds of machines all around us. The poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and the photographs of Anna Held Audette combine to give readers an intriguing look at machines and our awe-inspiring, humorous, puzzling, and sometimes frustrating encounters with them. This book may be out of print but it’s likely to be in the library. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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Shel Silverstein of Where the Sidewalk Ends fame wrote the lyrics to the Johnny Cash hit A Boy Named Sue.

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A Crocodile’s Teeth and Other Funny Poems written and illustrated by Colin West This anthology of 50 funny poems on a range of silly topics will have everyone roaring with laughter! All are illustrated in an absurdly appealing style. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems edited by Georgia Heard

Kenn Nesbitt was named Children’s Poet Laureate on June 11, 2013.

Lists of everyday things become poetry in this collection of imaginative poems by acclaimed writers including Jane Yolen, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Marilyn Singer, Bobbi Katz, and Naomi Shihad Nye. Forty-five list poems appear in this slim volume and all make great starting places for poetry writing in the classroom. You could start with your "to do" list! Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up.

Flabbergaster selected by Mark Carthew, illustrated by Ed Myer “Mr. Mad has made a machine to take you round the world,” says Tony Mitton in this 16-poem collection about cranks and cogs and other machines. Readers will be flabbergasted by the energy of poets such as Doug McLeod, Myra Cohn Livingston, Patricia Hubbell, and Max Fatchen, and by Ed Myer’s exuberant illustrations of all sorts of machines. There’ll be no time to draw breath. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. Footprints on the Moon selected by Mark Carthew, illustrated by Helen Poole

Poet Jack Prelutsky is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep and My Dog May Be a Genius.

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There are 15 poems about space that glow on the pages of this brightly illustrated spaceage collection. They are all easy to read, with students likely to repeat the words of Bobbi Katz most enthusiastically: First I’ll get into my spacesuit. / Then I’ll bravely wave good-bye. / Next I’ll climb into my spacecraft / Built to sail right through the sky! Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

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Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart compiled by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley This is a treasure trove of the familiar and the fresh. The poems are arranged under categories such as: "The Short of It," "One and All," "Beautiful Beasts," "Delicious Dishes," "It’s About Time," "Strange and Mysterious," "Poems from Storybooks," and "The Long of It." That means there’s definitely a poem or two for everyone. Former Children’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman offers some suggestions for learning poetry by heart, too. Recommended interest level: grades K–8. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems written by Gail Carson Levine, illustrated by Matthew Cordell Inspired by William Carlos Williams’ famous poem “This is Just to Say,” Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine delivers her own rather wicked collection of false apology poems, imagining how tricksters really feel about the mischief they make. It’s fun to watch the quiet smiles on the faces of readers! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. The Highwayman written by Alfred Noyes, illustrated by Charles Keeping This poem appears in many anthologies, however this eerily illustrated edition is the one to have. The highwayman rides toward you as soon as you open the book. “Keeping’s illustrations are amongst the most powerful images ever to have appeared in children’s literature,” says Books for Keeps. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. His Shoes Were Far Too Tight written by Edward Lear, masterminded by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by Calef Brown These endlessly fascinating and imaginative poems are as fresh and delightful as they were when Edward Lear wrote them more than a hundred years ago—from “The Owl and the Pussycat” to “The Pobble Who Has No Toes.” This charming book proves that sometimes there’s nothing better than a good dose of nonsense! Recommended interest level: grades 1 and up.

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Lucy Cousins’ Book of Nursery Rhymes illustrated by Lucy Cousins Twenty-six Mother Goose rhymes spring to life in this boldly illustrated collection. Inside the bright cover you’ll find all the classics, including "Humpty Dumpty," "Old King Cole," "Wee Willie Winkie," and more. Filled with magic and merriment, this is an ideal first poetry book and one that the very young will love. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars written by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Jessie Hartland Out on the playground, kids are jumping rope and making trades. In the library they’re whispering, fidgeting, and giggling. Ideal for reading aloud in pairs, but just as much fun with one or many—words, pictures, and voices erupt in an irresistible invitation to join an exhilarating ride around the school. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. My Foot Fell Asleep selected by Sarah Keane, illustrated by Holly Hatam Why not meet the most dangerous hairdresser in the world, find out where Frankenstein went on his world tour, and ride with the sidewalk racer? Readers can do all of this when reading this delightfully illustrated collection of amusing poems about the human body (although Frankenstein may not qualify). Recommended interest level: grades 2–5. My Very First Mother Goose edited by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells Quirky and sly, sweet, gentle, rollicking, silly...the range of rhymes selected by world folklore authority Iona Opie is marvelous. The winner of over a dozen prestigious awards, including an ALA Notable Children’s Book award, this wonderful book is charmingly illustrated by Rosemary Wells. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2.

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The New Kid on the Block written by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by James Stevenson There are more than 100 very funny poems about things you never thought of in this exuberant collection. Why not introduce students to jellyfish stew, sneezing oysters, a boneless chicken, the world’s worst singer, and the greatest video game player in history? Then, after you’ve laughed at the wonderful and imaginative poems, you could sing along to “Happy Birthday, Dear Dragon.” (There’s a CD available, too.) Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Orange Silver Sausage: A Collection of Poems without Rhymes from Zephaniah to Agard edited by James Carter and Graham Denton, illustrated by Salvatoro Rubbino From classic to contemporary, from funny to serious and back again, this is a delightful collection of 75 poems that don’t rhyme is sure to be a hit with all readers. The poems in this collection come from many of the most highly-revered children’s poets and feature their very best non-rhyming poetry. Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. Pocket Poems compiled by Bobbi Katz, illustrated by Marilyn Hafner The pint-sized poems of eight lines or less by well-known poets such as Eve Merriam, Karla Kuskin, and Bobbi Katz herself, bounce along delightfully, all illustrated with witty art. Many students and teachers will be delighted that this collection has been reissued. Recommended interest level: grades 1–3.

April is National Poetry Month in the United States.

A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka Concrete poems startle and delight the eye as the size and arrangement of words and letters add or alter the meaning. They are not poems to read aloud; they are poems to look at and laugh at together. Tucked inside the front cover of A Poke in the I are tips, guidelines, and inspiration for writing concrete poems. Students love doing just that, thanks to this playful and captivating book. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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Quick, Let’s Get Out of Here written by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake What an absolutely delightful collection of poems this is! The trials and tribulations of eating cake in secret, racing go-karts, and avoiding washing up are just some of the close-to-the-heart topics that have everyone laughing. Although some solely British words are used, don’t reject the book because of that—kids just love this book, no matter where they live. It’s the poetry collection that needs to be on hand every day! Recommended interest level: grades 4 and up. The Random House Book of Poetry for Children compiled by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Arnold Lobel The five hundred and seventy-two poems that appear in this invaluable collection, often described as a modern classic, are divided into broad subject areas such as The Four Seasons, Dogs and Cats and Bears and Bats, Me I Am!, and Some People I Know. There are poems by Robert Frost, Robert Louis Stevenson, Langston Hughes, Shel Silverstein, Dennis Lee, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Karla Kuskin, Bobbi Katz, and many more poets. There are playground chants, scary poems, silly verse, rhymes, and sad strains—all of which are illustrated with delightful images. This collection is a perfect one for your own personal library, if you don’t already have it. Recommended interest level: grades K–8. Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young collected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Marc Brown First published in 1986 and just as relevant today, this widely acclaimed anthology has been reissued with a striking new jacket. Marc Brown’s inviting illustrations add a visual dimension to the poems written by 119 of the best-known poets for very young children. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–2. Revolting Rhymes written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake Roald Dahl put his distinctive spin on six traditional tales including Snow White (“From now on, Queen, you’re Number Two. "Snow White" is prettier than you!” says the Magic Mirror) and "The Three Little Pigs." This reissued collection is for those who love their fairy tales with a satirical and worldly twist. A CD with Prunella Scales and Timothy West reading six of the tales has been recorded, although it may be hard to find so you may have to read them yourself! Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up.

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Somebody Catch My Homework written by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Betsy Lewis Bobby Gene McQuig is just one of the spirited kids that readers will meet in David L. Harrison’s book of poems about school. He shares the agonies of tests, homework, cursive writing, cafeteria food, and the delight of reading their first book! Oh, and readers can enjoy the bestever excuse for lost homework. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Speak Up! selected by Mark Carthew, illustrated by Annie White This charmingly illustrated little book of eight short rhymes provides a perfect introduction to poetry for very young learners. It includes "Little Chicken," a traditional French rhyme; "Mousie Brown" from China; "Mosquito One, Mosquito Two" from Jamaica; and "The Grand Old Duke of York" from England. Recommended interest level: grades PreK–1. There’s an Awful Lot of Weirdos in Our Neighborhood: A Book of Rather Silly Poems and Pictures written and illustrated by Colin McNaughton The title says it all—it’s great! You’ll meet some very weird characters: there’s the Jolly Giant, the Elibird, Borer the Explorer, Mugsy O’Shea, and many more. It’s a must to read aloud. Recommended interest level: grades 5 and up. Vroom, Vroom! Poems about Things with Wheels selected by Mark Carthew, illustrated by Paul Nicholls This short anthology of poems about cars and trucks and other things with wheels is imaginatively illustrated by Paul Nicholls. With poems by David McCord, Janeen Brian, Max Fatchen, Doug McLeod, and others this collection is very likely to win the Grand Prix of Reading! It’s certainly a winner. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up. Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein This much-loved collection addresses many common childhood concerns and also presents many fanciful stories. In 2004, a special 30th Anniversary edition was published with twelve new poems. There’s a CD too, on which the poems are recited, sung, and shouted by Shel Silverstein himself. Recommended interest level: grades 3 and up. © Shell Education

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The World’s Greatest: Poems written by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Keith Graves Who has kissed the most cobras? Eaten the most live scorpions? Sailed the highest on a skateboard? Been stuck the longest in an elevator? These and 21 other vexing questions are the subject matter of this wacky collection of verse by J. Patrick Lewis. The wackiness is even greater because of Keith Graves’ illustrations. And you think boys won’t read poetry? Think again. Recommended interest level: grades 2 and up.

Talking About Poems When students come together to talk about a poem they can discuss: • what they think the poem is about • the theme of the poem

• the stories within the poem

• the words that the poet has used

• the shape or form of the poem on the page • the rhymes that they enjoyed

• how the poem is punctuated (or not) • how the poem made them feel

• what the poem reminded them of

• the poem’s rhythm (when read aloud) • how the poem has been illustrated • why it is illustrated in the way it is

• what they would change in the words or the illustrations • questions that they have

• why they think the poet wrote the poem

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Ideas for Working with Poetry Quick Jottings Have students jot down feelings and thoughts while reading a poem silently (using sticky notes) and place them on a sheet of chart paper. Discuss the ideas as a class or in small groups. Author Questions In groups or pairs have students list the questions that the group would like to ask the poet about a poem they have just read or heard. If the poet is still living, consider selecting a few from each group and sending them via mail or email. Illustrate the Poem Students illustrate a poem, considering the visual images that the poet has conveyed. The illustrations can be displayed along with the poem itself and used for further discussion and display around the classroom or school. Interview the Character Working in role, students interview a character from the poem. (Old MacDonald and Alfred Noyes’s highwayman are all great to interview!) Prior to the interview, each student chooses a character from a poem that he or she would like to personify. Then students write questions that they would want to ask that character and craft responses that they can deliver in role. In pairs, students interview each other as a presentation to the class or record the interviews and show them as multimedia presentations. Seeking the Rhyme After reading a poem to the class, identify the words in the poem that rhyme. Ask students what other words they can think of that rhyme with those words. Record the lists of words on chart paper and invite students to add to the lists during the next few days.

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Building on a Rhyme Scheme Use the title, rhyme scheme, or format of a poem to create a new one or write a new verse. Depending on the age of the students, this can be done as a class, individually, or in small groups. For example, Dennis Lee’s Alligator Pie is a perfect poem to use for the creation of at least one new verse and Claire Saxby’s There Was an Old Sailor invites students to write a new There Was an Old… rhyme. Perform a Poem With this activity, the whole class reads a carefully selected poem and uses choral speaking techniques to perform it for another class, their families, or a specific group outside of school (e.g., at a nursing home or hospital). Have students decide whether to add voice, instrumentals, or sound effects to create atmosphere and emphasize meaning, depending on the chosen poem. Try Michael Rosen’s retelling of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Shel Silverstein’s "Boa Constrictor" included in Where the Sidewalk Ends or "Danny O’Dare" included in Falling Up. This works well at all grade levels is great fun. As an extension, arrange for group performances of grade levels and is great fun of selected poems to be videoed or audio recorded for sharing with other audiences. (For example, use one or more of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. They virtually cry out “Let me be heard!”) Meaning Making For this activity, two copies of a number of different narrative poems are needed. In preparation, cut one copy of each of the poems into horizontal strips and keep the others whole. The strips should be of different widths. Place each cut-up poem into an envelope and label it with the poem’s title. In small groups, students place the poetry strips into what they think is the poem’s original order. During this time, student discussion naturally focuses upon the meaning of the whole poem as well as words and phrases. Once the group is satisfied that they have re-created the poem, they check their placement against a copy of the original. This, again, elicits much discussion among the students.

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A Poet’s Work Each student selects a favorite poem. Once they have chosen their poems, students copy, illustrate, and then contribute them to a "poet’s work" anthology for the class. Encourage students to add a few words of recommendation along with the poet’s name. All About a Poet Have students write a biographical report about a poet’s life by gathering information from the Internet and library books. Ask them to share their research with others and ensure that at least one poem is included in their reports. Puzzling Features Students contribute to a class list of questions that they would like to ask a particular poet. A list of puzzling features could also be created. Place the questions on display and then discuss them after a few days. Poetry Week Organize a poetry week once a quarter during which your class’s favorite poems are displayed throughout the school. Make sure that some of the poems that students have written are included in the displays, too.

In 2001 Dennis Lee of Alligator Pie fame became Toronto’s first poet laureate.

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Appendix A 

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Student Reproducibles

Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Compare and Contrast Directions: Use the chart below to compare two books. Book Title 1:

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Book Title 2:

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Student Reproducibles 

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Extra, Extra! Read All About It! Directions: Complete the news article planning sheet below using information from the book you read. Book Title:__________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Headline:____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Dateline:____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Slugline:_____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Who?_______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ What?______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ When?______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Where?_____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ © Shell Education

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Appendix A 

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Student Reproducibles

Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

My Favorite Author/Illustrator Planning Guide Directions: Use the graphic organizer below to write notes and ideas for your presentation. My chosen author/illustrator:

Books of theirs I have read:

Things that make their work appealing:

Reasons I like their work:

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Student Reproducibles 

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

My Favorite Author/Illustrator Planning Guide (cont.)

Questions I have for them:

Ideas for my presentation:

Ideas for my visual:

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Student Reproducibles

Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Directions: Use the storyboard below to write and draw one scene from the beginning, middle, and end of the book.

Three-Frame Storyboard

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Six-Frame Storyboard Directions: Use the storyboard below to write and draw scenes from the beginning, middle, and end of the book.

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Appendix A 

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Student Reproducibles

Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Nine-Frame Storyboard Directions: Use the storyboard below to write and draw scenes from the beginning, middle, and end of the book.

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Student Reproducibles 

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Web of Wonder Directions: Answer the questions below using what you know from the text. Why did…?

When did…?

What if they…?

Why did she/he/ they…?

How did…?

I wonder if…?

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Appendix A 

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Student Reproducibles

Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Looking Closely Directions: Select a book with illustrations. Use your looking glass to examine the pictures. Then answer the questions below. Look closely at an illustration in your book and then prepare a list of all the things that you can see in it. ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ If you had to delete two or three illustrations from the picture book which ones would you choose? Why would you do so? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Choose another illustration from the book. What do you think about when you look at it? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 136

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

My Alphabox Directions: Fill in with words from the story that begin with each letter shown below. Story Title: _____________________________________________________________

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

YZ

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Drawing Conclusions Directions: Choose a character from the text you have just read and record his or her actions in the column on the left. Write the inferences that you make about the character’s feelings or reactions in the column on the right. Person’s Actions: Text Evidence

138

Inferences

What were the actions of the person in the story? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

How did the person feel as a result of his or her actions or the events that occurred?

What were the events that happened to that person? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Would you have felt the same way as the person in the story? Why or why not?

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Word Splash Directions: Choose a brief section of the story that you would recommend others read. Select four to six words that are important or interesting, and write them in the box below using a print size or font that gives a clue to the meaning of each word. Record the page number from the text where the word is found.

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Word Splash

(cont.)

Directions: Challenge your partner to predict the meaning of the word before he or she reads the text. After reading, have your partner check to confirm each meaning or change the definition. My partner’s name is: _____________________________________ Prediction before reading: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Understanding after reading: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 140

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

My KWL Directions: Complete the first two questions of the graphic organizer below before reading the story. Complete the last two rows of the graphic organizer below after reading the story.

Book Title: ________________________________________________________ Topic: ______________________________________________________________ What do I know (about the topic)? (K) ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ What do I want to know (about the topic)? (W) ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ What did I learn and what surprised me? (L) ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ These are questions I have (about the topic) that weren’t answered in the book. ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ © Shell Education

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Question Web Directions: Think about the main idea of the book. Write a question that relates to the main idea in the middle circle. Use the text to record answers to this question. Include page numbers from the text to support your responses.

Question

Use the most important information you gained to write an answer to your question. ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 142

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Compare and Contrast H-Chart Directions: Use information from the text to complete the H-chart below. Topic 1:

Topic 2:

Both

Summary: ____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ © Shell Education

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

Fact or Opinion: How Do You Tell? Directions: Record facts and opinions from the selected text. Cite specific page numbers where the information can be found in the text.

Book Title: ______________________________________________ Facts: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Opinions: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Words from the text which tell me: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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Question Builder Directions: Read your book and then, in the first column, summarize the key information. Use the text to help you. Now use the question starters to help you build your understanding of the topic you have read about. Book Title: _____________________________________________________________ Text Summary

Question Starters I was confused when

I want to better understand the information about

because

I wonder if

When I keep reading, I want to know about

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Analyzing Text Features Directions: Use the book you are reading to help you think about the text features that have been used. Complete the chart below then answer the questions. Book Title: ______________________________________________ Text Features illustrations, photographs, labels, captions, charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, cut-away diagrams, maps

Response How does this graphic feature help you to determine what the book (or chapter) is about? What additional information does this graphic feature provide?

Which text features helped you to find specific information? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Which text features helped you to determine other important information? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 146

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Appendix B

References and Literature Cited Aardema, Verna. 1992. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears. New York: Penguin Group. Acacio-Flores, Lin. 2000. The Quarrelling Kites. Phillipines: Tahanan Books for Young Readers. Ahlberg, Alan, and Janet Ahlberg. 1990. Starting School. New York: Penguin Group. Ain, Beth. 2013. Starring Jules (as Herself). New York: Scholastic. Allen, Pamela. 1994. Alexander’s Outing. Melbourne, Australia: Penguin Books Australia. Allen, Pamela. 2003. Brown Bread and Honey. Melbourne, Australia: Penguin Books Australia. Allen, Pamela. 2009. Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella. Melbourne, Australia: Penguin Books Australia. Allen, Pamela. 2001. Mr. McGee and the Biting Flea. Melbourne, Australia: Penguin Books Australia. Allen, Pamela. 2006. Share Said the Rooster. Melbourne, Australia: Penguin Books Australia. Allen, Pamela. 2007. Shhh! Little Mouse. Melbourne, Australia: Penguin Books Australia. Allen, Pamela. 2002. The Potato People. New York: Viking Children’s Books. Allen, Pamela. 2009. The Toymaker and the Bird. Melbourne, Australia: Penguin Books Australia. Allen, Pamela. 2007. Who Sank the Boat? Melbourne, Australia: Penguin Books Australia. Anno, Mitsumasa. 1977. Anno’s Counting Book. New York: HarperCollins. Applegate, Katherine. 2013. The One and Only Ivan. New York: HarperCollins. Auch, Mary Jane. 2003. The Princess and the Pizza. New York: Holiday House. Audubon, J.J. 2000. The Birds of America. New York: Welcome Rain Publishers. Baker, Jeannie. 1995. The Story of Rosy Dock. New York: Greenwillow Books. Baker, Olaf. 1985. Where the Buffaloes Begin. New York: Penguin Group. Bang, Molly. 2003. Ten, Nine, Eight. New York: Greenwillow Books. Barnett, Mac. 2012. Extra Yarn. New York: Balzer + Bray. Barrows, Annie. 2007. Ivy + Bean. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Barrows, Annie. 2007. Ivy + Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Barrows, Annie. 2007. Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Barrows, Annie. 2009. Ivy + Bean: Bound to Be Bad. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Barrows, Annie. 2010. Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Barrows, Annie. 2008. Ivy + Bean Take Care of the Babysitter. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Base, Graeme. 1993. Animalia. New York: Harry N. Abrams. Bataille, Marion. 2008. ABC3D. New York: Roaring Brook Press. Baylor, Byrd. 1987. The Desert Is Theirs. New York: Aladdin. Bemelmans, Ludwig. 2000. Madeline. New York: The Viking Press Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline’s Rescue. New York: Viking Kestrel Picture Books. Bennett Hopkins, Lee. 2000. Click, Rumble, Roar: Poems About Machines. New York: T.Y. Crowell Junior Books. Bennett Hopkins, Lee. 2008. My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. Berger, Joe. 2008. Bridget Fidget. London: Puffin Books. Besson, Sam. 2013. Coyote: A Trickster Tale. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials.

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References and Literature Cited

References and Literature Cited

(cont.)

Bethune, Helen. 2013. The Road Trip to Yosemite. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Bethune, Helen. 2013. Sarah’s Journal. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Blake, Quentin. 2006. Tell Me a Picture. London: Frances Lincoln Books. Bogan, Paulette. 2009. Lulu the Big Little Chick. New York: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books. Books for Keeps: The Children's book Magazine Online. "The Lady of Shalott; Beowulf; The Highwayman." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/118/childrens-books/ reviews/the-lady-of-shalott-beowulf-the-highwayman. Bordon, Louise. The Greatest Skating Race: A World War II Story from the Netherlands. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. Boyne, John. 2007. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: A Fable. New York: David Fickling Books. Brasch, Nicolas. 2013. A Baseball Giant. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Brasch, Nicolas. 2013. Escape from Pacya. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Bridges, Shirin Yim. 2002. Ruby’s Wish. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Bridwell, Norman. 2010. Clifford the Big Red Dog. Pacaya, NY: Scholastic. Brimner, Larry Dane. 2011. Black & White. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Brimmer, Larry Dane. 2004. Subway: The Story of Tunnels, Tubes, and Tracks. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Brock, Paul. 1986. Teaching Literature. Sydney: Primary English Teaching Association. Brown, Marc. 1986. Arthur’s Nose. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Brown, Ruth. 1992. A Dark, Dark Tale. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. Browne, Anthony. 2008. Gorilla. London: Walker Books. Browne, Anthony. 2005. Into the Forest. London: Walker Books. Browne, Anthony. 2009. Little Beauty. London: Walker Books. Browne, Anthony. 2007. My Brother. London: Doubleday. Browne, Anthony. 2000. My Dad. London: Doubleday. Browne, Anthony. 2005. My Mum. London: Doubleday. Browne, Anthony. 2008. Willy the Champ. London: Walker Books. Browne, Anthony. 2008. Willy the Wimp. London: Walker Books. Bruel, Nick. 2012. Bad Kitty for President. New York: Square Fish. Bunting, Eve. 1999. Market Day. New York: HarperCollins. Burningham, John. 1994. Hey! Get Off Our Train! New York: Dragonfly Books. Burningham, John. 2000. John Burningham’s ABC. London: Jonathan Cape. Burton, Richard. 2011. Tales from the Arabian Nights. London: CRW Publishing. Burton, Virginia Lee. 2009. The Little House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Byrd, Robert. 2012. Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. Callen, Sharon. 2013. Anna Goes to Zambia. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Callen, Sharon. 2013. The Glass Slippers. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Callen, Sharon. 2013. This Is the Tower That Frank Built. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials.

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Appendix B

(cont.)

Carle, Eric. 1994. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Philomel Books. Carlson, Laurie. 2009. Harry Houdini for Kids: His Life and Adventures with 21 Magic Tricks and Illusions. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. Carson Levine, Gail. 2012. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems. New York: HarperCollins. Carroll, Lewis. 2013. Alice in Wonderland. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. Carter, James, and Graham Denton. 2009. Orange Silver Sausage: A Collection of Poems Without Rhymes from Zephaniah to Agard. London: Walker Books. Carthew, Mark. 2013. Flabbergaster. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Educational Publishing. Carthew, Mark. 2013. Footprints on the Moon. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Carthew, Mark. 2013. Speak Up! Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Carthew, Mark. 2013. Vroom, Vroom! Poems about Things with Wheels. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Chambers, Aiden. 1986. Booktalk: Occasional Writing on Literature and Children. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Chausse, Sylvie. 2009. 3 Little Culottes. Melbourne: Berbay Books. Chausse, Sylvie. 2009. The Prince of Peas. Melbourne: Berbay Books. Cherry, Lynne. 1990. The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest. Boston: Harcourt Children’s Books. Child, Lauren. 2006. But Excuse Me That Is My Book. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. Child, Lauren. 2006. Clarice Bean Spells Trouble. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Child, Lauren. 2008. Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Child, Lauren. 2010. Clarice Bean, That’s Me. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Child, Lauren. 2006. I Absolutely Must Do Coloring Now or Painting or Drawing. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. Child, Lauren. 2005. I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Child, Lauren. 2005. I Am Too Absolutely Small for School. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Child, Lauren. 2003. I Will Never NOT EVER Eat A Tomato. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Child, Lauren. 2009. My Uncle Is a Hunkle, says Clarice Bean. London: Hachette Children’s Books. Child, Lauren. 2002. What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean? Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Child, Lauren. 2009. Who Wants to be a Poodle, I Don’t. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Chin, Jason. 2012. Island: A Story of the Galapagos. New York: Roaring Brook Press. Chin-Lee, Cynthia. 2005. Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing. Cleary, Beverly. 2013. Beezus and Ramona. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Cleary, Beverly. 2000. Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: HarperTrophy. Cleary, Beverly. 2013. Ramona and Her Father. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Cleary, Beverly. 2013. Ramona and Her Mother. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Cleary, Beverly. 2013. Ramona Forever. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Cleary, Beverly. 2013. Ramona Quimby, Age 8. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Cleary, Beverly. 2013. Ramona the Brave. New York: Avon Camelot.

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References and Literature Cited

References and Literature Cited

(cont.)

Cleary, Beverly. 2013. Ramona the Pest. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Cleary, Beverly. 2013. Ramona’s World. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Clement, Rod. 1994. Counting on Frank. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Cole, Brock. 1988. The Giant’s Toe. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Coles, Robert. 1990. The Call of Stories: Teaching and the Moral of Imagination. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Collodi, Carlo. 1995. The Adventures of Pinocchio. New York: Dover Publications. Condon, Bill. 2013. How to Survive in the Jungle. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Condon, Bill. 2013. Planet Puzzle. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Cotterell, Arthur and Laura Buller. 2005. Ancient China. New York: DK Children. Cousins, Lucy. 1999. Lucy Cousins’ Book of Nursery Rhymes. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. Cronin, Doreen. 2010. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. Crowther, Robert. 2010. The Most Amazing Hide and Seek Alphabet Book. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Curlee, Lynn. 2001. Brooklyn Bridge. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. DaCosta, Barbara. Nighttime Ninja. 2012. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Dahl, Roald. 2007. The BFG. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2007. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2005. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2007. D Is for Dahl: A Gloriumptious A-Z Guide to the World of Roald Dahl. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2007. Danny, the Champion of the World. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2002. Dirty Beasts. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2007. Fantastic Mr. Fox. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2007. George’s Marvelous Medicine. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2007. James and the Giant Peach. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2004. Matilda. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2012. Revolting Rhymes. London: Jonathan Cape. Dahl, Roald. 2007. The Twits. New York: Puffin Books. Dahl, Roald. 2007. The Witches. New York: Puffin Books. Daily, Don. 1999. The Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables. Philadelphia: Running Press. David Mannis, Celeste. 2005. The Queen’s Progress: An Elizabethan Alphabet. New York: Puffin Books. de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine. 2013. The Little Prince. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers. de Fatima Campos, Maria. 2004. B Is for Brazil. London: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. Demarest, Chris L. 2005. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: The Military Alphabet. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. Demi. 2000. The Emperor’s New Clothes: A Tale Set in China. New York: Margaret K. McElderrry Books. dePaola, Tomie. 2011. Strega Nona. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. dePaola, Tomie. 1998. The Knight and the Dragon. New York: Penguin Group USA.

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Appendix B

(cont.)

dePaola, Tomie. 1996. The Legend of the Bluebonnet. New York: Puffin Books. DiCamillo, Kate. 2006. The Tale of Despereaux. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. DiTerlizzi, Tony. 2012. Kenny and the Dragon. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Don, Lari. 2012. Little Red Riding Hood. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books. Dr. Seuss. [Theodor Geisel]. 2005. The Cat in the Hat. New York: Random House Books for Young Readers. Dr. Seuss. [Theodor Geisel]. 1996. Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book. New York: Random House Books for Young Readers. Dr. Seuss. [Theodor Geisel]. 1960. Green Eggs and Ham. New York: Random House. Dr. Seuss. [Theodor Geisel]. 1940. Horton Hatches an Egg. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Dr. Seuss. [Theodor Geisel]. 1940. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Edwards, Roberta. 2008. Who Was Neil Armstrong? New York: Grosset & Dunlap. Ehlert, Lois. 2006. Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z. Boston: Red Wagon Books. Ellis, Julie. 2004. What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure. Massachusetts: Charlesbridge Publishing. Ellis, Sarah. 2012. That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton. New York: Scholastic. Falconer, Ian. 2004. Olivia. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Falconer, Ian. 2001. Olivia Saves the Circus. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Falconer, Ian. 2003. Olivia… and the Missing Toy. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Falconer, Ian. 2002. Olivia Counts. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Falconer, Ian. 2006. Olivia Forms a Band. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Falconer, Ian. 2007. Olivia Helps with Christmas. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Fenton, Corinne. 2013. Queenie: One Elephant’s Story. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Fifer, Barbara. 2000. Going Along With Lewis and Clark. Helena, MT: Farcountry Press. Finger, Brad. 2010. 13 American Artists Children Should Know. New York: Prestel. Fitzhugh, Louise. 2001. Harriet the Spy. New York: Delacorte Press. Flack, Marjorie. 2000. The Story About Ping. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. Fox, Mem. 1991. Possum Magic. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Fox, Mem. 2004. Where Is the Green Sheep? Boston: HMH Books for Young Children. Franco, Betsy. 2009. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. French, Fiona. 1990. Snow White in New York. Oxford: Oxford University Press. French, Jackie. 2009. Diary of a Wombat. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. French, Jackie. 2005. They Came on Viking Ships. Sydney: HarperCollins Australia Fromental, Jean-Luc. 2006. 365 Penguins. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. Gag, Wanda. 2006. Millions of Cats. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. Gaiman, Neil. 2010. The Graveyard Book. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Gallico, Paul. 2010. The Snow Goose. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Gantos, Jack. 2013. Dead End in Norvelt. New York: Square Fish. Gerstein, Mordicai. 2003. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

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References and Literature Cited

References and Literature Cited

(cont.)

Gleeson, Libby. 2011. Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House. Neutral Bay, NSW, Australia: Little Hare Books. Goldsmith, Mike, and Branka Surla. 2012. Train Your Brain to Be a Math Genius: Your Brilliant Brain and How to Train It. London: Dorling Kindersly Limited. Graham, Bob. 2008. How to Heal a Broken Wing. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Graham, Bob. 1990. The Red Woollen Blanket. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Gray, Kes. 2004. Cluck O’Clock. New York: Holiday House. Green, John. 2012. The Fault in Our Stars. New York: Dutton Books. Guarnaccia, Steven. 2010. The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. Guthrie, Woody. 1998. This Land Is Your Land. New York: Little Brown Books for Young Readers. Haddon, Mark. 2011. Boom! New York: Yearling. Hall, Donald. 1983. Ox-Cart Man. New York: Penguin Group. Handford, Martin. 2007. Where’s Waldo? Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Hanh, Thich N. 2007. The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends from Vietnam. California: Parallax Press. Harrison, David L. 2006. Glaciers. New York: Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Harrison, David L. 1995. Somebody Catch My Homework. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Hastings, Selina. 1990. Peter and the Wolf. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Hawes, Alison. 2010. A Roman Soldier’s Handbook. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company. Heard, Georgia. 2009. Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems. New York: Roaring Book Press. Hedderwick, Mairi. 2010. Katie Morag and the New Pier. New York: Red Fox. Heide, Florence Parry. 2009. Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated). New York: Schwartz & Wade. Hepworth, Catherine. 1996. Antics! An Alphabetical Anthology. New York: Puffin Books. Hills, Tad. 2010. Rocket Learns to Read. New York: Schwartz & Wade. Hills, Tad. 2012. Rocket Writes a Story. New York: Schwartz & Wade. Hiscock, Bruce. 2003. The Big Caribou Herd: Life in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Hiscock, Bruce. 2008. The Big Storm. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Hoban, Russell. 2006. A Near Thing for Captain Najork. Boston: David R. Godine. Hoban, Russell. 1974. How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen. New York: Atheneum. Hobbs, Leigh. 2004. Old Tom’s Holiday. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers. Hoberman, Mary Ann. 2012. Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Hodgson Burnett, Frances. 2011. A Little Princess. Mineola, NY: Dover. Hodgson Burnett, Frances. 2003. The Secret Garden. New York: Signet Classics. Holabird, Katharine. 2005. Angelina at the Palace. New York: The Viking Press. Holabird, Katharine. 2006. Angelina Ballerina. New York: The Viking Press. Holabird, Katharine. 2006. Angelina on Stage. New York: The Viking Press. Holabird, Katharine. 2008. Angelina, Star of the Show. New York: The Viking Press.

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References and Literature Cited

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Appendix B

(cont.)

Holabird, Katharine. 2006. Angelina’s Baby Sister. New York: The Viking Press. Holabird, Katharine. 2007. Angelina’s Birthday. New York: The Viking Press. Holmes, Jeremy. 2009. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Hoose, Phillip M. 2012. Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hopkinson, Deborah. 1997. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Hopkinson, Deborah. 2012. Titanic: Voices from the Disaster. New York: Scholastic Press. Hornsey, Chris. 2007. Why Do I Have to Eat Off the Floor? New York: Walker & Company. Horowitz, Anthony. 2007. Ark Angel. New York: Speak. Horowitz, Anthony. 2010. Crocodile Tears. New York: Philomel Books. Horowitz, Anthony. 2006. Eagle Strike. New York: Speak. Horowitz, Anthony. 2006. Point Blank. New York: Puffin Books. Horowitz, Anthony. 2006. Scorpia. New York: Puffin Books. Horowitz, Anthony. 2006. Skeleton Key. New York: Puffin Books. Horowitz, Anthony. 2008. Snakehead. New York: Speak. Horowitz, Anthony. 2006. Stormbreaker. New York: Puffin Books. Ingoglia, Gina. 2008. The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown Ups. New York: Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Iser, Wolfgang. 1978. The Act of Reading. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Ita, Sam. 200. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: A Pop-Up Book. New York: Sterling. Ita, Sam. 2007. Moby Dick: A Pop-Up Book. New York: Sterling. Janeczko, Paul B. 2005. A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Johnson, Crockett. 2005. Harold and the Purple Crayon. New York: HarperCollins. Johnson, Stephen T. 2008. A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet. New York: Simon & Schuster. Johnson, Stephen T. 1999. Alphabet City. New York: Penguin Group. Jolly, Gill. 2008. The Volcano Book: Erupting Near You. Newtown, NSW, Australia: Black Dog Books. Jonas, Ann. 1994. Aardvarks, Disembark! New York: Puffin Books. Joosse, Barbara M. 2001. Ghost Wings. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Kamkwamba, William, and Bryan Mealer. 2010. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. New York: HarperCollins. Katz, Bobbi. 2013. Pocket Poems. New York: Puffin Books. Kaufman, Les. 1991. Alligators to Zooplankton: A-Z: A Dictionary of Water Babies. Danbury, CT: Franklin Watts. Keane, Sarah. 2013. Around the World in Twenty-Eight Pages. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Educational Publishing. Keane, Sarah. 2013. Cuckoo, Cuckoo: A Folktale from Mexico. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Keane, Sarah. 2013. My Foot Fell Asleep. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Keats, Ezra J. 1999. Hi, Cat! New York: Penguin Group.

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References and Literature Cited

References and Literature Cited

(cont.)

Keats, Ezra J. 2002. Keats’s Neighbourhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Treasury. New York: Viking Juvenile. Keats, Ezra J. 1998. Peter’s Chair. New York: Penguin Group. Keats, Ezra J. 1976. The Snowy Day. New York: Puffin Books. Keats, Ezra J. 1999. Whistle for Willie. New York: Scholastic. Keens-Douglas, Richardo. 1992. The Nutmeg Princess. Canada: Annick Press. Kingfisher, Rupert. 2009. Madame Pamplemousse and the Enchanted Sweet Shop. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. Kingfisher, Rupert. 2008. Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. Kingfisher, Rupert. 2011. Madame Pamplemousse and the Time-Travelling Café. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. Kinney, Jeff. 2007. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York: Amulet Books. Kinney, Jeff. 2009. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. New York: Amulet Books. Kinney, Jeff. 2008. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. New York: Amulet Books. Kinney, Jeff. 2009. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. New York: Amulet Books. Klassen, Jon. 2012. This Is Not My Hat. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Konigsburg, E.L. 1998. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Kooser, Ted. 2012. House Held Up By Trees. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Krebs, Laurie. 2004. We All Went on Safari. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books. Krosoczka, Jarrett J. 2009. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers. Kubler, Annie. 2003. What’s the Time Mr. Wolf? Swindon, England: Child’s Play International. Kuhn, Betsy. 1999. Angels of Mercy: The Army Nurses of World War II. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. L’Engle, Madeleine. 1995. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Puffin Books Modern Classics. Lamorisse, Albert. 2000. The Red Balloon. London: Oberon Books. Lazar, Ralph. 2008. The Most Stupendous Atlas of the Whole Wide World by the Brainwaves. New York: Dorling Kindersley. Leaf, Munro. 2011. The Story of Ferdinand. New York: Penguin Group. Lear, Edward. 1992. A Book of Nonsense. 1st ed. New York: Everyman's Library. Lear, Edward. 2011. His Shoes Were Far Too Tight. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. LeBlanc, Andre. 2010. The Red Piano. Melbourne: Wilkins Farago. Lee, Dennis. 2008. Alligator Pie. Toronto: Key Porter Books. Lee, Dennis. 2014. Bubblegum Delicious. New York: HarperCollins. Lee, Dennis. 2014. The Ice Cream Store. New York: HarperCollins. Lee, Dennis. 1985. Jelly Bell. Canada: School Specialty Publishing. Lester, Alison. 2005. Are We There Yet? A Journey Around Australia. San Diego, CA: Kane Miller Book Publishers. Lester, Alison. 2006. Magic Beach. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Lester, Alison. 1996. When Frank Was Four. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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References and Literature Cited

• 

Appendix B

(cont.)

Lewis, C.S. 2009. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. New York: HarperCollins. Lewis, C.S. 2002. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. New York: HarperCollins. Lewis, J. Patrick. 2008. The World’s Greatest: Poems. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Lindgren, Astrid. 2006. Pippi Goes Aboard. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Lindgren, Astrid. 1977. Pippi in the South Seas. New York: Puffin Books. Lindgren, Astrid. 1977. Pippi Longstocking. New York: Puffin Books. Long, Ethan. 2012. Up! Tall! and High! (But Not Necessarily in That Order). New York: Penguin Group. Long, John. 2008. Big Picture Book of Environments. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Lord, Gabrielle. 2010. Conspiracy 365: December. London: Hodder Children’s Books. Lord, Gabrielle. 2012. Conspiracy 365: January. London: Hodder Children’s Books. Lourie, Peter. 2002. Tierra del Fuego: A Journey to the End of the Earth. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Lourie, Peter. 2000. Yukon River: An Adventure to the Gold Fields of the Klondike. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Lowry, Lois. 1984. Anastasia Krupnik. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Macaulay, David. 1982. Castle. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers. Macaulay, David. 1981. Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Macaulay, David. 1989. Mill. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Macaulay, David. 2003. Mosque. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers. Macaulay, David. 1982. Pyramid. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers. Macaulay, David. 1987. Unbuilding. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Macaulay, David. 1983. Underground. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Mackintosh, David. 2011. Marshall Armstrong Is New to Our School. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. Mahy, Margaret. 1992. The Haunting. New York: Puffin Books. Mandela, Nelson, ed. 2007. Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. Mann, Elizabeth. 2006. Empire State Building: When New York Reached for the Skies. New York: Mikaya Press. Mann, Elizabeth. 2006. The Great Wall: The Story of Thousands of Miles and Earth and Stone that Turned a Nation into a Fortress. New York: Mikaya Press. Marsalis, Wynton. 2005. Jazz ABZ. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Martin Jr., Bill. 1996. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? New York: Henry Holt and Company. Martin Jr., Bill. 1997. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See? New York: Henry Holt and Company. Martin Jr., Bill, and John Archambault. 1989. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. New York: Simon & Schuster. Martin Jr., Bill, and Michael Sampson. 2008. The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. McCaughrean, Geraldine. 2002. My Grandmother’s Clock. New York: Clarion Books. McCloskey, Robert. 1999. Make Way for Ducklings. New York: Puffin Books. McCormick, Rosie. 2005. Book of Space: Questions and Answers. New York: Dorling Kindersley.

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References and Literature Cited

References and Literature Cited

(cont.)

McDermott, Gerald. 2005. Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. McGuirk, Leslie. 2011. If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet. New York: Tricycle Press McKee, David. 1988. Elmer. New York: Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard Books. McKee, David. 2012. Elmer and the Butterfly. Minneapolis, MN: Andersen Press. McKee, David. 2010. Elmer and the Hippos. Minneapolis, MN: Andersen Press. McKee, David. 1996. Elmer and Wilbur. New York: HarperCollins. McKee, David. 2002. Elmer’s New Friend. Minneapolis, MN: Andersen Press. McLeod, Bob. 2008. Superhero ABC. New York: HarperCollins. McLimans, David. 2006. Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet. New York: Walker Books for Young Readers. McNaughton, Colin. 2003. There’s an Awful Lot of Weirdos in Our Neighborhood: A Book of Rather Silly Poems and Pictures. London: Walker Books. Meek, Margaret. 1982. Learning to Read. London: The Bodley Head. Merriam, Eve. 1993. 12 Ways to Get to 11. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2009. Look Again! New York: Thames & Hudson. Miché, Mary. 2012. Nature’s Patchwork Quilt: Understanding Habitats. California: Dawn Publications. Middleton, Julie. 2012. Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers. Millard, Glenda. 2012. Isabella’s Garden. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Moore, Jordan. 2013. The Marshmallow Man. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Moore, Jordan. 2013. Sinbad the Sailor. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Morimoto, Isao, trans. 1999. The Two Bullies. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Moss, Maria. 2002. Hannah’s Journal. New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Muchamore, Robert. 2010. Brigands MC. London: Hodder Children’s Books. Muchamore, Robert. 2004. Class A. London: Hodder Children’s Books. Muchamore, Robert. 2006. Divine Madness. London: Hodder Children’s Books. Muchamore, Robert. 2005. Maximum Security. London: Hodder Children’s Books. Muchamore, Robert. 2011. Shadow Wave. London: Hodder Children’s Books. Muchamore, Robert. 2004. The Recruit. London: Hodder Children’s Books. Musgrove, Margaret. 1992. Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions. New York: Penguin Group. Neuschwander, Cindy. 2002. Sir Cumference and the First Round Table. Massachusetts: Charlesbridge Publishing. Nicholson, John. 2005. Animal Architects. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Noble, Trinka H. 1992. The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash. New York: Penguin Group. Norton, Mary. 2003. The Borrowers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Norton, Mary. 2003. The Borrowers Afield. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Norton, Mary. 2003. The Borrowers Afloat. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Norton, Mary. 2003. The Borrowers Aloft. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Norton, Mary. 2003. The Borrowers Avenged. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Noyes, Alfred. 1999. The Highwayman. New York: Oxford University Press USA.

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References and Literature Cited

• 

Appendix B

(cont.)

Numeroff, Laura. 2008. If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. New York: HarperCollins. Numeroff, Laura. 2011. If You Give a Dog a Donut. New York: Balzer + Bray. Numeroff, Laura. 1991. If You Give a Moose a Muffin. New York: HarperCollins. Numeroff, Laura. 2010. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. New York: HarperCollins. Numeroff, Laura. 1998. If You Give a Pig a Pancake. New York: HarperCollins. Numeroff, Laura. 2002. If You Take a Mouse to School. New York: HarperCollins. O’Connell, Caitlin. 2011. The Elephant Scientist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Children. Obama, Barack. 2010. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Odgers, Sally. 2013. Journey to the Center of the Earth. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Opie, Iona. 1999. Here Comes Mother Goose. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Opie, Iona. 1996. My Very First Mother Goose. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Osei, Leah. 2013. The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Other Aesop Fables. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Osei, Leah. 2013. The Bremen Town Musicians. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Osei, Leah. 2013. Why Anansi Has Eight Thin Legs: A Tale from West Africa. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Parin d’Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire. Pocahontas. San Luis Obispo, CA: Beautiful Feet Books. Parish, Herman. 2009. Amelia Bedelia and the Cat. New York: Greenwillow Books. Parish, Herman. 2005. Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm. New York: Greenwillow Books. Parish, Herman. 2011. Amelia Bedelia’s First Valentine. New York: Greenwillow Books. Parish, Herman. 2002. Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia. New York: Greenwillow Books. Parish, Herman and Peggy Parish. 2009. An Amelia Bedelia Celebration: Four Stories Tall. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Parish, Peggy. 2013. Amelia Bedelia. New York: Greenwillow Books. Parish, Peggy. 2004. Amelia Bedelia and the Baby. New York: Greenwillow Books. Parish, Peggy. 2005. Amelia Bedelia Helps Out. New York: Greenwillow Books. Parish, Peggy. 1995. Come Back, Amelia Bedelia. New York: HarperCollins. Parish, Peggy. 2004. Teach Us Amelia Bedelia. New York: Greenwillow Books. Park, Barbara. 2009. Junie B. Jones (Complete Series). New York: Scholastic. Park, Linda S. 2009. The Firekeeper’s Son. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Pascal, Janet. 2011. Who Was Dr. Seuss? New York: Grosset & Dunlap. Patron, Susan. 2008. The Higher Power of Lucky. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Paulsen, Gary. 2007. Hatchet. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Pearson, Debora. 2007. Alphabeep! A Zipping, Zooming ABC. New York: Holiday House. Pennypacker, Sara. 2008. Clementine. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks for Children. Pennypacker, Sara. 2009. Clementine’s Letter. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. Pennypacker, Sara. 2008. Talented Clementine. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. Peterson, Cris. 2009. Wild Horses: Black Hills Sanctuary. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Pilkey, Dav. 2010. Captain Underpants (Complete Series). New York: Scholastic.

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References and Literature Cited

References and Literature Cited

(cont.)

Pinkney, Jerry. 2009. The Lion & the Mouse. New York: Little Brown Books for Young Readers. Plant, Andrew. 2006. Could a Tyrannosaurus Play Table Tennis? La Jolla, CA: Kane Miller. Platt, Richard. 1992. Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Polacco, Patricia. 2001. The Keeping Quilt. New York: Simon & Schuster. Polacco, Patricia. 1996. Rechenka’s Eggs. New York: Penguin Group. Pradal Price, Barbara and Paulita Sedgwick. 1971. Ancient Egypt from A-Z. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill. Prelutsky, Jack. 2008. My Dog May Be a Genius. New York: Greenwillow Books. Prelutsky, Jack. 2013. The New Kid on the Block. New York: Greenwillow Books. Prelutsky, Jack. 1976. Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep. New York: Greenwillow Books. Prelutsky, Jack. 1983. The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. New York: Random House. Prelutsky, Jack. 1986. Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Pringle, Laurence. 2009. Alligators and Crocodiles! Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Pringle, Laurence. 2009. Bats! Strange and Wonderful. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Prokos, Anna. 2004. World Atlas. London: Longman. Ranson, Jeanie F. 2010. What Really Happened to Humpty? From the Files of a Hard-Boiled Detective. Massachusetts: Charlesbridge Publishing. Raschka, Chris. 2011. A Ball for Daisy. New York: Schwartz & Wade. Rawls, Wilson. 1996. Where the Red Fern Grows. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Ray, Jane. 2009. Snow White. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Reid, James. 2013. Your Guide to Superheroes. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Reynolds, Aaron. 2012. Creepy Carrots! New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Riordan, Rick. 2006. The Lightning Thief. New York: Miramax Books for Kids. Riordan, Rick. 2012. The Lost Hero. New York: Miramax Books for Kids. Roberts, David, and Jeremy Leslie. 2009. Pick Me Up! Stuff You Need to Know. New York: DK Publishing. Rockwell, Thomas. 1953. How to Eat Fried Worms. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Roeder, Annette. 2009. 13 Buildings Children Should Know. New York: Prestel. Roop, Peter and Connie. 2007. River Roads West: America’s First Highways. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek. Rosen, Michael. 1991. Quick, Let’s Get Out of Here. New York: Puffin Books. Rosen, Michael. 2005. This Is Our House. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Rosen, Michael. 2013. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. Roughsey, Dick. 1994. The Rainbow Serpent. New York: HarperCollins. Rowling, J.K. 2012. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic. Rowling, J.K. 1997. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. New York: Scholastic. Rowling, J.K. 2013. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic. Rowling, J.K. 2001. Quidditch Through the Ages. New York: Scholastic. Rubinstein, Gillian. 1997. Galax-Arena. New York: Simon Pulse. Russell, Rachel Renee. 2012. Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess. New York: Aladdin.

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References and Literature Cited 

References and Literature Cited

• 

Appendix B

(cont.)

Russell, Rachel Renee. 2009. Dork Diaries: Tales from the Not-So-Fabulous Life. New York: Aladdin. Ryan, Pam M. 1999. Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride. New York: Scholastic. Rylant, Cynthia. 1998. Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds. San Anselmo, CA: Sandpiper. Sabuda, Robert and Matthew Reinhart. 2005. Encylopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive PopUp. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Sabuda, Robert. 2004. America the Beautiful: A Pop-Up Book. New York: Little Simon. Sabuda, Robert. 2008. Peter Pan: A Classic Pop-Up Sound Book. New York: Little Simon. Sabuda, Robert. 2004. The Christmas Alphabet. London: Orchard Books. Sachar, Louis. 1985. Sideways Stories from Wayside School. New York: HarperCollins. Sachar, Louis. 1996. Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger. New York: HarperCollins. Sachar, Louis. 1990. Wayside School Is Falling Down. New York: HarperCollins. Sacks, David. 2004. Letter Perfect: The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet from A to Z. New York: Broadway Books. San Souci, Robert D. 2002. Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. Sasek, Mirslav. 2009. This Is Australia. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2009. This Is Greece. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2005. This Is Ireland. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2008. This Is Israel. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2004. This Is London. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2003. This Is New York. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2004. This Is Paris. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2003. This Is San Francisco. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2005. This Is Venice. New York: Rizzoli. Sasek, Mirslav. 2009. This Is the Way to the Moon. New York: Rizzoli. Savage, Steven. 2011. Oceans and Seas. New York: Kingfisher. Saxby, Claire. 2014. There Was an Old Sailor. New York: Kids Can Press. Say, Allen. 2011. Drawing from Memory. New York: Scholastic Press. Say, Allen. 2008. Grandfather’s Journey. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers. Schanzer, Rosalyn. 2011. Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. Des Moines, IA: National Geographic Children’s Books. Schlitz, Laura Amy. 2011. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Schwartz, David M. 1998. G Is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book. New York: Tricycle Press. Schwartz, David. 2009. Q Is for Quark: A Science Alphabet Book. New York: Tricycle Press. Sciezska, Jon. 1992. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. New York: Viking Juvenile. Scieszka, Jon. 1996. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. New York: Puffin Books. Sebring, Janette L. 1984. The Pokey Little Puppy. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Seddon, Viola Ann and Jean Mahoney. 2009. Swan Lake Ballet Theatre. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Sendak, Maurice. 2006. Mommy. New York: Scholastic.

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References and Literature Cited

References and Literature Cited

(cont.)

Sendak, Maurice. 1963. Where the Wild Things Are. New York: HarperCollins. Sheinkin, Steve. 2012. Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon. New York: Flash Point. Sheldon, Dyan. 1997. The Whales’ Song. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. Snicket, Lemony. [Daniel Handler]. 2000. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy. New York: HarperCollins. Snicket, Lemony. [Daniel Handler]. 1999. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning. New York: HarperCollins. Snicket, Lemony. [Daniel Handler]. 2013. The Dark. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Snicket, Lemony. [Daniel Handler]. 2000. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill. New York: HarperCollins. Snicket, Lemony. [Daniel Handler]. 1999. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room. New York: HarperCollins. Snicket, Lemony. [Daniel Handler]. 2001. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Vile Village. New York: HarperCollins. Snicket, Lemony. [Daniel Handler]. 2000. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window. New York: HarperCollins. Silverstein, Shel. 1996. Falling Up. New York: HarperCollins. Silverstein, Shel. 2004. Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings. New York: HarperCollins. Simon, Seymour. 2009. Penguins. New York: HarperCollins. Smith, Lane. 2010. It’s a Book. New York: Roaring Brook Press. Snyder, Zipha Keatley. 2009. The Egypt Game. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. So, Sungwan. 2004. C Is for China. London: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. Sobel, June. 2006. Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC. Boston: Harcourt Children’s Books. Stanley, Diane. 1994. Cleopatra. New York: William Morrow and Company. Stanley, Diane. 2002. Joan of Arc. New York: HarperCollins. Stead, Philip C. 2010. A Sick Day for Amos McGee. New York: Roaring Brook Press. Stead, Rebecca. 2009. When You Reach Me. New York: Yearling. Steig, Jeanne and William. 1992. Alpha Beta Chowder. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Steig, William. 1987. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. New York: Aladdin. Stevenson, Robert Louis. 1993. Treasure Island. Mineola, NY: Dover. Stewart, Dianne. 2007. The Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa. London: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. Sweeny, Joan. 1998. Me on the Map. New York: Random House Children’s Books. Sweet, Melissa. 2011. Balloons Over Broadway. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers. Swinburne, Stephen R. 2009. Black Bear: North America’s Bear. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Swinburne, Stephen R. 2007. Coyote: North American Dog. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Swinburne, Stephen R. 2007. Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Tang, Greg. 2004. The Grapes of Math. New York: Scholastic. Thiele, Coin. 2002. Storm Boy. Austrailia: New Holland Publishers.

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References and Literature Cited

• 

Appendix B

(cont.)

Thompson, Bill. 2012. The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Tolkien, J.R.R. 2004. Letters from Father Christmas. Boston: Mariner Books. Trelease, Jim. 2006. The Read-Aloud Handbook. New York: Penguin Books. Vaccaro Seeger, Laura. 2012. Green. New York: Roaring Brook Press. Van Allsburg, Chris. 1985. The Polar Express. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Van Allsburg, Chris. 1996. Mysteries of Harris Burdick. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Van Der Meer, Ron. 2007. How Many? Spectacular Paper Sculptures. New York: Robin Corey Books. Van Laan, Nancy. 1998. The Magic Bean Tree: A Legend from Argentina. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Van Laan, Nancy. 1992. Possum Come-A-Knockin. New York: Dragonfly Books. Vanderpool, Clare. 2011. Moon Over Manifest. New York: Yearling. Verne, Jules. 2013. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. New York: Sterling. Verstraete, Larry. 2010. S Is for Scientists: A Discovery Alphabet. Michigan: Sleeping Bear Press. Viorst, Judith. 1987. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Waboose, Jan Bordeau. 2002. SkySisters. New York: Kids Can Press. Wadsworth, Ginger. 1995. Giant Sequoia Trees. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications. Wallace, Ian. 1996. Hansel and Gretel. Toronto: Groundwood Books. Webster, Noah. 1967. American Dictionary of the English Language. Chesapeake, VA: Foundation for American Christian Education. West, Colin. 2007. A Crocodile’s Teeth and Other Funny Poems. London: Walker Books. Westerfeld, Scott. 2010. Leviathan Trilogy. New York: Simon Pulse. White, E.B. 2004. Charlotte’s Web. New York: HarperCollins. Wild, Margaret. 2010. Lucy Goosey. Neutral Bay, NSW, Australia: Little Hare Books. Wildsmith, Brian. 1996. Brian Wildsmith’s ABC. New York: Star Bright Books. Williams, William Carlos. 1991. "This is Just to Say." In The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Vol. 1 1900–1939. Edited by A. Walton Litz and Christopher MacGowen. New York: New Directions. Wood, A.J. 1992. Errata: A Book of Historical Errors. New York: Green Tiger Press. Woodford, Chris. 2008. How Cool Stuff Works. New York: Dorling Kindersley. Woodward, John, Luke Collins, Clint Witchalls, Ben Morgan, and James Flint. 2009. Train Your Brain to Be a Genius. New York: Dorling Kindersley. Woolf, Alex. 2008. 1001 Hideous History Facts: Delve into the Depths of Our Despicable Past. London: Arcturus Publishing. Woop Studios. 2011. A Zeal of Zebras: An Alphabet of Collective Nouns. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. Wu, Nicholas. 2013. The Bears’ Story by Baldwin B. Bear. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Wu, Nicholas. 2013. Tiddalick, the Greedy Frog: An Aboriginal Dreamtime Story. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Yates, Louise. 2010. Dog Loves Books. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.

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References and Literature Cited

References and Literature Cited

(cont.)

Yen Mah, Adeline. 2009. China: Land of Dragons and Emperors. New York: Delacorte Books for Young Readers. Yeoman, John. 2003. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor. London: Chrysalis Children’s Books. Yolen, Jane. 1992. Piggins. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Young, Ed. 1989. Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China. New York: Philomel Books. Ziefert, Harriet and Brian Stokes Mitchell. 2009. Lights on Broadway: A Theatrical Tour from A to Z. Maplewood, NJ: Blue Apple Books. Zimmermann, Karl. 2007. Steamboats: The Story of Lakers, Ferries, and Majestic Paddle-Wheelers. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

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Appendix C 

• 

Contents of the Digital Resources CD

Contents of the Digital Resource CD Page

Title

Filename

16–17

My Alphabet Book

alphabetbook.pdf alphabetbook.doc

128

Compare and Contrast

comparecontrast.pdf comparecontrast.doc

129

Extra, Extra! Read All About It!

extraextra.pdf extraextra.doc

130–131

My Favorite Author/Illustrator Planning Guide

myfavorite.pdf myfavorite.doc

132

Three-Frame Storyboard

threeframe.pdf

133

Six-Frame Storyboard

sixframe.pdf

134

Nine-Frame Storyboard

nineframe.pdf

135

Web of Wonder

webwonder.pdf webwonder.doc

136

Looking Closely

lookingclosely.pdf lookingclosely.doc

137

My Alphabox

alphabox.pdf

138

Drawing Conclusions

drawingconclusions.pdf drawingconclusions.doc

139–140

Word Splash

wordsplash.pdf wordsplash.doc

141

My KWL

kwl.pdf kwl.doc

142

Question Web

questionweb.pdf questionweb.doc

143

Compare and Contrast H-Chart

hchart.pdf hchart.doc

144

Fact or Opinion: How Do You Tell?

factopinion.pdf factopinion.doc

145

Question Builder

questionbuilder.pdf questionbuilder.doc

146

Analyzing Text Features

analyzingtextfeatures.pdf analyzingtextfeatures.doc

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Notes

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Notes

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