The Tombs of the Pharaohs: A Three-Dimensional Discovery

Author/Illustrator: Sue Clarke

About the Author:
Clarke is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. Some of her published works include Scottish Fairy Tales, Hanukkah!: A Three-Dimensional Celebration, All About All of You - Boxed Set of 4, and The Tombs of the Pharaohs: A Three-Dimensional Discovery.

Genre: Social Studies

Grade Level: 4-6
Theme: Egypt Tombs and Pharaohs


Synopsis:
This book is about the mysterious tombs of the ancient Egyptians and the pharaohs buried inside of them.  Each page, shaped like a pyramid, has pop-ups where you can life the flaps of the book, explore hidden pockets, and fold outs to discover all kinds of information on King Tut's undisurbed tomb.  This book includes the investigation of the Great Pyramid, the Valley of the Kings, the tomb of King Tutankhamen, and the hieroglyphics.

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Have students do a think-pair-share activity about what they know about the Ancient Egyptians and their pyramids!

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have the students research the ancient pyramids and about King Tutankhamen, also known as King Tut and the story of his tomb's marvelous discovery. Set up a pyramid center in the classroom as well as other centers focused on the ancient Egyptians to have the students learn more about the pyramids and the interesting life the ancient Egyptians led!

Reflection:

I think this book is a great book to use in the classroom because it offers detailed information about different things the ancient Egyptians did with their dead to preserve and protect them.  I always found Egypt to be an interesting topic to work with and the pyramids were ALWAYS my favorite topic about them.  I was always fascinated in the mystery that is the pyramids and I think that in presenting the Egyptians to a class would be an experience they will remember and want to learn more about!

The Magic School Bus In the Rainforest

 

 

Author/Illustrator: Joanna Cole/Bruce Degen

About the Author:
http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/books/cole.htm
Cole has worked as an elementary school teacher, a librarian, and a children's book editor.  She has written more than 90 nonfiction and fiction books for children. She is also the winner of the 1991 Washington Post /Children's Book Guild Nonfiction award.  Being able to write the Magic School Bus books allows her to involve her two favorite things into one science and her sense of humor!

Genre: Science

Grade Level: 2-5
Theme: Rainforest

Synopsis:
This book is about Ms. Frizzle taking her students on a wild ride to the rainforest to figure out why her cocoa tree is not producing cocoa beans.  The students get in the bus and experience a bunch of rain, bugs, trees, animals, and they work together to solve the problem of the cocoa bean producing problem. They learn about different information about the rainforests and enjoy another exhilarating field trip with the Frizz!


Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Have students brainstorm and write down,with a partner, what a rainforest is and what kind of animals can be found in the rainforest.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have the students become reporters and look up information on the computer about rainforests around the world.  Have them report their findings of how much of the rainforest is left and what some people can do to help save the rainforests.  You can also have students create posters to Save the Rainforest!

Reflection:

I think that not only this book, but all of the Magic School Bus books are wonderful books to use because they all have detailed information about the topics at hand.  This book is filled with information on every page about rainforests.  The books also always have the students coming up with the solution to the problem at hand which is important for students to understand. This is because the students are the ones that need to be involved in learning about the subject in a hands-on way.  It is not possible for a bus to transform into different things and have the students explore different places all over the world in a school day's time, but students will enjoy the wild ride that Ms. Frizzle takes each time they read a Magic School Bus book!

Different Just Like Me

Author/Illustrator: Lori Mitchell

About the Author:
http://www.differentjustlikeme.cc/families_text.html
Mitchell grew up in Redondo Beach, California and her older sisters are also artists. She’s been teaching art since 1996 at elementary schools, high school, college and private school. She teaches students from age 8 to past 80. She graduated from Art Center College of Design with a BA in Illustration which she has used to illustrate 9 books including Different Just Like Me.

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: K-2
Theme: Differences

Synopsis:
This book is about this little girl who does different things during the week with her mother while waiting to see her Grammie at the end of the week. She sees two kids her age that used sign language to communicate with each other, she saw people in the market, a woman who used braille to figure out where to go, a man who enjoyed eating the same lunch as her, a person in a wheelchair, and many others who do things JUST LIKE HER.  Finally she gets to her Grammie's house and sees all the flowers she has around.  Each one of them is different and she cannot decide which one she likes best.  Her Grammie tells her that it is okay to like them all and not have a favorite.  Before she leaves her Grammie's house, her Grammie gives her a bunch of flowers to take with her. The flowers made her think of all the people she had seen that week and how even though the flowers are all different from each other, they are all great and that goes with people in the world. Everyone is different...just like her!


Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Have students brainstorm how people are different. Explain to the students what sign language and Braille are.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, let the students get to feel the numbers in Braille in the story and teach them the letters in sign language that are in the book as well.  This will help the students understand that some people communicate differently than others.  Some may not be able to talk but others may not be able to see and each needs different things to help them!

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it allows students to see how all people are different just like them.  They may do the same things as them but in a way people need help with different things or speak different languages.  It also allows them to see the letters in sign language as well as the numbers one to five and how they look and feel using Braille. I think that is a great idea to get students familiar with what other people use so they know when they see it again in the community!

Together

Author/Illustrator: George Ella Lyon/Vera Rosenberry

About the Author:
http://www.georgeellalyon.com/
Lyon grew up in Kentucky.  She loved  words, climbing trees, bike riding, singing, her family, stories, and school. She lived with her parents and older brother.  She started writing poems in third grade, and also took piano and voice lessons and played flute in the junior band.  But in eighth grade she decided she wanted to play the guitar. She attended Centre College of Kentucky, ands studied music and English. It was there she met musician and writer, Steve Lyon. whom she married and has to children, Benn and Joey.  After she went to graduate school and began a life of teaching, writing, and raising a family.

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: K-2
Theme: Working together


Synopsis:
This book is about how people can work together to get things done.  It talks about how two people can work together to play a game of ball by one person getting the ball and the other getting the team together.  It discusses how two people can sail a boat by one person painting the boat and the other setting the sail.  In the end if they put their heads together they can dream the same dream!


Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students what they like to do with other people.  Have them draw a picture of something they like to do with a friend.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students tell you what their dreams are.  Have them illustrate their dreams on cut out clouds provided by the teacher and then hang the clouds in the hallway next to each other to make one big thought bubble with tiny bubbles leading to the giant thought bubble of dreams!

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it allows students to see how people work together and that they can do the same.  Everyone has different dreams and some may be similar to others but in order to fulfill our dreams, sometimes we have to work together with other people!

Pumpkin Pumpkin

  

Author/Illustrator: Jeanne Titherington

About the Author:
http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/18814/Jeanne_Titherington/index.aspx?authorID=18814
Titherington grew up in Maine.  She still summers there, but she now lives and works in Houston,Texas, with her daughter, Anna, and son, John Gabriel.  She loves what she does because of her interests in art, language, fairytales, and the world of the child.  She said the world of the child because she thinks, in a way, she has never grown up and hopes she never will!

Genre: Science

Grade Level: K-2
Theme: Pumpkins

Synopsis:
This book is about a little boy named Jamie who planted a pumpkin seed.  He watched the pumpkin go from a tiny sprout to a plant, to a flower, to a pumpkin.  When he decided to pick it, he scooped out the pumpkin pulp, carved a face and put it in the window.  However, he made sure to save 6 seeds to plant in the spring!

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students what a pumpkin is and what they do with pumpkins around Halloween time!

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students help you scoop out pumpkin seeds from a pumpkin you brought in and save the seeds to plant a pumpkin in the spring time so they can witness how a pumkpin grows!  Once they start growing the pumpkin, they can go out and see how big it is and measure it with the help of the teacher and record this information.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it is simple to follow and students will understand how a pumpkin grows.  They can then take the seeds and plant them in the spring to witness how a pumpkin grows.  This will allow them to be observers and recorders, with the help of their teacher, to see how big the pumpkin gets before they pick it!

All Sorts of Numbers

Author/Illustrator: Hannah Reidy/Emma Dodd

About the Author:
Reidy is a published author of children's books. Some of her works include All Sorts Of Shapes, All Sorts Of Numbers, All Sorts Of Clothes, and All Sorts Of Noises.

Genre: Math

Grade Level: K-1
Theme: Counting

Synopsis:
This book is about counting and looking at pictures to count different objects either asked in the book or asked by the teacher reading the book.  It shows pictures of different objects such as jump ropes, kites, children, dice, bikes, boats, and balls.  These pictures are things that students will be able to recognize and be familiar with in order to help them count

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students to count to 20 to see if they can count that high.  If not, have them go to ten to see if they have an idea of how to count before reading the book.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students find things in the classroom that they can gather and count together as a class.  See if each student can find something different in the room they can bring to count.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it allows students to count while they read.  Math is a hard subject for many kids and using books that will get children/students excited about math is the way to go!

Alphabet Fiesta: An English/Spanish Alphabet Story

 

 

Author/Illustrator: Anne Miranda/Young schoolchildren in Spain

About the Author:
http://www.amazon.com/Anne-Miranda/e/B000APVXIS
Miranda has written a number of books inlcuding Glad Monster, and Sad Monster with Caldecott Award winning illustrator Ed Emberley. She currently lives in Spain with her husband, Saturnino, and her two sons, Evan and Tyler, that play basketball.  She likes to paint, garden, blog, go on facebook and watch her sons play basketball.  She is continuing to write and hopes to have a new book out soon.

Genre: English, Foreign Language, Science

Grade Level: K-1
Theme: Animals, Letters of Alphabet

Synopsis:

This book is about different animals that start with different letters of the alphabet preparing for a surprise party for their friend Zelda the Zebra.  This story also is told in Spanish as well as English to show students different ways of saying the animals names.

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students to say the alphabet together at their seats.  Have students brainstorm different animals that start with different letters of the alphabet.  Make sure you have already read the story to be able to tell the students what some of the animals are because students may not know what a burro, emus, ibis, nightingale, gnu, quetzal, salamander, viper, or yaks, is/are.  They also may need clarification with some of the things they bring to the party as well.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, teach students some of the names of the animals in Spanish to let them teach other students or even their parents!  You can also have them make up different things that start with the letters of the alphabet to incorporate into the story. For example Dot the Dog can bring drums to Zelda's party.  They will have fun making up their own ideas that would go along with the book.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it allows students to see the different kinds of animals that there are in the world as well as practice the alphabet and learn new words in a different language.  Children will have fun guessing what animals might be in the story as well as what they might be bringing to the party!

Two Ways to Count to Ten: A Liberian Folktale

 

Author/Illustrator: Retold by Ruby Dee/Susan Meddaugh

About the Author:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Dee
Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and activist.  She is famous for her co-starring role in A Raisin in the Sun  and American Gangster.She was born Ruby Ann Wallace in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Harlem, NY.  She went to Hunter College High School and then went on to pursue her degrees in French and Spanish and graduated from Hunter College in 1944.

Genre: Folktale

Grade Level: K-2
Theme: Counting

Synopsis:

This book is about a animals in the jungle that live and work together in harmony.  The leopard is king and must choose a king to take his place when he dies, but he wants the cleverest of all animals to be King.  He gathered all the animals and said one must throw the spear high into the sky and count to ten before it comes down again.  Many animals tried but failed to reach the number ten before the spear hit the ground again.  Finally, an Antelope asked if he could try and all the other animals laughed.  He threw the spear into the air and counted by two's to number ten and reached ten before the spear fell to the ground and said that the King did not say which way he had to count by to reach the number ten.  Sure enough he was wise and would become King.

 

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students to count to ten together at their seats.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students tell you some ways we can count to ten.  Have them count by one's, skip count by two's and even skip count by five's.  There is not just one way to count to ten and the students will be able to learn the different ways to count.  You can have them sit at a carpet and take off their shoes and put each pair together and count to ten or you can use individual shoes and put them in groups of fives and count to ten.  This shows students there are multiple ways to work things out.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it allows students to see how many different ways we can count.  You can have them use things in their everyday lives to help them learn to skip count.  Once you teach them to do something with objects they use everyday, they will be better able to remember something because they were shown with something practical.

My Buddy

 

Author/Illustrator: Audrey Osofsky/Ted Rand

About the Author:
Audrey Osofsky is a published author of children's books. Some published works include My Buddy and Dreamcatcher.

Genre: Nonfiction, Special Needs

Grade Level: K-3
Theme: Helping Others

Synopsis:

This book is about a boy who has muscular dystrophy and is in a wheelchair.  It talks about how he got Buddy, his working dog, and how he trained him to listen to only him.  Buddy does everything for him. He turns on and off lightswitches, gets his books, pencils if they fall, opens doors, gets the phone for him and many other helpful things.  No one is allowed to touch Buddy when he is working so he is able to stay focused.  There are times where Buddy plays tee ball with him and keeps him company.  He sleeps with him in case he needs help going to the bathroom and is just that...his Buddy!

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students if they have ever seen someone in a wheelchair.  Bring a wheelchair to class and have them see what it involves.  Ask them what they would do to help someone in a wheelchair.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students sit in a wheelchair and use it for a few minutes around the school or classroom to let them see just how difficult it really is for someone who experiences this everyday.  Have them brainstorm to think of ways they can improve their school for someone who may need a wheelchair.  Then talk to your principal about putting these ideas in effect!

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it allows students to see how difficult something can be and to not take things for granted.  It also allows students to see how beneficial a trained dog can be to someone who has a disability and cannot do everything for themselves.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Author/Illustrator: Doreen Cronin/Betsy Lewin

About the Author:
http://www.doreencronin.com/www.doreencronin.com/Home.html
Doreen was born in NY and grew up in Long Island with her parents, two brothers and sister in a red house.  Her first grade teacher introduced her to writing and she loved it.  She graduated from Penn State in 1988 and St. John's University School of Law in 1998. Her book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, was published when she was practicing law in Manhattan but quickly left her job as an attorney to stick to writing and thanks her first grade teacher for that!

Genre: Fiction, Caldecott Honor Book

Grade Level: K-1
Theme: Typing

Synopsis:

This book is about cows on a farm that know how to type.  They send messages to Farmer Brown about wanting electric blankets because the barn is too cold.  When the farmer tells them no they go on strike and do not produce milk.  The farmer gets angry and the next note he receives is that the hens want blankets too.  He says no again and the hens go on strike and will not give him eggs.  They reach an agreement by having the cows hand over the typewriter as long as they and the hens get electric blankets.  The farmer agrees and the cows are to send the typewriter back with the duck.  The duck in turn writes his own note to the farmer requesting a diving board for their pond because it was boring!

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students if they have ever seen or used a typewriter.  Bring a typewriter in to share with the class.  Have them become familiar with it and explain how to use it.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students choose an animal they would want to be on Farmer Brown's farm and use the typewriter, with your help, to write their own note about something they would request from Farmer Brown! 

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it is kid-friendly and funny as well.  You can have the students imagine how silly it would be for ducks to use a diving board and cows and hens to have electric blankets.  It is a cute book to share with kids because you can also introduce them to a typewriter as well as typing on a computer.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Author/Illustrator: Bill Martin Jr./Eric Carle

About the Author:

http://www.billmartinjr.com/bill_martin
Bill Martin wrote for almost 60 years and published his first book called The Little Squeegy Bug -- The Story of the Firefly in 1945. He is the famous author of the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, and many others. Martin passed away in 2004 but he will always be considered "America's favorite children's author!"

Genre: Fiction, Science

Grade Level: K-1
Theme: Animals, Colors

Synopsis:

This book is about different animals and what they see as well as learning about different colors.  The book includes a bear, a bird, a duck, a horse, a frog, a car, a dog, a sheep, a goldfish for animals but it also includes a teacher and children so when children read this book, they can see they are included.

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:
Ask the students if they have ever read or have seen this book before.  If they haven't ask them to tell you what they see around the classroom.  If they have ask them if they notice any patterns in the book!

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, create a graph with the class about the different characters in the story.  Have the children name off each of the characters in the story and use this to make a bar graph.  Use the colors from the story, (brown, red, yellow, blue, green, purple, white, black, and gold), and have these colors correspond to the construction paper each child will choose based on which was their favorite character.  They will then write their names on the construction paper color they chose and place it on the graph according to the animal it matched.  After the graph is finished, you can ask questions to engage them in thinking mathematically about which animal did students like the most, which had more, the Red Bird or the Blue Horse, which had less, the Brown Bear of the Purple Cat, etc. and have them use the graph to help them answer the questions.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it repeats and students will easily be able to continue the phrase starting with "Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?" to "children, children, what do you see?"  This helps them listen to the story and get a better understanding of what they are reading.  I wish they could have had the colors match the actual color of the animal, but it shows the students different colors and animals they see in everyday life.  It is also a good book to use to introduce colors and there are multiple activites you can do after reading this book to make students familiar with colors.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Author/Illustrator: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault/Lois Ehlert

About the Author:

http://www.billmartinjr.com/bill_martin

Bill Martin wrote for almost 60 years and published his first book called The Little Squeegy Bug -- The Story of the Firefly in 1945.  He is the famous author of the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, and many others.  Martin passed away in 2004 but he will always be considered "America's favorite children's author!"
http://www.johnarchambault.com/
John Archambault wrote this book and dedicated it to his son Arie Alexander Archambault when he was considered to be the "new baby boom boom."  Archambault is a modern day alchemist and is developing a series of Big Books for Childcraft Education Corporation.  These books will incorporate musical CDs with read-aloud and sing-along styles to aid in developing fluency and associations with print for early readers.  This will also make it fun and effective to listen and sing along.  Some of these will include I Love the Mountains, Turtle Song, Grandmother's Garden, The Birth of a Whale, and many others.

Genre: Fiction, English

Grade Level: K-1
Theme: The alphabet

Synopsis:

This book is about all the letters of the alphabet trying to make it up a coconut tree.  All the letters unfortunately fall out because there are too many in the tree and some are injured but in the end letter A dares everyone to climb up again!

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Ask the students to write down the alphabet in their journals to see if they know it.  Then say the alphabet together to get them familiar with the letters before reading the book.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have the students make their own coconut tree using the letters in their name!  Remember to tell them that the letters can be jumbled around the tree but they have to make sure they can tell what their name is! You can use brown construction paper to create a trunk with black X's going down the trunk, brown construction paper to create the coconuts, and green construction paper to make 4 leaves by rounding them at the ends so they look like an elongated oval.  You will also need foam letters or sticker letters for the children to use. 

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it rhymes and repeats and students will easily be able to say the famous phrase "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom will there be enough room?"  They will have fun learning the alphabet in a creative way and be able to create their own coconut trees using different letters or even their names!

The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day

Author/Illustrator: Stan & Jan Berenstain

About the Author:

http://www.berenstainbears.com/

Stan and Jan Berenstain met in an art school in Philadelphia. They became good friends and when World War II began Stan went into the Army. After 3 years he returned and they married shortly after. They introduced their first Berenstain Bears book in 1962 and this book, New Baby, came in 1974 where Smal Bear becomes Brother Bear. They had two children, Leo and Michael, and Michael has become a writer/illustrator on his own and decided to join his parents in the 1980s. They Berenstain Bears books became a popular tv series as well. The Berenstain Bears are also on display in many children's museum exhibits including a permanent one at the Stong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. Unfortunately, Stan passed away in November, 2005 at age 82. However, Jan and her son Mike, continue to write and illustrat Berenstain Bears books in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They consider this a beautiful region that looks like Berenstain Bear Country.

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: K-2
Theme: New Adventures/Beginnings

Synopsis:

This book is about the Bear family moving from their cave to their new tree house in Bear Country.  It talks about how it is getting harder for Mama Bear to grow vegetables on the mountainside and the trees Papa Bear needed were starting to diminish in number and it was time to move.  Brother Bear was nervous they would have to leave all his things behind but they packed them up to bring with them.  He was upset he could not bring his friends but his parents assured him that he would make new friends and he would still be able to keep in touch with his old friends.  Sure enough when they arrive at their new home, their neighbors arrived with gifts to welcome them.

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Have each student share with the class if they have ever moved to a different house.  If so, have them share what it was like for them.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students write in their journals what they would make sure would be packed to take to a new house if they ever had to move!  They can also talk about what it would be like if they had to change schools and be the new kid in school!

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it has students think of what they would need/want to bring when they move into a new house.  They would also be able to share what they would have to leave behind and how they could keep in touch with friends they already have.  They could also branch out and say what they think it would be like if they were the new kid in school.

To Market...To Market

Author/Illustrator:  Vilma Zuliani/Kathy Morrissey

About the Author:

Vilma is a published author.  Another book she has written is Randy Robin Finds A Friend.  She is also has published credits with I Believe in Make Believe.

Genre: Historical fiction

Grade Level:  5-8
Theme: Life in the community/History

Synopsis:

This book is about a little boy named Johnny who lives in a little town just South of Boston.  It talks about how every weekend they go into Boston to the Haymarket to buy foods and see all the vendors they always see.  They notice that one of the vendors is not there and finally they find out he is sick with the flu and too weak to run his stand.  They go back the following weekend hoping he is there but again he is not.  So they visit him and find out he is still too weak but feeling better and Johnny offers to help Rico work his stand.  He has a job with Rico and works throughout the summer.  Once summer ends he has to stop working the weekends with Rico because of school but he would still help Rico every Saturday when he went to the market until summer started again.  Throughout the book there are references to different things located in Boston.  For example, the old North Church with its tall white steeple where laterns hung to warn the soldiers that the British were coming.  It references the Boston Tea Party as well as Faneuil Hall.

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Ask students if they have ever been to the Boston Market or to Boston in general.  Have them write down things their families buy in their own markets before reading the story to see similarities and differences among each market once the story has been read.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, put students in groups and have them become researchers and use the computer to look up different information about the American Revolution.  Give each group a different part to look up such as where the idea for the latterns came up, Paul Revere's ride, the Boston Tea Party and other information related to the American Revolution.  Have students then become reporters and report their findings to the class.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use for older grades because of its reference to the American Revolution.  This book would help students learn about the Revolution in a way that is interesting for them by letting them use the computer instead of reading a textbook.  I thought this was also a good book because it gives a lot of background information about the market in Boston as well as historical references that students can further research!

Scotty's Way

Author/Illustrator:  Jennifer Fura/Samantha Smith and Matthew Ulrich

About the Author:

http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=jen219
Jennifer lives in Syracuse, New York with her husband and two children, Scotty and Carly.  She spends an enormous amount of time with her family and created a book about Scotty and his accident to help others become aware and understanding and with challenges "anything is possible!"

Genre: Non-fiction, Special Needs/Disabilities

Grade Level: K-6
Theme: Understanding Differences/Disabilities

Synopsis:

This book is about Jennifer's son Scotty who was in an accident when he was two and a half years old and lost his right arm.  This book shows the challenges he faces everyday and how he is ready and willing to face each challenge as if their is nothing wrong!  Sometimes he gets frustrated but he knows anything is possible and you just have to work through it because there is ALWAYS a way!

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Have each student write how people are different from each other and share with the class.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students write in their journals about how they can help someone like Scotty and have them share with the class.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use for any level because it helps students to see that anything is possible and there is always a way.  This would be a good book to help students realize that there are some challenges that we face everyday and some people's challenges are greater than others.  It will be a good book to use to explain disabilities to students and let them see that these children are just like us but sometimes they need a little extra help!

The Berenstain Bears' New Baby

Author/Illustrator:  Stan & Jan Berenstain

About the Author:

http://www.berenstainbears.com/

Stan and Jan Berenstain met in an art school in Philadelphia.  They became good friends and when World War II began Stan went into the Army.  After 3 years he returned and they married shortly after.  They introduced their first Berenstain Bears book in 1962 and this book, New Baby, came in 1974 where Smal Bear becomes Brother Bear.  They had two children, Leo and Michael, and Michael has become a writer/illustrator on his own and decided to join his parents in the 1980s.  They Berenstain Bears books became a popular tv series as well.  The Berenstain Bears are also on display in many children's museum exhibits including a permanent one at the Stong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.  Unfortunately, Stan passed away in November, 2005 at age 82.  However, Jan and her son Mike, continue to write and illustrat Berenstain Bears books in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  They consider this a beautiful region that looks like Berenstain Bear Country.

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: K-2
Theme: Responsibility

Synopsis:

This book is about Brother Bear outgrowing his bed and needing a new one.  He outgrows it just in time because Sister Bear is on her way and will be needing Brother Bear's bed to sleep in.  It shows how Father Bear takes wood and makes a new bed while Mother Bear is at home preparing for the arrival of Sister Bear and making sure the house is taken care of.  It shows different roles each play and when Brother Bear says he is excited to be a big brother, there will be responsibilities that lie ahead!

 

 

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Have each student share what they think the word responsibility means and write it on the board.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:
After reading the story, have students write in their journals what respsonsibilites they will take on around the house or what responsibilities they already have.  Also have them write down what responsibilities they have at school.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it has students think of what Brother Bear might have to start doing to help his parents because they have a new baby.  It also lets the students learn the meaning of the word responsibility and how they can be responsible at home and at school.

Barack Obama 44th President of the United States

Author/Illustrator:  Jill C. Wheeler

About the Author:

Jill C. Wheeler is a published author of children's books. She has wrote many other biographies about other authors including George Bush, Dr. Suess, Judy Blume, and R.L. Stine.

Genre: Social Studies

Grade Level: 3-6
Theme: Presidents of the United States

Synopsis:

This book is about Barack Obama and his life before he was president.  It talks about his family and schooling as well as his entrance into politics and his campaigns before becoming president.  It also discusses the 2008 election campaign and his way into presidency.

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Have the class try and come up with all 44 presidents of the United States (they do not have to be in order) and write them on the board so the class can see how many they have, who they have and who they are missing.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:

After reading the story, have students write letters to send to the president with any questions they may have for him! Even though they might not get a respond, you can also have them set up a topic to debate upon during class time.

Reflection:

I think this is a great book to use because it has a lot of helpful information in the back of the book about the line of succession, the different branches of government, the benefits of being a president, the qualifications of running for president, information on the electoral college, term of office, a complete list of the presidents as well as the party they are from, when they took and left office, how many terms they served and their vice president.  This is very helpful information when teaching students about the presidents of the United States in a social studies lesson.  There is also a section that has the mailing address and email address to contact the president!

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

Author/Illustrator: Lois Ehlert

About the Author:
http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/education/kidlit/aom/janaom.html
Lois Ehlert was born on November 9, 1934, in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. She grew up in a home where everyone always seemed to be making something with their hands. She was always putting things together, cutting, stitching, pasting, or pounding.

Genre: Science
Grade Level: K-2
Theme: Nature

Synopsis:
This story is about leaves and trees. It talks about how trees form from seeds and the tree sprouts are collected by nursery workers. They transport them and they are taken care of year after year and are uprooted again. They are wrapped, labeled and delivered to the garden center where people can come and select trees and plant them in their yards. The end of the book talks about different parts of the trees and why/how they are important and also how to plant a tree.

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Have the class collect leaves and different seeds from leaves around your school. Take them inside and help the students figure out what leaves the trees come from and what the seeds will grow into!

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:

After reading the story, plan a time where you can pick up a tree and see if you can plant it near your school and have the students help you.

Reflection:

I think this is a cute book and good to use with children of any age because it has a lot of science information to discuss with students about trees and leaves. It is a good book to use because it will engage students in wanting to learn about them.

What Do You Do, Dear?

Author/Illustrator: Sesyle Joslin/Maurice Sendak

About the Author:
http://www.amazon.com/Sesyle-Joslin/e/B000APIB7E
Sesyle Joslin is a children's literature author. She was born in Providence, RI, on August 30, 1929. She has worked as an editorial assistant and assistant editor in Philadelphia. In 1950, she married writer Al Hine and has three children.

Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: K-1
Theme: Using Manners

 

Synopsis:
This story is about different scenarios that most definitely will not happen the way they are described but it shows children different manners in a silly way. It describes people in different places such as the library and when you are in each place something happens to you that most likely would never happen in real life.  Once this happens they ask what are you to do and you respond with how you should act in that situation.  For example the first is that you are in the library reading a book and all of a sudden you are "lassoed" by someone and he says he has got you and is taking you to his ranch. The book then says "What do you do, dear? You walk through the library quietly!"  This shows students that it is important to be quiet in a library but they can see that you would never be "lassoed" by anyone in a library!

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Have the class discuss some things you should do to be polite to other people and show manners.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:

After reading the story, have the students draw a picture of how they use their manners with others and then have them bring you their picture and desribe it for you so you can write it down. Hang the students work in the hall for others to see their good manners!

Reflection:

I think this is a cute book and good to use with younger children so they can see how important it is to use manners. I think this book uses different, but funny ways to show manners for students to be able to understand. You will never be lassoed by someone in the library but it shows the manner is to be quiet when you are entering, already inside, and leaving a library!

Lunch Bunnies

Author/Illustrator: Kathryn Lasky/Marylin Hafner

About the Author:
http://www.kathrynlasky.com/KK/About.html
Kathryn Lasky was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has one older sister named Martha and their family was Jewish. She never enjoyed school but she went to the University of Michigan and got many A's. She married Chris Knight whom she met at her second job. After marrying Chris, her parents gave them a sailboat and they sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. When they came back she wrote her first children's book and had her first child Max. Five years later she had her daughter Meribah and she now lives in Cambridge.

Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: K-1
Theme: Helping Others

Synopsis:
This story is about a bunny who is nervous about going to school and having lunch. He practices the night before carrying his tray to the table. His older brother tries to make him nervous by saying that they make you clean up your mess and the food is all mystery goosh. Clyde worries that he will drop his tray or make a mistake. The next day he makes a friend before lunch and stands in line with her. She ends up slipping on juice and spills her Jell-O all over the floor but the rest of her food stays on the tray. Clyde helps Rosemary pick up her Jell-O and the lunch lady comes to help them and gets Rosemary a new container of Jell-O. Gloria, the lunch lady yells at the older kids who are laughing and they stop! Rosemary and Clyde become friends and they forget all their worries!

Pre Reading Activity:

Activity:

Have the class look at the cover of the book and predict what might happen.

Post Reading Activity:

Activity:

After reading the story, have the students draw a picture of how they felt the first day of school.

Reflection:

I think this is a cute book and good to use on the first day of school with young children. The teachers know how the lunchroom works and will be able to tell the students that they have nothing to worry about when they go to lunch. This book also is good because some students might be nervous on their first day of school and this book will make all their worries go away especially when they see lunch is not that bad after all!