Tomorrow's Alphabet

George Shannon has written a fantastic ABC book called Tomorrow's Alphabet. This is not your typical ABC book. The book has more of a before and after type relationship. It starts off...

A is for seed-
tomorrow's apple

B is for eggs-
tomorrow's birds

C is for milk-
tomorrow's cheese

The book continues to go through the alphabet using fun and creative words. I have used this book every year in my teaching. One way I use this book is when I teach how to infer. I start the book and my students and I discuss clues in the book along with our background knowledge. Once they get the hang of it, they LOVE to try and guess the rest of the letters and what they stand for. I love how George Shannon has taken an idea like an ABC book and has added a fun and unique twist to it. If you use it for nothing else, at least have it in your library. You will love the faces your students give as they try to figure everything out!

If you enjoy this book by George Shannon, also try Stories to Solve (illustrations by Peter Sis).

The Heart - Our Circulatory System

Seymour Simon has an amazing way of creating non-fiction texts that include amazing facts and incredible pictures in an easy to understand way. In, The Heart, Simon shares facts like, "The heart will beat over 2,000,000,000 times in a lifetime," and, "There are 700 times more red blood cells than there are white blood cells."

Simon has created an entire series of books that have many purposes. These books would be great to use in actual units of study (The circulatory system, Universe, Human Body, etc.). Also these books are great non-fictions reads that will hook boys. Boys love when they can read about blood and guts and anything in between. These books will be flying off the shelf if you have them in your own library in your classroom.

If you like this book by Seymour Simon, make sure to check out Tornadoes, Bones, Oceans, and Lightning (All apart of the Smithsonian collection.)

Among the Hidden

The more science fiction I read, the more I start to wonder...could this really happen? Sometimes it is a scary thought. As I read Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix, I kept thinking about Luke, the third child where 3rd children are forbidden. I started to put myself in his shoes. I pictured myself having to stay home alone all day...no friends...people pretending I never existed...a lifetime of solitude. I couldn't even imagine doing a fraction of what the main character had to go through. This book has so much suspense. Each chapter leaves the reader with a mini cliffhanger. Anything from Luke finding out he is not the only third child in his neighborhood to having a close encounter with the Population Police. This book will really make you think about what our world would be like if we had population control. It's quite the thought...

*This is a pretty mature book. I would recommend 4th graders and higher read this.

If you like this book by Haddix you are in luck. This is the first book in a series of seven. Read the second of this Shadow Children series Among the Impostors.

It's Time for School, Stinky Face

 

Lisa McCourt writes a fun and creative book about a boy who asks a lot of "What if..." questions and a very quick thinking mom who has very creative answers for these questions. As a teacher, if I had a nickel for every "What if..." question I received, I would have enough to go on a very nice vacation. It's Time for School, Stinky Face is a fun book that was recommended to me by my teammate. We spoke about the possibilities that this book could have in the everyday classroom. She had the idea to take these "What if..." questions from the book and actually have the kids write about them for themselves. This would allow for some very creative writing and imaginations would go wild! Just imagine what some students could come up with to this:

 

"What if the school bus was already stuffed with too many kids and the second I stepped inside, all the tires popped flat?"

This would be a fun and energetic way to get more creativity into your everyday classroom.

If you like this book by Lisa McCourt also read I Love You, Stinky Face (The prequel to It's Time for School, Stinky Face.)   

Al Capone Does My Shirts

   
Historical Fiction happens to be one of my favorite genres in literature. I love how I can be transported to another time in history and pretend like I was there. That is exactly what Al Capone Does My Shirts will do for you. You will feel like you are on the small island with Moose and Natalie or playing baseball with the convicts. 

This book does an amazing job at setting the scene and making the reader feel like they have been immediately transported to Alcatraz. The very first sentence says:

"Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water."

As a reader, I immediately feel for Moose and just want to continue reading. 

If you have ever visited San Francisco and have been to Alcatraz Island then the book takes on a whole new meaning. Gennifer Choldenko uses the exact places on the island where all of the characters go.  The connections you will be able to make elevate the book entirely.


Take a look at Alcatraz below and be inspired!





If you like Gennifer Choldenko's Al Capone Does My Shirts then you must read the sequel Al Capone Shines My Shoes. Relive the experience all over again!

Owl Moon

Jane Yolen won The Caldecot Medal in 1988 for Owl Moon. Over 20 years later, many teachers are using this book in their classroom. It's no wonder all considering this book has beautiful language, poetic words, and a simplicity all at the same time. Yolen makes the reader feel like we are walking along with the main character and her grandfather while they are owling. She uses similes in the book like, "The trees stood still as giant statues," and, "...it was as quiet as a dream."

John Schoenherr does an amazing job at capturing the moods and feeling with this book with his illustrations.

 If you enjoy this book by Jane Yolen then read How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? and Encounter.

When Marian Sang

Pam Munoz Ryan writes an amazingly touching and inspiring biography about Marian Anderson. Marian Anderson was a black singer who was considered one of the all time best singers. She was born in the late 1800's during a time when racism was still very prevalent. This book takes the reader on the journey of Marian's life. She discovers in her life that although things get tough to keep following her dreams.

This book uses amazing language and vocabulary. With words like harmony, tragedy, endured, and so much more. The book also incorporates many of the songs that Marian sang throughout her life. Many of these songs are laced with similes and metaphors.

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long ways from home. A long ways from home.

Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone
Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone
Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone
A long ways from home. A long ways from home.

This book would be perfect to use when teaching biographies. This book would give a new perspective on a person that is not talked a lot about. Marian Anderson would be a great role model to study in class and the perfect example of someone following their dreams. 

Check out a love clip of Marian singing at the Lincoln Memorial. A performance that will forever live on!


If you like this book by Pam Munoz Ryan you need to read Esperanza Rising. If you enjoyed the illustrations by Brian Selznick, then read The Invention of Hugo Cabret. You won't be sorry you read either of these books!

Love That Dog

 

Sharon Creech, without question, is one of my favorite authors. I don't know how she does it, but every time I read a book of hers, I just can't put it down. Love That Dog is no exception. This poetic book infuses a nice combination of humor, sadness, and reality all at once. This book follows a young boy, Jack, in school and takes you on his journey of his love/hate relationship with writing. The first two pages read:

September 13

I don't want to

because boys

don't write poetry.

Girls do. 

September 21

I tried.

Can't do it.

Brain's empty.

Read this book to see how Jack copes and what loving a dog has anything to do with this book!

I would use this book when teaching poetry. It just goes to show kids that poetry is limitless. It has very little boundaries and writer's can do so much with it. It also shows how to make fun shape poems.  Also, I think this book has the power to reach boys in their writing. This might just be a book that would make a boy want to write!

If you LOVE Sharon Creech, take a look at Hate That Cat, Ruby Holler, The Wanderer, and Walk Two Moons. 

Dream - A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom, & Wishes

The winner of 11 different awards, Dream, is a book that should not be passed up in your own classroom. This is a book that has it all. Written by Susan V. Bosak, this book reads like a song. With its beautiful language, amazing message, and spectacular illustrations this book is one of a kind. This book takes the reader on a journey through life and the dreams that people have at different ages. It starts out with a baby dreaming in its crib and follows the person growing and maturing until a tender old age. Then, they have realized how many memories they have made along their way of trying to achieve their dreams.


My favorite line in the book is, "Dreams grow like seeds. They need to take root, then stretch toward the sun. They grow slowly. They must be tended to. And sometimes a gray day gives them just the rain they need." I think expressing this thought to children in a classroom would be so important. With the way digital media and technology is shaping our youth they are very used to immediate gratification. Sharing with them that dreams take time and they need to be tended to could be a potential lifelong lesson.


This book won awards for such things as International Reading Association Children's Choice, Teacher's Choice, Best Book Celebrating the Human Spirit, and many more.


What makes this book especially unique is that is uses 15 illustrators. Each page is done by a different illustrator. Each illustrator adds their unique touch to this book, yet it all flows together perfectly.


If you like Susan V. Bosak, then also try reading A Little Something & Something to Remember Me By.

I Love You as Big as the World

 

This was the first book that was written by author David Van Buren. This book is rich with similes. From page to page Van Buren talks about the love that Big Bear and Little Bear share for each other. He uses such similes like, "I love you as bright as the sun," "I love you as blue as the sky," and, "I love you as high as the mountain top." 

This would be a great book to use in writing when teaching similes. Since this book is riddled with so many, it makes it very simple to talk about how to compare something in writing to something else. This book does not have much more to it, so students can stay focused on the specific, yet sophisticated and complex lesson. If you did not use it for writing, I think it would be just a fun and cute book to read to a primary class to talk about the importance of relationships between living things. 

This is the first book written by David Van Buren. However, if you like the illustrations by Tim Warnes check out Rise & Shine and A Surprise For Rosie. He is mostly known for his illustrations of animals.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Rodrick Rules

By now, every teacher has heard of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. This series has taken the educational world by storm. For the past two years in a row, every student, and yes I mean EVERY STUDENT has read this book at least once in my class. Now, I will go on record saying that this series in no way has the best literary elements to it. I very rarely find strong vocabulary, figurative language, or anything like that. But...when a book can get all kids in a classroom/school to read it and like reading...WHO CARES!?!?! I will even admit, I was cracking up at all of the "bathroom" humor that this book had to offer. I can see why so many kids love these books!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Rodrick Rules continues following Greg as he enters a new school year. In this book, he is still trying to figure out just how to fit in, how to deal with Rowley, of course put up with everything Rodrick does to make Greg miserable, and try to keep his "terrible" secret kept from the past summer. This book has also been nominated for a Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult book award for 2011.

Check out the trailer from the first movie!

If you enjoy this book by Jeff Kinney, be sure to read any of the other books in the series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dog Days, The Last Straw, and the Do-it-yourself Book. 

MOST IMPORTANT: Your students will love you when you tell them that Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Ugly Truth is coming out November 9th, 2010. Check out the Scholastic book orders. They are having a pre-sale already!

Ish

Ish by Peter Reynolds is a perfect way to set the tone in your classroom for the year. As a primary teacher, I am always looking for a book that has a positive and worthwhile message. I believe Ish is perfect. I can't take any credit for finding this book though. The instructional coach at my school introduced the staff to this book this year by reading it to us at one of our first days of reporting. Throughout the book, you could hear the "Oohs!" and "Aahs!" as she turned page after page.  Finally, at the end, you could tell that this book touched many adults in the room. As she read the book to us, I found myself being like a kid myself...captivated during read aloud.

The message that Reynolds reinforces in this book is to try your best. Someone does not have to make everything perfect. As long as you try hard and enjoy what you are doing, people will always find beauty in it.

As my coach read Ish to my class the first week of school, I could not help but fall in love with this book all over again. I was enjoying it as much as anyone in my class. I know that the message in this book will resonate with me and my class throughout the year.

If you enjoy this book by Peter Reynolds also try The Dot (prequel to Ish). Also, Reynolds is an illustrator. If you enjoyed the illustrations in Ish then make sure to check out Someday by Allison McGhee, and the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald.

The Last Dance

Carmen Agra Deedy is a an author who uses such beautiful language and knows how to set a mood and a scene in her books. The very first line in this book reads, "On nights when the moon sat full-bellied on the treetops beyond the graveyard, Ninny would leap over the stone and mortar that was the orchard wall between our houses." I would use this book when teaching descriptive writing. Throughout the book it uses words like: shimmied, grinning, crunching, milk-moon nights, and worn-wooden steps.

This book would mean different things to adults and children. To your students this would probably be a book about keeping a promise, with some very descriptive language sprinkled throughout the pages. To adults this is a very romantic and powerful love story about two children growing up together, the life they make for themselves, and the eternal love that they share for one another.

If you enjoy this book by Carmen Agra Deedy, try her latest 14 Cows For America. Deedy does not disappoint in this book either. She continues to use the same descriptive language and this book has beautiful illustrations that go along with the book as well. 14 Cows For America is also a 2011 Colorado Children's Book Award nominee. 

The Hunger Games

Take a look at this trailer and tell me you are not interested! The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins is a book not to be missed. Without a question this is one of the best books I have read in years. This book has many elements of science fiction without being too overpowering, yet it parallels many events that are happening in today's world. In this book, the reader will go on an adventure with Katniss Everdeen. This strong headed and determined young female character is in for the fight for her life as she is put into The Hunger Games. All she needs to do...be the last one standing. With this book comes great adventure, selflessness, and a love story. I guarantee you will want to finish this book as fast as you can!

Bonus: If you love this book and want more, The Hunger Games is the first in a series. Catching Fire and Mockingjay (released August 24th) complete this trilogy.

If you enjoy the works of Suzanne Collins try reading Gregor the Overlander.