Urgency Emergency! Big Bad Wolf by Dosh Archer

Written & Illustrated by: Dosh Archer

Publisher: Albert Whiteman & Company

Publish Date: September 1, 2013

Summary: Oh no! Wolf is choking and is brought to the hospital. While the doctors are trying to help him, a little girl in a red coat comes in looking for her grandma.  Is this a coincidence?

AR Book Points: .05

Source: www.arbookfind.com

Age Range: K-3 and up

Quality: A twist on the beloved fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Kids will love the humor in the updated version and will love the pictures as well. 

Life Connections

• Fairy Tales

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin

Author: Doreen Cronin

Publisher: Little Simon

Publish Date: September 17, 2007

Summary: Farmer Brown's cows have found a typewriter! And they know how to use it! They start leaving him notes in hopes of having a better living situation but Farmer Brown ignores them at first, until the cows refuse to produce any milk.  How does Farmer Brown and the cows reach an agreement? You'll just have to read it to find out!  

AR Book Points: .05

Awards: ALA Notable/Best Books, Book Sense Book of the Year, Publishers Weekly Best Book

Source: www.arbookfind.com

Age Range: K-2

Life Connections

• Life is not easy
• Sometimes you have to compromise 
• Barnyard Animals

How The Stars Fell into the Sky: A Navajo Legend by Jerry Oughton

 

Author: Jerry Oughton

Illustrator: Lisa Desimini

Publisher: Sandpiper Houghton Mifflin

Publish Date: March 3, 1996

 

Summary: A retelling of a Navajo legend.  The First Woman writes the laws of the land in the sky and is tricked by the Coyote. 

AR Book Points: .05

Source: www.arbookfind.com

Age Range: K-3 and up

Life Connections

• Learning about Native American Myths and Legends
• Learning about Fairy Tales

Speak English For Us, Marisol! by Karen English

 

Author: Karen English

Illustrator: Enrique O. Sanchez

Publisher: Albert Whitman Company

Publish Date: December 3, 2005

 

Summary:  Marisol is very excited to get home after a long day at school. She is anxious to see if her chickens have hatched! But all along the way she is asked by her Spanish-speaking family and friends to translate for them.  It is very hard and she sometimes has to deal with adult topics, but she does it anyways because she loves her family and friends. 

Award: American Bookseller Pick of the List Award

Source: www.arbookfind.com

Age Range: K-3 and up

Life Connections

• Learning about the Spanish Culture
• Identifying with other students who might be in the same situation
• English as a Second Language learners

Aani and the Tree Huggers by Jeannine Atkins

Author: Jeannine Atkins

Illustrator: Venantius J. Pinto

Publisher: Lee & Low Books

Publish Date: April 1, 2000

Summary: Aani bravely participates in the Chipko Andolan, or "Hug the Tree Movement" in her home town in India.  She and the other women in town wrap their arms around the trees in order to keep developers from cutting them down.  This is based on a true story from the 1970s in India.

Source:  www.arbookfind.com

AR Reading points: .05

Grade Level: K-3

Awards: Children's Book Award, Smithsonian's Notable Book

Life Connections:

• Standing up for something without a voice
• The importance in nature
• History

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Author: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Illustrated by: Henry Cole

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: June 1, 2005

Summary: Roy and Silo, two penguins in the New York City Zoo have developed a bond unlike any of the other penguins.  They are given the opportunity to hatch an egg. They raise Tango as their own little bundle of joy.

Source: Spring 2014 116B Syllabus

Recommended grade: K-2

My suggested age range: any age is appropriate, from infant to adult

Awards: Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award

Quality: While a very controversial topic for some, I believe that this book should be in every classroom.  It teaches that not all families have a mommy and daddy. If taught properly I believe this could prepare children for when they do meet friends who have a family situation different from their own.

Life Connections:

· Families come in all shapes and sizes

· Family is an important part of life

The Empty Pot by Demi

Author and Illustrator: Demi

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Publish Date (reprint): October 16, 2007

Summary: An emperor puts out a decree that all of the children in the land would be in competition to become the emperor’s successor.  Each child must take home a potted seed and tend to it  and whoever brought in the best flower would be trained by the emperor. Try as hard as he might, poor Ping’s seed would not grow. He tended to it and watered it with nothing to show. 

When Ping produced the flower to the emperor, much to Ping’s surprise, the emperor was very impressed with Ping’s empty pot.

Source: Spring 2014 116B Syllabus

Age: 4-8

Quality: The moral behind the story is excellent—just because things aren't working out the way they should doesn’t mean they won’t work out in the end.  This would appeal to children because many different things could be going on in a child’s life that might appear different than their peers. Living a life of honesty and trusting their parents are some of the most important parts of a Pre-K to 3rd graders life.

Life Connections:

· Exposure to foreign countries

· Honesty

· Enduring even though it doesn’t seem like things are going your way

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Author and Illustrator: Maurice Sendak

Publisher: HarperCollins (50th Anniversary edition)

Publish Date: December 26, 2012

Summary: After being sent to be early without his supper one night, Max begins an adventure of monstrous proportions. The adventure begins in his room when a forest begins to emerge and monsters appear. Max is named the kind of the monsters and a wild rumpus begins.

Source: Spring 2014 116B Syllabus

Recommended grade: K-2

My suggested age range: any age is appropriate, from infant to adult

Awards: George C. Stone Center for Children’s Books Recognition of Merit Award, Indies Choice Book Award for Picture Book Hall of Fame

Quality: Everyone has hard days and it takes awhile to figure out a way to get over and/or change them.  I wish there was more of a resolution in Alexander overcoming his bad day, but I know the children would identify with some of the situations that Alexander experiences. The repetition would also appeal to children and adults alike.

Life Connections:

· Introducing new places: Australia

· Bad days happen to everyone

· It’s easy to get wrapped up in a bad day which can make it into a terrible day.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Author: Judith Viorst

Illustrator: Ray Cruz

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: July 15, 1987

Summary: Alexander has a “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” and no one seems to care! From gum in his hair, to stubbing his toe, to seeing gross kissing on his tv: poor Alexander just can’t seem to catch a break. 

Source: Spring 2014 116B Syllabus

Recommended grade: K-2

My suggested age range: any age is appropriate, from infant to adult

Awards: George C. Stone Center for Children’s Books Recognition of Merit Award, Indies Choice Book Award for Picture Book Hall of Fame

Quality: Everyone has hard days and it takes awhile to figure out a way to get over and/or change them.  I wish there was more of a resolution in Alexander overcoming his bad day, but I know the children would identify with some of the situations that Alexander experiences. The repetition would also appeal to children and adults alike.

Life Connections:

· Introducing new places: Australia

· Bad days happen to everyone

· It’s easy to get wrapped up in a bad day which can make it into a terrible day.