Norman Rockwell: You're a Grand Old Flag

1. George M. Cohan
2. Norman Rockwell: You're a Grand Old Flag
3. oil on canvas
4. general history
5. no characters
6. Patriotic/ social studies
7. no characters
8. no awards, 2008
9. Simon and Schuster Children's

10. This book is set up like a poem. Readers are exposed to the lyrics of the wonderful song, "You're a Grand Old Flag." This book is for the audience to appreciate and love America. Families can sing along with it as it is read. It speaks about our military system by supporting soldiers who protect our beautiful country. This book could be great in a classroom in November during the Veteran's day celebration. It shows the pride and honor to be a citizen of the United States of America.

The Brand New Kid

1. Katie Couric
2. The Brand New Kid
3. Marjorie Priceman
4. general fiction
5. no subgenre
6. characters/values/diversity
7. Ellie McSnelly, Carrie O'Toole, Lazlo
8. no awards, 2000
9. Random House Inc.

10. This story was about a student named, Lazlo. He was the new student at Brookhaven school. Ellie and Carrie were excited about the first day of school even though most students are super nervous. This school year was a little different since the teacher was brand new. Lazlo was from a different from all the other students. He did not look nor speak like any of them. Lazlo is teased by many students about his diversity. Ellie reaches out to Lazlo and helps him adjusts to this new atmsophere with this new school and group of people. This book teaches students about bullying and applying yourself in a new environment. This book could make a great writing assignment for students to express their views of the book.

Tooth on the Loose

1. Susan Middleton Elya
2. Tooth on the Loose
3. Jenny Mattheson
4. realistic fiction
5. no subgenre
6. family/determination/ independence
7. little girl, her brother, father, mother
8. no awards, 2008
9. G.P. Putnam's Sons

10. This book is about a Spanish little girl who is determined to get her tooth out. The author uses both the English and Spanish languages. She wants to get her tooth pulled fast to be able to put it under her pillow. In hope that the tooth fairy will leave her money so, she can buy her dad a birthday gift. She will do anything to get her tooth out except letting her brother pull it. She feels this will be too painful. All she has for her dad for his birthday is a card. The day has came for her father's birthday party and she is upset, because she does not have a gift for him. Her mom is able to think of a gift that did not require spending money and she loved the idea. The gift was special for her dad, because it came from the heart. This book can teach students about being independent and never give up on goals. It can be a motivational speak book!

One Hundred Shoes: A Math Reader

1. Charles Gniga
2. One Hundred Shoes: A Math Reader
3. Bob Staake
4. informational
5. no subgenre
6. math concepts
7. centipedes
8. no awards, 2002
9. Random House

10. This book is about a centipede that tries how many different shoes. The words in the book rhyme with one another. It informs readers that centipedes have 100 feet. The point of the book is to teach students how to count to 100 in several different ways. It contains colorful pictures to catch the minds of young readers. Students can learn how to count by twos. Since, students know that a "pair of shoes" means 2 shoes, they can be taught that the centipede needs 50 pairs of shoes to equal 100 shoes. This book could be used to do a math activity in the classroom, by using number sense to solve basic math problems.

Slippers at School

1. Andrew Clements
2. Slippers at School
3. Janie Bynum
4. fiction
5. animal stories
6. social issues/feelings
7. Laura, "Slippers" her dog, other students, mom, dad, Edward-little brother
8. no awards, 2005
9. Dutton Children's Book

10. This is a cute little book targeted for young elementary age students. This book is told in the puppy's point of view. Slippers is happy, because he knows he has a wonderful family that takes good care of him. Mom gives Slipper food all the time and dad takes him on long walks. Laura is like Slippers best friend. Slipper decides he wants to go to school with Laura and without her knowing he sneaks into her backpack. He goes on several adventures. He gets to ride the bus, visit the gym, cafeteria, and the Principal's office. Laura never noticed that Slipper is with her. This is a colorful book that will engage young children and get them to want to read it. It could be used in a kindergarten class as the "book of the week." Students can pick out sight words while reading it in class.

Totally Crushed

1. Eliza Willard
2. Totally Crushed
3. n/a
4. realistic fiction
5. no subgenre
6. compassion/honesty/friendship
7. Annabel, Sam, Phoebe, Jude
8. no awards, 2008
9. Scholastic Inc.

10. This is a cute little chapter book for grades third through fifth. The author does a marvelous job with the descriptions in the book. It is about a girl named Annabel. She gets super excited about finding a carnation rose in her locker close to Valentine's Day. She just knew it was from her biggest crush, Jude. It turns out that the rose is actually from her best guy friend, Sam. She could not believe that the girl Sam likes was actually her. Even though, her friend Phoebe has a crush on Same. This was a huge disaster in Annabel's eyes. Annabel feels she must resolve this problem, but without hurting anyone's feelings. Now, the skate party is coming up and Annabel needs a date and she already knows Jude is out of the question. This book is filled with mixed messages that needs resolution. This book can be taught in February during Valentine's day and teach students to always be honest and how to maintain friendships.

Oliver Finds His Way

1. Phyllis Root
2. Oliver Finds His Way
3. Christopher Denise
4. animal stories
5. no subgenre
6. survival/ courage
7. Oliver, Mama, Papa
8. no awards, 2002
9. Candlewick Press

10. This book is intended for children in kindergarten through second grade. It is a story about the bravery of a young bear. While Oliver's mother is hanging clean clothes to dry and Papa is raking leaves, Oliver is fascinated by this beautiful yellow leaf. He loved the season, Autumn. He begins to follow this yellow leaf, but does not realize that he is now far from his house. He ends up chasing this leaf all the way to the edge of the woods. Oliver is now extremely terrified and begins to cry, because he is now lost. He rubs his nose in puzzlement to think of ways to find his way back home. With Oliver's humor and faith, he is able to find his way back. This book is a great story about survival skills and can teach children not be so scared, but to be brave like Oliver was and think of ways to fix the problem.

Harriet Tubman: A Lesson in Bravery

1. Elizabeth Kernan
2. Harriet Tubman: A Lesson in Bravery
3. photographs
4. historical nonfiction
5. no subgenre
6. bravery, honor
7. Harriet Tubman, other slaves, slave owners
8. no awards, 2003
9. Rosen Publishing Group

10. This book was a short story about the bravery of a slave named Harriet Tubman. She spent eleven years freeing more than 300 slaves. It was a total of nineteen times that she took trips to save these slaves. It was so wide known, that slave owners was offering a $40,000 reward for her capture. Harriet was a conductor, because she created the underground railroad this is how she transported slaves to freedom. This is another great book to teach students in February during black history month, because Harriet Tubman is someone in history that all students need to learn about.

I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing

1. Maya Angelou
2. I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing
3. n/a
4. autobiography
5. no subgenre
6. racism/strong black women
7. Maya Angelou, her mother, her brother-Bailey, her grandmother, her father, Uncle Willie
8. no awards, 1969
9. Random House Publishing Group

10. This was a very touching story. It was about the earlier years of the author, Maya Angelou, and told by her. In this book, she releases her feelings and let readers into her life. In the story, after their parents divorced, Maya and her brother, Bailey was sent by their mother to live with their grandmother. This story takes place in Arkansas during the 1930s-40s. At this time racism and segregation was taking place. Maya was 17 years old. Her grandmother owns the only black owned store in the black community in Arkansas. Maya faces many issues with herself and others. She has to deal with the fact that her parents divorced and did not want her or her brother and being bullied. Other children called her ugly. Then, the unthinkable happens and Maya is raped by Mr. Freeman, her mother's boyfriend. Maya goes through post trauma with the rape and becomes a mute. This is a touching story told by Maya and would work well in the classroom when discussing life struggles, racism, or even during black history month.

The Zack Files:My Teacher Ate My Homework

1. Dan Greenburg
2. The Zack Files:My Teacher Ate My Homework
3. Jack E. Davis
4. general fiction
5. no subgenre
6. culture/diversity/friendships
7. Zack, Mrs. Wolfowitz, other students
8. no awards, 2002
9. Penguin Putnam Inc.

10. This chapter book's title caught my attention right away and I wanted to read it. It is about a young boy named Zack, who suspects his substitute teacher, Mrs. Wolfowitz is a werewolf. One day, Zack went to turn in his homework assignment to Mrs. Wolfowitz. He witness his teacher eat his homework right in front of him. He decides to go to the principal's office and inform him. The principal said that Zack was lying and not to make up things about teachers. He also believed that Mrs. Wolfowitz was a wonderful teacher. However, Zack friend believed him and they wanted to get some evidence to support that Mrs. Wolfowitz was a werewolf. Zack tells his father of his belief that his teacher is a werewolf and Zack's father said he believes his son. The principal meets with Zack and his father over Zack making these horrible "lies." At the end, Zack finds out what Mrs. Wolfowitz bizarre secret his. This book could be used in class to teach friendship and do not always make assumptions. Children would love to read an interesting book like this!

Virginia

1. Jan Mader
2. Virginia
3. photos
4. general nonfiction
5. no subgenre
6. geography/states
7. no characters just facts
8. no awards, 2003
9. Children's Press

10. This book was a little different from most of the books I have read. It listed many facts about the state of Virginia. It mentioned things like the state bird, bodies of waters, and major mountains there in the state. There are many interesting attractions in this beautiful state. I encourage everyone to visit there. I have been there before and I absolutely loved Virginia Beach. This book also teaches us about the presidents that was from Virginia. This is a great book to be taught in a classroom for a geography or social studies lesson in grades, kindergarten-second.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

1. Mildred D. Taylor
2. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
3. n/a
4. historical fiction
5. no subgenre
6. African American History/courage/pride/honor
7. Cassie Logan, Little Man, Stacy, John, Papa, Mama, Uncle Hammer, and Big Ma
8. 1977 Newbery Medal, 1976
9. Penquin Group

10. This is a wonderful book that tells a story about an African American family struggling to survive during racism times. The Logan children were tortured every day as they walked to school by the white kids. They eventually made a plan to put a ditch in the road so, the school bus would break down with the white kids on it. The Logan's own a store and they decided to boycott, because a local black kid was killed by some white boys. During the Christmas time, Harlan Granger comes to talk to Papa and Uncle Hammer at their in attempt  for them to release the boycott. Mr. Granger wants to buy the Logan's land, but their not selling it. This book really defines the struggles that this black family endured during these hard times. This book would be great for students ages 9-11. It can teach them how this family faced prejudice and had courage, pride, and honor.

The Best Girl

1. Emma Harrison
2. The Best Girl
3. n/a
4. general fiction
5. no subgenre
6. love/relationships
7. Marni, Connor, Jonah, Biff, Ben, Carina, Farrah, Hunter, The Shay's, and Farrah's mother
8. no awards, 2008
9. Harper Collins Publisher

10. This book is more for high school students. It is about love and relationships. Farrah faces her brother, Jonah's marriage with Marni which is someone total opposite, while Farrah tries to get closer to her crush (Connor). Farrah is very tomboyish. Farrah and Marni are total opposite, but get along great. Farrah and Jonah's mother did not come which was because she did not approve of how Farrah carried herself. Instead, of her brother having a best man, he had a "best girl," which was his sister, Farrah. By the end of the story, everyone was happy and got along well. This would be a good book to use in the classroom to teach students about relationships and also a writing assignment can be given to see how students viewed the book to see what was their likes and dislikes.

How Many Fish?

1. Caron Lee Cohen
2. How Many Fish?
3. S.D. Schindler
4. animal stories
5. general fiction
6. counting/friendship
7. fishes
8. no award, 1998
9. Harper Collins

10. This is a fun little picture book for younger elementary age students. This book is about counting fish and teaching kids about how fish survive. It speaks about the diversity about these six little fish in the bay see another six feet. The yellow fish has an issue when it is caught in a bucket. This is a great book to teach children about friendship. These fishes were scared of one another, but managed to come together and enjoy each other.

The Lemonade War

1. Jacqueline Davies
2. The Lemonade War
3. n/a
4. comedy/humor
5. no subgenre
6. math/ sibling rivalries
7. Evan Treski, sister-Jessie
8. no awards, 2007
9. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

10. This chapter book is about the major differences between these two siblings, Evan and Jessie. The setting is taking place during the summer a little before school starts back. These two have been at it for a while being very competitive. Jessie is very smart and this school year she is getting to skip a grade and be in the same grade as her brother, Evan. Jessie really excels in math. Evan is very unhappy about this situation happening. He is not very successful with his subjects and math is like his worst. However, he is a big peoples person and Jessie lacks having social skills. The two of them decide to have a competitive race with making lemonade stands and seeing you could get $100 first by selling their lemonade. After the end of their challenge, they realized that they must combine their talents to help one another out. This book can be used in the classroom to teach students certain math skills and also how to appreciate when someone else does things better than yourself, because they will be able to you out.

Cars Galore

1. Peter Stein
2. Cars Galore
3. Bob Staake
4. fiction
5. no subgenre
6. transportation/ informational/ descriptive
7. the only characters were many cars
8. no awards, 2011
9. Candlewick Press

10. This was a very cute little book for children's ages 4-8. It is a very informative book to teach children about how cars supply transportation for people to get around. There are many adjectives being used throughout the book to describe the books in many different ways. Some of those ways involved various colors of cars, conditions of the cars, and their appearance. This book could be used in the classroom when teaching students what descriptive words mean. This book as many examples of that and plus they will love looking through all the colorful pages.

Jamaica Is Thankful

1. Juanita Havill
2. Jamaica Is Thankful
3. Anne Sibley O'Brien
4. realistic fiction
5. none
6. thinking of others, responsibility
7. primary- Jamaica, secondary- Kristin, Ossie, Puffy(cat), Jamaica's parents
8. no awards, 2009
9. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

10. This a book about a little girl name Jamaica. Her best friend, Kristin, brings her a kitten name, Puffy that she cannot keep and asks Jamaica to see if she can have her. Jamaica is aware her brother, Ossie is allergic to dogs and cats, but feel not Puffy, because she is a kitten. Jamaica hides the kitten in her closet and Puffy lays on Jamaica brother's  jersey. When he puts it on he begans to sneeze and his eyes are red and watery, but he says he has not been around any dogs or cats, not knowing about Puffy. Jamaica decides to give Puffy back to Kristin, because she cares more about her brother and his allergies than Puffy. This book will be great for elementary students, because it teaches them to think about others over themselves and shows responsibility skills. I could use this book to teach those things.

M.L.K.: The Journey of a King

1. Tonya Bolden
2. M.L.K.: The Journey of a King
3. none, but photographs were in the book
4. biography
5. none
6. informational/ civil rights
7. primary- Martin Luther King Jr.
8. 2008 Orbis Pictus Award, 2007
9. Harry N. Abrams, Inc

10. This is a very informative book and I would strongly recommend anyone to read it. If you don't much about Dr. King this book will fill you in. Tonya Bolden does wonderful job in looking into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. We are informed that his birth name was Michael named after his father. Eventually, Dr. King changes his and his sons name to Martin Luther. The book also tells us how he was a Nobel Peace Prize winner. The author goes into details to let the audience know what Dr. King inspirations were and the people, events, and decisions that helped him on his journey to end discrimination/segregation. This book also falls in the category with "Rosa." It too is a great book to use in class when discussing African-American history or in February for black history month.

The Circus Is Coming

1. Hilary Knight
2. The Circus Is Coming
3. Hilary Knight
4. children books
5. none
6. fun times
7. primary- the children, secondary- clowns, elephants, horses, and many more acts in the circus
8. no awards, 2007
9. Random House Children's Books

10. This is a very cute little book for children ages 3-9. This story is about a lot of kids exciting about the circus parade coming to town. There are many different acts in the circus, but most of all what the children wants to see our the elephants. I could use this book in my kindergarten class for a reading/comprehension activity or math because it involves counting different objects throughout the story.

Bud, Not Buddy

1. Christopher Paul Curtis
2. Bud, Not Buddy
3. None
4. historical fiction
5. multicultural literature
6. life long journey
7. primary-Buddy Caldwell, secondary-his mom, foster family(The Amos's), Todd Amos, Lefty Lewis, Mr. Herman E. Calloway and other members of the Jazz band
8. 2000 Newbery Medal winner, 1999
9. Delacorte Press

10. This was a very unique story. Its setting was in 1936 in Flint, Michigan. The book basically walks us through a journey with a ten year old named "Bud." His mother dies when he is six. He is forced to be put in several foster homes. One of those foster homes was with the Amos family. They had a twelve year old son that mistreated Bud. After that fight, Bud gets his suitcase and runs away. He is own a mission to find his father using a couple of clues that his mother left behind. From what he knows, his father is Herman Calloway and he is part of the "Dusky Devastators of the Depression," this was a jazz band. Bud must face many obstacles to reach his destination to find his father. When he meets him and tells his mother name, he discovers his mother is Herman Calloway's daughter. Therefore, Herman Calloway is not his father, but is grandfather.At the end, Bud is accepted into Calloway's home and band. It takes a little adjustment for Calloway to soak everything in that he has found out. This book is good to teach in class, because it's about determination and being independent, because Bud never gave up.

Number the Stars

1. Lois Lowry
2. Number the Stars
3. None
4. historical fiction
5. none
6. hard life
7. primary- Annemarie Johansen, secondary- parents, sister(Kristi), Ellen Rosen. Peter Neilsen, Henrik
8. 1990 Newbery Medal Award, 1990
9. Random House Children's Book

10. This story takes place in 1943 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The story is told by a remarkable ten year old, Annemarie Johansen. In the story, Annemarie is faced with a prejudice situation. Her best friend, Ellen, is Jewish. During this time the Nazis occupied Denmark. Annemarie and Ellen are harrassed by the Germans, because they want all Jews out of Denmark. The Johansen's take Ellen in the care of their home. With the help of Annemarie, Ellen is well taken care of and it models Annemarie's bravery and courage to help out a friend. At the end of the story, the war ends and Ellen leaves. Annemarie's uncle, Henrik, reassures Annemarie that Ellen will be alright and will come back. This would be a great book to present in my classroom when discussing social studies: The Holocaust and World War II.

Gooney Bird and the Room Mother

1. Lois Lowry
2. Gooney Bird and the Room Mother
3. Middy Thomas
4. general fiction
5. comedy/humor
6. social studies/ vocabulary/ teamwork
7. primary-Gooney Bird Greene, secondary-her mother, Mrs.Pidgeon (teacher), students in her class, room mother
8. no awards, 2006
9. Random House Children Books

10. This chapter book is about a very intelligent second grader named Gooney Bird Greene. She was unique in every way. Gooney moved to a new school and everything she told was in a story form and she always told the truth. All the students and her teacher loved her stories. She always used big vocabulary words in class that the other students always used dictionaries to find the meanings. Her teacher, Mrs. Pidgeon is putting on a Thanksgiving pageant and there is a lead role for Squanto, but the catch is that student must find a room mother for the class. Gooney Bird assured she had found a room mother, but she could not reveal who that person was, they wanted to remain anonymous. At the end of the Thanksgiving program, Gooney reveals the room mother it is their teacher, Mrs. Pidgeon's mother. I could use this book when discussing a social studies lesson about the pilgrims and indians during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Slam!

1. Walter Dean Myers
2. Slam!
3. none
4. realistic fiction
5. none
6. life lessons and determination
7. primary- Greg "Slam" Harris secondary-mom, dad, coach, grandmother, teacher
8. 1997 Corettat Scott King Author Award Winner, 2008
9. Scholastic, Inc

10. This is a chapter book about a sixteen year old boy, Greg Harris, nicknamed "Slam." The story takes place in Harlem. Slam is an exceptional basketball player, but does not excell academically in the classroom. He must challenge many obstacles in his life involving adjusting to a new school, his grandmother be sick and his mother is grieving, and also his dad is out of work and has a drinking problem. Slam gets into a confrontation with one of his teachers and this cause major consequences. Slam must understand how to ball basketball on and off the court. This was an interesting chapter book that I could bring into my classroom about motivation and determination and just general life lessons to learn from. This might be a book that more boy students will appreciate.

The Talking Eggs

1. Robert D. San Souci
2. The Talking Eggs
3. Jerry Pinkney
4. Fables, Folk Tales, and Myths
5. no subgenre
6. Compassion/Honesty
7. Blanche, her mother, sister-Rose, talking eggs, and old woman "Aunty"
8. 1990 Caldecott Honor Award and 1990 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
9. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1989

10. This was a Creole folktale about a little girl name Blanche. She had a mother and sister name Rose that treated her mean and made her do all the work while they sat on the porch and talked about how they were going to be fancy women when they go to town. One day it was so hot, Blanche's mother sent her to the well to get water Blanche meets an old lady whom she called "Aunty." The lady ask Blanche for some water and she tells the lady how she is being mistreated and the woman takes her back home, but Blanche was not to make fun of any of the weird things she encountered there. The woman told her to take the eggs that said "take me" and leave the nice looking eggs that said "don't take me" and Blanche did just that and she was rewarded greatly. She went home to tell her mom and sister and the mom sent Rose to the lady to get more riches, but Rose did not follow the lady's directions and she got the eggs that were rotten and full of harm. I could read this story to my students and teach them about listening and following directions. This is how to be honest.

Officer Buckle and Gloria

1. Peggy Rathmann
2. Officer Buckle and Gloria
3. Peggy Rathmann
4. Comedy and Humor
5. no subgenre

6. Safety/ Teamwork
7. Officer Buckle, Gloria the dog, Mrs. Toppel, students of Napville School
8. 1996 Caldecott Medal Winner
9. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1995
10. In this story, Officer Buckle was very big on safety. He goes to Napville school to inform students of all his safety tips. The students always seem to be extremely bored with his lectures so, he starts bringing his dog, Gloria with him to his sessions. This gets all the students attention and cooperative in Officer Buckle's lessons about safety. One day, Officer Buckle and Gloria was on the news for delivering these wonderful safety speeches, but all the attention was focused on Gloria and not Officer Buckle. So, when the Principal, Mrs. Toppel called about the next safety meeting, Officer Buckle denied the invite. He just sent Gloria to entertain the students, but the problem was that Gloria couldn't talk about safety rules. So, Officer Buckle came back, because together he and Gloria made a great team for spreading safety tips. I could use this book when discussing certain safety precautions students should be aware of at school or home.

Nathaniel Talking

1. Eloise Greenfield
2. Nathaniel Talking
3. Jan Spivey Gilchrist
4. Poetry
5. no subgenre
6. life lessons
7. Nathaniel, his mother, father, grandmother, friends
8. 1990 Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Award
9. Black Butterfly Children's Books, 1989

10. This story is about a nine year old little boy who tells his story through poetry. In this story of poetry, I discovered that Nathaniel lost and missed his mother and how much he adored his father. Nathaniel was a typical nine year old with a huge imagination. He thought about how he would be when he was older and his education. He spoke about friends and his grandmother. It was times throughout the story when Nathaniel was very emotional about the lost of his mother. Then, there were times where he just loved to hear his father play his guitar and sing songs. This is a great story to teach students about  life lessons and setting goals in life.

Ella's Big Chance: A Jazz-Age Cinderella

1. Shirley Hughes
2. Ella's Big Chance: A Jazz-Age Cinderella
3. Shirley Hughes
4. Fables, Folktales, and Myths
5. no subgenre
6. fairy tale
7. Ella, Mr. Cinders, Madame Renee, Ruby, Pearl, Buttons, Fairy Godmother, Duke, Duchess, gray cat/chauffeur
8. 2003 Kate Greenaway Medal Winner
9. Simon & Schuster, 2003

10. This story was Cinderella fairy tale with a small twist. It is about a character named Ella who works in a tailor shop owned by her father, Mr.Cinders, there is a errand boy name Buttons who also works there. Mr. Cinders remarries a woman name, Madame Renee and now Ella has a stepmother and two stepsisters, Ruby and Pearl. Ella's stepmother and stepsisters treat her like their slaves and there is a Grand Ball being given in the town by the Duchess for her son the Duke and everyone in town is invited. However, Ella is told by her stepmother and sisters that she cannot go. Ella's fairy godmother appears and helps Ella go to the Ball, she dances with the Duke all night and then loses her glass slipper. The Duke searches all over town looking for and when he finds Ella, he proposes. Ella denies the proposal and marries Buttons living happily ever after. This is a great love story that also have some bullying issues that I could incorporate in a lesson in my classroom.

Ellington was not a street

1. Ntozake Shange
2. Ellington was not a street
3. Kadir Nelson
4. Historical Fiction
5. no subgenre
6. informational, African American history
7. a little girl, her father, Mr. DuBois, men who worked with father
8. 2005 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
9. Simon & Schuster Books, 2004

10. This was a small picture book that was about a little girl talking about her father and some of his colleagues that are working together to try to make a better life for the African American community. These men get together and sometimes have gatherings with their neighborhhood folks on a plan to help blacks get their freedom. This is a very inspirational book for all African Americans to see how far we have came and what we have accomplished. This would be a very informational book to read to my students in the month of February for black history month.

The Kids in Ms. Colman's Class: Holiday Time

1. Ann M. Martin
2. The Kids in Ms. Colman's Class: Holiday Time
3. Charles Tang
4. General Fiction
5. None
6. Working together
7. Primary-Sara, secondary- her mother (Mrs. Ford), Audrey, Ms. Colman, Frederick(Sara's dog), Pamela, and other students in Sara's class
8.  Newbery Award for the book series, 1997
9. Scholastic, Inc

10. This book is mostly geared for girls ages 6 to 9. This is one of many of a series of books called The Kids in Ms. Colman's Class. The particular I chose was "Holiday Time." This chapter book was a rather simple straight forward book about Ms. Colman's class working together on holiday projects based on the three important holidays in December which were Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. The students were put into groups to do research looking for the history, traditions, and song of each holiday. Sara and her best friend, Audrey gets into about the new girl in class name, Pamela. Sara likes her but feels no one is giving her a chance. At the end, everyone works together to present really good holiday projects. Everyone was friends and ready for their holiday break. This would be a nice book to read in class during the holiday time to help my students understand the difference between the three holidays and how everyone celebrates differently. It could also teach my students about social skills to help when working well with others.

Ruby Lu, Brave and True

1. Lenore Look
2. Ruby Lu, Brave and True
3. Anne Wilsdorf
4. General Fiction
5. None
6. Friendship
7. Primary-Ruby Lu, secondary-Ruby's parents, her grandparents, her little brother, cousin, friends, and neighbors
8. no awards, 2006
9. Turtleback Books

10. This book is about a very extremely adventurous little eight year old Chinese girl. Ruby Lu's has her way of taking things in her own hands. Since, her friends sibling had started talking it was up to Ruby Lu to teach her little brother, Oscar how to speak Chinese. She also keeps her family and friends entertained by performing her personal magic shows in her backyard. One day Ruby decides to take her parents car for a ride with her little brother as the passenger. She drives to school without license of course and the only thing she felt she did wrong was park in her prinicipal's parking spot. Also, in this book Ruby Lu's cousin from China moves in with Ruby and her family. The theme that was presented in this book is a great topic to teach in the classroom about the Chinese culture and friendships.

Show Way

1. Jacqueline Woodson
2. Show Way
3. Hudson Talbott
4. General Fiction
5. None
6. Geography/ Values
7. Primary-Soonie, secondary-two generations of her grandmothers
8. 2006 Newbery Honor Book, 2005
9. Penquin Group

10. This was a very powerful book geared for children ages 6 to 8. It's about this girl name, Soonie. She introduces us to two generations of her grandmothers, her grandmother and great-grandmother. They were slaves, who made these "show way"quilts which actually represented maps to be freed from slavery. This quilt symbolizes the journey Soonie's grandmothers endured on their ways to freedom. This would be a great book  for teaching values or maybe even a geography lesson with the use of maps.

Dan Gets Set

1. Susan Blackaby
2. Dan Gets Set
3. Ryan Haugen
4. Picture book
5. None
6. Responsibility/ Memory
7. Primary- Dan, secondary- Dan's mom and dad
8. no awards, 2005
9. Coughlan Publishing

10. This was a cute little book for preschoolers and elementary age students. This book is about a little boy name, Dan. He helps his mom and dad in preparing supper. His task is to set the table for the three of them, but Dan forgets one important part of setting the dinner table. He forgets to set dinner items up for himself. This book is a great example of teaching responsibility skills and remembering things.

The Worst Name in Third Grade

1. Debbie Dadey
2. The Worst Name in Third Grade
3. Tamara Petrosino
4. Comedy
5. None
6. Bullying
7. primary character-Bridgett Butt, secondary characters-Tom, Amanda, Carey, Mrs. Holiday, Miss Snotgrass, and Mikey Parsons
8. no awards, 2005
9. Scholastic, Inc.

10. This book is about a third grader named Bridgett Butt, who has gotten made fun of because of her last name. The thing that makes Bridgett so happy is that she loves her dog, Bobo, her best friend, Amanda, and her teacher, Mrs. Holiday. One particular day changed Bridgett's whole world. Mrs. Holiday tells Bridgett and the rest of the class that she and her husband are moving to Texas. Bridgett was devastated about her teacher leaving and now her friendship with Amanda was vanishing. On top of all of that Bobo is very old and getting sick. This book is a good book to teach students about bullying and teaching them how to cope with changes that may occur.

Chicka Chicka abc

1. Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
2. Chicka Chicka abc
3. Lois Ehlert
4. informative
5. none
6. learning alphabet
7. no characters, just the letters of the alphabet
8. no awards, 2009
9. Little Simon
10. I chose this book, because it was one that my children really enjoyed. This book is primarily for ages 0-4. It is a cute little song for your little ones to learn their alphabet. There is another book called Chicka Chicka

Boom Boom. This book could be used in a kindergarten class towards the beginning of the school year to teach or review the alphabet for those who may learned their abc's in preschool.

I Face the Wind

1. Vicki Cobb
2. I Face the Wind
3. Julia Gorton
4. informational/question and answer book
5. none
6. science and scientists
7. primary-the little girl
8. 2004 Robert F. Sibert Book Award, 2003
9. Harper Collins Publishers

10. This was a very informative book for children. In the book many questions are mentioned about the wind and air. These questions are probably things that all small children wonder one time or another. There is an example on how to weigh air. It also explains how air is made of a lot of tiny balls floating in space called molecules. This book would make a great way to explain a science lesson or even an experiment to do in class.

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

1. Margaret Chodos- Irvine
2. Ella Sarah Gets Dressed
3. print making techniques on Rives paper
4. fiction
5. none
6. Independence
7. primary-Sarah, secondary-mom,dad, sister,friends
8. 2004 Caldecott Honor book award, 2003
9. Harcourt, Inc.

10. This is a cute little book for ages 2-5. It is about a little girl named Ella Sarah that wants to wear a particular outfit that she puts together herself. Her mom, dad, and sister all give her different outfits of their choices but Ella Sarah says "no" to all three. She has her mind set on the outfit that she chose. So, Ella Sarah puts on her outfit even though it did not go together, she thought it did. She looked in the mirror and thought her outfit was perfect! Her friends came over and they were all dressed similar to Ella Sarah and loved each others outfits. This would be a great book to use when teaching my younger students how to be independent.

Rosa

1. Nikki Giovanni
2. Rosa
3. Bryan Collier
4. biography
5. none
6. informational
7. primary-Rosa Parks, secondary- women of the women's political council, Supreme Court, Martin Luther King Jr.
8. 2006 winner of the Coretta Scott King illustrator award and 2006 Caldecott Award winner, 2005
9. Henry Holt and Company

10. This is about a seamstress named Rosa Parks who made history in 1955. Mrs. Parks was a strong person who stood up for her rights during this segregation time. The book goes into details about how Mrs. Parks refuses to give up her free seat (seats for whites or black) to the white people. She was tired of blacks and whites being segregated at the time. She was a firm believer that she could change the way things were being done. Even though it took a while, Mrs. Parks refusal and arrest helped segregation come to an end in 1956.  This book would be a good choice for an African American history lesson or to celebrate black history month in February.

Henrietta and the Golden Eggs

1. Hanna Johansen
2. Henrietta and the Golden Eggs
3. Kathi Bhend/ translator- John S. Barrett
4. general fiction
5. none
6. Size does not matter
7. Primary- chicken named Henrietta, secondary- big chickens, manager, and workers
8. 2003 Mildred L. Batchelder Honors, 1998
9. David R. Godine Publishers, Inc.

10. This book was designed for children in grades kindergarten through second. It's about a determined little chicken that feels she can do many things that the other chickens said are impossible. The bigger chickens discourages her, but she never gives up hope. She even makes life better for all 3,333 chickens. Since, their living condition was so awful, she convinced the manager and workers to have them in an open field. This helped the chickens not to fight or get sick. I could use this book to teach my students about motivation and determination skills.

The Lucky Baseball Bat

1. Author: Matt Christopher
2. Title: The Lucky Baseball Bat
3. Illustrator: Dee deRosa
4. Genre: general fiction
5. Subgenre: No subgenre
6. Theme: life experiences
7. Primary and seconday characters: Martin is the primary character, secondary characters are Jeannie, Barry Welton, Coach Cassell, Mr. Ginty
8. Awards(s) date of publication: I didn't see any awards, published in 1993
9. Publishing company: Little, Brown and company
10. Brief summary and how you would use the book with students?

This book was chapter book ranging for ages 4 to 8. This book is about a little boy name Martin. He really wants to play baseball and he has no bat or glove. He struggles with a boy named Rick. He meets an older boy named Barry Welton that gave him his old bat and glove. Martin felt the bat was lucky and one day the bat broke and Martin felt he could no longer play baseball, because he was no good. A man named Mr. Ginty made Martin another bat that looked just like his lucky bat. Martin won the baseball game thinking it was his lucky bat when it reality he had it in him all along the bat had nothing to do with it. I could use this book when talking to my students about bullying and going through life experiences and relationships.

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

1. Author: Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
2. Title: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
3. Illustrator: There was no illustrator, but the pictures were cut-paper collage
4. Genre: Informational
5. Subgenre: No subgenre
6. Theme: question and answer book
7. Primary and secondary characters: none just facts
8. Awards(s) date of publication: 2004 Caldecott winner, published in 2003
9. Publishing company: Houghton Mifflin Company
10. Brief summary and how you would use the book with students?

This is a great book for children ages 4 to 8. This is an informative book telling children the wonderful things different animals can do with their tails, ears, mouths, eyes, noses, and feet. It is interesting to see how these animals use their different body parts for different things compared to how us humans use ours. I could use this book in my classroom in a science lesson teaching about animals and how they adjust to their habitats.