The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

Two men walk into the rainforest, one leaving the other to begin chopping down one of the great kapok trees. The man chops at the roots of the tree but soon tires. He sits down to rest and soon falls asleep to be visited by denizens of the rainforest, whispering in his ear the many reasons why he should spare the great tree. Will he continue to chop down the tree? Would you?
If you use this story as a read-aloud, be sure to share it using a document camera to really take advantage of the amazingly detailed, beautiful picture spreads. Be sure to spend some time on the endpapers. Some of my students really got into seeing how many creatures they could find and identify on each spread, kind of like a Where's Waldo or an I Spy.
A quick search with your favorite search engine will give you lots of ideas for using this story for a wide variety of lessons--easily adaptable for a wide range of age groups. Be sure to take a moment on the author's bio blurb on the book flap and visit the author's website at http://www.lynnecherry.com/

Mud Puddle by Robert Munsch

Jule Ann is a little girl with a big problem--every time she goes outside, a Mud Puddle jumps on her head! She gets mud in her ears, mud in her eyes and even mud in her nose and each time, she has to take a bath and get dressed all over again. After several baths and clothes changes, Jule Ann decides to try a new strategy--wearing a raincoat outside. To see if she's ever able to go outside without a mud puddle ambush, be sure to read this one (& don't forget the sound effects!)

(This book is available on Tumblebooks and it has been a sure-fire crowd-pleaser with my students. The kids LOVE the sound effects Robert Munsch (who reads this story on Tumblebooks) makes when he reads about cleaning out Jule's ears and nose.) If you're a fan of Robert Munsch, be sure to visit his website at http://robertmunsch.com/books/. You can click and drag on the book covers and see what he has to say about the book or hear him read the book out loud. Way cool.

The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf, illustrated by Michael Leitzig

Have you ever been teased? Made fun of because of some esoteric difference--be it clothes, hair, accent, height, weight, what you bring for lunch, being "too smart", being "dumb"? Regardless the comparison that's being used, do you remember how it made you feel? Well, this story, may just help remind us all about the Golden Rule.

The many-hued crayons in this crayon box simply do not get along--teasing, arguing, treating each other poorly--until a savvy little girl buys the box, takes it home, and uses each of the colors to draw a picture.

The final lines, combined with the changes in those oh-so-expressive crayon faces (kudos to Mr. Leitzig for this), provide a simple but powerful catalyst for thought and for discussion.

"We are a box of crayons,
Each one of us unique.
But When we get together...
The picture is complete."

Enjoy this title as a short and sweet read aloud that may just help a child realize that differences are to be celebrated--not mocked or feared. Or use your favorite search engine to explore some of the many different lesson plans out there to make this title a catalyst for discussions of the Golden Rule, prejudice, bullying and tolerance. You might be surprised at who this story may help. One of my favorite memories from last school year? The big grin from one of my very shy ESL students as she checked this title out after a wonderful student-driven discussion after we read this story. Another bonus? The book can be a great lead-in to discussing how we can determine moods and feelings based on facial expression--and seeing the expressions on crayons helped to make this story one that any student, regardless of their own personal differences, can relate to.

Books & Quilts

One of my teachers has a great project that she does each year with her students. They create a book quilt, a design made on paper with student-drawn pictures based on books they've read. Each student's book quilt reflects what they've read--for class, for fun. What a wonderful idea! Made me think of my own virtual book quilt--me. My life, made up of all the bits and pieces, new and old, books read, memories shared--and how my own book quilt is ever changing--evolving with each new book read, story told, experience. I'm no poet, but these thoughts, these pictures in my mind, led me to write the following--an attempt to explain these thoughts.

Books & Quilts--Life Design

Scraps of old favorites--
shirts, skirts, pants,
Stories shared
Memories of times past.

Bits of new-found fabrics--
colors catch the eye-
New-found treasure,
Stories to be.

Cut. Shaped. Pieced.
Beauty and comfort
Old and new
Bound together

New design,
New purpose,
Shared.
Life enriched.

Piper Reed, Navy Bratt by Kimberly Willis Holt

A series I will be happy to recommend to my readers who are fans of Junie B., Amber Brown, & Judy Moody. As the story opens, Piper's mother (an artist) and the Chief(Piper's father, a Navy mechanic)announce to their 3 daughters that they will be moving from their home in California to Pensacola, Florida. As a career Navy family, this isn't the first time that the Reeds have moved, but this move hits Piper hard. The Reed home in California was their first ever that wasn't on-base and their first where Piper was able to have a tree house and her own club--The Gypsy Club. Will she be able to make new friends? A new club? Even if there is no tree house? And what about school? What if her teacher asks her to read in front of the class? Piper is dyslexic. Add to these worries the fact that her father will be leaving for a 6-month tour and you can see that Piper has a lot on her plate. But maybe, living near the home base of the Blue Angels, Piper Reed, Navy Brat, can find her new place in their new home.

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

If you pick this book up expecting a "typical" zombie story (hordes of shuffling undead slogging about, losing body parts and eating brains), you'll be disappointed. This isn't that kind of zombie book. In fact, it's not really a zombie book at all. It's a YA story of teens dealing with school, family, friends and the drama and humor that can be so overwhelming under even the most "normal" of circumstances. What makes this story different is that "normal", at least in the U.S. now includes dead teens who aren't. Dead. Well, not exactly. For some reason (and theories abound), some teens in the U.S. have simply not stayed dead. They're not exactly alive, and certainly not the same as they once were, but they're walking, talking, and yes, going back to school.

This story takes the reader outside the bounds of differences based on skin color, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any of the other myriad things that often make someone a target of bigots and bullies and puts discrimination into terms of life and un-life--made real by characters who are interesting and situations (barring the whole undead thing) that most everyone can relate to on some level.

Thought-provoking, interesting, and left me wanting to know more.

Mickey Moonbeam by Mike Brownlow

Mickey is excited. Quiggle is finally coming for a visit, but a distress call from his friend leads him to a nearby asteroid on a rescue mission. The problem is, when Mickey gets to the asteroid, he can't find his Quiggle anywhere. Turns out, Mickey and Quiggle have never met in person--only on video-phone. Turns out, locating his friend isn't the only problem Mickey needs to solve.

I used this book in my lesson with 2nd grade genre lesson. Lots of good synonyms for the word "big" make for a fun discussion of synonyms and antonyms. The illustrations were vivid and engaging and easy for my students to see, whether in the front row or the back row--and that counts for a lot in a read-aloud setting!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

One of my parents at school brought this to me to read. When my son saw it, he snatched it up, read it, then immediately asked for the sequel. From the first chapter, I found myself swept into Katniss' world and her struggles to survive in District 12, a Post Apocalyptic Appalachia that finds itself on the bottom of the Panem food chain. After the death of her father in the District's mines, Katniss takes on the role of provider for her tattered family. When Prim, Katniss' young sister, is selected as one of the District's "Tributes" to the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place, launching her into a world that pits twenty-four young people, two from each District, against each other in a televised to-the-death reality show designed to entertain the pampered elite of the Capitol and to keep the subjugated Districts mindful of their place in the new order of the world. Her hard-won survival skills may mean the difference between life and death for Katniss--and for those she cares about.

I absolutely cannot wait to dive into the 2nd book.

Dogku by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Tim Bowers

Written entirely in haiku, each two-page spread is graced with colorful paintings of a family who invites a stray pup into their home, and his subsequent 1st bath, naming, introduction to the kids, sadness at their leaving on the big yellow bus, subsequent boredom and ensuing mischief and finally with an edge-of-the-seat ending that leaves the reader wondering if this adorable pup has found a home or if he'll end up at the pound. SPOILER ALERT: this adorable tale has a tail-wagging good ending.

What a great way to introduce haiku! Could also be used effectively for discussions on predicting what will happen next, interpreting untold events from illustrations, and a wonderful lead-in to creative writing efforts.

Some popular picks at our library. . .

I get lots of requests for book/series recommendations--from kids and adults. Makes sense--after all, I am a K-5 librarian. That said, I struggle with my answer. Book choice can be very personal and one child's "best book ever!" may easily be another child's "what's the big deal?". That said, there are some books and series that are consistently popular with the kids at my school. With this in mind, I thought I'd put together a list of these with links to websites that give more information about each. Grade levels mentioned are merely suggestions based on observations--know your readers.

For 3rd through 5th graders:

Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Erin Hunter's Warrior series
Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series
Jeff Smith's Bone graphic novels
Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series
Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and other poetry

On a daily basis, I get numerous requests for books, any books,on specific topics--often more requests than I have books. These popular topics include: how-to-draw, origami, world records (especially the Guinness World record books), the Titanic, I Spy, dinosaurs, and jokes & riddles.

For Kindergarten through 2nd graders:

Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty and Poor Puppy
Alyssa Capucilli's Biscuit books
Dav Pilkey's Kat Kong and Dogzilla
Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series. An added benefit for this series is the availability of the non-fiction research guides to match the various topics.
Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones series

Found---The Missing: Book 1

When 13-year-old Jonah receives a mysterious note telling him "You are one of the missing" he has little idea how much these 6 small words will change his life. Who are "The Missing"? What happened at that airport 13 years ago? Why is the FBI involved? Who can we trust? These are just a few of the questions that Jonah, his sister Katherine and his new friend, Chip, are trying to answer in this suspense-filled mystery--a mystery that has them hiding from FBI agents, debating the existence of ghosts, and calling perfect strangers in an effort to find out the truth. School Library Journal recommends the book for Grades 4-8, but I know a few adults who are waiting anxiously for each new book in this series. :D

Earth Mother by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon

In this beautifully illustrated story, Earth Mother walks through the times of the day and through the seasons, her flowing robes reflecting each. Man thanks for her frog, which fills his belly, but wonders why she sent mosquito to torment him. Frog thanks her for sending tasty mosquito to give him life, but wonders why she sent man to catch him. Mosquito thanks her for man, but wonders why she sent frog who has already eaten most of his sisters. Each says that the world would be perfect if only she got rid of one of the others. At the end, as Earth Mother says good night to all her children, she goes to sleep knowing that "the world, in its own way, was perfect."

This year, I used this story for Earth Day, after my unit on folk tales. Before reading the story, I asked my students (Grades 2-5) to think about why I might choose to share this one for Earth Day. In some classes, when I get to Frog telling Earth Mother that man is "Bad, bad, bad", after having just heard man say the same about Mosquito, they start to chuckle as they recognize the pattern. Some classes "get it" right away--some take a little prompting with: "Have you heard the terms "Food Chain", "Food Web" or "Life Cycle"?

Flurry's Frozen Tundra by Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Michael Maydak

Flurry is an arctic fox who has woken up hungry, but he has a problem: the long, dark arctic winter hasn't loosened its hold on the tundra and food is scarce. When Flurry decides to try and steal a meal from Mighty One (the polar bear), his friends Oomingmak, the musk ox, and Snowy, the snowy owl, try to talk sense into him. While Flurry learns a lesson about patience and safety, students can learn some useful facts about this harsh habitat and these animals.
I used this as a read aloud with my 2nd & 3rd graders and was tickled to find them hanging on every word as they wondered what might happen to Flurry. I paired this with a non-fiction title called Arctic Foxes and showed them actual photographs of the tundra and arctic foxes and polar bears. Two for one--tie-in to their classroom lessons on habitats AND reinforcement of concepts of fiction/non-fiction. Yay! This book is part of the "My Home" series by Kroll and Maydak about animals and their habitats, including Kingston's Flowering Forest and Bluffy's Mighty Mountain.

Higher Level Books for Younger Readers

This list is not for a specific reading level or age, nor is it comprehensive in scope—it is merely a compilation of series/titles/authors that could work well for younger students who are reading at high levels. (Thanks to my colleagues at LM_Net for helping to build this list.)

Keep in mind that, just because a child can sound out or read the words, it does not mean that they comprehend what they are reading. These children need help learning to pick “just right books” for themselves—books that might be a little challenging, but not so challenging as to frustrate them out of reading. Remember too that, just because a child can read a book does not mean that they are emotionally/socially mature enough to understand some of the situations that arise in some stories or some of the interactions that occur on a deeper level. If you have a younger reader who reads at a higher level, read with your child so that you can discuss things that may be of concern to you or to them. Not only does it help their understanding, it offers a wonderful chance to help you understand them just a little better. Ask questions. Share your views. Let them share theirs.

Some wonderful resources for helping students with developing their book selection skills include: the 2Sisters website, and Jackie Mims Hopkins' picture book, Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians.

Series (title and author):

American Girl-multiple authors
Animal Ark-Baglio
Araminta Spooke-Angie Sage
Beany and the Meany –Wojciechowski
Black Stallion-Farley
Bunnicula-Howe
Captain Underpants-Pilkey
Carol Marsh Mysteries-
Charlie Bone- Nimmo
Chasing Vermeer (series by Balliet)
Children of Greenview-Knowles
Chronicles of Narnia -Lewis
Dear America Series-
Dragon Slayers Academy-
Emma -Warner
Enchanted Forest Chronicles-Wrede
Flat Stanley -Brown
Fudge-Blume
Geronimo Stilton-
Guardians of Ga'Hoole -Lasky
Gooney Bird Green -Lowrey
Gregor the Overlander-Collins
Hank the Cowdog-John R. Erickson and Gerald L. Holmes
Hardy Boys (graphic novels and regular)

Judy Moody-McDonald
Little House-Wilder
Magic School Bus-
Mercy Watson -DiCamillo
Misty of Chincoteague -Henry
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle -MacDonald
My America-
My Father’s Dragon -Gannett
Nancy Drew (graphic novels and regular)-
Pippi Longstocking -Lindgren
Pokemon-
Pony Pals-
Poppy –Avi
Ramona Quimby -Cleary
Redwall -Jacques
Saddle Club-
Sandy Lane –Usborne
Septimus Heap series-Angie Sage
Mouse and the Motorcycle and other books by her-Cleary
Time Warp Trio -Scieszka
Warriors-Hunter
Wizard of Oz -Baum


Specific Titles:

A Bear Called Paddington -Bond
Abel's Island-Steig
Babe, the Gallant Pig and others by this author-King-Smith
Because of Winn-Dixie-DiCamillo
Ben and Me -Lawson
Big Idea, Ben Franklin?-Jean Fritz
Chalk Box Kid -Bulla
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -Dahl
Charlotte’s Web-White
Doll People
Dr. DoLittle-
Dragon Rider-Funke
Freedom Rider-Ryan
Frindle -Clements
Half Magic -Eager
James and the Giant Peach -Dahl
Mary Poppins-Travers
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane-DiCamillo
Mr. Popper's Penguins-Atwater
My Dog, My Hero -Byars
Peter and the Starcatchers
Rabbit Hill -Lawson
Sable-Hesse
Secret of Platform 13-Ibbotson
Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs-Birney
Star of Kazan-Ibbotson
Stuart Little -White
The BFG -Dahl
The Cricket in Times Square -Selden
The Gadget War -Duffey
The Hundred Dresses -Estes
The Meanest Doll in the World-
The Penderwicks -Birdsall
The Shrinking of Treehorn -Heide
The Stories Julian Tells -Cameron
When Santa fell to Earth-Funke
Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus?-Jean Fritz
Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?-Jean Fritz
Who’s That Stepping on Plymouth Rock-Jean Fritz
Why Don’t You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?-Jean Fritz
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?-Jean Fritz
Wilma Unlimited; How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman -Krull
Wind in the Willows -Graham
Winnie the Pooh -Milne
Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet -Cameron
You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?-Jean Fritz

Poetry
Beast Feast, Insectlopedia, Mammalabilia and others -Florian
Flicker Flash-Graham
New Kid on the Block -Prelutsky
Where the Sidewalk Ends, and others -Silverstein

Folklore
Ride on the Red Mare’s Back -LeGuin
Saint George and the Dragon -Hodges
Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett: A Tall Tale -Kellogg
Swamp Angel -Issacs
The King’s Equal -Paterson
The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies -Forest
Young Guinevere -SanSouci


Biographies
A Picture Book About… (series includes a wide variety of biographies in picture book format)
A Story of John James Audubon -Davies
Alvin Ailey -Pinkney
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?-Jean Fritz
Bard of Avon: the Story of William Shakespeare-Diane Stanley
Beatrix Potter -Wallner
Brendan the Navigator: A History Mystery about the Discovery of America-Jean Fritz Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George-Jean Fritz
Cleopatra-Diane Stanley
Dare to Dream: Coretta Scott King and the Civil Rights Movement -Medearis
Dear Benjamin Banneker -Pinkney
El Chino -Say
Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists series-Venezia
Good Queen Bess; the Story of Queen Elizabeth I of England-Diane Stanley
How Ben Franklin Stole Lightning -Schanzer
Joan of Arc-Diane Stanley
Leonardo da Vinci-Diane Stanley
Leonardo’s Horse-Jean Fritz
Michaelangelo-Diane Stanley
Saladin: A Noble Prince of Islam-Diane Stanley
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution-Jean Fritz
Teammates -Golenbock
The Boy Who Drew Birds;
The Lost Colony of Roanoke-Jean Fritz
The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson -McGovern
The Story of Ruby Bridges -Cole

Nonfiction
Bats-Gail Gibbons
Beacons of Light: Lighthouses-Gail Gibbons
Chicks and Chickens-Gail Gibbons
Deserts-Gail Gibbons
Giant Pandas-Gail Gibbons
Grizzly Bears-Gail Gibbons
Horses-Gail Gibbons
Rabbits, Rabbits and More Rabbits-Gail Gibbons
Spiders-Gail Gibbons
The Berry Book -Gail Gibbons
The Honey Makers-Gail Gibbons
The Milk Makers-Gail Gibbons
The Monarch Butterfly-Gail Gibbons
The Pumpkin Book-Gail Gibbons
Whales-Gail Gibbons
Wolves-Gail Gibbons
Nature-Related Books by Jean George

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Margaret Peterson Haddix has woven a wonderful story from the stuff of fairytale legend--but with a "what if" twist that brings the story of Cinderella into the real world. What if there was no fairy godmother? What if Cinderella was a girl who took her destiny into her own hands and made her own fairytale ending? What if "happily ever after" is buried in lies, politics, and etiquette lessons, and Prince Charming isn't? Just a short time after the famous "glass slipper" incident, Ella is finding herself to be less than happy and is beginning to wonder if the royal life is really what she wants.
If you enjoy fairy tales with a twist, have always wondered about what happened next in the Cinderella story, and don't want to depend on a fairy godmother for your own happy ending? Read Just Ella.
As a note--some of the reviews suggest that this story might work well as a read-aloud for "younger readers". If you choose to use this story with "younger readers", be sure to read it for yourself first. There are some more mature elements to this more realistic Cinderella story.