Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web 

Author: E.B White 

Illustrator: Garth Williams

Genre: Fantasy 

Awards: Newbery Award

Grade Level: 3-6

The book begins when Fern's father wanted to kill Wilbur's life because he was the runt of the litter, but he decided to spare his life. Fern begins to nurture Wilbur until he is sold to her uncle. At his new farm, Wilbur meets a spider named Charlotte. After Wilbur and Charlotte learn that he is going to be slaughtered they begin to work to save his life. Charlotte begins to weave praises about Wilbur into her web. Wilbur gets entered in the state fair but unfortunately does not win anything. Charlotte stays behind at the fair because she is tired and she later dies. Wilbur chooses to protect Charlotte's offspring and it is revealed at the end that several more generations kept him company. 

I would use this book to teach students about the value of friendships. This book could also be used to teach a lesson on the importance of helping each other and being there for each other in time of need. This book could also be used as a book club book. 

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Author:  Beatrix Potter

Illustrator: Beatrix Potter

Genre: Fantasy

Awards: None

Grade Level: K-4

One day Peter's mom tells him to not go to Mr. McGregor's garden. He chooses to not listen and goes to his garden and enjoys a quick snack of several vegetables. Mr. McGreggor catches Peter and begins to chase him throughout the garden. Peter manages to escape but he realizes he is lost and can not find his way home. Peter eventually finds his way home and his mom gives him tea and he is off to bed. 

This story could be used to teach students about following rules. A teacher can use this book to teach students about the consequences of stealing. 

Doña Flor

Doña Flor

Author: Pat Mora

Illustrator: Raul Colon 

Genre: Fantasy

Awards: Pura Belpré Award 

Grade Level: PK-3rd

Doña Flor's mother used to sing to her when she was younger and with each song that was sung Doña Flor would grow just a little bit more, she became a giant. The people in her village would make fun of her due to her height but the shortly began asking for favors. Everyone begins to respect her and every morning Doña Flor would make tortillas for the whole village. One day her neighbors hear a mountain lion nearby and because they are scared they choose to stay inside. Doña Flor tries to do things to convince them to feel safe to leave their homes but nothing works. She decides to go find the mountain lion and the one she finds is a small baby. She shows the other villagers that they are not in danger and then she guides them all back home. 

This book could be used in a classroom as a tool to teach about respecting other people's unique characteristics because you never know when someone else's gift can help save you. I would also use this book to teach about how everyone should use their strengths to help others. 

A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time

Author: Madeleine L'Engle

Genre: Science Fiction

Awards: Newbery Award 

Grade Level: 6-10 

A Wrinkle in Time is about a teenage girl named Meg Murry. Meg's father mysteriously disappears while investigating something called a tesseract. Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe head out on a mission to rescue her father. The three of them are transported to several different planets during their search. Calvin and Meg rescue Meg's dad but her brother, Charles Wallace, gets left behind because he is under the influence of "IT". When the three of them are safe, Meg is given the responsibility to save her brother. In order for her to do this, Meg receives three gifts. She is given love, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, and she is told that she has one thing that "IT" does not have. Meg saves her brother all four of them return back to earth safely. 

This book could be incorporated into a lesson about themes and theme analysis. Teachers can also use this book in their classrooms as a book to have discussions or book clubs about. 

Swamp Angel

Swamp Angel 

Author: Anne Isaacs

Illustrator: Paul O. Zelinsky 

Genre: Fantasy 

Awards: Caldecott Honor

Grade: 1st-4th 

Swamp Angel follows Angelica Longrider through her journey of finding and defeating of finding a huge bear. Angelica Longrider is several times taller than everyone else. She is deemed the "Swamp Angel" when she saves travelers from the swamp when their wagons get stuck. When she entered the competition to find the bear all of the men tried to get her to change her mind because they saw her as incapable. She was the only one in all of Tennesse to fight the bear, who is named Thundering Tarnation, and win. She defeats Thundering Tarnation by causing a tree to fall down and land on the bear. That night everyone in Tennesse was fed and Angelica made a rug out of Thundering Tarnation fur and moved to Montana to spread it out in front of her cabin. 

This book could be used to teach students that if they wish to achieve something they should not let other people's opinions prevent them from doing so. This book could also be used to show how a difference in size can affect things. 

The War That Saved My Life

The War That Saved My Life 

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Awards: Newbery Honor

Grade: 3rd-8th 

The War That Saved My Life begins with Ada and Jamie living with their mother in a small apartment. Ada's mother never allowed her to leave the apartment for any reason due to her having a clubfoot. While Jamie was able to go to school and play with friends, Ada would spend her days looking out of a window. When World War II begins, the children in London were evacuating the city. Ada and Jamie's mother was only planning on sending Jamie to escape the dangers of the war, but Ada decided to join Jamie in order to protect herself from the war and her mother's abuse. 

Ada and Jamie are taken in by Miss Smith, who is a single woman who has a horse named Butter. Even though she was a little hesitant about taking in two young children, she takes excellent care of them. Miss Smith provides all of the things that their mother never did. Ada and Jamie have plenty of food, clothes, and makes them bathe daily. Ada begins to learn how to ride Butter and also learns how to read. Miss Smith wrote to Ada and Jamie's mother multiple times hoping to receive permission for Ada to have surgery to fix her clubfoot, but unfortunately they never received a response. 

Once the war started, Miss Smith was forced to decide whether or not to send Jamie and Ada away in order to protect them from the war. She decides to have them continue to stay with her. Ada decides to begin to help with the war efforts. Ada even finds a spy one day while she is riding Butter. After she found the spy, Ada had a new level of confidence that gave her the ability to make it through the the emotional hardships that she had gone through and those that she was currently going through. 

Ada and Jamie's mother soon shows up at Miss Smith's house wanting to take them back to London. When they get back to London their mother continues the abuse that they grew up with. Shortly after they got back, Ada had the strength and courage to stand up to their mother and they decide to leave. As Ada and Jamie were leaving their mother an air raid hit their city. Due to this, they were forced to flee to a shelter. The next day when they were leaving the shelter, they are reunited with Miss Smith. The three of them decide to go back to Miss Smith's house. When they arrive back at Miss Smith's house they discover that it has been bombed. It was because of Ada and Jamie that Miss Smith did not die because she was in London looking for Jamie and Ada. In the exact same way that Miss Smith saved Jamie and Ada from their mother, they saved her. 

If I used this book in my classroom I would use it for the older grades due to the events that happen in the book. I believe that older students would understand the context a little better. I would use this book to teach my students about World War II and how you can always overcome your challenges. 

Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror

Author: Marilyn Singer

Illustrator: Josee Masse

Genre: Poetry 

Awards: None

Grades: 3rd-6th 

This book is full of familiar stories such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood. On each page you read the original poem and then you read the new version of each. The newer version  is a backwards version of the traditional story. The words in both versions are the same, the lines are simply reversed. Each version is also told through a different point of view. For example, in Little Red Riding Hood the forward version is told through the girls point of view and the backward version is told through the wolf's perspective. 

I would most likely use this book as a read aloud to teach about poems. This book can also be used to teach about differing perspectives. 

Swirl bt Swirl

Swirl by Swirl 

Author: Joyce Sidman
Illustrator: Beth Krommes
Genre: Poetry
Awards: None
Grades: PK-2nd

This poem begins with a description of a snail's shell. The poem then continues to show all of the other places that spirals show up in nature. From things like fast flowing rivers to many different plants, spirals are all around us. At the end of the book there is a picture of every spiraled thing that was in the book along with a short description of each.

This book could be used in an art classroom as a tool to teach children about spirals.The poem could also be used a read aloud, especially for younger students. 

My People

My People

Author: Langston Hughes
Illustrator: Charles R. Smith Jr.
Genre: Poetry
Awards: Coretta Scott King Book Award
Grades: PK-3rd

Langston Hughes uses this poem to describe the beauty of the African-American people. In this poem, Langston Hughes compares different qualities and characteristics of his people to things the sun and the stars.

There are many ways in which this poem could be used in a classroom. One example is that it could be used during an unit about African-American History. This poem could also be used to teach about respect and the beauty of the African-American people. 

Step Gently Out

Step Gently Out 

Author: Helen Frost
Illustrator: Rick Lieder
Genre: Poetry
Awards: None
Grades: PK-1st

This book is a poem that is about the different insects that are in the world. The poem begins with an ant and then becomes about a honeybee, crickets, moths, spiders, and other insects. At the conclusion of the poem, it has a picture of each insect with a few facts about each insect that was included in the poem.

This poem could be used within a science unit to teach about the insects. I would use it as a way to introduce my students to a new unit. The facts at the end of the book would also be helpful for older students to research about a certain insect. 

In the Wild

In the Wild 

Author: David Elliot
Illustrator: Holly Meade
Genre: Poetry
Awards: None
Grades: PK- 3rd

This book is a collection of short poems that describe certain animals in the wild. Animals like a lion, a rhinoceros, a polar bear, a zebra, and a giraffe are all shown in this book. The poems about each animal expresses the details pertaining to their habitats and their physical characteristics.

I would use this book as a introduction to a unit about animals. The basic yet fascinating descriptions of each of the animals will help to excite the students about the new unit.