Eleanor

Eleanor 

Author: Barbara Cooney 

Illustrator: Barbara Cooney

Genre: Nonfiction and Biography 

Awards: None

Grade Level: 2nd-5th 

This book tells the story of Eleanor Roosevelt. She was born into a wealthy family that was far from happy. She is eventually sent off to school and when she returns, her eyes have been opened and she has found qualities within herself that she did not know existed. It would be these qualities that would equip her to be an excellent First Lady of the United States. 

This book would be best used as a read aloud. I would use this book to show students about the First Lady and how challenges can impact you for the better. 

N.C. Whyeth's Pilgrims

N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims

Author: Robert San Souci

Illustrator: N.C. Wyeth

Genre: Nonfiction and Biography 

Awards: None

Grade Level: 4th-7th 

This book gives information about the first Thanksgiving. Beginning with the journey from England on the Mayflower, the book follows the pilgrims through a harsh winter and many other challenges like illness. The pilgrims survive their hard winter and meet Squanto, who is an Indian warrior. The book ends with the pilgrims having the first Thanksgiving which gave them hope that their colony would thrive. 

I would use this book as a read aloud when it gets close to Thanksgiving. I feel that it would give students more of an understanding of the meaning of Thanksgiving. 

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson 

Author: James Cross Giblin 

Illustrator: Michael Dooling

Genre: Nonfiction and Biography 

Awards: None

Grade Level: 4th-7th 

This book accurately shares the story of Thomas Jefferson. 

Starting when he was a little boy, afraid to speak up in class, all the way through his life until he passed in 1826. In Thomas Jefferson, many details of the hardships that the Jefferson family had to face were included. Events such as Thomas Jefferson almost losing everything he had worked for and his presidency offers readers an insight into the life of one of our founding fathers. 

Although this book is too long to use as a read aloud, I would split it up and read parts of it to my class at a time. This book offers an insight to history that is crucial to understanding it all. I would have older students use this for research purposes. 

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs

Author: Peter Zallinger

Illustrator: Peter Zallinger

Genre: Nonfiction and Biography 

Awards: None

Grade Level: 1st-5th 

This book follows the life of dinosaurs from the beginning to their extinction almost 70 million years ago. Dinosaurs teaches about many dinosaurs in detail. Some of these dinosaurs are the Thecodont, the  Brontosaurus, and the Styracosaurus. To help with pronouncing the names of the dinosaurs, each name is spelled out phonetically. The books also teaches about fossils and paleontologists.

If I were to use this book in my classroom, I would use it to introduce a unit on dinosaurs. Although this book would be a harder read aloud, I would want to use to give some background on the unit. 

Butterflies and Moths

Butterflies and Moths

Author: John Feltwell 

Illustrator: Frank Greenaway

Genre: Nonfiction and Biography 

Awards: None

Grade Level: 2nd-5th 

Butterflies and Moths thoroughly describes the differences between the two insects. Page by page the book addresses characteristics such as wing type, color, and body parts to show that although butterflies and moths are similar they are quite different. In this book, there are a few activities that students can do in order to deepen their understanding of butterflies and moths. Butterflies and Moths also teaches about the purpose behind each insect and what they do in their natural habitat. 

I would use this book in my classroom during a science unit. I feel that this book would be best used as a tool for research.