Ruby's Wish

Ruby is a little girl in a house of many grandchildren. She wears red everyday. Even though she doesn't have to learn, she goes to lessons everyday. As she gets older, she excels in her studies, but also has to spend a large amount of time learning how to be a wife. She writes a poem about how it is bad luck to be a girl and her grandfather ( the head of the house) is shown. He inquires to Ruby to find out why she doesn't feel as well treated as the boys and she tells him she wants to go to college. Eventually, she is given the opportunity to go to college as one of the first females in China.
This is a great way to talk about the oppression of women in history. It also deals with Chinese New Year and life in China.
Bridges, S. and Blackall, S. (2001) Ruby's Wish. Scholastic: New York.

Gossamer

Last week, I was on a Lois Lowry kick because I knew I was going to hear her speak at NYPL's Bookfest. I read Gossamer and Gathering Blue on Friday. I still need to reread the Giver and read the Messenger, so I can comment about the three companion books. Gossamer, however, was great! It was about dream-givers and their fight to instill humans with memories and happiness during sleep. The evil force gives nightmares. It was your usual battle of good versus evil, but I enjoyed it. She spoke to us on Saturday about her books being challenged over the years. She didn't really speak for free speech or anything just seemed annoyed that people challenge her books. I'm not sure how much I benefited from her keynote address, but it was cool to here her nonetheless.

Flat Stanley

Stanley was flattened by his bulletin board while he was sleeping. Because he is flat, Stanley can do all kinds of things. His brother flies him like a kite, he saves the museum, he goes to California in an envelope. The best part of Stanley's "flat" period is when he is able to catch some thieves in the local museum. People eventually begin to make fun of Stanley, and he tires of being flat. A solution is found by his brother. His brother uses a bicycle pump to make Stanley round again. This is a great way to intertwine reading and social studies. People all over the world send Stanley out to have pictures taken in special places or with classes. Your class can map where you get letters from.
Brown, J. (1964) Flat Stanley. HarperCollins: New York.

Six-Dinner Sid

Sid is a cat that has life figured out. No one on his street talks to each other. He lives in six houses with six different names and eats six different meals a day. When he gets sick, he is taken to the vet six times. The families find out and only want to give him one meal a day, so he moves to a place where everyone talks and doesn't mind if he has six dinners a day. This is a clever cat. It reminds me of a folk-tale.
Moore, I. (1991) Six Dinner Sid. Aladdin Books:New York.

The Mother's Day Mice

Three little mice brothers wake up to find presents for their mother on mother's day. They go to the meadow to find strawberries and a dandelion. THe smallest brother wants to get honeysuckle, but they can't because of the cat. The brothers hurry home to give their mother a present. The older brothers laugh when the little one says he has a present. They were with him the whole time. The smallest brother sings his mom a song. She likes all of her presents. I think the message of this story is that the best gifts don't have to be material.
Bunting, E. and Brett, J. (1986) The Mother's Day Mice. Clarion Books: New York.

Fish Eyes

The book starts with a poem about wanting to be a fish and how it would be to pick a tail and "splash in the sea." The narrator talks about what fish she would see. The book starts with the number one and counts up to ten. There are some different features in this counting book. There is a little fish that acts as a host to the reader. Readers can add the host to the fish number on every page and then they are learning how to add one on. The book has a captivating eye for the fish. They use a cutout hole, so the fish have the same eyes. Ehlert, L. (1990) Fish Eyes. Voyager Books: New York.

Do Like Kyla

Kyla is the narrator's big sister. Everything that Kyla does, her little sister does. The little sister taps at the birds, stretches, tries to braid her hair, pours honey on her food, and tries to imitate her sister at everything. Someone once said, "Imitation is the purest form of flattery." In this book, that is true. Kyla's sister wants to be just like her! At the end of the book, the younger sister taps at the window and Kyla taps just like her. When I study Angela Johnson, we read this book. It can be used to teach repeating phrases. It is an example of a realistic fiction text.
Johnson, A. and Ransome, J. (1990) Do Like Kyla. Orchard books: New York.

Wemberly Worried

Wemberly is a mouse who worries about everything. She worries all the time! Her family tries to reassure her, but it doesn't really help. She worries about being the only butterfly at Halloween, but only after she worried about their being too many. She worries about her doll petal when it is getting cleaned. She is mostly worried about going to school. The author/illustrator uses an entire page of worries without illustrations to show how worried she is. When she gets to school, Wemberly's teacher introduces her to another little girl who is wearing stripes and has a doll that she rubs its nose when she is worried. Having a friend helps Wemberly lose some of her fear. I like this book because it is easy to forget that our students have worries. Some of them have worries that we can't even imagine.
Henkes, K. (2000) Wemberly Worried. Greenwillow Books: New York.

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders

This is a beautifully illustrated book of poems. The illustrations are on both sides of the page, with the poem sitting on one of those sides. The poems are funny and rhyme. Some of the poems are at a high reading level, but they are also high interest poems. The title poem is about the frogs and pigs singing to the chickens and ducks. This is a shorter, beautifully illustrated book of poetry like The New Kid on the Block.
Prelutsky, J. and Mathers, P. (2002) The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders. Greenwillow Books: New York

The New Kid on the Block

A large collection of Prelutsky's poems exist in this book. The poem the book is named for is about a bully that picks on all the kids and is twice the size of everyone. It turns out she is a girl. This is a funny book of poems that I would compare to Silverstein. It is best used to pick poems out of because of the large size. The pages are not in color, so in my first grade class, the interest isn't held as long as it would be with colorful illustrations. However, the poems are really funny and even make me laugh. You'll learn why you shouldn't argue with a shark, eat a dinosaur, or have an alligator for a pet.
Prelutsky, J. (1984) The New Kid on the Block. Greenwillow Books: New York

Lon Po Po

This is a Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood. In this version, the wolf hears that the mother is going to visit the grandma. He knows the three children will be alone, so he pretends to be their grandma visiting them, having just missed their mother. They let him inside after he explains his lower voice is caused by a cold. As he comes in, he blows out the candle. They get in bed together and the children start to feel the tail and claws of the wolf. The oldest girl lights the candle and sees the wolfs face, yet the wold doesn't know. She tells the wolf of the chestnuts that will give him everlasting life and says the children will get him one. She gets the children to climb up the tree with her so they wolf can't get them. Eventually, she kills him with a basket of nuts.
Lesson plans for the story.
Young, E. (1989) Lon Po Po. Philomel Books: New York.

The Three Little Javelinas

This is an adaptation of "The Three Little Pigs." It is done in a southwestern manner. A javelina is a relative of a pig that is also related to the hippopotamus. The first javelina built his house out of tumble weed. A coyote came along and blew his house down; however, the little javelina escaped. The second little javelina built his house from sticks out of a dried-up cactus. The first javelina joined him to rest in his house when the coyote found them and blew the house down. They escaped again. The third javelina bought adobe bricks and built her house. She welcomed her brothers to stay with her and the coyote couldn't blow her house down. He tried to fit through the stove pipe, but she lit a fire in the stove. He was burned and let out a "bark, cackle, howl, and scream at the same time. He still makes that noise when he remembers the pain. So, when you hear a coyote, you know where the sound comes from.

A Kangaroo Joey Grows Up

This book tells about the life of a kangaroo. It starts with the mother cleaning out her pouch for the baby. Then, the baby is born in the pouch, but it doesn't come out for six months. Children get to see a picture of a few days old kangaroo even though it has no fur. The book goes along as the kangaroo grows inside the pouch. It tells the stages of growth for every couple of months. It talks about the kangaroo hopping and when it can live outside the pouch. At the end of the book, there is a timeline to synthesize the material.
Hewett, J. and Hewett, R. (2002) A Kangaroo Joey Grows Up. Carol Rhoda Books: Minneapolis.

Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox

This is a story about sibling relationships. It is also a fractured fairy tale about Goldie Locks. When Goldie Locks first spies a spot, her mother knows it must be chicken pox. She immediately calls the Three Bears, apologizing for the chair, to see if Baby Bear has chicken pox, too. Soon, a steady stream of storybook favorites -- from Little Bo Peep to Henny Penny -- stop by to visit the bedridden child. All the while, Goldie Locks tries to ignore her brother's relentless teasing about her spotted exterior. But as more visitors arrive, her pox-free brother, in a fit of jealousy at the attention his sister is getting, intensifies his teasing. Everyone begins to give him attention, and as it turns out he has chicken pox. This story will appeal to students because of the familiar characters.
Dealey, E. and Wakiyama, H. (2002) Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox. Antheneum Books: New York.

One Afternoon

Minho ran errands with his mom one afternoon. They went to the salon, laundromat, ice cream store, pet store, shoe repair store, supermarket, and then back to pick up the laundry. Wherever they went they heard many sounds. The book is full of pictures and letters that represent the sound coming from it. It is a book of city sounds and sights. When they got home, they were glad to be inside where it was quiet, but then Minho head sounds from the bathroom, "plunk". This is a great way to teach onomatopoeia. If you focused in on one of the things Minho did instead of all of them, this could be a small moment piece.
Hero, Y. (1994) One Afternoon. Orchard books: New York.

Swimmy

Swimmy was one of a school of tiny fish. He was the only one that survived when a big fish ate all his friends. Interestingly, Swimmy was the only black fish, while the other fish were orange. With his friends gone, Swimmy swam the ocean by himself. He was scared and lonely. He began to feel better as he journeyed because he saw so many new sights including a rainbow jelly, a lobster, and other new animals. He finally found another school of fish like his own. They were also all orange. He taught them not to be afraid to enjoy life by forming a big fish with them to scare away all the other fish. He was the eye of the fish.
This book has so many messages. There are many ways to study Swimmy and his actions. What does it mean that he became the eye of the fish as the only different fish? Is it important that he was a black fish? How can you face your fears?
Lionni, L. (1963) Swimmy. Knopf: New York.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

I used this book during my first teaching internship in college and I still love it. The repetitive language and thought that goes into this book is captivating. Students love reading it and they can recite much of it without even looking at the book. One activity I have done is making symmetrical clouds using white paint on contruction paper and taking the phrase "It Looked Like ____, but it wasn't. It was just a cloud in the sky."
Shaw, C. (1947) It Looked Like Spilt Milk. HarperCollins: New York.

Dot and Jabber and the Mystery of the Missing Stream

Dot and Jabber are two mice detectives. They were looking for the missing water in this story. The water had been there until the storm and even during the storm, but then it had disappeared. The mice walked amidst the branches. They said that one branch couldn't block all the water. However, a lot of branches could! They found the pile of branches that made a dam for the water. The mystery was solved. Children like the idea of mysteries and having the opportunity to solve them. Read part of this book and have children explore the possibilities of what happened next. Walsh, E. (2002) Dot and Jabber and the Mystery of the Missing Stream. Scholastic: New York.

The Cloud Book

This book is about clouds. It is a non-fiction book that takes advantage of illustrations to entice the curiosity of children. It tells us about cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds. It goes even further and describes types of cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds. The book gives a lot of information, but is not too dense for enjoyable reading at a first to second grade level. It includes fun facts like the sailors' warning and what kinds of shapes people see in the sky. I enjoy the Cloud story, which is really a comic about clouds.
Paola, T. (1975) The Cloud Book. Holiday House: New York.

Julius

Johnson, A. and Pilkey, D. (1993) Julius. Orchard Books:New York.

Julius, the pig from Alaska, was a great friend of Maya's. Her grandfather bought him for her. They did everything together. Maya's parents didn't like Julius very much because he made messes, ate everything in the house, and made a lot of noise. Maya liked Julius because he taught her a lot of new things. She took these things and showed her friends how to do them. They liked sharing everything because they were great friends. There are fun illustrations that make children laugh.
This is a different kind of picture book by Angela Johnson. She usually writes realistic fiction. It would be fun to compare the styles of writing from the same author in a different kind of book.

the alphabet tree

Lionni, L. (1968) the alphabet tree. Dragonfly Books: New york.

At one time there was a tree full of letters that hopped around. A strong wind blew some of the letters away and the remaining letters were scared. They huddled together until a word-bug came along and taught them that they will be stronger if they become words. Each letter became a three or four letter word. One day a caterpillar came along. He said they were confusing as a bunch of words, so they had to make sentences. They made sentences about the wind and trees; however, the caterpillar told them they had to say something important. The letters thought the most important thing they could say would be about peace. They said, "Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men." The caterpillar loaded them on his back and they began their trip to visit the President.
An interesting discussion to have with children about this book would be about why the president would need to see this message. Why did the caterpillar think he would be a good person to show?

My Granny Went to the Market

The narrator's granny went to the market and bought a flying carpet in Istanbul (#1). Then, she went to Thailand to buy two temple cats. Each page shows the granny going to different places to buy interesting things like llamas and cowbells. After she buys the tenth set of things, she gives the carpet to her granddaughter who plans to go on the same trip. One nice feature of the book is the back cover shows the journey with a map. This book displays many cultures and offers us a chance to peak at some other places goods.
Blackstone, S. and Corr, C. (2002) My Granny Went to the Market. Barefoot Books: Cambridge

Wet Dog!

Poor wet dog...it was a hot summer day and the dog needed to cool off so he walked over to the man that was washing the car and wandered through the water. He happily began to shake off and "Shoo!" he was told. Throughout the story, the dog continues to get wet, but never gets to shake off because the people are getting ready for a wedding although that is an inference the reader is left to make. The dog sees all the fancy people standing next to the lake, but he decides it is too hot to care and gets in anyway. When he shakes off they shoo at him, but he just keeps going. The too hot baby laughs and says "More dog, more." as she gets wet from his spray of water. The fancy people see the fun and walk into the lake as well. I love the way this story is written. The language reminds of being too hot on a Southern summer day. This would be a good way to teach about the voice in writing.

Benny's Pennies

Benny had five pennies to spend. His family told him to buy something beautiful, good to eat, nice to wear, and the dog and cat said their respective woofs and meows. So, Benny went off to spend his money. Is that a good lesson? I mean, that is what I would do, but shouldn't we teach children about saving? Anyway, Benny buys a beautiful rose, a cookie, a paper hat, a meaty bone, and a fish with each of his pennies. He takes them home and gives them all the the person/animal that asked for it. He keeps nothing for himself. I suppose that it is good lesson to be charitable even if all the money is gone. I would be interested in the thoughts of the children on each item only costing a penny. Would that be believable for them?

Harbor

This a book I am including in my ocean unit as a social studies connection. This book connects to the lives of students in NYC because they are in a harbor town. If they pass over one of the bridges they can see boats, ferries, and piers. This book has few words, but shows all of the water transportation in the harbor. It also gives an explanation for the use of a few of the boats pictured. For example, we find out that the front of a ferry becomes its back, so there is no need to turn around. After discussing this book, I will put it in the children's book baskets for independent reading.
Crews, D. (1982) Harbor. Mulberry Books: New York.

Fish Wish

"If I lived on a coral reef," is the focus of this book. The narrator describes the different sea animals and plants he would see. The illustrations are large and child oriented. They are the highlight of the book. I would use this as an independent reading book for the Ocean unit. It does not contain a lot of information, but is well done for a simple ocean book. One great aspect of the book is the fish glossary at the end. It gives information about each fish listed in the book.
Barner, B. (2000) Fish Wish. Scholastic: New York.

A House for Hermit Crab

Hermit Crab grows too big for his house and has to find a new one. He wants to do it fast so he is protected from predators. He quickly finds a shell that is the right size; however, he feels it is just too plain. He keeps it anyway but begins to decorate it with friends and plants from the ocean. He adds a sea anemone, starfish, coral, sea urchin, snail, lanternfish, and sits on smooth pebbles. Then, he feels like his home is perfect. After a while, he grows too big for his shell and he has to move on again. A smaller hermit crab promises to be nice to his friends and takes over his shell. Hermit Crab finds a new plain shell and is excited about the new possibilities.
Students could use their knowledge of the ocean and create their own shells with friends to clean, light up the place, and decorate the shell.
Carle, E. (1987)A House for Hermit Crab. Picture Book Studio: Saxonville, Ma

One Nighttime Sea

Beautiful collage illustrations led me to pick up this book. As I read through, I was delighted to find quality rhymes and a counting book. This is a counting book that starts at one with a "blue whale calf" and goes to ten with "ten turtle hatchlings" and restarts at ten and moves down to one again ending with a "brand-new seal pup." All the illustrations depict nighttime scenes in the sea. I love that this book gives further information on each animal at the end in order from one to ten then ten to one.
Rose, D. and Jenkins, S. (2003) One Nighttime Sea. Scholastic: New York.

Sharks

Last year, this was one of the most looked at books of my class in June. Students loved looking at the beautiful photographs of the sharks. They were afraid sometimes, but that did not convince them to put the book down. The reading is very dense. Most first graders couldn't handle this as an independent reading book. This book tells all about sharks from their types to eating and hunting habits, and how they reproduce. Pages are devoted to these sharks: great white, hammerhead, and the whale shark. Text is long on each page. One way I used this book was to read certain information I wanted my students to hear.
Simon, S. (1997) Sharks. HarperCollins: New York.

The Ocean Alphabet Book

This alphabet book focuses on the Atlantic Ocean. Each letter except for A and Z focuses on a fish that lives in the North Atlantic Ocean. I am taking my class on a field trip to the New York Aquarium, so the concentration of this book is exciting. The illustrations are amazing and detailed, yet interesting for a first grade student. The text is used to describe each fish illustrated. I am using this book to highlight the ocean in the area where my students live as a piece of the ocean unit I am teaching.
Pallotta, J. and Mazzola, F. (1986)The Ocean Alphabet Book. Scholastic: New York.

Joshua By the Sea

This short board book is full of feeling. I use this book in my class as an example of a small moment. Joshua is a character in a series of board books by Angela Johnson. One trademark of Johnson's writing is a comeback phrase; in this book it is I am Joshua...and then names places and people he is near. A fast and quality read at the same time.
Johnson, A. and Mitchell, R. (1994) Joshua By the Sea. Orchard Books: New York.

The Underwater Alphabet Book

This is another Pallotta Alphabet book. This book focuses on coral reefs and the animals around them. Every letter has a different fish although the pictures for Y and Z are the same because Sea Horses and Pipefish look the same. Yes, some of the letters are dependent on colors like the Yellow Sea Horse. This is another book I am going to use in my Ocean unit. I will use it when talking about other parts of the ocean as well as describing different kinds of fish. The illustrations and descriptions of fish are key in this book. Students researching a particular fish will find great visuals here.
Pallotta, J. and Stewart, E.(1991) The Underwater Alphabet Book. Charlesbridge Publishing: Watertown, Ma.

The Best Book of Whales and Dolphins

This is one of the few non-fiction books that is readable for a first or second grade class and dense with information at the same time. It has sections for meeting each animal, telling the general information, and then gives specifics like food, sounds/communications, current worries, and places in the oceans. There is a helpful glossary and index to assist students.
Gunzi, C. (2001) The Best Book of Whales and Dolphins. Kingfisher: New York.

Big Al and Shrimpy

The second book that Clements wrote including his character Big Al. We are introduced to a new character here who in the beginning has no friends because he is different. This story is meant to teach young children about friendship. Even when people seem different, they can be a great friend. Shrimpy and Al become best friends because they are slower than the rest of the fish and can only tag each other during games. Al teaches Shrimpy not to be afraid of the deep, dark water. One day they are exploring and Al gets stuck in a rock. Shrimpy's courage is tested because he has to lead theother fish down into the dark water to save Al. He comes up with an idea to make the water brighter. He brings a lantern fish. They save Big Al and have a party for Shrimpy. This book is also good when studying friendship or the ocean.

Clements, A. and Yoshi. (2002) Big Al and Shrimpy. Simon and Schuster: New York.

Big Al

Big Al is the story of a courageous fish that showed the true meaning of friendship. All the fish in the ocean were afraid of Al because of his looks. He tried to be like them, but he always ended up scaring the fish away. One day he saw the fish in danger. They had been caught in a fisherman's net! Big Al was strong and tore a hole in the net. The little fish were free. However, the net caught Big Al. They watched helplessly as he was pulled up to the surface. The fishermen saw Al and then released him because of his looks. Now, all the fish are his friends.
Al is the fish that sets an example. When reading this book with your class, please remind them that the other fish should have been his friend regardless of his looks. Poor Al! I think that conversation is important to show the children that people don't have to prove something to you, so you will be their friend. Otherwise, this is a fun book that will inspire the children's interest in the ocean. A great fictional story to include in an ocean unit.
Clements, A. and Yoshi. (1988) Big Al. Simon and Schuster: New York.

Our Stars

This book gives a lot of facts about stars in an interesting manner. Illustrations show the constellations: Leo, Orion, and the Big Dipper. The books explains the North Star and that it is called Polaris. We find out that we can see Venus sometimes before the stars come out. It also covers the planets orbiting around the sun, comets, and meteors. Kids will be interested because of the cartoon-like illustrations and easy to read text.
Rockwell, A. (1999) Our Stars. Voyager: New York.

Counting in the Garden

Counting in the Garden is a lovely counting book incorporating the beauty of nature into mathematics. The watercolor illustrations are fanciful stemming from the author's/illustrator's background as a textile designer. Children will benefit from the higher level vocabulary included in the short sentences for example, "three dogs frolicking in the posies."
Parker, K. (2005) Counting in the Garden. Orchard Books: New York.

Matthew and Tilly

Matthew and Tilly could be from many of the neighborhoods where my students live in Brooklyn. My students relate to these two friends because they look like them, live in a city, and have similar problems. Matthew and Tilly are best friends most of the time. Sometimes they get in fights though. One day Matthew and Tilly get in a fight because he took her drawing. They are determined not to be friends anymore and go all day without talking. However, they are lost with no one to play with. They give up on their anger and return to their friendship. This book reminds me of the way children play all day. One minute they love each other and the next they are not talking. In a situation like that, this book could help students realize they still want to be friends.

Jones, R. and Pecks, B. (1991) Matthew and Tilly. Penguin Books:New York.

Quick as a Cricket

This book of similes shows animals that represent feelings like “nice as a bunny” and “shy as a shrimp.” Some of the similes used are old sayings like ‘strong as an ox”. The illustrations work with your imagination to show what the simile might look like. The cover shows a little boy riding a cricket because the simile is “quick as a cricket.” A website with curriculum connections: http://library.uncc.edu/files/5/cimc/pdfs/units/quickcricket.pdf

Wood, A. and Wood, D. (1982) Quick as a Cricket. Child’s Play: London

Caps for Sale

The peddler in caps for sell teaches our students how to read color words because the caps are gray, brown, blue, and red. He carries the caps on his head, so everyone can see them. One day he walks out of town and decides to take a nap. When he is sleeping, the monkeys in the tree take his caps. He tells the monkeys to give the caps back, but they mimic him by raising their fists or shaking their hands. He has to trick the monkeys into giving them back by throwing his hat unto the ground. Then, the peddler went back to his normal lifestyle of selling caps.

Slobodkina, E. (1968) Caps for Sale. HarperCollins: New York.

In the Tall, Tall Grass

A little boy is watching nature from behind the grass. The rhythm of the insects makes a great read-aloud. This book provides a great way to get younger children excited (not that they aren’t already) about insects. The rhyming in the book captures your attention as it progresses from day to night with the different kinds of insects that follow their normal pattern.

Fleming, D. (2001) In the Tall, Tall Grass. Holt: New York

The Secret Seder

The story of a young Jewish boy, this book is set in a time when being a Jew meant death or imprisonment. This is a story of hope. Jacques and his father travel to take part in the Seder, a Passover meal. When recitiing the four questions, the older men begin to add answers to the questions that deal with the present trials they were facing. The story explains what the Seder is well enough that a non-Jewish person can begin to understand its importance in the Jewish culture. This is an important book for Brooklyn because of the different cultures that merge here. We need to be cognizant of each culture.
http://www.doreenrappaport.com/b_seder.html Rappaport, D. and McCully, E. (2005) The Secret Seder. Hyperion Books: New York

Possum Magic

Two possums that lived in the Austrailian Bush were having a great time. The grandmother could do magic. One day she turned Hush invisible. For a while Hush loved sliding down kangaroo's tales and snekaing through the bush, but she began to long not to be invisible. When Grandma Poss tried to find the right spell, she couldn't. She thought it had something to do with people food, so they began eating. Eventually, they had a vegemite sandwhich and Hush began to turn visible again. They went to more places to find food to continue becoming completely visible.
Fox, M. and Vivas, J. (1983)Possum Magic. Voyager Books: London .

Throw You Tooth on the Roof

Throw You Tooth on the Roof is a great book to interest students in other cultures' traditions. What do 6-8 year olds care more about than losing teeth?! This book gives information from each end of the world. Who knew that so many countries had mice that take away the teeth? Most countries children are rewarded for losing teeth. In some Asian countries, children throw their teeth over the roof, so they will come back in straight! At the end of the book, there is information about individual teeth and what they are used for inside your mouth.
Beeler, S. (1998) Throw You Tooth on the Roof. Houghton Mifflin: Boston.

The Subway Mouse

Nib is the young subway mouse who dreams to find the Tunnel’s End that he hears about during his favorite time of the day, story tiem. When he decides to leave home and find it, the other mice say he is crazy because it only exists in the stories; however, Nib leaves to find it anyways and finds a lady friend to go along with him. After being chased by other mice, they eventually find the end of the tunnel and stay forever with their children telling stories about the inside of the tunnel.

Reid, B. (2005) The Subway Mouse. Scholastic: New York.

We Gather Together...Now Please Get Lost!

This book is part of a series featuring Gilbert, a little opossum, and his adventures. This book is set around Thanksgiving. The students go on a field trip to Pilgrim town and Gilbert gets stuck being partners with Phillip, whom Gilbert thinks is a tattle-tale. So, of course, when Gilbert gets locked in the bathroom Phillip rescues him and everyone becomes friends again. This is more of a friendship story than a Thanksgiving story although it gives a few facts about Pilgrims.
de Groat, D. (2002). We Gather Together...Now Please Get Lost! Sea-Star Books: New York.

The Thanksgiving Story

The Thanksgiving Story tells about the journey of the Hopkins family from England to America on the Mayflower. It tells of days of waiting on the boat. The mother has a son during the long journey. When they make it to America, it talks about making a community and settling. It portrays the relationship between the Native Americans and settlers as unblemished. It would be interesting for a class to compare this story to more recent accounts of the events that took place.
Dalgliesh, A. and Sewell, H. (1954). The Thanksgiving Story. Aladdin Books: New York

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving is a parody of a familiar Christmas story that most of us remember very well. This new holiday book portrays a bus of children on a field trip to a farm sometime near Thanksgiving. The children enjoy playing with the turkeys, but then find out the turkeys are to be chopped up with an ax. The children decide to hide the turkeys in their clothing and sneak them off the farm. Instead of eating the turkeys, they have them as their guests at Thanksgiving dinner. The rhyme and rhythm of this book create a pleasurable reading experience. This could be a way to talk about the treatment of animals in your classroom.

Pilkey, D. (1990) Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving. Orchard Books: New York.

Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving

Through a question-and-answer format, this book gives a ton of information on Thanksgiving. Topics include: the first Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, Mayflower, Indians that helped the pilgrims, and who celebrates this holiday. My students really enjoy the jokes at the end of every chapter.
Roop, P and Roop, C. (1999) Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving. Millbrook Press: New York.

Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation

Composed of many facts about Pilgrim life, this book gives a new perspective to a child about Thanksgiving. The books is more realistic about the food the Pilgrims ate, where they lived, and the culture of their community. The density of the facts is broken up by speech bubbles of the family members conversing.
Stanley, D and Berry, H. (2004) Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation. HarperCollins: New York.

Thanks for Thanksgiving

Using simple words, Thanks for Thanksgiving portrays aspects of life that we should be thankful for but often forget to acknowledge. The book begins every page saying, "Thank you." It would be easy to include this book in a discussion about being thankful during the holidays or any other time although it is specifically written as a Thanksgiving book.
Markes, J. and Barrette, D. (2004) Thanks for Thanksgiving. HarperCollins: New York.

A Plump and Perky Turkey

In this story, all the turkeys have left the town before Thanksgiving and the people don't know what to do. They need a turkey or they will end up eating shredded wheat for Thanksgiving. Ebenezer Beezer, one of two characters dressed in a suit, has an idea. The town has an arts and crafts fair with turkey art and asks turkeys to be models for the art. The turkey realizes that they want to eat him so he escapes before they finish judging the contest. I enjoy the caricatures of townspeople that are on each page of this book; however, it is interesting to point out that the main character with all the ideas is one of the richest townspeople. This is a fun story to read with children who enjoy the trickery of the turkey. Teachers could use it to think about art and what different pieces of art are made from. Bateman, T. and Shelly, J. (2001.) A Plump and Perky Turkey. Scholastic: New York.

Little Smudge

When I met Little Smudge, my thoughts drifted to Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni. They, too, were just small blobs of ink or paint on the page. As I read the small note of thanks to Leo Lionni, Miro, and Matisse, I knew I would enjoy reading this book. What a great way to introduce modern art to the children! Art can be shapes, lines, dots, or anything they want it to be.
This story also teaches an important lesson on friendship. Little Smudge is lonely. His mother tells him to go find some friends, as though it were that easy, but he goes out to find friends. He looks all over and doesn't find anything. Then, he hears noise, which he follows to find a bunch of colorful shapes playing together. They won't be his friend because he is just a smudge. Little smudge goes home and gets a pep talk from his family and then goes back to show the shapes that he is special enough to be their friend. The message seems to be that everyone has talents or special traits.