Title/Author

Genre

Interest Level (grade)

Description

Classroom Activity

Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman Illustrated by Stephen Gammel

Realistic Fiction

Caldecott Award

Grade K-4

A grandfather and his grandchildren are waiting for grandma to finish preparing dinner.  While they are waiting grandpa decides to take his grandchildren up to the attic and entertain them by performing a dance from his song and dance days.

Students will use a worksheet that contains the events of the story in a mixed-up sequence.  They will use the worksheet to correctly sequence the events as they occurred in the book.

ELAKR6

Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say

Realistic Fiction

Caldecott

Grade 3-5

A young boy is remembering the stories his grandfather used to tell about the days before he’d come to America.  The boy can not understand the importance of the stories until he goes back to their homeland.  He can now compare the two countries and have memories of his own to tell.

Students will each be given a picture, taken from the book of grandfather on one of his journeys, to study and predict where the picture took place. They must also give reasons behind their idea.

ELA3R3

Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Fantasy

Caldecott Award

Grade 2-5

Two children are playing a game while their parents are away. During the game they encounter several different animals and objects.  The house must be back to normal by the time their parents get back home but someone must first win the game.

Students will reread the story and list events they could not happen in real life.

ELA2R4

Rapunzel by Paul Zelinsky

Fantasy

Caldecott Award

Grade PreK-3

There once was a girl who lived far out in the woods all alone in a room high above the ground.  She belonged to a very old woman who would visit her by calling for the girl to let down her very long hair and the old woman would climb up.  Until one day, the old woman finds out that the girl has been having other visitors.  The girl must be punished.

Students will be given a variety of art supplies to illustrate Rapunzel and the length of her hair.

Always Room for One More by Sorche Nic Leodhas Illustrated by Nonny H.

Realistic Fiction

Caldecott Award

Grade 3-5

On a stormy day, there lived a man that was willing to share his home with anyone because there was always room for one more.  But one day the house became too full and the roof caves in.  They must now find a new home to shelter the people.

The students will be timed two minutes to summarize the events of the story in as little words/sentences possible.

ELA3R3

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Fantasy

Caldecott Award

Grade K-3

There once was a little house that lived far out in the country on a hill.  The man who built it said it would be lived in by his great-great grandchildren and their great-great grandchildren.  The little house lived on that hill and watched the seasons changed and longed to know what it was like to live in the city.  Soon the little house found out what it was like and then longed to be back in the country on the hill again.

Students will compare and contrast what it is like to live in the city and what it is like to live in the country.

Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field Illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones

Realistic Fiction

Caldecott Award

Grade PreK-2

This is the story of a little girl and her prayer to the heavens at night.  She prays for all things that are important to her.

Students will use a highlighter to highlight/circle familiar words on each page.

ELAKR1

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Fantasy

Caldecott Award

3.4 Reading Level

Max pretends to be a wild animal and gets sent to his room.  In his room, he imagines he is in the forest with the wildest of wild things and becomes their king.

Students will write about a time that they pretended they were somewhere else and share it with a partner.

ELA3R3

Purple, Green, and Yellow by Robert Munsch Illustrated by Helene Desputeax

Predictable Book

Grade PreK-2

Brigid begs her mother to get some coloring markers but her mother does not think it is a good idea.  Finally, Brigid’s mother gives in and gets the markers.  Brigid colors responsibly until one day she gets bored and colors herself with markers that are not water-proof.

Students will write a story describing a time they wanted something badly. They will include what it was that they wanted, who they asked to get it for them, and whether or not they received it.

ELA1R1

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst Illustrated by Ray Cruz

Predictable Book

Grade PreK-3

Nothing seems to go right for Alexander.  He has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day from the moment he wakes up.  Things get so bad, Alexander even considers moving away.

Students will be assigned to groups, of no more than four people, and come up with several ways to deal with a bad day. 

The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars

Realistic Fiction

Newbery Award

Grade 4-5

It seems to be another boring summer to Sara.  She doesn’t like anything about her personal appearance and doesn’t know how to fix it.  However, none of these things seem to matter after her disabled brother goes missing.

Students will read the book independently and illustrate an important scene from the book.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Realistic Fiction

Newbery Award

Grade 4-5

Anna and Caleb’s mother has passed and their papa is lonely. He puts an ad in the newspaper for a wife. The ad is answered. But will Anna and Caleb accept this mystery person?

Students can create an open-mind portrait of Sarah after reading the story.  Each portrait should be shared with the class.

ELA4R1

M.C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton

Realistic Fiction

Newbery Award

Grade 5-7

M.C. Higgins is determined to find a way ‘out’ for his family. They don’t have very much money and his father doesn’t have steady job. 

Students will design a collage using objects and items that represent the book.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Realistic Fiction

Newbery Award

Grade 4-6

Maniac Magee has no fear of anything.  He has no mother and father and will try any dare given him. He even tries to unite whites and blacks.

Before finishing the book, allow students to predict where Maniac Magee will live next.

The Hundred Penny Book by Sharon Bell Mathis Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

Realistic Fiction

Newbery Award

Grade 4-5

Michael is desperate to save his great-great aunts, Aunt Dew, penny box.  His mother thinks the box is old and should be thrown away.  But Michael knows that the box is a part of Aunt Dew’s history.

The students will write about a prized possession.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Folk Tale

Grade PreK-3

Three billy goats are trying to cross a bridge to get to the other side.  They are not allowed to cross until they please the evil troll that lives underneath the bridge.

The students will design a play using the theme from this story in groups of four/five.

ELA4R1

The Three Little Pigs

Folk Tale

Grade PreK-3

Three little pigs all build their homes different material.  Two of the pigs get their home blown down by a wolf.  The third little pig was the only pig that built his home to withstand the wolf’s blow.

Students will pick their favorite character from the book and act out the story.

Cinderella

Fairy Tale

Grade PreK-5

A step daughter and her new stepfamily do not get along.  The step family makes the step daughter complete all of their household chores with no reward.  One day, however, the step daughter is granted a fairy godmother and her dreams come true.

Students will write their own ‘once upon a time’ story.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Fairy Tale

Grade PreK-5

An evil but beautiful queen wants no one to be more beautiful than she is. However, Snow White, her step daughter is.  The queen orders Snow White to be put to death.

Students will identify the conflict in the story and another way it could have been solved.

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters

Fairy Tale

Grade K-5

Two sisters and their father live in an African village.  Both sisters are beautiful but one of the sisters is selfish and mean and the other is very kind to anyone she meets.  The two sisters both want the prince’s hand in marriage but only one can be his wife.

Students will list three similarities and three differences that they noticed between this book and the traditional story of Cinderella.

Everett Anderson’s Goodbye by Lucille Clifton Illustrated by Ann Grifalconi

Coretta Scott King Award

Grade PreK-3

This is the story of a young boy that longs for his father, who has passed away.  He experiences many emotions and is willing to do anything to bring back his daddy.  He soon learns that his daddy’s love is still with him.

Students will draw and color a picture of someone that they have had to say goodbye to. They will also write one sentence describing that person.

My Teacher Sleeps in School by Leatie Weiss Illustrated by Ellen Weiss

GA Children’s Picture Storybook Award

Grade PreK-5

A few students believe their teacher, Mrs. Marsh, sleeps at school.  They believe this because she is there everyday when they leave to go home and there every morning when they come back.  These students soon have their entire class believing that Mrs. Marsh must live at school.

The students can choose a scene from the story to act out.

The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flourney Illustrated by Jerry PInkney

Coretta Scott King Award

Grade 3-5

Tanya’s grandmother is working on a quilt and is saving scraps of clothing or material from everyone in the house.  Eventually grandma gets sick and Tanya takes on the responsibility of working on the quilt.  A few months later, grandma gets well and finishes the last few patches of the quilt.

Students will be given water colors to design a quilt to represent literary elements such as character(s), setting, main events, etc.

Skinnybones by Barbara Park

GA Children’s Book Award

Grade 3-5

Alex can never do anything as well as the new kid, T.J. He’s too short, too skinny, and no good at baseball.  Alex tries to make the best of a situation through humor but it doesn’t always work.

Students will select their favorite chapter and write it into a script to be shared.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett Illustrated by Ron Barrett

GA Children’s Picture Storybook Award

Grade 2-5

There was a small town called Chewandswallow where the weather was different three times a day. It wasn’t normal weather. The townspeople’s weather came at breakfast, lunch and dinner and food came with it.  This was the way the townspeople ate.  Instead of having rain showers they’d have maple syrup showers and instead of hail they’d have huge pancakes fall down.  One day this became too much for the people to bear. 

Students will get into groups and come up with their own version of the book, including foods that they would like to have fall from the sky. They will then share their version with the class.

Learn with Teddy ABC by Roy Trower

ABC Book

2-4yrs. of age

This book uses different letters of the alphabet to form different words that deal with Teddy.  The words are made into sentences that also tell different things Teddy is doing.

Students will design their own ABC book using ideas from the story.

Ten, Nine, Eight

Counting Book

PreK-2

A father is preparing his daughter for bed and counts objects in the room beginning with the number ten all the way down to one.

Students will illustrate a number book. Each page will illustrate the number and show the number in print.

Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin

ABC Book

Grade PreK-2

The letters of the alphabet are trying to climb up a coconut tree.  The weight of all the letters soon becomes too much for the tree to bear and they all fall off of the tree.  But the letters do not give up.

Children will search the book to find words that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

ELAKR2

King of Another Country by Fiona French

Multicultural

Grade PreK -2

Ojo loved to hunt and venture into the forest of his small African village.  When it was time to bring in the harvest he would always say no.  He soon learns a lesson on when to say yes and when to say no. 

Students will act out the story using Reader’s Theater.

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto

Multicultural

Grade 2-5

A little girl and her family are celebrating the holidays with family and friends.  She and her mom are making tamales for the family when the girl tries on her mother’s gold ring and thinks she loses it in the tamales.  She is frantic trying to find it.

Students will write about a time that they had a big feast with family and friends.

Tough Boris by Mem Fox

Multicultural

Grade K-3

Boris was a tough pirate. Nothing is too hard or too scary for him. But he becomes human again when his parrot dies.

Students will draw their own picture of a pirate.

Crocodile, Crocodile by Barbara Baumgartner Illustrated by Judith Moffatt

Multicultural

Grade PreK-2

A monkey is constantly teasing and swinging over the crocodiles in the lake. One day, one of the crocodiles decides to try and outsmart the monkey but in the end, the monkey outsmarts him.

Students will make a monkey puppet using various art materials.

The Squeaky Old Bed by Barbara Baumgartner Illustrated by Judith Moffatt

Multicultural

Grade K-2

This is the story about a little boy in Puerto Rico who loves to play underneath the bed. But every time the bed squeaks, the little boy gets scared. His grandpa buys several pets for the boy to play with but they are afraid of the squeaking bed too. 

Students will describe a place they like to play in at their home.

Picking Peas for a Penny

Realistic Fiction

Grade 3-5

A mother shares her story with her daughter about picking peas during the depression.  She and her brothers would pick peas to fill their baskets in order to earn money.  The pennies they earned were worth a lot more than a penny today.

Students will imagine they lived during the depression and describe ways that they would have earned money.

Dancin’ in the Kitchen by Wendy Gelsanliter and Frank Christian Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

Realistic Fiction

Grade 3-5

A family prepares their dinner meal by turning up the radio in the kitchen and dancing to its tune. When the food is done, they all dance to the table to eat and enjoy dinner as a family.

Students will write about an event or task they enjoy doing with their family.

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

Realistic Fiction

Grade 4-6

Janie was having a regular, normal day at school until she went to lunch. She looks at her milk carton and sees a missing girl. The girl in the photo is quite young but Janie recognizes the face as her own. She doesn’t believe her eyes. She later begins a search for her ‘real’ parents.

Students can design a milk carton with their photo on it and describe how they think they would have felt if they were in Janie’s shoes.

Where Jeans Come From by Lucy Floyd

Informational Text

Grade 3-5

The book explores the different steps it takes to make a single pair of jeans.

Students will design their own informational text by writing down, in great detail, the steps to their very own invention.

ELA5W1

Make Me a Peanut Butter Sandwich and a Glass of Milk by Ken Robbins

Informational Text

Grade 2-5

The book explores the different steps it takes to make a peanut butter sandwich.  It tells of growing the peanuts and turning them into peanut butter and growing the wheat for the bread. There are several steps involved to get a simple peanut butter sandwich.

Students will use chart paper to list as many steps from the book as possible without using the book.

ELA2R4

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Autobiography

Grade 7-12

Maya Angelou describes a time in her life when she would not speak due to the abuse of a family member.

Students will research ways to talk about their feelings and different people they can talk to if they have a problem.

Harriet Tubman by Martha E.H. Rustad

Biography

Grade PreK-3

The life of Harriet Tubman and her role in the Underground Railroad is described.

The students will write an essay on the life of Harriet Tubman.

SS4H7

Hopscotch Love by Nikki Grimes Illustrated by Melodye Benson Rosales

Poetry Anthology

Grade 3-5

This book is a collection of poems on friendship, love, and family.

The students will write a poem about someone in their family, a best friend, or loved one. The poem will be shared with the class.

ELA4R1

Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak

Poetry Anthology

Grade 1-3

This book includes several different poems that go through the months of year describing ways that chicken soup with rice can be served.

Students will be assigned a partner. Each group will be given a month of the year to write a poem about.

Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Historical Fiction

Grade 2-5

A young girl is desperate to reach the place that is very special to her. It is a place where the color of your skin does not matter.

In groups of four to five students, create a talking tableaux for at least 2 scenes in the book.

ELA2LSV1

The Gold Cadillac by Mildred D. Taylor

Historical Fiction

Grade 3-5

Lois’ daddy comes home with a big, shiny, brand-new Cadillac. The family decides to take the Cadillac for a ride down-south to Mississippi.  The ride down-south in the new car was not such a good idea because it was during a time when blacks in the south didn’t drive cars that expensive.

Students will illustrate the gold Cadillac and tell of a car that would be their ‘gold cadillac’.

The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor

Historical Fiction

Grade 4-5

Cassie and her brothers live during a time when it was mandatory for blacks to refer to whites as ‘mister’ or ‘missus’ before speaking their name.  However, Jeremy was white and he didn’t mind if the kids referred to him as simply ‘Jeremy’.  He just wanted to be their friends. But everyone wasn’t as kind. One of Cassie’s black elders was shot at for failure to comply.

Students can write about a special friendship that they have/had.

The Wild by Katherine Emmons

Fantasy

Grade 2-4

Ryan, the lion, tells his story about learning to roar. His dad teaches him a valuable lesson that it’s not how strong or loud your roar is but what is in your heart that counts.

Students will write about a time they wanted to be like their dad. They will include what it was their dad did that they could not.

Alice the Fairy by David Shannon

Fantasy

Grade 3-4

Alice is a ‘temporary’ fairy. She has a magic wand and performs magic tricks. But she still has a lot to learn. None of her tricks work out they way she intends.

Students will create a collage of the items from the book.

Watch Your Step, Mr. Rabbit by Richard Scarry

Fantasy

Grade 1-3

Mr. Rabbit is walking across the street and reading his newspaper at the same time. Not watching where he is going, he gets his feet stuck in cement that has not yet dried. Once he is freed, he is on to the next disaster.

Students will list safety rules to use when at crosswalks or when around traffic.

X-Men- The Brotherhood of Monsters by Brent Sudduth Illustrated by Scott Stewart

Fantasy

Grade 4-6

Superheroes Gambit and Rogue are playfully fighting with one another when Blob, from the Brotherhood of Mutants, wants to turn their play fighting into something more serious. Gambit and Rogue team up to defend themselves and their turf.

Students will use a computer art program to illustrate their own superhero.