Heather's Electronic Reading File

Electronic Reading File

By Heather Renee Wrye

Caldecott Medal Winners

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Modern Fantasy Picture Book	Sylvester and the Magic Pebble	William Steig/ 1969	pre K-2	Sylvester spent many long months in the wilderness as a rock. Have the students create an alternate ending to the story that might have allowed Sylvester to be found sooner.	A young donkey named Sylvester, is a pebble collector. One day he finds a magic pebble. He makes a misteak and wishes for something that he can't undo. What will Sylvester do about his predicament.
	Picture Book Caldecott Award	Blueberries for Sal	Robert McCloskey/1976	pre K-2	Discuss what hibernation is with the students and allow them to make their own three dimensional bear. After he is made plase the bear in a paper bag and put them away for the winter. When spring comes have the students open the bag and remove their bear.	A young girl named Sal and her mother are picking blueberriies on Blueberry Hill when Sal wanders away from her mother. At the same time a mother bear and her cub are preparing for hibernation by eating berries on Blueberry Hill. Find out what happens when they cross each other's paths.
	Picture Book Caldecott Award	Duck for President	Doreen Cronin/Betsy Lewin/2004	Pre k-2	Have the class hold a mini election for class president. Let them vote for their choice.	Duck is sick and tired of chores on the farm. He sets out to find the job that is rightfor him. Follow him on his mission to become and important leader.
	Picture Book Caldecott Award	Madeline's Rescue	Ludwig Bemelmans/1951	pre k-2	Ask the students if any of them have ever been in danger and been saved by an animal. Have them write a true or fictitious story about the experience.	Madeline is in trouble and a little dog comes to her rescue. Find out what happens when this little dog becomes lost in the city.
	Picture Book Caldecott Award	The Snowy Day	Ezra Jack Keats/1962	pre k-2	Good science lesson. Talk to children about all the different forms water takes and demonstrate for them how heat changes water to these forms.	The story of a young boy named Peter and his first look at snow.
	Picture Book Caldecott Award	Click Clack Moo	Doreen Cronin/Betsy Lewin/2000	pre k-2	Have students use water color paints to recreate a picture in the book and then have them make a list of demands they would ask Farmer Brown for if they were the cows.	Find out what Farmer Brown will do when the cows in his barn find an old typewriter and begin making crazy demands.
	Picture Book Caldecott Award	Make Way for Ducklings	Robert McCloskey/1941	pre k-2	Have the students look at a map of boston and talk about where it is at in the United States. Have the students research a little about Boston on the internet.	Story of a duck family trying to find a home that will be perfect to raise a family in. Set in Boston.
	Picture Book Caldecott Award	No David	David Shannon/1997	pre k-2	Have students write a few sentences or short story about a time when they got into trouble.	Mischevious is the only word to describe David. See all of the trouble he gets into and all of the messes he makes. Maybe you'll be able to see a little of David in yourself.

Picture Books With

Other Awards

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Picture Book 1989 Buckeye Children's Book Award	If you Give a Mouse Cookie	Laura Joffe Numeoff/1985	pre k-2	Have students make up their own predictable story about this silly little mouse.	If you give this mouse a cookie it will lead from one thing to the next. Read the story to see what crazy things he will ask for. 1989 Buckeye Children's Book Award winner.
	Picture Book 1996 Parent's Choice Award Winner	Stellaluna	Janell Cannon/1993	pre k-2	Have children list some of the differences between birds and bats and then have a class discussion.	Story of a little bat who gets seperated from her mother and is adopted by a bird. She faces conflicts with the differences between herself and her bird siblings. 1996 Parents Choice Award Winner
	Picture Book Concept Book 2003 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award	Ten Little Rubber Ducks	Eric Carle/2005	pre k-2	Each little duck in the story set off in a different direction on the sea. Discuss north, south, east and west and have the students draw a picture of a duck facing those directions.	Follow the Journey of ten little rubber ducks that fall overboard into the ocean. Recipient of the 2003 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
	Picture Book American Institute of Graphics Award	The Very Hungry Caterpillar	Eric Carle/1969	pre k-2	Have students make a mobile of all of the different life cycles of a butterfly.	This hungry little caterpillar eats and eats until he is no longer little and he's no longer a caterpillar anymore either. Recipient of the American Institute of Graphics Award as wells as numerous other recognitions.
	Picture Book Newbery Honor Book ALA Notable Children’s Book	Frog and Toad Together	Arnold Lobel/ 1971	pre k-2	This story is a story about a frog and toad who do many things together. Have the students write a short paragraph about some of the things they like to do with their friends. They can also draw a picture of that activity.	Frog and Toad are friends and they do many things together. Plant a garden, make a list, and eat cookies together. Shows children what friendship is really all about.

Newberry Award Winners

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Fantasy Fiction	Sylvester and the Magic Pebble	E.B. White/Stuart Williams/1952	Grade 3 -5	Students can make puppets of characters in the story and act out their favorite scene in the book. (Group Activity)	Wilbur the pig has learned his fate and now he and his spider friend named Charlotte have set out to change that fate. A very touching classic book by E.b. White.
	Realistic Fiction	Sarah Plain and Tall	Patricia MacLachlan/1985	Grade 1-5	Have Students write a story about what it must be like to live back in the day and time of Sarah and her new family.	Story of a young woman named Sarah who answers an ad from a widower looking for a wife and mother for his children.
	Info	The Westing Game	Ellen Raskin/1978	Grade 3 - 5	Have students make a list of the things they would do/buy if they inherited a lage amount of money. One thing on the list has to be giving to a charity or a cause. Then have them write a brief paragraph about why they chose this cause or charity .	Mr. Westing, a rich multi millonaire has been murdered. His will states whomever can solve his mystery shall will his fortune. Read this clever murder mystery to see who will prevail.
	Fantasy Fiction	Rabbit Hill	Robert Lawson/ 1944	Grade 3-5	The children can choose an animal from the book and research on the internet the kinds of food that each animal eats in real life and also the kinds of places/houses they live in.	The animals are awaiting the day when new people move into the house on the hill. Times have been hard on the hill since the last family moved away, but will the new people be so accepting of the critters' presence.
	Realistic Fiction	Sounder	William H. Armstrong/James Barkley/1969	Grade 3-5	In the story the boy's father is jailed for stealing food. Have the students write about why they feel the father was wrong or right for doing this.	A tragic story of growing up as a poor African American in a prejudice South. A twist of fate changes one black family forever.
	Picture Book Autobiography Newberry	Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs	Tomie dePaola/1973	pre k-2	Have the students write a story about someone in their life that has died and how it made them feel. They may also draw a picture to go along with it.	Based on a true story. It tells the story of a young boy who loses both his great grandmother and his grandmother. Great book to help children cope with death.

Realistic Fiction

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Realistic Fiction	Junie B.Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus	Barbara Park/Denise Brunkus/1992	Grade K-3	Have Students write a short story about an experience they might have had on the bus. For students who do not ride the bus, let them make up a story	Part of the Junie B. Jones series. Junie B. is at it again. This time she is starting Kindergarten and is scared to rid the bus. Read this cute and witty bookto see how she handles this new experience
	Realistic Fiction	On the Mayflower	Kate Waters/Russ Kendall/1996	Garde 2-5	Have children pick out one scene in the story and illustrate it, then have them write a paragraph to explain what it was about.	Based on actual historical documents of the Mayflower Ship's passage to America, this fictionalized book tells the story of a passenger girl on the ship and the ship's apprentice.
	Realistic Fiction	Mom Pie	Lynne Jonell/Petra Mathers/2001	Pre k-2	Have each student write the name of their favorite pie or desert. Then have them write the directions for making the desert. When they are finished bind everyones recipies together and make a booklet. Make copies of book for everyone. (makes a great Mother's Day gift)	Christopher and Robby are upset that mommy does not have any time for them and so they decide to make a pie that reminds them of her.
	Realistic Fiction	It's Like This Cat	Emily Neville/1963	Grade 5	Have children pick out a scene in the book/ write up a skit and have a read aloud.	Dave Mitchell is a young boy growing up in 1964 NewYork. He and his father don't agree on much and his love of a stray cat is no exception.

Historical Fiction

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Historical Fiction	Caroline and Her Sister	Maria D. Wilkes/Doris Ettlinger/1996	Grade 3-5	Have Students illustrate one of the scenes in the book (not an actual illustration in the book, but what they imagine the scene looked like based on the description the author gave.	Caroline and Hesr Sister Martha are total opposites and don't get along very well, but when two girls are mean to Martha see comes to her rescue.
	Historical Fiction	Barn Burner	Patricia Willis/2000	Grade 4-9	Have the students tell what they would have done if they were accused of setting the fire. They can write a short story.	Story af a young fourteen year old boy named Ross Cooper who leaves home after a violent fight with his father. He sleeps here and there and finds himself in a load of trouble when the barn he has taken refuge in catches on fire.
	Historical Fiction	Number the Stars	Lois Lowry	Grade 3-5	The book deals with people of Danish and Jewish decent, contrast and compare the similarities and differences in both.	Based on an actual acount this book tells the story of a young Danish girl and her family who help a jewish family escape being sent to death camps in 1943.

Concept Books

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Picture Book Concept Book	One Duck Stuck	Phyllis Root/Jane Chapman/2001	pre K-2	Have the students draw/paint the characters that try to help the duck get out of the muck.	This unlucky duck is stuck in the muck, see how his friends join together and help free him from this mess.
	Picture Book Concept Book	Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?	Bill Martin, Jr/ Eric Carle/1967	Pre k-2	Children can make a book of things they see and write the caption "----,-----," what do you see? and answer it with their next picture.	Cute story with repetitive wording that will help children get involved in the story. It teaches the concept of color as well as vocabulary development.
	Picture Book Concept Book	The Shape of Things	Dayle Ann Dodds/Julie Lacome	pre k-2	Give children pre-printed shapes and allow them to build a house out of shapes. Also allow them to locate shapes in the classroom.	This book explains how shapes are used in our environment to build houses and various other things. Very cute book for shape teaching

Multicultural books

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Picture Book Multicultural	A picture book of Martin Luther King Jr.	David Adler/Samuel Byrd/1993	pre K-2	Have Children go thru book and construct their own timeline of important events in Harriet Tubman's life.	The story of Slave Harriet Tubman and her heroic life on and off the underground railroad
	Picture Book Multicultural	A Picture Book of Harriett Tubman	David Adler/ Gershom Griffith/1994	pre K-2	Have Children go thru book and construct their own timeline of important events in Soujourner Truth's life.	The story of slave Soujourner Truth in a timeline format. Like all of David Adler books this one is a good way to introduce the topic of salvery
	Picture Book Multicultural	Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt	Deborah Hopkins/James Ransome/1993	Pre k-2	Children can make their own quilt with scraps of paper, cloth or any material they choose and write a story about the pieces they chose and what they mean to them.	Touching story based on real events, of a young slave girl who makes a quilt which is really a map of the area she lives in. The map will serve as an escape plan for many slaves over the years.
	Picture Book Multicultural	Follow the Drinking Gourd	Jeanette Winter/1988	pre k-2	Have students write a story about something they would have done to free the slaves, if they had lived back during the days of slavery.	Story of an old white Sailor named peg leg Joe who through a song helped to free slaves.
	Picture Book Multicultural	The Rough Faced Girl	Rafe Martin/David Shannon/1992	pre k-2	Ask the students to draw a picture of what they think the invisible being looks like.	An Indian Cinderella story where once again good over powers the bad and wins the ultimate prize "marriage to a great and powerful being"

Fantasy / Science Fiction

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Modern Fantasy	Chocolate Fever	Robert Kimmel Smith/Gioia Fiammenghi/1972	Grade 3- 5	Have students write a brief story about some food that they really like and have them make believe that the food makes them sick when they eat it. Tell them to write what they would do in that case.	Henry Green Loves Chocolate. He eats chocolate on everything. To most people chocolate would just cause cavities, but Henry Green gets something much worse from his chocolate obsession.
	Modern Fantasy	James and the Giant Peach	Roald Dahl/Lane Smith/1961	Grade 3-5	James goes on many adventures. Have the students write	A young boy namesd JAmes has recently lost both of his parents and finds himself in the care of two aunts who really don't care very much for him. Find out how a bag of magic crystals helps James escape his misery.
	Modern Fantasy	The Kissing Hand	Audrey Penn/1993	Pre k-2	Have students recreate a picture from the book using watercolor paints or either pastel chalk. Also, have students write a brief paragraph about what is happening in their picture.	Great story for children just starting school and don't wantto leave their mother. Chester Racoon gets his very own kissing hand from his mother to help him adjust to school.
	Modern Fantasy	A Pocket Full of Kisses	Audrey Penn/Barbara Gibson/2004	Pre k-2	Ask students if they have a brother or siste at home and let them write in a journal the way they feel about their sibling. If they do not have a sibling ask tem if they would want a sibling and then have them write a short journal entry about that brother or sister.	Chester has gotten over his school fright, but now he has a new worry. A baby brother who Chester is very jealous of. Read to find out how Chester's mom handles this dilemma. Great story to address the issue of sibling rivalry.

Predictable Books

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Picture Book	There was and Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly	Simms Taback/1997	pre K-2	Let children make up their own story about the things the old lady could have swallowed and this time give it a happy ending.	This old lady swallowed a fly, but it just seems that her problems and her body just keep getting bigger and bigger. What is she to do?
	Picture Book	If You Give A Moose a Muffin	Laura Joffe Nemeroff/Felicia Bond/1991	pre K-2	Have students pretend that they are having to make muffins for the moose, but first they will have to have a recipie to make them from. Let students write down the ingredients for their favorite muffin including step by step directions for making the muffin. Very cute activity.	This moose starts with a tasty snack, and then another and another which leads to a series of other activities and you guessed it right back to another tasty muffin.

Traditiona Literature

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Traditional Literature	The Hole In the Dike	Retold by Norma Green/Eric Carle/1974	pre K-2	Have children write a story of draw a picture of something courageous they have done or would ike to do.	Tale of a little Dutch Boy who saved his town from being destroyed when the dike began to leak and he kept his finer in the hole all night long.
	Traditional Literature	The Fire Children	Retold by Eric Maddern/Frane' Lessac/1993	pre k-2	Have children illustrate on of their favorite scenes in the book.	A gorgeously illustrated West African creation tale. It tells how the Sky god Nyame makes the earth, the moon and even the people of the earth from clay.
	Traditional Literature	The Mountain that Loved a Bird	Alice McLerran/Eric Carle/1985	Pre k-2	This book is illustrated by Eric Carle and he illustrates using tissue paper collage. Allow the children to make a tissue paper collage of a bird, a mountain or any character in the book.	A touching story of the special relationship between a bird named Joy an a mountain. The lonely mountain wishes for Joy to stay with him, but instead Joy agrees to come back each year and build her nest on the mountain.
	Traditional Literature	The Little Red Hen	Carol Ottolenghi	pre K-2	Have children make a list of their chores at home and tell about how each one chore helps the people in their household. They can make an illustration of each chore if they wish to.	The little red hen has asked everyone she knows for some help with planting and cutting her wheat, but everyone is too busy or tired. When Red Hen makes a tasty loaf of bread who do you think is the first in line?
	Traditional Literature	The Mitten	Jan Brett/1989	pre k-2	Go to Jan Brett's website. There Jan Brett has print outs of all of the animal characters in the book. Print one character for each child. Have the children decorate their animal, and when reading the story have the children hold up their animal each time it is mentioned in the story.	A Ukranian boy named Niki has a new pair of white mittens. He loses one in the snow, but a pack of animals promptly finds the mitten and began to set up house keeping inside the mitten.

Poetry Anthologies

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Poetry	Poetry for Young People Robert Frost	Edited by Gary Schmidt/Henri Sorensen/1994	Grade 3-5	Have the children pick out one of the poems and have them give their own interpretation of what frost might have been trying to say.	A collection of Poems Written by Robert Frost. Arranged by the seasons. The book is beautifully illustrated with water color paintings and Schmidt has offered some possible interpretations of the lines in the poems. Great way to introduce Frost poetry to youn readers.
	Poetry	Fold Me a Poem	Kristine O'Connell George/2005	Pre k-2	As the boy in the book did allow the children to make origami animals and then write a short poem about it.	A young boy folds and plays with his origami creations. All the while he imagines what they might be doing or thinking (the poems convey this). Book has beautiful bright pictures and is a wonderful way to introduce poetry to very young children.

Biographies/Autobiographies

Picture of Book	Genre	Title	Author/ Illustrator/ Copyright	Recommended Age/Grade Level	Ideas for Classroom Use	Brief Description of the Book
	Biography	Laura Welch Bush	Tanya Lee Stone/2001	Grade 3-5	Students can make a timeline of major events from the book, research one event and write a short paragraph about it.	A short easy to read biography about our first lady Laura Bush. Briefly touching on her life growing up in Texas and her life now as the First Lady.
	Biography	Ordinary Genius The Story of Albert Einstein	Stephanie Sammartino McPherson/1995	Grade 3-5	Students can make a timeline of major events from the book, research one event and write a short paragraph about it.	This unlike many biographies of Albert Einstein, this one focuses more on the regular person that Einstein was instead of the genius that he had. It touches on his childhood and includes photos of him as a child. Very informative.
	Biography	Amelia Earhart	Wil Mara/2003	Pre k-2	Students can make a timeline of major events from the book, research one event and write a short paragraph about it.	Simple easy to read accounts of Amelia Earhart's accomplishments as a woman pilot in the 20's and 30's. Photos add to the interest of the text.
	Biography	Pocahontas	Nancy Polette/2003	pre k-2	Students can make a timeline of events from the book, research one event and write a short paragraph about it.	Another book in the Rookie Biography series. It tells the story of the American Indian princess Pocahontas who helped keep the peace between the English Colonists and her people.

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