Picture

Book Title

Author / Illustrator

Genre, Awards

Interest Level

Classroom Use

Book Summary

Golem

David Wisniewski

Caldecott Medal 1997

3rd – 6th grade

Build a clay man with a name and write a short story about him.

The Jewish population of old Europe is having problems with others that don’t like them. They create a large man to help defend them. In the end, the life he has come to know must be taken away from him.

My Friend Rabbit

Eric Rohmann

Caldecott Medal 2003

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Students make small puppets out of Pop-Sicle sticks and drawings they cut out. Students act out the story.

Rabbit and Mouse are friends. But Rabbit seems to get them into trouble. No matter what, they still stay friends.

Owl Moon

Jane Yolen, John Schoenherr

Caldecott Medal 1988

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Students will draw a snow scene and write what they think snow would feel like.

A girl shares time with her father watching nature. On a winter's night under a full moon, a father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl.

The Three Pigs

David Wiesner

Caldecott Medal 2002

Pre K – 4^th grade

Students make a mobile of different characters from the story.

A twist on the original story has the wolf chasing the three pigs as they travel into other fairy tales and help characters that move in with them.

Inch by Inch

Leo Lionni

Caldecott Honor 1961

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Use a one inch segment to measure things in the classroom. (MKM11.a.)

A little inch worm shows how useful he can be by measuring other creatures and keeps from being eaten in the process.

When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry…

Molly Bang

Caldecott Honor 2000

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Use paints to paint a self portrait of what they look like when they get angry. Discuss appropriate ways of handling anger.

A little girl gets angry when her sister takes a toy away from her. She runs away to the tree she plays in and the beauty of the world helps calm her down. She returns home to find everything is better.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Mo Willems

Caldecott Honor 2004

Pre K – 2nd grade

Students will act out parts of the bus driver and the pigeon that wants to drive the bus. (ELAKLSV1.g.)

A nice little pigeon wants to drive a bus. He tries to convince the reader to allow him to drive the bus. The bus driver trusts the reader to help him and not let the pigeon drive the bus while he is gone.

The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales

John Scieszka,

Lane Smith

Caldecott Honor 1993

K – 6th grade

Students write and illustrate a continuation story for one of the stories in the book (ELAKR6.b.).

Crazy endings and mixed up revisions of old fairy tales, including: "The Other Frog Prince," "Little Red Running Shorts," and "Jack's Bean Problem."

Because of Winn-Dixie

Kate DiCamillo

Newbery Honor 2001

3rd – 5^th + grade

Students will discuss what they would do with a dog like Winn-Dixie.

10 year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her dog Winn-Dixie.(CB) – chapter book

Out of the Dust

Karen Hesse

Newbery Medal 1998

5^th – 7^th + grade

Students will create a diorama of a scene from the book.

A young girl and her dad are struggling to make it through the dust bowl and Great Depression of the 1930s.

Walk Two Moons

Sharon Creech

Newbery Medal 1995

5^th – 7^th + grade

Students will role play and create a short play about the book.

A 13-year-old girl goes with her grandparents to find her mother. She discovers so many things about herself and life as she travels across the country.

After the Rain

Norma Fox Mazer

Newbery Honor 1988

5^th – 6th grade

Bring in a photo of a family member you lost and tell about them.

A 15-year-old girl must care for her grandfather when he becomes ill. She struggles with her own feelings and learns many things.

Charlotte’s Web

E.B. White

Newbery Honor 1953

K – 4^th grade

Students will draw a picture postcard and tell why someone should read this book. Then mail it to a friend. (ELAKLSV1.e.)

Wilbur is a little pig and is saved from death when his new friend, Charlotte the spider, starts spinning words about Wilbur in her web. (CB)

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Arlene Mosel,

Blair Lent

Picture Book Boston Globe-Horn 1968

K – 4th grade

Students make a graph comparing names of students in the class and number of letters. Have them write it on special paper.

A boy falls into a well. His name is very hard to say and getting help takes a long time. After this the Chinese decided to give all their children shorter names.

Anno’s Alphabet

Mitsumasa Anno

Picture Book Boston Globe-Horn 1975

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Students create their own Alphabet book complete with pictures. (ELAKLSV1.b.)

Each side of a page has a letter and on the other side of the page, there is one thing that starts with the letter.

Mountain Town

Bonnie Geisert,

Arthur Geisert

Picture Book Parents’ Choice 2000

K – 2^nd grade

Build a mountain town with different household materials like plastic spoons, newspapers, old throw away items.

Gold and Silver miners settle and live In small towns in the west. The seasons change and time changes showing what it is like now.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift

Jeff Brumbeau,

Gail De Marcken

Picture Book Parents’ Choice Award 2000

K – 2^nd grade

Students decorate a letter of the alphabet on a square paper and put it together as a quilt.

The king collects beautiful things and is very greedy. He wants a quilt. The quiltmaker will make him one, but there is a condition.

Do Pigs Have Stripes?

Melanie Walsh

Picture Book  Parents’ Choice Award 1996

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Students will draw an animal made up from different animals and tell what it is called.

Asks questions about animal shapes and shows different animals with lots of good colors.

The Graphic Alphabet

David Pelletier

ABC Concept

Caldecott Honor 1997

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Students take Alphabet noodles and spell their names. Then they copy the letters by writing them. (ELAKW1.c.)

This alphabet book explores letters by showing the similarities to real things and movement that can represent meaning to children.

Alphabet City

Stephen T. Johnson

ABC Concept

Caldecott Honor 1996

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Students will go outside and find objects that look like letters and draw them.

Paintings of objects in an urban setting present the letters of the alphabet.

If You Made a Million

David M. Schwartz, Steven Kellogg

Counting Concept

K – 2^nd grade

Students will collect different (small) items to count as examples.

Describes the various forms which money can take, including coins, paper money, and personal checks, and how it can be used to make purchases, pay off loans or build interest in the bank.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Eric Carle

Predictable 1969

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Cut out sections of colored paper. Glue together to make a caterpillar and butterfly.

The story of a caterpillar that eats lots of things and finally becomes a butterfly.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Bill Martin Jr., Eric Carle

Predictable 1964

Pre K – 2^nd grade

Students are taught to sing a song with a simple melody using the words from the book.

Animals of all kinds are looking and being looked at. Even the teacher and students get to see one another.

The Tale of Three Trees

Angela Elwell Hunt,

Tim Jonke

Traditional Lit.

Pre K – 2nd grade

Make a list of all the different things that are made from wood.

This is the story of three trees. Each has big dreams of becoming something important. Instead they become something they didn’t expect and much more important than they could have dreamed.

The Gingerbread Man

Jim Aylesworth,

Barbara McClintock

Traditional Lit.

Pre K – 2nd grade

Decorate Ginger-bread people with icing and eat. Talk about part of the story that are real or make believe. (ELAKR6.d.)

The timeless tale of a little gingerbread man that gets away when he is taken out of the oven and outruns everyone who chases him. He gets away until he meets a clever fox.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears

Aardema Verna,

Leo and Diane Dillon

Traditional Lit.

Caldecott Medal 1976

K – 2^nd grade

Each student writes down a secret and without showing it, whispers to one other who passes it on to another.

An African folktale that tells the funny story about why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ear.

The Girl Who Spun Gold

Virginia Hamilton, Leo and Diane Dillon

Traditional Lit.

K – 2^nd grade

Students unravel a spool of gold thread to see how long it is.

This is the African American version of "Rumpelstiltskin." The young girl spins thread into gold cloth for the king.

Arrow to the Sun

Gerald McDermott

Traditional Lit.

K – 2^nd grade

Students use brightly colored paper and cut out shapes to show the sun and paste it to a black background.

A Native American boy sets out to find his father and must undergo tests to prove himself and complete his search.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake

Modern Fantasy

3^rd – 6^th grade

Students will construct a “glass” elevator out of plastic soda bottles and string.

Charlie, from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” his family, and Mr. Wonka are launched into space in the great glass elevator for more fun and adventure. (CB)

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake

Modern Fantasy

3^rd – 4^th grade

Student groups pick a section of the book to perform a readers theater script.

A fox and his family struggle against three very mean farmers The farmers try all sorts of things to get rid of Mr. Fox and his family. (CB)

James and the Giant Peach

Roald Dahl, Lane Smith

Modern Fantasy

3^rd – 6^th grade

Students prepare a recipe that contains peaches and serve it in class.

James gets away from his mean aunts by hiding inside a giant peach. The peach rolls away and a great adventure begins as he makes new friends and they travel together. (CB)

Matilda

Roald Dahl,

Quentin Blake

Modern Fantasy

5^th – 6^th grade

Student writes down what kind of special power they would want and why. What would they do with it?

A little girl named Matilda has special powers that she uses to get rid of the school’s evil headmistress and help her teacher and classmates. (CB)

Number the Stars

Lois Lowry

Historical Fiction  Newbery Medal 1990

4^th – 5^th grade

Students create a poetry cube. Write poems about the book with different types of poetry on each side of the cube.

A girl learns to help others during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. She grows up a little in the process and saves the lives of many. (CB)

Shadow of a Bull

Maia Wojciechowska Alvin Smith

Realistic Fiction

Newbery Medal 1965

5^th – 6^th grade

Each student will tell the class what their dad or parent does and if they want to do the same.

A young boy must make the decision to become a bullfighter like his father or follow his heart and become a doctor. (CB)

Old Yeller

Fred Gipson

Realistic Fiction Newbery Honor 1957

5^th – 7^th + grade

Students will use a potato to create an ink stamp in the shape of a dog paw print.

A boy and a dog develop a special relationship after getting off to a bad start. The dog rescues the family from danger and keeps them safe.  (CB)

Shiloh

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Realistic Fiction

Newbery Medal 1992

3^rd – 6^th grade

Students create a dog hand puppet from an old sock and other materials.

A boy finds a lost dog and hides it from his family and the real owner, who has mistreated his dogs. (CB)

The Whipping Boy

Sid Fleischman,

Peter Sis

Historical Fiction Newbery Medal 1987

3rd – 6th grade

Students write down and present five to ten rules or chores that they obey or perform in their home.

A spoiled prince and his whipping boy change places and that’s when the adventure begins. (CB)

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Patricia MacLachlan

Historical Fiction Newbery Medal 1986

3rd – 4th grade

Students write a letter to Sarah asking her to come and share the summer with them.

Two children with only their father invite Sarah to come to their prairie home and stay. But Sarah misses the sea and her home in Maine. (CB)

Death of the Iron Horse

Paul Goble

Historical Fiction

K – 4th grade

Students plot the movement of the railroad on a map as it expands the continent and keep a log book of the journey. (SSKH3.g)

Cheyenne Indians attack and derail a Union Pacific train to stop the white men from encroaching on their land in the 1800s.

A Child’s Calendar

John Updike, Trina Schart Hyman

Poetry  Caldecott Honor 2000

K – 4th grade

Students will create their own 12 month calendar using colored paper and other drawing materials.

A collection of twelve poems describing the activities in a child's life and the changes in the weather as the year moves from January to December.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel Silverstein

Poetry Anthologies

K – 7th grade

Write a silly poem about a silly thing that might happen to a silly person the student invents.

This collection of poems has all kinds of silly and funny poems for kids.

Too Many Tamales

Gary Soto, Ed Martinez

Multicultural

K – 4th grade

Students listen to Hispanic children’s music and repeat the beat and simple words. ELAKLSV1.c.)

Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together, but panic ensues when, hours later, she realizes the ring is missing.

Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters

Andrea Davis Pinkney

Stephan Alcorn

Multicultural

Coretta Scott King

5th – 7th + grade

Students will bring in a picture of a famous Black American and tell about the person.

A collection of biographies about black women freedom fighters including "Harriet Tubman" and "Rosa Parks."

Harlem

Walter Dean Myers

Christopher Myers

Multicultural

Caldecott Honor 1998

Coretta Scott King

5th – 7th + grade

Students in groups research and perform African American dances.

A celebration of Harlem and the many contributions it has made to the world.

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale.

John Steptoe

Multicultural

Caldecott Honor 1988

K – 2nd grade

Students draw a picture of each girl on an open mind portrait with quotes from each girl on the inside.

The king is choosing a wife. Mufaro's has two beautiful daughters - one is bad-tempered and one nice. They must go before the king.

Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions

Margaret Musgrove

Leo & Diane Dillon

Multicultural

Caldecott Medal 1977

5th – 6th grade

Students draw a map of Africa and label the countries and capitals.

The special traditions of twenty-six African tribes are listed alphabetically, helping students learn the alphabet and showing multicultural diversity.

Exploring The Titanic

Robert D. Ballard

Informational

5th – 6th grade

Students will create a log book as if they were the captain of the ship.

The large luxury liner Titanic which sank in 1912 was discovered and is explored as it sits nearly two miles under the water on the ocean floor.

Ghost Liners: Exploring the World’s Greatest Lost Ships

Robert D. Ballard, Rick Archbold, Ken Marschall

Informational

K – 2 grade

Students will create boats out of shoe boxes and decorate.

Details and describes five famous ships that have been lost at sea, the Empress of Ireland, the Lusitania, the Andrea Doria, the Britannic and the Titanic.

Do Tornadoes Really Twist? Questions and Answers About Tornadoes and Hurricanes

Melvin and Gilda Berger, Higgins Bond

Informational

K – 4th grade

Student groups use the internet to find out more information and present their findings to the class. (MKD1.)

Explores questions that many children have about tornadoes and hurricanes within the U.S. and other places.

Lightning

Seymour Simon

Informational

K – 6th grade

Students cut out magazine pictures of weather scenes to form a large collage.

Photographs and text explore the natural phenomenon of lightning and answers many questions.