Realistic Fiction: 11 year old girl who is navigating puberty, relationships, peer pressure, curiosity about religion, and all the challenges that children go through. She uses prayer to God to express her questions and struggles. This book is relatable across generations and cultures because it talks about situations that all children go through and make it lighthearted.

This book illuminates problems faced by children, especially challenges having to do with making your voice heard about things you are passionate about. This book will help readers connect to their cultural identities as well as learn about indigenous cultures. The author does not stray away from awkward situations or real topics. I would use this as an independent reading book or read aloud.

Poetry: The book has 33 different poems by a variety of different poets. Each poem covers a different subject including animals, food, and life. There are beautiful illustrations that help bring the poems to life. The poems are aimed or about children!

Poetry book by Rhett Miller illustrated by Dan Santat has awesome poems that I know students of many different grades would find hilarious to hear/read. these poems are all about children and defy the rules of writing. There are some about tech devices and random events or things the children enjoy. The illustrations are amazing and elevate each poem and the feelings they convey.

Poetry: Poem in My Pocket by Chris Tougas was published in 2021. A child carefully written book falls out of his pocket. As the words from the poem begin to slip out of his pocket, they begin to write the town with words. As he begins to collect the words again, they are swopped back falling into the mud. But soon they form into a beautiful tree painting a wonderful POETREE!

I think that this was a great book, highlighting the importance that heroes can make in disastrous situations.
One of the poems that resonated with me was “Aloha“. It talked about how a grandmother became a hero. This book highlights a tragedy, but it turns it into a way that we can make a difference. No matter how big or small. This would be a great book for older kids, not the younger kids.

Biographies: At the end of 1938, when the Germans invaded the border region of Czechoslovakia, a young Englishman named Nicky arranged for the transport of 669 children from there to England. The author weaves Nicky‘s story with Vera‘s, a Czech child who was one of those Nicky saved. This is a story told with a powerful combination of words and pictures to engage both those who know some history of the Holocaust and those new to the topic.

Published in 2020. Has won many awards. Biography about Ella Baker. Ella Baker was an activist fighting for freedom for black people. Throughout the storyline, it talks about the way she grew up hearing the inequality she was faced to live with. She fought with major known people, like Martin Luther King. She worked from the bottom to the top to find people to support and join her in fighting for freedom.

This book would be great for the older grades. When the books start to become more informational and in depth, I think that it would be beneficial for the older grades. This would be a great book to highlight the importance of women. It can be entertaining, but also seen as controversial, so take caution while reading through it with children. It is an easy book for children to identify the characters.

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures about Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca was published in 2017. This biography was also turned into a movie. This book is about Temple Grandin, a girl who had autism, and how she conquered the world! This book has a riming flow and the illustrations are drawn in a childlike way.

This nonfiction book explains how a radio broadcast called The War of the Worlds created fake panic and turned into the 1938 invasion of America. There are tons of firsthand accounts included in this book. These include photographs, historical documents, and drawings from the time period. There quotes from important people as well as captions depicting importance. It is very thorough and provides a timeline of events.

This book is beautifully illustrated and written to describe the world if sharks suddenly disappeared. This would be great in a classroom of younger learners, specially during a unit on global warming! If students were expressing their fear of sharks, then this is a beautiful book to tell about the wonders of how they disappeared. It is a very real topic and shows students how our planet could be changed by a small thing!

This book follows a dragonfly and their lifecycle. However, this is done in a fun way with drawings instead of realistic pictures, and creates a story for the dragonfly rather than just listing facts. However, there are still facts presented throughout the book, but the other text is simple and easy to read. Overall, the book puts a twist on non fiction books about animals or insects. Favorite quote, “To find warmer days... And to start again.“

This biography follows Mr. Rogers and his lifetime of educating others with kindness and love. It talks about his background and motivations to want to make the world a better place. The pictures are colorful and lively, similar to Mr. Roger's presence on Earth, and the words were easy to follow along with. Favorite quote, “You are a very special person. There is only one person like you in the whole world.“

This is a simple, yet effective way to teaching children where babies come from while being scientific, but not too graphic. The words are simple so it is easy for children to follow along with the process of pregnancy. The pictures are simple, and accurate so children can visualize what babies look like through different phases. My favorite quote is, “Light. Bright! Crying and cheer. Loved ones arrive... a baby is here!“

This book follows Roy Choi as he tries to incorporate his South Korean cooking skills and styles with the streets of L.A. The underlying message is the importance of learning and incorporating all cultures because there can be something new to learn and admire. The pictures have a graffiti-like feel to them to feel like your in the streets of L.A. It has simple wording so it is easy to follow. Favorite quote, “...we can all cook with love.“

This book utilizes blank spaces so the pictures are clear and prominent to the story. The words are simple, yet easy to follow to understand Gyo Fujikawa and her drawings. I like how the book discusses the importance of art as an escape in people's lives. My favorite quote is, “welcoming kids in from the edges, corners, from the shadows, Gyo let each child find a place.“

Follows a sixth grade girl who goes to school that is very food based. There are three levels of support to cooking and with food. Her friends end up in a different class and start to bully her, so she becomes friends with the peers on her food level. The books discusses different social pressures and altering your personality to fit in.
Very relatable and fun twist on a relevant adolescence problems.

A girl in sixth grade who grew up in a lower-class Cuban-American family who goes to a private school, and does not know how to fit in with her other richer peers. She tries to fit in, but learns to appreciate herself, her family, and her culture.
Easy read, coming of age, relatable, and appropriate read to have children from other cultures feel like they are seen and belong.

This follows an older sister whose life is less typical than most, for her younger brother has autism. Throughout the book, she is trying to make her brother become “normal,“ but then she hangs out with another peer with a disability and realizes that everyone is different and normal is not normal.
It is an easy read and very eye-opening for children who may be unsure of how to treat someone who is different from then.

About a young girl who is not super popular in high school, but goes through a lot of mental health issues which causes her to struggle. This effects the other people in her family as well. The chapters were short, the words were simple, and it was a very relatable story. However, it can be a tough read for children who have experienced something similar to the main characte.

This is a fast paced book that follows the youngest sister of three who has a brother who a drug addict. After getting into a tough accident, the brother is sent to rehab.
The story is very entertaining and with relatively simple wording. However, it is about a tough subject that may be triggering to children.

This is poetry book with little words, but a lot of influence. The colors are bright and the illustrations tell more of the story than just the words. The book is about how to make a difference, and how we all have the power to change the world.
Singing can change people's lives through the stories that connect us through song.

A book about a dystopian world where everyone in society is chosen their roles based on close evaluation until they are twelve. The words are easy to read, and the story is easy to follow along with although it is taken place in a completely different world.

This graphic novel follows a middle schooler named Jordan Banks who joins a new school, but he is the one of the only students of color attending the school. He finds himself trapped between worlds, and doesn't feel he fits in either.
The illustrations are vivid and display the feelings/perspectives of the characters.
Favorite quote, “When I was younger I used to wish I was Superman. So, instead of falling, I could fly.“

This book follows a moose that enjoys his free and alone time, until one day, a neighbor named duck moves in. Moose tries everything to drive the duck away, but learns that it might be the best thing to happen right before the start of spring.
The book is great for emerging readers with vivid pictures and easy sentences/phrases. It is great for a small group then discussion.
Favorite quote, “Do you have a favorite food? Mine is worms.“

This book follows the true emotionally story of a boy who's parents are stuck in the cycle of addiction. It shows how drawing was able to save the boys life and healed him from his childhood trauma.
The pictures are dark when the story gets emotional and raw, then brightens up as the story gets lighter and the main character is able to heal.
Favorite quote, “Stories keep memories alive and people real to us.” It can bring peace in memories.

This book is a traditional folktale, accompanied by beautiful illustrations and simple words that are easy for readers to follow along with.
The story follows a lion who is the strongest in the jungle who captures a mouse that begs him to let him go. The lion agrees, then eventually gets stuck in a net until the mouse sets him free. The moral of the story is friendship, and anyone can make a difference.

This is a book with no words. Instead, it allows the reader to create their own words in their head with the help of the pictures. The reader follows a little boat through its journey across the ocean.
This book is great for young readers as well as older readers to help the students use their imagination with the story. In the classroom, students can each create their own words to the pages, then the class puts them all together to make a story.

The book is a spin on the Gingerbread Man tale, where the baby is undercooked and the baby runs away from the boy. The book follows the boy's journey finding the baby, who ends up in a gingerbread house.
Students can use this book to compare this folktale, to the original folktale. There is a great use of pictures for student's who are still learning to read.
Favorite quote, “Instead of a gingerbread man, out jumped a gingerbread baby!“

Traditional literature book that follows a man who told stories to children on how they to Earth from the sky. The author uses repetitive words and brightly colored illustrations.
This book can be used when talking about folktales from different cultures. There also can be a lesson on what the world would look like without stories.
My favorite quote is “Twe, twe, twe... It's raining, raining, raining.“

The book contains colorful and traditional images with simple words that follow animals. The words are simple, but allow the reader to follow the story/hedgehog with ease.
The book is about a hedgehog that accidentally rips into their owner's scarf to make a hat. The other animals make weird looks, but the hedgehog doesn't know why. In the end, all the animals are wearing human clothes.
Fav quote, “how ridiculous they look!“ full circle moment.

This book has fun illustrations that display many colors to show the fun that the two were having. The words are simple, but descriptive enough to make the reader feel like they're really in the book.
The book follows a mother and daughter who spend every Saturday doing something fun together, until one Saturday, nothing was going to plan.
My favorite quote is, “Saturdays are wonderful because I spend them with you“ shows theme of love.

The book was very descriptive and had very many words to map out the story in the reader's head. This also helped because there wasn't very many pictures, and the ones that were there were just in black and white and simple.
The story follows Snow White who is the prettiest in the land, and the evil queen doesn't like that, so Snow White runs away to the seven dwarfs until she is poisoned.
Favorite quote is, “once upon a time.“

The book is descriptive and the pictures make use of the white space in ways that also tells the story, but without words.
The book follows a young girl named Goldilocks who goes into a strangers house and starts using their things. The moral of the story is don't take what doesn't belong to you.
My favorite quote is “No one knows what happened to Goldilocks after that, as for the Three Bears, they never saw her again.“ because it adds mystery.

Published in 2023, the book follows a dog that roams around the busy city waiting for the chance to run. Once he finally is at the beach, the dog can finally be a dog. The words are short but descriptive to make it feel like the reader is in the city. The pictures are busy to display the city environment. My favorite quote is when the dog says they will have sweet, ocean dreams to show his appreciation for the different places he travels to.

The book, published in 2005, follows a monster that is trying to be scary like the other monsters, but just doesn't seem to get it. Until, he tries to scare a boy but ends up upsetting him instead. The monster changed his mind and decided to be a better friend than monster. The picture had no background and took advantage of blank space. My favorite part is when Leo realizes he can be a better friend than scary monster.

The book, published in 2012, follows a bunny that finds a purple crayon that helps him do his work because he was struggling in school. The bunny ends up feeling bad because he's not actually doing his work, and tries to get rid of the crayon. The words/sentences are descriptive, and the colors are dark besides the crayon. My favorite part is where the bunny takes accountability and starts actually doing his schoolwork.

The book, published in 2015, explores a crayon that is labeled as red, but colors in blue which makes him feel discouraged. In the end, the other crayons accept him and he accepts himself for what he colors.
The words are easy and the illustrations are fun and capture the different ways colors are used.
My favorite part of the book is when red and the other crayons accept their differences, and color pictures together.

My favorite line was the one at the end because it reinforced the theme that people can behave two different ways and that is okay, we all have different interests or wants.

This book is about a tiger who lives in a proper town with all other proper animals. Then, one day the tiger decides not to be fancy anymore, and instead go live in the wild like animals do. All the other animals looked down on the tiger for his choice, but Mr. Tiger was happy. He ends up going to the jungle and having fun, but ends up missing his friends and home. In the end, he realizes he can balance both a proper and fun lifestyle.

The book, published in 2013, had simple words, as well as descriptive pictures that tells the story without words. It shows how boring and proper the other world was with the colors and shapes used. However, when Mr. Tiger goes to the wild the pictures become more vibrant and the looks on his face speak more than the words.

The illustrations were dark, but they brought the story to light. Also, the theme of making friends with your enemies is a good message to give to children.
My favorite quote is, “And he had many friends.“
It brings the story and the theme together to kill people with kindness while also teaching the term “night owl.“

The book had simple illustrations that emulated the main character's thought that she was “too big.“ The word bubbles show what people can say, and the character shows how the words can hurt. The underlining theme is to be nice and not speak about other people's bodies.
My favorite quote is, “The words stung and were hard to shake off.“

The book has descriptive words that made you feel like you're in the story. Plus the color pops out at you making the illustration pleasing to look at. There is also so much detail hidden within the pictures.
My favorite quote is, “Best safety tip is... ALWAYS STICK WITH YOUR BUDDY!“
The book emphasizes the importance of rules because it keeps people safe, and the importance of friendship.

The book had simple words, but fun illustrations that really captured the emotions of the family and the dog.
My favorite quote is, “During the week all the family had Willy on their minds.“
This book had an underlining theme of the importance of helping the underdogs, and also the importance of helping people less fortunate in general. It also shows how someone's life can be changed with a home and love.

The book had a bunch of different animals that explored different sounds for students to hear. The pattern of the words was repetitive, which can engage students. The pictures were colorful, and the animals were cute.
My favorite quote, “Only Baby's wide awake, his eyes bright and round.“ This adds a twist to the story that makes the ending unexpected and humorous.

The book has descriptive and relatable words for children to relate to. The illustrations are simple, but entertaining enough to keep reading.
My favorite quote is, “'You know, you really wear me out. But I love you anyways.“
It reveals the common experiences a child might go through, or the things that they might think. The book is relatable and fun for kids because they can see themselves within the book.

The book has simple, but powerful words and the illustration evoked feelings about water, the importance of water, and the fear of the things that poison the water.
My favorite quote was, “We fight for those who cannot fight for themselves: the winged one, the crawling ones, the four-legged, the two-legged,...“
The book speaks about how water is our lives and if we don't take care of it, Earth will be in danger.

The book had descriptive words that made you feel like you were in the story. The illustrations were soft but had so much detail that it made the scenes feel nostalgic.
My favorite quote was, “I was not disappointed. My brothers all said sometimes there's an owl and sometimes there isn't.“
I like how the book ultimately underlined the theme of the importance of patience.