“He was just a boy, after all, even if he was a different kind of boy.”

I would use this book when discussing World War 2 and/or the Holocaust to give perspective of what it looked like.

This book is about a little boy living near a concentration camp during World War II. He makes friends with a Jewish boy living in the camp. It shows what the Holocaust was like from a different prespective.

“Katherine yearned to know as much as she could about numbers, about the universe – about everything!”

This would be a good supplement for students when they are doing a research project in your classroom.

This book presented information about an inspiring lady in history in an engaging way, perfect for elementary age. The book showcased Katherines interest and success in math which lead her to doing great things for NASA.

“A graveyard is not normally a democracy, and yet death is the great democracy, and each of the dead had a voice, and an opinion as to whether the living child should be allowed to stay, and they were each determined to be heard, that night.“

I think this book world just generally be a great addition to a classroom library. I could definitely see students getting into this book even if they aren't the biggest fans of reading.

What if growing up meant choosing between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
This book invites readers to explore a world of what ifs in an enticing way.

“As an elephant scientist, she relies on patience and perseverance to identify and measure the social behaviors of the majestic mammal“

I would use this book when I was having students in my class do an animal research project, this will be perfect for the students that chooses elephants.

The Elephant Scientist is written in a clear and easy-to-follow style. The information is explained directly, so readers can understand the science without getting lost. The book fits its audience well, using simple language and real photos to keep things interesting. The authors make the story engaging by mixing facts with personal experiences, which helps readers stay interested while learning about elephants and their behavior.

“It was a dark and stormy night.“

I would use this book to discuss how images can help clue us in as readers as the illustrations in the book were well linked to the writing.

Graphic Novel Published in 2015

The book heavily relys on the use of the images to express emotion within the story, this makes the more complex themes accessible to the reader.

“Its roof was made of pancakes and its windows of sugar candy.“

I would use this story to do an alternative ending assignment, as there are lots of ways the story could have ended up.

Traditional Literature- Caldecott Honor Book Published 1985

It is a fairy tale because it uses fantasy elements (like a house made of candy).

“Good children“

This would be a good book to use for comparing and contrasting, reading this and comparing it to the original Red-riding Hood.

Traditional Literature- Caldecott Medal Winner Published 1990

This book is a Chinese folktale because it comes from a traditional Chinese story told oraly, passed down through generations.

“And he was not amused.“

I would use this to talk about respecting one anothers belongings.

Traditional Literature- Caldecott Honor Book Published 1989

This book is categorized as a fairytale, it features imaginative characters and settings, a clear moral lesson for children about respecting others' property and manners, and the use of the literary “rule of three“ for repetition and emphasis.

“PIGEON AT THE WHEEL!“

I overall think this book is a great, lighthearted read that makes a great addition to any classroom library.

Caldecott Honor Book | Picture book published in 2003
The pictures within this book are very simplistic, almost like sketches added onto the page. I think this fits the dynamic of the story and the way it is written very well.

“Horray! My good friends are here!“

I think this would be cute to read if you were going to the zoo.

The Caldecott Medal | Picture book published in 2011
The images in this story look almost pasted onto the page. This really made the characters in this story pop and stand out amoungst the pages.

“Down through the jolly waters green, I stroke with legs both long and lean...“

I would likely use this book when discussing animals in class.

Caldecott Honor Book | Picture book published in 2006
The images in this book are drawn from the perspective of the animals or insects being referenced in the story. This perspective switch gives more emphasis on the characters.

“The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws...“

I would use this to introduce a writing assignment discussing what the class would turn there bedroom into.

The Caldecott Medal | Picture book published in 1963
As the story progressed, the pictures began to take up more and more space on the page. This followed the flow of the story where his imagination began to grow bigger and bigger.

“Why can't you just fit in?“

This would be a great book to use when talking abut self identity in the classroom and more specifically how we feel about ourselves.

The Caldecott Medal | Picture book published in 2023
This story is discussing body image and how she feels about her body. The images portray the negative feelings she has about herself, feeling larger than everyone else. In some pages, she was drawn to take up the entire page.

“But none of us thought about Virgina much. We were so busy hugging and eating and breathing together.“

This book could serve as a way to talk about families. Some families are very close to their extended relatives, demonstrated in this story.

Caldecott Honor Book | Picture book published in 1986
The images in the book look like incredibly hand drawn, almost as if they were done in colored pencil. This gives the book a more “homey“ feel to it, which very much relates to the storyline.

“The garden was especially curious about old, forgotten things.“

I would use this book to discuss taking care of the Earth.

Picture book published in 2009
The illustrations in this book are beautifully done, flowing well with the story. What stood out to me most was how the sizes of the pictures changed throughout the story. At the beginning, the boy was much larger than the garden he was working on but as the story developed the surrounding area became larger than him.

“...where he went completely wild!“

I would use this book to talk about being your true, authentic self even if it isn't viewed as “typical“.

Picture book published in 2013
The illustrations in the story changed color based on the mood in which the tiger was feeling. When he was stuck in the city, the colors were gloomier and when he was in the wild they were all very bright, conveying the joyful feeling of the story.

“...the underwear glowed. A ghoulish, greenish glow.“

I would use this book around October/Halloween to help the class connect with the time of season without directly referencing the actual holiday.