This silly RF picture book by Josh Schneider is the recipient of the 2011 Geisel Award and is great to use for RA, S, DR, RT and AS. There are a few funny and absurd ‘tales‘ the father of the main character, James, tells James in order to get him to eat things he does not want to consume (broccoli, oatmeal, eggs, milk), as he is a very picky eater. This book is a fun book to read to students because everyone can relate to not wanting to eat

This RF novel written by Cynthia Lord has won the Newbery Honor and Schneider Family Book Awards among others, and is a great LC or IR book to have in the classroom. This novel is about a 12-year-old girl who has an autistic brother (David), and constantly has to create ‘rules‘ for David to follow. Meanwhile, she is attempting to find her own place in life as any other preteen is, but she also has an internal struggle while trying to

This SF chapter book written by New York Times Bestselling author, Jon Scieszka, is the first of a bestselling series, and is a great literature option for LC, IR and GR. This book talks about a boy-genius named Frank who is trying to enter a science competition, and builds a robot that not only finishes self-assembling itself, but it also builds another mini robot. Frank goes through many hijinks trying to create his invention,

This NF Biography written by Andrea Warren has won the Robert F. Siebert Honor and William Allen White Award (decided by votes of Kansas school children) among other honors, and is a very beneficial book to use in LC, IR, SR, or GR. This book describes the harrowing experience a boy named Jack Mandelblaum went through for three years in concentration camps during the Holocaust, before being liberated at age 18.

This Parent‘s Choice Silver Honor book is an excellent SF picture book to use in the classroom for a RA, PR or GR. The book is about a young boy who goes to the moon and back; the story describes to children what to expect if they are thinking about going to the moon with amazing illustrations to go along with the narrative. There are a few quotes that can make readers think, especially the final note

This F novel written by Katherine Applegate is a Newbery Award and Sunshine State Young Readers and is perfect for LC, IR and AS. This book, which is actually based on the story of a real gorilla, is about a silverback gorilla, Ivan, who spent years in a shopping mall, and has become kind of ‘humanized‘. But he goes through a whirlwind of questions and dealing with special circumstances that arise,

This bilingual P book filled with nursery rhymes of Spanish American origin would be perfect for S, RT, CR and DR. It brings light to a different culture in nursery rhymes that many Hispanics grew up with, including myself! This book not only has the translation in English on each page, but it also highlights the finger activities and other actions to do while singing along with these nursery rhymes, which is awesome.

"...people can change the way they see. If they do, they'll see that I'm a wonder." This RF picture book is a much shorter version of the New York Times Bestseller and highly awarded novel, Wonder, written by R. J. Palacio, and is a perfect RA, S, RT and AS book. This picture book brings the original novel to life for younger children who are not ready to read chapter books just yet, and it still highlights the lesson that we should always

This incredible HF novel that won the Scott O'Dell Award the same year it was released and was a National Book Finalist, is the first of the 'Seeds of America' series written by Laurie Halse Anderson, and is an amazing novel to use for LC, IR and AS. This novel is about what 13-year-old Isabel goes through to finally be freed from slavery, just as the Revolutionary War began.

This classic story written by Bill Martin Jr. is a great book for RA, S, DR, CR, and RT. Throughout this little book, illustrations and immediate translations to each excerpt provide clarification and eases comprehension for children learning about colors, animals, English or Spanish. Because it is very easy to read, UDL guidelines 1.1-1.3, & 2.4 could be utilized to offer different ways to display the story to promote

This fictional but TL was based on a Mexican folk tale, and has a strong underlying moral that plays on American culture and values, making it a great short book for LC, IR and AS. Written by John Steinbeck (recipient of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature and a United States Medal of Freedom in 1964) and originally published in 1947, this novella focuses on how the lives of a poor man (Kino) and his family (wife and son) changed after

This RF book by Jacqueline Woodson has won the Charlotte Zolotow Award and Jane Adams Peace award and is an amazing book for RA, SR, PR, and DR. Although this book is longer than a typical DR, I think it would be beneficial for students to act out the narrative of this book so that the rest of the class will visualize what the author is trying to portray. This book is an amazing resource to teach children to be kind,

This NF picture book about the daring actions of an aerialist named Philippe Petit won the Caldecott Medal for it's illustrations, and is perfect for RA, GR, and SR. Philippe went on a journey to walk between the twin towers on a tightrope while it was still under construction in 1974, and this book illustrates his journey of completing his mission. Gerstein's amazing illustrations aren't the only features of the book that are worth noticing,

This bilingual book is a classic fairy tale retold (in both English and Spanish) and illustrated by Francesc Boada that can be used in RA, S, RT and DR. Every excerpt in this book is transcribed in English and Spanish on the same page, which is great for both English, and Spanish learners, as they can immediately see the literal translation of what they are reading.

"In a gentle way, I will shake the world." This easy-to-read but powerful Biographical picture book is a part of the New York Times bestselling biographical series, and is perfect for RA and S, especially when teaching children about famous peaceful influencers. Ghandi is a great person to talk about when discussing non-violent resistance and civil disobedience to protest discrimination, a topic that is still relevant in today's society.

This NF picture book is great for RA, GR and SR, as it is informational as well as very engaging. It informs readers of many different nocturnal animals, while separating each group of animals by location (In the Neighborhood, In the Forest, By the Beach, etc). The best part, the entire book is Glow in the Dark!

This Newbery award winning memoir is written and Illustrated by Cece Bell about the experience and struggle she went through having to deal with being partially deaf after having meningitis at age 4. Although she is just trying to fit in with everyone else, a special hearing aid (Phonic Ear) she is given to use in school, always seems to have her stand out. However, she discovers a neat advantage to having the Phonic Ear, thus coming up with a

This Poetry book is a compilation of Robert Frost's most beloved poems edited by Gary Schmidt and Illustrated by Henri Sorensen. This book is sectioned by theme (such as Poems of Autumn) with illustrations and a short description relating to each poem. This is a great book to use when introducing famously accredited poets to young readers. Robert Frost has won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry multiple years, was the United States Poet Laureate

This RF book is a #1 New York Times bestseller about a little second grader named Ada who has always been very curious about the world. She uses science to try to answer her countless questions by creating hypotheses and experimenting as much as she could, even if her curiosity leads trouble sometimes. This book is great to encourage students to follow their curiosity and passion, and persevere even if they hit roadblocks.

This Mystery/Adventure Fiction book is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who was found guilty for a crime he didn't commit; which is something he could blame on his family's curse brought upon them from his great-great-grandfather. He was sent to a detention camp to dig holes all day (supposedly to build character), but instead he builds friendships and discovers many things that could change the course of his future forever! This is a LC or an IR