Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is an excellent book about the friendship between a young boy and girl. They become close through an imaginary land that they created together. The story is best for students that are in 4th and 5th grade to read. The heartwarming novel is a unique way to explore the concept of loss and grief with students. The book is a beautiful piece for students to reflect on in their daily journals.
Lexile: 810L
Wonder by R.J. Palacio is about a kid with a facial deformity starting school for the first time. The story follows a young boy as he goes through the hills and valleys of being the student that stands out because of his face. I believe that there is a lot of symbolism to be taught to 6th graders with this book. There is so many opportunities for students to connect to the main character of the book. I know that this story will be one that I share with my future students. There are so many life lessons to be learned on every page of the book.
Lexile: 790L
Flipped by Wendelin Van tells the story of two youngsters whose relationship evolves throughout the years. The two friends become close and learn more about each other through a series of trials and tribulations. I believe this is an excellent coming of age story for students that are in the 6th grade. I would love for my students to be able to pick their favorite chapter books and complete a project using it.
Lexile: 720L
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo the story is about a china rabbit that belongs to a ten-year-old girl. One day, the girl loses her rabbit when it falls overboard during vacation. The china rabbit spent many days on the ocean floor until a storm finally frees him. The rabbit soon begins his journey back to his owner but only after a sequence of different events. The story would be great to read to students in 3rd and 4th grade. As a read the story to my class, I would use any opportunity I get to have the students discuss and debate on what will happen next in the story. There are also many opportunities for students to write essays. In the story, Edward the chine rabbit is repeatedly lost by people who love him. I could ask my students to write about a time they lost something important to them and how it made them feel.
Lexile: 700L
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis is a fantastic story that takes place in Afghanistan in a city called Kabul. The story follows a strong-willed young girl named Parvana who lives under the rule of the Taliban. During the story, Parvana's father has been wrongly placed in prison because of his arrest food is very scarce in the household. Parvana must make the tough decision of dressing up as a boy to provide for her family. I believe this story is excellent for students in 4th and 5th grade. Stories like this always give students a more in-depth look into what life was like for people around the world during different periods.
Lexile: 710L
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig is about a young boy that feels like he's invisible within his classroom. Nobody ever talks to him. Frankly, it's like he doesn't even exist within the same world. One day, the boy decides to do something nice for one of his classmates, and that is when he starts to feel visible finally. I think this book is an excellent representation of how many students might feel during various points in their school life. I would read this book and make students write about how they can make sure nobody in our classroom feels invisible.
Lexile: 510L
Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa by Dewdney is about a young llama going to visit his grandparents. When the young llama arrives he realizes that he forgot to bring along his favorite stuffed animal. His grandparents reassure him that everything will be okay. The llama is happy to be spending time with his grandparents but upset that he doesn't have his toy. I believe that this will be very relatable for students that are in kindergarten and first grade. I'd probably teach a unit on character traits, setting, and book cover identification using all of the Llama Llama books within the series.
Lexile: AD320L
La Madre Goose by Susan Middleton Elya is a retelling of several famous nursery rhymes. I adore this author because she incorporates Spanish vocabulary words into the text. The book also has a glossary at the front of the book in case the reader does not know a word. The reason I would love to use this book in my classroom is that it would serve a dual purpose. Students who are transitioning from speaking only English to being bilingual will benefit from having a book like this to read. All students in the classroom who are interested in learning about another language will have the option of adding vocabulary words from another language to their vocabulary.
Lexile: AD490L
The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida takes place during 1942 when the United States and Japan were at war. As a Japanese American, Emi is forced to leave her home and live in the barracks until the end of the war. Emi's friend gives her a unique bracelet so she will not forget the fun times they shared. During the first day of camp, Emi realizes she has lost her bracelet, and it crushes her spirit completed. Throughout the story, Emi has to draw upon her memories to make it through the tough times at the camp. This story was so interesting to read because it was from a Japanese American's perspective. The book is best suited for 4th and 5th graders. I think reading this during a whole group history lesson about World War II will bring the reality of the war to life for my students. I could ask the students to make connections to Emi and right about how the war make have affected her outlook on life.
Lexile: AD590
The Great Change by White Deer of Autumn is a Native American Indian tale; a grandmother explains the meaning of life and death to her granddaughter. Nine-year-old Wanba has many questions about why things have to die. Her grandmother says that like a caterpillar changing into a majestic butterfly everything in our lives evolves with time. I think this story would be great to keep in my classroom library for students who are interested in Native American Indian tales. I believe the metaphors used within the book could also help students understand the life cycle of various animals.
AR: 2.8
I Used To Be A Fish by Tom Sullivan is a fictional story about evolution put in a very simplistic manner. The story takes place in the ocean where a small fish decides that it no longer wants to swim. This book is significant because the young reader can read it on their own and it's easy for them to understand the concept of evolution. I like that there is factual information at the end of the book. I would use this in my classroom during science. I would use it to teach students about the relationships between different animals.
AR: 1.7
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson is about a young black named Clover who wonders about why her mom won't let her go on the other side of the fence where a white family resides. A girl named Annie lives on the other side of the fence. After not very long, Clover begins to be curious about Annie. One day, they decide to sit on the fence together. I believe this book is an excellent way for teachers to address political and social implications. In my classroom, I would use to teach students about segregation and how it affected the way people treated each other.
Lexile: AD490L
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson is about a girl named Chloe who chooses not to get along with the new girl in class because of the clothes she wears. Every time the new girl tries to talk to Chloe she ignores her. One day when the new girl does not show up to school Chloe's teacher gives a lesson on acts of kindness. The teacher states that a single act of kindness can create a wave that changes the world. Sadly, the new girl never shows up to school again, and Chloe is left stung by the lost opportunity of friendship. I believe this student would make an impact on students in my future classroom. I would have my students put themselves in the new girl's shoes and write about how they would feel if they were her.
Lexile: AD530L
"What Color Is a Kiss?" by Rocio Bonilla is about a young girl that loves to draw. One day she decides that she should draw a picture of a kiss. In the story, the girl contemplates what color a kiss should by drawing picture after picture. I think this story would be best for students in kindergarten through 2nd grade. In my classroom, I would use this story to teach students about similes. I would first read the book to give the students an idea of how to utilize a simile within in a sentence. Then, I would have students create their sentences using the book as an example.
Lexile: AD500L
La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya is a retelling of the famous story "The Princess and the Pea" from the perspective of a different culture. The story is drawn with a massive influence on the culture in Peru, but the text is bilingual. Throughout the story, there are words in both English and Spanish. I believe the book would be excellent for students who are transitioning from speaking Spanish to English as well as for students who are interested in exploring a different language. I would use this in my classroom to help my students learn about different cultures! We would have a week where we read stories with the same storyline from an arrange of different cultures. As a class, we would compare and contrast all the books we've read. I believe teachers play a huge part in making students aware of various ethnicities, cultures, and traditions.
Lexile: AD530L
This Beautiful Day by Richard Jackson is about different children enjoying all the different season that come and go during a year. The book exemplifies the fact that a day is filled with many activities for children to enjoy and explore. I believe that this would be best for K-1st graders to read. In my classroom, I'd use this book to teach my students about action verbs. I would project the book on the board, and as we read together, the students will help me identify all the action verbs within the text.
Lexile: AD330L
