Summary: This book talks about different shapes. The book starts off by talking about things that are round like a bowls of rice. Then goes on to talk about things that are square, rectangles, and more.

Personal Reaction: Great children's book for learning shapes and keeps you pretty interested.

Classroom Ideas: 1. Have the kids draw different shapes and things that are the different shape like in the book.
2. Bring some items to class and have the kids tell you what shapes they are.

Summary: This book is all pictures even though it is only pictures it tells a story about Daisy (the dog) playing with her red ball. Throughout the story the dog chases the ball and loses it. She wanted to give up but, her friend came with another ball only this time it was blue and she was happy again.

Personal Reaction: Pretty good book for telling a story without words.

Classroom Ideas: 1. Have the kids talk about their favorite toy.
2. Have them write about their favorite toy and why it is their favorite toy.

Summary: This book of course talks about Albert Einstein. It talks about how curious he was as a kid and how he wanted to do other things than what the other kids did. He of course only did things that he wanted to do like math and science and ignored other subjects in school. It goes onto talking more about his life and how he went throughout life.

Personal Reaction: I have great respect for him and really liked this book. I think this has a lot to do with being a physics major and, also being able relate to him not wanting to do other things other than math and science. Well... Either way is still a good book and very informational.

Classroom Ideas: 1. Maybe read this book after giving your math lesson.
2. Have the children write about their favorite subject and why.

Summary: This book goes about Abe Lincolns childhood. Of course we all know he was the 16th president but we might not know before that. Such as, That he lived in a log cabin with his mother and his father.

Personal Reaction: This was a great book and pretty informational. I remember when one of my teachers told me that Abe had a really high pitched voice.

Classroom Ideas:1. Maybe read the book on Presidents day.
2. Have everyone color a picture of Abe.

Summary: This book gives all different types of information about the animal kingdom. The book does so by telling you the fastest, slowest, strongest animals in the kingdoms. It talks about animals such as elephants being the biggest land animal, The ant being the strongest for its weight, and the cheetah being the fastest. There is of course much more information in this book.

Personal Reaction: This is a very informational book especially for little children.

Classroom ideas: 1. Have the kids tell you their favorite animal and why.
2. Have them draw a picture of one of the animals.

Summary: This book breaks down onto the different types of owls. It talks about the different species how they are similar and how they are different.

Personal Reaction: I really like owls the mystery and legions of them. Such as, That an owl might hoo your name and it means bad things even death. Although its just a myth its pretty crazy how popular they are in story books.

Classroom Ideas: 1. Maybe have this as a night time read and go try and find an owl.
2. Maybe visit somewhere were there are many different types of owls.

Summary: This book is about two small children being home alone with nothing to do because it was raining outside. Then suddenly the cat comes crashing down and starts to play. He ends up leaving the whole house a mess and the fish tells him to leave. With all the mess the children didn't know what to do. Well... the cat finally comes back and cleans the whole house.

Personal Reaction: Another one of my favorite books from my childhood.

Classroom Ideas: 1. Have the children write a poem of their own.
2. Maybe read it when it is raining outside.

Summary: This book talks about fish doing all different kinds of things. In the book the fish are different colors, have different qualities, and do different things.

Personal Reaction: I remember this book from my early childhood and always love Dr. Seuss's books.

Classroom Ideas: 1. You could have coloring pages of different fish.
2. You could have the kids write about what their fish would do.

Summary: This is a book that talks about how their are people just like you but, with different schools,lives, and skin tones. It talks about even though they might be different they are just like you. They feel love, pain, and joy just like you.

Personal reaction: I loved this book its a really great book to teach children that there are all different types of people but they are just like you.

Classroom ideas: 1. Have them write about how they might be different than someone else.
2. Have the children group up and talk about how they are the same and how they are different.

summary: It talks about all the different types of colors that people are different shades of brown and talks about what the color looks like to the little girl.

personal reaction: definitely a good book and teaches about all the different types of skin tones.

classroom ideas: 1. have the kids make a picture of themselves.
2. have them write about how they are different in their own way.

Summary: Its the story of Jackie Robinson being the first black man to play baseball.

personal reaction: This is a great book and definitely touches you by knowing what all he had to go through just to play a game he loved.

classroom ideas: 1. You could read this book for black history month.
2. Have everyone go outside and play baseball.

summary: The 2nd grader Andrew wants more than anything to have freckles. Why? Well this is because he wants them so his mom cannot tell that he is dirty. At one point in the book he draws freckles on himself with blue marker.

personal reaction: Good book about wanting to be different because everyone in some way wants to be different.

classroom ideas: 1. Have them write about what they liked or disliked most about the book.
2. Everyone could draw freckles on their face with blue marker.

summary: This book is about a kid named David who just keeps destroying everything and getting into trouble. The mom keeps telling him no until the end where he breaks an urn of honey. He then looks at his mom all sad and she looks at him says she loves him and puts him to bed.

personal reaction: Good book i do not know how the mom could put up with all that destruction though and just say no David.

Classroom extension ideas: 1. Have them write a sorry note to their parents about the times where they too were destructive.
2. Let them go play outside after reading this book as they might get inspiration to destroy things of their own.

summary: This book is about a little girl who works at a Chinese restaurant with her parents and says no one will want Chinese food on the fourth of July. She is very sad because she wants to watch the parades and eat apple pie. Well people do end up coming in to eat and they finally close and go watch the fireworks and she gets her apple pie.

personal reaction: I too love apple pie and really liked the book.

classroom extension ideas: 1. bring apple pie for the kids to eat while you read.
2. Have them write about what they do on the fourth of july

summary: This is a book about cows who keep typing letters to the farmer about what the cows wanted. They said things about no milk, eggs from the chickens, and that they were cold inside the barn. In the end the duck in the book ends up with the typewriter.

personal reaction: The end made me laugh clever ducks but overall a great book for children.

classroom extension ideas: 1. Have the children write a letter to the farmer as their favorite animal.
2. Have them draw a picture of a farm animal.

Summary: This book is about a bat who falls into a birds nest and the mother of the nest feeds and takes care of the bat (Stellaluna).One day, the bat flew far away from the birds and ends up finding her mother again.

personal reaction: Was a very good children's book on fantasy and just a good read overall.

classroom extensions ideas: 1. Make some hands outs for the kids to color of bats.
2. Read it close to Halloween since its about bats.

summery: this is a story about a big bad wolf coming to destroy the houses of the little pigs. He huffs he puffs and takes down the first two houses with ease. After this the pig gets smart and builds a house of bricks and the wolf cannot huff and puff this bad boy down.

personal reaction: great book definitely one of my favorites as a kid.

classroom ideas: 1. show one of the many mini cartoons associated with this story.
2. have them draw a house that would withstand the big bad wolf''s huffs and puffs.

summery: another book from our childhood about Cinderella who lives with her stepmother and is forced to do all these chores around the house and isn't aloud to do anything else. Well there happens to be this ball that she wants to go to but her step mother will not allow her to go and so she cries and prays for someone to help her. Then a fairy-god mother comes to save the day and gives her a ride and a beautiful dress as well as glass shoes. she then goes to the ball and finds a prince of her dreams just when everything is going well she has to leave and runs away leaving a glass shoe behind. the prince finally finds her and they live happily ever after.

personal reaction: has always been an interesting book and has lots of spin offs especially in the newer movies. nevertheless still a great book to add to any collection.

classroom ideas: 1. Have the kids draw Cinderella or bring coloring sheets for them.
2. after reading the book maybe show the movie.

sum: This book as we all know is about little red riding hood the little girl who goes to her grandma's house to find out that the wolf ate her grandma.

personal reaction: i have seen so many spin offs of this book but i have to say it will still go down as one of the greatest books.

classroom ideas: 1. have the kids draw a picture of the big bad wolf
2. Have them write about what they would do in that situation.

summery: The book is about the character Max who wore a wolf costume and destroyed everything until his mom sent him to bed without supper. He then goes into his room where a forest grows and he travels to this land where the wild things are. He becomes king but gets lonely and misses his mom so goes back and there awaits his supper.

personal reaction: Great book for adventure and the feeling of home.

classroom extensions: 1. Have them write about a time where they were sent to bed without food.
2. Have them write a thank you card to their parents.

summery: The book is about a rabbit that tells all of his objects good night such as the bears in the chairs and the cow jumping over the moon.

personal reaction:i think that this is a good kids book in the way to get them familiar with objects.

classroom extension ideas:1. Ask the kids who and what they say good night too before bed.
2. Have the kids draw pictures of what they think of when they hear the words such as chair and brush.

summery: this book is about a bear who sits on a shelf with the other animals and awaits to be chosen to go home with someone. No one ever chooses him until a small girl comes by but her mom wouldn't let the girl buy the bear because, she had already spent too much money and the bear corduroy was missing a button. Corduroy then goes searching but never finds the button. The next morning the girl comes back and buys corduroy from the store and takes him home.

personal reaction: This was a great book about adventure and friendship.

classroom extensions: 1. Have them write about a time when they lost something and looked everywhere for it.
2. have them tell a story about their friends and how they met.

summery: basically shows dogs doing different things such as riding, climbing, or moving in some way. I feel like this is a very good book for first time readers.

personal: like before I just loved dr. Seuss books as a kid and now see it as a great way to help teach children to read by the smaller sentences and such.

classroom extensions:1. you could have them do different things such as running or climbing to get a feel for the book before you read to them.
2. have them write about their favorite activity such as running or riding a bike.

summery: its about a caterpillar that eats everything and eventually cocoons and becomes a very beautiful butterfly.

personal experience: as a kid I used to own this book and loved it.

classroom extensions: 1. maybe bring a butterfly to class and have the kids look at it while you read the book to give them some visual to it besides for the pictures.
2. have them draw a picture of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.