"Go Hog Wild!: Jokes from Down on the Farm" by Peter and Connie Roop is a silly book filled with jokes and riddles. The book tells different jokes about farm animals and about farm life. The silly illustrations match well with the corny jokes that fill the pages. This book would be good to suggest to students who love jokes or just want to read something funny.

"Space Out!: Jokes About Outer Space" by Peter and Connie Roop is a silly book filled with jokes and riddles about space. The jokes are silly and the book has goofy illustrations that tie to the jokes. This book is great for students who enjoy reading jokes and being silly.

"Old Manhattan Has Some Farms" by Susan Lendroth is a sweet lyrical book that talks about how children in the United States help the earth by growing their own fruits and vegetables and by doing other green things. The books adorable song and use of rhythm make the book fun and easy to read. I enjoyed the positive message about ways on how food can be produced, and eco friendly ways to keep the earth healthy. I think the book would be a great starter for a lesson about the environment.

"Dinosaurs from Head to Tail" by Stacy Roderick is an informative book that asks questions about a specific dinosaur for the the reader to guess. The book goes on to the next page to give further explanation of the type of dinosaur and facts about its life. I think this book would be great for dinosaur enthused students who are fascinated with dinosaurs. The last page of the book is filled with other dinosaurs that were not featured in the book. The book features eight different dinosaurs and special characteristics each dinosaur has.

"The Heart's Language" by Lois-Ann Yamanaka is a sweet story about a boy who cannot speak words or communicate with other people. The boy had an exceptional gift that allowed him to communicate only with animals and nature. People were fascinated with his gift, but were disappointed that they did not know how to communicate with him. The boy was sad that he could not speak to anyone and so badly wanted to tell his parents that he loved them. One day the boy was taken by a bird who taught him how to listen and communicate with his heart. The boy went back to his family and was able to talk to his parents and teach them how listen with their heart. I think this book helps one better understand disabilities and other ways to communicate. The book was written for children who have special gifts that are usually looked past because of their inability to communicate or express how they feel.

"Sea Bones" by Bob Barner is an informative book about the ocean and sea creatures. each page has big easy words to read and then smaller facts are listed about the subject of the bigger words. Illustrations are colorful and kid-friendly. This book would great for students who are interested in the ocean or for an ocean themed lesson.

"My Brother Charlie" by Holly Robinson Peete is a sweet story about how a girl learns to cope with her twin brother who has autism. The book starts off saying how when the siblings were babies, Callie was always more advanced than her twin brother Charlie. The book lists how different the two children were, even though they were twins. Callie was talkative and always wanted to play and have fun, Charlie was quiet did not like talking and enjoyed being alone. When the family noticed that something was different about Charlie, they took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with Autism. The family learns that love comes in many forms, and they find ways to show each other love, rather than just saying it. Callie learned that love from Charlie is when they smile at each other or play silly hand games, while laughing and giggling. Callie explains all of the things Charlie is good at, and how much she loves her brother. I think this would be a great book for a child who may have a sibling with Autism. The book can show them all of the positive things about their sibling, and how to accept them and love them for who they are.

"Dustin's Big School Day" by Alden Carter is a book about a student with down syndrome who is excited about the special guests who are going to visit the school. The book follows Dustin, a student with down syndrome, around school as he talks to everyone he knows about the special guests that are to visit school. The reader is able to get a glimpse on what a child with down syndrome's school day might be like. Dustin works with special teachers to work on fine-motor and speaking skills. Dustin also participates in classes with other students who do not have down syndrome. Dustin has friends, plays and has fun just like any other child his age. At the end of the book, Dustin is given a special treat to introduce the school's special guest, a puppeteer and his puppet, to the school for the performance. This book would be good for students to get a better understanding of other children with down syndrome.

"Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress" by Christine Baldacchino is a sweet book which introduces children to the idea of accepting others for who they are, not what they wear. Morris is a young boy who loves to wear a tangerine dress because it reminds him of tigers and the sunset. Wearing the dress makes Morris extremely happy, despite what other classmates think. Morris continues to wear the dress and shows others that he has a wonderful imagination and can still play with them even though he wears a dress. At first, the other students in his class, teased Morris and excluded him from their fun. Overtime, they see how fun Morris is, and chose to play with him despite his differences. I think young children should be exposed to books like this so that they get insight to gender identity issues and realize that it is okay to be different.

"Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book" by Britta Teckentrup is a creative book that shows students what may happen to trees throughout the course of a year. The author uses a rhyming scheme which makes it flow and easy to read. The illustrations have holes in the pictures to portray animals that live in the tree over the course of a year. The book shows how the leaves turn colorful and fall off during fall and winter. Then the book shows how the leaves grow back and and bloom apples during spring and summer. The book is a great way to introduce children to a tree's life cycle and what happens to trees when the seasons change.

"Dinosaur Hunt" by Karen Carr is an informative book about a dinosaur reptile that lived over one hundred and fifteen million years ago. The book follows the life of an Acrocanthosaurus from birth, how it grows and gets stronger, to how it dies and gets defeated by other dinosaurs or from natural earth causes. This book would be great for any students who have interest in dinosaurs. The book also shows how anyone can be an archaeologist by looking for clues and footprints that could have been placed years ago.

"Science Verse" by Jon Scieszka is a book filled with many poems about different science topics. I enjoyed reading the funny poems which also gave insight on scientific reasonings, methods, and theories. the book covers a wide variety of science topics which is why I think it could potentially be used throughout all grades. I wouldn't chose to read this book and its entirety in one sitting. I would either read a poem or two a day during quiet time, or I would read a poem that relates to a scientific topic that is being learned in the class. Overall, I enjoyed reading the poems and the book's quirky style.

"And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson is a sweet children's book that teaches children love comes in many different forms, by telling the story of two male penguins and their love life at the zoo. This book is child friendly being that it is about animals and shows how two male penguins can love each other in the same way as all of the other penguin couples. Being the the story deals with nature and animals that are naturally wild, shows that love and finding a mate is concept that is shared in many species. The book's story shows that homosexuality is natural, and that love is overall the most important thing.

"King and King" by Linda de Haan is a sweet book that introduces children to the idea of homosexuality when a prince choses another prince to be his king, rather than choosing a princess to be his queen. The book is humorous and the illustrations are intriguing and colorful. I think exposing children to books like this teaches them to accept love in its many different forms.

"About Habitats: Wetlands" by Cathryn Sill is an easy to read, informative book about the wetlands and the different habitats that live within them. This book would be great for teaching a first or second grade class about the wetlands. The book includes a glossary of words that may be unfamiliar, websites to further knowledge on wetlands, and deeper explanation of each page of the book in the back.

"Thumbs up, Rico" by Maria Testa is a sweet chapter book showing how a child who has down syndrome can play with friends who do not, and overcome his disability. In the first chapter, Rico learns how to make friends with someone despite first impressions. Caesar did not like Rico at first and called him "dumb". Although Rico did not like Caesar's comments, Rico still wanted to be friends with Caesar so that they could play basketball together. Caesar learns about how good Rico is at basketball and the two become good friends. The second chapter is about how Rico learns to compromise and deal with emotions. Rico and his sister, Nina, are the best of friends. Nina is at all of Rico's basketball games cheering him on. One day Nina was invited to a sleep over party the same day as Rico's playoff game. The fact that Nina did not know which event she wanted to go to upset Rico, and he instinctually reacted with anger and grief towards Nina. At the end of the chapter, Rico realizes how much he does love his sister, and how much she loves him, and he lets her go to her friend's party with out being upset about it. The third chapter shows Rico overcoming the idea that he cannot draw. Everyday week in art class, Rico is unsure of what he wants to draw, and never hangs his art on the wall. Until one day, Rico is inspired to draw a picture of himself making a slam dunk in basketball. Rico realizes that he loves his picture and that he can draw when the subject interests him. All show more chapters in the book positively portrayed Rico overcoming some challenges he may face having down syndrome. I think this book would be a great for students to better understand what down syndrome is by being able to see that a child with down syndrome is still a child and also enjoys having fun. show less

"Ancient Animals: Saber-toothed Cat" by Sarah Thomson is an informative easy to read book about the extinct Saber-toothed Cat. The book gives details about how the cat lived, hunted, diet, and how they became extinct. The book has a glossary and interesting facts about Saber-toothed cats. This is great book for students to read to discover ancient lives of animals that are extinct.

"Me and the Measure of Things" is a sweet easy to read book that appeals to young children. The book follows a girl as she converts the amount of ingredients to make pancakes. Students learn the importance of measurement through the girl as she measures objects around the kitchen and school. I used this book in a math lesson I created about measuring. Students can measure objects with body parts and compare it to the actual measurement of things.

"Numbers At Play" by Charles Sullivan is an easy to read, kid-friendly book about counting numbers. The book starts with one and counts up to ten.There are two pages designated to a number. The words are easy to read and have a fun rhyming pattern. Children who read this will be able to practice counting and seeing visuals of what the number looks like. This book would be fun to read to a kindergarten class, having them count the number of items on each page.

"How Tall, How Short, How Far Away?" by David Adler is an informative book about measuring things in everyday life. The book starts by telling the reader about the ancient Egyptians method of measuring using body parts to determine length. The book then goes on describing different units and how they got their name and measure. The book is very kid-friendly with its cartoon illustrations and fun interactive language. This book would be great for a second or third grade measuring assignment. Student could use methods suggested in the book by measuring with their body parts to understand the concept of measurement.

"One Potato: A Counting Book of Potato Prints" by Diana Pomeroy is an easy book that counts items grown from the garden starting with one potato going up to one hundred sunflower seeds. All of the illustrations were created from potato art which instructions of how to create your own potato art on the last page. I think students would enjoy having a book like this read to them, and then incorporating the idea of creating their own number books using potato art.

"Let's Add Bills" by Kelly Doudna is a great book for young students learning the value of money and how many dollar bills they would need to pay for items they might want to buy. The book uses a glossary and index for students to understand concepts they are unfamiliar with. The book's illustrations of money and how many dollar bills are needed to buy something depending on the price and the type of bills had. The book teaches how much different bills are worth, as well as addition when adding bills together.

"Let's Subtract Money" by Kelly Doudna is an easy to read book that teaches subtraction with money and buying things. The illustrations and pictures of money and coins help the reader see how much items are worth and how much they would have after spending money buying an item. The book was informative with an index and glossary of words that may be unfamiliar to young students, as well as a chart of what each symbol of money is worth. This book would be perfect for young students who are just learning how subtraction works with money.

"Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm" by Karen Deans is a biography of how the Sweethearts of Rhythm came about. The group started from a school for orphans in 1909. The school consisted of mostly African American female orphans who practiced schoolwork and were also taught music by Dr. Jones. The girls practiced their instruments religiously, and their hard work paid off when they performed in concerts across the country. Although, they performed at venues with famous musicians such as Louis Armstrong, there were still Jim Crow laws which gave them problems when performing. The girls worked passed their hardships and never gave up. During World War II the girls were sent across the world to perform for American soldiers to remind them of home. After their success, many of the girls went their own separate ways and made a difference in the world.

"Paul Revere's Midnight Ride" by Stephen Kerensky is a detailed story about a Paul Revere's famous story of warning colonies that the British were on their way to conquer Concord. This book would be great to read before an American history lesson on Paul Revere. The story gives the reader a better understanding of the true historical story because it gives information about Paul's personal life and the risk he took by warning others of the British. Although Paul took such a dangerous risk of going out to warn the American colonies of the British's arrival, his risk is what prepared the colonies to fight off the British and claim Concord and Lexington.

"Gandhi" by Demi is a biography about who Gandhi was and his life. The book follows him from when he was born in 1869 to his death in 1948. Gandhi was born and raised in the Jainism religion. He was married young, at only thirteen years old, and was a quiet, shy boy. Gandhi was not happy with the way his life was so he moved away to London in 1888 and studied different languages and law. After Gandhi received his degree in law, he wanted to help create peace in the world in peaceful ways. In Africa he helped Indians, black Africans and women gain rights by doing peaceful protests. Gandhi continued to lead peaceful nonviolent campaign marches to encourage equality and peace for all. Although he passed in 1948, his love and peaceful ways are remembered by many.

"America is..." by Louise Borden is a wonderful book all about the land, holidays, and culture of the United States of America." This book shares the "Pledge of Allegiance" as well as the "Star Spangled Banner". The story also talks about famous landscapes and rivers that can be found in America. "America is..." discusses all the things that make America what it is. Most importantly America means freedom for all. I enjoyed reading this book, and think it would be a great book to read to students for an American history lesson.

"Johnny Appleseed" by Lola Schaefer is an easy to read biography about John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed. The book shares a timeline of Johnny's life from when he was born in 1774 until his death in 1845. The book focuses on how John Chapman loved to plant appleseeds and how he gave apples and their seeds to everyone he knew, which is also how he received the nickname "Johnny Appleseed". He was a selfless man, and told stories to everyone. The book is great for students learning to read because of the big font and easy words. The book also contains a "words to know" page in the back of the book which lists unfamiliar words with their definition that children may not be aware of.

"Hana's Suitcase" by Karen Levine is a great story about a personal experience of young girl who was a victim of the Holocaust. I loved how the story was two sided. One side telling Hana's story of her life and experience of being a Jew, and the other about Fumiko, and her search to learn more about Hana and her life because she found her suitcase. This story would be good for young students learning about the tragedies of WWII because Hana's story is relatable and children can understand that she was a normal child, like they are. Reading this book made me sad, learning about the unfair conditions and treatment Jews went through only because they were Jewish. However, the end of the story is what makes this book great. Although, Hana did not survive the Holocaust, her story is shared and remembered as a legacy to teach others of the inhumane treatment of the Jews. This book promotes peace and equality of all, sharing and teaching children her story, can help prevent genocide from happening again.

"White Dynamite and Curly Kidd" by Bill Martin Jr. is about a son and father's conversation before and during a bull riding tournament. Curly Kidd's father, rides bulls and the two talk about how to cope with the nerves and anxiety of having a loved one on a bull. The story was a bit confusing to read because nothing was in quotes or cited of who is saying what. Although the story was a bit confusing, I enjoyed Martin's style and use of rhythm when writing. He used expression in the text as Curly Kidd counted places while coping with his dad being on the Bull.