Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You was a picture book written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram. The story is about a young rabbit named little nutbrown hare who is determined to show his mother how much he loves her. Throughout the story he and his mother embark on a little competition to see who loves who more.

The illustrations in the book contain light warm watercolors. This book is definitely a good book for really young readers as it is a good tool with encouraging them to express their feelings.

I would read this story out loud to my students and ask them questions like:

• How much do you love your parents?
• What kinds of ways did Little Nutbrown Hare show his love for his mother?
• How do you show your parents how much you love them?

A motivational activity I would do with my students is have them all stand up together and practice different they can show how much they love their parents using their arms and legs. Also, each student can make his or her parents a card that tells them how much they love them.

Sam McBratney has been writing children's books for more than thirty years. Some of his other works include Just You and Me, Guess How Much I Love You In The Summer, and Let's Play In The Snow.


McBratney, S. (1994) Guess how much I love you. Somerville, MS: Candlewick Press

Green Eggs And Ham

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss is a very popular picture book amongst children. The story is very simple. Sam wants his friend to try green eggs and ham but his friend refuses. So throughout the book, Sam is trying various different ways to get his friend to try them until he finally gives in and discovers he likes green eggs and ham.

The text in the story will keep young children entertained with its unique use of word play. The illustrations are very imaginative and will capture the attention of any reader.

In my classroom I would go around the room and have each student take a chance to read a portion of the story until we finish it. At the end I would ask questions like:

• Would you eat green eggs and ham?
• why do you think Sam's friend didn't want to eat the green eggs and ham?
• What could you learn from this story?

As a motivational activity, I would have my class make green eggs and ham and then try it to see what they think. For another motivational activity, I would write the rhyming words from the story on the halves of green plastic eggs. Once finished I would take them apart and mix them up and have my students practice word rhymes by matching the appropriate halves.


Seuss, D. (1960). Green eggs and ham. New York, NY: Random House Children's books

Cinderella

Cinderella is written and illustrated by Marcia Brown. It is her own version of the classic fairy tale. The story is about a girl named Cinderella who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters. When the prince of the land decides to host a ball, Cinderella is anxious to go but knows she will be forbidden. Her fairy god mother appears and transforms Cinderella into a beautiful princess and makes it so she can attend the ball but only until midnight. When Cinderella gets to the ball she immediately catches the attention of the prince and they dance all night. However, at the stroke of midnight Cinderella runs out of the ball leaving behind one of her glass slippers and leading the prince on a search to find the women who fits the glass slipper.

I would read this story aloud to my students and ask them questions througout the story like:

• Where was Cinderella's favorite place to sit in the house?
• Why were Cinderella's stepsisters jealous of her?
• Why did Cinderella's fairy god mother have her find a pumpkin?

A motivational activity I would have my students do is decorate pumpkins to look like carriages and give a prize for the best pumpkin. Also, for another activity, I can have my students make crowns to decorate and wear on their heads.

Marcia Brown is a American writer and illustrator of more than 30 children's books. She has won numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal from the American Library Association.

The Blacker The Berry

The Blacker The Berry is a book of poems geared towards African-American children. The poems focus on the various colors of skin that African-American children may have and it highlights them in a way that shows the beauty of having darker skin. The illustrations are captivating and feature oil painted pictures and very detailed expressions. The twelve poems each highlight a different skin tone and are both educational and uplifting for some young children.

Since the poems are geared towards outlooks I would ask my students questions about themselves like:

• What is you unique about your outlook?
• What do you like most about yourself?
• What is one thing you like about one of your classmates?

A motivational activity I would do with my students is have them each make their own poem about themselves similar the ones in The Blacker The Berry.

Another motivational activity I would have my students do is cut out pictures of items that describe them from magazines and then make a collage out of them. We will then make a tree out of all the collages to post on the bulletin board to showcase the various unique features of every student.

Joyce Carol Thomas is a African-American poet,playwright, and author of more than 30 children's books.


Thomas, J. (2008). The blacker the berry. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers

Allen Jay And The Underground Railroad

Allen Jay And The Underground Railroad is a nonfiction story written by Marlene Targ Brill and illustrated by Janice Lee Porter. This true story focuses on an eleven-year boy named Allen Jay whose family's farm is a stop on the Underground Railroad. His parents are secret conductors o the Underground Railroad and they give food and shelter to slaves escaping from the south. One day, Allen's father asks him to help a runaway slave and this story tells about all the events that happened after.

This story was very interesting as it gave you a glimpse of a true event surrounding the Underground Railroad. This book was very educational for any young reader since the Underground Railroad was a important happening within history.

The illustrations consisted of many colors blended together to form the objects or individuals. They gave the story a kid-friendly visual to go with the text.

I would read this story out loud to my students to make sure they understood the broken English along the way. After, I would ask them questions like:

• What did Allen Jay's parents do for slaves?
• What are some reasons why Allen Jay was afraid?
• Why do you think the Jay's helped slaves escape?

A classroom activity I would have my students do is make a collage using words from magazines that they think relate to slavery and the Underground Railroad. Another activity I would have my students do is sit in a circle on the floor and each of us share a story about a time when we helped someone in need.

The author Marlene Targ Brill is an award winning author who has written many nonfiction and historical fiction books for all ages.

Brill, M. (1993). Allen jay and the underground railroad. Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue Editions

The Rainbow Fish

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister is a favorite picture book of many young children. With its vibrant colors and glittering illustrations, it immediately grabs any readers attention. The story is about a fish who had sparkling scales which made him the most beautiful fish in the sea. He was admired so much that the other fish wanted him to share his scales with them so they could be pretty as well. The rainbow fish refused and the other fish were upset and would ignore him whenever he swam by. The rainbow fish became sad and lonely because none of the the other fish would look at him. However, after some good advice, the rainbow decided he needed to share his pretty scales with others and he gave all the fish one of his scales until he only had one himself.

This story teaches its readers a valuable lesson in sharing. Sharing is a very important factor in the goings of young children and this book gives them a glimpse of what could happen if they don't share with others.

After reading the story aloud to my students, I would ask them questions like:

• Do you think the other fish were right to ignore the rainbow fish?
• What would you do if someone refused to share their things with you?
• What lesson did the rainbow fish learn?

A classroom activity I would do with my students is have them each make their own rainbow fish and then post them all on a classroom board with blue backing to make it look like a fish tank. Also, I would have each student come up with a reason why sharing is important. I would give them a sentence that says "Sharing is important because...." then I would have them read what they wrote out loud.

Marcus Pfister is a Swiss author and illustrator of children's picture books. He has written many other books involving the rainbow fish like The Rainbow Fish Opposites and The Rainbow Fish Colors.


Pfister, M. (1992). The rainbow fish. New York, NY: North-South Books Inc

The Three Little Pigs

The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone is a folktale classic since the story has been retold for many years. The story focuses on three little pigs who each build a house; one of straw, one of wood, and one of brick. The wolf comes along and blows down the house of hay and wood to eat the pigs inside. When he gets to the brick house, he is unable to blow it down . So instead, he tries to trick the pig into coming out. However, his tricks do not work and in the end he becomes the meal instead of the pig.

This story is a great read for young children as it tell the age old story of The Three Little Pigs with a little twist. The illustrations are colorful and descriptive. The author did a good job with incorporating them within the story.

After reading the story aloud to my class, I would ask them some questions relating to the story like:

• What did you like about the story?
• What did the pig do to avoid the wolf?
• How did the pig get rid of the wolf?

A classroom activity that I would love to do with my class is have them perform a small play. I would have them make masks for the characters in the story and build each pigs house out of cardboard.

Another activity I would do with my students is read to them a different three little pigs story and then compare and contrast that version with the first version we read. I would make a chart on the board and then have each student take turns writing one similarity or difference on the board.

Galdone, P. (1970). The three little pigs. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Falling Up

Falling Up, written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein is an engaging book full of poems that will capture the attention of any young reader. The poems within the book are good way to teach children how to rhyme and create a wide range of different poems. The illustrations are engaging and add emphasis to the text. The illustrations help the reader visualize what the author is referring to.

For a class activity, I would have my students pick out their favorite poem and then have them draw their own illustrations for the one they chose.
Also, as a class we will pick one poem from the book and critique out loud together. I will ask my students questions like:

• What are two words in the poem that rhyme?
• What is the theme of the poem?
• What did you like or not like about the poem?

Falling Up is a must have for all young readers. Shel Silverstein is an absolute genius and his children friendly poems promote learning. Shel Silverstein is also the author of other popular poetry books like Where The Sidewalk Ends and A Light In The Attic.


Silverstein, S. (1996). Falling up. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers

Number The Stars

Number The Stars was written by Lois Lowry. It is a historical fiction novel centered around the occurances in Denmark during World War II. The story is about a young girl named Annmarie and her friend Ellen. Their peaceful town in Denmark is slowly being over run by the Nazis. When the Nazis began gathering up all the Jews and taking them to a unknown place, Annmarie's family take charge and insist on helping Ellen and other Jewish families escape to freedom.

This story was very compelling and was an eye opener to events that had huge effects on many individuals. I believe this story is a must read for all children as it will help them understand the difficulties that some children had to endure during World War II.

In the classroom I would have students make their own Star of David and write a small summary about what it is. I would also ask them questions like:

• Why was the Star of David important to Ellen?
• Why were the Nazi's gathering up the Jews?
• What is one thing you learned about World War II from this story?

Another classroom activity my students could do is research one Jewish custom, object, or person and then present it to the class by way of picture, drawing, or write up.

Lois Lowry is an American author who has written over thirty children's books. Some of her works include The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.


Lowry, L. (1989). Number the stars. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner was written by James Dashner. The story is about a boy named Thomas who wakes up with no memories of his prior life in a place called The Glade. The Glade has become home to many teenage boys who like Thomas, have all ended up there with no idea how or why. The glade is surrounded by a huge maze and every day the doors leading to the maze open and then at night close. The boys believe that if they can solve the maze then they will be able to find their way home. However, their journey is not easy and is filled with many twists and turns.

The Maze Runner would be classified as science fiction because places like The Glade and maze can and may exist in the future.

After reading the book, for an activity I would have my classroom divide up into groups and have each group compose a picture of what they imagine The Glade looks like.Also, I would have each student use their imagination to compose their own alternate introduction to the story that explains how they think the boys ended up at The Glade.

To get my students engaged in the concept of the story, I would ask my students a series of questions like:

• How would you feel if you woke up in a unfamiliar place?
• Would you be brave enough to be a runner?
• Would you suffer a sting from the Grievers to recall memories from your past?

The author James Dashner is a American author of many children's fantasy and adult books. He has written other books like The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, and The Kill Order all of which are considered to be apart of The Maze Runner Series.


Dashner, J. (2009). The maze runner. New York, NY: Random House Children's Books

Who Was Dr. Seuss?

Who Was Dr. Seuss? was written by Janet B. Pascal and illustrated by Nancy Harrison. The book contains lots of factual information about Dr. Seuss' life in a fun and attractive way. This book is perfect for children with its detailed illustrations and its easy dialogue. This book is considered a biography because it gives details about true events within Dr. Seuss' life.

Since this book is a chapter book, I would read at least two chapters a week to my class and then quiz them on the information I read. I would ask them questions like:

• What was Dr. Seuss real name?
• Where was Dr. Seuss born?
• What college did Dr. Seuss attend?

A motivational activity I would have my students do is get into groups of at least four and pick a specific time period in Dr. Seuss' life and act out an event in front of the class. Another activity is the students can each pick one of his books and write a small summary about it. As a class we will then go over all the books chosen and post a picture of them with the summaries on a huge timeline based on their publication date to be displayed in the classroom.

The author Janet Pascal is a children's author who works include other biographies like Who Was Abraham Lincoln?, Who Was Maurice Sendak?,and Who Was George Washington?


Pascal, J. (2011). Who was dr. seuss? New York, NY: Penguin Group

Too Many Tamales

Too Many Tamales is a multicultural contemporary fiction book written by Gary Soto and illustrated by Ed Martinez. The book is about a girl named Maria who was making tamales with her mother for the first time for Christmas Eve dinner. Maria was so excited because her mom let her wear perfume and lipstick as well. Maria felt like a grown-up and wanted to complete her outlook by wearing her mother’s sparking diamond ring. When her mother left the kitchen Maria quickly placed the ring on her finger with the intention of only wearing it for a few minutes. However, she forgot about taking it off and began to knead and mix the dough for the tamales with her hands. Later, after the tamales were cooked, Maria’s cousins came over and she realized that the ring was missing from her finger. The only place it could be was in the tamales so together, Maria and her cousins each took turns eating tamales only to discover that the ring was not inside any of them and Maria’s mother had the ring the entire time. The genre of the book was classified as contemporary realistic fiction because it contains characters, settings, and events that could occur in the real world.

A motivational activity I would do with my students is have them describe some of the foods from within their cultures that they eat at home. Then I would have them bring in the recipe to their favorite food and combine them all into a class recipe book. I would then make copies for each student to take home so they could practice making different cultural dishes with their parents.

This book was a very good read and it teaches young readers about culture and a valuable lesson in telling the truth.

The author Gary Soto is a Mexican-American author and poet and has published other titles such as Buried Onions (1997) and Baseball in April and Other Stories (1990).
Soto, G. (1993). Too many tamales. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons