Number the Stars

Author: Lois Lowry

Title: Number the Stars

Illustrator: None

Genre: Chapter Book

Subgenre: Holocaust

Theme:  The challenges that faced those affected by the Holocaust.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- Annemarie Johansen, Secondary- Ellen Rosen, Mrs. Johansen, Uncle Henrik, Peter.

Award(s) date of publication: Newbery Award, 1989

Publishing Company: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Number the Stars is about a ten year old girl who lives in Denmark. She is a normal child who loves to hang out with her friends and enjoy life but her life takes a hard turn when her and her family has to deal with the Nazis and avoiding the Holocaust. This book talks about the different situations that her and her family had to go through until they finally escaped and left Denmark. I can use this book in my class to teach my students about history and about the Holocaust. This book gives the students a better understanding because they can relate to Annemarie and relive her life through reading this book.

Bud, Not Buddy

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Title: Bud, Not Buddy          

Illustrator: Ernie Norcia

Genre: Chapter Book

Subgenre: Family

Theme: Things sometimes happen for a reason.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- Bud Caldwell, Secondary- Todd Amos, Herman E. Calloway, Lefty Lewis, and Miss Thomas

Award(s) date of publication: Newbery Award and Caldecott Award, 1999

Publishing Company: Delacorte Press

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Bud, Not Buddy is a book about a boy named Bud Caldwell who has become an orphanage after the death of his mother. As he moves from one orphanage to another Bud has to endure many different challenging and dangerous situations. One in particular, is when he is sent to live with the Amos family. The Amos family has a son named Todd who is very abusive towards Bud and ends up forcing him to sleep outside where he gets stung by hornets. Bud then runs away and finally meets a man by the name of Herman E. Calloway who he soon starts to believe is his father. In the end, Bud discovers that Mr. Calloway is his father and they are reunited. I can use this book in my classroom to teach my students that even though sometimes life seems hard and that you may be going through rough situations in life things usually have a way of working themselves out. This topic teaches the students about having hope and determination.  

Everything on a Waffle

Author: Polly Horvath

Title: Everything on a Waffle           

Illustrator: Polly Horvath

Genre: Chapter Book

Subgenre: Adolescence and Family

Theme: Never give up if you believe something to be true.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- Primrose Squarp, Secondary- Miss Perfidy, Uncle Jack, Kate Bowzer

Award(s) date of publication: Newbery Award, 2001

Publishing Company: Farrar Straus and Giroux

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Everything on a Waffle is a book about a girl named Primrose. Her parents are said to have been killed at sea but she believes that they are still alive. While she holds on to hope that they will soon return she is passed around to different custodianships to include Miss Perfidy and her Uncle Jack. Finally, she ends up in the custody of a lady named Kate Bowzer who works at a local restaurant that is Primrose’s favorite. The restaurant serves everything on top of a waffle. Throughout the book Primrose discovers who she is and eventually reunites with her parents. I can use this book in my classroom to talk about how important it is to never give up hope. Whether you believe that your parents are still out there or simply that you can finish your homework assignment. Believing in yourself and your ideas is very important to your overall success.

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Author: Peggy Rathmann

Title: Officer Buckle and Gloria
Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Teamwork and Education

Theme: The importance of having good team work.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- Officer Buckle and Gloria, Secondary- The student and principal at the school

Award(s) date of publication: Caldecott, 1995

Publishing Company: Putnam Books

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Officer Buckle and Gloria is a book about a police officer named Officer Buckle who goes around to different schools and teaches the students about safety. The problem is that every time he does most of the students fall asleep. Until one day, Officer Buckle has to take along Gloria the police dog. While Office Buckle is educating the students on safety Gloria does tricks behind his back. This grabs the children’s attention and everyone is awake and seems to be paying full attention to Officer Buckle, when really they are focused on Gloria. Officer Buckle thinks that the students enjoy his teaching until one day he sees a video and realizes what Gloria has been doing. Out of anger, he refuses to do anymore classes on safety until one of the students sends him a note telling him how much she enjoyed his teaching and Gloria’s tricks as well. From then on Officer Buckle and Gloria begin to go around to all the school together. I can use this book in my classroom to teach my students that no matter what you are learning if you make it fun then you will learn a lot more. Gloria was only trying to help Officer Buckle by drawing in the students’ attention. This can also teach the students about teamwork. If you work together instead of against your teammate the chances of success are much higher.  

Black and White

Author: David Macaulay

Title: Black and White

Illustrator: David Macaulay

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Sequencing of events.

Theme: Different stories can go together and make up one complete story.

Primary and secondary characters: The Children, their parents, the people waiting at the bus station, and the Holstein cows.

Award(s) date of publication: Caldecott, 1990

Publishing Company: Houghton Mifflin Company

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Black and White is a book that is broken up into four different stories. All four stories can be put together to make on complete story. Overall the book is about a boy and girl who think their parents are “problem parents” as they call them until one day their parents come home acting strange. The parents begin cutting up newspapers and making clothes and hats out of them, while this is taking place a bunch of people are waiting for a train at a train station while reading newspapers. The train has been delayed because a herd of cows were let loose from the Holstein farm. In the end the cows return back to the farm and the train approaches the train station. The two children’s parents return to their normal “problem parent” selves by asking the children if they have finished their homework. I found this book very confusing and I personally think it would be hard for young students to comprehend and follow. Therefore I would most likely not use this book in my classroom. Yet, this book could be used in the classroom to teach children about sequencing since the book follows a sequence of events that all tie together in some way or another.

The Falling Leaves

Author: Steve Metzger

Title: The Falling Leaves

Illustrator: Jill Dubin

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Seasons and Fall

Theme: Don’t plan life out because you never know what is going to happen.

Primary and secondary characters: Red Oak, Orange Maple, Purple Beech, Yellow Hickory, and the Wind.

Award(s) date of publication: None, 2002

Publishing Company: Scholastic Inc.

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: The Falling Leaves is about four leaves- Red Oak, Orange Maple, Purple Beech, and Yellow Hickory, who are discussing how each one plans to fall from the tree this year. The first three leaves are all very excited and competitive against each other. They ask the fourth leave, Yellow Hickory, how he plans to fall and the Yellow Hickory tells them that he is going to let go and relax and let the wind guide him safely down. The others laugh at him saying that he is going to fall straight to the ground. As each leave begins to fall things do not happen as they planned for the first three leaves and all three end up in the mud. The fourth leave who had no particular plan ends up flying in the wind and landing on the nice cool water. I can use this book in my class to teach my children the idea that things do not allows goes as planned. It is good to have a plan but one should be aware that things can and usually take a different direction. It is better to know a head of time that If you have a plan it may possibly fail or turn out differently than expected.  

The Underground Railroad

Author: Allison Lassieur

Title: The Underground Railroad

Illustrator: Allison Lassieur

Genre: Chapter Book

Subgenre: Slavery

Theme: Experiencing life during the time of the Underground Railroad.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- You the reader Secondary- Your family, slave owner, and people you encounter on your trip to becoming free.

Award(s) date of publication: None, 2008

Publishing Company: Coughlan Publishing

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: The Underground Railroad is a book that allows the reader to relive the late 1800s during the time of slavery. This book is considered a “you choice” book because it allows the reader to make choices along the way that determine the path and outcome of those choices. The book has 3 story paths, 37 choices, and 16 different endings. This book allows the reader to receive a hands-on understanding of what these individuals went through during this particular day and age. I can use this book in my classroom to educate my students on slavery and the Underground Railroad. I think that this is a very interesting book and I love how the author gives the reader different choices to draw the reader into the book and allow them to see how they would react in certain situations.

My Friend Rabbit

Author: Eric Rohmann

Title: My Friend Rabbit

Illustrator: Eric Rohmann

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Friendship

Theme: Good friends are friends no matter what happens.

Primary and secondary characters: Mouse and Rabbit

Award(s) date of publication: Caldecott, 2002

Publishing Company: Roaring Brook Press

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: My Friend Rabbit is about two friends, Rabbit and Mouse. Rabbit has good intentions but always end up making things worse. Rabbit is trying to get their plane as it flies around and decides that the best solution would be to get a bunch of friends to stand on top of each other until they reach the plane. Mouse on top does reach the plane and hops on board but this causes everyone else to fall. Although this was not the best solution to their problem, Mouse acknowledges that Rabbit’s intentions are always good. I could use this piece of literature in my classroom when talking about friendship and teaching children that despite their differences being a friend means accepting who another person is, no matter what.

Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple

Author: A.H. Benjamin

Title: Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple

Illustrator: Gwyneth Williamson 

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Friendship and Sharing

Theme: Doing the right thing, to include sharing, can be very self-rewarding.


Primary and secondary characters: Primary- The Little Mouse with the Apple, Secondary- The frog, the tortoise, and the mole.


Award(s) date of publication: None, 2001


Publishing Company: Scholastic Inc.

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple is about a little mouse who comes across an apple. He is very hungry and cannot wait to eat the apple once he gets home. Yet, on the way home the apple gets in different situations that the mouse needs help retrieving, such as getting stuck in a log. Three different individuals come along to help on three separate occasions. Each time the mouse thanks them but continues on saying to himself that he does not want to share with others. One the mouse finally gets the apple up a huge hill and arrives at his house the apple begins to roll back down the hill. Once the mouse gets to the bottom of the hill he finds the three individuals who helped him earlier in the book. They tell the mouse how nice it was of him to send the apple back down for them. Instead of getting angry the mouse smiles and says "Don't mention it. Isn't that what friends are for?". This book can be used in my classroom to talk about the topic of sharing with others. Mouse learns from the situation that sharing with the others was the right thing to do and it makes him feel rewarded for "accidentally" giving the others the apple. I would continue in using this in one of my lessons by stating that sometimes doing the right thing, especially when it comes to sharing, can have a much more positive reaction and make the classroom environment a much more positive place to learn.

Grace For President

Author: Kelly DiPucchio

Title: Grace For President

Illustrator: LeUyen Pham 

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Election and Presidency

Theme: Anything is possible if you work hard to succeed.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- Grace, Secondary- Thomas Cobb, Mrs. Barrington, Grace's classmates

Award(s) date of publication: None, 2010

Publishing Company: Scholastic Inc.

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Grace For President is about a girl who after realizing that there has yet to be a female president decides that she wants to become president. Her teacher decides to have an election at their school to teach her children about what it takes to become a president. The book talks about the different things that the two candidates running for president do to try to win over the votes. All of the remaining students in the class become the fifty states with each state having the accurate amount of electoral votes. On election day Grace's opponent Thomas Cobb is ahead by one electoral vote. The only state left to vote is Wyoming and he decides to vote for Grace. Grace becomes president and follows on with the duties that she promised she would fulfill as president. Grace realizes from her experience that hard work pays off and that she one day hopes to become the real president. I could use this book in my class to teach my students about the election and when talking about the previous presidents. The teacher in the book, Mrs. Barrington uses a very creative approach to educate her students on how the election process works. This would be a good way to educate my students either before having our own school election or simply in place of one if we cannot act it out- due to time restraints and the number of students. This book also teaches students that they can be anything they want when they grow up as long as they work hard and put their all into what they are trying to accomplish.

The Napping House

Author: Audrey Wood

Title: The Napping House

Illustrator: Don Wood

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Rhyming Book

Theme: Something small can have a huge affect on everything else.  

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- The Napping House, Granny, child, dog, cat, mouse, and flea.

Award(s) date of publication: None, 1984

Publishing Company: Houghton Mifflin Publishing

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: This book is about a house that is napping along with a granny who is snoring, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, and a slumber mouse all sleeping in the same cozy bed. Then a tiny flea on the back of the mouse who is a wake bites the mouse. This causes a chain reaction until everyone in the house is awake and to eventually include the napping house. I can use this book in my classroom to talk about the effects that one individual can have on everyone else. This can be used in several different situations. I can use it to talk about misbehaving and how one child behavior can cause the whole classroom to lose certain privileges such as recess time.  I can also use this book to talk about how one student can have a huge impact on the world and change view points and even make a difference.

Leo the Late Bloomer

Author: Robert Kraus

Title: Leo the Late Bloomer

Illustrator: Jose Aruego

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Development and Learning

Theme: Everyone is unique and individuals learn different things at different paces.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- Leo the Lion, Leo's Mom and Leo's Dad.

Award(s) date of publication: None, 1991

Publishing Company: HarperCollins Publishers

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Leo the Late Bloomer is about a little lion who cannot read, write, draw, eat neatly, or speak. His father is worried about him and asks his mother if she thinks something is wrong with Leo. His mother says no that Leo is just a late bloomer. Finally, one day Leo blooms. He can now read, write, draw, eat neatly and speak. He tells his mom and dad that "He did it!". This book could be used in my class room to talk about how everyone in the class is different. Some students may be good at one thing such as drawing while another student may be good at drawing. I could continue by stating that everyone blooms at a different time and at their own pace and that some students may gain knowledge on some concepts faster than others. This does not make those individuals superior to their fellow classmates it just means that they may have bloomed earlier. This goes along with the idea that students are very diverse and that there are multiple intelligences in a single classroom.