The Last Stop on Market Street

Genre: Realistic fiction
Author: Matt de la Pena
Illustrator: Christian Robinson
Awards: Coretta Scott King, Newberry, Caldecott
Grade level: 1st-3rd

This is an amazing book about a young boy named CJ and his grandmother. On Sunday's after church, he and his grandmother ride the bus home. On this Sunday, CJ questions a lot of things and asks his grandmother questions about his life comparing it to his friends. He wonders why he doesn't have a car or other nice things like his other friends. His grandmother never scolds him for asking these questions, but instead responds in a way that shows the beauty of the things they see and do on their Sunday's after church.

I love this book and will definitely have it in my classroom! It is an amazing multicultural book and shows that students are different. A good age range is 1st-3rd because the text is great for a read aloud or students to read on their own. I would use this book in my classroom to show that even though we all do different things and have different routines, we should still be kind to one another and find the beauty in the things we have.

Refugee

Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: Alan Gratz
Illustrator: Alan Gratz
Awards: Bluebonnet
Grade level: 4th-6th

This is an amazing novel split into three different perspectives from three different time periods. The three perspectives are Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud. The story starts with Josef when his family's home is invaded in Berlin in Germany. His father is sent to a concentration camp, and they are allowed to leave if they leave Germany immediately, so they go on a ship heading to Cuba. Isabel is currently in Cuba (different time period) and watches as a riot unfolds during which her father is badly beaten. Mahmoud is the last to be introduced and one day while he is doing his homework, a missile explodes and tears the walls of his family's apartment. Throughout the book, it continues to switch perspectives and describes the struggles they all go through while seeking refugee. In the end, the stories actually connect in a crazy way. When Mahmoud finally reaches Germany, he stays at the home of a Jewish couple, and the wife actually ends up being Josef's sister. She describes to Mahmoud what Josef went through and did for her, and it makes Mahmoud feel at home.

This book is amazing! Definitely needed the tissues but it is an amazing read for older students and if I teach upper elementary or middle school I will definitely have this book in my classroom. It is definitely meant for older students between 4th and 6th because it is a huge book with large vocabulary for older students. I would use this book during a history unit describing one of the time periods in the story.

Hello, Universe

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
Illustrator: Isabel Roxas
Awards: Newberry
Grade level: 2nd-5th

This book is a great chapter book for students! It is a story told from multiple viewpoints and explains how 4 children become friends. It all begins when the neighborhood bully pulls a prank and throws on a young boy named Virgil by throwing his backpack down a well. Little did the bully know that Virgil's guinea pig was in the backpack as well. Virgil goes down the well to try and save his guinea pig and ends up getting trapped at the bottom of the well with his guinea pig. Virgil had previously talked to a psychic named Kaori about how he liked a deaf girl named Valencia, who also happened to visit Kaori. Kaori begins to worry when Virgil doesn't make his appointment, and she remembers she had told him to bring 5 stones to their next visit. Valencia has an appointment scheduled with Kaori, and Kaori discusses that she is worried about Virgil. Valencia agrees to help Kaori and Gen (Kaori's sister), but when she passes the well, she didn't realize that Virgil was supposed to collect 5 stones and when she sees them on the side of the well she tosses them back in and covers the well. After lots of searching, Valencia learns about the stones and realizes Virgil was in the well, and Kaori and Gen realize Valencia is the girl Virgil likes. In the end, the girl's rescue Virgil and all have a new found friendship. 

I love this novel and will definitely have it in my classroom. It is a thick chapter book, but the font is large and the vocabulary is simple for younger students like 2nd graders to understand, but 5th graders will enjoy this book as well. I would use this book with older students and have them read it and discuss it in the class in a book club setting and give the students sheets of paper with ideas about what to discuss from the book. 

Bridge toTerabithia

Genre: Fantasy
Author: Katherine Patterson
Illustrator: N/A
Awards: Newberry
Grade level: 2nd-5th

This story is about a young boy named Jess who grows up with 5 different sisters in a low-income home. Jess is determined to be the fastest boy in his grade and practices every morning before the race during recess. When the day of the race came, a new girl named Leslie Burke who just recently moved near Jess decided to race with the boys and ended up beating all of them. This sparks a new found friendship with Jess and Leslie and they create their own fantasy land called Terabithia where they can escape and let their imagination grow. The time they spend in Terabithia creates more courage in both of them and the trials they face in their daily life. One day, the music teacher invites Jess to spend a day at the galleries in Washington, and when he returns as the end of the day he discovers that Leslie had drowned in the creek trying to get to Terabithia. Jess is heartbroken at the loss of his best friend and has a difficult time coping with her death. He soon realizes that he will still have Leslie in memory and allows his little sister to visit Terabithia with him and become the new queen.

I love this book! I read it when I was younger and still to this day love it and will definitely have it in my classroom. It is a great chapter book for students in 2nd-5th grade because some vocabulary might be challenging but overall students will definitely enjoy this book. I would have this book in my classroom library and encourage students to create their own fantasy land similar to Terabithia.

Prehistorica Dinosaurs

Genre: Nonfiction
Author: Robert Sabuda
Illustrator: Matthew Reinhart
Awards: none
Grade level: 1st-4th

This is an amazing pop-up book that gives a lot of factual information about dinosaurs. This book shows the information in an extremely creative way that children will definitely love. The pop-ups throughout the story will capture any students attention and make them want to read and learn more about the dinosaurs. Throughout the book, there is one main dinosaur on the page and this is the largest pop-up of the page. While reading more facts about dinosaurs, the students can pull back tabs on the page with even more pop-ups and more facts for the student to learn.

This book is amazing and I definitely want this book in my classroom. I probably won't keep it in the classroom library since it is a pretty fragile book, but I want it to be available to students when they would like. I chose the age range to be 1st-4th because younger students might tear the pages and pop-ups, and they wouldn't be able to read the small print throughout the pages. I would use this book in my classroom at the beginning of a unit with dinosaurs to grasp the student's attention and get them excited to learn about dinosaurs.

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Genre: Fiction
Author: Crockett Johnson
Narrator: Owen Jordan
Awards: none
Grade level: PK-1st 

I listened to this as an audiobook on Audible. It is about a young boy named Harold who begins the story coloring on a few pages, then lets his creativity take control. Harold and his purple crayon go through many things, such as a forest, a beach, and even a dragon! Each time he goes somewhere new, it reminds him of something else, so he draws that and it comes to life. After lots and lots of drawing, Harold realizes that he wants to go home, so he searches for his home in the big city he has drawn. Eventually, he makes it back to his home and draws himself a blanket and slowly falls asleep. 

I read this book in my childhood, and it was interesting hearing it as an audiobook! I'm not sure if I would have the audiobook in my classroom, but I definitely want the hard copy in my classroom. It encourages children's creativity in a fun and unique way. An appropriate grade level is PK-1st, it is definitely for younger children with simple vocabulary and they can easily relate to Harold. I would use this book in my class to encourage students to be creative and use their imagination. 

Too Many Tamales

Genre: Realistic fiction
Author: Gary Soto
Illustrator: Ed Martinez
Awards: none
Grade level: 1st-3rd

This is a story about a Hispanic family on Christmas cooking Tamales for their Christmas meal. A young girl named Maria offers to help her mom in the Tamale making process, and while doing so, tries on her mother's wedding ring that her mom had taken off while making the Tamales. After many hours of making Tamales, Maria realizes her mother's wedding ring is missing from the counter. Maria's cousins arrive and she panics, and they all eat the Tamales together to try and find the mothers missing wedding ring. After no luck, Maria realizes she must confess to her mom, who turns out was wearing the wedding ring the entire time.

This is a great story that I will definitely have in my classroom. It teaches about Hispanic culture as well as giving a moral lesson that sometimes it's better, to tell the truth instead of lying. A good grade level for this is 1st-3rd because it is easy to read and they would easily be able to comprehend the story. I would use this book in my class around Christmas to show that some cultures celebrate the same holidays but have different traditions.

Sky Color

Genre: Realistic fiction
Author: Peter H. Reynolds
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Awards: none
Grade level: K-3rd

This book is about a young girl named Marisol who loves to paint! One day, her teacher asks the class to make a mural for the library, and Marisol says she will paint the sky! She runs over to the paint bucket only to discover there is no blue color for the sky. As she's heading home on the bus, she looks at the sky and notices all different colors. All throughout the night and morning, she is looking at the sky and embracing all the beautiful colors. She rushes to the mural and begins painting all of the beautiful colors she saw, and in the end, she says that the color she used is called "sky color".

I love this book and will definitely have it in my classroom! It shows how all of the different students in a class come together and create a mural for the library. A good grade for this is K-3rd because it would be a good read-aloud for young students, and older students can definitely read the text on their own. In my class, I would read this book and encourage students to think outside the box and come together and create an in-class mural. 

All I Am

Genre: Realistic fiction
Author: Eileen Roe
Illustrator: Hellen Cogancherry
Awards: none
Grade level: PK-1st

This is a book about a young boy and all that he can be, alongside many of his friends and family. Throughout the story, the little boy states many different things he can be, such as an artist, thinker, listener, etc. The story shows a lot of diversity throughout the story and showing that we can all be what we want to be as long as we put our hearts and determination into it. At the end of the story, the little boy says that sometimes he just wonders about all the different things he could be.

This is a great story that I will definitely have in my classroom. This book shows children that they can be what they set their minds to and that even though we are all different, we all are wonderful and can achieve many things. It is definitely more appropriate for younger children, especially early childhood. The vocabulary is simple and students can easily comprehend the message in the story. I would read this to my children to inspire them and let them know that we are all different but can each achieve amazing things.

Jamaica's Find

Genre: Realistic fiction
Author: Juanita Havill
Illustrator: Anne O'Brien
Awards: none
Grade level: K-2nd 

This book is about a young girl named Jamaica who goes to play at a park before dinner and discovers a stuffed toy dog and a red hat while playing. She is very excited about the toy dog, but the hat doesn't fit her so she decides to turn it into the park lost and found. When she gets home, her mom questions where she got the dog and even though she praises her for returning the hat, she states that she should have returned the dog as well. Jamaica feels guilty, and the next day she goes to the park to return the dog. As she's leaving from the lost and found she meets a little girl named Kristen who wants to play but is looking for her lost dog. It ends up being the dog that Jamaica found, and they become friends and continue to play at the park. 

This book is great for teaching a lesson and I will definitely have it in my class. An appropriate grade level is K-2nd because the book has simple vocabulary that the students can read. I would use this book to teach students about morals and what doing the right thing can do for us.

Families are Different

Genre: Realistic fiction
Author: Nina Pellegrini
Illustrator: Nina Pellegrini 
Awards: none
Grade level: K-2nd 

This is a beautiful story about two young Korean girls who are adopted by two Caucasian parents. Nico, one of the daughters, expresses her concern to her parents about feeling different. Most of her frustration is coming from the fact that her two best friends look like their parents but Nico doesn't look like hers. The story is the parents comforting Nico and telling her about all the different types of families out there, and reassuring her that no two families are alike. Nico realizes that it's okay to be different and knows that she is loved by her parents.

This is a great book to teach children about diversity and I would definitely have this book in my classroom. I chose the grade level to be K-2nd because it's a great simple book for younger children to explore on their own and learn more about how each family is different. I would use this book to teach children that each of us our different and we each come from different families.