The Very Hungry Caterpilar

Author/ Illustrator: Eric Carle      Copyright: 1987
Genre: Concept           Reading Level: Kindergarten              Activity Level: Kindergarten

Book Description: The life of a very hungry caterpillar who later emerges as a butterfly.

Integrated Idea: Draw a picture of your face, the teacher will cut each student's picture and create a giant caterpillar with the class. This will be put up above the board so that the children can see it at all times. Explain to them that they too are hungry but not for leaves, but for learning. Eventually they will turn into butterflies at the end of the school year. Then you can read the story again and take a new picture and make a butterfly.

Reviewer's Name and Affiliation: Sara Warren, Valdosta State University

Tito Puente

Author: Monica Brown      Illustrator: Rafael Lopez     Copyright: 2013
Genre: Bibliography      Reading Level: 2nd Grade     Activity Level: 2nd Grade

Book Description: Tito Puente loved banging pots and pans as a child, but what he really dreamed of was having his own band one day. This is a the true life story of a boy whose passion for music turned him into the "King of Mambo."

Integrated Idea: Make a song as a class using pots and pans and other useful items as instruments as Tito did! Write a short paragraph (2 or 3 sentences) and describe how important music is. Listen to some of Tito's real music in class while they write their paragraph.

Reviewers Name and Affiliation: Sara Warren, Valdosta State University

John, Paul, George & Ben

Author/ Illustrator: Lane Smith             Copyright: 2006
Genre: Historical Fiction                Reading Level: 2.5        Activity Level: 5th Grade

Book Description: This story book describes each of the 4 men and how they helped America in history. This book is very relatable to children but effective with providing the proper knowledge for the standards. The book describes each of them to be independent, bold, honest, clever, or noisy. It was awarded the Zena Sutherland Award for best overall book by the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.

Integrated Idea: Pick one of the 4 men and tell why they were the MOST important to America and why. This is should be in paragraph form using evidence based writing.

Reviewer's Name and Affiliation: Sara Warren, Valdosta State University

The Moon Over Star

Author: Dianna Hutts Aston       Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney      Copyright: 2008
Genre: Historical Fiction           Reading Level: 2nd Grade        Activity Level: 4th Grade

Book Description: In July 1969, the world witnessed an awe-inspiring historical achievement when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon. This story is from a little girl's perspective as her family watches this event on television.

Integrated Idea: Draw a picture of the historical moment, labeled by the date and the people's names who were on the moon. Write a short description of what happened that day in history under the picture.

Reviewer's Name and Affiliation: Sara Warren, Valdosta State University

The Library Dragon

Author: Carmen Agra Deedy        Illustrator: Michael P. White         Copyright: 1994
Genre: Fiction              Reading Level: 2nd Grade             Activity Grade: 2nd Grade

Book Description: The Librarian is a dragon of a lady and doesn't want any of the kids to read the library books or ruin them, but when she sees the kids taking care of the books she turns into a human again and becomes kind.

Integrated Idea: "Dragon" could be another term for "Bully," and this is how one could introduce the idea of synonyms. Find synonyms in the book and write them on the board with the class. Write a paragraph about the book and change as many words as one can using synonyms. The class could even write a short letter to their own librarian thanking them for not being such a "dragon" with their own personal library books using synonyms the students learned previously at the beginning of class.

Reviewers Name & Affiliation: Sara Warren, Valdosta State University

The Hat

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jan Brett
PUBLISHER: Putnam Juvenile PUBLICATION DATE: October 4,1999
GENRE: Big Picture Book READING LEVEL: Pre k- 2nd Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: When Lisa was hanging her woolen clothes outside one of her mittens flew of and caught on Hedgie the hedgehog’s head. All the animals laughed at him, but he told them good reasons why to wear a hat. They all got to thinking and by the end of the story all the animals were wearing hats.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: We could do a sequence of events on the smartboard. There would be pictures and a timeline of the story. The children could drag the picture and play it on the timeline where it occurred in the story.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Carley Craft, Valdosta State University ECSE

Extra Yarn

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: (Both if they are not one in the same)

PUBLISHER:                         PUBLICATION DATE: 

AWARDS:  (If no awards, delete this whole category)

GENRE:                       READING LEVEL: Age 7

BRIEF OVERVIEW: One day, Annabelle finds a box full of yarn. She uses her yarn to bring color to the gray in her life.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will be given balls of yarn and a poster image of a gray city. They will use the yarn to decorate their image. Then, they will describe in groups why the yarn gives the image liveliness.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Quiana Nicole Childs, Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: (only use 3-5 from the list that apply to your book).

Biscuit Goes to School

Author: Alyssa SatinIllustrator: Pat Schories

Copyright: 2003      Genre: Fiction       Reading Level: Age 6 Activity Grade Level: First Grade 
Book Description: Biscuit is a dog who gets to go to school for the day. He explores the different things that are available to do at school. He loves going to school.  
Integrated Activity: The students will write a story about their favorite things to do at school. They need to include a topic sentence, three details, and a closing sentence.  
Reviewers name and Affiliation: Lexi Simmons Valdosta State University

The Year of Billy Miller

Author/Illustrator: Kevin Henkes         Copyright: 2013  
Genre:  Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Age 9    Activity Grade Level: Fourth Grade Book Description: Billy Miller starts second grade with a bump on his head that he got at the statue of the Jolly Green Giant. As the school year goes by, he learns to appreciate his family, be a big help to his family, and do better in school.                        Integrated Activity: The teacher will introduce the idea of Exposition, Climax, and Resolution based on this book. The students will draw the graph with the three parts and write the details for each part. 

Reviewers name and Affiliation: Lexi Simmons Valdosta State University

Emily Goes Wild

Author: Betty Lou Phillips
Illustrator: Sharon Watts
Copyright: 2003     Genre:  Fiction-Picture Book       
Reading Level: Age 9    Activity Grade Level: Fourth Grade                                        Book Description: Madame DuBois had a little monkey, Emily that she adored. The monkey started causing trouble so she took it to a zoo. She missed Emily terribly, so she volunteered at the zoo to be with Emily.                                                   Integrated Activity: The students will compare and contrast the point of view from Madame DuBois and Emily after reading the story. 

Reviewers name and Affiliation:  Lexi Simmons  Valdosta State University

Divide and Ride

Author: Stuart J. MurphyIllustrator: George Ulrich      Copyright: 1997         Genre:  Realistic Fiction      Reading Level: Age 6   Activity Grade Level: First Grade                               Book Description: The eleven kids go to the carnival, but for each ride they have to have a certain number of people to ride. So, the book challenges the readers to find out how many more people they need to ride each ride.

Integrated Activity: Each student will be given a domino, and they will have to write on a notecard how many more dots there needs to be to make each side even. 

Reviewers name and Affiliation: Lexi Simmons Valdosta State University

The Truck Book

Author/Illustrator: Harry Mcnaught

Copyright: 1978

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Age 6     Activity Grade Level: First Grade   
Book Description: This book describes the many different trucks there are. It explains what each truck does, and what you use the trucks for.
Integrated Activity: The students will make their favorite vehicle using play dough. On a piece of paper, they will explain the type of vehicle, what it does, and two details about the vehicle.

Reviewers name and Affiliation:   Lexi Simmons   Valdosta State University

My Brother Martin

AUTHOR:Christine King Farris    ILLUSTRATOR: Chris Soentpiet

PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster         PUBLICATION DATE: 2005 

AWARDS:  Child Magazine Best Book

Arizona Young Readers Awards

IRA Teachers' Choice for 2004

NAACP Image Award 2004

GENRE: Biography: Intermediate    READING LEVEL:  age 8

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Christine (Martin’s sister) tells about the early life of her little brother. Then she talked about how Martin’s childhood experience made an inspirational movement. Letting the reader see Martin’s life through the perspective of his loved ones only proves a point that dreams can truly come true. All it takes is to believe really hard.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will conduct research over Martin’s childhood and his accomplishments as an adult. They can create a fold-able or a chart that includes his character traits such as: how he was inspirational, active, and courageous. Students will also have a chance to write about a dream that they have.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Nancy Guerrero, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: biography, History, Dr. Martin Luther King

Tuesday

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: David Weisner

PUBLISHER: Haughton Mifflin Harcourt         PUBLICATION DATE:  1991

AWARDS:  Caldecott Award

GENRE: Picture Book                     READING LEVEL:  N/A Wordless PB

BRIEF OVERVIEW: On what the reader knows is a Tuesday, frogs begin to float on Lilly pads and fly from their swamp into the city. Then, at the end of the night, their magic Lilly pads stop flying. The reader is left to wonder what will fly next Tuesday. (Maybe pigs?)

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: This would be a great for a science unit that describes characteristics of frogs. (Can frogs really fly?)

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Serena Martin, Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: Frogs, Flying, Science

Magritte's Marvelous Hat

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: D.B. Johnson

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster     
PUBLICATION DATE: 2012
GENRE: Fiction READING LEVEL: 1^st Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A painter buys a hat that floats above his head. The hat helps him paint better, but one day flies away. Eventually, however, the painter tricks the hat into returning.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: The children will bring a favorite hat to school and wear it while painting. (Ask: Did it help you paint better?)
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Serena Martin, Valdosta State University ECSE
LABELS: Art, Reading, Dogs, Hats