I Wish I Were a Pilot

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stella Blackston/Max Grover

PUBLISHER:Barefoot Books     PUBLICATION DATE:March 1, 2008 

GENRE: Fiction Picture Book     READING LEVEL:  First Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: The story tells of someone who wishes they were a pilot, balloonist, driver, etc and traveling everywhere.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will match different modes of transportation with the correct locations of geography and glue them on a sheet of paper.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION:  Kasey Casey, Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: transportation, fiction, geography

The Greatest Game Ever Played

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Phil Bildner/Zachary Pullen

PUBLISHER:Putnam Juvenile   PUBLICATION DATE: August 3, 2006 

GENRE: Historical Fiction        READING LEVEL:  Third Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Sam and his dad loved the Giants baseball team then the team moved from New York.  Pop lost his job and Sam got a job, when Sam was let go his boss gave him tickets to a football game.  He took his Pop to it.  Even though the team lost, they knew it was the Greatest Game Ever Played.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will re-create the story in small groups and act out in a short play.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kasey Casey, Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: sports, historical fiction, tradition

 

It Is the Wind

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Ferida Wolff/James Ransome

PUBLISHER:  Harper Collins    PUBLICATION DATE:April 12, 2005 

GENRE:Fiction Pictuer Book            READING LEVEL:  First Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A little boy tries to figure out what the noise is that wakes him up in the night.  He thinks it may be an animal such as owl, calf, etc.... and in the end he realizes it is the wind.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: As a class, talk about rhyming words before reading the book.  After the book, make a class list of rhyming words they heard.  Pair up students and have them write down other words that may rhyme.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kasey Casey,  Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: night, literacy, rhyming

Grandma's Hurrying Child

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jane Yolen/Kay Chorao

PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers  

PUBLICATION DATE: 04/ 01/2005 

GENRE: Fiction Picture Book      READING LEVEL:  First Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A grandmother tells her granddaughter about the day she was born and how she hurried to meet her.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Children will go home and interview a guardian about the day they were born and tell about it the next day.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kasey Casey,  Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: family, emotions, life

Explore in a Cave

AUTHOR/PHOTOGRAPHER: Dana Meachen Rau/ Romie Flanagan

PUBLISHER: Rourke Publishing    
PUBLICATION DATE: 2001 

: Describes what you would wear, bring, and see in a cave.: NonFiction Picture Book   READING LEVEL: Kindergarten           

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will write two sentences about what they would wear to a cave, take to a cave, or see in a cave and draw a picture.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kasey Casey,  Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: adventure, explore, nonfiction

The Very Cranky Bear

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Nick Bland

PUBLISHER: Orchard Books

PUBLICATION DATE:  July 29, 2014

GENRE: Picture Book                    

READING LEVEL:  Ages 5-7

BRIEF OVERVIEW: When a zebra, lion, sheep, and moose try to find shelter in a cave from the storm, they notice a very cranky bear. They try to cheer poor bear up by offering the very stripes off Zebras back, the mane off of Lions head, and even Mooses antelers! Will sheep have the answer to Bears problems?

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:  Provide students with a copy of brown bear picture and let them decorate him like the story. Stripes like Zebra, mane like Lion and antlers like Moose.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Mary McKenzie, Valdosta State University ECSE)

Naughty Kitty

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Adam Stower
PUBLISHER: Templar    
PUBLICATION DATE: 2012
GENRE: Picture Book    
READING LEVEL: Ages 4-6
BRIEF OVERVIEW: When Lily is finally allowed to have her very own kitten, strange things start to happen. Could it be someone or something that is responsible for kitty’s wild behavior? 
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will draw a picture of either their own pet, or a neighbor/family members pet, and share one thing that the kitten in the story had in common with their pet.  
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Mary McKenzie, Valdosta State University ECSE)

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel

AUTHOR: Caryn Yacowitz

ILLUSTRATOR: David Slonim

PUBLISHER: Arthur A. Levine Books          

PUBLICATION DATE:  August 26, 2014)      

GENRE: Picture Book                    

READING LEVEL:  Ages 4-8

BRIEF OVERVIEW: When Bubbe's family comes to visit her for the holidays, she begins preparing for them a large supper. The dinner looks delicious! Until one dish goes a bit wrong. After the first bite Bubbe begins having some very weird cravings. After her feasting goes hangwire, will it in fact be fatal?

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Introduce individual food items from book, and where in the world they are harvested. Students will then do Think-Pair-Share with their partner, and tell about their favorite food.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Mary McKenzie, Valdosta State University ECSE)

This is My House

 AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Arthur Dorros

PUBLISHER:  Scholastic Trade         

PUBLICATION DATE: 1992  

GENRE: Realistic Fiction     

 READING LEVEL:  Ages 5-7

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Take a tour of many different houses from such faraway places as China, Egypt, Israel, Japan, and other countries. Along the way readers will learn to say "house" in fifteen languages!

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will make pictures of their own houses using construction paper, cotton balls, yarn, and popsical sticks.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Mary McKenzie, Valdosta State University ECSE)

Unspoken

                            

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Henry Cole

PUBLISHER:  Scholastic Press   

PUBLICATION DATE: 2012

AWARDS: Sixth annual Horace Mann Upstanders Book Award Winner

GENRE: Wordless Picture book    

READING LEVEL:  Ages 5-7

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A young girls courage is tested when she discovers runaway slaves in her parents barn. She is forced to make a choice to tell or keep their secret.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: After reading the story, students will sequence the events in the book by pictures with their small groups.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Mary McKenzie, Valdosta State University ECSE)

Bedhead

TITLE:  Bedhead

AUTHOR: Margie Palatini

ILLUSTRATOR: Jack E. Davis

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers              

PUBLICATION DATE: 2000

GENRE: Realistic Fiction                      

READING LEVEL:  Ages 9+

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Oliver wakes up on picture day with a TERRIBLE hairdo. His family helps him fix the mess-up through many different means and measures in order for him to go to school. Students will love the creative sound words included in this text. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have students create their own "Bedhead" by using paper plates, markers, eyes, construction paper, and glue. Grade 2. 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Kelsey Rice, Valdosta State University ECSE)

Long Ago and Today

TITLE:  Long Ago and Today

AUTHOR: Rozanne Lanczak Williams

ILLUSTRATOR: Meryl Treatner

PUBLISHER: Creative Teaching Press, Incorporated   

PUBLICATION DATE: 1996

GENRE: Nonfiction                 

READING LEVEL:  Ages 6+

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book provides examples of activities that people did historically and still do now. It illustrates how people did these activities long ago compared to how we do them today. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have students interview a grandparent or older family member about his or her life as a child and compare and contrast five things about his or her life with their own life. Grade 1.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Kelsey Rice, Valdosta State University ECSE)

100th Day Worries

TITLE:  100th Day Worries

AUTHOR: Margery Cuyler

ILLUSTRATOR: Arthur Howard

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster

PUBLICATION DATE: 2000

GENRE: Realistic Fiction

READING LEVEL:  Ages 9+

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Jessica is a worrywart. She worries about what she'll eat that day, what she'll wear, etc. When she finds out her assignment is to bring 100 items of something to school on the 100th Day of School, she is sent into a panic. With the help of her family, she decides to bring 10 of 10 different items to school.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Bring 100 buttons, paper clips, or Popsicle sticks, etc. and divide students into groups. Have each group count their item by 2s, 5s, 10s, 20s, etc. Grade 2.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Kelsey Rice, Valdosta State University ECSE)

Just A Few Words, Mr. Lincoln

TITLE:  Just A Few Words, Mr. Lincoln

AUTHOR: Jean Fritz

ILLUSTRATOR: Charles Robinson

PUBLISHER: Grosset and Dunlap

PUBLICATION DATE: 1993

GENRE: Nonfiction  

READING LEVEL: Ages 9+

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book covers the many various jobs that President Lincoln was responsible for. This book also gives the historical background of the Civil War and describes what was happening in America at the time. This book relives the Gettysburg Address and includes the actual text of the speech. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Divide the Gettysburg Address among students and have them recite the speech. Then ask students to write a paragraph summarizing the speech using their own words.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Kelsey Rice, Valdosta State University ECSE)

Gregory, the Terrible Eater

AUTHOR: Mitchell Sharmat

ILLUSTRATORS: Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
PUBLICATION DATE: 1980
GENRE:   Fiction     READING LEVEL:  Ages 8+
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Gregory is a goat who only likes healthy human food, which worries his trash-loving parents. Gregory's parents take him to the doctor who suggests they begin mixing the healthy human food with goat food. Soon, Gregory begins to like all types of food.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Divide students into groups and give each group a level of the food pyramid. Have students research their food level and find foods that belong in their group. Students can then present this to the class. Grade 4.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Kelsey Rice, Valdosta State University ECSE)

The Day The Crayons Quit

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Drew Daywalt / Oliver Jeffers

PUBLISHER:  Penguin Young Readers Group PUBLICATION DATE: 2013

GENRE: Concept Book READING LEVEL:  6 YR.

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Maya Newsome, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: crayons, art, quitting, coloring 

How the Dinosaur Got To The Museum

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jessie Hartland

PUBLISHER: Blue Apple Books PUBLICATION DATE: 2011

GENRE: Non-Fiction/Informational Book READING LEVEL: 8 years old

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

Documents a single dinosaur and how it journeys from early life to ending up in a museum including archaeological facts and vocabulary.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:

Dinosaur bone – hide & seek ; Vocabulary quiz over archaeological terms.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Maya Newsome, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: dinosaur, archaeology, museum

The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County

 TITLE: The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Janice N. Harrington/Shelley Jackson

PUBLISHER:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux PUBLICATION DATE: 2007

GENRE: Fiction Picture Book READING LEVEL:  5 years old

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

A young African-American girl who lives on a farm has a hobby of catching chickens however there is one chicken named Miss Hen who is “unattainable”. The girl makes it a goal to catch her.

However when she finds on that Miss Hen is a mother to many baby chickens she decides to protect them instead of catch them.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:

As a first grade class for a physical activity we could play a game of tag. Assign some children to be the chickens and the other group to be the farmers. The farmers have to chase and catch the chickens.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Maya Newsome, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: chicken, African-American author, female character

Why the Sky Is Far Away

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mary-Joan Gerson/ Hope Meryman

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

PUBLICATION DATE: 1974

GENRE:Traditional Books- Non Euro   READING LEVEL:  1st Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

The sky was once so close to the Earth that people cut parts of it to eat.

One person’s waste of the sky’s resources caused it to move far away and the people had to learn to plant and harvest.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:

On Earth Day, we could read the this story and then talk about why appreciating nature is so important. Students would then make a list of how they can treat their world better.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Maya Newsome,Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: Nigerian, Africa, Nature, Sky