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

Lon Po Po

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Ed Young

PUBLISHER:  Philomel Books       PUBLICATION DATE:1989

AWARDS:  Caldecott Medal 1990

GENRE: Fiction              READING LEVEL:  2^nd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Three girls are left at home when a wolf comes, pretending to be their grandmother. Quickly, the clever girls realize this and hatch a plot to kill the wolf.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Compare the story of Lon Po Po to the European version of the Little Red Riding Hood. What is different?

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

LABELS: Folk Tales, China

Jackie's Bat

AUTHOR: Marybeth Lorbiecki

ILLUSTRATOR: Brian Pinkney
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster PUBLICATIONS DATE : 2006
GENRE: Fiction READING LEVEL: 3rd Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A bat boy in 1947 meets the first professional black baseball player, Jackie Robinson. In watching Jackie, the bat boy learns what it really means to be a man and not judge one by the color of their skin.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will integrate this with their social studies and research ways the Bill of Rights has affected both women and black people in America.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Serena Martin, Valdosta State University ECSE
LABELS: History, Sports, Heroes, and Social Studies

Amelia to Zora

AUTHOR: Cynthia Chin-Lee

ILLUSTRATOR: Megan Halsey and Sean Addy

PUBLISHER: Charlesbridge  PUBLICATION DATE:  2005

AWARDS:

• ABC Best Books for Children
• NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
• Bank Street College of Education's Best Books of the Year
• Bookbuilders of Boston New England Book Show Winner
• Book Links Best New Books for the Classroom
• Book Sense Children's Picks List, CCBC Choices
• IRA/CBC Children's Choices, National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA)
• 49th Annual New England Book Show Juvenile Book Award.                

GENRE: Non-Fiction                       
READING LEVEL:  5^th grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: An alphabetical catalog of women who pioneered changes throughout history.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Write about who your hero is. Read aloud about the person in class.

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

LABELS: Women, Heroes, History, English

Alphabet City

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stephen T. Johnson

PUBLISHER: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated    PUBLICATION DATE:  1995

AWARDS: A 1996 Caldecott Honor Book
ALA Notable Award
A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year
A 1996 Children’s Book of Distinction by Hungry Mind Review
A 1996 Children’s Books Mean Business ABA-CBC
A New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators, New York, NY
Horn Book Magazine Starred Review and a Horn Book Fanfare Award
Parenting Magazine’s Reading Magic Award
Parents Magazine’s Best Books of 1995 and a Parents Pick of the Year
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
School Library Journal Starred Review
Children’s Book of the Year and marked for Outstanding Merit by The Bank Street Child Study Children’s Book Committee
Wisconsin Library Association’s Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Literature
Featured in it entirety on ABC’s Good Morning America with Charlie Gibson and Joan Lunden

GENRE: Nonfiction PB     READING LEVEL:  age 5

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Through the use of water colors, the author uses objects of the urban setting to demonstrate that the alphabet or letters are not only seen in books but as well as our surroundings. Johnson’s photo-realistic images give a tour through the city, finding letters in places that no one usually pays attention to. So pay close attention to the illustrations, otherwise you might miss the “P” on the rails.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Throughout the day (including at home, the bus ride, hall ways, and school) look around and try to recognize a letter and sketch in journal and demonstrate drawing to classmates the next class day. Once they have their image, students will get to paint their image using watercolors. This way they become more aware of their surroundings in their environment.

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

LABELS: city life, nonfiction, wordless picture book, art

In 1492

AUTHOR: Jean Marzollo   ILLUSTRATOR: Steve Bjöorkman
PUBLISHER: Scholastic Inc.    PUBLICATION DATE: 1991
GENRE: Historical Ficiton   READING LEVEL:  second grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: On October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue to discover the New World. In 1492 the voyage of Columbus is retold with the addition and excitement of rhyming.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will track Columbus first voyage. Studetns will also pick their favorite part of the book and draw it. Along with the drawing the students will write a letter to Christopher Columbus, asking him questions or simply thanking him.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Nancy Guerrero, Valdosta State University ECSE)
LABELS: Informational, historical

A Fly on the Ceiling

Title: A Fly on the Ceiling

Author: Julie Glass Illustrator: Richard Walz Copyright: Random House Books for Young Readers 1998

Genre: Non-fiction/ European Reading Level: 4th grade Activity Grade Level: 4th grade

Book Description: This is the story of René Descartes. He is considered the father of geometry. This story is informative will still funny and attention grabbing.

Integrated Idea: The teacher can read this book before starting on geometry so that the students can have a little history lesson at the same time.