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
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
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
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
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
