Welcome!

Hi friends! This blog is for teachers and families- all for the sheer joy of literacy. When we are enthusiastic about reading and writing our students and our own kids become excited to read and write. I hope that we all can be models for those in our care- how did you show your passion for reading, writing, learning, language, or words today?? It's in those small, daily moments that we teach kids to love literacy.


Books

Awesome Read Alouds (All Field Tested, by Me!)


By Grade


Preschool- Grade 2

An Extraordinary Egg, by Leo Lionni (best for preschool- grade 2)
BATS, by Gail Gibbons (best for grades 1st-3rd)
Bears on Chairs, by Shirley Parenteau (best for ages 2-6)
Better Not Get Wet, Jesse Bear by Nancy White Calstrom (best for ages 2-5)
Boo to a Goose, by Mem Fox (best for grades K-1)
Can you Growl like a Bear? by John Bulter (best for ages 1-4)
Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes (best for preschool-grade 2)
Circles of Hope, by Karen Lynn Williams (best for grades 1st-3rd)
Drum City, by Thea Guidone and with illustrations by Vanessa Newton (best for ages 2-6)
Feast for 10, by Cathryn Falwell (best for ages 1-5)
Frog and Toad, Arnold Lobel (Preschool-grade 1)
Goodnight, Gorilla! by Peggy Rathman (best for ages 1-5)
Hairs, by Sandra Cisneros (best for preschool- grade 2)
I Spy with My Little Eye, by Edward Gibbs (best for ages 2-5)
Koala Lou, by Mem Fox (best for preschool-grade 1)
Leaves by David Ezra Stein (best for ages 2-6)
Madeline's Christmas, by Ludwig Bemelmans (best for age 2-Grade 3)
Nora's Room by Jessica Harper, illustrated by Lindsay Harper duPont (best for ages 3-6)
Pierre the Penguin, by Jean Marzollo (best for grades K-1)
Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum, by Meghan McCarthy (best for grades 1-2)
Potato Joe, by Keith Baker (best for ages 2-5)
Pumpkin Jack, by Will Hubbell (best for preschool- grade 3)
Rap a Tap Tap by Leo and Diane Dillion (best for ages 2-6)
Shake My Sillies Out, by Raffi (best for ages 1-6)
Where is Tippy Toes? by Betsy Lewin (best for ages 2-5)


Grades 3-4

BATS, by Gail Gibbons (best for grades 1st-3rd)
Circles of Hope, by Karen Lynn Williams (best for grades 1st-3rd)
Freedom Summer, by Deborah Wiles and illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue (best for grade 2nd-4th)
Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen (best for grades 2-5)
Pumpkin Jack, by Will Hubbell (best for preschool- grade 3)
Madeline's Christmas, by Ludwig Bemelmans (best for age 2-Grade 3)
My Name is Sangoel, by Karen Lynn Williams (best for grades 2nd-3rd)
The Name Jar, by Yangsook Choi (best for grades 1-3rd)


Grades 5-6

Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia


Grades 7+

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia

By Topic


Author's Craft

Hair, By Sandra Cisneros (best for grades 1-5)
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia (Grades 5+)
Owl Moon, By Jane Yole (best for grades 2-5)


Cultural Awareness

Circles of Hope, by Karen Lynn Williams (best for grades 1st-3rd, Haitian rural life)
Mrs. Katz and Tush, by Patricia Polacco (best for grades 3-5, Jewish American)
My Little Car, by Gary Soto (best for grades 1-2, Mexican American)
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia (YA, Black Panthers)
Rap a Tap Tap by Leo and Diane Dillion (best for ages 2-6, African American artists)


Holidays

I am a Bunny, by Ole Risom (best for preschool aged kids, Easter/Spring)
Madeline's Christmas, by Ludwig Bemelmans (best for age 2-Grade 3, Christmas)
Mrs. Katz and Tush, by Patricia Polacco (best for grades 3-5, Passover)
In November, by Cynthia Rylant (best for grades k-3rd, Thanksgiving)
Pumpkin Jack, by Will Hubbell (best for preschool- grade 3, Halloween)
The Trees of the Dancing Goats, by Patricia Polacco (best for grades 2nd-5th, Christmas and Hanukkah)


Making Connections

My Little Car, by Gary Soto (best for grades 1-2)


Rhyming/Pattern

Bears on Chairs, by Shirley Parenteau (best for ages 2-6)
Better Not Get Wet, Jesse Bear by Nancy White Calstrom (best for ages 2-5)
Boo to a Goose, by Mem Fox (best for grades K-1)
Can you Growl like a Bear? by John Bulter (best for ages 1-4)
Feast for 10, by Cathryn Falwell (best for ages 2-5)
The Magic Hat, by Mem Fox (best for grades K-1)
Madeline's Christmas, by Ludwig Bemelmans (best for age 2-Grade 3)
Nora's Room by Jessica Harper, illustrated by Lindsay Harper duPont (best for ages 3-6)
Pierre the Penguin, by Jean Marzollo (best for grades K-1)
Potato Joe, by Keith Baker (best for ages 2-5)
Rap a Tap Tap by Leo and Diane Dillion (best for ages 2-6)
Shake My Sillies Out, by Raffi (best for ages 1-6)


Science

BATS, by Gail Gibbons (best for grades 1st-3rd)
I am a Bunny, by Ole Risom (Seasons, best for grades K-1)
Leaves by David Ezra Stein (Seasons, best for ages K-1)
Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Elhert (Gardening, Spring, best for preschool-K)
Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum, by Meghan McCarthy (best for grades 1-2)
Pumpkin Jack, by Will Hubbell (seasons, life cycle, best for preschool- grade 3)
The Year at Maple Hill Farm, by Alice and Martin Provensen (Seasons, Farm life, best for preschool-grade 2)

Theme/Message/Lesson

Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes (best for preschool-grade 2, themes of acceptance and friendship)
Circles of Hope, by Karen Lynn Williams (best for grades 1st-3rd, dogged determination)
Mrs. Katz and Tush, by Patricia Polacco (best for grades 3-5, themes of friendship and community)
My Name is Sangoel, by Karen Lynn Williams (resilience, best for grades 2nd-3rd)
Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes (best for grades 4+, themes of friendship, determination, and community)
The Name Jar, by Yangsook Choi (best for grades 1-3rd, themes of acceptance)
The Trees of the Dancing Goats, by Patricia Polacco (best for grades 2nd-5th, themes of friendship and community)

Visualization

Hair, by Sandra Cisneros (best for grades 2-5)
Owl Moon, By Jane Yolen (best for grades 2-5)

Favorite Authors

Arnold Lobel
Gary Soto
Mem Fox
Francisco Jimenez
Sandra Cisneros

Book Lists

Latino Authors/Protagonist

Free Books in the Bay Area

East Bay Children's Book Project
Half Priced Books- Half Pint Library

Author's Websites

Eric Carle
Jan Brett
Karen Lynn Williams
Kevin Henkes
Margriet Ruurs
Mem Fox
Patricia Polacco

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