Bones (2010) By: Steve Jenkins

This book is all about human and animal bones and how they fit together.  The author includes comparisons and actual size images.  He also highlights how certain animals share common body structure.  The images show comparisons like between a man's hand and a spider monkey.  As a reader, I enjoyed the bone weight comparisons and clean images.  As a teacher, this book could be used during an anatomy unit and complimented with actual animal and human skeleton models.  
 

Clarabelle (2007) By: Cris Peterson

This nonfiction book tells the story of a dairy cow named Clarabelle who lives on a farm in Wisconsin.  This book is full of exciting and informative photographs from a real family farm.  As a reader, I really enjoyed learning details about farm life and fun facts like Clarabelle's chewing produces nearly 30 gallons of saliva a day!  As a teacher, this book could be paired with lessons about farm animals, agriculture or renewable energy.  Students could also take a field trip to a real dairy farm.

The Boy in the Oak (2010) By: Jessica Albarn

This book tells the story of a boy who didn't appreciate or respect nature.  He trampled flowers, carved his initials into trees and tore their limbs offs.  To stop him, a group of fairies trapped the boy inside a large oak tree.  Years passed and a new family moves in and the fairies attempt to trap their little girl in the tree too.  In the end, the boy saves the little girl from being trapped in the tree as well.  This good deed in turn releases him from the spell he's trapped by.  This book features both pencil drawings and translucent pages with photographs of nature images like insects and flowers.  As a reader, I noticed lessons about kindness and respecting nature.  I really enjoyed the beautiful design and details throughout this poetic book.  As a teacher, this book would fit well with science lessons about nature, specifically different types of trees and flowers.  Students could also take pictures of outdoor scenes and put them together to make a class book.

A is for Abigail (2003) By: Lynne Cheney

This is an alphabet book and each letter references a remarkable woman from American history.  For example, R is for Rosie the Riveter and women who went to war.  In the book, hundreds of female trailblazers are mentioned including educators, inventors, journalists, athletes and so many more.  The illustrations are colorful, cartoon-like and fun to explore.  As a reader, I enjoyed the author's inspirational note at the beginning of the book and I learned so many interesting facts about these amazing women.  As a teacher, this book could be used during a lesson about famous and influential women and events in US history.  An extension activity could be an in-depth report or project about one of the ladies or causes highlighted.

Snakes (2007) By: Gail Gibbons

This nonfiction book is all about snakes and is both easy to understand and informative.  The author describes different types of snakes and how the creatures eat, hunt, move, give birth, mythology and more.  The illustrations are detailed and realistic, but still child-friendly.  As a reader, I enjoyed the message that most snakes are harmless and the surprising facts like snakes use their tongue to smell.  As a teacher, this book could be used during a lesson about endangered species, cold-blooded animals or reptiles.   Students could also discuss or write in journals about common snake misconceptions they learned from reading this book.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (2000) By: Doreen Cronin

This award-winning book tells the story of Farmer Brown's cows who find an old typewriter in the barn and write letters to him with various demands like electric blankets.  The illustrations are expressive and really compliment this humorous story.  As a reader, I enjoyed the imaginative plot and who hasn't wondered what animals or a pet would say to us if they could?  As a teacher, this book could be used to discuss personification and other stories students know that use this technique (i.e. The Three Little Pigs).  In addition, students could write about the different ways animals and humans communicate and what life would be like if animals could talk or type.

Dealing with Dragons (1990) By: Patricia Wrede

This novel is the first in a series and tells the story of a bold and daring princess named Cimorene who isn’t like her royal parents and sisters.  She’s too tall, too stubborn and finds being a princess boring.  She’s tired of etiquette lessons, but is forbidden to learn about subjects she wants like magic and fencing.  Her parents arrange a marriage to a prince, but Cimorene decides to run away and become the princess of a dragon named Kazul instead.  What comes next is an adventure filled with magical secrets, witches, wizards and more.  In the end, Cimorene decides that a life with the dragons would be her happily ever after.  As a reader, I enjoyed this book because it featured an adventurous princess and a lesson to follow your heart and define your own happiness.  As a teacher, this novel would be best for older students who could create their own chapter illustrations and discuss or journal about literary elements like plot, conflict, symbolism, mood, theme, etc.