Flotsam (2006) By: David Wiesner

This wordless book tells the fantastic story of a young boy who finds a camera washed up on the beach.  When he develops the film inside, he discovers some amazing creatures and landscapes that live underwater.  The illustrations in this book are beautiful watercolors and tell several magical stories on their own.  As a reader, I liked that the images were open to interpretation and included imaginative scenes like a puffer fish hot air balloon.  Plus, this book has an element of picture within a picture.  As a teacher, this book would be great during a unit about the ocean.  Students could learn more about flotsam or create a drawing of their own underwater city.  In addition, students could do projects about different creatures that live in the ocean or write what they think the boy in the story is thinking as he views each picture.  Also, students could learn about the different bodies of water around the world or write in journals about their own experiences underwater.  As part of a science lesson, students could use microscopes and magnifying glasses just like the boy in the story.

Where's the Cake? (2007) By: T.T. Khing

This wordless book is about a cake that is stolen from a dog family and on each page you can follow the thieves and see what they do with it.  As they move through a variety of landscapes, other animal characters have problems too, like losing a toy or getting close to the edge of a cliff.  The illustrations are very colorful and there's a surprise on each page.  As a reader, I thought this book was wonderful and there's something new to discover each time it's read.  It was fun to see the progression of the different animal characters and follow their individual storylines within the missing cake storyline.  Plus, this book is set up like a puzzle where kids must search and discover on each page.  As a teacher, this book would be great for younger students who could write sentences to go along with the story or act out the different scenes.  Also, students could create additional pages to keep the character storylines going.

In Our Mother's House (2009) By: Patricia Polacco

This touching book tells the story of a loving family with two mothers, Marmee and Meema, raising their three adopted children.  Although some of their neighbors don't accept them because they're different, the women handle the situation with grace and focus instead on their many supporters.  This is a family like any other experiencing holiday meals, laughter and new puppies.  Along the way, the mothers teach their children that different isn't bad or wrong.  This book could be viewed as controversial because it deals with a lesbian couple and a non-traditional family.  However, this story could be used as a tool to teach students to value and accept others, regardless of their sexual orientation, and about diversity and different types of families.  As a reader, I took away lessons to celebrate differences and that families today are not defined by having one mom and one dad, but instead by love and support for one another.  As a teacher, I would use this book with younger students during a unit on different types of families today and students could write poetry or draw pictures of their own family.  In addition, students could bring in pictures of their family and create an art project using them and share with the class.

Faithful Elephants (1998) By: Yukio Tsuchiya

This is a true story, narrated by a zookeeper, about the graves at a zoo in Tokyo.  The story takes place during WWII and officials feared if the zoo were destroyed during a bombing, the animals would run wild and wreak havoc on the city.  To keep this from happening, zoo officials decided the animals needed to be put down.  The elephants were starved to death, since other measures failed, and this was extremely painful for the zookeepers who loved them.  This book is controversial because it deals with both war and death.  However, it could be used during a unit about WWII to discuss the often overlooked consequences of war, including animal treatment.  The illustrations are powerful and expressive watercolors.  As a reader, I thought this story was both heartbreaking and interesting, because I had never thought about this side of war.  As a teacher, I feel this book would be best for upper elementary students.  After reading, students could write in journals about their feelings or discuss other solutions to the problem these zookeepers faced.  Wartime sacrifices around the world and in the US could also be discussed as a class.

Mississippi Morning (2004) By: Ruth Vander Zee

This is a powerful story about a boy named James growing up in the South during the 1930's and the Ku Klux Klan.  He learns about racism and violent men who dress in white and hurt African Americans.  One morning, James' view of his father is shattered when he discovers he is part of the Klan and things are never the same again and between the two.  The illustrations really portray the deep mood and tone of this story, with detailed facial expressions and scenery like a tree with a frayed rope hanging from its branches.  This book could be viewed as controversial because it touches on the topic of racism and includes graphic references like lynchings and burning homes.  However, this story is based on a period in American history that included economic turmoil and racial tension.  It could be used during a unit on the history of race relations in America.  As a reader, I thought this story was thought-provoking and the twist at the end was both emotional and telling.  As a teacher, I feel this book would be best for upper elementary students and it would be important to discuss James' feelings and they change throughout this book, especially once he learns the truth about his father.

Allison (1997) By: Allen Say

This book tells the story of an adopted girl named Allison.  One day she tries on a red kimono from her grandmother and realizes she doesn't look like either of her parents, but instead like her favorite doll.  Her parents explain to her that she is adopted and this information shatters her world and makes her feel angry and confused.  Allison begins to wonder many things like what her real name is and why she was given up.  In the end, she finds a stray cat with no family and learns the true meaning of adoption and family.  The illustrations in this book are fantastic and really capture all of Allison's emotions.  As a reader, I could feel Allison's sadness in scenes like the one where her smile disappeared.  In addition, there were numerous lessons to be taken away, like not needing to look alike to be a family.  As a teacher, this book would be great for younger students during a unit about family.  Students could work in groups to come up with what they think is the main idea of the book (i.e. family is defined by love) and share these as a class.  In addition, students could create a list of emotions felt by Allison throughout the story.

The Misfits (2001) By: James Howe

This novel is about a group of 7th grade outcasts in a small town who call themselves the Gang of Five.  They are taunted because of their weight, intelligence, sexual orientation and other reasons and decide to run against their popular peers in the upcoming student council elections.  They create a new political party called the “No-Name Party” and their platform is to end name-calling at their school.  They ultimately lose the election, but gain valuable life lessons and support from their principal for a "No Name-Calling Day" at school.  As a reader, I felt the overall themes were about acceptance, diversity, labels and the power of stereotypes.  The author wisely uses humor throughout this touching story that both students and adults will be able to relate to.  I also liked the underlying lesson to celebrate individuality and be who you are.  As a teacher, I feel this book would be great for both upper elementary and middle school students.  Activities could include discussing issues like bullying and the stereotypes featured in the book or creating a no name-calling week at your school or in your classroom.  It would also be valuable to discuss vocabulary words from the novel, like hooligan, moniker, grassroots, etc. 

Big, Bad and a Little Bit Scary (2001) By: Wade Zahares

This book is a collection of poems about the scariest creatures of the animal kingdom like sharks, snakes and bats, but it's done with a fun and colorful twist.  Some of the poems rhyme and others have important messages like being kind to animals.  The illustrations in the book are realistic, but friendly and the front and back covers make an entire alligator.  As a reader, I liked that the poems had a humorous touch and I feel they would appeal to both poetry and animal lovers alike.  As a teacher, this would be a great book to read aloud and I would have students create art projects about an animals in the book or write about something new they learned about one of the creatures.  Students could also take turns acting out the movements of the different animals mentioned.

The Giver (1993) By: Lois Lowry

This novel is about a futuristic and utopian society where there is no war, hunger, pain, music or choice - to name a few.  The community rules are strict and people's lives are planned out for them.  For example, husbands and wives are preselected as well as their children and job assignments.  The main character is a 12-year-old boy named Jonas who is given the important job assignment of Receiver of Memories.  This is the one person in their community who has access to all the memories of the past.  During Jonas' job training with the Giver, he receives memories like snow, sunshine, grandparents, fear and he discovers the truth about his community.  Jonas decides that it isn't fair to deprive people of choice and feelings.  In the end, he decides to flee and the ending is open to reader interpretation.  As a reader, I thought this novel was extremely thought-provoking and I liked that the ending was left open to analyze.  This novel was full of rich vocabulary and it's interesting to think about societal concepts like freedom, choice and control.  As a teacher, I feel this book would be best for older students and I would have them write the next chapter of the book or create drawings of what they believe the characters and setting look like.  Students could also write essays about whether or not they would prefer to live in a society like the novel and why.  After reading this novel, the class could create their own "perfect" community with a name, description, government, etc. and explain their choices and thought processes.  Is their "perfect" community more similar to the one in the story or theirs in real life?    

Yummy! Eating Through a Day (2000) By: Lee Bennett Hopkins

This book is collection of poems about different foods and follows a silly family as they eat throughout an entire day.  It starts out with the smell of cinnamon buns baking at breakfast and ends with a delicious dinner and dessert.  Along the way, the illustrations are super colorful, fun and there's even a poem about table manners.  As a reader, I really enjoyed this lighthearted book and how the illustrations made each poem come to life.  Plus, many of the creative poems appealed to the senses and featured alliteration, like the line "salty secrets" in the Potato Chip poem.
As a teacher, this book would be great to use during a unit on nutrition and students could write their own short poems or stories about their favorite food.  Then, students could create an illustration to go along with and share with the class.  It would also be fun for students to bring the foods mentioned in the poems to class or create a classroom menu for an entire school day.

King & King (2000) By: Linda de Haan & Stern Nijland

This book is about a prince whose mother (the queen) is pressuring him to get married.  After meeting several princesses, the prince ends up falling for another prince and they get married.  At the end, everyone is happy and content, including the queen.  The illustrations are very colorful, bold and imaginative.  This book could be viewed as controversial since sexual orientation and same-sex marriage are addressed.  However, I feel this book would be appropriate in the classroom as part of a unit about different types of weddings and relationships.  As a reader, I found it refreshing that a fairy tale took a different angle than a princess being rescued by prince charming.  I also like the twist that the prince ends up falling for the brother of one of the princesses that comes to meet him.  Plus, the queen really just wanted her son to be happy in the end and supported his decision.  As a teacher, I could use this book during a lesson about fairy tales and stereotypes.  In addition, issues like tolerance and acceptance could be discussed as a class after reading this book.

Tuesday (1991) By: David Wiesner

This essentially wordless book is about an ordinary Tuesday evening gone wacky.  In this imaginative story, frogs fly on lily pads during the night and invade a town.  Residents are startled and once the morning arrives the frogs are gone and only their lily pads are left.  Readers are left wondering what will happen next Tuesday, since the last image is flying pigs.  The illustrations in this book are magical and the rich blue and green tones really set the mood for a mysterious moonlight journey.  As a reader, I felt this book was very creative and made me think about potential story lines and how powerful illustrations can really be.  There are endless ways to interpret this book.  As a teacher, this book would be great for students who aren't strong readers, but valuable to those who are as well.  The class could work together or in groups to write a story to go along with the illustrations.  It could also be valuable to have students create their own wordless book for a different day of the week or one for what they think will happen next Tuesday.      

Hattie and the Wild Waves By: Barbara Cooney

This book tells the heartwarming story of a young girl named Hattie who dreams of being an artist when she grows up.  She is from a wealthy German American family and learns to accept that her interests and dreams are different from her siblings.  She often looks to the ocean for inspiration and reassurance.  The illustrations in this book are very detailed and give readers a glimpse into life during the turn of the century in New York.  I really like the use of soft and dream-like colors and the lessons to follow your dreams and stay true to yourself.  As a reader, I found this story poetic and thought the German words and phrases added depth and authenticity.  I also noticed the use of alliteration in the title of the book and throughout the story.  As a teacher, this book would fit nicely in a unit about memoirs, since this story is based on the life of the author/illustrator's mother.  Students could also share with the class what they want to be when they grow up or write in journals about the things they want to accomplish in the future.

Shoes From Grandpa By: Mem Fox

This fun and humorous book is about a young girl named Jessie who is growing up and out of her clothes.  Her family members get carried away naming the items they will buy for her, starting with shoes from her Grandpa.  Each relative plans to buy Jessie a different article of clothing to go with the new shoes, like socks and a sweater, and builds on the item mentioned before.  For example, "a skirt that won't show the dirt, to go with the socks from the local shops, to go with the shoes from Grandpa."  At the end, the family discovers that no one has asked Jessie what she wants to wear.  She politely requests a pair of jeans!  The illustrations in this story are very playful and it was exciting to flip the page and see what item Jessie would be receiving next and what it would look like.  As a reader, I enjoyed this cumulative rhyming tale that kept building and the supportive and fun-loving family portrayed in the story.  This would definitely hit home for any student who has requested to dress themselves!  As a teacher, this would be a great book to have students act out using the different clothing items that Jessie puts on in the story and beginning readers could follow along with the repeated words.  Students could also draw a picture of Jessie and each of the clothing items mentioned, cut them out, and then use them while the story is being read aloud.  In addition, students could draw or write about special items given to them by their family members.

Two Bad Ants By: Chris Van Allsburg

This book tells the story of two mischievous ants who venture into a kitchen with a group of ants in search of mysterious crystals (sugar) and decide to stay there while the others go home.  In the kitchen, they have several frightening experiences, including being trapped in a toaster.  In the end, the two bad ants decide to return to the safety of their home and go back with the other ants.  The illustrations in this book really add to the story and help the reader to decipher where the ants are and what they are experiencing.  However, the drawings aren't always obvious and require the reader to think outside the box at times.  As a reader, I enjoyed this visual puzzle and the author does a great job of using a descriptive writing style that shows the reader instead of telling the reader.  There's also a lesson about working together to benefit the whole community.  As a teacher, this would be a great book for younger elementary students.  They could be read the story without seeing the pictures and then try to figure out where the ants are (i.e. in the grass or cup of coffee).  On the other hand, you could read the story while showing the illustrations, but stop throughout and ask students to predict where the ants are and why, using the context clues.  Afterwards, students could write about classroom life from the perspective of an ant and describe obstacles they might encounter.  Lessons might also include investigating ants and anthills or building a classroom ant farm.

Island Boy By: Barbara Cooney

This book tells the sweet story a young boy named Matthias and his life growing up on a small island off the coast of Maine with his family.  He grows up and travels the world, but eventually moves back to Tibbetts Island to raise a family and live contently.  The illustrations in this book are beautiful and really capture the mood of water and island life with rich blue tones throughout.  The inside covers are map drawings of the island and surrounding areas, which really adds layers of depth and curiosity.  As a reader, I enjoyed this lyrical story and took away lessons about living simply, the importance of family and home being where the heart is.  It was lovely to follow Matthias throughout his entire life and notice the major role played by his island home in defining him and his happiness.  As a teacher, I would use this book to help explain to younger students what an island is and have them locate Tibbetts Island and others on the maps provided in the book.  All ages could discuss what they think life would be like living on an island both before and after reading this story.  Did their perceptions change?  Students could also create drawings of their own islands and name them.

Come to the Fairies' Ball By: Jane Yolen

This story starts with a formal invitation to a Fairies' Ball from the king fairy of the forest to all creatures.  Everyone wants to look their best and this creates a tizzy in the forest.  There is a slight similarity to Cinderella in this story when one of the fairies cannot go to the ball because her clothes are in tatters.  With advice from some ants, she transforms her look and makes it to the ball just in time.  The prince is enchanted with her and the next forest event is the Fairies' Wedding Ball.  The illustrations in this book are magical and feature vibrant colors and a fantasy land filled with creatures of every color, shape and size.  Children could easily spend hours just looking at the pictures, which tell the story on their own.  As a reader, I enjoyed this rhyming and poetic story that includes subtle lessons about friendship, hard work and true love.  As a teacher, this would be an especially exciting book for younger students and activities could include having students draw their own fairy characters or practice reading and writing their own rhyming stories.  Students could also act out different scenes from the book or the class could create their own invitation to the rest of the school for a ball or event. 

The Princess and the Pizza By: Mary Jane and Herm Auch

This book is a great example of a fractured fairy tale or a fairy tale that has been modified to make readers laugh at unexpected characterization, plots or points of view.  In this comical story, Princess Paulina competes in a contest to become the wife of Prince Drupert.  Throughout the story, there are references to well-known fairy tales, like The Princess and the Pea and Cinderella.  As part of the contest, the Princess makes a delicious pizza to impress the Queen.  She ultimately wins, but decides she doesn't really want to marry the Prince after all!  Instead, she opens Paulina's Pizza Palace and life is good.  As a reader, I really enjoyed the modern take on this story and that Paulina was able to recognize fairy tale similarities and made comments like "that’s so once-upon-a-time.”  The illustrations were comical as well and portrayed the characters as larger than life with exaggerated features.  As a teacher, it would be fun to read The Princess and the Pea and then this story to younger students and then have them compare and contrast the two.  You could also ask students to name the other fairy tales referenced in the story (i.e. glass slipper = Cinderella or Princess with long hair = Rapunzel).  In addition, students could brainstorm alternative endings or create a class list of pros and cons of being a Prince or Princess.

Esperanza Rising (2002) By: Pam Munoz Ryan

This award-winning multicultural novel is loosely based on the life of the author's Mexican grandmother.  13-year-old Esperanza's world is turned upside down when her beloved father dies.  She is forced to leave her privileged life in Mexico for one of manual labor and hardships in California.  During this difficult journey and transition, Esperanza is forced to deal with illness, survival and life in a strange new place.  This story is set during the Great Depression and touches on migrant worker struggles for rights and equality.  In the end, Esperanza learns you don't need money or expensive things to be rich in life.  As a reader, I felt this book was very inspirational.  Major themes I found were not being afraid to start over and embracing the peaks and valleys in each of our lives.  I thought it was great that many Spanish words, phrases and customs were included and explained in detail.  The author does a fantastic job of using metaphors and imagery throughout this novel to connect with the reader.  As a teacher, I would absolutely use this book in my classroom, especially for older grades.  This novel could be paired with a history lesson about the Great Depression or a geography lesson about this region in North America.  Students could draw maps of Esperanza's route to California or write journal entries as if their families were fleeing to a new country.  They could write about the important items they would want to bring on a journey like this.  In addition, it might be helpful to set aside class time to further discuss the cultural vocabulary, customs and stereotypes mentioned in the story.

Berry Magic By: Teri Sloat and Betty Huffmon

This is a great multicultural book that tells the magical tale of how a variety of berries came to the tundra.  The main character is a young Eskimo girl named Anana who sews four dolls and through singing and dancing turns each one into a different berry that speckles the ground, creating cranberries, blueberries, raspberries and salmonberries.  These berries are then used to make ice cream, called akutaq, for the village's fall feast.  As a reader, I really enjoyed learning about Eskimo culture, language and customs.  Throughout the story, Eskimo words and sayings are used and translated, along with their pronunciations.  This really adds depth to the story and gives the reader a greater glimpse into this rich culture.  This tale has likely been passed down through many generations.  The illustrations really set the mood for this story and feature a rich color palette with lots of earth tones.  Each of the native outfits and items are drawn beautifully and with much detail.  As a teacher, this book would be great for younger students, who could sing along with Anana when she sings "Atsa-ii-yaa Atsa-ii-yaa Atsaukina!" to the dolls, which translated means Berry Berry Be a berry!  Also, students could work in groups to create replicas of these dolls or their own magic dolls.  They could learn more about the tundra and the people that live there or try tasting the different berries mentioned in the story.  Anana's akutaq recipe is also included at the end of the book, which would be fun to make and sample as a class.

Julia's Kitchen By: Brenda A. Ferber

This is a heartwarming novel about grief, healing and finding inner strength and happiness again.  The story is about an 11-year-old Jewish girl named Cara Segal who loses her mother and younger sister in a tragic house fire.  Now it's just her and her father left to pick up the pieces.  In the aftermath, Cara begins to question her belief in God and wonders if she and her her father will ever feel and act normal again.  Then one day, a call to her mother's catering business, Julia's Kitchen, for an order of cookies gives Julia an idea and way to reconnect with what was lost.  As a reader, I thought this was a touching story about loss and the power of the human spirit.  The emotions portrayed, especially by young Cara, are vivid and relatable to anyone who has ever lost someone they loved.  I thought the following quote from page 108 was really powerful and a true turning point in the story: "All at once I felt my whole body tingle. I knew it seemed crazy, but I felt as if Mom were there with me in the kitchen. No, not just in the kitchen, but inside of me, helping me along."  I really liked that the author included a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish terms and a recipe for Cara's chocolate chip cookies.  What a great touch!  As a teacher, this book would be more appropriate for older students, as it touches on difficult and controversial topics, like death and religion.  Along with this book, students could learn more about the Jewish faith and write in journals and discuss personal experiences with loss.  Students could also bring in a favorite family recipe to share and compile a classroom cookbook or make the cookies featured in the book.

Miss Rumphius By: Barbara Cooney

This book starts out with a young girl who promises her grandfather that she will go to faraway places, live by the sea when she settles down and, most importantly, make the world a more beautiful place.  She accomplishes all three tasks and decides to beautify the world by scattering lupine flower seeds all around her town.  The next spring, there were lovely lupines everywhere.  Now the young girl is old Miss Rumphius who tells her story to children and encourages them to make the world more beautiful as well.  The illustrations in this book are absolutely stunning with warm colors and very detailed, down to drawings on the walls of the faraway places Miss Rumphius visited in her youth.  As a reader, I felt this story was about perception and that one beautiful act can inspire many more.  Also, this book touches on the stages of life and the lesson that by making ourselves happy we can make others happy as well.  As a teacher, I would definitely use this book in my classroom to teach a lesson with older students about analyzing art and the saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Students could also brainstorm ideas to make their school and neighborhoods better and more beautiful places.  A science lesson in different types of flowers or a writing lesson about faraway places students want to visit would also work great with this book. 

Ox-Cart Man By: Donald Hall

This award-winning book is about a traditional 18th century New England farming family that uses an ox-cart to take the leftover goods they've produced from the past year to market.  The man of the household makes this annual journey sells all the family's extra goods to purchase items like an iron kettle and a knife for his son.  He returns home and this cycle continues of producing and selling throughout the seasons and years.  This book was also featured on an episode of Reading Rainbow.  The illustrations are very realistic and could very well tell the story on their own.  They also set the mood for this period in history and beautifully depict the changing of seasons.  As a reader, I enjoyed learning more about this time in American history and discovering a life lesson about living simply.  The author's use of repetitive language sets the tone for this continuous market cycle and creatively tell this family's story.  As a teacher, this book would be great to use as part of a history unit on 18th century America or an economics lesson about being both a producer and consumer.  Students could create a classroom economy and trade goods and services among each other or visit a local farmer's market.

Letting Swift River Go By: Jane Yolen

This book was a fantastic and poetic story about the Quabbin Reservoir and how it was formed by flooding several small towns in Massachusetts in the first half of the 1900s.  It's told from the eyes of a young girl whose family was forced to leave their home and way of life to make way for progress.  The author and illustrator do a great job of contrasting the original, rural and peaceful valley with the transformation necessary to supply water to the big and growing city of Boston.  The Illustrations in this book are beautiful watercolors and focus on specific details, like fireflies on a summer night.  These details are woven throughout the entire book.  As a reader, I thought this was a great historical account of progress in America and a life lesson that you can hold onto your memories forever, even if everything around you is changing.  Also, the price some have to pay for this progress.  Sometimes to move forward, we must let go and accept that things do not always stay the same.  This is a life lesson appropriate for many age groups.  As a teacher, this would be a great book to pair with a unit about the water supply in our area or a history lesson about New England during the Great Depression.  It could also be valuable for students to create models of the valley or work with maps to fully understand the project.