It’s Monday and I’m happy to be participating in a weekly event with a community of bloggers who post reviews of books that they have read the previous week. Check out more IMWAYR posts here: Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers
Last week, I posted Part 1 of my “Spring into Third Term” book collection and this week, I’m excited to continue with Part 2! Lots of great books in this list – from global warming, to Earth day, to celebrating imagination and creativity… there is sure to be a book for you and your class here!
Sometimes You Fly – Katherine Applegate
“Remember then with every try, sometimes you fail. Sometimes you fly. What matters most is what you take from all you learn.” And there lies the premise of this stunning new picture book by the amazing Katherine Applegate (One and Only Ivan, Crenshaw, Wishtree). Whimsical illustrations and perfect examples of how learning from mistakes will lead to great accomplishments. Would make a perfect gift for graduations, baby shower, first birthday. LOVE this one!
I Love My Purse – Belle DeMont
A great book to start conversations with younger students about celebrating individual choices and moving beyond “boys” and “girls” stereotypes. Charlie loves his purse and brings it to school one day. Despite the objection of others, he remains steadfast in his “purse love” and eventually influences others to tap into what they love as well, be it make-up, shirts or sparkly shoes. Wonderfully illustrated by Sonja Wimmer.
What Matters – Alison Hughes
If you are looking for a new book for Earth Day... look no further! (Think Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed but for the earth!) A wonderful look at the ripple effect of how one small act – picking up garbage that isn’t yours – has repercussions to make the world cleaner and better. I also think this book would be great for introducing the concept of the inter-connectedness of ecosystems.
Harry and Walter – Kathy Stinson
Endearing inter-generational tale of a wonderful, unusual friendship between Harry, who is 4 3/4, and Walter, who is 92 1/2. They live next-door and do all kinds of things together – ride their tractors, grow and eat tomatoes, and play croquet. Then, Harry has to move. This is a heartwarming story of friendship and the importance of elders in our lives. Whimsical illustrations by Qin Leng. This book actually came out last summer. I love Kathy Stinson and can’t believe I missed this book!
My Wounded Island – Jacques Pasquet
This book, originally published in French, is a heartbreaking story of a northern island slowly disappearing into the sea and introduces the concept of “climate refugees” to young readers (and to me!) Beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated. Would make an excellent introduction to a unit on climate change or northern indigenous cultures. I also like the use of metaphor:”the beast” in the story is actually global warming.
On Our Street – Our First Talk About Poverty – Dr. Jillian Roberts
A gentle, honest book answering a series of questions about homelessness and different types of poverty. I really liked the mix of real pictures and illustrations, helping to make the information understandable and easy to relate to. I also enjoyed the addition of quotes. Not a book a child would necessarily pick up and read on their own, but definitely an excellent book to share and spark a class discussion.
When Sophie Thinks She Can’t... – Molly Bang
While I have used When Sophie Gets Angry- Really, Really Angry many times for making connections to managing feelings and emotions, this new “Sophie” book is the perfect anchor for introducing the concepts of “Fixed” and “Growth” mindsets to your students, as well as problem solving and perseverance. Would also be a great Math read-aloud as Sophie is frustrated with tangram puzzles.
Picture the Sky – Barbara Reid
The sky tells many stories: in the weather, in the clouds, in the stars, in the imagination. This book inspires us all to look up…. way up… and see and think about the sky in a different way. A perfect anchor book for spring, for art and for sharing and writing stories of the sky. I am a huge fan of Barbara Reid’s work and her brilliant Plasticine illustrations. A perfect companion to her book Picture a Tree.
What If – Samantha Berger
WOW! This is a stunning book about creativity, imagination, and believing in yourself. Gorgeous mixed media illustrations. Inspires, empowers and encourages the creative spirit in all of us. Great end papers and notes from the author about how she was inspired to write this book. LOVE this one! (Release date is April 10th)
The Big Bed – Bunmi Laditan
Humorous picture book about a girl who doesn’t want to sleep in her little bed, so she comes up with a plan to get her dad out of her parent’s bed in order to move in herself. This would make a great anchor book for problem solving and persuasive writing as the little girl identifies the issue, researches it, and creates a very persuasive presentation of possible solutions. Any parent who has struggled with their kids’ sleeping arrangements will make LOTS of connections but wondered, at times, if parents would connect more than kids!
The Pomegranate Witch – Denise Doyen
I really enjoyed this eerie tale told with lovely, lyrical text with wonderful word play, reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky. Five children plan to storm the wall and steal some pomegranates from a tree guarded by a witch. A great fall read-aloud and not-so-scary choice for leading up to Halloween. Gorgeous illustrations by Eliza Wheeler.
Grains of Sand – Sibylle Delacroix
If grains of sand were seeds, what kinds of things would they grow into if you threw them in your garden? Ice cream? Pinwheels? This is a short, sweet story of a boy and girl who bring sand home from the beach in their shoes, and then wonder what would happen if they planted it. A perfect anchor book for inspiring “imagination pocket” writing! Love the simple black and white images with splashes of blue and yellow.
Thanks for stopping by! Hope one or two titles caught your eye!
I really enjoyed Molly Bang’s first Sophie book, so I am looking forward to checking out When Sophie Thinks She Can’t. And I HAVE TO get my hands on The Big Bed!! I have followed Bumni on social media for a while and I think she’s simply hilarious. Like, all the time. Plus, having had all 5 of our children co-sleep with us will probably make this an applicable AND enjoyable book for our family. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and have a great week!
What a great list, Adrienne. I bookmarked some, loved Harry and Walter & The Pomegranate Witch!
The Pomegranate Witch is a new title to new. I’ll definitely have to check that one out.
I read The Big Bed at BN a while back. I loved it! At the time my library did not have it, but it is on order now. Thanks for reminding me of it. I also added What Matters, Sometimes You Fly, I love my Purse to my library list. Thanks for the recommendations.
My TBR stack on Goodreads just grew exponentially, thanks to your post. Practically all of these titles are new-to-me, so thank you! 🙂