Yellowbelly and Plum by Nathan Hale - ESSENTIAL

Hale, Nathan Yellowbelly and Plum go to School PICTURE BOOK. Putnam (Penguin), 2007.

EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

Yellowbelly can't go off to school without his best stuffed friend, Plum. The duo has a great time, until Plum wanders off to "visit" some other children. Yellowbelly is worried, until Plum is back in his arms. Then the two embark on new adventures with their new friends.

I love the mixture of human characters interacting with "alien" figures in a bright, busy atmosphere. Yellowbelly is adorable and really needs to be made into a toy! A great book for younger students.

Out of the Egg by Tina Martin - ADVISABLE

Matthews, Tina Out of the Egg PICTURE BOOK Houghton Mifflin

EL (K-3), EL, MS – ADVISABLE

Every thinks they know the story of the Little Red Hen – but do you know what happened next? The Red Hen learns an important lesson from her own chick in this artfully done continuation of the classic. 

The Japanese wood block prints work just right to illustrate this story. Any elementary school and other schools with Teacher Advisory programs need to add this to their collections. 

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Rainstorm by Barbara Lehman - ADVISABLE

Lehman, Barbara Rainstorm PICTURE BOOK Houghton Mifflin

EL, MS – ADVISABLE

Trapped in the house during a rainy day, a young boy finds a key that leads him to a different place and new friends. 

Told without words, the watercolor, gouache and ink illustrations lead you on a marvelous journey to friendship. Wordless books are a wonderful tool for prediction and narration for younger and older students. This particular title will be well loved. 

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When I Met the Wolf Girls by Deborah Noyes and August Hall - ADVISABLE

Noyes, Deborah When I Met the Wolf Girls, illustrated by August Hall PICTURE BOOK Houghton Mifflin

EL – ADVISABLE

One day, a missionary brings two feral little girls to his orphanage in the jungles of India. Seen through the eyes of one of the other charges, the adults attempt to “domesticate” the girls with love and kindness. 

The haunting story will be loved by elementary students; the illustrations, done in acrylic by a master of Disney, Pixar and ILM, delight the eye. 

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Skelly the Skeleton Girl by Jimmy Pickering - ESSENTIAL

Pickering, Jimmy Skelly the Skeleton Girl, PICTURE BOOK Simon and Schuster

Pre- K, EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL

A little skeleton girl finds a mysterious bone and sets off to find its owner. 

My macabre predilections may be showing through, but this quick read with its funky, mixed media illustrations is the kind of book my own children and I would read through many times. This is definitely a book to buy and one that will be reread during Halloween time or any time at all. 

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Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon - ESSENTIAL

McCutcheon John Christmas in the Trenches PICTURE BOOK Peachtree

EL, MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

Christmas Day 1914, the two armies of World War I exit their trenches and meet in the middle to celebrate the day during a spontaneous truce. Although these actions did not stop the war, it left a feeling of hope in the hearts of each soldier who participated. Also included is a CD of the original song that McCutcheon also wrote. Having been to Flanders Fields myself, I call tell you that this is an important part of the WWI story. This subject should be fit into the curriculum anywhere it can – English, Geography, Music, Art – wherever. 

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The Secret-keeper by Kate Coombs - ADVISABLE

Coombs, Kate The Secret-keeper, PICTURE BOOK Simon Schuster

EL – ADVSIABLE

Kalli has been hearing and keeping the villagers’ secrets for years, but is made sick by the burden during one long winter. The villagers find a way to ease her heart and help her recover her spirit. 

Don’t make the mistake of dismissing this picture book as a rip off of Sharon Shinn’s Safe-keeper’s Secret, though at the beginning the similarities are a bit irksome. Instead, enjoy this sweet little book that is so full of hope. Can anyone think of a way this would be useful in a secondary classroom? 

The Plague: My side of the story by Philip Wooderson - OPTIONAL

Wooderson, Philip The Plague: My side of the story, 192 p. Houghton

EL, MS - OPTIONAL

Rachel and Robert’s lives intersect in her father’s shop, where Robert is the apprentice, just as the plague takes hold in 1665 London. Even as the plague devastates London and moves into the villages, someone is trying to ruins Rachel’s father’s cloth business. 

This book is written back to back, with the reader having to flip the book in order to finish. The hype on the inside would have you believe that both sides give different, and possibly conflicting, views of the same action. Instead, one is really only a continuation of the other – and I started reading the wrong one first and knew the end before I had even begun! It really is necessary to read Rachel’s story first. Other than that quirk, the novel is a middle quality read that adds little to the drama around the Black Death. 

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Suddenly Alligator: an adverbial tale by Rick Walton - ADVISABLE

Walton, Rick Suddenly Alligator: an adverbial tale PICTURE BOOK Gibbs Smith 

EL, MS, HS – ADVISABLE

A young boy walks through the swamp in quest of a new pair of socks. Along with other discoveries, he encounters an alligator intent on making the boy his next meal. 

The author places each adverb at the end of the sentence add emphasis, helping younger readers enjoy the lesson. Middle or high school grammar and writing teachers could use this book to show how using a wide variety of adverbs enhances writing MIGHTILY. 

John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith - ADVISABLE

Smith, Lane John, Paul, George and Ben PICTURE BOOK Hyperion 

EL, MS, HS – ADVISABLE

A fun, humorous look at the early lives of five (Tom, too) important men in American history. A great true/false section at the end of the narrative elevates this from mere entertainment, to a way to introduce these men to middle or high school students. 

Beware, Take Care by Lilian Moore - OPTIONAL

Moore, Lilian Beware, Take Care PICTURE BOOK Henry Holt

EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL

A rambunctious ghost, a smiling monster, a misunderstood dragon are part of the poems and adorable illustrations in this short picture book. My favorite poem is The Teeny, Tiny Ghost. If you have a large Halloween collection, this would be a good addition. 

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