I Need My Monster, Written by: Amanda Noll, Illustrated by: Howard McWilliam

I Need My Monster

Written by: Amanda Noll

Illustrated by: Howard McWilliam

Grades: K-3

Awards:
2013 Virginia Readers Choice Award 
2012 California Young Reader Medal 2012 Georgia Children’s Book Award 2012 Golden Sower Award – Honor Book 
2012 Nevada Young Readers’ Award 2011 Buckaroo Book Award 2011 Grand Canyon Reader Award 2011 Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award – Nominee                                                                                     2010 Alabama Camellia Award – Winner 

I Need My Monster is about Ethan whose monster-under-the-bed, named Gabe, is away one night. He cannot sleep without his monster. It is to quiet. He is familiar with the friendship and comfort of his ooozy slime and ragged breathing and his long, sharp claws. He knocks on the floor to get other monsters to fill in but, no one except Gabe can make him stay in his bed. 

This is a great book for the classroom with the descriptive words and the wonderful pictures in the book. It is a funny look at the monsters under the bed stories. Loved it!

The Saggy Baggy Elephant, Written by: Kathryn Jackson & Byron Jackson, Illustrated by: Gustav Tenggren

The Saggy Baggy Elephant

Written by:Written by: Kathryn Jackson & Byron Jackson

Illustrated by: Gustav Tenggren

Grades: PreK-2

After a parrot makes fun of Sooki's big ears, long nose, and wrinkled skin, the saggy baggy elephant is not too sure of himself. Sooki tries to fit in but, just can't because he is not like the others. He feels sad and self-conscious, so the little elephant decides to hide in a cave where no one can see how ugly he is. Then he finds something just like him, other elephants. Sooki sees he just needed to be himself to be loved. 

This is a great book for kids trying to fit in or feeling self-conscious. It will make them see that they only need to be themselves to be happy. 

The Wide-Mouthed Frog (A Pop-Up Book) Written by Kieth Faulkner Illustrated by Jonathan Lambert

The Wide-Mouthed Frog

           (A Pop-Up Book)

Written by: Kieth Faulkner

Illustrated by: Jonathan Lambert

Age: 2-5 yrs

A curious frog goes a bit too far when asking his neighbors about their eating habits in this pop-up book. Each page features a different animal describing its meal of choice, including a blue-feathered bird (worms and slugs), a furry brown mouse (seeds and berries) and, finally, ominously, a big, green alligator. The creatures are colorful and and show off large, well-constructed pop-up beaks, whiskers and snouts. When the alligator answers that he eats ""delicious wide-mouthed frogs,"" Frog's comical response, resulting in a climactic fold-out ""Splash!"".  My kids love this book. It is very well loved at my house.

The Demon of River Heights (Nancy Drew Novels: Girl Detective Volume #1) Written by Sean Petrucha and Illustrated by: Sho Murase

The Demon of River Heights (Nancy Drew Graphic Novels: Girl Detective Volume #1)

Written by: Stefan Petrucha

Illustrated by: Sho Murase

Grades: 3 and up

Awards: CBC Graphic Novels for Young Readers

These Graphic Novels are based on the original Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene. Nancy, along with Bess, George, and other friends, are making a movie in the woods. When the girls leave for dinner, they are expecting the boys to come after cleaning up the film equipment. The boys never show. They go searching for the missing student filmmakers and discover the deadly secret behind the local urban legend known as "The Demon of River Heights." Nancy and her friends go on a quest to find them, and discover something even bigger going on in the old-abandoned mines. 

The Velveteen Rabbit Written by Margery Williams Bianco and Illustrated by Monique Felix

The Velveteen Rabbit

Written by Margery Williams Bianco

Illustrated by Monique Felix

Grades: Pre-k - 2nd
Awards:
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1971)

A stuffed toy rabbit with real thread whiskers and pink satin ears,  comes to life. Given as a Christmas gift to a young boy, the Rabbit lives in the nursery with all of the other toys, waiting for the day when the Boy will choose him as a playmate. In time, the shy Rabbit befriends the tattered Skin Horse, the wisest resident of the nursery, who reveals the goal of all nursery toys: to be made "real" through the love of a human. "'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'" The boy does love the rabbit and he soon looses his nice plump stuffed body and his pink ears fade. Will the rabbit become real?

This is a wonderful story of love between a child and his toys. Every child feels their toys are real. This will let them continue to question that and understand how the animals feel as well. 

Children Make Terrible Pets (Starring Lucille Beatrice Bear) Written and Illustrated by Peter Brown

Children Make Terrible Pets
Written and Illustrated by: Peter Brown
Grades: PreK-3
Awards:
Irma Black Award Nominee (2011), 
NAIBA Book of the Year for Picture Book (2011), 
Cybils Award Nominee (2010), 
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Picture Book (2010)

Lucy the bear finds a boy in the forest one day. She thinks he is the cutest thing in the world and must keep him for a pet. The boy makes a squeak sound, so she names him squeaker. Lucy's mom warns her that the boy will make a terrible pet, but she lets Lucy keep him anyway. It was a really cute story and the pictures are funny. The boy eventually returns to his "habitat" and Lucy finds that he is happy there. 

This is a great book for the classroom. It can be used for any child who has wanted pets that are not your average dog or cat. It shows there is a lot more to taking care of a pet than you think. 

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry... Written and Illustrated by Molly Bang

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry...
Written and Illustrated by Molly Bang
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book
Grade Level: Pre-K - 3
Awards:
Caldecott Honor Book 2000
Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner 2000

Sophie is a little girl who is told to let her sister have a turn playing with a truck and a gorilla. Sophie does not want to give up her turn, so when her sister grabs her gorilla, she gets very angry. Her emotions inside are compared to a volcano about to explode. Sophie leaves her house and goes for a walk. She finds a large tree and climbs up high. While Sophie is in the tree her emotions calm down by the views around her and the quiet. After sitting awhile she climbs down and walks home. At home everything is normal.

The pictures are bold and bright in this book. It shows children that there are ways to calm down. They can go for a walk, climb a tree,  or just sit and take in the air and views around them. Thier parents will still be there when they come home. 

In the classroom this is a good book to open discussions about emotions ways to deal with them. 

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day written by Judith Viorst

Alecander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Written by Judith Viorst
Illustrated by Ray Cruz
Genre: Fiction, Comedy
Grade Level: K-2
Awards: 

• ALA Notable Children's Books
• George G. Stone Center Recognition Of Merit
• Georgia Children's Book Award
• Reading Rainbow Book

Alexander wakes up and his day gets off to a bad start. He fell asleep with gum in his mouth and it is now in his hair. As the day goes along it does not get any better. One bad thng after another just keep happening througout his day. Alexander says Australia would be a much better place to be because he believe his day would be better there. His mom cooks a horrible dinner and even that is horrible. When the day is over and his mom puts him to bed, she assures him everyone has those days. Horrible days are just a part of life everywhere, even in Austrialia. 

Teachers can use this book to show students that some days are just bad days. We all have them and we all get through them. It does not matter where you live or who you are there are bad days. We just get through it and hope the next day is better. One day we can look back and laugh on it. 

The teacher could then have a duscussion with the students about thier bad days. What happened? Did they get better and how? It did not stay a bad day forever did it?

The Dot Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

The Dot
Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Genre: Art; Fiction
Grade level: K and up
Awards:
The Christopher Award

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner
Irma S. and James H. Black Honor--Bank Street College of Education
Publishers Weekly - STARRED Review
Booklist - STARRED Review
Chicago Public Library Best Books for Children and Teens
School Library Journal - STARRED Review
Nick Jr. Family Magazine - "Best of 2003" Awards - "Most Inspiring Book"
Borders Original Voices Selection"Best Book of the Year" - Valerie Lewis "Children's Book Review"/Hicklebee's
Book Sense 76 selection
Babyzone Amazing Book Awards 2003
Book Links Editor's Best of 2003
Chapman Awards for Best Classroom Read-Alouds

Vashti is in Art class and does not think she can draw. Her teacher encourages her to just to make a mark. Out of frustration Vashti throws her pencil on the paper and makes a dot. The teacher uses the dot to encourage Vashti to draw and paint more dots. Vashti's dots make her an artist and it all started with just a little dot. That little dot showed Vashti she can do anything if she just tries a little bit. Vashti then encourages others to just try and they can do it too. 

This story shows children if they just try something new, they may surprise themselves. Vashti did not know she could paint or draw until she tried. Teachers could discuss with the students about things they have tried and succeeded at doing. It may also encourage others to try something new too.