Book Finder

The traditional nursery rhyme is turned into an imagination nighttime journey enjoyed by a baby who goes from the familiar treetop to a soft sheep to a boat (with lots in-between) until baby is back with mother, “…where you belong.” Deeply hued, stylized illustrations complement the cozy rhyme sure to please young listeners.

What do these 17 animals — from tarantulas to blobfish to seahorse and with lots in between — share in common? Each one is pink! An amazing array of pink animals is presented in image and text to inform, intrigue, and inspire. Additional information is included.

Readers may never look at a science fair in the same way after reading this alphabetical introduction to one school’s effort. From “Anti-matter” to “Zero gravity” (and of course, an animated z for zucchini) real and imagined inventions (differentiated in an endnote) and science concepts are presented. Cartoon illustrations and speech bubbles are used in this silly romp. 

What is your family like? Is your big brother as big and respected or your little brother “flighty and a dreamer”? How would you describe your cousins or even your best friend? The narrator characterizes each member of her “Wild Family” in descriptive language that is accompanied by a bold, energetic illustration which includes an animal that meets the description.

Lots of eggs all “Round and spotted/polka-dotted” are in the pond. Readers will soon see tadpoles “Wiggle tails!/Squiggle tales!” emerge in this light, rhyming journey from egg to frog. Delightful wordplay combines with comic illustrations, many on pages that open to double the size, sure to engage young readers or listeners.

Why would it be cancelled? What villain has added the red scribble to the picture book stage? With tongue in cheek, the author presents another humorous look at the life and interactions of crayons, this time riffing on old horror movies. Bold crayon characters (and scribbles) appear on open pages with varied typeface.

Silly rhymes abound as a cat informs a frog that it must sit on a log, a hare on a chair, goats on coats, cows on plows, etc. All’s well until a dog —of course — sits on the frog! Comic illustrations accompany the lively language to enhance the spirited wordplay.

What do circles and die-cuts on a red page have to do with apples? Find out with a page turn to see apples followed by other shapes, bright colors, and cut-outs for a surprising, delightful, and highly imaginative jaunt in a simple yet surprisingly sophisticated presentation.

The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I’d seen only in Gideon’s stories: Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future. Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. (2011 Newbery Medal Winner)

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he’s the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians’ time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him. (2009 Newbery Medal Winner)

Maidens, monks, and millers’ sons — in these pages, readers will meet them all. With a deep appreciation for the period and a grand affection for both characters and audience, Laura Amy Schlitz creates 22 riveting portraits and linguistic gems equally suited to silent reading or performance. (2008 Newbery Medal Winner)

Thomas Jefferson’s many activities and interests took root in a new country and remain evident in contemporary America. They are celebrated in a breezy but informative text and charming, stylized illustrations in a muted palette that help bring the time, the person and his undertakings into focus. 

Her mother was a laundress but Anna was inspired by dance and music she saw in the Russian theater. A lyrical text is complemented by evocative illustrations to evoke the spirit of the life, work and travels of prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova. Even her death is subtly presented in both word and image for a stirring introduction to an amazing artist

Julia “Butterfly” Hill was born much later than Luna, a thousand year old redwood tree. But her bravery and tenacity saved Luna and the forest from destruction by living in the tree for about two years. This unusual story of activism is told from the perspective of both Butterfly and Luna accompanied by gentle, eye-catching, and informative illustrations. 

As the older woman, Ms Lillian, walks a steep hill to vote. While walking, she remembers the precipitous climb that those who preceded her made so that she could cast her ballot. The storyteller’s tone of the text and dramatic illustrations tell a powerful story.

Jelly Roll Morton became – to his grandmother’s horror – a musician in New Orleans, developing his own unique style of jazz. Rhythmic, rhyming language and swirling, color-saturated illustrations glimpse the life and work of this little known musician, perhaps inspiring readers to take a longer look at the artist and his work.

Her travels as the child in a wealthy family helped Jane realize that there were those much less well off. She moved into a home in a gritty part of Chicago where she opened Hull House to address the needs of those in poverty, likely the country’s first community center. Jane’s work in Chicago is described in fluid text and gentle, evocative illustrations presenting a portrait of the 19^th century.

Have you ever had an idea spark another notion? A waterwheel may have been one boy’s inspiration for what is ubiquitous at today’s carnivals and amusement parks: the Ferris wheel! George studied engineering and created the world’s first 6-story tall observation wheel which showcased at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair to the amazement of all. Realistic illustrations and lively text bring the man and his times to life.

Richly hued illustrations and an engaging text (that reads aloud well) present a brief look at the life of a girl who was well ahead of the 19^th century in which she lived. Ada’s mother left her husband, the philandering poet Lord Byron, moving to London. There she encouraged Ada’s passion for all things math, including developing algorithms for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, an early computer.

Three storylines — contemporary and mythic — intersect in this tale of a boy who is not comfortable with his culture or himself. This fresh, sometimes surprising, revealing novel is told in image and text. This graphic novel was the first of its format to win the Printz Award for best work of Young Adult Literature.

Black and Latino boys face persistent and devastating disparities in achievement when compared to their white counterparts. Schooling for Resilience investigates how seven newly formed schools, created specifically to serve boys of color, set out to address the broad array of academic and social problems faced by Black and Latino boys. Drawing on student and teacher surveys, focus groups, interviews, and classroom observations, the authors investigate how these schools were developed, what practices they employed, and how their students responded academically and socially. In particular, they focus on the theory of action that informed each school’s approach to educating Black and Latino boys and explore how choices about school structure and culture shaped students’ development and achievement. In doing so, the authors identify educational strategies that all schools can learn from.

 

Race continues to be a source of controversy and conflict in American society. For many of us it will continue to shape where we live, pray, go to school, and socialize. We cannot simply wish away the existence of race or racism, but we can take steps to lessen the ways in which the categories trap and confine us. Educators, who should be committed to helping young people realize their intellectual potential as they make their way toward adulthood, have a responsibility to help them find ways to expand identities related to race so that they can experience the fullest possibility of all that they may become. In this brutally honest — yet ultimately hopeful — book, Noguera examines the many facets of race in schools and society and reveals what it will take to improve outcomes for all students. From achievement gaps to immigration, Noguera offers a rich and compelling picture of a complex issue that affects all of us.

In this updated edition of the ASCD best-seller, Fisher and Frey dig deeper into the hows and whys of the gradual release of responsibility instructional framework. To gradually release responsibility is to equip students with what they need to be engaged and self-directed learners. On a day-to-day level, it means delivering lessons purposefully planned to incorporate four essential and interrelated instructional phases: (1) Focused Instruction: Preparing students for learning by establishing lesson purpose, modeling strategies and skills, thinking aloud, and noticing how students respond; (2) Guided Instruction: Strategically using prompts, cues, and questions to lead students to new understanding; (3) Collaborative Learning: Allowing students to consolidate their understanding through exploration, problem-solving, discussion, and thinking with their peers; and (4) Independent Learning: Requiring students to use the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired to create authentic products and ask new questions.