Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth

Title: Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth
Author: Barbara Park
Illustrator: Denise Brunkus
Genre: Fiction
Sub-genre: Young Readers
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Date of Publication: 1993
Primary/Secondary Characters: Junie B. Jones/ Mrs., Jim, Grace, Janitor, Mom, and Dad
Theme: Lying is not a good thing.
Summary: Junie B. Jones can not figure out what she wants to be when she grows up and she has to. There is a job day at school and all the kids know what they want to be except for Junie B. she has no clue. When the other kids are talking about what they want to be Junie B. opens her big mouth and says she is going to be three different jobs in one. Junie B. now has to come up with that job so her classmates at school do not make fun of her. After helping her mom and dad at home Junie B. realizes what she wants to be , a Janitor.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used in class as a way to teach students that they do not need to lie because lying can get a person into more trouble. When Junie B. said that she was goin to be three different jobs she was lying and now she had to fix it all. Students should learn that if they do not lie then they will not have to do all the work trying to fix it.

Thank You World

Title: Thank You World
Author: Alice B. McGinty
Illustrator: Wendy Anderson Halperin
Genre: Fiction
Sub-genre: Picture Book
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Date of Publication: 2007
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Narrator
Theme: Learning about different cultures
Summary: The narrator wants to thank all the special things in his or her life. The narrator thanks the sun, sky, swing, grass, breeze, trees, clouds, rain, window, stars, and mommy.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used to teach the students about different cultures around the world. Throughout the book on each page there are eight different picture of different cultures on each page. Through these pictures the students can compare different cultures to each other.

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

Title: The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
Author: Tomie dePaola
Illustrator: Tomie dePaola
Genre: Legends and Myths
Sub-genre: Picture Book
Publisher: G.P. Putmans Sons
Date of Publication: 1993
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Little Gopher/ Young Indian Maiden, Old Grandfather and the People
Theme: Do not give up keep trying till you succeed.
Summary: Little Gopher was visited by the Young Indian Maiden and the Old Grandfather who told him that he was going to be a painter. They said that he would paint beautiful pictures and bring the colors of the sunset to his people. So Little Gopher painted and painted, but the right painting and the right colors had just not come yet. Then he was visited again and because he was loyal they gave him paintbrushes that were filled with beautiful colors. Little Gopher then took the brushes and started to paint. The picture turned out great and all of the people loved it.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used in the classroom to teach the students to not give up on what they want to achieve. The Little Gopher could not paint the right picture with the right colors, but he did not give up. He kept on trying and he finally did it. The students can learn that they can do what they put their mind to as long as they try and do not give up.

Apple Farmer Annie

Title:Apple Farmer Annie
Author: Monica Wellington
Illustrator: Monica Wellington
Genre: Fiction
Sub-genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Date of Publication: 2004
Primary/Secondary Characters: Annie
Theme: Learning words that start with the letter A.
Summary: Annie is an apple farmer and has a lot of apple trees. In the fall she picks lots and lots of apples and then organizes them all. Annie then uses the apples to make many different things. She makes apple cider, apple cakes, apple pie, apple muffins, apple cakes, and apple pies. Although Annie uses the apples to make these delicious treats, but she saves her best apples to sell at the market.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used in a classroom to help kindergartners learn about the letter A. It helps them learn the letter A by introducing them to different letters that start with the letter A. This book can also be used to help students learn Spanish since it is written in Spanish as well.

The Invisible Moose

Title: The Invisible Moose
Author: Dennis Haseley
Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
Genre: Fiction
Sub-genre: Picture Book
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Date of Publication: 2006
Primary/Secondary Characters: Boy Moose/ Girl Moose, Professor Owl McFowl, and Steel McSteal
Theme: Learning to help others.
Summary: There was a boy Moose who knew that this girl Moose was the most beautiful  moose ever. The girl moose got kidnapped and the boy moose knew he had to save her. Therefore, he decided to go see Professor Owl McFowl to ask for help. McFowl gave him a poition that would make invisible so he could travel and save the girl moose. The now invisible moose travels to the city to save the beautiful moose. When he finds her she is locked up. The guard, Steel McSteal, who is gaurding the moose was asleep so the invisible moose gets the keys and beautiful moose free. He the gives her some potion so they can both get home safely.
Summary of how to use with students: The book, The Invisible Moose, could be used as a way to teach students about helping others who are in need of help. Just like the boy moose helped the girl moose the students can learn that helping others is a good thing.

Little Monkey Lost

Title: Little Monkey Lost
Author: Keith DuQuette
Illustrator: Keith DuQuette
Genre: Fiction
Sub-genre: Picture Book
Publisher: The Penguin Book
Date of Publication: 2007
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Little Monkey/ Mother and other Monkeys
Theme: Learning about the New World Monkeys
Summary: Little Monkey is tired of just sleeping and being bored so he wanted to do something fun. One day he saw a lily pad floating by so Little Monkey hopped on and away he went. Not long after Little Monkey was lost, but he remembered his mom told him that if he was ever lost to find other monkeys and he would find his way home. Little Monkey found all kinds of monkeys and learned a lot of new things. Finally Little Monkey found his way home and was never bored again.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used in the classroom as a fun way to teach the students about the New World monkeys. Throughout the book Little Monkey runs into different breeds of monkeys each with a particular trait. When reading the book children can learn the all about the New World monkeys and their characteristics.

Fudge-a-Mania

Title: Fudge-a-Mania
Author: Judy Blume
Genre: Humorous Fiction
Sub-genre: Children & Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Date of Publication: 1990
Primary/ Secondary Characters: Peter Hatcher, Fudge Hatcher, Shelia Tubman, Mom, Dad, Mr.& Mrs. Tubman, Grandma, Buzzy Senior, Libby, Tubman, Mrs. A, Big Apfel, Mr. Fargo, and Tootsie
Theme: What is on the inside is what matters.
Summary: Peter and his family were going on vacation to Maine, but Peter just heard the worst news they are staying next door to his enemy Shelia Tubman. To make things better, Peter mom told  him he could invite his friend Jimmy to go with them, but Jimmy could only go a couple of weeks. Once Fudge and his family arrived at the house in Maine he realized that not only were they next door to the Tubmans, but they were sharing a house. Peter truly thought this was going to be the worst vacation ever. A couple of days after being there Shelia asked Mrs. Hatcher if she could babysit Fudge and Mrs. Hatcher agreed, Peter did not like this either. While on vacation the families made friends with another family down the street where the grandfather happened to be Big Apfel the baseball star, who is Peters hero. In fact they all got to play a baseball game with him. At the end of the book to everyone's surprise Buzzy Senior and Grandma got married.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used in the classroom as a way to show the students that what you see on the outside is not necessarily what is on the inside. Just like Peter sees that Shelia can have good traits students can see that even their enemies can be good. Another example of not judging people just by what is on the outside is how nobody really knew that Buzzy Senior and Grandma were in love till they said they were getting married.