Stories are magical, for both the young and old. Here you can find book reviews for specific age groups, topics, or learning experiences. There are also booklists and lesson ideas for educators, librarians, and families.
Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney is like no other book I've ever read. The multi-generational, historical fiction novel begins during an unfair sharecropping agreement between the main character's family and a plantation owner in Mississippi. Then it shifts to surviving under Jim Crow Laws to eventually marching for civil rights. It's a dramatic series of monologues that follows Loretta Little (from 1927-1930), Roly (from 1942-1950), and finally, Aggie B. (from 1962-1968). Each chapter has a where and when to set the stage for the reader as they step into the heart and mind of the characters. The first-person narration told in verse, song, and illustrations transport the reader to the emotion of each character.
What stood out was how the author, Pinkney, incorporated real-life historical figures into her storytelling. Readers can learn more about Fannie Lou Hamer, President Lyndon B. Johnson, James Forman, Emmett Till, Charles McLaurin, and of course, Martin Luther King, Jr. Pinkney also includes more information about sharecroppers in the southern U.S. with additional photos from that time.
As a parent, teacher and librarian, I would share this book with 3rd graders and above. It's certainly age-appropriate for readers to learn about the southern Black experience in the U.S. Each character is strong, distinct and unforgettable. The illustrations help readers understand the essence of the story without giving away too much.
Here are several video interviews the Pinkneys did to share with readers:
September 15 - October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month and although we need to share Latinx voices all year round, this is the month that we can bring all of their books together in one place and celebrate. Over the years I have done school-wide books and other times we focus on author studies for each grade level:
Prior the read aloud teach students how to say donkey in sign language. share that the author and illustrator, Anuska Allepuz is originally from Spain, and have them predict what the donkey eats that turns it green.
After reading, go over the difference between fiction and nonfiction. What do they think this book is and why?
Have the students choose a food for the donkey to eat and color their donkey the color of that food. Students can also write the food and color on the template.
Before reading Moon Rope by Lois Ehlert, share that folktales often have a lesson and that this story is from Peru. Review the animals that they will encounter in the story and have them act out the motions of the animals while they listen.
After the story give each child a page with pictures from the book. For example, here is one I provide:
Ask them to cut out the pictures and arrange them in order. They can number them or tape them to a piece of yarn for the full "Moon Rope" retelling experience.
Feel the Beat by Marilyn Singer and Let's Dance! by Valerie Bolling feature dances from Latin and South America. Feel the Beat has a CD that comes with it, so students can listen to the poem with music. Let's Dance can be read then students can get up and dance to Latinx music. If you have shakers and maracas it's even better!
Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina and Angela Dominguez is perfect for making predictions and having students discuss all of the ways someone who speaks another language could feel.
Students share the words that they know in Spanish and learn the sign language for parrot. before listening to the story. During the reading I like to share a prop of a suitcase with a snapshot and red feather like Abuela shares with Mia. Students like to handle the objects after they hear the story. Once the read aloud is complete, students can discuss the ways that language pushed the characters apart and how they were brought together.
As an extension of the book, students can make their own parrots out of paper or other STEM building materials.
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales is a beautiful story to share with students. I ask students what it is like to move to another country. Students discuss the wide range of feelings an immigrant could have. Prior to reading the book we listen to Morales give background on her story and what her drawings symbolize.
After listening to the story, students brainstorm what gives them their identity. Then they write a bio poem on a template provided by the teacher. You can get it HERE.
All the Way to Havana is a special picture book by Margarita Engle and Mike Curato. Students get to learn about Cuba by listening to the author's note about how prior to 1959 there was a car ban in the country.
As the book is read, it's really a poem, so the students can chant the sounds they hear. After reading the story students can build a car of their design using the materials in their STEM bins. When they are finished they can walk around and look at each other's creations. TeachingBooks.Net also has an audio clip of Curato explaining how he went about creating the illustrations for the story.
4th-5th Grades
Students may recognize the skulls or caleveras from the movie Coco and associate it with The Day of the Dead. Ask the students how it became so popular and invite them to listen to biography picture book, Funny Bones by Duncan Tonatiuh. I give students a biography graphic organizer to use to write their notes and sketch their images.
Students can listen to Tonatuih on TeachingBooks.Net explain his process for creating the illustrations.
After reading the story students can try to make their own calaveras out of paper plates. HERE are the directions.
Other books by Duncan Tonatiuh that I like to share are Separate is Never Equal and Dear Primo:
Frida, a picture book by Jonah Winter and Ana Juan, is a beautifully told and illustrated story about artist, Frida Kahlo. Since I use this book with older readers I like to use the idea found on Common Sense Media called, Queen of the Selfies. Prior to reading the story I ask students to define what a selfie is, what makes them like or dislike one and how long they think selfies have been around.
Then I ask them what they know about Frida Kahlo:
We look at her self-portraits and try to guess what her life was like:
We read the book aloud and go back to her paintings to find clues to what she endured:
Finally, students are challenged to create a self-portrait using Frida's style of including important feelings, objects, and symbols. We use the app PicCollage on our iPads to do this. Here is my example:
Gary Soto's book of poetry, Neighborhood Odes is excellent for this age group. Prior to reading the poems, students brainstorm ideas from their neighborhood, family, friends, or objects they own.
I share that in Neighborhood Odes, Gary Soto focuses on these categories. I challenge the students to try to match up the titles of the poems and the papel picado cutout-illustrations based on clues.
Then I show them Soto's news story about the museum that opened in his honor:
We read one of his poems, "Ode to Pablo's Tennis Shoes" and students underline the parts that stand out to them. They pick something from their brainstormed list and write an ode or a story about that idea.
As an extension we read his poem, "Oranges" that was made into a short film. After we read it, we watch the video and compare and contrast it to the poem.
If students want to read a picture book by Soto, I recommend Too Many Tamales:
Shannon McClintock-Miller has created a Choice Board for students to explore, as well. If you have more titles you suggest please leave them in the comments!
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