Anotated Bibliography

Introduction: My name is Taylor Giany and I would like to teach any grade in elementary school. I have not had the opportunity to teach just yet, but I am definitely looking forward to teaching any grade. I believe my desire to teach any grade stems from the belief that all children deserve to learn. My goal is to read 5 books a week, maybe even more. This way if I want to elaborate on more children’s literature books I can. My two favorite quotes from the book are “What is most important about fantasy, what separates and frees it from the boundaries of other genres, is that it is an un-distilled version of human imagination—momentary worlds and magic that may be at odds with the rational truth, yet continue to reflect our culture and times”- Melissa Thomas, pg. 153. And “Words are left out and the picture says it. Pictures are left out and the word says it.” – Pg. 77 .

Title Summary # Of Pages Genre Awards Response to Text

Classroom Use

Picture BooksThe Look Book

Tana Hoban

Picture book with holes cut out on the previous page so the students’ have to guess what the next image is.

20 Picture books

N/A I thought the book was excellent for beginning readers. There are no words, but the reader has to guess what the next animal/object is through a hole in the previous page. It keeps

I would use this book in my classroom to teach about prediction.

the reader guessing.

Hands

Lois Ehlert

A book about a little girl who works alongside her parents when they garden, sew, and do carpentry. She begins to think of all the things your hands can do.

15 Picture book

N/A I enjoyed this book because I thought that the illustrations were great and I loved the fact that it is a text to world book.

I would use this book to teach about different ways we use our hands every day. I would also use this book to teach children that there are different types of hands out there (prostethic, etc).

Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature

This book is about number patterns and the Fibonacci numbers (1 1 2 3 5 8 13). These numbers are presented in nature and the

32 Picture book

N/A I thought this book was an excellent way to incorporate reading with math. I

I would definitely use this in my classroom to teach

Sarah C. Campbell

pictures are very detailed. For example 1 flower petal and 1 flower petal make two, the on the next page it goes two spirals on a pinecone plus 3 spirals on a pinecone make five. Etc.

believe that reading can be linked to all subjects and should be. This book is a great way to incorporate the two.

about math and mathematic patterns. This book would serve a great purpose in my classroom with beginning math.

Randolph Caldecott’s Picture Books

Randolph Caldecott

Randolph Caldecott is one of the most well known illustrators of the 19th century. His works in this book include The House that Jack Built, The Diverting History of John Gilpin, Sing a Song for Sixpence, The Three Jovial Huntsmen, The Farmer’s Boy, The Queen of Hearts, The Milkmaid, Hey Diddle Diddle, and Baby Bunting.

236

Picture Book

2008 Book Show Award Winner

I love Randolph Caldecott because I grew up with these stories. I love his illustrations and the way he uses his words. Some stories are poetry and some are tales of long ago. But they

I would use this book in my classroom for multiple purposes. I would use this for social studies, compare and contrast modern day to then,

all have some sort of historical fiction to them. This is because Caldecott thrived in the 19th century.

writing, art, spelling, and real world situations.

Traditional LiteratureThree Little Pigs

Paul Galdone

“The Three Little Pigs" is about three pigs whose mother cannot keep them anymore. They are left to fend for themselves. The first pig builds his house out of straw, the wolf comes in and huffs and puffs and blows his house in and eats him, the second pig gets sticks to build his house out of, the same thing happens. Finally the third pig builds his house out of brick and the wolf cannot blow the house in. The wolf goes down

21 Traditional Literature

This book is good to teach young students about rhyming and repetition. This book is a little bit gruesome even though it is designed and appeals to younger children. I

I would use this unit in my classroom if I was introducing or working on vocabulary and rhyming. I would compare and contrast the different houses in the book and also compare and contrast the wolfs attitude when he first starts out to the end when

the chimney but the little pig was boiling a pot of water, the wolf fell in and the pig ate him and lived happily ever after.

think that the teacher should consider the emotional demographic of the students before reading this book to the students, or telling the students that this is not real and this is just make believe.

he cannot blow the third little pig’s house down.

King Arthur and his Knights

This book is about King Arthur and all of his adventures from the start to the beginning including the coming of Arthur: Merlin, Uther and Igraine, The Sword


N/A This book is awesome for older children. I love King Arthur and

I would use this book in my classroom to depict determination, history, and key events.

Julek Heller and Deirdre Headon

in the Stone, Morgan Le Far and the Sword in the Lake. The Knights of the Roundtable: The First Quest, The False Excalibur, etc. And finally the Decline of Camelot: Lancelot and Guinevere, The Last Battle

I love the fact that this book goes in chronological order from the time King Arthur started out to the time that he first started to the time the decline of King Arthur and Camelot. The book is very real and the pictures are so life-like. This book really tells the raw story of King Arthur.

This book could also be used as basis for role-playing in the classroom. I would also use this book to promote team-work and working together. I would even do activities to go along with the book such as comparing and contrasting and timelines.

Giant Treasury of Peter Rabbit

Beatrix Potter

This book is about Beatrix Potter’s 8 beloved fairytales, including Peter Rabbit. The tales include: Squirrel Nutkin, Benjamin Bunny, Two Bad Mice, Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Mr. Jeremy Fisher, The Tailor of Gloucester, and The Pie and the Patty-Pan.


N/A This book is one from my personal collection. I have loved it ever since I was little. The illustrations are phenomenal and the way Beatrix Potter words the stories, keeps you entertained and intrigued for the whole book.

I would definitely use this in my classroom for text to self gratification and I would also use this for text to world. I would use text to world to see if the children can tell the difference between fairytales and reality and also to try to get them to relate the stories to their own lives.

The Magic Orange Tree

This book is about Hatian folktales. The book includes folktales about kings, princesses,

210 Traditional literature

2005 Anne Izard’s Storyteller Choice Award Winner

This book is good, but some of the content is

I would use this in an upper grade classroom to promote

Diane Wolkstein

reincarnation, death reincarnated into people, and songs about the Haitian culture.

graphic, which is why I picked this book for the upper-grade reader (4-5th). I enjoyed the way Wolkstein portrayed Haitians as being good, honest, hardworking people, even though the book is folklore.

diversity and differences of cultures. I would also use this for a cultural day.

Modern FantasyAmanda Pig, Schoolgirl

This book is about a pig named Amanda who is so excited for

48 Modern Fantasy

N/A This book is really good about portraying the first day of school, how

I would use this book for the first day of school and have

Jean Van Leeuwen

her first day of school. She befriends a little girl on the bus who does not say a word. As the story progresses, everyone is talking about laughing and having fun, except for the one little girl she met on the school bus. Amanda decides, since she doesn’t know her name, she will call her Lollipop. Lollipop doesn’t talk

for some it’s exciting and others it’s a very nervous and scary time. This book was good at portraying each side of the spectrum with being excited, to being scared. I would definitely use this in my classroom.

students share their thoughts and feelings about the first day of school. I would have them tell the class and myself what they are most excited for and what they are most afraid of and ask students if they have ever had a time on the first day of school where they were very nervous.

until the end of the story. When she finally tells Amanda that her name is Emily.

Ricky the Racoon

Alain Gree and Luis Camps

This is about a raccoon named Ricky who is very lazy. He doesn’t want to do anything to help out the other animals besides sit and lay around. One day he ran out of crayfish to eat and had to build a raft to get to the other side of the

15 Modern Fantasy

N/A The book in a excellent way to promote sharing through personification. The illustrations are wonderful. The text is a bit wordy so if this is to be taught to a younger class, the teacher should read this aloud.

I would use this in my classroom to promote sharing, working hard, and being a team player.

lake. All of the animals pitched in to help him and Ricky realized that he should help his friends out more.

The Wizard of Oz

Frank L. Baum

The Wizard of Oz is about a girl named Dorothy who becomes unconscious when a tornado strikes her farm. She dreams about going to a different world where everything is bright and colorful. The problem is

272 Modern Fantasy

The book didn’t win any awards because it was published in 1900, the first award was the Newberry Medal given in 1922.

The Wizard of Oz is a classic tale loved by millions. The movie definitely differs from the book in so many ways (ruby slippers vs. silver slippers, meeting Oz several times vs. once). But the book goes into such grave detail that the book just sucks you

This book can be taught in the classroom to promote aspects of wanting something money can’t buy. Also, I would use this to teach determination, enemies vs. friends, making

her house fell on the bad witch’s sister and now the bad witch is after her. But Glenda, the good witch of the South protects her, gives her silver slippers, and says if she ever wants to go home, she just taps her silver slipper three times and says “There’s no place like home.”She meets a few friends along the way (the tin

right in. This is definitely a book full of fantasy and mythological creatures. I love the way the book captures the essence of what the characters want that cannot be man-made or money bought.

new friends, and looking deep inside you for the things you really want.

man, the cowardly lion, and the scarecrow) who all want different things (a brain, a heart, and courage). They meet with the wizard of oz a few times in the book only to reveal he is a man from Omaha in a hot air balloon. Dorothy kills the bad witch by pouring water over her and eventually the characters

in the book all get what they want.

Harry Potter Collections

J.K Rowling

Harry Potter is a boy who is very lonely and shunned by his family and neighbors and is forced to live in a cupboard. On his 11th birthday a hagrid tells Harry that he is a wizard and would be going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry goes to the

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - 309

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 352

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 448

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 734

Harry

Modern Fantasy

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone:

Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 1997 Gold Medal 9-11 years

FCBG Children’s Book Award 1997 Overall winner and Longer Novel Category

Birmingham Cable Children’s Book Award 1997

Young Telegraph Paperback of

Harry Potter is by far my favorite collection of children’s books. Even though the books are very dark and have a lot of graphic parts to them, they aren’t scary enough to deter children away from reading them. The Harry Potter collection sucks you into a world of witchcraft, heroism, bravery, and love stories. I love the way

I would definitely use these books in my classroom, I may not use them for any purpose but for my own library so that the children can enjoy them. I would teach the children about bravery and about being scared to move to new places and try

school where he meets Hermione and Ron who become his best friends. There he learns how to be a wizard. Lord Voldemort (an evil character) wants the very powerful sorcerer’s stone but Harry defeats Lord Voldemort, who tries to kill him when he was an infant. The books go on about

Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - 896

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince - 652

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 784

the Year 1998

British Book Awards 1997 Children’s Book of the Year

Sheffield Children’s Book Award 1998

Booklist Editors Choice 1998

Whitaker’s Platinum Book Award 2001

New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1998

Harry Potter and

J.K Rowling portrays all of the characters and is so precise in describing the characters.

new things. Since there is so much controversy surrounding these books, I may not be able to do any lessons on these.

different enemies Harry has to defeat, Harry’s growing up and his other wishes and desires, and in the end Harry kills Voldemort for good.

the Chamber of Secrets:

* Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 1998 Gold Medal 9-11 years* Scottish Arts Council Children’s Book Award 1999* FCBG Children’s Book Award 1998 Overall winner and Longer Novel Category* British Book Awards 1998 Children’s Book of the Year* North East Book Award 1999* North East Scotland Book Award 1998* The Booksellers Association / The Bookseller Author of the Year 1998* Whitaker’s

Platinum Book Award 2001

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

* Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 1999 Gold Medal 9-11 years* Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year 1999* British Book Awards 1999 Author of the Year* The Booksellers Association / The Bookseller Author of the Year 1998* FCBG Children’s Book Award 1999 / Longer Novel Category* Whitaker’s Platinum Book Award 2001

Harry Potter and

the Goblet of Fire:

* Scottish Arts Council Book Award 2001* Children’s Book Award in 9-11 category 2001* Winner of the Hugo Award* Whitaker’s Platinum Book Award 2001

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:

*British Book Awards – Book of the Year 2006

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

*Newsweek Best Book of the Year –

2007Poetry Books

ABC’s of African American Poetry

Ashley Bryan

This book goes is about African American poetry starting with A and ending with Z. Each poem describes something or someone and has a place in history. The book talks about slavery, Harriet Tubman, and the way African Americans had to be strong to defeat

32 Poetry Books

CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book,

Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book

This book is excellent for teaching young children about slavery and the way African Americans were determined to survive. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and the words are easy to read. This book points out different historical figures such as Harriet Tubman and Kojo, which I loved.

I would use this book for teaching young children about African American history and slavery without actually showing them slavery. This is an excellent way to teach children about diversity and about the strength and courage

slavery. African Americans had to overcome slavery.

Been to Yesterdays

Lee Bennett Hopkins

This book is a collection of poems about a little boys life when he moves from PA to NJ. This goes through what he sees his thoughts and emotions, it talks about his parents’ divorce, moving away again, holidays, new schools, etc.

64 Poetry Books

1996 Christopher Award

This book was excellent in portraying the fears and changes that this little boy had growing up. This talks about things that children would feel in real life (such as anger from a divorce, etc). This book portrayed this boy in such a way that you almost feel sorry for everything he had to go through growing up.

I would use this in my classroom to talk about change and the emotions you may feel when you go through big changes (such as a big move or a divorce), and ways that you can deal with those changes (such as through writing and

poetry).Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel Silverstein

One of my most beloved books growing up. This book teaches kids about silly words and all about growing up and all of the trials and tribulations that come along with it. Some take the theme of traditional mother goose poems and some are purely humorous.

176 Poetry Books

ALA Notable Children’s Book New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year New York Times Notable George C. Stone Center for Children's Books Recognition of Merit Award Golden Archer Award (Wisconsin) Golden Archer Award (Wisconsin)

My favorite Shel Silverstein book is “Where the Sidewalk Ends.” I’ve always loved it growing up. I love the rich paper and pencil drawings and I love the fact that Shel Silverstein always rhymes in his poems, even when he doesn’t have to. He makes children relate to his poems, which is the reason I loved his poems all throughout

I would use this book to teach children about the hard times of everyday life and about growing up. Sometimes I may even use a poem or two to lighten the mood of the classroom. I would use this book to teach children about poetry and rhyming schemes

my childhood. as well. The Giving Tree

Shel Silverstein

This book is about a boy who finds a tree in the forest. Growing up the tree provides for him, apples to eat, shade to rest, and branches in which to build a home. As the boy grows older he requires more and more of the tree. After the boy grows old, the tree is just a stump and the tree has nothing left to give

64 Poetry Books

Nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award.

I love this book, growing up I read this book over and over again. I really love the illustrations because they really tell the relationship the tree has with the boy and the boy has with the tree. Silverstein portrays the tree as loving the boy unconditionally, no matter where he goes or what he takes from the tree. I think this is a good way for children to learn that just

I would use this book to teach children about using what mother nature gives you, but to not take too much. Also, I would use this book about how to preserve the world (recycling, beach cleanup, etc). This would be a good introduction book for a lesson on preservation and

him. All the old man wants is just a place to sit and rest, and a place to sit and rest he had.

because nature gives us something, doesn’t mean we have to take all of it.

being nice to nature and ways to give back to nature as well.

Realistic FictionI Won’t Go Without a Father

Muriel Stanek

This book is about a boy named Steve, who does not have a father. One day, the teacher announced there would be an open house later that week. Steve did not want to go because he was embarrassed that the kids would laugh at him for not having a father or that he would feel different. His mother tried to explain to him that lots of

13 Realistic Fiction

N/A This book is excellent for teaching about different families and single-parent homes. This book portrays the anger that some children feel and some of the ways they can deal with this anger. I love the illustrations and the way the author uses words to really portray Steve’s anger towards not having a father.

This book can be used in my classroom to promote diversity and teach children about different families and single parent homes and that no family is the same. This is an excellent book for teaching

children don’t have fathers and that it’s okay. After a couple days of deliberation, Steve finally decided to go and saw that lots of families are different and that no two families are the same.

children that families come from all different backgrounds and that different types of families exist all around the world.

Grandmas at the Lake

Emily Arnold McCully

This book is about two Grandmas who invite their grandson and a friend to a cabin on a lake. The two grandmas can’t get along and when one says no, the other says yes. The two boys decide to take matters into their own hands and when the grandmas are asleep, they


N/A The book was good, although the wording was quite repetitive. I would recommend this book to an early reader because the words are big and are very simple. I thought that the illustrations were the juiciest part of the book.

I would use this in my classroom to model getting along, sharing, and compromise.

sneak out to a boat into the middle of the lake. The grandmas wake up and chase after them. The boys yell from the boat they won’t come back until the grandmas agree to let them have fun.

Madeline’s Rescue

Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline is a spunky, bright girl at Ms. Clavel’s girls academy in Paris, France. One day she falls into a lake and a dog saves her. She wants to keep the dog but the mean inspectors will not have it and kick the dog out. After many trials and tribulations, Madeline


Caldecott Medal I enjoyed this book because it shows team work, determination, and love for animals. This can be a book for all ages and for all generations. This also had a rhyming scheme so students with learning problems with rhyming can improve their skills.

I would use this to teach a class about determination and also I would use this for teaching about different places around the world.

finally gets the dog back.

Follow the Moon

Sarah Weeks

This is about a turtle who doesn’t hatch when his brothers and sisters hatch and is all alone. That’s when a little boy comes to help him and builds a fence around him and keeps him away from danger. The turtle thinks that a party with a disco ball is the moon, but the little boy helps him to the real moon in the ocean.


American Bookseller Pick of the List

I loved this book, the illustrations where phenomenal and the richness of the text is amazing. This book captures the heart because it is written as if the sea turtle was talking instead of the little boy. I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers of all ages to see how sea turtles hatch and get to the water.

This is a good way to introduce a science lesson or a specific lesson on sea turtles. I would use this for my classroom to teach students how sea turtles follow the moon and ways to prevent sea turtles from following the wrong light and becoming hurt.

Historical FictionPresident’s Day

Anne Rockwell

This book is about a class who decides to put on a play about presidents day. The book goes on to briefly describe the first few presidents and who they were. They also describe what they look like and what they wore.

40 Historical Fiction

Best Book for Youth Award 2004

This book did a good job of portraying what the presidents looked like. However, I would have liked to have seen more of what they stood for and what their accomplishments were.

I would use this book in my classroom alongside a history unit. I would use this to introduce children about President’s Day and the presidents.

Mr. Lincolns Whiskers

Karen B. Winnick

Mr. Lincolns Whiskers is about a little girl named Grace Bedell, she wants to vote for


Caldecott Medal This book is excellent in portraying Grade Bedell and Abraham Lincoln. This is a true story, but

I would use this in my classroom to talk about history and the ever changing

Abraham Lincoln but she is a girl, and only 11 years old. One day she writes to Abraham Lincoln telling him to grow whiskers. Everyone says that Mr. Lincoln won’t reply back, but he did reply, 7 days later. She actually got to see him as well and when she did, he had a beard.

made into fiction to suit the younger children. This book is excellent because in the back of the book the actual transcripts of what Grace wrote and Mr. Lincoln wrote are there. Also, the letter in which she writes is the exact letter that the real Grace Bedell writes Mr. Lincoln.

world. I would use this book to open up a lesson in writing and parallel it with history. I would ask the students to imagine being in that time period where girls could not vote and only boys had rights back then. I would as them to write a letter to Mr. Lincoln as well stating their own

thoughts and feelings.

Passage to Freedom

Ken Mochizuki

This story is about a little boy whose father was a Japanese Diplomat in the 1940’s. They lived in Lithuania. All of the Jews stood outside his house for days because the Nazi’s were coming to kill them. They asked his father for Visas from the Japanese Government, but they kept saying no. Finally


American Pick of the List

This book was good. I thought that the momentum of the story went a little bit too fast and there was no background about the Jews or why they were being sought after. I thought that the story would have been a lot better if we were given more background knowledge. I did however, like the fact

I would use this book in a thematic unit on history and Nazism. I would do several activities including having the students write letters to the government as if they were the father, pleading for visas. I would also have the students role play the book, have one

the father hand wrote over 300 visas for people despite what the government said. Eventually Lithuania was taken over by the soviets and ordered them to leave. Now there is a memorial in his father’s name in Japan called the Hill of Humanity.

that the story was through a child’s eyes and not the eyes of the father.

student play the Dad, one the child, One the mom, and the rest of the class would be the Polish wanting visas.

Osceola

Joanne Oppenheim

This is about a boy named Little Owl, who was alive during the


I liked this story a lot. I thought it was good and the illustrations were

This book can be used for many purposes. To teach

war of 1812. General Andrew Jackson was punishing and burning down the villages of Indians who were friends of the English. They were divided into two groups, the white sticks and the red sticks, the red sticks were still friendly with the British, so they had to go on the run. They hooked up with the Seminole tribe in

excellent as well. They weren’t in color but you could really capture the essence of the Indians and their struggles through the illustrations. I thought that the book was chronologically correct. The book gave direct facts which I liked as well.

about war, to teach about the history of Florida and to teach about the Indians (Seminole,Creek Indians). I could do an activity where the students role play. Half of the students would be Indians and the other half would be the British. I could also do an activity where the students write down

Florida but the men found them and burned their villages down as well. This time the Indians fought for their freedom and burned down many ways for the British to find them (bridges, villages, etc). The leader of the Indians, Osceola, was captured and taken to prison where he died, but his

what they would do if they were an Indian in this situation. Would they move like the British want? Or would they stand and fight for their right to freedom and why.

spirit lives on and the Indians continued to live in FL.

Non FictionAnimals Nobody Loves

Seymour Simon

This book is about different creatures in the wild that are not necessarily pretty or aesthetically appealing. This book shows the different creatures, what their name is, and where they live.

48 Non-Fiction

This book, to me, shows students that there are other animals out there besides the cuddly cute ones we see in our everyday life. This book was a good way to show students that not everything that is ugly is necessarily harmful.

I would use this book to do an activity for students to draw their own “ugly” animal. They can come up with their own animal or creature.

Gray Whales This book is all about gray whales, their

72 Non-Fiction

This book is excellent for children. The picture are

This would be used in a thematic unit (ocean

Jim Darling

habitats, what they like to eat, how much they weigh, how long they are, etc. This book details where these gray whales live and what types of gray whales there are.

excellent and under each picture, there is a caption, which I liked. Also, the book goes into detail about how the whales are becoming extinct and what we can do to save them. This gives children a chance to see what they can do to save whales.

life, etc). I would use book in my classroom for read aloud because the pictures are excellent. I could also use this along side other books as well about whales and I could do a variety of activities on the gray whale and maybe even do a project to make a gray whale to scale.

Through My Eyes This book is 63 Non- Jane Addams I loved this I would use

Ruby Bridges

about Ruby Bridges, the first African American girl to be integrated into a white school. This book talks about her struggles, her fears, her anxieties, and what it was like for her at the time. This book was written by Ruby Bridges so it is in first person.

Fiction Children’s Book Award.

Carter G. Woodson book award.

book so much. I thought it portrayed the integration movement in a beautiful light. This is because it was written by Ruby Bridges herself. This book showed the struggles and pain of what she went through. I would definitely make sure this book is read to an older class though because of the wording.

this book to teach children about segregation and integration. This book can be used for pivotal moments in history. This book can also be used to teach students to accept all races and colors and creeds.

Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises

This book is all about dolphins,

112 Non-Fiction

This book is excellent for older children.

This book can be used in a

John E. Heyning

whales, and porpoises. The book talks about the differences between them and the similarities between them. The book goes into the history of the whale, dolphin, and the porpoise. The book talks about the conservation of these creatures and what we, as humans, can do to preserve

The book talks about the difference between a whale, dolphin and a porpoise and the ways that they are alike as well. I liked this book because it shows a lot of illustrations about the different types of whales and dolphins and also gives great detail on the intelligence of all three creatures. I liked this book a lot and would recommend it to any

thematic unit or by itself because the text is so rich and detailed. I would definitely use this book when talking about ocean life. Some of the activities I could do would be a venn diagram, comparing and contrasting, drawing different types of whales and dolphins, and even a

them. The book also talks about the research that is being done on them and the different signature whistles porpoises have.

classroom teacher.

“make your own dolphin or whale” activity.

Diverse PopulationsThe Colors of Us

Karen Katz

“The Colors of Us” is about relating skin color to colors we see every day or foods we see often. The book uses similes to compare skin color to colors we see every day. For

14 Diverse Populations

National Parenting Publications Gold Award, and Child magazine Best Book designation, both 2001, and Bank Street School Books Committee Best Book designation, 2002

I liked the book because it uses similes to compare and contrast different colors. I also like that the book uses colors, objects, and foods that we see in everyday life.

I would use this book when teaching about diversity and about different races. I would also use this to show students that everyone is different. Segregatio

example: “My baby-sitter Candy is like a beautiful Jewel, bronze and amber.

n and discrimination are wrong no matter what skin tone or hair color or eye color we have, we are all the same.

Pablo Remembers the Fiesta of the Day of the Dead

George Ancona

This is about Pablo, a 9 year old Mexican boy who is learning more about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The book goes on to talk about the history of the day, what they


N/A This book is a good way to promote different cultures and ethnicities. I liked the book because it was almost in diary form. The story spanned over two days from day to night. I liked the way the author portrayed the

I would use this book to promote different cultures and different ways of celebration. This would be a good book to use for culturally sheltered students who have

eat, what they drink, and why they have the day.

day of the dead as not being scary, but being magical and a way to remember ancestors.

no background or knowledge that other cultures exist, etc.

The Space Between our Footsteps

Naomi Shihab Nye

This book is about poems and paintings from the Middle East. While the poems are more like stories, the paintings are actual paintings done of the Middle East. The stories are wonderful and describe the Middle East in excellent


This poetry collection was excellent; it really brought out the true essence of the Middle East. The paintings were fabulous as well. I loved the fact that the author used real stories and illustrations to portray the Middle East.

This book could be used in the classroom to learn about different types of art, poetry, and to learn about the Middle East. I would use this along with a history lesson or even an art lesson.

detail. The poems are all excerpts from poems found from actual residents of the Middle East.

Documents

Anotated Bibliography