Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon

Written by: Patty Lovell  Illustrated by:David Catrow 

This story is about a girl who is different on the outside from other students in very obvious ways. For example, she is extremely short, has buckteeth, and has an unusual voice. However, she is confident in herself and has a strong, loving, and fun personality. This helps her gain friendships despite they way people originally viewed her based on appearance. It is a great story about friendship.

Lesson ideas for this are endless! Here is one I thought up:

Read Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon to introduce the topic of friendship despite appearances. Give students the paper titled “I stand tall because...” and have students draw a picture of themselves including things they like about themselves. Hang these on the bulletin board for the unit.

Brothers At Bat

Written by: Audrey Vernick                             Illustrated by: Steven Salerno 

This true story takes the reader on the journey of twelve Acerra brothers who love to play baseball. It begins with the brothers playing pick-up games in the backyard, then progresses into their high school and pre-professional seasons.  In 1997 these brothers were honored by the American Baseball Hall of fame as the longest-running all-brothers baseball team. The historical aspect is just one aspect that makes this story special. 

“It’s ‘safe’ to say the Acerra team was the longest-playing all-brother team in baseball history.”

 This book is perfect for baseball fans, but can also be a great book for those who enjoy beautiful illustrations and humor. It would be a good addition to the classroom because it explores the differences between the early 1900’s and today’s life. Teachers can talk to their students about the importance of being a good sport utilizing the example of these brothers. It could even inspire students to get up and be active! Teachers could try to organize a classroom baseball team of their own! 

To the right you will find an actual video of the Acerra brothers playing ball, and the book trailer for this incredible story. 

Julius, the Baby of the World

Written and Illustrated by: Kevin Henkes 

Julius, the Baby of the World, is a story about a girl named Lily who is far from excited about the news that she will be a big sister. In her opinion, her little brother Julius is the worst thing that could have happened to her. All the attention is on Julius and Lily feels that her parents are ignoring her. Lily feels she can make up for it by belittling her brother. 

This is all until one of Lily's cousins, Garland, attempts to make fun of Julius and Lily realizes it upsets her. She tricks Garland into calling Julius the "baby of the world". Kevin Henkes could not have better portrayed sibling rivalry. Siblings can pick on one another, but as soon as someone else tries, siblings become each other's number one protectors. I know my siblings and I could relate to this!

Some of the awards this book has received include:

ALA Notable Children’s Book
Horn Book Fanfare
Booklist Editors’ Choice
American Booksellers Association “Pick of the Lists”
Parents’ Choice Honor
California Young Readers Medal
Emphasis on Reading Award (Alabama)

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!

Written and Illustrated by: Mo Willems 

This story by Mo Willems is just one of his many humorous stories about a pigeon. Not many people decide to write a picture book about a pigeon, but Mo Willems does it very well. In this story the pigeon always fantasizes of having a puppy without even ever meeting one. He has just always heard wonderful things about them! Here are some of the things pigeon hopes to do with his puppy:

The pigeon's excitement about the puppy is something many children can relate to, which makes it a fun classroom story. At the end of the story the pigeon actually meets a puppy and realizes that he is afraid of puppies after all. This story has fun illustrations that children will love!

One of the many times pigeon is excited about the puppy!

Something Beautiful

Written by: Sharon Dennis Wyeth              Illustrated by: Chris K. Soentpiet

"Beautiful! I think it means: something that when you have it, your heart is happy."

       Something Beautiful is a powerful story about a young girl who lives in terrible conditions where it is sometimes difficult to look outside and see the beauty in the world. She is surrounded by heartbreaking scenes such as broken glass in her courtyard, the word "die" painted on her door, and a homeless woman in the streets. She learns about the word beautiful in class and creates her own meaning for the word. "Beautiful! I think it means: something that when you have it, your heart is happy." 

       The young girl ventures through her town searching for the aspects of life that make those around her happy. These aspects are beautiful to them. The people she talks to mention beautiful things from a fried fish sandwich to a smooth stone. These are not the first items people typically think of when one mentions the word beautiful. This young girl becomes determined to better her home and decides to clean up the broken glass, scrub the word "die"off her front door, and hopes to one day house the homeless lady. When her mom arrives home and asks her if she has something beautiful she responds, "Of course, I have you."

       This story can be used in the classroom to teach children of all ages the value of beauty. There is beauty within everything. Children can also learn the value of taking initiative to better their situations just as the young girl in the story did. This is a beautiful book.  From the life-like illustrations to the moving message, there are many uses for this story in the classroom. 

Awards include:

• A Parents Magazine Best Book
• A National Parenting Publication Award Honor Book

Resources

Wyeth, Sharon Dennis., and Chris K. Soentpiet. Something Beautiful. New York: Doubleday for Young Readers, 1998. Print.

All the World

Written by: Liz Garton Scanlon              Illustrated by: Marla Frazee

       All the World is an intriguing work of children's literature that depicts many different aspects of the world around us. The adventure changes locations while recognizing the small and big characteristics at each site.  For example the family begins at the beach where small parts such as a stone or the sand are accented, and then the picture expands to show the beauty of the ocean and shore. The journey continues to a garden, a park, a restaurant, and a home while representing various wonders of the world. A beautiful aspect of this book is the detailed and colorful pictures. Furthermore, the writing incorporates rhyming that allows the words to flow in a poetic fashion. 

       All the World has received many awards, however the most notable of these is the 2010 Caldecott Honor Book award. Other recognitions and awards include:

• New York Times Best Book of 2009
• A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2009
• A Kirkus Best Book of 2009
• A Parent's Choice Gold Award
• A 2010 Indies Choice Honor Award

Interested in All the World? Check out this awesome book trailer!

Resources

Scanlon, Elizabeth Garton., and Marla Frazee. All the World. New York: Beach Lane, 2009. Print.

http://www.lizgartonscanlon.com/All-the-World.html