A page dedicated to Teachers and Helping them Succeed!!
Author Suggestions:
Eric Carle: He was born in 1929, and moved to Germany as a young child. He graduated from a prestigious German Art School,
and eventually returned to the US to work for the New York Times as a graphic designer. First illustrated Brown Bear, Brown
Bear, What Do You See? for Bill Martin; started writing and illustrating his own books after that. Currently has more than 70
books illustrated. Uses tissue paper and paint to create collage pieces for his illustrations.
Tomie dePaola: Born in 1934, he decided when he was 4 years old that he was going to be a tap dancer and an artist. Studied at the Pratt Institute for Art in New York, and currently has over 250 books. He was recognized three times by the ALA, and has
eight Honorary Doctoral Degrees. dePaola uses his own experiences and memories for his stories, and most of the characters
are connected between books.
Books I Recommend for Your Classroom: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouch Ladybug, Dream Snow, Mister Seahorse, The Very Quiet Cricket, Today Is Monday, 10 Little Rubber Ducks // Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs, The Art Lesson, Strega
Nona (and all the sequels), An Early American Christmas, Tom, 26 Fairmont Avenue
Useful Websites:
http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/carle
http://www.tomie.com
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/depaola
http://www.penguin.com/author/tomie-depaola/1000020551
Tips For Choosing Children's Literature
1. Choose a variety. Span all genres and topics.
2. Keep grade level books on hand, but also keep some for advanced readers, and some for struggling readers.
3. Listen to the students. They will tell you what they want to read.
4. Share books that you enjoy reading. If students see that you enjoy the book, they will want to read it to be like you.
5. Keep books age appropriate. Even for advanced readers, books should be available that are appropriate for their age.
Good Read Alouds...And How To Choose Them!
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar: K-2. Book works through the days of the week, as well as different types of food. Each page ends with the same phrase: "but he was still hungry."
2. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: K-2. Children will laugh and groan at the things that happen to Alexander in a day.
3. Stellaluna: K-2: Stellaluna has a sad and happy part in the story, but she is cute and children love to read this book again and again.
4. The Tale of Despereaux: 3-5. A tiny mouse who loves to read talks to a princess and becomes a hero. What child doesn't love a story about a mouse who can read and talk?
5. The Boxcar Children #1: 2-5. Kids love to read stories where children make up their own rules and live without parents. The four children in this story will capture their hearts and minds, and they will want to read every other book in the series.
Books Connected to Lessons
1. Mister Seahorse: K-2. Camouflage lesson. Lesson about different fish.
2. Charlotte's Web: 3-5. Friendship, Caring
3. White Socks Only: 2-5. History, Slavery, Double Entendre's
4. The Invisible Boy: K-5. Bullying, Friendship
5. Shiver Me Letters: PreK-1. Alphabet Lesson
Resources Just For You!
http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/ Determine the Interest and Grade Level that best corresponds to your students
http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/ Resources, Book lists, Guides Galore!
http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/teachers Reading Rockets is a great source for anything and everything!
http://www.readwritethink.org Professional Development Options, Resources for you and Parents, Videos
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com You can share your work with other teachers, and use their work in your class
Your Local Library and Librarian! They are a giant personalize-able source of wealth, for free!
Eric Carle: He was born in 1929, and moved to Germany as a young child. He graduated from a prestigious German Art School,
and eventually returned to the US to work for the New York Times as a graphic designer. First illustrated Brown Bear, Brown
Bear, What Do You See? for Bill Martin; started writing and illustrating his own books after that. Currently has more than 70
books illustrated. Uses tissue paper and paint to create collage pieces for his illustrations.
Tomie dePaola: Born in 1934, he decided when he was 4 years old that he was going to be a tap dancer and an artist. Studied at the Pratt Institute for Art in New York, and currently has over 250 books. He was recognized three times by the ALA, and has
eight Honorary Doctoral Degrees. dePaola uses his own experiences and memories for his stories, and most of the characters
are connected between books.
Books I Recommend for Your Classroom: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouch Ladybug, Dream Snow, Mister Seahorse, The Very Quiet Cricket, Today Is Monday, 10 Little Rubber Ducks // Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs, The Art Lesson, Strega
Nona (and all the sequels), An Early American Christmas, Tom, 26 Fairmont Avenue
Useful Websites:
http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/carle
http://www.tomie.com
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/depaola
http://www.penguin.com/author/tomie-depaola/1000020551
Tips For Choosing Children's Literature
1. Choose a variety. Span all genres and topics.
2. Keep grade level books on hand, but also keep some for advanced readers, and some for struggling readers.
3. Listen to the students. They will tell you what they want to read.
4. Share books that you enjoy reading. If students see that you enjoy the book, they will want to read it to be like you.
5. Keep books age appropriate. Even for advanced readers, books should be available that are appropriate for their age.
Good Read Alouds...And How To Choose Them!
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar: K-2. Book works through the days of the week, as well as different types of food. Each page ends with the same phrase: "but he was still hungry."
2. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: K-2. Children will laugh and groan at the things that happen to Alexander in a day.
3. Stellaluna: K-2: Stellaluna has a sad and happy part in the story, but she is cute and children love to read this book again and again.
4. The Tale of Despereaux: 3-5. A tiny mouse who loves to read talks to a princess and becomes a hero. What child doesn't love a story about a mouse who can read and talk?
5. The Boxcar Children #1: 2-5. Kids love to read stories where children make up their own rules and live without parents. The four children in this story will capture their hearts and minds, and they will want to read every other book in the series.
- Choose books with and equal amount of text and illustrations. Children need something to look at, and often illustrations provide more information than the text.
- Books that repeat phrases are good for Shared Reading...kids can help read along!
- Use some read aloud books that are appropriate for students to read on their own after you have read it.
- Switch up the genres and topics to interest all the children in your class.
- It is ok to choose longer books for read alouds...sometimes! Stop and ask lots of questions to keep the students engaged, and sometimes it is good to find a good spot to split the book in half. Look for a book with a suspenseful part in the middle, or a topic change in the middle.
Books Connected to Lessons
1. Mister Seahorse: K-2. Camouflage lesson. Lesson about different fish.
2. Charlotte's Web: 3-5. Friendship, Caring
3. White Socks Only: 2-5. History, Slavery, Double Entendre's
4. The Invisible Boy: K-5. Bullying, Friendship
5. Shiver Me Letters: PreK-1. Alphabet Lesson
Resources Just For You!
http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/ Determine the Interest and Grade Level that best corresponds to your students
http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/ Resources, Book lists, Guides Galore!
http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/teachers Reading Rockets is a great source for anything and everything!
http://www.readwritethink.org Professional Development Options, Resources for you and Parents, Videos
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com You can share your work with other teachers, and use their work in your class
Your Local Library and Librarian! They are a giant personalize-able source of wealth, for free!