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Module 9-K.Jones
Importance of Reading and Sharing Books With Children

Sharing books with children allow for them to gain rich experiences with language prior

to learning how to read. Carrying out read alouds with children give the children experiences

with reading materials that are higher than what they can read on their own, which in turn

deepens their vocabulary and ability to understand more complex language patterns. Allowing

for children to experience books on their own encourages their imagination and creativity to flow

as they look at rich illustrations and create a story in their own minds. It is said to read to a child

as early as possible, even when still inside the womb; it gives them the highest chance possible to

gain a love for reading and mastering the skill.

Annotated Bibliography of Children’s Books

Berry, J., & Cunha, A. (2020). A story about Afiya. London: Lantana Publishing.

This story is a book of poetry that reminisces on the little wonders of childhood. All of the

wonders and memories stem from the little girl’s dress and she celebrates moments from her

younger life. This book could be used in the classroom as a mentor text to introduce poetry.

Ahmed, S., & Dalvand, R. (2020). Under the great plum tree. London: Tiny Owl Publishing.

This book is actually based on an Indian tale from Panchatantra and it talks about the character

traits of friendship and forgiveness. The illustrations are beautifully created and based on Indo-

Persian traditions. At my school, we explicitly teach our students habits of character during our

Crew morning meeting and this could easily be implemented during this time.

Atinuke, & Brooksbank, A. (2020). Catch that chicken! London: Walker Books.

This story is based in a West African compound and the main character, Lami, is the fastest

chicken catcher until one day when she sprained her ankle. She had to be clever and figure out a
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new way to catch chickens. This book could be used as a read-aloud and do a close-read of the

West African compound and do notice and wonders about the illustrations.

Cotter, S., & Morgan, J. (2020). Cannonball. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

This story is about a little boy who is trying very hard to execute the perfect cannonball. He gets

encouragement from others and perseverance in order to achieve his goals. This book could

easily be used in the classroom setting when studying goal setting and perseverance.

David, G. (2020). Letters from Bear. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

The bear character in this story is personified as he writes letter to his bird friend before their

reunification. This story displays beautiful scenes of nature while also discussing friendship. This

story could be using during my morning meeting when we discuss friendship and we also study

the natural world and this book would be perfect to do notices and wonders on.

Hrab, N., & Viva, F. (2020). Weekend dad. Toronto: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi

Press.

This book is about the touchy subject of parents who have become separated and/or divorced. It

talks about the boy’s adjustments to his new way of life with two different households. The

counselor at my school works hand-in-hand with classroom teachers, and she is constantly

pulling children in order to help them through problems. This problem could be utilized by the

school counselors with students who are struggling with recently separated parents.

Júnior, O., Starkoff, V., Dias, B. C., & Lopez, A. M. (2020). From my window. Fairfax, VA:

Library Ideas, LLC.

This story is about a little boy who lives in the favelas, also known as slums, in Brazil. He

celebrates his memories there and talks about the way he saw life ‘from his window’. During

second grade, we studied different types of school and how different areas have different types of
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school ‘buildings’ students attend. Within this unit, we talk about the way they live and what

they grow up in; this book would be perfect introducing other people’s way of life and the

difference between our student’s homes and the little boy’s home in the book. We could also

pinpoint any similarities they may find as well!

Weightman, M. (2020). All along the river. New York: Clavis Publishing.

This story is about a little bunny and her siblings went on an adventure because bunny’s toy is

lost in the river. On their journey, they notice so many features of nature. This book could be

used in my classroom when we study the natural world.

Wernicke, M. (2020). Some Days. Amazon Publishing.

This book is about a mother and daughter who lose a loved one and go through the struggle of

loss. The book is about hope and gives the reader the ability to reflect and breathe. Again, this

book could be used by the guidance counselor when consulting a kid who is grieving.

Ferrada, M. J., Penyas, A., & Amado, E. (2020). Mexique: A refugee story from the Spanish

Civil War. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

This story is based on the ‘Children of Morelia”, which are the ones who escaped from the

Spanish Civil War. It talks about family experiences and how they overcame such a trying time.

This story could easily be tied into a unit about the Spanish Civil War as well as another history

unit in order to compare different experiences through different wars.

Merz, L., Järvinen, A., & Jeremiah, E. (2020). 1,001 creatures. Brooklyn, NY: Restless

Books.

Every turn of the page in this book presents the reader with an animal and information about that

animal. It has unique illustrations but provides the reader with an abundance of information
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about that specific animal. This lesson could be used as a reference when studying a certain

animal as a way to gather more information on a child’s selected animal of study.

Krone, B., & Vermeulen, K. (2020). Small mercies. Pacifica, CA: Catalyst Press.

This book is about a young girl who experiencing trouble within her family unit. She begins to

worry about social services taking her away until one day, she decides to stand up for herself

once and for all. This book can be used with upper elementary and middle school in order to talk

about standing up for yourself and using your voice in positive ways.

Lam, T. (2020). The paper boat. Toronto, ON: Owlkids Books.

This wordless picture book follows the journey of a Vietnamese family that is on their way to a

new, safe country. They follow a colony of ants on their journey and both families overcome the

roadblocks that have been placed on their paths. This book is about survival and overcoming

obstacles; it could be used in a unit about refugees or in a character unit about being courageous.

Nilsson, U., & Eriksson, E. (2020). All the Dear Little Animals. Wellington, NZ: Gecko

Press.

This book of poetry sheds light on children’s bright minds as they start their own funeral

business after they discover a dead bumblebee. They work together and host funerals for animals

that have passed away in their hometown. This book could be used when discussing poetry and

how it is written. It could also be used when talking about insects or animals or used when

discussing death and life.

Sanna, F. (2016). The journey. London: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow.

This book is about a family’s journey as they seek refuge in another country. It describes a

child’s need for safety and allows the reader to experience firsthand the troubles their journey

includes. This book could be used in a lesson about refugees and why their seeking help or it
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could be used in a lesson when talking about being safe and the need for all us to have the right

to our own safety.

Hohn, N. L., & Luxbacher, I. (2017). Malaika's costume. Toronto: CNIB.

This story is about the celebration of Carnival and a little’s girl experience trying to find the

perfect costume for their celebration. This book highlights the importance of being a community

and leaning on your family. It could be used in a unit about family and community and it could

also be used in a unit about celebrations around the world.

Read, K. (2020). One fox: A counting book thriller. London: Two Hoots.

This counting book provides the reader with a juicy story and rich illustrations. This book could

be used in a read aloud session during a Math lesson or a small group for Math. It is a great

resource to engage the learners in counting while allowing them to experience a rich and

wondeful story.

Vermette, K., & Flett, J. (2019). The girl and the wolf. Penticton, British Columbia: Theytus

Books.

This book is about a little girl who becomes lost in the woods and finds her way back home with

the guidance from a grey wolf. The little girl finds out at the end of the story, she had the ability

to find her way home by herself all along...she just needed to believe in herself. I teach my kids

about perseverance and growth mindset and believing in ourselves even when we feel like we

can’t do something. This book is perfect in reminding our students they CAN do something if

they believe in themselves.

MacLear, K. (2020). Story Boat. McClelland & Stewart.

This book is about a refugee’s story as they make their journey to safety. They find comfort in

ordinary objects from their everyday lives, and the book highlights the importance of finding
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light in the middle of the dark. Again, this book could be used within a lesson on refugees or a

lesson on hope and focusing on the positive side of things.

Romanyshyn, R. (2020). Sound: Shhh . . . Bang . . . Pop . . . Boom! Chronicle Books.

This book would be the perfect addition to a music class; the authors tie science into a

beautifully illustrated children’s book. They explore the idea of sound and how it is created. The

book provides a lot of information on the topic and could be used a resource in a classroom that

gets looked through quite often.