Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket by Barbra Park

            When I was in 8th grade and my sister was in 4^th grade, my mom, my sister, and I would all sit on the couch and read Junie B. Jones books before bed. This was a bad idea because they were so funny that we would all be laughing so hard that it was hard for us to go to sleep. Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket was my favorite Junie B. book growing up and after reading it again my opinion has not changed. In a classroom this book could be used as a reward for good behavior because it will be very sought after. My classroom will have all of the Junie B. books for my kids to enjoy so she will keep bring laughter to children for years to come.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

            Growing up, my mom read a few of the same books to me in a rotation before I went to bed. This was one of them. I have a personal connection to this book and sometimes when I read it it brings a tear to my eye. The boy’s relationship to the tree is one of love then selfishness but then comes back around full circle to love again. All the while the tree has nothing but love for the boy despite the things he puts her through. This is a good lesson for children to learn, if you really love someone, no matter what they do, you will always love them. 

Holes by Louis Sachar

            Stanley Yelnats finds himself in a bit of a pickle when stolen shoes worth thousands of dollars fall from the sky and bash him in the head. No one, of course, believes his story and he is sent to Camp Greenlake. Holes is a great book in the fact that the main character never loses his positive attitude or his drive to do good, even in the face of great adversity. Camp Greenlake is a detention center for troubled boys and each boy must dig a 5 foot by 5 foot hole everyday to “build character.” The book is great and so is the movie because it follows the book almost exactly to a T. Students will really enjoy this book because it’s a good read and it will make them happy and feel good.

The Messenger by Lois Lowry

            This is the third and final book in The Giver series. Its main character is Matty, or Matt as he was referred to in Gathering Blue. The Messenger is really the pinnacle of the series and it brings character from the previous two books and intertwines their lives so each individual’s story makes sense in relation to the others. Jonas returns as the leader of Village and Kira’s father, Seer, is now the father figure for Matty. Matty, just like Kira and Jonas before him, discovers that he had the ability to heal. In the end Matty brings peace and healing to Village but at great costs to himself. This book follows the theme of the series in the fact that it will make children appreciate the talents they have and realize that they need to not use them selfishly, but share them with others. 

There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

The best thing about this children’s book is the illustrations and the hole.  The colors are vibrant and the hole is very entertaining of younger kids. Kids also like it because they catch on to the theme of “perhaps she’ll die” rather quickly and they can even say it along with the teacher. It will be put to good use in the classroom for one reason, because kids think it’s funny and enjoy reading it. It will definitely be in my classroom library.

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

            Gathering Blue is the second installment in The Giver series. It tells the story of a girl names Kira who has a talent to make dyes out of flowers. She has a crippled leg so she would have been killed had her father not taken her away early on in her life and brought her back when she was old enough to weave. Kira has a special ability, she can tell the future with her weavings. She and her best friend Matt believe that the town is corrupt and not doing things the way things should be done so all through the book they are trying to help the town move in a positive direction. Just like The Giver, Gathering Blue will help students appreciate what abilities that they have been given and also to accept their flaws.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

                The Snowy Day is about a little boy named Jack who loves snow. He loves it so much that he wants to keep some of it with him so he puts a snow ball in his pocket. When he gets home the snowball has gone missing but luckily it snows again the next day. This book is appealing due to its beautiful pictures and cute main character. It is a good multicultural book to use with younger children.