Tags:
"Pre-Internship Block"
“Children’s Book”
“Kindness/ Happiness”
Brief Review:
Have you filled a bucket today is about young children and how they can fill their bucket or dip into their own and others bucket. The book gives examples of how to be bucket fillers and bucket dippers. It shows the consequences of being good or bad.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
Have you filled a bucket today could be used to show students how to be good bucket fillers or what they can do to become good bucket fillers and not bucket dippers. The teacher could have the students go around the room and fill each other’s buckets by saying nice things to each other, if a student is left out go about getting that students bucket filled as well.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Lexile Scale
AD710L
Pre-k to Second
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 5 because its great for students to learn how to be bucket fillers and not bucket dippers. It gives students a representation of what they are supposed to do to make themselves happy and others happy. It also goes about saying that being a bucket dipper only makes you sad in the long run.
Brief Review:
The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule, Do to others what you want others to do to you. The story gives examples of how young children should or should not do to others what you want others to do to you.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule could be used to teach students how others feel when they are left out. The teacher could have the students explain why the Golden Rule is so important.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Accelerated Readers
3.5; Third Grade Fifth Month
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 5 because it goes over one of the most important rules for children to know and understand.
Brief Review:
Waiting is not easy is about an elephant who is talking to a pig. The pig tells the elephant that they have to wait for the surprise but throughout the book the elephant struggles with his patience of waiting for the surprise.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
Waiting is not easy could be used to show the students that waiting is not an easy task at all and to help children learn patience. The teacher could have the students write about a time where they could not wait for something and then tell why it was or was not worth waiting for in the end.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Accelerated Reader
0.9
Lower Grades K-3
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 4 because it does teach young children patience and its not a easy task to comprehend but the way the book is written it shows the elephants reactions and comments about waiting. This isn’t something young children are used to, so I think it’s a good thing for them to learn.
 - Mo Willems, Mo Willems)
Brief Review:
David goes to school is about a young boy who misbehaves in school and does things almost exactly opposite from what he should be doing, at the end of the book David does the right thing and is told good job.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
David goes to school could be used when asking students how they think they should behave in the classroom and what they think the difference between behaving and misbehaving. The teacher could have the students write a quick story of a time where they misbehaved in the classroom or at home and explain how they fixed the problem.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Direct Reading Assessment
12
Towards the end of First Grade
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 2 because it didn’t do much more than say things that David did wrong and only one thing that David did right, and it fixed all the things David did wrong. I would think young children would start to think if they do a lot bad themselves and do one thing good, I worry that students would start to be in a spiral.
Brief Review:
First Day Jitters is about a girl named Sarah who is worried about her first day of school. A girl named Sarah who is fighting a man about getting out of bed to get ready for the first day of school because she is worried about starting over in a new school.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
First Day Jitters could be used on the first day of school. The teacher could have the students sit in a circle and talk to each other saying what the hardest part coming to school was and how they were feeling about everything.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Accelerated Reader
2.4; Second Grade Fourth Month
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 5 because it shows that the students aren’t the only one nervous about the first day of school, even the teacher could be nervous! This shows the students it is okay to have emotions and to worry but that everything will be okay.
Brief Review:
My mouth is a volcano is about a young boy who has issues with his mouth being a volcano and saying what was on his mind. When it was his turn to present things about himself as a star student, he was interrupted by his classmates and was upset about being interrupted. His mom explained to him that, that’s how everyone felt when he did that himself.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
My mouth is a volcano could be used to explain when good times to talk are and when it is not okay to talk. The teacher could have the students write about a time where their own mouth was a volcano and how did they fix the problem with their mouths being a volcano.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Accelerated Reader
3.8; Third Grade Eight Months
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 5 because it shows what the young boy was doing and how it was irritating the other students. And when it happened to him he didn’t like what the other students were doing it, And realized the other students feel the same way when he does it and learns a strategy of how to fix his volcano.
Brief Review:
The Recess Queen is about a young girl who is a bully to her classmates. She is not liked very much by her peers because of this, but before the students went on school break another girl was assigned to work on a project with the Recess queen and learned why she does what she does.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
The Recess Queen could be used to show students just because someone is being a bully it doesn’t mean that they are a horrible person and they might be, being treated that way at home. The teacher could have the students write/discuss about a time where someone wasn’t nice to you and it made you want to do the same to others because you needed a way out of it too or have the students write about a time where they were the bully or the bullied.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Lexile Scale
AD550L
Pre-k to 2nd
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 5 because it shows the students the different perspective of why the Recess Queen was doing what she was doing and I think would let the students be a little more understanding of their peers and know that they really don’t know what each other is going through at home and its best to try to understand where each other are coming from.
Brief Review:
Miss Mingo and the First Day of School is about the first day of school in Miss Mingo’s Classroom. She has the students share what makes them different from the other students.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
Miss Mingo and the First Day of School is a great resource for teachers to teach different types of animals and what makes them different from each other and to support the differences in everybody. The teacher could have the class sit in a circle and have the students name one thing they think separates themselves from the rest of the class.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Accelerated Reader
3.6; Third Grade Sixth Month
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 3 because it does let children know its okay to have differences from other students but if a student was really different it might not be a great idea because sometimes other students might not be so nice and understanding that its okay to be different.
Brief Review:
The wonderful things you will be is about “young children and their parents” saying that they will do wonderful things and they can’t wait to see what is in store for them. This story has positive reinforcement because in the story the adults talk about the wonderful things the young children will be.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
The wonderful things you will be could be used in the classroom by giving students the affirmation that they can do anything they set their minds to no matter what it is. The teacher could have the students make a self portrait of themselves of what they want to become later on in life and write a short summary of what they what to become or the teacher write this part for them using their own words.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Lexile Scale
460LL
Grades Early Childhood to Pre-K
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 4 because of how positive it is toward young children, it shows that the adults in the young children’s lives really care about what is going on, which is something young children really need.
Brief Review:
A bad case of the stripes is about a little girl who cared deeply of what others thought about her, so much so she refused to eat her favorite food lima beans because everyone else thought they were gross and not any good. But in the end, she realizes its not what others think about her or what she likes has nothing to do with those who are around her, its what she likes.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
A bad case of the stripes could be used in the classroom by seeing how the students feel about themselves and how the view themselves because of others. The teacher could have the students write about a time where they were scared to do something because others thought badly of it or when they felt like they were different from everyone else.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Lexile Level
AD610L
Grades 1-3
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 5 because it shows that no matter what others think of something if you like it, there’s nothing wrong with it. And its okay to be a little different from the rest.
Brief Review:
The little engine that could is about a train who pulls a load up a hill and doesn’t succeed at first but keeps trying and doesn’t give up and eventually gets up the hill by believing that he can do it.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
The little engine that could, could be used in the classroom by teaching the students to always try and to never give up. The teacher could have the students write about a time in their life that they struggled with something but eventually overcame it or something they are still trying to overcome.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Accelerated Reading
3.5; Third Grade Fifth Month
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 4 because it shows the importance of never giving up which is crucial for young students to learn, so they can become their best selves.
Brief Review:
The Rainbow Fish started out not sharing what he had to the other fish and being greedy and when he was being ignored for his beauty he wondered why he didn’t have any friends but this all changed when the rainbow fish took the octopus’s advice and shared his scale with the little blue fish and he started to become happy, so the more he gave to the other fish. The other fish became his friends because he learned how to share.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
The Rainbow Fish could be used in the classroom to show students that being selfish and not sharing with others can be hurtful too. The teacher could have the students do a writing activity of when they might have not wanted to share something that meant so much to them or write about when they wanted something from a friend and that friend didn’t want to share with them.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Accelerated Reader
3.3; Third Grade Third Month
Book Rating:
I would rate this book 3 because it does have good morals and teaches students to share what they have with others but not everyone can give away things like that depending on their home life.
Brief Review:
The juice box bully is about a young boy who just moved to a new school and was bullied at his last school and nobody did anything about it, so he decides he’s going to be the bully, so he doesn’t get bullied anymore. And learns a lesson of how to treat others.
Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:
The Juice Box Bully could be used during the first week of third grade teaching students its not okay to bully anyone in the classroom not even if there is a bully. The teacher could have the students come up together to write a pact about how no one in the class will be a bystander to bullying or be a bully and then sign it to show that they are willing to follow the pact.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Accelerated Reader
3.2; Third Grade Second Month
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 5 because it is empowering to young students, who could possibly having a hard time being bullied and gives a method to stopping bullying.
Brief Review:
Corduroy is about a little stuffed bear in a store department who badly wants a home. When he finally meets a little girl who wants to take him home he learns that he's missing a button. That night he went on search for a button so he can be like new again. Its a good story for children because it personifies the stuffed animal to have feelings of being wanted.
Idea of how it can be used in the classroom:
This book could be used at the end of first grade or the beginning of second grade to teach students about personification of non-living things. The teacher could turn this into a writing lesson to get the students to personify one of their most loved possessions.
Reading Level & Leveling System:
Direct Reading Assessment
Transitional Readers
End of Grade One and Beginning of Grade Two
Book Rating:
I would rate this book a 5 because it is a classic and has a good moral. Because in the end he learned that even if he wasn't perfect the right person would still want him.
