"Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" is about three black children living in the segregated south during the Great Depression. This story looks at racism and how these children overcome the cruelty through the strength they find in each other and their family. I would use this in fifth or sixth grade to look at segregation in the south as well as the hardships people faced during the Great Depression in the south.
"Because of Winn-Dixie" is a story of a young girl and her dog as they make friends and uncover truths about their strange new neighbors that were previously nasty rumors. I would use this in fourth or fifth grade to talk about friendship and not letting rumors and gossip influence your opinion of other people before getting to know them yourself.
"One Hundred Years of Poetry for Children" is a collection of poems put together by Michael Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark that spans the last 100 years. I would use this for any grade as a mentor text for poetry writing.
"Where the Sidewalk Ends" is a collection of poetry written by Shel Silverstien. I would use this at any grade as a mentor text for writing poetry.
"The Giving Tree" follows a boy as he grows up and comes back to ask the tree he used to play in for different things as he gets older. I would use this for any grade to teach sequencing. I would also use it around the holidays to talk about how giving is better than receiving and not taking advantage of people who are willing to do things for you.
"Bud not Buddy" follows the tale of a young boy named Bud who has run away from the foster system and is searching for his father. I would use this in fourth or fifth grade to talk about growing up in different situations. I would also use this book to talk to students about writing personal narratives.
"Wemberly Worries" is a cute story about a mouse named Wemberly who worries about everything. I would use this in Kindergarten and first grade to talk to the students about their first day of school worries and help put them to ease by showing the students they are not the only ones who are worried about starting school.
"The Birchbark House" is about a young Native American girl in the 19th century. This book follows her through the course of a year where the reader gets to experience the way that Native Americans lived and the hardships they faced during this time period. I would use this in third through fifth grade to talk about Native Americans and what their life was like.
"Horton Hears a Who" is about an elephant named Horton who saves a tiny world on a speck of dust from the dangers of his world. I would use this in kindergarten through second grade to talk about how friendship can be found in the strangest places and that you should always keep your promises even when someone else wants you to break it.
"Green Eggs and Ham" is a funny story about Sam-I-Am trying to convince his friend to try green eggs and ham. I would use this in first or second grade as a mentor text for persuasive or opinion writing. I would have the students decide weather they would eat green eggs and ham or not and either persuade their audience to do the same or just state their opinion.
"Stuart Little" is about a mouse named Stuart born to a family of humans. This story follows Stuart as he goes on an adventure to save his new friend named Margolo. I would use this book in third through fifth grade to talk about different types of families. I would also use it as a mentor text for students to write their own adventure story.
"Charlotte's Web" is one of my favorite children's books. It is about a young girl who saves a pig from being killed because it is a runt. She raises the pig and has to send it away to live on her Uncle's farm because their is no longer room for him. The pig befriends a spider who saves him from being killed for meat by spinning messages in her web. I would use this in a fourth or fifth grade classroom to teach compassion for others and that friendship can be found in the most unexpected places.
"The Tiny Seed" is a fun and informative story that follows a tiny seed as it grows into a flower. I would use this in kindergarten through second grade to introduce and talk about the life cycle of plants and the obstacles they face as they grow.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is a fun story that follows a caterpillar as he grows from an egg into a butterfly. I would use this in kindergarten through second grade to introduce and talk about the butterfly life cycle. I would also use it to teach sequencing.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is a fun story that follows a caterpillar as he grows from an egg into a butterfly. I would use this in kindergarten through second grade to introduce and talk about the butterfly life cycle. I would also use it to teach sequencing.
"The Day the Crayons Came Home" is a funny story about Duncan's crayons and how he has mistreated them. The crayons have written letters to Duncan asking him to come find them and put them back where they belong. I would use this in any grade at the beginning of the school year to talk about taking care of the classroom community supplies and making sure that if the students use classroom supplies they put them back in the proper place.
 - Dr. Seuss)
