Because Your Grandparents Love You by Andrew Clements illustrated by R.W. Alley*

Thriving Magazine published by Focus on the Family recommend this picture book and I wholly agree!!
Two children spend the day and night at their grandparents' farm.  Throughout the day, as the children are . . .well. . .children! The grandparents could respond in a negative manner or a loving manner.  Of course, the grandparents choose the loving way.
A sweet, sweet book that captures the deep love grandparents can have their grandchildren.
Strategy: connections
-Borrowed from the library.
*Highly, highly recommend.
A perfect book for Grandparents' Day in September!

Running the Road to ABC by Denize Lauture illustrated by Reynold Ruffins

*Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award (1997)
This book depicts six Haitian children running the long road to school.
With repetitive text, the author instills in the reader the length of the journey to school and their eagerness to learn.
A good book to expose children to a different culture and another country.
Strategies: inferring, compare/contrast (their school and how they get to school to the Haitian children's method/school building)
-Borrowed from the library.

Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel by Leslie Connor illustrated by Mary Azarian*

Miss Bridie leaves her country to live in the United States in 1856.  She could take with her a clock or porcelain figurine as a memento of her home.  Instead she chooses a shovel.  She chooses wisely.
Ms. Connor tells about Miss Bridie's life in the new world and how the shovel assists her throughout her entire life.
A clever way to tell the story of immigration and someone's life.
Love the woodcut illustrations by Mary Azarian (the same illustrator for Snowflake Bentley!).
-Borrowed from the library.
*Highly recommend.
Strategy: sequencing

Ten Boys Who . . . . by Irene Howat*

Currently I am reading to my boys Ten Boys Who Changed the World. 
In short chapters Ms. Howat crafts exciting stories about significant men while they are boys and also a story about when they are grown.  At the end she gives a fact about the time period, a key point, an activity, and a prayer.
**Highly, highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Five books in the series:
1. Ten Boys Who Changed the World (Billy Graham, Brother Andrew, John Newton, George Muller, Nicky Cruz, William Carey, David Livingstone, Adoniram Judson, Eric Liddell, Luis Palau

2. Ten Boys Who Changed History (Robert Murray McCheyne, Martyn Lloyd Jones, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Rutherford, D L Moody, Billy Sunday, A W Tozer and John Owen)

3. Ten Boys Who Made a Difference (Augustine, John Knox, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jan Hus, Hugh Latimer, Ulrich Zwingli, William Tyndale, Thomas Chalmers, Lord Shaftesbury)

4. Ten Boys Who Didn't Give In (Polycarp, Alban, Sir John Oldcastle, Thomas Cranmer, George Wishart, James Chalmers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nate Saint, Ivan Moiseyev, Graham Staines)

5.  Ten Boys Who Used Their Talents (Paul Brand, Ghillean Prance, C.S. Lewis, C.T. Studd, Wilfred Grenfell, J.S. Bach, James Clerk Maxwell, Samuel Morse, George Washington Carver and John Bunyan)

I am thinking about purchasing most of these books as the library system only has one copy of each book.

Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating illustrations by David DeGrand*

Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals
What a fascinating book!
Ms. Keating is a former zoologist who brings her incredible knowledge to readers.
In two short paragraphs, Ms. Keating shares facts about pink animals!  On a sidebar she lists basic facts for each animal.
We loved reading this book together!
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.

The Dragon Prince by Laurence Yep illustrated by Kam Mak*

A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale
When I spied this book on the shelf in our library, I knew I had to bring this home to share with my nine year old who loves dragons.
A farmer has seven daughters and each one is named after which order she was born.  The third daughter, Three, is ugly and a jealous type.  On the other hand, Seven, is sweet and kind and also beautiful.  While in the fields one day, Three almost kills a snake.  Just in time Seven appears with lunch and rescues the snake.  The snake is really a dragon who captures the farmer.  He will not release him unless he gives one of his daughters for a wife.  Seven agrees to marry the dragon and is pleasantly surprised to discover the dragon really is a wealthy, handsome prince.
When he allows her to return home to visit her family, jealous Three pursues an evil deed.  Will the prince ever see his beautiful, kind wife again?
Strategies: character traits, connections (T-T)
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
The illustrations are stunning.

Flying Frogs and Walking Fish by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

This husband and wife team has transformed children's nonfiction with their clever layouts and ability to showcase amazing animals.
In this recent book they share ways different animals move.
Text features: bold print, different size font, headings, expansive glossary (additional information about each animal)
-Borrowed from the library.

Catch That Cookie! by Hallie Durand illustrated by David Small

Marshall and his classmates have been listening to "run away gingerbread" stories all week. Marshall knows, of course, that gingerbread cookies can't really run!
But can they?
The cookies that he and his classmates baked are missing when Mrs. Gray opens the oven.  Clues throughout the school send the children on a wild chase to find the missing gingerbread men.
Fun!
A great addition to gingerbread man stories!
Strategy: connections (T-T)
-Borrowed from the library.

Grayling's Song by Karen Cushman

Hannah Strong is a wise woman and healer.  People from the countryside and nearby villages travel to her and Grayling's cottage for potions and salves.  Grayling spends most days gathering herbs, plants and other items from the earth so Hannah Strong can make her remedies.  Grayling often feels insignificant.
Then an evil force sweeps through the country.  The force removes the grimoires (spell books/potion books) from magic folk and roots the magic folk to the ground.  Slowly the magic folk are turning into trees.  As Hannah Strong is rooted to the ground she commands Grayling to find the remaining magic folk, find her grimoire and reverse the evil magic.
Grayling lacks confidence but as she continues in her journey and befriends interesting individuals, she grows in wisdom and courage.
Warning: magic, an evil force, witches
-Borrowed from the library.

Crossing Niagara by Matt Tavares*

The Death-Defying Tightrope Adventures of the Great Blondin
I love Mr. Tavares' illustrations and books so I was eager to read his newest book.
He reveals the courage and determination of Jean Francois Gravelet, aka-the Great Blondin as he strives to to something "amazing, something impossible and something that had never been done before."
I love how Mr. Tavares captures the characters' emotions by their facial expressions.  Awesome three page spread too!
A must read before traveling to Niagara Falls!
-Borrowed from the library
*Highly recommend (may be a book I will purchase!)
Text set recommendations:  Mirette and Bellini Cross Niagara Falls by Emily Arnold McCully and  Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

I Can Read! Level 1 The Berenstain Bears' Class Trip by Jan and Mike Berenstain

Brother's class is going on a field trip to a honey farm.  Mamma and Papa are the chaperones.  As usual, Papa acts like a child  and finds himself in a few predicaments!
I have never liked how they portray Papa as incompetent.  We need strong male leader examples, even in fictional literature!
A great book to utilize when learning about bees and honey making.
My six year old and I took turns reading aloud the pages to each other.
-We own the book.

Henry and Mudge and the Best Day of All by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Sucie Stevenson*

Each time I read a book from this series with my six year old, I smile and am happy!
Ms. Rylant knows her audience well and writes in engaging manner.
It is May 1st and it is Henry's birthday.
The house is festive.  Treats await both human and dog!
My son and I took turns reading the pages aloud to each other.
Guided Reading Level: J (end of 1st grade)
Grade Level Equivalent: 2.5
-We own this book.
*Highly recommend.