Ms. Pearson's Future Library

Throughout the story there are conflicting points of view looking at the same cloud. It is a wonderful example that different people see different things and that is okay. The students could make Rorschach tests of whatever they pleased. When they are done, the students would walk around the room and write what they see. We would then discuss what everyone saw in the same image, and why. I would use this through kindergarten to third grade. 

This book is great for lower grades to introduce the climate you want for a classroom. This could be read before we create classroom rules, as well as when we get a new student. This story could also go with a writing journal where the students can describe their own experiences, or, if they cannot write, they could turn and talk with their partners.

This book is a great resource for teaching nouns. It is filled with numerous examples of nouns, and what it means to be a noun. I would use this book in first grade primarily since that is when nouns are introduced. It could also be used in second grade for a review session. Perhaps I would also read it in kindergarten if they were on track for it.

The Giving Tree is a story about a tree and a boy, and as the boy grows the tree gives him new things. Eventually the tree give the boy all she has to offer, and the boy accepts it. This book is great for all ages but I would use it for first and second grade. The students could write a letter to the tree thanking it for all it did for the boy. They could also think of someone that gives them everything and write a letter to that person.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat is one of the many silly old lady stories. It talks about an old woman who swallows one thing, then another, and another until something happens and they all get out. This is a perfect story for all children, but I would use it mainly for young children from kindergarten to second grade. There are fun videos that the children could follow along with. One lesson idea is that each child gets a character, and when their character comes up, they jump, or spin, or whatever the teacher wanted them to do. At the end of the activity, they could put the creatures in the order they were eaten. In kindergarten, the sequencing would be done as a class, but for first and second grade they could work in small groups or independently. 

Coraline follows a young girl in a new house as she explores and encounters dangerous creatures, including her other mother. It would be a perfect Halloween time story for upper grades. For a lesson, the students could create tales for the other children in the other mother's grasp, or a backstory of the other mother herself. This would allow their creative juices to flow, as well as being great practice for narrative writing. If you wanted to practice persuasive writing, the students could write why Coraline should have stayed, and why the other mother really isn't as bad as she seems.

Bud, Not Buddy is a story about an orphaned boy who runs away to find who he believes is his father. The plot follows his journey through northern Michigan during the 1930's. Bud faces many challenges, and overcomes all of them. I would use this book for upper grades, probably around fourth and fifth grade. It could be tied in with a history lesson, the students could learn about how life was during the 1930's while reading the novel. It could also be a writing lesson in which the students write to Bud, or write their own extension of the story itself.

Pumpkin Pumpkin is about a young boy, named Jamie, who plants some pumpkin seeds and watches them grow. It is a wonderful little book that describes the life cycle of a pumpkin. I would use this for kindergarten or first grade. It could go with a science lesson about pumpkins, but it could also be used in an English lesson. There is a worksheet called Jamie and his Pumpkin for kindergartners, which has them color in only the scenes that occurred in the story. For first grade, the students could write about a time they made a jack-o-lantern, or watched something grow. It is perfect for the fall.

Shaggy and Scooby try to learn to ski, which, ofcourse, does not go very well. So instead, they go inside, drink hot chocolate, and eat Scooby Snacks. This is an awesome resource for s-blends for beginners. I would use this book in first grade, and possibly second for struggling readers. I would use this as an example for s-blends.

This is a fantastic science resource for younger students. It goes into great detail about how trees change during the seasons, what happens inside of leaves, and has a glossary. It also provides closer pictures for students to see exactly what the book is describing. I would use this for second to third graders, maybe first if there was an advanced reader. This book is basically a lesson in itself. It could be part of a science investigation center. Students could read this in a group and collect different leaves to present.

This is an adorable little story about the Berenstain Bears going to a farm near Thanksgiving. It is a flip book, so little children can interact with it while you read it to them. I would read it to kindergarten students, and all the way up to second grade before Thanksgiving break. They could make little turkeys to take home, and, for a lesson, they could make a research packet on the history of Thanksgiving, depending on the age.

This book is about a little pig, Wilbur, who becomes friends with a spider, Charlotte. Wilbur discovers he is going to be killed around Christmas time, and Charlotte tells him she won't let that happen, so she begins to write words in her web. This becomes an attraction for people to see, and Wilbur is saved. 

I would use this book in older grades, such as fourth through sixth. It has many lesson options, such as the anatomy and behavior of a spider. It also has the obvious literary elements to analyze, such as plot, main characters, and cause and effect.

Five foxes are left to fend for themselves while their mother takes a vacation. Four of them go hunt throughout the night, but fail each time. Meanwhile, the fifth, Fosdyke, is cooking away in the kitchen. At the end, the four foxes join their brother for a feast, realizing he was right, "a fox is a fox, whatever the food."

This book could be used to show alliteration at its finest. I would read it to third or fourth graders while they learn about alliteration. It could be a fun "end of a unit" type book, or just an extended example. They could, then, each pick a letter and create a story with the majority of words beginning with that letter. We could then "publish" them for everyone to enjoy. It is also a lovely story about one fox focusing on his talent, and then his siblings come to realize they truly do need Fosdyke's expertise. 

This book is about a new little cricket who tries to say hello by rubbing his wings together, but can't make a sound. Finally, at the end, he meets another little cricket and makes a chirping sound.

This book would be used with either kindergarten or first grade. To the kindergartners, I would read this before we learned about insects. For the first graders, I would read them this before they did a research based project on insects. They could each pick their favorite one from the book, and research more about them.

This story is similar to The Day the Crayons Quit in that Duncan receives letters from various crayons telling him that he forgot them. At the end, he goes back for his crayons, and builds a huge house for them all to live in.

This book is more for entertainment purposes to be read after the first one. I could use it as a beginning to another creative writing lesson. The students could, again, write a sorry letter to their lost crayons, or pretend to be a lost crayon. It could also lead into a science experiment. The students could learn about heat by melting crayons, or they could perform surgery to see if a paperclip really could hold a crayon together. They could also learn how to colors combine to make another color if they melted them. This book would be good, again, for first or second grade.

This book consists of a variety of letters from many crayons letting Duncan know why they are upset. They all give very good reasons, and it is quite humorous. At the end, Duncan uses all of the colors to make the crayons happy again.

I would use this in lower grades, most likely first or second. I would first show this book to the students and ask them why they think the crayons want to quit. After reading the book, I could ask them if they have any crayons they think might want to quit (from too much use or from not enough, I'm sure they could come up with something). Then, they could write a letter to the crayons explaining why they shouldn't quit, or they could pretend they are a crayon writing to their friend about why they are upset. Either one would be a good creative writing opportunity. They may even use their crayons better.