Ms. Pearson's Future Library

This book is about a little frog who is very unhappy about being a frog. He talks with his dad about other animals he would rather be, and his father repeatedly tells him he can't be those animals because he is a frog. Then, a dog (or wolf) comes along and tells the frog he should be glad he's a frog because he likes to eat all the other animals. The little frog then realizes that he is happy being a frog and not someone else.

I would read this book in my lower level classes. The students could write about all the things they like about themselves, or they could write the frog a letter to persuade him that frogs are, in fact, pretty cool. It could also go with a small science lesson about frogs, since they mention some of the characteristics of a frog.

This book consists of instructions for the children to follow, and, after each page turn, something happens to the dots that the student "caused" by following the instructions. This book would be a reward book for children who completed their work early, or earned so many good behavior points (or whatever system I use). The ideal grades would be first and second. I could also use for kindergarten, but I would have to read it to them and pass it around for them to interact with it.

Tacky the Penguin is an odd bird to say the least. All the other penguins are perfect and similar, but Tacky doesn't follow them. One day some hunters come along to catch some pretty penguins. All the penguins hide, except Tacky. He greets them and marches, dives, and sings for them. The hunters can't take anymore so they run off. All of the other penguins are very glad they have Tacky.

I would use this book to drive home the point that being different is okay. I would most likely use it with younger grades, at least up to third grade. For a lesson, I would have the students answer questions and discuss parts of the book. The questions and analysis would be dependent on the grade.

Pete the Cat goes to school wearing his special school shoes. He then goes through his day at school and rocks, plays, and eats in his school shoes.

I would use this in kindergarten or first grade at the beginning of school to introduce the students to the different areas of school, besides the classroom. They could also do some creative writing by depicting what else he does in his school shoes.