Tito Puente Mambo King

Title: Tito Puente Mambo King

Author: Monica Brown
# of Pages: 32

Published by: Rayo; Bilingual edition (March 5, 2013)
Age Range: 4-8
Grade level: preschool-3rd

This is a bilingual picture book that is also a biography of Tito Puente a famous musician. Tito Puente loved hitting pots and pans as a child, but what he really wanted was to have his own band one day. He grew up in SPanish Harlem and ended up at the Grammy Awards. This book is the true story of his life. He was a young boy with a passion of music that turned him into the "King of Mambo." This is the story of his legend!

This book is great to use to teach multiculturalism or during a music unit. There is so much you can do with this book! The pictures are beautiful and it is a short easy read. The facts are true and it is an informative read. The character can be relatable because there are many young students who want to become famous musicians.

Classroom Activities and Lesson Ideas:

• Curriculum guide
• Teach about latino culture 

Here's the book trailer: 

Who Was Abraham Lincoln?

Title: Who Was Abraham Lincoln? 

Author: Janet Pascal
# of Pages: 112 

Published by: Grosset & Dunlap (November 20, 2008)
Age Range: 8-12
Grade Level: 3-7

This book is an autobiography and non-fictional book on the life of Abraham Lincoln. He was born to a family of farmers, but he was always different. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was six foot four inches tall? He was the sixteenth president of the United states and he helped guide the nation through the Civil war. Abraham Lincoln saw the abolition of slavery in his lifetime. His life ended when he was tragically shot at the Ford's Theatre. He was the first president to ever be assassinated. This book contains over 100 black and white illustrations and many neat maps. There is so much to look at, along with so many facts and new information. This is the perfect book to read to learn more about Abraham Lincoln.

I absolutely love the Who Was… series. They are so informative and written in a register that students can understand. The pictures and maps add detail to the stories as well. I could see reading this around President's day or referring this book to students who are really interested in the president. This book is very factual and is a wonderful non-fiction book for young readers.

Classroom Activities and Lesson Ideas:

• Free lesson plans! 
• Reader's Theatre Scripts 
• Ways to teach about Lincoln
• Free Timeline worksheet 
• Write facts you learned, or your own autobiography. See image below: 

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Title: Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Author: Doreen Rappaport
# of Pages: 40

Published by:Hyperion Book CH; Reprint Edition (December 18, 2007)
Age Range: 5 and up
Grade Level: K and up

This is a picture book biography about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. This is a perfect book to use to introduce this great leader and his works. This book incorporates writing from the author Doreen Rappaport, but also uses direct words and quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King to enhance the text. Martin Luther King is seen as a young boy growing up in the South, which was very segregated at the time. The book follows him through his adulthood. His father once told him that he could use his big words to change the world. Martin is inspired by his father to become a preachers. Martin wants to use his words and works to create equality for all people. They show how he wanted peaceful protest and many of the great things that he did. The end of this book contains a timeline of all the important dates in Martin Luther King's lifetime.

This book provides accurate information about Dr. Martin Luther King, but it is presented in a way that young readers can understand. The images and direct quotes greatly enhance the text. The timeline at the end of the book is also very beneficial because it allows for students to see everything he did in a very organized manner. This is a great book to read on Martin Luther King day, or the week before to your class so they can better understand who he is and how he changed America. The facts are accurate and this is a perfect Non-Fiction book that is also an autobiography of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Classroom Activities and Lesson Ideas:

• Have students create their own book of big words 
• Word Mover App to use Martin Luther King's words to great a poem
• Think about the future lesson
• Make a class dream mobile as seen below: 

Here is the book trailer: 

Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature's Footprints

Title: Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature's Footprints 

Author: Jim Arnosky
# of Pages: 32 

Published by: Sterling, Ina edition (April 4, 2008)
Age Range: 6-10 yrs.
Grade Level: 1-5

This book is just what the title says! It's a guide to nature!  This book says "When you learn and recognize and read animal tracks, you are learning an ancient language of shapes and patterns. The shapes of the footprints reveal the identity of the track maker. The pattern of the tracks tells a story about what the animal was doing." This book explains to readers HOW to tell animals' stories through the tracks that they leave behind. Each section contains short narratives that tell readers interesting information about animals found in the wild and their tracks. There are really neat pencil and acrylic illustrations of life-size animal prints included in the book from animals such as: moose, bears, beavers, and geese!

Here's an example of an animal story in the book: 
"When deer run, their sharp hoofs cut deeply into the ground and their small back toes, called dewclaws, can often be seen in their tracks…Reverse hoof prints indicate the deer made an abrupt turnabout to run away." (p.9)

The pictures throughout this book will be sure to draw readers and give them interest on the topic. This book is very informative. I could see many boys being interested in this book, or students who go camping a lot. This book is a wonderful learning opportunity that contains so many interesting facts! This would be a fun book to teach during a science lesson! I would recommend teachers to have this book in their library because it is different than most books and has informative pictures, realistic pictures, and great stories!

Classroom Activities and Lesson Ideas:

• Take students out to a wooded area and try to find animal tracks ,have them take notes, draw it, or take pictures of what they find. 
• Have students draw an animal print that they found or learned about
• Teach a science unit on habitat or specific species
• Tracks and Trails Lesson 

Here is an informative video on animal tracks: 

Here's a preview of images found throughout the book: 

Basketball Belles: How Two Teams and One Scrappy Player put Women's Hoops on the Map

Title: Basketball Belles: How Two Teams and One Scrappy Player put Women's Hoops on the Map 

Author: Sue Macy
# of Pages: 32

Published by: Holiday House (April 1, 2011)
Age Range: 6+ yrs
Grade Level: 1st and up

The main character, Agnes Morley was sent to Stanford University to learn how to be a lady. She grew up on a cattle ranch and needed proper training, as her parents would say. Upon arriving to Stanford, it took her little time to trade in her farm gear for a basketball. In April 1896 she made history. She started a women's basketball team. In a heart-pounding game against the University of California Berkley, Agnes lead her team to a victory in the first ever intercollegiate women's basketball game. This game earned her nation attention. Agnes put women's basketball on the map and established it as an official sport!

This book is inspiring for women and all athletes. Agnes has true passion for the game. It is a true story and Agnes is a real person. The facts throughout this book are accurate. It is an exciting story that teaches students that if they follow their dreams anything is possible. It also displays girl power, and that women can be just as athletic, famous, and powerful as men. this book is a great read for girls who love sports!

Classroom Activities and Lesson Ideas:

• Have a class basketball game
• Have students research the history of their favorite sort 
• Talk about other famous women in history 
• Have students cut out a basketball and write the main ideas on it 

The Boy on Fairfield Street

Title: The Boy on Fairfield Street

Author: Kathleen Krull
# of Pages: 48 pages 

Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 2004)
Age Range: 4-8 years
Grade Level: Preschool-3rd

This book by award winning author Kathleen Krull talks about the most important years of the life of Ted Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss. It is written about the first 22 years of his life. The book is the first picture book biography of Dr. Seuss, and is written for younger students who want to know how he got started and what made him tick. Ted's father ran a zoo. He was inspired by the animals in the zoo, the injustices he suffered being a child of German immigrants, and he had an inherent sense of humor. These were all factors that contributed to his personality and the books he wrote. Ted did not always fit in. Once he learned he could make money from doing exactly what he loved, writing and doodling funny things, he was ready to work hard to become a published writer. The last section of this book talks about the many important events that took place during Dr. Seuss' adult life. this book is filled with his art and countless informative stories about his lifetime.

The boy on Fairfield Street is such a unique and interesting book. Many students do not know the details of the life of Dr. Seuss. This would be a great book to use in an author study or to have students read if they really enjoy Dr. Seuss. There is so much factual information in this book and it is all so very interesting! I learned so much from reading this book. If anything, I will read this book aloud to my class during Dr. Seuss week! I think all teachers need to discover this book and share it with their class!

Classroom Activities and Lesson Ideas:

• Do an author study on Dr. Seuss
• Comprehension activity 
• Read other Dr. Seuss books! 
• Fun Facts worksheet
• Great blog for inspiration or ideas

Here's the book trailer: 

The Scraps Book

Title: The Scraps Book 

Author: Lois Ehlert
# of Pages: 72 pages

Published by: Beach Lane Books (March 4, 2014)
Age Range: 3-5 years +
Grade Level: k+

This book is a biography and walk through life experiences of Caldecott Honoree and illustrator Lois Ehlert. This book is so bright and colorful and a great story to read to your class. Lois Ehlert always knew that she wanted to be an artist, her parents encouraged her from a young age to follow her dreams. She learned how to sew, saw wood, pound nails, and make art at a young age. In her house Lois even had her own work station! Now, Lois takes students and aspiring artists on a behind-the-scenes look of her books, life, and how she made the art for each book. This book is so fascinating! Her art is truly unique and to see how she comes  up with her ideas is amazing! This book will inspire readers to explore their own creativity. This is a unique biography that is more than just words. each page is decorated with collages of materials. There are pictures of Lois scattered throughout. This book tells about her many adventures and experiences. This book also shows the progress of her famous illustrations through many children's books.

This is such a fun and unique biography that I will use in my classroom. It teaches students about creativity and the arts but they also learn about the author and illustrator of this book! This book was referred to me by a librarian and it has been one of my favorites! I would use this for an art activity and allow students to use scraps and other supplies to make their own art! I highly recommend this book!

Classroom activities and Lesson Ideas:

• Read Aloud 
• Make a collage of snow peas as seen in the book! 
• Snowball art lesson
• Read a variety of her books, or do an author study on her!
• Virtual Book Club for Kids
• Planting the rainbow art project
• Have students make their own art collage out of random supplies as seen below: 

Here's the book trailer: