Albert's Quiet Quest (Isabelle Arsenault)

 This reminds me of one time when I was at the pool waiting for my kids to finish swim practice and I was reading. Someone came up to me because they were looking for someone to attend a Swim AB meeting. He said, "Are you doing anything?" My thought was, "Um....ya. I'm reading. Can't you tell?" I could also add in: go away! LOL

Sometimes life gets that way too. So much gets packed in that there's no time to just sit and be quiet and read. 

We need more of that.

Goodreads says:

Albert just wants to read his book in peace . . . why won't his friends give him some quiet? A delightful picture book about finding alone time from an internationally acclaimed illustrator.

There are so many distractions in Albert's Mile End neighborhood, what's a book-loving introvert to do? Desperate for a quiet place to read, Albert storms out to the alley behind his house where his friends and neighbors often meet to play. Lucky him -- not only is no one around today, but he finds an old painting of a beach scene that someone's left for the trash. The painting sparks Albert's imagination, spurring him on a zen-like quest for a quiet reading break on a sunset beach, a moment to unplug and find peace. And he almost does too, except for those meddling Mile End kids . . . who just want to have some fun, as LOUDLY as possible. Will Albert ever find a moment of quiet to enjoy his book? Or could his friends be looking for a book break of their own?

Readers will love this adorably relatable story of a quiet kid, his big imagination and bringing friends together through the magic of reading.

Mrs Spitzer's Garden (Edith Pattou)

 

No children are mentioned in this book, but the connection between what the teacher does to nurture and help children grow spoke to my heart. 

This would be a great book to give someone when they graduate in education or when they retire. The author write up says that she wrote it originally to give to her daughter's kindergarten teacher.

Goodreads says:

A beautiful, moving story and the perfect teacher appreciation gift

Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens. She knows about children. She knows how similar they are, and how both will flourish if tended lovingly.

There are many remarkable teachers like Mrs. Spitzer in the world, and Edith Pattou's simple, moving story along with Tricia Tusa's inspired, whimsical illustrations celebrate all they do, year after year, to help our children grow and blossom.

The Great Zapfino (Mac Barnett)

 

I love it when my students start to realize styles of an author. When I said we had read other Mac Barnet books and asked if they could recall, it made them excited about this one. They were confused as to whether the circus was a dream? Or was jumping out of the window a flash back? We never could really decide.

This book is mostly wordless. Zapfino never says anything. I had the students volunteer to tell the story on each page that was wordless. The things they notice are amazing. Not giving Zapfino any dialogue or text made it more relatable for the students, I think. They could be Zapfino.

This could make for a great discussion about how we need to face our fears eventually. 

My students are always taken by black and white illustrations and ask why the author made it look like that. Usually what they ask is why did he make it so old? 

Goodreads says:

From two Caldecott Honor–winning creators comes a sweet and inspiring picture book about a runaway circus performer who learns to face his fears and follow his heart.

When The Great Zapfino climbs to the top of the circus platform, all eyes are on him, waiting for his incredible leap. But Zapfino is afraid of heights! He can’t take the pressure and flees, boards a plane, and runs away to start a new life.

In the city, Zapfino starts work as an elevator operator in a tall building but soon learns you can never really outrun your fears. When disaster strikes, can Zapfino find the strength to be great?

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family (Ibtihaj Muhammad)

 

I loved reading this with my class. Many of my students have sisters, mothers and grandmothers who wear a hijab and they were so happy to tell us about it. They also talked about how to properly wear a hijab, why some women wear one and why some don't. There were a lot of questions form other kids. I loved how the little girl in this story thought the hijab was just so beautiful and she eagerly looks forward to wearing one. When a boy in the story teases the girl about her hijab one student in my class gasped, which was the perfect response and it started a great discussion. I found the names in the story difficult to pronounce, but nobody corrected me so I must have done good enough. We also had a good discussion about clothing people wear in other religions that is a sign of their faith and reminds them of what they believe.

Goodreads says:

A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school–and two sisters on one’s first day of hijab–by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.

With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.

Paired with Hatem Aly’s beautiful, whimsical art, Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad and Morris Award finalist S.K. Ali bring readers an uplifting, universal story of new experiences, the unbreakable bond between siblings, and of being proud of who you are.

The Hole Story (Kelly Canby)

 

This story has some subtleties to it that are great. The not so subtle bit is to talk about the word play of hole vs whole. The subtle part is the rabbit that appears on all the pages following the boy around. Once the boy finally decides to discard the hole because it is of no use to him, the rabbit can use it to live in. It could also be great as a story for inferencing. What could some of the people in the story do with that hole? Why do they not want it? What would happen if they did take it?

Goodreads says:

One day Charlie finds a hole. A hole of his very own! He picks it up and pops it in his pocket. But it doesn’t take Charlie long to realize that a hole in your pocket is not a good thing to have.

The Great Bear (David A Robertson)

 

I really loved book 1 and I'd have to say this book is even better. If not a novel study in many classrooms, this series is destined to be read and discussed! Having similar challenges in the real world as well as Misewa was fascinating. It made me think of how if we are connected to where we come from, we are more able to handle life's challenges. 

I have to get book 3 right away.....but it's only in hard cover. One of my weird book idiosyncrasies is that I have to have all the books in a series be the same size. The library will have to do. Given that this book was banned though, I will definitely commit to buying the last book in the series, if not multiple copies of all of them. Book 2 ends with a cliff hanger that makes it impossible to not read book 3 right away.

Goodreads says: 


Back at home after their first adventure in the Barren Grounds, Eli and Morgan each struggle with personal issues: Eli is being bullied at school, and tries to hide it from Morgan, while Morgan has to make an important decision about her birth mother. They turn to the place where they know they can learn the most, and make the journey to Misewa to visit their animal friends. This time they travel back in time and meet a young fisher that might just be their lost friend. But they discover that the village is once again in peril, and they must dig deep within themselves to find the strength to protect their beloved friends. Can they carry this strength back home to face their own challenges?

I Have A Superpower (Stephen Curry)

 

Okay. Not the most compelling by nor the most compelling illustrations....but Stephen Curry has power. My students were mesmerized by this book and talked all day about how we were reading it at the end of the day. Some of the boys tried to sneak it early to read it before everyone else and others told them to put it back because it wasn't fair if they got to read it first. There has to be something said for the draw to this book! It isn't a great read aloud because it has more than one voice, which is kind of odd - but we made it work.

It has a lovely message....your heart is your superpower so we talked about what that means in all aspects of life.

Goodreads says:

Four-time NBA champion and superstar Stephen Curry makes a splash with his picture book debut inspiring young readers to unlock their very own superpower.

A positive boost from a strong role model. --Kirkus

With accessible advice honoring commitment to craft and fortitude, this is a sporty and strong addition to growth-mindset and social-emotional-learning conversations. --Booklist


Stephen Curry's journey to the NBA wasn't easy. Coaches and recruiters repeatedly told him he was too small to make it in the big leagues. But Stephen used their doubts to shape his ever-positive attitude and fuel his own underdog success story. Now, Curry pens an original story to inspire the next generation of go-getters and big dreamers.

I Have a Superpower is the empowering story that teaches kids you don't have to be the strongest, fastest, or even tallest kid out on the court. So long as you have heart, any goal is achievable through hard work and determination--even without a cape!