We Will Rock Our Classmates (Ryan T Higgins)

 

More surprises from Penelope! Great story for contrasts and contradictions! There are plenty of surprises along the way:

• Feeling different than everyone else (everyone ALWAYS wants Penelope to be a dinosaur when they play....she never gets to pretend she's something else)
• When they're playing dentists they scold Penelope for not flossing AND they find someone's backpack stuck in her teeth
• Is nervous about performing (you would think a bring strong dinosaur would never feel nervous!)
• Daddy Rex teaches Penelope about great things people in her family have accomplished and this helps buoy her up

Goodreads says:

Readers will twist and shout for this headbanging companion to the #1 New York Times best-selling We Don't Eat Our Classmates.

Penelope is a T. rex, and she's very good at it. She also likes to rock out on guitar! With the school talent show coming up, Penelope can't wait to perform for her classmates. But sharing who you are can be show-stoppingly scary, especially when it's not what people expect. Will Penelope get by with a little help from her friends?

Creature Choir (David Walliams)

 

We got a little silly with everyone making all the sounds the animals make. After, we brainstormed the lessons from it....and there were a multitude. David Walliams isn't just for silliness, after all!

Goodreads says:

Sing your heart out with a whole choir of characters, in the showstopping new picture book from number one bestselling author David Walliams, illustrated by the artistic genius, Tony Ross!


There’s more than one star of the show… In fact, there’s a whole choir of them!


Warble the walrus LOVES to sing.


Unfortunately, she is not very good at it! And when her atrocious warbling causes an avalanche, the other walruses leave her all alone.


But when you SING like no-one is listening, SOMETIMES, they start to hear you…


The perfect story for anyone who loves to laugh or sing, this brand-new story from David Walliams is a delightfully wonderful warble about doing what makes you HAPPY, and being LOUD about it! 

Antoinette (Kelly DiPucchio)

Super cute. Goes with Gaston. Find your talent! You're special!

Goodreads says:

Raised in a family of talented bulldogs, Antoinette the poodle wonders what makes her special. She gets the chance to prove herself and find what she's good at when puppy Ooh-la-la goes missing.

Mira Forecasts the Future (Kell Andrews)

Well, she forecasts the future by learning to forecast the weather. Science rules!

Great story about weather and science and sticking to your guns when you know you're right.

Goodreads Says:

Telling the future is a gift: you either have it, or you don’t. And Mira, daughter of the famous fortune teller Madame Mirabella, just doesn't. When Madame gazes into the crystal ball, magic swirls. When Mira looks . . . nothing. Then one day Mira gets a pinwheel and a windsock, she finds her own form of “magic” in the science of predicting the weather—and saves the day for everyone! This engaging tale, with a fun touch of science thrown in, helps kids understand that we all have our own special talent. 

I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson's Blackboard (Jennifer K. Mann)

I should have read this one ahead of time. It made me sad. I didn't like that this kid is working so hard for public recognition and feels like she will just measure up. In the end, she does get recognized for her talents. I wondered what my students thought about it. It has potential for a great discussion.

Goodreads summary:

Rose’s teacher gives stars for spelling and neatness and giving the right answer, but Rose can’t manage to do any of those things right. Will she ever get a star from Mrs. Benson?

Rose is a distracted and creative soul. She does her best at school, but sometimes her mind wanders, and she answers the wrong question. Her reading voice is quiet, not strong and loud. And her desk—well, keeping her desk neat is a challenge. When it’s time to make thank-you cards for a class visitor, Rose’s art supplies turn her workspace—and her—into a colorful mess. But her artistic skills shine through in the gorgeous oversize card she creates. Could she possibly get a star after all? A cheerful and empowering picture book for the child whose talents lie in unconventional areas, and those still searching for their strengths.

Lily and the Mixed Up Letters

We have had a few kids in our class reading The Lightning Thief lately and we've talked about how the main character has trouble in school. My students have made connections with this challenge. It's been interesting to talk about how they have sympathy for children who struggle and how they feel when they struggle.

Goodreads summary:

When Lily was in kindergarten she enjoyed school and she was happy. Now, she’s in grade 2 and she doesn’t feel like she’s good at anything. The trouble is reading. Whenever she tries, the letters jump around and get all mixed up — and so does she.

When Lily’s teacher announces that the children will read in front of their parents, Lily finally finds the courage to tell her mother about her problem. By working together, Lily’s mom, teacher, and friend Grace find a way to help Lily understand that she has very important strengths and talents. With hard work and new confidence, Lily surprises everyone — even herself — by the time the parents come to hear the kids read.

Gentle illustrations by France Brassard realistically portray the fear, isolation, and low self-esteem that children with dyslexia can experience. Deborah Hodge’s Lily and the Mixed-up Lettersis a reassuring read for any child in need of a boost in confidence. 

Three Hens and a Peacock (Lester Laminack)

This book teaches a great lesson. Just be yourself! Know what you do well and don't try to be someone else. That never works. Do what you do and do it well.

The illustrations in this books are hilarious. The peacock is proud of how everyone is interested in him, but this really rankles the hens.

They decide they were there first so they should be able to show off and they send the peacock off to the hen house to sit on eggs. As you can tell by the picture, showing off really isn't the hen's forte.

Goodreads Summary: 

Three Hens and a Peacock When life on the Tucker farm is disrupted by the arrival of a peacock, whose shrieking and strutting bring many welcome visitors, the hens complain that they are doing all of the work until the hound suggests a trade.