Literature Notebook

McKenna HowardHDFS 217

Colorado State University

Theme: Diversity

One Green Apple• Title: One Green Apple• Author: Eve Bunting • Target Age: 3rd Graders• Subject Matter: Farah the main character has just moved

into a new country that speaks a different language than her. She finds it very hard to be different and to adjust, until she goes to the apple orchard with her family. They begin to make apple cider and she realizes that all kinds of apples go into the recipe to make great apple cider and realizes that it is the same way for her since she is a Muslim immigrant.

• Citation: Bunting, E., & Lewin, T. (2006). One green apple. New York: Clarion Books.

Little Blue and Little Yellow

• Title: Little Blue and Little Yellow• Author: Leo Lionni• Target Age: Pre-school-1st Grade• Subject Matter: This book is an older book that was written

when things were much more segregated, but this book explains the friendship between the blue dot and the yellow dot which in the end they mix colors to make the color green. Through the blending of the colors the explanation of multicultural friendships is explained.

• Citation: Lionni, L. (1959). Little blue and little yellow: A story for Pippo and Ann and other children. New York: McDowell, Obolensky.

The Sandwich Swap• Title: The sandwich Swap• Author: Kelly Dipucchio • Target Age: Pre-school - 1st Grade• Subject Matter: The two best friends have a minor

difference which is the type of sandwich each other likes. One likes hummus in her sandwich and the other does not. Their differences become a big deal across the whole school, but everything is fixed when the principle steps in and mends their friendship by explaining that the differences are okay and celebrated.

• Citation: DiPucchio, K. (2010). The sandwich swap. New York: Disney-Hyperion Books.

The Colors of Us• Title: The Colors of Us• Author: Karen Katz • Target Age: 1st Grade- 3rd Grade• Subject Matter: The main character Lena has decided

to paint a picture of herself and decided to go on a journey with her mother around the neighborhood to explore all of the different skin tones that there is. Each skin tone is compared to food which shows young children a little bit about diversity.

• Citation: Katz, K. (1999). The colors of us. New York: Henry Holt and.

Theme: Family

Two Homes• Title: Two Homes• Author: Claire Masurel • Target Age: 2nd Grade – 5th Grade• Subject Matter: This book is about a 7 year old boy

who is explaining what it is like for his parents to get divorced. This book is very good because it explains the positives of divorce and shows that the parents still love him unconditionally even though they are split

• Citation: Masurel, C., & Denton, K. (2001). Two homes. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Over The Moon• Title: Over The Moon• Author: Karen Katz• Target Age: 1st Grade-5th Grade• Subject Matter: This book starts off with the parents

talking about how they wanted a baby so badly and would travel a great distance to receive this baby. The story goes on and they adopt a child and it shapes a very positive image of an adoption within a family

• Citation: Katz, K. (2001). Over the moon: An adoption tale. New York: H. Holt.

Horton Hatches the Egg

• Title: Horton Hatches the Egg• Author: Dr. Seuss • Target Age: 1st Grade- 3rd Grade• Subject Matter: Horton the elephant finds a momma bird

named Maysie and her little blue egg. Maysie tells Horton to sit on her egg and to protect it while she leaves. She does not come back for awhile but when she does the egg begins to hatch and the little blue elephant bird only wants Horton because he took care of the egg and stayed in its beginning part of life. This book explains that someone will always love you and be there for you (their parents)

• Citation: Seuss, D. (1940). Horton hatches the egg,. New York: Random House.

Mommy, Was Your Tummy Big?

• Title: Mommy, Was Your Tummy Big?• Author: Carolina Nadel• Target Age: 1st Grade -4th Grade• Subject Matter: This book explains how the baby elephant

is curious about all of the pregnant animals that she sees and becomes more curious about how this happened. The Mommy elephant explains that she had medicine injected into her for this to happen which was an egg donor situation. This is a positive way for students that are faced with this situation to understand and learn about it.

• Citation: Nadel, C. (2007). Mommy, was your tummy big? Arlington, VA: Mookind Press.

Theme: Holidays

Christmas• Title: The Polar Express• Author: Chris Van Allsburg• Target Age: kindergarten- 3rd Grade• Subject Matter: The young boy on Christmas Eve starts

to go to bed when he begins to hear a train coming. He goes outside and it is the polar express taking children to see Santa. He gets on the train and takes a ride all the way to the North Pole and makes it back home for Christmas morning.

• Citation: Allsburg, C., & Hurt, W. (1989). The Polar Express. Boston, Ma.: Houghton Mifflin.

Kwanzaa• Title: Lil Rabbit’s Kwanzaa• Author: Donna L. Washington• Target Age: Pre-school- Kindergarten• Subject Matter: This book is about the Brer Rabbit and

when he meets the African tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa. The Rabbit is looking for a gift to give his grandmother who is very sick for the Karamu, which is the traditional Kwanzaa Feast. This book teaches children about the African tradition of Kwanzaa

• Citation: Washington, D., & Evans, S. (2010). Li'l Rabbit's Kwanzaa. New York: Katherine Tegen Books.

Hanukkah• Title: Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy • Author: Don Freeman and Lisa McCue• Target Age: Pre-school• Subject Matter: while reading this book to students

they will learn some of the main traditions of Hanukkah. They start with the lighting of the menorah, then potato pancakes, and then the dreidel.

• Citation: McCue, L., & Freeman, D. (2009). Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy. New York: Viking/Penguin Young Readers Group.

Halloween• Title: Tucker’s Spooky Halloween• Author: Leslie McGuirk• Target Age: Pre-school- 3rd Grade• Subject Matter: Tucker, who is a dog, explains that when he

was a puppy he dressed up as a pumpkin for Halloween. Now that Tucker is grown up he is trying to find costume that is more spooky so that he can scare others. The book shows Tucker trying on different costumes, which can make the students think about what they might want to be!

• Citation: McGuirk, L. (2007). Tucker's spooky Halloween. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Theme: Animals

Caterpillars• Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillas• Author: Eric Carle• Target Age: Pre-school – 2nd Grade• Subject Matter: This book talks about the way of life of

the caterpillar. It starts out as an egg and comes out and is very hungry! It goes through all of the days of the week with the caterpillar eating more and more each day and ends a week later when the caterpillar turns into a butterfly

• Citation: Carle, E. (1987). The very hungry caterpillar ([Rev.]. ed.). New York: Philomel Books.

Monkeys• Title: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed• Author: Eileen Christelow • Target Age: Pre-school• Subject Matter: This book is about five little monkeys

that were just put to bed by their mother. They are playing around and are jumping on the bed. This book turns into a song/rhyme because it repeats itself for all of the five monkeys to fall off the bed.

• Citation: Christelow, E. (2008). Five little monkeys jumping on the bed (Lap ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Cows• Title: Click, Clack Moo: Cows That type• Author: Doreen Cronin• Target Age: Pre-school- 1st Grade• Subject Matter: This book is about Farmer Brown and

his cows that live in his barn. Farmer Brown all day long hears click, clack moo, click clack moo and wonders why he hears this. He then finds out that his cows have been typing him notes!

• Citation: Cronin, D., & Lewin, B. (2000). Click, clack, moo: Cows that type. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Creatures• Title: Where The Wild Things Are• Author: Maurice Sendak• Target Age: kindergarten- 3rd Grade• Subject Matter: Max (the main character) dresses up in

wolf costume and was being naughty so his mother sent him to bed. Once Max fell asleep he dreamed that his room was a jungle. In his dream he runs into a bunch of animals but is able to tame them and since he was able to tame them they pronounced Max to be the king of the jungle.

• Citation: Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper & Row.