EXTRA! EXTRA!

(P) The Giving Tree

By: Shel Silverstein
This book is about a relationship between a tree and a boy who are able to communicate with each
other. As the boy goes through childhood he climbs on the trees trunk, swings from her branches and
eats her apples. As the boy starts to become a teenager he wants money so the tree tells him to take his
apples and sell them. Then when he is an adult the boy wants a house so the tree says he can cut down
her branches and build a house out of them. Every time the tree was able to help the boy the tree was
happy. The story ends with the tree as only a stump and the boy was now an old man, all he wanted
now was a place to rest and sit which the tree was able to give him.
Age Range: 1 - 8 years Grade Level: 2 3

(P) Pete the Cat: I love my White Shoes

By: Eric Litwin
Pete loves the white sneakers he wears and walks around singing, I love my white shoes, I love my
white shoes, I love my white shoes. Until one day when Pete stepped in a large pile of strawberries
and his shoes turned red, but Pete did not cry and kept on walking singing; I love my red shoes, I love
my red shoes, I love my red shoes. Then by accident Pete stepped in a large pile of blueberries and his
shoes turned blue! He kept walking along now singing, I love my blue shoes, I love my blue shoes, I
love my blue shoes. Next Pete stepped in a large pile of Mud and his shoes turned brown, so as he
walked away he sang, I love my brown shoes, I love my brown shoes, I love my brown shoes. But
then something crazy happened Pete stepped into a bucket of water and all the brown, blue and red all
washed away. Pete now had his white shoes back but now they were wet.
Age Range: 4 - 8 years Grade Level: Preschool 3

(P) How Did That Get in My Lunch Box?

By: Chris Butterworth
This book is about a child opening their lunch box and seeing what is inside. After seeing the lunch the
book goes through each food item explaining where it comes from step by step. This book is great to
use for a health lesson about healthy eating and the food pyramid. It is great for the children to see how
the food gets to their plates.
Age Range: 5 - 8 years Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3

(P) The Rainbow Fish

By: Marcus Pfister
This story is about Rainbow fish who is the prettiest fish in the ocean. At the beginning Rainbow Fish
is a mean fish and only cared about his appearance. One day a little blue fish asked Rainbow Fish for
one of his beautiful scales, Rainbow Fish responded saying no and was not nice about it. After that
incident none of the other fish liked Rainbow Fish and would ignore him every time he swam by. Then
one day Rainbow Fish spoke to the wise octopus who told him to give a glittering scale to each fish and
although he will no longer be the most beautiful fish he will be very happy and once again accepted by
his fish friends.
Age Range: 3 - 10 years

(P) The Lion and The Bird

By: Marianne Dubuc
In this story a lion is working in his garden and finds an injured bird on the ground. It is autumn and he
tells the bird he is welcome to stay with him. Over the winter the lion nurses the bird back to health and
they enjoy winter together becoming friends along the way. When spring comes the birds flock comes
back, the lion and the bird decide it is best if he returns to his flock. The lion is lonely without the bird
but knows that sometimes life is like that. When autumn returns the lion wonders if he will see his
old friend. The bird returns in hopes that they can stay warm again together this winter.
Age Range: 4 and up Grade Level: Preschool and up

(P) The Salmon Princess: An Alaskan Cinderella Story

By: Mindy Dwyer
This book is an Alaskan Cinderella story. It is about a girl named Cinder that lives in alaska with her
mother and father. Her father is a salmon fisherman while Cinder and her mother are in charge of
cleaning and smoking the fish. One day Cinder's mother passes away, and her father quickly remarries.
Cinder's father marries a woman that has two sons who are also fisherman. With three salmon
fisherman so many salmon is coming in and Cinder's step mother refuses to help clean and smoke it.
One day they are having a festival in town but Cinder's step mother says that she cannot go because she
has too much salmon to smoke. Then a eagle flies by and drops a dress down to her. Cinder ends up
going to the festival, winning the raffle tickets and meeting the Salmon prince.
Age Range: 3 - 7 years Grade Level: Preschool - 2

(P) A Gift of The Crocodile

BY: Judy Sierra
This book is a Cinderella Story. It is about a girl named Damura that lives in the spice islands. Damura
is a beautiful girl but her step mother and step sister force her to do all of the house chores. One day
Damura is crying down by the river and washing the families clothes. She calls out to the creatures of
the wild to help her and then a crocodile rises from the river telling her to call her grandmother. Then
after a few years pass the whole village is talking about how the prince has invited all of the young
women to come dance at the palace and he will pick a bride. When Damura asks her mother to let her
wear her silver sarong her step mother replies saying that she must stay home and tidy up, that the
prince would never like a dirty girl like her. Damura goes down to the river and cries when
grandmother the crocodile comes up from the water with a silver sarong, blouse of gold and slippers to
match. She goes to the palace and dances with the prince, and after some complications they get
married and have a great life together.
Age Range: 4 - 8 years Grade Level: Preschool - 3

(P) Have You Filled A Bucket Today?

By: Carol McCloud
This story is about how important it is to be kind to others. The book explains how everyone has an
invisible bucket above their heads that can either be filled or dipped into. When you are kind to
someone you fill their buckets and also your own. When you are not nice to someone their bucket gets
dipped into. This book shows how being kind and caring to others makes them feel good and also helps
make yourself happy too!
Age Range: 4 and up Grade Level: Preschool and up

(P) One Green Apple

By: Eve Bunting
This story is about a girl named Farah who just came to America from a different country. Farah is not
familiar with the language in America so she just listens, nods and doesn't speak. Then one day the
class goes on a field trip to an apple orchard, this is when Farah begins to see that things are the same
her as they are at home. Such as friends laughing together and dogs crunching on their food. This book
is great to use in the classroom when a new student comes to show both the student and the class that
things are the same as where they moved from.
Grade Level: Preschool 3

(P) Bubba the Cowboy Prince

By: Helen Ketteman
This story is a fractured Texas Cinderella story. Bubba is a rancher living with his step brothers and
step father. Each day Bubba has to do all of the work on their farm and all of the chores around the
house. One day Miz Lurleen, a beautiful woman who lives down the road from him is planning a ball
to find a husband. Bubba wants to go but his step brothers Dwayne and Milton say that he can't go

because he has to stay home to do the farm work. The day of the ball Bubba helps his brothers get
ready and has no time for himself. After Dwayne and Milton leave for the ball Bubba goes on a ride to
clear his head when he finds a fairy god cow to help him. The fairy god cow gives him everything he
needs to go to the ball. After the night at the ball Miz Lurleen finds the cow boy prince she has been
waiting for and it is Bubba.
Age Range: 4 - 8 years Grade Level: Preschool - 3

(P) I'm Like you, You're Like Me

By: Cindy Gainer
This book introduces diversity at a simple level for young children. It talks about ways that everyone is
different. People have different hair, different bodies, different families and many more things. This
book shows children that it is ok to be different and not everyone is the same. I really enjoy the
message in this book and would use it in my future classroom.
Age Range: 3 - 8 years Grade Level: Preschool - 3

(P) The Crayon Box that Talked

By: Shane DeRolf
This story is about a crayon box that does not get along. Blue does not like green and nobody likes
orange. One day a little girl buys this box of crayons, goes home and lays all the colors out. She begins
to create a picture and she makes sure she uses all of the colors. The picture ends up turning out very
great and shows the crayons that when they all work together they can create something beautiful. This
book teaches children all about teamwork and working together.
Age Range: 3 - 7 years Grade Level: Preschool 2

(P) Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock

By: Eric A. Kimmel

This story is about a spider named Anasi. One day she finds a magical moss covered rock in the forest
that puts you to sleep if you say the phrase Isn't this a strange moss covered rock?. It happens to
Anansi and then she begins to trick other animals so that they are knocked unconscious too. She played
this trick on many other animals like the elephant, ox and many others, when they fall unconscious she
steals something of theirs. Then one day the litte bush deer sees what Anansi is doing, the deer tricks
Anansi and has her say the phase, when she falls unconscious all of the other animals take their stuff
back to teach Anansi a lesson.
Age Range: 5 and up Grade Level: Kindergarten and up

(P) Piggybook
By: Anthony Browne
This story is about the Piggot family. Mrs. Piggot does everything for her very important husband and
very important sons, she cooks, cleans and makes their beds. They do not appreciate her and take her
for granted. One day the Mrs. Piggot's very important husband and sons come home to find she is not
there. Mrs. Piggott has had enough and goes away. The Piggot men do not know what to do, they don't
know how to clean or cook. As the book goes on you see the house becoming a mess and they are all
turning into pigs. Then finally Mrs. Piggot comes back but has conditions. Her sons must learn to make
their beds, her husband needs to learn how to iron his own clothes and they will all cook together. The
book ends with Mrs. Piggot working on the car. This book shows that gender roles are not always
correct and woman can do whatever men can do.
Age Range: 3 - 7 years Grade Level: Preschool 2

(P) If you Give a Dog a Donut

By: Laura Numeroff
This story is about a little boy who gives a dog a donut. After he gives the dog the donut the dog will
ask for some apple juice to go with it. When the dog drinks up all of the apple juice he will ask for
some more but there won't be any left. Since there is none left he will want to make his own, so he will
go out side and pick some apples. This book keeps going and through the whole book the dog keeps
asking the boy for more and more until he wants a donut again.

Age Range: 4 - 8 years Grade Level: Preschool - 3