Children's Literature

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2

Lexile Level: AD660L

One beautiful day, mama hedgehog decides to take a walk. While she is out walking, a storm rolls in and she runs into an old pot for shelter. The pot is actually a gold pot at the end of the rainbow and mama hedgehog gets a colorful surprise! I would use this book with younger students to teach them colors. This book describes every color of the rainbow and it also has a hideaway puppet to go with it for interaction.

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2, 3-5

Lexile Level: AD850L

Even though pirates do some things they shouldn't, they are always polite! This book describes all the things pirates do and how no matter what they are doing, they are always polite. I would use this book with younger students to teach manners.

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2, 3-5

Lexile Level: AD410L

The rainbow fish is a beautiful fish with many shimmering scales. When his friends come along and ask to have a shimmery scale, he tells all of them no and they all leave him. Then, when he wants to play with them, no one wants to play with him because he was selfish with his scales. He has to share his scales to get his friends back. I would use this book to teach the value of friendship to my students and to teach them to all be kind to one another. I would also use it to teach sharing.

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2, 3-5

Lexile Level: AD540L

Camilla Cream loves lima beans but no one else does and she wants to fit in. When she becomes very ill, she must be herself to get well again. I would use this book to teach students to accept each other and bully awareness.

Grade Level: 6-8

Lexile Level: 740L

Coraline sets off to find what is on the other side of the small door in her new house. When she finds it, she thinks it is wonderful and is having a great time. However, what she finds is truly horrible and Coraline must find a way out. I would use this book as a read-aloud to my students during free time.

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Lexile Level: 950L

This incredible story is about a boy named Bud who is in the foster system after losing his mother. After he is able to get away from the family he is placed with, he sets off to find the man he believes is his father. He meets incredible people on the way and finds the family he has always been looking for. I would use this book as a read-aloud to my students during free time.

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2, 3-5

Lexile Level: AD740L

This imaginative story is about a boy named Max who sails off to another island where he finds the wild things. He becomes their king and stays with them on their island. But after Max becomes home sick, he has to leave the wild things to go back home to his family. I would read this to my students to encourage imagination. I would pair this with a writing activity where the students had to imagine if they were to sail off, what would they encounter?

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Lexile Level: 680L

When a girl named Fern is given the runt of a litter of pigs, she names him Wilbur and keeps him as her pet. But when Wilbur gets too big to stay with Fern, he is moved to a farm where all the other barn animals bully him about being eaten by the farmer. But it is here where he meets Charlotte, a spider who helps save Wilbur's life and becomes his best friend. I would use this book as a read-aloud to my students during free time and I would also use it to show the importance of friendship and bully awareness.

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Lexile Level: 810L

This book is about a young boy named Charlie who grew up with less. One day, there is a contest to find a golden ticket in a chocolate bar made by a famous chocolatier, Mr. Willy Wonka. Charlie finds a ticket, visits the factory, and is given the prize of a lifetime. I would use this book as a read-aloud to my students during free time.

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Lexile Level: 760L

The Giver is an amazing journey about a boy named Jonas and an enormous challenge he is faced with. Jonas is born different in a world where everyone is kept the same and he must face all the responsibilities that come with this difference. His experience changes his life forever. I would use this book as a read-aloud for my students during free time.

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2

Lexile Level: AD590L

This book is a very interesting story about all the consequences you will have to face if you give a moose a muffin. It is an adorable story that describes what event will follow the one before based all on what will happen if you give a moose a muffin. I would use this book in my classroom to teach cause and effect. This book is great for a cause and effect lesson because it uses key words such as "if" and "then" that will help students better understand cause and effect.

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2

Lexile Level: 460L

This sweet story is about a mouse named Chrysanthemum who at first, loves her name. But when her classmates begin to make fun of it, she begins to hate it and is upset that her classmates bully her. One day, a new teacher comes to her school with a name as unique as Chrysanthemum's. The other students in the class become jealous of Chrysanthemum's name because the teacher proclaims how much she admires Chrysanthemum's name and Chrysanthemum starts to love her name again. I would use this book with younger students to teach the value of kindness, how everyone should be accepting of each other, and bully awareness.

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2

Lexile Level: 530L

The Giving Tree is a precious story about a tree who does whatever she possibly can to make sure a young boy, who she loves dearly, is happy throughout his entire life. I would use this book for younger students to teach about self-sacrifice and the importance of giving to one another.

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Lexile Level: 810L

This exciting thriller is about a young boy named Jess who meets the best friend of his life, Leslie. They create their own world together and they are the rulers of their kingdom. But one day when Leslie tries to go to their world alone, there is a devastating tragedy and Jess is left heartbroken. I would read this to my class as a read-aloud during free time.

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Lexile Level: 700L

This book is about a young boy named Billy who buys a set of hunting dogs named Dan and Ann. Billy loves his dogs and trains them to hunt for raccoons with him. One day, after Dan is attacked by a mountain lion, Billy suffers a great loss that affects him for the rest of his life. I would read this book to my class as a read-aloud during free time.

Grade Level: Pre-K-K, 1-2

Lexile Level: AD460L

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is about a caterpillar's journey through his life from being born to turning into a butterfly. I would read this book to my students to teach health awareness. In the book, the caterpillar eats good foods and feels good and then he eats bad foods and feels sick. I would use that to teach about what foods are good to eat and which ones to avoid. I would also use this book for a lesson about the life cycle of a butterfly.