Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

Book Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Summary: Bear's New Friend is a story about a bear who hears sounds in the forest. He searchers through the woods trying to find out who was making the sound. His friends come and join him in the search for who could be making the sound. Many animals come and help until they finally find out that it is the mole. Bear and all his friends ask mole to come and play with them in the summer sun.

Personal rating: **** Great! This is a great story that is on a first grade reading level. It has beautiful pictures that shows the characteristics of wooded animals well.

Reading level: 1.9

Interest level: K-2

Integration: This book could be used in a science units about animals to discuss what kinds of animals live in the woods. It could be used to talk about bears and where they live. The teacher can also point out that this story is not true because the animals in this story talk and walk upright. The students can have a discussion about what real animals do in the woods. The teacher can also talk about what happends during summer, because this book takes place during the summer time. The students can talk about the difference between winter and summer.
In social studies the teacher can read this book whenever a new student enters the classroom. In reading this is a great book to have your students act out with stuffed animals or with themselves to reinforce comprehension.

Potential Problems: I see no potential problems with this book.