The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Book Genre: Realistic Fiction
Publishing Info: Puffin; 20 pages
Awards: Caldecott Medal

Summary: A boy living in the city awakes to new fallen snow. He is excited to go out and explore in the snow. He gets dressed and makes footprints in the snow, watches a snowball fight, makes an angel in the snow, makes tracks with a stick. He hits the a tree with a stick and snow falls on his head. He puts the snow in his pocket and heads home. He takes a warm bath and goes to get the snow out of his pocket only to find that it had melted!

Personal rating: ****Great! Awesome story for winter reading!

Reading level: 2.5
Interest level: K-3

Possible uses of the text:
Art: Give students blue construction paper and a piece of chalk. Students can make a snowy scene! Add black strips of construction paper so that it resembles a window.

Science: Discuss the seasons. Divide a paper into 4 sections and students illustrate each season.

Reading/Writing: Give students pictures from the story and have them put them in order according to the story and write a caption about each one.

Possible Problems: None

The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis

Book Genre: Fiction
Publishing Info: Orchard Books; 32 pages
Awards or honors received: none

Summary: Three children in their cute Halloween costumes walk up a hill from their house. They find an enormous pumpkin. The brother wants to take it home by chopping it from the vine. The sister warns him not to. But to the sisters dismay he does anyway. The enormous pumpkin rolls down the hill through the garden, barn, past the father on the tractor. The animals and children chase the pumpkin. It finally stops and mashes. That night the family enjoy lots of pumpkin treats such as their grandmothers delicious pumpkin pie!

Personal rating: ****Great! I love this story. It has a rhyming chorus throughout the story the students will love!

Reading level: 2.5
Interest level: K-2

Possible use of the text:
Science/Writing: Discuss the process of pumpkin from a seed. Draw a diagram with pictures for K.
Art: Make a pumpkin out of tissue paper to resemble a Mosaic.
Math: Have number cards and little pumpkins. Students will match the number card to the correct number of pumpkins.

Potential Problems: none

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

Book Genre: Fiction
Publishing Info: Philomel Books; 32 pages
Awards or honors received: none

Summary: Mister Seahorse is a book with a lot of science facts. It focuses on the dad taking care of the babies. Mister Seahorse carries his babies in his pouch until they hatch. He floats around the ocean talking to other dads who are also taking care of the eggs or babies. You meet different dad fish and how they carry or take carry of their offspring. Mister Seahorse meets a nursery fish, catfish, pipefish,tilpia, and a stickleback. At the end of the story Mister Seahorse sends his offspring away with a loving message.

Personal rating: ***Good! It is a twist to the dad taking care of the babies instead of the mother. It is a good tribute to the dads! The storyline is dry and uninteresting at times.

Reading level: 2.5
Interest level: K-2

Possible uses of the text:
Writing/Art/Science-Have student write one fact they learned in the story. Give students a teal colored Seahorse that is already cut out. Students will cover the Seahorse with small square sheets of different colored tissue paper so that it will resemble Mister Seahorse. Attach Seahorse to writing and hang in room. It is really cute!

Math-Put seashells in a a clear jar and have students estimate how many. The winner or closest will pick out a shell to take home.

Potential Problems: None