Brown Girl Dreaming

Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming. Nancy Paulsen Books.

           

            Jacqueline Woodson, on of today’s best authors, was raised in South Carolina and New York. However, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and the powerful Civil Rights movement. Each poem is both relatable and emotionally charged. Woodson’s eloquent poetry reflects her story, and how she became the writer she is.

Jacqueline Woodson's website 

        

Oh No, Gotta Go!

Elya, S., & Karas, G. (2003). Oh no, gotta go! New York: G.P. Putnam's

Sons.

We’ve all been there. As soon as the car pulls away, someone needs the bathroom. Where is un baño? ¿Dónde está? I really do need one," I told mi mamá.

After racing around town, passing a gushing fountain, and cutting the inevitable line for the ladies' room, this adorable little girl makes it to the bathroom in the nick of time. And because the bathroom is in a restaurant, the family stays for a wonderful meal-and lots of limonada. . . .

Wonderful illustrations and a clever mix of Spanish and English combine to capture the urgency and humor of the situation to the delight of kids and grown-ups alike.

Text includes some Spanish words and phrases.

If You Lived Here

Laroche, G. (2011). If you lived here: Houses of the world. Boston:

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

From the Spain to South Africa, Italy to China, France to New Mexico: Giles takes readers through a journey of homes around the world and uncovers the reason behind each home’s construction. As children, it is hard for young readers to take on the perspective of others. This book helps give children a broader worldview. As a teacher who wants to create global citizens, this book is a wonderful introduction to the world outside our classroom walls.

With this book, I would love to share my own travel experiences with my students.  I would do an entire travel unit.

Travel Unit Activities

Planting a Rainbow

Ehlert, L. (1988). Planting a rainbow. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

This educational, nonfiction book helps children understand how to plant bulbs, seeds, and seedlings, and nurture their growth. The collage illustrations bring science to life.

There are countless art and science projects to do with this book:lesson plans, crafts, science activities. This book is perfect for young explorers.

Coming to America

Maestro, B., & Ryan, S. (n.d.). Coming to America: The story of

immigration.

This nonfiction picture book with bright illustrations tell the story of the migration of diverse immigrant and ethnic groups to North America. Everything from the travels of native peoples across the Bering Strait, to the Atlantic slave trade and the journey of immigrants from Europe and Asia is included. The engaging text, aimed at readers ages 4 to 8, recounts the lives of various immigrant groups, celebrates their cultural contributions to America, and details the challenges of putting down roots in a new land.

A discussion of political and religious freedom is also explored. A table of dates and immigration facts is included.

This book is a wonderful way to teach immigration to a younger audience. It is engaging, interesting, and factual. It is perfect for the classroom.