“My Sports” Series by Gail Gibbons

Award-winning author Gail Gibbons has written and illustrated more than a hundred nonfiction children’s books. She knows how to capture young and maturing readers’ interest in all manner of subjects relevant to the world they inhabit.

Three Books by Doreen Cronin

When the cows in Farmer Brown’s barn find an old typewriter, his problems are just beginning. Not only does the racket from their constant typing keep him up all hours of the night, they begin issuing written demands, going on strike, and withholding milk to get some electric blankets. They even manage to get the chickens to join their cause. In the end, the cows get what they want, but Farmer Brown, hoping to get the typewriter in exchange, gets a note from the ducks, instead. They’ve been thinking about how nice it would be to have a diving board!  Betsy Lewin’s cartoonish drawings underscore Cronin’s characteristic humor and charm in this tale of the power of language to affect change. This Caldecott winner was actually Cronin’s first children’s book, and it continues to delight adults as well as young readers. Use this story to get students thinking about the nature of written requests or persuasive writing and to celebrate the very act of communicating on paper.

Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
ISBN: 078948191-X

Written and illustrated by Anthony Browne, this is an excellent book for teaching the literary concepts of voice and point of view.  Browne relates the same series of events during an afternoon spent at the park from four distinct perspectives. The four characters that speak to readers on this day include a snobbish rich woman, her rather lonely son, an unemployed man, and his warm and welcoming daughter. Readers will encounter many surprising elements.  For one thing, the four main characters are apes, though clearly personified and meant to represent human qualities and consciousness. Gorillas are featured in many of Browne’s books. He has always found them fascinating, as they are both fierce and gentle creatures, which makes them very similar to humans in some respects. This riveting and nuanced picture book is also a perfect sounding board for introducing social studies concepts and discussing art history and theory. Like all of Browne’s stories, the narrative raises issues and deals with important themes such as loneliness, joblessness, and economic disparity. Advanced students will undoubtedly notice that the sequence of this story is unusual; rather than a linear progression, the events each voice relates occur simultaneously. 

More Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron
Yearling, ISBN 0394824547

More Stories Julian Tells is the sequel to Ann Cameron’s well-received book The Stories Julian Tells. Interestingly, Cameron’s narrator for these tales, Julian, is based on an actual friend of hers by that name. He told her some stories from his life, and they inspired her to create a character who shared some of the real-life Julian’s qualities, but the fictional Julian has become his own person, so to speak; someone to whom all students can relate.

Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan
Scholastic Press, ISBN 0-590-96075-X

Everything about this fictional account of a true story is big and exciting—from the big personalities, big dreams, big accomplishments, and big thrills, to the big illustrations and big type. Pam Munoz Ryan recounts the clear April evening in 1933 when two good friends, Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt, left their fancy White House dinner party to fly a plane together. The Author’s Note in Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride reveals Munoz Ryan’s inspiration for writing this story about two remarkable women.