The Three Bears by Kurt Nagahori

Traditional/Folk

This version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" is a very special one. With no words, only the pictures on the pages tell the story. The author used great illustrations to represent the famous tale. Each page is covered in colorful pictures from top to bottom. The author's bold colors and lines tell the story of Goldilocks finding a cottage and going inside to look around. She ate porridge, sat in the bears' chairs, and laid in their beds. The three bears came home and found Goldilocks asleep and she ran back home, ending the story. This book is interesting because it can be retold in so many different ways because there are no words. A teacher could allow the students to help create the story as they go, inserting their own words and emotions. Also, a student could take this book and write their own story according to the way they interpret the pictures in the story. The book promotes creativity and allows students to add their input to a classic tale. To give students an opportunity to create their own picture story, they could write an imaginative tale (about whatever topic would be suitable for their studies) and then create pictures to go along with their words.

The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell

Traditional/Folk

This story is an adaptation of a familiar folktale, "The Three Little Pigs". This version is southwestern, taking place in the desert. Javelinas are related to pigs and are wild and hairy. The story plot is essentially the same as the originial version. The three javelinas each set out to build a house of their own. The first javelina builds his house out of tumbleweeds, the second out of saguaro sticks and the third out of adobe bricks. Instead of a wolf, the three javelinas were tormented by a coyote. In the end, all three of the wild pigs are safe and sound in the third pig's house, sheltered from the coyote. I believe this story would be a good change to reading the original version of "The Three Little Pigs." Most students have heard the ordinary version before and a different adaptation would create a new interest to the old tale. This story would be a good example to read to students before assigning a creative writing assignment. With this tale, a teacher could explain that authors create new and special stories out of old stories by using a similar plot. Students could then create a new story of their own using a tale that they already know, giving them a chance to use their imagination and practice writing skills.

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki

Historical Fiction

This is a story about a Japanese American internment camp which housed thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. Afterin one of these internment camps. One boy, "Shorty", in particular and his family were among the thousands that were forced to move. The story describes their hardships, the freezing cold, the heat and the dust. Some of the Japanese Americans, Shorty included, decided to build a baseball field to have something positive to look forward to. In playing baseball, the Japanese were able to pass the time they were forced to spend in the camp, as well as form a sense of self-respect and unity. In a classroom, I feel this book could be beneficial in discussing WWII, giving the students a different the attack on Pearl Harbor, these families were forced to relocate and make a home perspective to think about. The book also shows the morale that can be created when a group of people come together in times of hardship and oppression.

First Graders From Mars by Shana Corey

Science Fiction

Horus was beginning first grade and, initially, was excited about it. After going to school for the first day and learning what his class would be doing throughout the school day he was not as sure. They did not have nap time like when he was in Martiangarten and the teacher had them begin working on the first day of school. When his parents made him go back to school the next day, Horus discovered another student who did not want to be there. Horus told the girl that it wasn't so bad and began to realize that he may even like it himself if he'd give it another chance. This story would be a great introduction to the school year. Students come to class for the first few days with many apprehensions about their class. They have a new teacher, new classmates and new responsibilities. A light-hearted book such as this one could reassure students of their apprehensions and let them know others experience similar feelings when being a new school year, even first graders from Mars.

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

Realistic Fiction (chapter book)

Missing May is a story about a sort of nontraditional family who lost their mother figure, May. May was the glue of the family and when she died, the lives of her husband Ob and daughter Summer were drastically changed. After a few months of living without May, a family friend named Cletus suggested a trip to visit a spiritualist church to try to find a way to connect with May in the afterlife. Although their trip did not accomplish the intended goal, the family did receive something else, closure. This story encompasses a hard subject, death, but also explains the journey a family takes to overcome their suffering. Students could most likely relate to the characters Ob and Summer as they have probably experienced some sort of loss of a family member or pet. By discussing this story with students, they may become more sympathetic toward individuals who have experienced this tough situation.