Favorite+Books

Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices

2013 - http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/choices.asp 2012 - []

From Eileen Langer

Favorite books: Willie  and May by Judith Schachner, Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh, primary level. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney and Nubs, The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle by Mary Nethery and Kirby Larsen, any level. Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, intermediate level. For grades 7-8, Truce by Jim Murphy and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

=**From St. Sebastian** =


 * I Feel a Foot! ** by Maranke Rinck & Martijn van der Linden (K-1st grade)

From School Library Journal: This new take on the Indian fable about the blind man and the elephant features an unlikely but appealing combination of animals. Turtle, Bat, Octopus, Bird, and Goat, asleep in their hammock, are disturbed one night by a noise. With simple wording, Rinck injects personality into each animal and van der Linden's images interact well with the text. His stark black backgrounds spotlight expressively imagined animals that appear in psychedelic colors and patterns reminiscent of a kaleidoscope. The large art makes the book an ideal read-aloud; after several re-readings, children are sure to join in on the "superduper" responses of the characters. A silly but clever twist at the story's close provides a "what happens next?" discussion opportunity.


 * Chameleon, Chameleon ** by Joy Cowley (K-2nd grade)

From Booklist: The team that created Red-Eyed Tree Frog (1999) offers another stunning photo-essay, this one featuring a panther chameleon native to the tropical rain forests of Madagascar. Crisp, clear, full-color photos portray this reptile and its habitat as it searches for food, carefully climbing down one tree and moving across the forest floor to another tree that is full of caterpillars. The deceptively simple narrative draws children right in as the creature navigates the forest, judging the safety of other organisms it encounters.


 * A Call for a New Alphabet ** by Jeffrey Czekaj (1st-2nd grade)

From Booklist: On an otherwise quiet day in Alphabet City, exasperated X rebels against his appearance in so few words and his nearly last position in the alphabet. Standing on a soapbox, he stirs up the other letters and leads a revolution to change the old order. On the eve of a vote amending the Alphabet Constitution, though, X dreams of the disadvantages faced by other letters. He accepts the current system with all its rules and inconsistencies and casts the deciding vote for the familiar alphabetical order.


 * Zero the Hero ** by Joan Holub (2nd +)

From School Library Journal: This tale not only reinforces mathematical principles, but also has a great message about friendship and personal feelings. It can be read aloud, alone, or performed as reader’s theater.


 * Blue is for Blueberry ** by George Shannon (2nd+)

From Booklist: Shannon challenges color associations that become ingrained in early life by using unusual combinations of words and images: "Pink is for crow," reads the text, which is illustrated with a painting of a glossy black bird. An explanation comes on the following spread: "When it has just hatched from its egg," accompanied by a picture of featherless pink nestlings. Subsequent spreads follow a similar pattern of contradiction and explanation: red poppies, for example, are black "when we take the time to look inside." The format invites children to look with the eyes of an artist or a scientist, question preconceptions, and closely examine the actual world, where blueberries are, indeed, sometimes white.


 * Joseph & Chico – Life of Pope Benedict XVI ** by Father Gears Ganswein (3rd+)

In this beautifully illustrated book for children, Chico the cat describes the life of his "best friend", Pope Benedict, in this authorised biography of the Pope for young people approved by the Vatican. The Pope is known for his fondness of animals, especially cats, and Joseph and Chico is narrated by Chico, a real cat who took up with the Pope in his native Germany long before he became the Pope. Chico tells the story of the life of "my best friend" from his birth in Germany in 1927, through his days as a young man, priest, bishop and cardinal.


 * Sneeze! ** by Alexandra Siy (3rd+)

From School Library Journal: The first part of this book gives nine reasons for sneezes. A spread is devoted to each one, complete with a black-and-white photograph of an irritated nose or two, paired with a color enlargement of the microscopic component that causes the particular sneeze. This is a unique selection, good for reports and for browsers


 * Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller ** by Sarah Miller (5th +)

From Booklist: Imagines Annie Sullivan's first experiences with her famous pupil, Helen Keller, from the young teacher's train ride to Alabama, during which she anticipated teaching a charge who had "no words, only sensations," to the breakthrough at the water pump, where she taught Helen to use language. Miller based her story on Sullivan's letters, excerpts of which begin each chapter, and in Sullivan's voice, Miller muses about the monumental questions and challenges that she faced. Photos, a chronology, and an extensive bibliography conclude this stirring, fictionalized account.

From Barb Berner - Gensee Depot

From Jane Egan, WCSS



From Patti Sinclair, Speaker - Fantasy for Middle Grades and High School



From Patti Sinclair, Easy Chapter books



From Holy Wisdom

From St. Joseph Middle School Waukesha

From St. Frances Cabrini



From Brookfield Christian



From St. Anthony on the Lake



From St. Paul Genesee Depot





From Holy Apostles New Berlin

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