Grade level Equivalent: 2.6

Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne in the Magic tree house series, is a great introduction to chapter books for young readers. The adventure Jack encounters with his kid sister, Annie, takes the students imagination on a fun filled quest that promises to keep any students interest. After Jack and Annie discover a tree house with a magical library, they choose a dinosaur book that takes them back to prehistoric times. Will they survive the dinosaurs? How will they get back? This is a great book to use in reading centers or read aloud.

Grade level Equivalent: 2.1

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly! by Lucille Colandro is a fun rhyming book that students will enjoy. The book is great to use in the classroom to gain the young readers interest in reading and learn sequence of events.

Grade Level Equivalent 2.2

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed  Bat by Lucille Colandro is part of a great series of books to use in the classroom to teach sequence of events and to use during different holidays and themes of the year. This book is great to use during Halloween.

Grade level Equivalent: 4.8

Eagle Song by Joseph Bruchac is about a Native American student moving to the big city from his peaceful Mohawk reservation to begin school at the tuff and diverse Brooklyn school. The other students teased him about his heritage until his father comes to school and tells a great story about their heritage. The students found respect from the story and befriended the new student.

Grade Level Equivalent 3.2

The Berenstain Bears And The Galloping Ghost by Stan and Jan Berenstain is a good chapter book to introduce to the students. While Brother and Sister help Miss Mamie save her riding stable, the legend of Forbidden Bog seems to be coming true. The students will find this book interesting and entertaining. 

Grade k

Snazzy Snake is a good book to teach decoding lesson. The book has questions throughout the book to promote retelling the story. There is also a teacher’s guide to show different lessons to teach throughout the book.

Grade 3

Thurston: The Smallest Elephant is a good book to have in a reading center within the classroom. The great illustrations throughout the book and the adventures Thurston sets upon during his journey to adulthood will gain the interest of the student.

Grade k

Grandmas Are for Giving Tickles by Harriet Ziefert is a good picture book to read to the class to gain interest in books. The students will enjoy the pop-out pictures throughout the book.

grade 2

Paula’s Awful Day is good to use in the classroom for phonics review. The book is about a new student feeling left out until the teacher found a way to get the other students interested in her.  This could be a good book to use when having a new student in the classroom.

Grade 2

Kids Ask Why? Is a great book for independent reading or partner reading. This book answers many questions that a student might have with so many interesting facts.

Grade 5

Becoming Naomi León is a great read for the advanced reader. Naomi has problems because of her different clothes and unusual last name. Along with added problems with the return of her mother, she learns to overcome these issues. Naomi learns to think positive with the influence of her friend and little brother and learns who she really is. This is a great book for the class to learn about how to treat others that might not have material items and for less fortunate learn how to deal with similar problems.

grade 1

Pick a Pet by Meg Michael is a good book for the beginning reader. The books main focus is on phonics and phonograms which can be used in the classroom.

Grade level Equivalent: 5.3

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson is about a girl in foster care that did not trust others and acted out by resorting to bullying. She did not allow anyone to get close to her until a few characters from the story preserved and gained her trust through love; this convinced her to trust people and stop bullying. This would be a great story to teach a lesson on bullying and to not give up on someone.

Grade 5

Zane and the Hurricane is a touching story of  heroism for young readers. This book could be used to teach young students the power and destruction of weather and the unity of mankind. The book teaches how diverse people pull together in trying times.

Grade level 5

Dear Mr. Henshaw is a great book to have the students read and write a report. The book has many examples of writing different types of letters (buisness letters and personal letters). The book also includes rhymes and pictures to keep the students' attention.

Grade level 1.8

This is a great tool to introduce sentence structure to young students. The real lesson with this book is the reading itself.