Search for the Pirates Treasure by Gerry Gaston “ You awoke to find yourself aboard a Pirate Ship! … but all is strangely quiet. Where are those pirates and where might they have hidden their treasure chest? Aye, And the Adventure begins! You must decide which way to go, choose your path and good luck!!!” A short e-book recommended for 4-8 year olds, Search for the Pirates Treasure is an interactive story that may tickle the interest of young readers because of its different presentation. The reader chooses the storyline progression by selecting from alternative pathways, as indicated by icons on the edges of the pages. Each page invites the reader to select the next story pathway. A young reader would have the thrill of anticipating what lies behind the closed doors, or what is up the stairs, or what happens down the stairs, and actually choose where he/she wants the adventure to go. The book is recommended for the above mentioned age group, however, with assistance, 2 ½ to 3 year old toddlers will have fun making choices and finding what lies behind the choice they make! Where is the Pirates’ Treasure? Open the doors, climb up or down stairwells, and find out
Evan, Para Pro, Recommends:
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin The children’s book Duck for President, written by Doreen Cronin, is an enjoyable story for all age groups (even adults). Duck for President helps the reader be aware that although other people’s jobs look exciting and carefree, they are still faced with difficulties and hard work. This is definitely a story focused on the theme “the grass is not always greener in someone else’s yard”.
Cristian, Student, Recommends:
Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song by Les Beletsky This book has pictures of 250 birds found in North America with information about where they can be found, what they look like, and interesting facts about them. Cristian enjoys hearing about the different birds, but his favorite thing about this book is that it includes audio for each bird so that you can hear that bird's song. Cristian always smiles when he hears the different bird calls.
Tameia, Student, Recommends:
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein When doing a poetry unit with her class, Tameia really enjoyed the poems in this great book. We listened to the poems being read by the author himself. Tameia was very quiet and attentive and clapped her hands to ask for more when each poem was finished. She focused on a full 2o minute lesson without getting distracted!
Salvador, Student, Recommends:
Curious George by Margret and H. A. Rey Salvador always has a smile on his face whenever a book about Curious George is being read. He gets so excited that he can hardly sit still in his chair. He also loves watching the Curious George episodes on PBS kids and wearing his yellow hat just like 'the man in the yellow hat' in the book wears.
Robbie, Principal Recommends:
Author Chris Van Allsburg I have found the task you gave me to be impossible! So many books to choose from makes it hard to pick one. I’ve been a reader from the time I could hold a book. I still collect children’s books to this day. I spent quite a bit of the weekend reading a book because I couldn’t wait to see how it ended. That was despite the fact I have an inbox full of research papers to grade! For now I wanted to highlight books by Chris Van Allsburg. As an author he writes stories that are exciting and thrill the imagination. As an illustrator he creates pictures that are amazing. A few of my favorite stories he has written are: Ben’s Dream, Jumanji, and The Polar Express.
Marshall, Teacher, Recommends:
Marsupial Sue Presents The Runaway Pancake by John Lithgow My favorite kids book to read to my students is “Marsupial Sue Presents The Runaway Pancake”. It is a fun book written by Actor and author John Lithgow. My students enjoy listening to the rhythm of the wording and the songs in the book. The characters are funny and the illustrations have bright colors which capture the imagination of my students. This book also comes with a CD of John Lithgow reading and singing along with the story. I highly recommend this book for children of all ages and remember, never put a pancake in a hot oven.
Jenny, Student, Recommends:
States by Publications International, Ltd. Jenny loves when her class uses this book to learn about the 50 states. This book is so fun because it has interactive buttons that play official state songs and ask you multiple choice questions. Jenny loves the questions in the book and always gets excited trying to answer them.
Ashley, Art Teacher, Recommends:
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White It’s hard to choose just one book but I think I’d have to say E.B. White’s Charlotte Web is one of my all-time favorites. I loved the story as a child and I still love it for the same reasons and a few new ones as an adult. In many ways it’s a sad story, but full of truth about friendship, sacrifice and impermanence.