Olivia Leong

TED 508
Annotated Bibliography for TK-3rd grade

1. Barnett, Mac, and Jon Klassen. ​Square​. Walker Books, 2018.

Square​ is about a character named Square. In this story, Square tries to make something perfect
for his friend Circle. Everyday Square works hard to push square blocks from his cave to the top
of a hill. One day Circle visits him and declares him a sculpting genius because the block looks
just like Square. Circle asks Square to make a sculpture of her. Square works hard but ends up
making a pool of water surrounded by a pile of rubble. Circle sees her reflection in the pool and
declares Square a genius and the book ends with Square thinking “But was he really?” This book
has simple illustrations and sentences, making it a good choice for a TK or Kindergarten read
aloud or library book. This book could be used to help younger students become familiar with
shapes and it can also be used in an older class (1st or 2nd grade) to discuss their opinions of
Square and if his art really is a genius. The authors, Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, have also
written Caldecott Honor books ​Extra Yarn​ and ​Sam and Dave Dig a Hole​.

2. Chrustowski, Rick. ​Bee Dance​. Scholastic, 2016.

Bee Dance​ is about how bees use dance to communicate. The story shows how a scout bee
finds a field of flowers and then returns home to tell the other bees with a dance. The rest of the
bees fly out to the field to collect nectar and bring it back to the beehive to store it in honeycomb.
At the end of the book, there is an informational passage about honeybees and their dance. With
its bright pictures and simple sentences, this book would be suitable for a TK or Kindergarten
class. ​Bee Dance​ would work well as a read aloud and can be used to introduce younger readers
to nonfiction books. Students can also learn about sequence in a story by writing/drawing the
order of events in the story or draw pictures of the steps of the bees’ dance. The author, Rick
Chrustowski has written several nonfiction picture books about animals such as ​Turtle Crossing
and ​Big Brown Bat.​ He also includes fun activities to go along with each book on his website.

3. Henkes, Kevin. ​Waiting​. Greenwillow, 2015.

Waiting​ is about five toys that sit on a windowsill and wait for things that make them happy. The
book shows the different things they see like clouds, rainbows, and storms. At the end, they meet
a surprise visitor. This book has expressive pictures and simple sentences. In a TK or
Kindergarten class, this book could be used as a read aloud and then students can discuss what
events they wait for. This book is written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes who has written many
popular books with memorable characters like ​Chrysanthemum​ and ​Owen​.

4. Montgomery, Sy, and Amy Schimler-Safford. ​Inky's Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus
Found His Way Home​. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018.
Inky’s Amazing Escape​ is a nonfiction story about an octopus that escapes from an aquarium and
returns to the ocean. Inky was originally born in the ocean but one day he was accidentally
caught in a lobster trap and then donated to an aquarium. The book shows how Inky was very
curious and loves to play with different toys. One night he escaped from his tank, went down the
drain, and ended up back in the ocean. At the end of the story, there is an informational endnote
about Inky and how he was able to squeeze himself into small spaces. There are also some
octopus facts and other books and websites you can visit to learn more about octopi. This book
would be a good read aloud for 2nd and 3rd graders. This book can be used to introduce or
 provide more information on a research unit about animals. The author Sy Montgomery has
written several other nonfiction books about animals for adults and children. Some of her other
books for children are ​The Hyena Scientist​ and ​Snowball The Dancing Cockatoo​.

5. Santat, Dan. ​After the Fall​. Roaring Book Press, 2017.

After the Fall​ tells the story about what happened after Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall and how
he gets back up again. The story starts off with Humpty Dumpty feeling scared and nervous after
his fall. He loved bird watching but can no longer enjoy that hobby because of his fear of heights.
Eventually he finds a new passion for flying paper airplanes but one day his airplane lands on the
steep wall and he needs to face his fears. The ending is very beautiful and inspirational. The
detailed illustrations and simple, almost repetitive sentences make this book a good choice for
1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade. This book could be used in a unit about fairy tales. Students would first
learn about the original story of Humpty Dumpty and then the class could do a shared reading of
After the Fall​. Students could compare and contrast both stores and discuss similar retellings.
The author, Dan Santat, has written and illustrated several graphic novels, picture books, and
chapter books. Some of his other works include ​The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary
Friend​ and the graphic novel ​Sidekicks.​
 Annotated Bibliography for 4th-8th grade

1. Paulsen, Gary. ​Hatchet.​ Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1987.

Hatchet​ tells the story of Brian, a 13 year old boy who is forced to survive on his own in the wild.
The novel begins with Brian on a plane to visit his father. Brian is struggling to cope with his
parents’ divorce and is guilt-ridden over The Secret that caused the divorce. When his plane
crashes, he is forced to learn survival skills in the harsh wilderness. He learns to hunt, forage,
and build tools using a hatchet given to him by his mother. Along the way he matures and gains a
greater understanding of himself and his parents. This book is suitable for students in grades 6-8
and could be used in a literature focus unit or in a literature circle. The author, Gary Paulse,n has
also written four other books in the ​Hatchet​ series such as ​The River​ and ​Brian’s Winter.​

2. Sachar, Louis. ​Holes​. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998.

Holes​ uses flashbacks and retellings to describe several distinct but interconnected plots. The
main character, Stanley Yelnats, and his family is cursed with bad luck because of his
“​no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.”​ The story starts off with Stanely being
sent to Camp Green Lake after he is accused of stealing a pair of shoes. Camp Green Lake is a
juvenile detention center where boys are sent to dig hole to “build character.” The history of the
camp as well as his great great grandfather’s story unfolds as Stanley digs holes everyday and
makes friends with the other boys. This author uses a more complex story structure so this book
is best for grades 4-6. This book could be used in a literature focus unit or in a literature circle.
The author, Louis Sachar, has also written ​Sideways Stories from Wayside School​ and ​Fuzzy
Mud.​

3. Thompson, Laurie Ann, and Sean Qualls. ​Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel
Ofosu Yeboah.​ Schwartz & Wade Books, 2015.
Emmanuel’s Dream is the true story of Emmanuel Ofsu Yeboah who is born in Ghana with a
deformed leg. He struggles to do daily tasks but with encouragement from his mother, he is able
to attend school and get a job. He learns to ride a bike and eventually, Emmanuel was able to
bike 400 miles across Ghana. He brought more attention to people with disabilities and inspired
many others. Though this is a picture book, the more complex themes makes this a good read
aloud for students in grades 4-6. This nonfiction book could be used to start a classroom
discussion about disability vs inability, not giving up, and how kids can make a difference. The
author, Laurie Ann Thompson has also written the ​Two Truths and a Lie​ Series and ​Be a
Changemaker: How to start something that Matters.​

4. Yep, Laurence, and David Wiesner. ​Tongues of Jade.​ HarperCollins, 1991.

Tongues of Jade​ is a collection of folktales originally told by Chinese immigrants to California.
The stories have morals and an air of magic and mystery. These stories are influenced by the
Chinese immigrant experience in California in the nineteenth century. Because Chinese
immigration is an important aspect of California history, this nonfiction book would be best to use
in a 4th grade class. ​Tongues of Jade​ could be used as a read aloud. The teacher could read a
story everyday and then discuss the themes with the class and the origins of the stories. The
students could also write their own stories and include illustrations. The author, Lawrence Yep,
has also written ​Dragon’s Gate​ and T​ he Star Fisher.​
5. Young, Ed. ​The Cat from Hunger Mountain.​ Philomel Books, 2016.
The Cat from Hunger Mountain​ is a cautionary fable about a spoiled and demanding cat lord who
lives in a pagoda on Hunger Mountain. In the beginning the cat has many servants and elegant
possessions. He would waste food but still demand that more rice be harvested. When a famine
strikes, the cat loses all his servants and becomes a beggar. He wanders the land and reaches a
temple that gives away free food. He asks a monk at the temple where the food comes from and
the monk explains that a rich lord would wash his rice in the river and those grains would flow
down the river to the monk. The cat realizes that he is now eating his own wasted food. Though
this is a picture book, the darker colored collage illustrations and more advanced language make
this book a good choice for a 4th or 5th grade class. This book could be used as a read aloud
with the class and class discussion about the themes and literary elements. This book is written
and illustrated by Ed Young, who has also written ​The Emperor and the Kite​ and ​Seven Blind
Mice​.