Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

Author: Lindsay Mattick

Illustrator: Sophie Blackall

Genre: Non-fiction

Awards: Caldecott Medal (2016), New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing (2015), ALA Notable Children's Book (2016), Bank Street CBC Best Children's Book of the Year (2016), CCBC Choices (2016), A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (2015), NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People (2016)

Grade(s): K-4th

Summary: Finding Winnie is a true story about a man who was a veterinarian that was being sent off to care for the sick animals of World War I. This man happened to come across a live bear cub at a train station that a man had captured. Knowing that he shouldn't, he still could not leave the bear behind knowing it would be killed. He had felt something special about that bear. So instead, he had bought the bear for $20 and it came along with him and the troops. Despite protests from the commanding officers, the man showed them what a special bear it was. The man named the bear "Winnie" after their hometown, Winnipeg, so they would all feel like a little piece of home was with them. Eventually, the bear was trained and it was actually able to help the men during the war by sniffing out bombs and intruders. Later, the bear had to be given to a zoo since he had gotten so big, they could no longer take him along. Years later, a little boy had been given a stuffed bear, but didn't know what to name it. His father had taken him to that zoo and the boy had, had a connection with Winnie, so he decided to name his stuffed bear "Winnie the Pooh." Winnie and the boy had a very strong connection and the boy was actually able to go and mingle with Winnie at the zoo. The boy's name was Christopher Robin Milne and his father was named Alan Alexander Milne. Alan Alexander Milne went on to create "The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh." The man who had originally bought Winnie came back from war and saw how happy Winnie was in his new home. He returned home and started a family of his own. The family ended up being the author's own. The book ends will real photos of the author and her family tree, as well as photos of Winnie the bear.

My Thoughts: Out of all of the books I have read, this has to be my all-time favorite. If you know anything about me, you would know that I grew up with more of an unhealthy love for Winnie the Pooh and it wasn't until I had read this book did I realize the true story behind everything. I love that the author decided to publish this book as I feel it makes a great story that should be shared again and again. Although my students may be a little bit too young to know about Winnie the Pooh, I will definitely share this story with them as I feel it really showcases a small wonder of this world. I may also use this book to have my students write their own story about something that has been passed down in their family. This book will always be on my bookshelf!!

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

Author: Dan Santat

Illustrator: Dan Santat

Genre: Fantasy

Awards: Caldecott Medal (2015), ALA Notable Children's Book (2015), Blue Hen Book Award Nominee (2016), Bank Street CBC Best Children's Book of the Year (2015), Wisconsin Golden Archer Award Nominee (2016), Wisconsin Battle of the Books List (2016)

Grade(s): 1st-3rd

Summary: Beekle is an unimaginary friend who lives in a world with other unimaginary friends waiting to be dreamt by a child of his own. In this world, unimaginary friends live together until a child dreams them up and they leave to go and live with their child. However, Beekle was not being dreamt and it made him very sad. Then, he ended up doing the unimaginable. He decided to go and find his child all on his own. When he got into the real world, he noticed that it really wasn't all that he thought it would be, but he ended up seeing one of his other unimaginary friends. He followed that friend until he decided to climb a tree and look for his child. Eventually a girl had come and saw him!! Although it was awkward at first, they ended up becoming best friends. Then they did the unimaginable together. They took other children to the unimaginary world to meet all of the other unimaginary friends who were looking for their child.

My Thoughts: I loved this book as I feel it brings out an ultimate sense of imagination. It dives deep into the world of the way children think and it brings to life imaginary friends, a concept we all know to be true. I would use this book in my classroom to spark creativity and imagination as my students may be going through the imaginary friend phase themselves. I feel it really represents how real many children feel about their imaginary friends. I definitely see myself reading this book to my students for years to come!!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Author: Mo Willems

Illustrator: Mo Willems

Genre: Fantasy

Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book (2004), South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominee (2005), Caldecott Honor (2004), BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (2003), 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up (2009), Indies Picture Book Hall of Fame (2009), Wyoming Buckaroo Award (2004), Wyoming Buckaroo Nominee (2004), Georgia Children's Book Award (2008), NCTE/CLA Notable Children's Book in the English Language Arts (2004), Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children and Teens (2004), Vermont Red Clover Award (2005), CCBC Choices (2004), North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (2005), Wisconsin Golden Archer Award (2005), Kentucky Bluegrass Award (2005), Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee (2007)

Grade(s): K-2nd

Summary: This book starts off with a bus driver instructing the reader not to let the pigeon drive the bus while he's away. The pigeon, on the other hand, is sassy and tries to convince the reader several times and in several ways to let him drive the bus anyway. He even resorts to yelling at the reader, "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!" Finally, the bus driver comes back and ensures that the reader didn't allow the pigeon to drive the bus. The pigeon is let down, but then notices a huge 18-wheeler pulling up next to him and then he gets an idea...

My Thoughts: This book is absolutely hilarious and it really engages young readers. I really feel like its funny nature will keep students interested and motivated to read. I love this collection of books by Mo Willems as the simple illustrations really make for good read-aloud stories. I think I would use this in my classroom to spark imagination and have my students create their own "Don't let the _____" story. This book is both creative and innovative and I will definitely have it in my classroom for many years!!

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine

Author: Ellen Levine

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Genre: Multicultural, Nonfiction

Awards: Caldecott Honor (2008), South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominee (2008), BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (2007), ALA Notable Children's Book (2008), Wyoming Buckaroo Nominee (2008-2009), NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Boo for Young People (2008), Great Lakes Great Books Award (2009), AISLE Read-Aloud Books Too Good To Miss (2007), Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children's and Teens (2008), ISLMA Bluestem Award Nominee (2011), Vermont Red Clover Award Nominee (2009), CCBC Choices (2008), Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (2010), Comstock Read Aloud Book Award (2007), West Virginia Children's Choice Book Award Nominee (2009), Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Nominee (2009), California Young Reader Medal (2012), IRA Teachers' Choices Reading List (2008)

Grade(s): 1st-4th

Summary: Henry's Freedom Box is a book set back in the days of slavery. Henry grew up in the slave world as a slave child, and eventually became a man living in slavery. He gained approval to marry from his master and his wife's and became happily wed. Henry decided to start a family and him and his wife had three children. However, since many of the masters were becoming poor, they had to sell their slaves in order to survive. Sadly, Henry's wife and children were sold and Henry would never be able to see them again. This motivated Henry to want to escape slavery and he came up with a plan. With the help of some of his friends, one being a white man, they devised a plan for Henry to be shipped to America in a large wooden crate. Scared that the plan would fail, but desperate to make it work, Henry found himself turned upside, on his head, on a ship sailing for America. Thankfully, Henry arrived safely in Philadelphia to very welcoming arms. Having never known his birthday, he made March 30, 1849 his birthday, his first day of freedom. Henry also gained a middle name as he would forever be known as Henry "BOX" Brown.

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book and would definitely use it in my classroom to teach my students about the slavery era. This is a wonderful multicultural book that teaches about the culture of slavery and African Americans. The illustrations of this book were astounding as Kadir Nelson really has a way of bringing the story to life. Although there were sad moments in this story, it really shows the reality of how many were made to live during this time period. I will definitely have this book in my classroom library for years to come!!

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

Author: Faith Ringgold
Illustrator: Faith Ringgold
Genre: Multicultural, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Awards: CCBC Choices (1991), New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book (1991), Caldecott Honor (1992), A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (1992), Children's Literature Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English - Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts (1992), Reading Rainbow Program Selection (1992), Ezra Jack Keats Book Award (1993), Parents' Choice Gold Award, NCTE Adventuring with Books (1993), NCTE Kaleidoscope (1994), NCTE Books That Invite Talk, Wonder, and Play (1996), 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up (2009)
Grade(s): K-6th

Summary: Tar Beach is a story of a girl whose family often goes to the roof of the building they live in to socialize with their neighbors. Cassie Louise Lightfoot is a little girl who loved to visit that rooftop with her family. She loved it so much because she would close her eyes and dream of flying above the city, making everything she flew over her own. Her favorite place to dream of flying over was the George Washington Bridge. She would imagine flying over places that would help her family out of their troubles. As an African American family, they were treated poorly and definitely not paid equally. However, Cassie would escape these setbacks by visiting "tar beach" and dreaming of taking her family's troubles away. She dreamed of flying over a large office building because she knew that if she owned it, her father would be able to work there instead of being turned away due to his color. She also flew over the ice cream factory to ensure her and her little brother would always have ice cream for dinner. At the end of the book, Cassie teaches her little brother to "fly" and the two of them laid and dreamt on Tar Beach for the rest of the night. This book is based off of a real story that the author had written on the border of a quilt describing her own rough childhood. Each page is bordered with a real picture of the author's quilt and the last page depicts the author's entire quilt, including the written story.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book as I felt that it really showed the way of life for African Americans during an older time. This book is culturally rich and I feel that it would be a great book to use in my classroom to teach about other cultures. I feel that the story really brought to life the way it is to live a poor lifestyle in a city. I loved how the author made me realize that the imagination is a powerful thing and can take you out of any undesirable situation. I also loved the illustrations in this book and the fact that the author shared such a personal story along with a real image of the quilt that inspired this story. I will definitely have this book in my library!!