Children

A touching tale told by a 10-year-old in South L.A. who almost joins a gang. A great book to show students the power of their choices.

This may not win any great literary awards, but my own kids ask me to read this book to them every night so they can see the silly pictures of animals wearing different types of underwear (and one elephant who left his at home).

Rather than steal cheese with his compatriots, this innovative French mouse wanders into a cheese shop every night and leaves notes for the owner describing the quality of each cheese. The owner shows his appreciation to his anonymous critic by leaving Anatole all the cheese he wants. A real kick to little kids.

Teaching students tricks to enhance their vocabularies is one of my specialties, and one of my favorite series of books for all ages are O’Connor’s wonderful (and highly successful) Fancy Nancy books (with terrific illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser). I felt like I had to include at least one holiday book on this month’s list.

Lovely story about a rose that endures ridicule for being so different growing up in a bed of weeds. Perfect read aloud for classes in need of remembering to be nice to one another.

With wonderful illustrations by Johnanna van der Sterre, this clever story takes us through the history of children asking their parents this timeless question. Simple questions require simple answers, in a story that is sure to make your little ones grin.

Based on the true story of a barge loaded with garbage in search of a landfill, this book tackles important environmental issues that are sure to get your little ones thinking about our daily wastes. The illustrations by Red Nose Studio are stunning.

Wonderful poem picture book about a depressed camel who compares himself to more luxurious animals. Perfect for anyone who believes “the grass is greener.” Translation: appreciate what you have. A Terrific book for all ages.

All children and adults need to learn that not only is it alright to make mistakes – mistakes are essential lessons on the pathway to success.

Fun read aloud about Maggie and her brother, who announce to their parents that “bedtime is canceled.” When reporters pick up the story, news spreads fast and children everywhere refuse to sleep. Hilarious chaos follows, and Maggie realizes she needs to do something fast. Very entertaining.

I have been recommending Tang’s wonderful books of math riddles for years, and I could not believe it when somebody pointed out that I had never placed any of his books on my Lazy Reader lists. I greatly apologize for the oversight, as Greg Tang is one of those wonderful authors who gets students who are good at math more interested in reading, and students who are good at reading become more interested in math. I use Greg Tang’s books all the time (you should also check out his wonderful book Math-terpieces).

This recommendation is for my friends, Cindy and Eric, to read to their young son while you wait to go back to your home in New Orleans. In the face of disaster, children have a remarkable ability to allow their imaginations to replace horrific realities. I hope this book offers the three of you a way to take the positives away from the storm. The most important thing is that the three of you are safe, and America loves you and cares about your welfare. :)

I love books that teach kids a variety of languages, and this one demonstrates how people make different expressions in languages from Danish to Farsi. Little kids love listening to this book read aloud.

Seymour Simon is one of my favorite non-fiction writers for children. This book, like all of Simon’s books, does a remarkable job of spelling out the significance of the power behind hurricanes. I’d recommend that government officials pick up a copy.

Jeffers is a wonderful illustrator, and this beautiful book would make a great holiday gift (yes, that is just around the corner; haven’t you been to Costco lately?). One of my favorite memories as an elementary school teacher was watching the enchantment on my students’ faces as I introduced them to Tchaikovsky’s wonderful ballet. This is a mandatory purchase.