Children

First of all, I realized I neglected female authors on the list this month. Second of all, this book represents a great way to get students interested in the mathematical concept of compounding (I bet a young Bill Gates or Warren Buffett would have loved it). Third of all, I love the pictures and Demi's lovely tale of a girl who outsmarts a raja and saves her village.

One of young Stewart’s molars insists on a steady diet of candy bars in this hilarious romp that makes for lively read alouds with young children.

This month is Chavez’s birthday, a national holiday. Like most children’s books, this treasure is a wonderful biography that provides a tantalizing glimpse into the civil rights leader’s life. Any adult who reads this is sure to want to read more about this important figure of the 20th century.

Every day, reclusive Albert sticks his hand out the window to figure out what the weather is like. One day a couple of cardinals begin nesting on his hand, and Albert is reluctant to destroy their nest. So instead he keeps his arm out the window and discovers that the world outside is worth seeing. This is a beautiful story.

I am a big fan of this book, as too many of the books I read to my Mexican-American students about Mexican Americans have to do with tamales. The pictures by Amy Cordova are lovely (the bright colors remind me of a Diego Rivera painting), and I enjoy the book as a little girl uses her imagination to think of different uses for her shawl. A beautiful book.

I had to include at least one funny book on this month's list, right? Jay Leno is one of the genuinely nice people in show business, and this is one of the genuinely good children's books written by a celebrity (most stink).

With funny illustrations by Michael Emberley, this fun story about a boy searching for his lost favorite book is sure to get a lot of giggles from little ones.

Fun read aloud. Kids enjoy hearing about a swamp monster who tries to scare away a boy – only to wind up becoming his friend.

I am excited about Vicki-Ann Bush, as I just completed reading a couple of her e-books for young adult series, The Dusk Chronicles. The Queen of IT is a great book to encourage kids to go out and “do something.”

With extraordinary oil painting artwork by P.J. Lynch, this is a great book to start the year off telling your children how special they are.

This is a fun read aloud about families from around the world at a street market expressing their emotions in their languages. Sue Rama’s illustrations of children’s facial reactions as they try different foods makes this a great way for kids to learn about trying different things and learning about different cultures.

The terrific true story of Tom Longboat, one of the fastest long-distance runners to ever live. Chose this one for my Canadian friends, as Longboat is one of the most famous members of the Six Nations tribe. Terrific tale of overcoming adversity – I actually read this book to all ages.

This book felt like a Vietnamese version of Cynthia Rylant’s When I Was Young in the Mountains, as it is beautifully written and even more brilliantly illustrated by April Chu.

A terrific Chinese tale to read aloud to your little ones, as it follows the adventures of a poor farmer who finds a magical pot in his field. He soon discovers that magic can cause problems! I GUARANTEE your kids will enjoy this book.

The true story of Lizzie Murphy, the first woman to play in a major league exhibition game. A great way to get girls interested in baseball (you should also check out the wonderful Mighty Jackie by Marissa Moss).