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The Bad Seed
The Bad Seed is, well, bad. After showing readers how bad the bad seed really is, Jory John takes a twist to show how he wasn't always bad. I love how this gets kids away from simplistic thinking of good and bad to go below the surface. Don't miss out on the sequel: The Good Egg.We Don't Eat Our Classmates
Except Penelope Rex does in We Don't Eat Our Classmates because kids are delicious. Unsurprisingly, she has trouble making friends in school until the class pet teaches her a lesson. Ryan T. Higgins books are a favorite in our classroom especially, the hysterical Mother Bruce series.The Rough Patch
I made the mistake of not reading The Rough Patch before reading it to my class. All. The. Feelings. It was a Caldecott Honor book for 2019, and I was excited to share it with my class. This is a beautiful story of love and loss and anger and grief and life that is simply and beautifully told for younger children. Brian Lies has a gift for handling a tough topic in such an appropriate way.Tiny T Rex and the Impossible Hug
I had to do my very best to read Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug in a normal voice instead of my squeally, isn't this darling voice for the entire book. Tiny wants to give his best friend Pointy a hug to cheer him up, but his arms aren't up to the task. Despite a few missteps, Tiny doesn't give up, and with advice from others, he makes the impossible possible.Lucia the Luchadora
Lucia the Luchadora is an empowering story of a young girl who learns from her abuela that a luchadora never reveals her face. Problems on the playground mean Lucia learns to never say never.Alma and How She Got Her Name
Alma and How She Got Her Name started so many wonderful conversations in our classroom and at home about names and identify. Alma isn't so sure she loves her name, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela is pretty long. After her dad tells her the story of each of her names, she has a change of heart.I Want My Hat Back
I Want My Hat Back is deceptively simple with it's minimal text, but there's a big story lurking there. Did the bear eat the rabbit? These things never happen in kids' books, right? My kids loved the did he/didn't he question they were left with.A Unicorn Named Sparkle
A Unicorn Named Sparkle is Madge's dream. She has big plans for her unicorn, unfortunately, when her unicorn arrives, Sparkle is not what she was expecting. Sparkle smells, has fleas, and most definitely does not sparkle. Madge sends Sparkle back, but was it a mistake?Creepy Carrots
Jasper Rabbit loves carrots, but he takes this love too far and the Creepy Carrots in Crackenhopper Field decide to get revenge. Jasper's clever plan stops their revenge, but the end will have kids asking who really won the battle. You students will want to read the sequel, Creepy Pair of Underwear, too!Children Make Terrible Pets
In Children Make Terrible Pets, kids meet Lucille Bear from You Will Be My Friend again. She's back, and this time she's found a darling pet. Despite a warning from her mother that children make terrible pets, she keeps her new found friend. Thinks go perfectly at first, but soon go downhill. With potty training issues and more, Lucille learns that children really do make terrible pets.Happy reading!