Kids Reading Corner (Feb. 11, 2013)

This is another one of my occasional posts talking about the books I am reading with my elementary students or new picture books that I decided to read for myself.

I really enjoy Kadir Nelson's illustrations and was also moved by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I have a dream speech. This book combines the two in a masterful way. This lovely book will be a feature in future years as we celebrate Dr. King's life. It definitely deserved to be a 2013 Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Illustration.

I have read and enjoyed a lot of books by David Wiesner but had never seen or heard of The Loathsome Dragon. I loved the finely detailed drawing and thought the dragon was magnificent. I will enjoy sharing this one with students when we talk about the enduring power of stories. 

Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Bryan Collier also won a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Honor. I loved the poetic language and the wonderful illustrations. I will be sharing this biography with my students.

Mr. Crumb's Secret by Phyllis J. Perry was a fun early chapter book the tells the story of Fribble Mouse as he tries to discover his neighbor's secret. Fribble learns a lot about the library as he investigates though some of the things Fribble learns are a bit out-dated now. It has been years since I have seen an Abridged Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. But the concepts are good. I am thinking of sharing this with my second graders chapter by chapter and letting them do the research too.

That's all for now. I need to dig out some more recent Caldecott books to share with my First Graders.