This historical fiction book takes place during the Great Chicago Fire. This book is about a former slave, eleven year old Hallelujah and her newfound friend Elizabeth. Hallelujah is a very adventurous girl that follows her foster brother through streets of Chicago to watch the conflagration that has started. At first Hallelujah is fascinated by the fires, but that is short lived as she sees buildings in flames and realizes all the lives that have been lost. During this time of disaster Hallelujah realizes that all people become equal in times of crisis.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Author: Harriette Gillem Robinet
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Publication Date: 2001
ISBN: 9780689839689
This historical fiction book is set in the south during segregation and the Jim Crow Laws. Ella Mae needs to get new shoes because her hand-me-down shoes do not fit anymore, but when Ella Mae and her mother go into Mr. Johnson's shoe store she is not allowed to try on shoes because of the color of her skin. Now Ella Mae and her friend Charlotte decide to collect and restore old shoes and have their own shoe sale so that African Americans can "try on all the shoes they want."
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Author: Susan Lynn Meyer
Illustrator: Eric Velasquez
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication Date: 2015
ISBN: 9780823425280
This informational book is all about learning why certain features are on animals and there use. 25 animals explain why they look the way they do. This book is set up in a question answer format that has someone ask an animal a question and the animal answers. An example question is "Dear horned frog: Your mouth is ginormous. Why so big?" Read this book to find out the answer!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Author: Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2014
ISBN: 9780544233515
This informational book is all about discovering animal habitats around the world. This book helps readers learn how animals grow and thrive in their different environments. This book is also interactive because it has readers search for camouflaged animals in their surroundings.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Author: Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 9780618507641
This informational book won the Caldecott honor in 2004! This book has kids try and guess which animal each part belongs to throughout the book. It also questions the different things that animals do with different parts of their body like nose, ears, tail, etc. It is a very interactive fun way to learn more about animals.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Author: Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 9780618256280
This fantasy book is about an orphaned boy, James, living with two nasty aunts. James finds a way to escape his miserable life by climbing in a giant peach that he created after spilling magic crystals he got from a mysterious man on his aunts' peach tree. Once entering the peach he meets what will become his new sense of family; magically overgrown insects: a ladybug,a spider, a grasshoper, a glowworm, a silkwork, and a centipede. They have many adventures that take place in a giant peach like going across the Atlantic Ocean to even a parade in NYC! This book is a wonderful story that never gets old reading!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication Date: 2000
ISBN: 9780140374247
This fantasy book is about how a boy named Charlie who found a golden ticket in a Willy Wonka Chocolate Bar. There were a total of five golden tickets that let five lucky children into Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory. The other children are very greedy and spoiled and not kind like Charlie and find themselves having an early exit to the chocolate factory. It is Charlie who remains and Willy Wonka says he is the winner and the whole day was a contest. Charlie's prize is the entire chocolate factory!! This book is great to teach children how it is not good to be greedy and it will only hurt oneself in the long run.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication Date: 1998
ISBN: 9780141301150
