1. COLORADO CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD NOMINATIONS FOR 2016 Presented by Sherrie Davidson, retired APS school librarian Session 424

2. The Colorado CHILDREN'S Book Award was started in 1976 by Dr. Bill Curtis. This is a division of the Colorado Council of the International Reading (Literacy) Association. The purpose was to allow children in schools and libraries across the state of Colorado to nominate the books, both picture and junior novels, that they wanted to recommend to their fellow young readers. No adults are allowed to name any of these titles, regardless of their opinions. Children are then encouraged to read at least three of the picture books, and/or three of the junior novels before voting on their favorites in each category. Voting takes place by the end of February of each year and children are asked at that time to nominate the titles for the upcoming year. This is the process for continuing the CCBA program. In March of each year, the CCBA committee meets to tally the votes and release the names of the winning titles, as well as the top ten recommended picture books and the top ten recommended junior novels for the next year. Classroom teachers, school and public librarians are then asked to share these results and read to or recommend the winning titles to their students or patrons for the next year, so they can hear or read the stories and be able to vote on them by February of the following year. These are the titles for 2016.

3. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale Everyday Angel by Victoria Schwab Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt I Funny by James Patterson Loot by Jude Watson My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O'Hara Sisters by Raina Telegmeier The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

4. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd Was there magic or not? That is the question that the reader starts out the story with as Felicity and her mom, sister and dog arrive in yet another new town, Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, after mom has more than enough wandering spells in her life. After spending the night on Aunt Cleo’s floor sharing a blow up mattress, Felicity, a sixth grader takes her little sister, Frannie Jo, a first grader to school. The teacher asks Felicity to introduce herself, and she immediately freezes up, tongue tied. Felicity collects words she sees floating around other people and places. She writes them down in her blue notebook, and turns some of them into poetry. However, she has trouble speaking aloud. The teacher has some insight as to Felicity’s background and proceeds to tell the class a little of the town’s magical history, which has now vanished due to a duel between two brothers a century ago. Felicity’s curiosity gets the better of her and with the help of a classmate who befriends her, she goes about trying to solve the mystery of the family and her relationship to it. In the end, she discovers more about herself, her family, and her new friends than she could ever imagine. She even solves the riddle of the curse and makes everyone in Midnight Gulch happier. How do I use this in my classroom? Encourage students to be word collectors. What words surprise them? Which ones are they curious about? Find out the meaning of the words and use them in creative writing, poetry, or descriptive sentences Plan an activity where the students learn one family (his/her)story that they can embellish and write down as a personal folk tale. These should be carefully handed down from a parent or grandparent to not embarrass anyone Have students “duel” to share their best descriptive stories, poems, or research information with the class to activate their oral presentations as well as their writing. Are their any magical or mysterious stories about your neighborhood, city or town? Research and share connections. Information about author Natalie Lloyd can be located at: http://natalielloyd.blogspot.com/http://natalielloyd.blogspot.com/ Information about historical magical mysteries in Colorado are at: www.imfromdenver.com/6-places-in-colorado- where-nightmares-are-born-youve-been-warned/www.imfromdenver.com/6-places-in-colorado- where-nightmares-are-born-youve-been-warned/

5. Ever After High: the Story of Legends by Shannon Hale Every fairy tale needs an antagonist, an evil queen, big bad wolf, or terrible spell. That is what Milton Grimm, the Headmaster of Ever After High believes. This is the boarding school for the teen children of fairy tale characters. They attend a first year to learn basics of behavior and their second year is their legacy year. On Legacy Day, each student comes in front of the entire school to vow to succeed their famous parent, sign their name in the book and carry on their legacy of the story. Raven Queen is the daughter of the Evil Queen who gave Snow White the poisoned apple. Raven is the roommate of Apple White and they are best friends. Raven questions the need to be an evil queen, she was punished by her mother every time she did something kind. She doesn’t like being evil, mean or unhelpful. After some research into the history of students, Raven discovers another student who did not sign the book in the past and her story disappeared. Raven notices that other students are fearful of signing the book, they seem to have no free choice. She arrives at her appointed time and announces that she will “write her own story.” Apple White is furious as this means her story will not follow the script, Daring Charming also is upset as he is part of the same story. Unfortunately, about one-third of the students agree with Raven and support their own ability to make choices. Milton Grimm takes the book and locks it up, canceling Legacy day before all have had an opportunity to make their pledge and sign it. There is a sequel! How would I use this in the classroom? Make sure all students know the original stories before introducing this version and have them compare the parent with the known student for internal and external characteristics Compare and contrast the behaviors of Apple, Raven, Maddie, Cerise, Cedar, and Briar as the “girls” are very different Compare and contrast the behaviors of Daring, Hunter, Dexter and the other “boys” in the school What is the theme or moral of this book? Contrast the children’s behaviors and emotions with those of their famous parents? Which character in the story does the reader relate to best and why? What would you do if you were a character in this story? Which character? Why would you make the choices you make? Information about author, Shannon Hale go to: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html More tales are found at: http://www.everafterhigh.com/en-us where readers can participate in interactive videos, games, quizzes and other experiences.http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.htmlhttp://www.everafterhigh.com/en-us

6. Everyday Angel by Victoria Schwab This first book in the series story vacillates between Gabby Torres’ point of view and Aria Blue’s point of view in telling the tale of who they are. Gabby is a 12 year old girl who flashes back to before “the bad” happened to her brother, Marco. They used to race each other up a hill in the woods, play together and share life together even though he is three years older. Then, they move to a larger town so Marco can receive treatment for osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. Gabby is now facing going to a new middle school in a new town while her brother is “hospital schooled. The day before school starts, Gabby meets Aria, who appears to be a girl about her age. In truth, Aria is an angel working toward her wings by helping support Gabby as her first assignment. Aria goes to school with Gabby, hangs out with her as a friend and subtly pushes her into finding her own identity independent of Marco. She also helps Gabby find new friends and encourages her to find her own voice to discover who she really is. Aria eventually tells Gabby what she is and what she is there to do. Through a series of emotional encounters, Gabby does find her own voice, as does Marco who tells his mother to stop worrying about him and let the doctors operate to support his goal of getting back his life. When Aria finally disappears, after Gabby doesn’t need her, everyone but Gabby forgets she ever existed. How can I use this in my classroom? This is a perfect guided reading for girls aged 10-18, especially those who think their life “sucks” as it shows how others deal with life threatening issues A co-ed group of adolescents may read this to discuss the story plot line and how many stages there are in the story Compare and contrast the internal and external characteristics of the different characters (boys and girls) in the story Science classes in middle school may use this as a stepping off point for physical development issues such as height differences in boys and girls, sports vs. arts as recreational expressions Social science middle school classes may use this to discuss emotional changes, and life vs. death issues Teens with different family dynamics may want to read this with the counselor or school psychologist I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS FOR CHILDREN UNDER AGE 10 AND EVEN THEY MAY NOT BE MATURE ENOUGH Information about Victoria Schwab can be found at: http://www.victoriaschwab.com/http://www.victoriaschwab.com/ Information about children’s cancer can be found at: www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerinchildren/www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerinchildren/

7. Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt Turning impossible to possible is the theme of the story. Ally has been in seven schools already and is in sixth grade. The expected brain child, mean girls, shy girls and boys, and English teachers with too many students to focus on populate her classroom. Ally has already been labeled a problem child because she doesn’t do her homework, refuses to write when asked, and changes the subject or distracts others when she is asked to read. Some of the mean girls tease her, her pregnant teacher doesn’t delve into why she is so much a problem and Ally has her own seat in the principal’s office. After giving her teacher a sympathy card during her baby shower party, Ally is further put down by everyone from the principal on down to the meanest classmate. After a torturous weekend, Ally comes to school on Monday to meet her new teacher, Mr. Daniels. He sets new classroom rules and activities to get to know his new students. Through his own deep observation, he develops a less mean classroom, and notices that Ally struggles with reading and writing. He invites her to join him three days a week after school to learn to play chess instead of doing the reading or written homework. Ally demonstrates her brilliance with mathematical and out of the box thinking concepts and takes on chess like a champion. He confronts her about her reading struggles and pinpoints her issues like he is reading her mind. Mr. Daniels contacts her mom (dad is deployed with the U. S. Army) and the principal and gets permission to work with her as he is working on a special education masters degree. Ally is skeptical at first, but he shares with her strategies that work and soon she is reading a chapter book. Ally’s confidence allows her to make friends with some of her classmates, learn to ignore others, and even become the classroom president, defeating the biggest mean girl ever. In the end, she realizes that her big brother also has learning issues and asks Mr. Daniels to help him as well. There is a sense that there will be a sequel to this story. How would I use this in my classroom? if time allows, this would be a great long-term read aloud (266 pages) for talking about acceptable behavior in a classroom and why it is acceptable or unacceptable This would make a great small group shared reading for students with learning challenges so they can see they are not alone Compare and contrast Ally and Shay, or Albert and Travis, or any of the adults with Mr. Daniels Create a class timeline or story mountain as you read the story to identify highs and lows in problem solving Compare this to other stories where the main character struggles academically, or socially, or emotionally Identify other themes or lessons of this story and explain what the lesson taught the readers/ listeners Information about Linda Mullaly Hunt is located at: http://lyndamullalyhunt.com/ where you can blog with the author.http://lyndamullalyhunt.com/

8. I Funny: a middle school story by James Patterson Middle school boys love this book so much that it is difficult to read, they reserve it and spend time actually reading it. Jamie Grimm recently moved into Long Beach on Long Island, New York. He lives with his adopted family (an aunt and uncle, and their three biological kids), none of whom smile. He attends school with his cousin Steven, a bully who rules the school and home. Jamie knows how to make other people laugh and enjoy themselves to his advantage. He is also close to his uncle Frankie, who runs a restaurant by the ocean. Jamie uses a wheelchair to get around, but likes to be treated like a regular kid. We find out his back story near the end of the book. He enters a kid comedy context for the funniest kid on Long Island and the story snowballs from there! So how do I use this in my classroom? Research comedians and comic routines throughout history Who is funny and why? What is the difference between a joke and an insult What is a stand up comic and how are they different from comedy shows What techniques work for Jamie and why do they work? List as many homonyms as you can think of in a group of four students. Follow up activities: Read other James Patterson stories Learn about spinal cord injuries and what it means Have your own funniest kid in the room contest, each student needs to write and present a five minute routine using some of the Internet resources from the end of the story Learn more about James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein at: http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_iFunny.php#.VZhBKvlViko http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_iFunny.php#.VZhBKvlViko http://www.chrisgrabenstein.com/kids/

9. Loot: How to Steal a Fortune by Jude Watson Start with a 12 year old, going to meet his father after a jewel heist. This book is definitely written for readers age 10 and above as the father dies from a fall off the roof. He gives his son, March several clues before he passes away, none of which March can decipher on his own. Flash forward a little and March finds his sister, Jules. They both end up in an orphanage akin to Annie. They meet two other children and begin to form a gang/family. Little by little, the four children decipher the clues and the rest of the story pits them against a wealthy socialite, an ex- NYC cop, a jewel thief and their own aunt in search of seven missing moonstones. This adventure, mystery and twist of fate story winds around like an amusement park roller coaster until the very last chapter. It is intriguing, especially for late elementary through middle school boys. i by So how do I use this in my classroom? I would read it with a small group of boys to get the “rumor” started about how good this story is. Then use it to teach story plot lines, sequence of events and following the setting (time and place). Bring in a world map or globe that can be marked to show all the destinations that March experienced in the story. Bring in a rock and mineral encyclopedia to help children understand what a moonstone is and what it looks like. Bring in information resources from the internet about cloud swings, and other circus acrobatic elements. Finally, bring in a variety of floorplans to help students understand parts of a mansion What is a blue moon and when and where does it occur? Follow-up activities: Have students collaborate on a chapter, “What happened next? How did they Get Back at Blue?” Have students read another Jude Watson title and compare/contrast characters, settings and plot lines Have students plot out on a map all the destinations they have been to and write a short story including them Encourage students to learn about a famous “heist” or crime and add a child/teen character to a rewrite of the story Learn more about Jude Watson at: http://judewatsonbooks.com and find out her real name http://judewatsonbooks.com

10. My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O'Hara When Tom’s big brother Mark gets a chemistry set from his grandparents, he turns from an evil teenage older brother to an evil scientist. Mark brings home a goldfish and proceeds to do a 'pollution’ chemical experiment on the fish, takes pictures of the goldfish before and after the experiment and plans to flush the goldfish down the toilet. Tom's sense of justice kicks in and he saves the goldfish by reviving it with a common battery. Tom's best friend and next door neighbor, Pradeep, also has an evil teenage older brother and a preschool age younger sister. Pradeep helps Tom with the fish rescue and notices that the fish now has zombie characteristics. The zombie goldfish stares at his victims and either turns them nice, or into zombie people. The story goes beyond home, when Sanj, Pradeep’s older brother, a computer genius teams up with Mark and plans to take over the elementary school (adults and children) with an evil scheme to turn the world into zombies that they can control. Somehow, with the help of the lunch ladies, the boys save the day and the teens are caught in their own traps. This is the first of a humorous series. How can I use this in my classroom? This is a perfect read aloud for shared reading with 179 pages in short chapters Use as an introduction to a unit on pollution (learn how and where to dispose of toxic chemicals) Learn about the care and feeding of a pet goldfish Use as an introduction to chemistry and what we use daily “better living through chemistry” Use to introduce how to deal with a bully or inappropriate teenage or preteen behaviors Use to introduce hormones and normal changes that happen to the body because of hormones More information about author, Mo O'Hara is found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kExlWA923IMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kExlWA923IM Where you will find a YouTube interview. Her official website is: http://www.moohara.co.uk/http://www.moohara.co.uk/

11. Sisters by Raina Telgemeier Based on the author’s real family, this graphic novel tells the story of a pre-teen girl and her family. Raina has a fight with her sister, Amara just before they are about to leave on a driving vacation with their mother. She flashes back to when she was the only child and asked for a sister. Then she flashes forward to the present where they have a little brother, Will, as well. The three children and mom are driving from their home in San Francisco, California to Colorado Springs, Colorado to visit with the mothers siblings and their children. The dad just lost his job, and is now job hunting in the tech industry. He will fly to Colorado and meet them when they arrive. During the car trip, many humorous and predictable situations occur between siblings and the mom. Raina and Amara constantly bicker about the smallest events and Amara always seems to get her way as she is a whiner. Will, the brother seems oblivious to the world, although he can spark the disagreements and then walk away. Finally, they arrive at the cousins’ house only to discover that they have nothing in common. The older teens shun Raina, and she is too big to play with the younger cousins. She goes to her mom to get advice and discovers that her mother, aunts and uncles are also having disagreements. It makes for a long visit. Dad shows up and the disagreements continue. When they take dad to the airport in Denver, Raina notices that mom and dad don’t kiss each other goodbye and are cool towards each other. In the car trip home, the car breaks down and mom takes Will with her hitchhiking back to the nearest town, leaving Raina and Amara alone in the broken down car. They ignore each other, then after a long time, they talk about their concerns. Are mom and dad headed toward divorce? What will happen to them? Will Mom and Will ever come back. Eventually, they do return and the sisters open up to the mother about their concerns. The story ends with the family in the car repair place leaving room for the sequel to this series. How would I use this in my classroom? Students (especially girls) from third grade and older can easily create meaning from this story. Students can ask and answer questions about any of the characters to understand their external and internal persona. Students can create a story mountain to analyze the characters, settings, and problems in the story. Students can compare and contrast the characters with each other, as well as with the reader (who do they identify with) Compare and contrast the home in San Francisco with the relative’s home in Colorado (apartment vs. house, etc.) Compare and contrast the adults behaviors and the children’s behaviors (why do you think the children behave that way?) Information about Raina Telgemeier is located at: http://goraina.com/ Students and teachers may communicate with thishttp://goraina.com/ comic artist at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raina-Telgemeiers-Comics/121094651259814https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raina-Telgemeiers-Comics/121094651259814

12. The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm A girl believes that the goldfish she won in preschool is still the same goldfish that finally dies when she begins middle school. Her mother’s comment “that didn’t last long” reveals that this was the 13 th goldfish that her mother kept replacing as each one died. The story then shifts to her mother bringing home a strange teenager with long hair and raggedy clothing who looks somewhat familiar. It turns out that it is her long lost grandfather, who is a genetic scientist. He has been working on a jellyfish that gives age reversal. The results of this experimentation is the teenager now living with them. He was jailed for underage behaviors and the mother got him released to her custody on the condition that he return to school, and remain clean. He lost his driving privilege as he now looks 15 years old and cannot prove who he is. He ends up in the same middle school as his granddaughter and is registered as a long lost cousin. He is supposed to “babysit “ the girl, but she ends up having to keep an eye on him. Another student gets involved and the three of them study together, and make a plan to return to the grandfather’s lab to retrieve the jellyfish and experiment so no one else steals the information and patents it because it is the grandfather’s. Long story short, they get kicked out twice without retrieving the jellyfish. Grandfather also learns that his key no longer works, and that his internet password to retrieve his data has been locked out. Finally, grandfather discovers that the lab has been sold to a big business who will probably take the research team and contents to Malaysia, By using a pizza delivery disguise, the friend enters the lab without questions and retrieves the paperwork, jellyfish, and other research necessities. Then the grandfather realizes that he is now beginning to age again. He quits school, leaves the family and travels with his information to Florida to write up his research and get credit for his work before he reverts to being an old man again. He keeps in touch with his granddaughter via the internet. In the meantime, the girl realizes that life is a precious thing and each age brings challenges. She is alone one day after school, when a mysterious package arrives from Australia from Billy, her grandfather’s resource for the mysterious jellyfish. She know he has a supply to give him the new life he desires. How would I use this in the classroom:  Only with students in grades 4 and above, as a shared reading or small group reading discussion  To connect with genetic research and the science of biology  To spur research of organisms that are toxic to humans, but have some medicinal value for curing some diseases  To encourage students to interview previous generations to discover what illnesses they had to deal with that students are immunized for now  To encourage students to interview to understand what occupations their grandparents had, or even further back that may no longer exist  To support student’s understanding of the different life spans of pets (goldfish vs. cat, vs. dog, vs. lizards vs. snake vs. small mammal)  To encourage a writing project about aspects of their life they would like to relive and why? Information about Jennifer Holm may be located at: http://www.jenniferholm.com/http://www.jenniferholm.com/

13. The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier In the beginning of the book, the reader is not quite sure where the story is headed. Molly and Kip are two children riding to their death is not exactly the bright once upon a time start to a story, but it is where this one leads us down a dark and dreary path. Through the story, we meet an old hag story teller, a mother who is mean and tragic at the same time, a father who is sad and spineless, a boy who is a bully and greedy, and a girl who just wants warmth and love as well as a good story. We also meet their living nightmare. Molly and Kip move into a legend. They live in a house that is built into a tree (well, next to it) but the branches, tendrils, roots, and stems are inside and outside the house. The nightmare, whom we later learn is the night gardener, comes every night and tends to the tree, deposits dried leaves and muddy footprints throughout the house. Molly, 14 years young becomes the maid, cook, and general caretaker of the inside of the house. Her little brother, Kip (about 9 years old) cares for the horse, barn, and all of the exterior or the house including the gardens and trees. Molly discovers the green door which is always locked (the mother has the key in her bureau). The father goes inside the “closet” behind the green door to ask the tree for money so he can live in the lifestyle that he grew up with inside the same house. The mother asks the tree for and receives jewelry to make a show of her opulence. The boy only wants candy and more candy. The girl only asks for fairytale books with her as the heroine. Molly and Kip miss their parents and Kip asks for them to write letters to their parents. Molly enters the closet and receives letters from their parents from the tree. Everyone except Kip (who lives in the barn due to a crooked leg which the mother thinks is catching), becomes paler each night and even their hair is becoming brittle and changes color. It turns out that the Night Gardener harvests sweat and elements of their life (soul) to water the tree nightly. Because the people are addicted to their wants, they are not willing to change their ways. Molly and Kip finally leave, then feel guilty so they return to face the adults and help them face their problem. Their plan to leave is interrupted by more greed; yet in the end, Kip and Molly succeed in helping the family survive in spite of even more issues. How would I use this in a classroom? This is for students in fourth grade and above due to descriptions of violence and death. I would use this as a read aloud or small group shared reading to talk about the theme of greed and desire (wants vs. needs) Comparing and contrasting various characters is another lesson from this book What is a legend and how is it different from a fairytale, folktale, etc. is also addressed in this story Identifying story elements that are pure fiction rather than historic or science fiction Information about Jonathan Auxier is found at: http://www.thescop.com/ By the way, Disney bought the rights to this book.http://www.thescop.com/

14. A Pet for Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold Dog Days of School by Kelly Dipucchio Nugget and Fang by Tammi Sauer Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett Sparky by Jenny Offill Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier The Book With No Pictures by B. J. Novak The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems This House Needs a Mouse by C. Jeffrey Nunnally

15. A Pet for Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold When Buzz takes his pet, Fly Guy to the park for a picnic, they notice that everyone has a pet except Fly Guy. Buzz tries to get him a pet at the pet store, reminding him of the responsibilities needed to own a pet, but none of the pets is right. Buzz decides to let Fly Guy choose his own pet, but Fly Guy cannot find one that is just the right fit for his needs. Fly Guy decides that the perfect fit for a pet of him is really Buzz. So, Buzz becomes Fly Guy’s pet, but Buzz reminds him that Buzz does not need to be fed. This is a different perspective on the “how to choose a pet” genre with a humorous twist at the end. How I would use this in the classroom? First of all, this is the perfect read aloud. It is short and purposeful for grades PreK through 2 nd. Next, it gives both the reasons for a pet and some guiding words for pet care needs (a story mountain would work well to summarize the story points) Comparing Buzz as a pet with Fly Guy as a pet with whatever pet the students relate to in a Venn diagram would be fun Write about what you think it would be like if you became your pet’s pet (if they don’t have a pet, imagine one) Talk about the advantage of having a pet and write with a partner a brochure for your ideal pet Write an advertisement (non-fiction) for your pet of choice and tell how you would care for it and it would help you Finally, identify one reason you do not have a pet, or you are not responsible for your pet and explain it to a partner/class Information about Tedd Arnold and his Fly Guy series can be found at: http://www.teddarnoldbooks.com/author.htmlhttp://www.teddarnoldbooks.com/author.html There are many sites about pets. My favorite local site is: http://www.ddfl.org/ The Denver Dumb Friends League will even come to your classroom and teach a session about selecting pets and pet care. (They will ask for a donation, but you can set the amount. This encourages students to “save for it.”)http://www.ddfl.org/

16. Dog Days of School by Kelly Dipucchio Charlie decides on a Sunday night that he really cannot face school. He wishes on a star that he is a dog. When he wakes up, he has physically changed places with his dog, Norman. So, Norman goes to school and does all the things Charlie would do; while Charlie stays home and does all the things that Norman the dog would do. This goes on for an entire school week until Sunday night when Charlie decides he has had enough of being a dog and staying home. He is bored. So, he wishes on a star that he returns to being a boy and on Monday morning, he returns to school, and Norman returns to being a dog and staying home. The illustrations of Charlie and Norman do not change, only the actions. This may be confusing for some younger students, but can easily be explained that their actions outweigh their appearance. How would I use this in a classroom? Again, this is a great read aloud for preK through 2 nd grade students. First of all, have the students notice and name all the events that each character does in their new form of dog and child Next, have students create a story mountain or time line of events and who does what in each step of the way Compare and contrast their behaviors as boy and dog What is the theme or lesson of the story? You may want to be someone or something else, but you are better as yourself Which character would you want to be and why? What are the advantages or disadvantages of each? Write about exchanging places with your pet. What would you be? How would your life change? (No pet? Imagine one.) Talk with a friend about what you think your pet does everyday while you are in school Write a letter to your pet telling them what you do all day in school. Remember the details like where you sit, what you do at recess, who is your best friend… so they can take your place if they trade places with you. Advertise your favorite activity or lesson at school Information about author Kelly DiPucchio is found at: http://www.kellydipucchio.com/home.html She lists all of her books, even those out of print that can be borrowed from a library or bought at a book store.http://www.kellydipucchio.com/home.html

17. Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever - - - or Snack Time? by Tammi Sauer Nugget is a minnow and his best friend, Fang is a shark. They play, share, and live together for several years. Then, Nugget starts school. In school he learns that sharks are mean, sharks eat minnows, and sharks are unfriendly. He defends Fang at first, then as he loses more and more minnow friends. He finally stops playing with Fang, talking to Fang, and sharing with Fang. Fang disguises himself several times to become a part of the school, but the minnows scream and swim away. He is very sad to lose Nugget as his best friend. He mopes around but doesn’t interfere with Nugget and his friends. Nugget and the other minnows become trapped in a fisherman’s net and are dragged toward the surface. Nugget shouts out help and gets his minnow friends to shout out as well. Fang shows up and bites the net to open the holes and let out Nugget and his new friends escape from the net. In the end, the minnows learn that not all sharks are mean, unfriendly or eaters of minnows. In fact, Fang only eats plants! They all become friends. This is a fun underwater variation of the lion and the mouse, from Aesop’s Fables. How would I use this in a classroom? This is a fun read aloud to use to create a story mountain with characters, setting, timeline, problems and solutions Read along with the Aesop: Androcles and the Lion to create a compare/contrast of characters internally and externally Ask children which character, Nugget or Fang, they make a connection with and why. Create a classroom debate with teams Children can describe the characters feelings to a partner with each taking on the personality of either Nugget or Fang Translate the actions of each to school; is Fang a bully or are Nugget’s new classmates? When someone tells you not to be friends with another, how does that make you feel? Why? Create a classroom diorama of other animals that might be placed in the same situation (ie. Zebra and cheetah,…) Explore favorite foods of the children and identify the food chain for popular people food (science integration) Use some of the pages to create a math integration by counting the number of minnows / sharks Information about Tammi Sauer is located at: http://www.tammisauer.com/ and athttp://www.tammisauer.com/ http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Tammi-Sauer/46457551

18. Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon Penguin discovers a pinecone and plays with it like a friend. He knits it a scarf, plays games with it and even sleds down the ice with it. “Grandpa Penguin advises Penguin that Pinecone belongs in the forest far, far away. Pinecone cannot grow big and strong on the ice.” So, Penguin packs up his sled and takes Pinecone back to the forest. He leaves him in a nest of soft needles and a heart of stones. A long time later, Penguin returns to the forest to see the Pinecone has become a tree (not just a bigger pinecone). Penguin is thrilled with his new “grown” friend and they play. Penguin also gathers other pinecones and makes each a scarf, or boot, or hat. When he returns with his girlfriend penguin to show her what the pinecones become, she is happy to see the forest full of trees with Penguin’s knitted items keeping them warm. How would I use this book in a classroom? I would read it aloud and encourage students to talk about this unusual friendship I would have students compare and contrast the young penguin and pinecone with the older versions of each, how are they alike and different as they grow? I would create a story mountain to show the different problems in this story and how they are solved or not solved I would compare this story to other friendship stories (Buzz and Fly Guy, Fang and Nugget, etc.) and talk about the elements of friendship with people who are different Have children describe (written or oral) their best friend to another classmate or the group and have others guess who? Explain to someone how the scarves, hats and boot got up in the tree (understanding the science of a growing tree) Real vs. fiction: where do penguins live and how is that climate different from pine trees? The science behind the story Finally, create a class chart containing what makes a good friend and how friendship works (social science behind the story) Information about author and illustrator Salina Yoon is found at: http://salinayoon.com/about.html where she tells about coming to America as a child. She also tells about creating Penguin as a character for this and future titles.http://salinayoon.com/about.html

19. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett As the title states, Sam and his little brother, Dave dig a hole with their dog by their side. There is no concern about where the extra dirt goes, it just disappears. There is no concern about being buried alive as the hole seems to always have straight, firm sides. Besides the adult details, Sam and Dave dig to find something spectacular (a rather huge word for a primary level text). They take animal cookies and chocolate milk in a canteen with them. They dig straight down (the illustrator shows tree roots and diamonds) but never find some thing spectacular. They decide to dig in two different directions, and manage to dig all around a giant diamond (including below it), but it doesn’t fall on them. The then decide to return to digging straight down. Then they get tired and finish off their cookies and milk. They rest, but their dog sniffs a bone and continues to dig while they fall asleep. Then, Sam, Dave, the dog and the shovels find themselves falling until they land on the soft dirt next to their house. They decide that the experience was pretty spectacular, yet fail to notice the bone in their dog’s mouth. They go inside to eat more animal cookies and drink more milk. Was it all a dream? Their imagination? Or? How would I use this in the classroom? I would read it aloud as a shared reading and ask the questions for the students to answer about reality or confusion in the text This could precede or follow a geology lesson on what we find in the earth when we dig What lesson or theme does this teach the students on a reread? (Stick to a path to find things more spectacular that straying) Read Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s other collaboration Extra Yarn. Compare and contrast elements of the two texts Have students write independently or collaboratively about what might have happened if they actually found the diamonds? How did the dog change the story? What might have happened if the dog was not there? What would you (the listener/reader) take with you to dig a hole to find some thing spectacular? Information about Mac Barnett can be found at: http://www.macbarnett.com/ Information about Jon Klassen is located at: http://www.artofthepicturebook.com/-check-in-with/2014/10/15/interview-with-jon-klassen where you will find an official book trailer to watch about this title.http://www.macbarnett.com/http://www.artofthepicturebook.com/-check-in-with/2014/10/15/interview-with-jon-klassen

20. Sparky by Jenny Offill The girl wanted a pet, but her mom said no! Finally, mom agreed as long as the pet didn’t need to be walked, bathed or fed. So the girl did research to find the perfect pet for her. She discovered that a Sloth is the perfect pet for her. It sleeps about 16 hours a day, lives in a tree, eats the leaves and gathers the dew for moisture from the leaves. So she orders a sloth for a pet. When he arrived, she named him Sparky and carried the animal outside to a tree, where it immediately fell asleep. She put out a sign that said “Guard Sloth!” under the sloth. He slept for two days before she saw him awake. She tried to teach it some games. They played King of the Mountain, Hide and Seek, Kung Fu Fighter and Statues. He was only good at playing statues. The girl’s friend, Mary Potts came over, but only saw Sparky sleeping. M.P. bragged about what her cat could do and left. The girl took that as a dare and put up a sign advertising a “Trained Sloth Extravaganza in 7 Days.” Then she went to work to train Sparky to do countless tricks. A week later, Sparky and the girl put on a show. Sparky played dead! But, that was his only trick. She then put a way the chairs from the show and tagged Sparky. He was it for a long time. She still loved her pet. How I would use this in the classroom? First, it is a great read aloud then create a story mountain to show the timeline of the story Next have students compare and contrast Sparky with whatever pet they have, or would like to have Create a t-chart with which tricks, games, activities Sparky could do well and which he could not do well Read an information text about Sloths and compare /contrast the information found in both texts How are Mary Potts and the girl alike or different? (Venn diagram it) How is Sparky alike or different from a cat? Have children choose another exotic animal and explain why it would or would not be a great pet (display the unlikely pet zoo) Connect to science and weather why some animals would or would not like Colorado If they are older, share information about Teddy Roosevelt and the odd pets he kept in the White House Information about Jenny Offill can be found at: http://jennyoffill.com/ There is also a YouTube version at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlYJ04dhR8c and r ead to you at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34L99ndc8y0 (not the greatest!http://jennyoffill.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlYJ04dhR8chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34L99ndc8y0

21. Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier This is a different look at an alphabet book because it focuses on words that change because the letter is missing. For example, beast becomes best when you take away the A. Without the B, bride goes for a ride. Chair becomes hair; dice becomes ice; bears stay behind bars. In other words, this book takes the alphabet letters away and creates new vocabulary words in a different manner. Some of the more clever ones I think are: scarf becomes scar, stairs lead to stars, monkey makes money, four wear fur, faqir goes to the fair. These take away internal letters to change the word which is much more difficult than just dropping the first or last letters in a word. The colorful illustrations support the reader with pictures of both the before word and the after taking away the letter word on the pages. So the next time you want to expand vocabulary with your elementary words, try yours without the Y becomes ours. Of course, without the Z, we cannot sing our ABC’s. How would I use this in a classroom? Although you can read this aloud to grades pre-k through 2 to introduce the alphabet in a different way, I believe students in grades 3 through 9 would enjoy this book as a model for creating their own vocabulary book This text could be used for ESL students to demonstrate new vocabulary in a creative way, then have them use the new words in sentences that make sense to them instead of nonsense Apply this text strategy to introduce new vocabulary for a content area: math, science, social studies, etc. Introduce homonyms and homophones with the variant spellings Since there is no story line, or plot, characters, or specific setting, have students take one page and “flesh” it out into a story Just enjoy the theme of the story, changing words by eliminating a letter and apply it to a life skill, what could you eliminate from your behavior for one week to change who you are and how people see you Information about Michael Escoffier can be located at: http://www.smartbooksforsmartkids.com/tag/michael-escoffier/ Since he is from France, there are few English sites for more about him. Another site is: http://www.enchantedlion.com/node/227 but the English is poor at best. http://www.smartbooksforsmartkids.com/tag/michael-escoffier/http://www.enchantedlion.com/node/227

22. The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak As the title says, there are no pictures in this book. The words have to be read, even the silly, made-up, and make no sense words. The author wrote this book to be a read aloud, but proficient readers can read it to themselves. Laughter and giggling is expected during comprehension as the reader is asked to read like a monkey, read bloggety bloop and other silly words, and really understand the words pleading to not be read aloud or ever again. Repeatedly reading can cause the reader or listener to roll into hysteria! How would I use this in my classroom? First, I would definitely read this story aloud to my classrooms at any (listening skills and ESL students benefit most) Next, I might have some of the students create pictures individually or as a team to accompany the words on a reread Older students might then have practice reading with emotion and feelings Younger students might use this as a choral reading to practice the unusual phonetic combinations Subsequent lessons may include creating a story mountain with the book becoming the main character having a conversation with the reader Other lessons may include identifying the theme of this text (don’t be afraid of exploring language/communication skills Compare and contrast the words in this text with your favorite Dr. Seuss story which also includes made up words Have more proficient students try to write their own book without pictures, use team work to share ideas and develop the story setting, characters, and problem/solutions Information about B. J. Novak is located at: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/09/bj-novaks-http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/09/bj-novaks- sneaky-new-childrens-book/380611/sneaky-new-childrens-book/380611/, and http://www.bjnovak.com/ where you learn about this actor turned children’s author.http://www.bjnovak.com/ There is also a You Tube read of the book at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cREyQJO9EPs read by the author.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cREyQJO9EPs

23. The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems Mo Willems is back with another pigeon saga. This time, pigeon doesn’t think he needs a bath. He asks around to find out that he is well overdue for a bath. Even the flies don’t want to be near him. So pigeon finally agrees to take a bath, but first he has to check the temperature level (too hot, too cold, too lukewarm, then too hot again); then he has to check the water level (too much, too little) then he wants toys (too many, not enough). Finally, Pigeon has used up all of his excuses and reluctantly gets into the bathtub. He loves it immediately, and stays in the water much too long. He wants to stay in the bathtub forever! How would I use this text in the classroom? It makes a perfect shared reading, especially as an introduction to persuasive essay writing. Point out all of the types of arguments that pigeon uses to convince the reader he does not need a bath Compare and contrast the excuses (negative) and the advantages (positive) sides of pigeon’s argument Compare and contrast how pigeon handles this issue with how he pleads to drive the bus, have a hot dog or other issues Have students discuss and then argue another topic close to them (wearing shoes vs. flip flops, shorts vs. long pants Then have students create their own persuasive writing about their chosen point of view Students tell a friend how the pigeon’s point of view changed from the beginning of the story to the end Create a story mountain or map showing the Pigeon’s problems and how his strategies for facing them and solving them Have students (especially younger ones) identify the elements of the story (characters, setting time/place, problem/ solution Information about Mo Willems can be found at: http://www.mowillems.com/ which includes Pigeon tweets and an interviewhttp://www.mowillems.com/ with Mo Willems about his inspiration for Pigeon Needs a Bath as well as many other interactives.

24. This House Needs a Mouse by C. Jeffrey Nunnally The story of three families. First, a family of three with one on the way, tells how they adopt a mouse (not as a pet) as a free roaming creature who lives in the house and cleans up the crumbs in it. They live happily until the baby is born and they realize the house is too small. They move on and leave the mouse as a house warming gift for the new owners. The second family becomes the new owners who do not appreciate the rodent that lives in the house and try to rid the house of the mouse. They buy a cat, who is too lazy to chase and catch the house mouse. The mouse is too lean because he scurries around all day cleaning up the crumbs. They take the cat back to the pet store and try traps, with all kinds of food and poison to get rid of the mouse. The mouse outsmarts the people and continues to keep the house free of crumbs. The mother realizes finally, what the mouse does for them and she accepts the mouse as a helper. In fact, they even get a partner for the mouse to help with the clean up of the crumbs. This becomes the third family (as the mother mouse has a baby on the way). This story is full of different attitudes between rodent and people relationships. Not a surprise when you learn that the author is a trained psycho-therapist and professor! How would I use this in my classroom? Because of it’s length and illustrations, it becomes a perfect read aloud or shared reading text Use this to teach the theme of acceptance of others for their abilities, not your aversion to them Create a story map of the three different sets of characters and their identified problems and solutions Explain to partner why there were so many crumbs and how the mouse helped the family Compare and contrast how the mouse’s life was different in the house from the pet store How was the cat’s life different or the same in the house and in the pet store Compare the two families and their responses to the problems Describe the story from the mouse’s point of view Ask and answer questions of a partner about this story (character; animal vs. people behaviors; setting, problems Describe what each toddler did to support the story mountain (creating the problem and the solution) Information about C. Jeffrey Nunnally can be located at http://www.thishouseneedsamouse.com/ and at his Facebook site https://www.facebook.com/pages/C-Jeffrey-Nunnally/348558885298725. He is a local author!!http://www.thishouseneedsamouse.com/https://www.facebook.com/pages/C-Jeffrey-Nunnally/348558885298725

25. Thank you for attending this session of the CCBA Presentation for 2016 CCIRA Please consider sharing these titles with your students and having your students vote on their favorite picture book and/or junior novel Just have them listen to or read at least three of the 10 titles in each category and then choose their favorite Also, please consider having your students nominate their favorite new picture book or junior novel for 2017 If more than one student nominates the same title, it has a greater chance of appearing on the next CCBA list REMEMBER, these titles are Colorado Children’s Book Award nominees and selections This is not a teacher, parent, librarian or other adult selection list! Sherrie Davidson, retired APS school librarian and literacy teacher safranmorah@comcast.net