Tough Boris by Mem Fox is a great book.  All kid love pirates.  The book talks about a lot of things that pirates are.  They are tough, scary, massive, and so on.  Boris's parrot dies at the end of the book and it ends by saying pirates cry and so do I.  This is an outstanding book for teaching about details.  It has a lot of not boring words.  I have also used this book when a child has a favorite pet die.  It is one of my favorite books.  Mem Fox is a great author.

Snowmen at night

Snowmen at night is written by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner.  It is a story about a boy who builds a snowman and the next day he find his creation is not the same as the day before.  The snowman is all beat up.  It gets him to thinking about what they do at night.  The story then goes into what the boy thinks the snowmen do at night.  You can teach poetry and rhyming with this story, and also about fact versus fiction.  You can also use this book to help explain what using your imagination can do to help you write stories.  I just like to read and laugh at the illustrations.   It is a good book for a nice snowy day in the winter.

Where The Wild Things Are

I remember this book from when I went to elementary school.  My mom and dad used to read it to me. I like to share it with my class now.  I use it to teach fantasy and fiction versus reality.  Max in the book goes from being a boy in his home to leaving to visit a fictional world of wild things.  He later returns to reality at the end of the book for dinner.  I also like to teach how stories can be told without words.  There is a section in the book where there are no words.  It is during the "wild rumpus".  I think this book by Maurice Sendak will always be a classic.

Pigeon Books

The reason I like the Pigeon books by Mo Willems is because my 2nd grade students think they are hilarious.  They absolutely love the books.  I really like them as well.  I found that they are very good when teaching beginning punctuation.  They also work well when you are teaching about voice.  I have even used them to show the kids how whining and throwing fits won't get what you want.  The pigeon does this quite often.  You should read these with your classes.  They will love them.

The Dot

 

The DOT  by Peter H. Reynolds is a really fun book.  It is a thoughtful book about a little girl who is inspired by a teacher to be an artist.  The book carries a message that can encourage creativity and boost confidence in students and teachers alike.  It can also be used when introducing art to students. Especially when they say they are not good at art, or they can't think of what to draw.  It can be used with any teaching to inspire students think out of the box and to take risks.

Diary of a worm, Diary of a Spider, Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin

These books by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Harry Bliss are great for teaching about and introducing Journals.  They are entertaining for any student k-12.  They also teach scientific facts about each of the different creatures.  I use them when introducing journal writing and when we talk about animals.  Many 2nd graders don't realize that these types of creatures are part of the animal kingdom.  My class enjoys the stories.  My older children and I laugh at some of the facts presented in funny ways.