Reading and Language
Wordless Books
Ben's Dream
By: Chris Van Allsburg
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Ben's geography lesson comes to life when he falls asleep and dreams of traveling to famous monuments worldwide. Realistic black and white line drawings combine fantasy and authenticity in this extraordinary adventure.
By: Chris Van Allsburg
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Ben's geography lesson comes to life when he falls asleep and dreams of traveling to famous monuments worldwide. Realistic black and white line drawings combine fantasy and authenticity in this extraordinary adventure.
Rosie's Walk
By: Pat Hutchins
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Pre-Reader
Rosie, a hen, takes a walk — oblivious to the fox that is following her. Rosie unwittingly leads the hungry fox from one disaster to the next until she returns safely home. The simple text notes only Rosie's trip around the farm, making the strong line and bright colors of the illustration all the more striking and very funny.
By: Pat Hutchins
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Pre-Reader
Rosie, a hen, takes a walk — oblivious to the fox that is following her. Rosie unwittingly leads the hungry fox from one disaster to the next until she returns safely home. The simple text notes only Rosie's trip around the farm, making the strong line and bright colors of the illustration all the more striking and very funny.
The Lion & the Mouse
By: Jerry Pinkney
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
The well-known fable about how the smallest creature — a mouse — saves the majestic lion is a tale of kindness returned. Here it is effectively recast as a wordless story in a new setting. Stunning illustrations are expressive and emotive, evoking Africa's Serengeti while retaining the tale's power.
By: Jerry Pinkney
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
The well-known fable about how the smallest creature — a mouse — saves the majestic lion is a tale of kindness returned. Here it is effectively recast as a wordless story in a new setting. Stunning illustrations are expressive and emotive, evoking Africa's Serengeti while retaining the tale's power.
Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad
By: Henry Cole
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Readers are encouraged to tell the story of a brave farm girl who provides food to someone who has escaped in this sophisticated, expressive, wordless book. Inspired by family stories, the author allows adults to fill in the historical detail while children recognize the story's power.
By: Henry Cole
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Readers are encouraged to tell the story of a brave farm girl who provides food to someone who has escaped in this sophisticated, expressive, wordless book. Inspired by family stories, the author allows adults to fill in the historical detail while children recognize the story's power.
Poetry for Everyone
A Movie in My Pillow: Poems
By: Jorge Argueta
Illustrated by: Elizabeth Gomez
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Young Jorgito lives in San Francisco's Mission District, but he hasn't forgotten his native El Salvador. He recalls the volcanoes, the tasty cornmeal pupusas, and his grandmother's stories. As he changes from timid newcomer to seasoned city dweller, Jorgito's memories and new adventures form a patchwork of dreams — the movie in his pillow — that is perfectly suited to his new bicultural identity.
By: Jorge Argueta
Illustrated by: Elizabeth Gomez
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Young Jorgito lives in San Francisco's Mission District, but he hasn't forgotten his native El Salvador. He recalls the volcanoes, the tasty cornmeal pupusas, and his grandmother's stories. As he changes from timid newcomer to seasoned city dweller, Jorgito's memories and new adventures form a patchwork of dreams — the movie in his pillow — that is perfectly suited to his new bicultural identity.
Confetti: Poems for Children
By: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Enrique Sanchez
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Spanish words are incorporated naturally into this bright collection of poems that depict a day's activities in the Southwest. Vivid illustrations complement the verse to evoke the author's Mexican American background.
By: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Enrique Sanchez
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Spanish words are incorporated naturally into this bright collection of poems that depict a day's activities in the Southwest. Vivid illustrations complement the verse to evoke the author's Mexican American background.
Harlem
By: Walter Dean Myers
Illustrated by: Christopher Myers
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Experienced readers will enjoy this stunning and sophisticated visit to Harlem in word and image. Landmarks like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater are included and invite discussion.
By: Walter Dean Myers
Illustrated by: Christopher Myers
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Experienced readers will enjoy this stunning and sophisticated visit to Harlem in word and image. Landmarks like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater are included and invite discussion.
My Chinatown
By: Kam Mak
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
It's a New Year in Chinatown, but one little boy from Hong Kong wonders, "How can it ever be a good year thousands of miles from home?" As he moves through the seasons, however, New York finally begins to feel like home. Told in verse, these poems capture the challenges of adapting to a new life from a child's point of view. Vivid paintings with a photograph-like quality bring the poems to life.
By: Kam Mak
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
It's a New Year in Chinatown, but one little boy from Hong Kong wonders, "How can it ever be a good year thousands of miles from home?" As he moves through the seasons, however, New York finally begins to feel like home. Told in verse, these poems capture the challenges of adapting to a new life from a child's point of view. Vivid paintings with a photograph-like quality bring the poems to life.
My People
By: Langston Hughes
Illustrated by: Charles Smith
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
Handsome, artistic sepia portraits of young and older African Americans combine with Hughes' short poem. Together image and word presents a memorable celebration of beauty and diversity of a people. Smith includes a note describing how he approached the classic poem
By: Langston Hughes
Illustrated by: Charles Smith
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
Handsome, artistic sepia portraits of young and older African Americans combine with Hughes' short poem. Together image and word presents a memorable celebration of beauty and diversity of a people. Smith includes a note describing how he approached the classic poem
Tan to Tamarind: Poems About the Color Brown
By: Malathi Michelle Iyengar
Illustrated by: Jamel Akib
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader
This collection of multicultural poetry celebrates the color brown and all of the delicious and familiar places it can be found, from the reddish-brown mountains of the Southwest to the tamarind paste used in Mumbai to the acorns found on a city street. Author Malathi Michelle Iyengar uses the poems to express an appreciation for the many ethnic backgrounds who describe their skin color as "brown" around the world. Jamel Akib's warm drawings are a perfect complement to the poetry.
By: Malathi Michelle Iyengar
Illustrated by: Jamel Akib
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader
This collection of multicultural poetry celebrates the color brown and all of the delicious and familiar places it can be found, from the reddish-brown mountains of the Southwest to the tamarind paste used in Mumbai to the acorns found on a city street. Author Malathi Michelle Iyengar uses the poems to express an appreciation for the many ethnic backgrounds who describe their skin color as "brown" around the world. Jamel Akib's warm drawings are a perfect complement to the poetry.