“But why did the King of Denmark wear a yellow star? He didn‘t do anything wrong, did he?“

This quote reflects the historical reality that during the Nazi occupation, Jewish citizens in many European countries were required to wear yellow stars as a means of identification. This historical detail places the events of the story within the context of World War II and the persecution of Jewish people by the Nazis.

The title, “Number the Stars,“ serves as a symbolic representation of hope and resistance. As the characters face the darkness of the Nazi occupation, they find strength in their unity and commitment to resisting oppression. The novel beautifully illustrates how small acts of kindness and bravery can make a significant impact in the face of adversity.

Lois Lowry masterfully weaves historical facts into the narrative, creating a story that is both educational and emotionally resonant. The book encourages readers to reflect on the importance of standing up against injustice and the power of compassion in times of crisis. The characters, well-developed and relatable, contribute to the emotional depth of the narrative, making it a memorable and thought-provoking read.

“And there, at the top of the problem, I looked down at the bolts of fabric, the dot of the question mark, the bend of the elbow, and I waved hello at the memory of how hard the problem was.“

The autobiography teaches the readers the lesson about continuing to try even if you think you cannot do it anymore. It is geared more towards younger readers as it has some great imaginative aspects to it the illustrations themselves are very big and bold which grabs their attention as well.

This biography picture book is about a girl named Ashima who is a rock climber. The book is written by Ashima herself and told in first person. The story follows her as a young girl and how she overcame some problems in terms of learning to rock climb. I think the first-person narrative and knowing that it is about the author herself, allows for readers to actually feel what she was feeling at different moments.

“And at his most important shows, above all the critics, fans, and artists he admires, the place of honor is his mother's, a queen on a throne. He is now a famous artist!“

The illustrations are very unique and will keep readers of all ages engaged. I do think it is written more for younger readers as it is very to the point about the different experiences in his life. I think this could be used as a read-aloud to teach students that no matter where you come from or what your dreams are, you can get to where you want to be.

This biography is about Jean-Michel Basquiat and how he grew up in Brooklyn and always wanted to become an artist. Follows his life as he moves out and into NYC and has to couch hop because he cannot financially support himself. The story is told in the third person and details all of the hardships he endured but finally came out as a household name. There is also a great detailed description to learn more about him at the end of the book.

“To the world, he was a hero. Gifts galore showered down. The Nobel Peace Prize-a huge honor.“

This picture book biography is a great one for students to read or as a read-aloud because it teaches a great lesson that even through hardships, anyone can get through anything and go on to do great things. I also think that the illustrations allow for readers to stay engaged- as it is a very informational book.

This biography is about the infamous Nelson Mandela and his life story, both positive and negative experiences he endured. It is told in the third person and the author does a great job of keeping to child child-friendly but also explaining his experiences correctly. The book also includes a timeline of his life at the end for readers to learn and explore even more about his life if they are interested.

“The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was the first of Maya''s many works of art and architecture-memorials, sculptures, structures and spaces, inside and out.“

This biography picture book would make a great read-aloud when talking about the Vietnam war and how we now have a memorial to honor all who lost their life. On some of the pages, there are little fun facts about Maya that would keep the readers engaged.

This biography is about a girl named Maya Lin whose family had left China in order to live the American Dream. Both of her parents were artists of sorts and Maya knew she too wanted to create something. In college, she entered a contest to create the Vietnam Memorial and she won. The author is someone who knew Maya personally from college so she was able to include firsthand experiences that Maya encountered while making the plans.

“Melba and her music trotted around the globe, dazzling audiences ad making headlines in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. All her life, Melba kept composing and arranging music, kept making her trombone sing.“

The illustrations and story-telling narrative allow for readers to stay engaged. This book would be a great read-aloud when doing biographies on lots of different people, this sets readers up for creating on and what all needs to be included. The book also offers an afterward for readers to learn more aboulr Melba.

This book is a biography of Melba Doretta Liston and how she decided to play the trombone as a little girl and followed her dream to become a famous trombone player. It is told in the third person and describes not only the positive experiences in her life but also some of the hardships she had to face.

“Other bees gather around. They listen to the vibrations of her dance. Apis is giving directions.“

Because this book is told in an extremely informational way, the use of illustration keeps it from not being boring. It would be a good nonfiction book for a science topic on flowers/gardening/or just honeybees.

This picture book follows the life of a honeybee in an interesting and engaging way that will keep readers wanting to hear more. The author introduces new vocabulary and uses illustrations that lead the readers through the story. It does a great. job at zooming in on the life of a honeybee and what exactly their life consists of.

“Clues like these tell us what this place was like when the rock formed.“

This would be a great read-aloud to use when talking about various science topics with any grade at the elementary level. I also think it is interesting enough with the format and the illustrations that will keep students engaged.

This book is a guide to the Grand Canyon, and it is structured like the reader is following the main character through a hike through the Grand Canyon. There are labeled diagrams on almost every page that break down the layers of the Grand Canyon and show a deeper look at what is being described.

“Turns out, it was a North Hill tradition started by Grandpop after a fourteen-year-old black boy named Emmett Till was killed for whistling at a white woman when Grandpop was younger.”

I believe this book would be appropriate and enjoyable for upper elementary students, Reynolds' vivid writing style and the Virginia setting make this book both enjoyable and thought-provoking, making it a great choice for young readers looking for a meaningful and entertaining story.

Genie and Ernie are two brothers who must adjust to the environmental differences while they move with their grandparents into a rural area in Brooklyn New York. It is a captivating read for its engaging characters, themes of coming of age and bravery, and the exploration of family secrets. It offers readers a relatable journey of self-discovery and growth, wrapped in a mystery that keeps them eagerly turning the pages.

“The Switzers brothers' illuminating tale begins with Bob, born in 1914.“

This book would be a great read-aloud for a science lesson because they can be categorized as inventors, especially since what they created was very much science-based. Because of its storytelling structure it is very engaging for the readers and the use of illustration also keeps it interesting.

This nonfiction picture book follows the story of Bob and Joe Switzer and how they came up with the idea of fluorescent colors and why exactly they did what they did. It uses facts and real-life events that happened to help carry the story along.

“... the wealthiest monarch in the world, who rules over 130 million people and one-sixth of the earth's land surface, yet turned a blind eye to the abject poverty of his subjects.“

Older students would really enjoy reading this for a history project. The use of illustrations keeps engagement along with first-hand accounts making it an interesting read.

This historical nonfiction book focuses on the Ramanov Family of Russia how their family dynamics were and the various historical events they were a part of. It uses illustrations, and first-person accounts that help carry the story along. This is definitely a middle school/high school level read as it is very long and some of the topics can be more mature.

“Look in places where you usually don't, like low, under bushes, or high up, in the top of branches of trees.“

This would be a great book for a science lesson on bird watching, which also can introduce a new hobby for the students. The way it presents its information is really interesting, especially with the use of illustrations and sequencing the book in a way that makes sense for younger readers.

This picture book serves the purpose of educating the readers on bird watching and how to get into it and keep going. It introduces the facts in a way that is interesting to kids- in an almost dialogue type of format with not only people but also with birds which can bring some humor into the book as well as keeping it very factual. It would be a great guide for higher-level students just because of how much information it presents.

“Why does the wind push you? You cand discover why by asking questions and doing things to get answers. Here's the first question. What is wind made of?“

This would be great for any class that is focusing on science but more importantly wind. I think any grade level would benefit from reading this book and participating in the questions and activities throughout.

This book faces its readers with questions as it goes along and even allows for activities while reading the book. It is a very science-focused book that teaches the facts about wind interactively and colorfully to the students. The way it asks the questions- you can give your students a space to try and figure out the answer before moving on.

“In 1979, the very first chick raised in the aviary flapped out of a wild nest into the rain forest“

I would recommend this book for higher-level readers (unless it is a read-aloud) because there is just a lot of information and it could get overwhelming for newer readers. However, it can be used with any age level, especially for a science unit- the way it starts as a story that incorporates real facts and then in the end the real pictures will really interest any reader.

The way this book is set up allows for there to be a story that uses the facts and sets up a real-life portion at the end of the book. It is all about how the parrots ended up in Puerto Rico and how they were hunted and then ended up being saved in bird sanctuaries. However, at the end of the book, there are real pictures with captions about the bird sanctuaries and more about what they do to help these parrots.

“She does not sail from port to port. She does not carry passengers or mail or packages. She holds to one spot as other ships sail by. She waits.“

This book would be great for younger students when introducing them to nonfiction. Because of that story-telling aspect of the way it is set up helps with engagement and the illustrations themselves are interesting and gather the attention of the reader.

“Lightship“ is a picture book about what it is like living on a lightship when they were still around. It is set up like a story to keep the readers/listeners engaged. The way it sets up its facts does not make it seem like they are facts but knowing it is a nonfiction book, you know it is all true. There is also a fantastic diagram at the beginning of the book that describes various parts of the boat.

“Sitting side by side, we embroider
colorful stitches on circles
of soft, dream-filled cloth.“

I think using poetry to dive deeper into everyone's heritage is a great way to teach students that everyone comes from somewhere different and depending on where that may be, it may look different for everyone. The elements of poetry that make it interesting is that you can really look at specifics and utilize the five senses.

This is a collection of poems relating to how beautiful everyone's heritage is and how it is important to celebrate it for everyone. One of the poems I focused on was called La Vista and it is about a young girl whose 'abuelita' comes to visit and they are able to celebrate the importance of what makes them unique.

“The colors of
the dawning sky-a change to
a whole new garment“

I would use this with very young elementary students because in my opinion Haikus are easy to follow and are a great introduction to poetry as they are also easy to write.