The Hired Hand

Author and Illustrator: Robert D. San Souci, Jerry Pinkney

Genre and Type: Traditional Literature, Folktale

Awards: California Book Award Silver Medal

The Hired Hand tells of a father and son, Old Sam and Young Sam. Old Sam owns a sawmill and is a hard worker while Young Sam is not. Young Sam wanted to find a new young hand to do all his work. The New Hand and Young Sam deal with farmers and the court system. Young Sam comes to a realization and has a change of heart. 

This book would be appropriate for grade levels 1st - 4th. Although it is a simple read, it provides insight on African American Folklore. This book is not appropriate for Kindergartners, therefore I would not use this book in my classroom. However, a teacher could use this book if teaching a lesson on culture or history.

The Best of Grimm's Fairy Tales

Author and Illustrator: Translated by Anetha Bell & Anne Rogers, Svend Otto S

Genre and Type: Traditional Literature, Folktale/Fairy Tale

Awards:
Grade Level: Kinder- 3rd

This book contains five fairy tales: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids, The Musicians of Bremen, and Tom Thumb. For example, the Snow White fairy tale was a little different than the usual Disney version. All the fairy tales have a little twist or extra text to the stories. The illustrations and text of the book are geared towards older children. The fairy tales are short and simple to read. This book could be used in grade levels Kindergarten - 3rd. 

This book can be used in a classroom for story time, and prompt discussion of the story afterwards. For example, you could discuss that the seven dwarfs were kind enough to help Snow White, or how jealousy and greed is detrimental. I personally would not use this book because it is not appropriate for Kindergartners. 

Helga's Dowry- A Troll Love Story

Author and Illustrator: Tomie dePaola

Genre and Type: Traditional Literature, Folktale

Awards:
Grade Level: Kinder- 3rd 

Helga is a troll who is in love with Lars, yet she has no dowry. Lars finds another troll to marry; she has a huge dowry. Madly in love with Lars, Helga decides to take matters into her own hands. She works hard for her dowry, and is then confronted by Lars. Unfortunately, Helga is a strong willed troll who ends up marrying the King. 

The grade level for this book would be Kindergarten- 3rd grade. I would have this book in my classroom for my students to read individually. It is a comical book that also teaches a lesson, and how to problem solve. This book could be used to discuss lifestyle, hierarchy, culture, or problem solving. The deep and complex discussions would be useful for older students.

Paul Bunyan

Author and Illustrator: Steven Kellogg

Genre and Type: Traditional Literature, Tall Tale

Awards: 

This book is a tall tale about Paul Bunyan and his ox Babe. Since birth, Paul has been different from everyone else. Paul is an over-sized child that grows up to be a lumberman who travels across American creating landscapes such as the Grand Canyon, and the Great Lakes.

This book would be great for grades 1st - 3rd. This book would be beneficial in my classroom because it introduces geographical landscapes, and historical events. I would use it in my classroom to get my students interested in some of the geography, or history of America. 

Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio 

Genre: Realistic Fiction,  Novel

Awards:Bluebonnet Award An E.B White Read Aloud Award Winner, A Washington Post Best Kids' Book, and an IRA-CBC Teachers' Choice

This is an incredible novel about a young boy named Auggie, August Pullman to be exact. Auggie faces many challenges, but the transition from homeschooling to Beecher Prep, entering 5th grade, was a new challenge he will learn to overcome. Throughout this novel, Auggie discovers confidence and understanding of himself, his family, and his real friends along with the sense kindness that flourishes a school and community. Wonder portrays what reality can be like for young children around the the middle and high school age.
This novels is a magnificent read, and can be used for grades 3 and up. Wonder is a very relateable read for students who may struggle with being accepted, making friends, fitting in, and dealing with bullies. I personally would not use this book because I want to teach Kindergarten. However, as an educator, one could assign this book as a class read and then do a book report. The book report can be on what the book was about, how it affected the readers, what was learned, and how kindness, or Mr. Browne's precepts could be applied to their life. This assignment would be used for older children in middle or high school. Although it is a children's novel, anyone can enjoy the inspirational value of this book. 

FABLES

Author and Illustrator: Arnold Lobel
Genre and Type: Traditional Literature, Fables
Awards: Caldecott Medal in 1980

With an illustration on one side of the page, and the fable on the other, these fables are short, sweet, and to the point. At the end of each fable, there is a moral at the bottom of the page that coincides with the story and illustration. This book consist of 20 fables such as; The Bear and the Crow, The Bad Kangaroo, The Hen and the Apple Tree, The Ducks and the Fox, and The Baboon's Umbrella.

These fables can appeal to kindergarten and up, however the introduction and utilization of this book would need to be differentiated for each grade level. Since Fables uses animals, an educator can introduce the animals or topic with this book. I would like to use this book to entice readers and learners to think about what the fables are insinuating, initiate discussion about the moral, and how its applicable to themselves and others.