The Aesop for Children. New York: Checkerboard Press, 1993.
This is a collection of hundreds of short fables that use animals as characters in order to teach an important life lesson or moral by the end. The fables incorporate human character traits, flaws, emotions, and dialogue all by personifying animals.
Cisneros, Sandra.
The House on Mango Street.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994
A beautiful collection of vignettes written in poetic prose. Cisneros weaves
together the experiences of her Latina childhood in a series of interrelated,
fictional, coming of age stories. This book embodies the spirit of storytelling.
Haddon, Mark.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.
New York: Doubleday, 2003.
A very popular text with my students! This is a story about a boy, named Christopher, who lives with Asperger’s Syndrome. He doesn’t understand human emotion, has a hard time reading people, but he loves his pet rat, prime numbers, and anything red. Christopher sets out to solve a mystery and write a book about his life at the same time.
The novel is a great example of the power in telling your story to the world, especially one that doesn’t understand you.
Keats, Ezra Jack.
Regards to the Man in the Moon.
New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1981.
This picture book (the author of which is a Caldecott medalist) uses collage-type illustrations and a fantastic adventure to capture the imagination of its reader. It is a story of love, friendship, creativity, and the voyage of imagination.
Lionni, Leo:
Frederick’s Fables: A Leo Lionni Treasury of Favorite Stories.
New York: Pantheon Books, 1985.
This is a beautiful picture book; also a nice alternative to Aesop’s fables as the characters (who are more loveable and whole than those in the fables) also teach us something about life. A childhood classic to share with kids of any age.
