Amber+Clapper

Fiction 1. Blackaby, Susan. 2011 **Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox**. 31 Stearling Publishing Company. Southeast Regional Library.

Brownie the Groundhog is a character in this fictional book. He knew he needed to peek out to see if he could see his shadow or not and when he does he learns there will be more winter. A fox sees him and decided he wants to eat the groundhog. He tricks the fox into going to look for signs of spring and when there are none the fox is ready to eat him. Brownie tricks him into sweeping off a frozen lake with his tail and to go ice-skating. The fox works up his appetite and wants to eat the groundhog but brownie ties him to a tree using her scarf. A bird then comes and takes part of the scarf and begins to make a nest which is the first sign of spring they are looking for. This book could be used to teach students about the holiday ground hog day and tradition of a groundhog poking through the ground to see if there would be more winter or if it would be spring. This book could also provide students an opportunity to use critical thinking skills about how brownie could out smart the fox and what they think is going to happen as the book goes on. 2. Colandro, Lucille. 2010 **There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves.** Scholastic Inc. 30. Hohokam Elementary School Library.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves is a fiction book about an old lady who swallows some leaves. Throughout the book she swallows leaves, a shirt, a pumpkin, a pole, pants, a rope and hay. Once she has swallowed all of these things she lets out a great big sneeze and out comes a scarecrow with a pumpkin for a head. This is a fun book to read during fall because children could learn and practice sequencing with this book. There are many different variations of this book for each holiday/season so it would be fun to read that book each holiday and practice sequencing each time. This book could also be used to work on reading strategies with students. You can ask them what do you think she will swallow next and what do you think is going to happen after she swallows all of these things?

3. Elschner, Geraldine. 2004 **Friends For All Seasons.** North-South Books Inc. 24. Southeast Regional Library.

Friends For all Seasons is a fiction book about a squirrel and a marmot that are friends and play all summer and fall together. The marmot explains to the squirrel that she is going to have to hibernate for the winter and won’t be around to play. The squirrel is so sad and tried to hang out with other people during the winter but has a hard time finding a friend until she made a snowman. The snowman could talk to her and they quickly became friends. Soon the snowman told her that he is going to melt soon as spring approaches and the squirrel is sad again. Soon she hears her marmot friend awaken and realizes that her friend is no longer in hibernation and they can be friends again! This book could be used to teach students about animals and what hibernation is and why some animals hibernate while others do not. This book could also be used to teach students about friendship and using their imagination. The squirrel had to make the snowman up to be friends with her.

4. Gerber, Carole. 2013 **Spring Blossoms.** 30 Charlesbridge. Southeast Regional Library

Spring Blossoms is a fictional book that is about two girls who go on a walk and see all the different flowers that are beginning to bloom in the spring. They see all the different tress that are beginning to bloom and a spring breeze picks up and blows all the flowers around. This book could teach children about the different flowers and trees that bloom during the spring like balsam fir, white pine, beech, white oak, cherry, magnolia and crab apple. This book also contains a lot of information about spring and how things blossom that would be a good teacher resource when reading it to students. 5. Getz, Arthur. 1972 **Hamilton Duck.** 25Western Publishing Company. Personal Collection.

Hamilton is the character in a fiction book where he goes for a walk when he realizes the birds are disappearing and the leaves are gone. He wanted to go for a walk but the pond was as hard as a rock and instead he slipped and slid all over the place. When he fell it woke up the fish that had been sleeping so he swam up to the top and hit the ice, which had not been there when he had gone to sleep. The duck and fish see each other through the ice. Hamilton then realizes that winter must still be around and so he tried to tell the fish but the fish had gone back to bed. Hamilton went back home and went and made himself a bed of hay and went to bed. This book can be used as science to teach students what happens when water freezes. They can learn how things can change in different temperatures. This book can also be used to teach students about hibernation of animals.

6. Godwin, Laura. 2002 **The Best Fall Of All.** 24. Scholastic Printing Inc. Hohokam Elementary Library.

This fiction book is about a cat and a dog that like the fall season and go out to play. Together they see birds and pumpkins, feel the cold wind and watch leaves fall. They run around and fall into the leaves and then decide to run home where they cuddle together to warm up. This book would be great to use with a literature circle because it is very simple and would be easy to point and read with. This book also would allow students the opportunity to use reading strategies and list other things that are out at fall that the cat and dog could have seen.

7. Herbert Yee, Wong. 2010 **Mouse and Mole A Winter Wonderland.** Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 45. Southeast Regional Library.

Mouse and Mole A Winter Wonderland is a fiction chapter book about two friends who one wants to sleep during the winter and one wants to sleep. The mouse, who wants to play makes a snow mole and takes him sledding and ice-skating. The mouse dresses his snow mole in winter clothes. In the next chapter the real mole that wanted to sleep wakes up and realizes that mouse has someone who is following him and realizes that mouse has used his clothes to dress his snow mole. Once he gets his clothes backs the mole makes a snow mouse and starts to be friends with it. They make their two snow animals be friends and mouse and mole decide that it is fun to play in the winter.

8. Hillenbrand, Will. 2011 **Spring Is Here.** Library of Congress. 30. Southeast Regional Library.

Spring is here is a fiction book about a mole and a bear who are getting ready for spring by hibernating. The mole is awake and realizes it is spring and is bear friend is asleep. He taps on the window, plays a horn, tickles him and knocks on his door to wake him up but none of that works. So the mole gathers eggs, butter, and milk so he can bake. He ends up pouring, mixing and baking until he has a special treat for bear. Mole at this point is very tired as he brings his friend bear breakfast. Once the bear smells breakfast he wakes up and tries to wake the mole that has now fallen asleep after working so hard to make breakfast. This book would be good for teaching students about process. In the story the mole has to go gather eggs, milk and butter then he can mix and pour and bake. Students will learn about sequencing and patterning through those steps. This would also be a good book for teaching students how to infer. The book never says that the bear smelled the breakfast and woke up and the book never says that the mole fell asleep because he was tired after making breakfast but you can tell by the picture that that is what has happened.

9. Metzger, Steve. 2005 **We’re Going On a Leaf Hunt.** Scholastic Inc. 28. Brisas Elementary Library.

We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt is a fiction book about a group of friends who go to hunt colorful leaves for the day. First they come to a tall mountain that they have to go over. They find leaves from the maple tree and pick them up. Next they run into a dark forest that they must go through. Once they get through it they pick of leaves from the birch tree. They then go through a waterfall and get leaves from the hickory tree. Lastly they come to a lake they must cross to get to the red oak tree leaves. Then they hear a sound from behind a bush and realize there is a skunk and run back through everything to get home. This book could be used to work with students on sequencing events of a story and to have the skills necessary to recall events in order. This book can also be used to teach students about the different types of leaves that are encountered throughout the book.

10. Metzger, Steve. 2003 **The Biggest Leaf Pile.** Scholastic Inc. 30. Personal Collection.

The biggest leaf pile is a fiction book four different colored leafs who are waiting for fall to arrive and to be blown off the tree. They are excited for the wind to come because it is going to blow them off of their tree and they will finally be able to be in a pile together. Once they are all in a pile together a bird flew over and told them that they were the biggest leaf pile that she has seen all day long. That led to an argument about which color should be on top. The yellow leaf said she should be on top because she was so bright and the color of the sun. The red leaf said it should be on top because it was the color of apples and strawberries. Purple said it should be on top because it was the same color as violets and plumbs and orange because it is the color of pumpkins and carrots. Just then a big bear came and jumped in the pile of leaves and they realized that it didn’t matter who was on top but that it mattered that they were all together and having fun. This book is great to teach students about colors but it would also be great teaching kids about colors. The colors in this book are extraordinary and kids will really be able to learn about each of the four colors and what other items are also that color. This book also would be great for teaching students about friendship and how it is not always important to be the person who is on top. The book also gives the types of trees that each leaf is from, oak, beech, maples and hickory. It would be fun to learn about those trees and what is similar and different between them. 11. Minor, Wendell. **2013 How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow.** 29 The Penguin Group. Personal Collection.

The fiction book How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow is a book about growing large pumpkins and what could you do with them. In the book they grow a pumpkin that is big enough to carve into a boat and race in. Paul Bunyan and his Ox Babe grew a huge pumpkin that was the size of them. There is a pumpkin so big that it had so much hot hair it was able to raise hot air balloons at a fall festival. One that is as bright as a lighthouse or as a skyline. The pumpkin grown in Texas has a large cowboy hat and another is part of a roller coaster ride. Some were so big that they could hide behind the pumpkin and another fit on Mt. Rushmore with all of the other presidents. The last one is a pumpkin that fills the Grand Canyon. This book has really great pictures that are full of details that kids will love. In addition to pumpkins tying into seasons this book takes you all over the USA. This would be a great book to read when learning about other states. This book also includes a lot of landmarks that are found throughout the United States. The vocabulary in this book is incredible. They use words like colossal, astronomical, stupendous, mighty, immense, monster, gigantic, bright and enormous.

12. Munsch, Robert. 1985 **Thomas’ Snowsuit.** 20 Twenty Second Printing. Personal Collection.

Thomas’ Snowsuit is a fiction book that is about a boy Thomas who does not want to wear the snowsuit his mother has bought him because he says it is the ugliest thing ever. Thomas would not put on the snowsuit so his mother had to force it on him before school. When Thomas got to school he hung up the snowsuit and would not put it on before going out to recess. His teacher begged and pleaded but Thomas would not put on the snowsuit so the teacher did just like his mother and tried to force it on him but instead she ended up in his snow suit and he ended up in her teacher clothes. The principal came in and demanded that Thomas put on his snowsuit but he said no. The principal and the teacher ended up wearing each others clothes but Thomas still did not have on his snow suit. His friends called him outside to play and he went and he came back in wearing his snowsuit and at the end of the story the principal quit his job and moved to Arizona where people do not wear snowsuits. This book can teach children about behavior. It would be good to have a class discussion about if it is appropriate to tell you parents no or a teacher or principal no. It would be important to explain why those people wanted him to put his coat on and how adults have kids best interest at heart.

13. Roberts, Bethany. 2008 **Double Trouble Groundhog Day.** Henry Holt and Company. 33. Southeast Regional Library.

Double Trouble Groundhog Day is a fiction book about a family of groundhogs who is preparing to tell if winter is going to last another six weeks or if spring is coming. The grandpa groundhog that normally looks for his shadow to tell about winter feels that he is getting to old and that one of his grandchildren should take the job instead. One of the groundhogs takes the job but then does not wake up on February 2nd so his sister begins to worry that farmers will not know when to plant their crops or if people will need more firewood. The first groundhog admits that he is nervous to tell if winter will continue so both of them go outside to see their shadow and learn that spring will be coming! In addition to learning about season this book could be used to teach students about ground hogs and animals. Students could learn about hibernation through this story along with how to be a good brother or sister.

14. Yeoman, John. 1969 **The Bear’s Winter House.** Sterling Publishing. 24. Personal Collection.

The Bear’s Winter House is a fiction book about a bear who is looking to build a winter house and needs to collect sticks, logs, leaves and moss so when winter comes he has a nice warm place to sleep. While he is building his winter house the other animals are curious as to what he is doing and he tells them he is making somewhere warm to sleep for the winter. When winter falls the other animals come to his winter home and him if they can come in because it is so cold outside. The bear decided to let them in and they feel so warm and toasty that they decide to stay up and hang out all winter long. The bear does not get any sleep or hibernation that he needs and when spring arrives and it is nice outside all the other animals go outside and tell the bear they will see him next winter. After they leave he takes his house apart and moves it to the other side of the forest, away from the other animals and goes back to sleep for longer. This book could be used for enriching language in a classroom. The book uses words such as chilly, pepping, fluttered, shivering, crowded, cozy, and howled which are all words that can help increase a child’s language. The book could also be used to teach about animals and what hibernation is.

15. Yolen, Jane. 1998 **Welcome to the Ice House.** Scholastic Inc.Personal Collection. This fiction book talks about all the animals that are living in the arctic like lemmings, fox, wolfs, hare, ptarmigan and lynx. All of these animals are afraid of a moose and a polar bear that are on the loose. There is more than just snow in the arctic, there is also water with seals and killer wales. A falcon can come and tell that spring is coming. The book says on a single day spring and summer return together. There is warm weather and colorful flowers and storms rolling through. Bears that have been hibernating wake up and all the animals come out from hiding.

Non-Fiction 1. Glaser, Linda. 2003 **It’s Summer**. Millbrook Press, Inc. 29. Southeast Regional Library.

It’s summer time is a book about things we do and summer and sights and sounds during summer. In this story the girl talks about how on hot summer days she goes to the beach or to the pool. She plays in mud piles and listens to different bugs as they fly around. In the summer she hears lots of thunderstorms with loud thunder and lots of rain. The girl talks about how bright it stays after dinner and there is more light during each day until it starts to turn into fall. This book includes a very rich vocabulary that would be fun to use with students. They could learn different flowers such as marigolds, daisies and dahlias. Students will be able to use this book to learn about different weather such as thunderstorms and wind and what a rainbow is.

Teacher Resource 1. Berger, Melvin. 1995 **The Four Seasons.** Newbridge Educational Publishing.16. Brisas Elementary Library.

The Four Seasons is a non-fiction book that talks about all four seasons in the year. In summer it is warm and people often go to the beach and swim in pools. In fall leaves change color and it begins to get cooler. During the winter it snows in some places and while humans enjoy to play in the snow some animals like to hibernate through the winter. Once the snow begins to melt spring is near and flowers will begin to bloom. This book can be used to teach about insects and how they pollinate flowers. This book is also good for giving students ideas of what to do during different seasons in the year. 2.   Charman, Andrew. 2012 **Leaves Change Color and Other Questions About Plants.** Kingfisher. 31. Southeast Regional Library. Leaves Change Color and Other Questions About Plants is a great non-fiction teacher resource book. The book explains why trees have leaves. It talks about how leaves help the tree with photosynthesis. Leaves contain sticky stuff that is called chlorophyll. The chlorophyll helps use water, air and sun to make food for a tree. The book explains that some trees loose their leaves in the fall because they need the sunlight to help make energy. As days get shorter and shorter there is less time for the leaves to process this food and the tree must take all the food. The chlorophyll is what makes a plant look green but as it turns to fall the chlorophyll breaks down and the green coloring is broken down. 3. Herrington, Lisa. 2013 **How Do You Know It’s Spring?** Scholastic Publishing Inc. 32. Southeast Regional Library.

How Do You Know It’s Spring is a non-fiction book that teaches about things that happen in spring. The book teaches about weather beginning to warm up and melt snow and being able to put the warm winter clothes away and enjoy the nice weather outside. In the book we learn that animals like bunnies have their babies and birds fly back from their winter homes and have baby birds as well. Families and farmers may plan gardens and we see that trees and flowers begin to change colors. This book would be good to use to teach students about flowers and plants and maybe do some science experiments with planting their own seeds. This book is also filled with great vocabulary like sprouts, buds, migrates, hatch and bloom that can be use to enrich a child’s vocabulary.

4. Maestro, Betsy. 1994 **Why Do Leaves Change Color?** HarperCollins Publishers. 32. Hohokam Elementary School Library.

Why Do Leaves Change Color is a non-fiction teacher resource book that is full of information about autumn. It talks about the different leaves that come from different trees like sugar maple, oak, birch, sassafras, and a silver maple. The book gives illustrations that are of the inside of the tree and shows how chlorophyll gives leaves their green color. The book talks about how in fall there is a change in the amount of daylight and time to process food. Without longer days the leaves will have to survive longer without water and sun. The color of the leaves are not the same from year to year because they depend on the weather. The brightest most vibrant colors come from bright sunlight and clear nights. If there is to much rain or frost it could make the colors dull or make the laves die too quickly. The book introduces evergreen trees which are pine trees that are green all year long. This book could be used for much more than seasons. You could teach students about different colors and different plants. This would be a fun book to do a sorting activity with if you printed out ( our could find real leaves) different shapes of leaves and different colors of leaves.

5. Owen, Ruth. 2012 **How Do You Know It’s Summer?** Bearport Publishing Company. 24. Southeast Regional Library.

How do you know it’s summer is a non fiction book that teaches about summer. The book talks about insect and animals that are out during the summer and how most baby animals separate from their parent at this time. The book teachers about sunlight and how each day get longer and longer until the official start of summer which is the longest day of the year. You can tell summer is getting closer because it begins to get hotter outside and there is a change in temperature. This book can be used to teach about weather and how weather is different between different states in the summer. This book can also be used to teach about bugs and insects and how they survive. It also talks about plants and seeds and how they grow during summer and that could translate into some since lessons in a classroom.