Classroom Resources: An Annotated List of Picture Books, Chapter Books, Videos, Songs, and Websites

Woodson, Jacqueline (2013) This is the rope: A story from the Great Migration. Illus. James Ransome. Picture Book. This cumulative pattern book tells the story of how a rope is part of a family history through three generations from living in South Carolina to migrating to New York City.

Woodson, Jacqueline (2014) brown girl dreaming. Penguin. Chapter Book. This book is written in free-verse poetry that flows into a memoir of growing up black and female in the 1960s and 1970s. It also touches on the role of writing in Woodson’s life, even though she struggled in school.

Wray, John (2010) Lowboy. Picador. Young Adult. Will Heller, a.k.a. Lowboy, is a paranoid schizophrenic who is off his medications and on the lam. While pursued by his mother and a local detective, Lowboy lives on the subway in the underground of the city and worries about problems as huge as global warming. While global warming is handled subtly and as a subtext in the novel, what becomes apparent is that even those truly considered on the outside may have things to contribute.

Wyeth, Sharon Dennis (1998) Something beautiful. Illus. Chris K. Soentpiet. Doubleday. Picture Book. This book offers an opportunity to take a critical look at the places people inhabit, as well as initiate discussions around the multiple meanings of the word “beautiful.” The young girl in this book pursues a quest for beauty in her inner-city neighborhood. She initially is discouraged by the blighted areas around her, including the letters “DIE” on her own front door and the trash that is strewn around the yard. But she soon discovers that beauty can be found in a beautiful-tasting fish sandwich, or the beautiful sound of a baby’s laugh, or simply the beauty inside each individual.

Yaccarino, D. (2013) Doug unplugged. Alfred A. Knopf. Picture Book. Doug is a robot who learns by downloading information each morning, but he begins to wonder if he might learn more about the world by going out to explore it. One day he decides to “unplug” and discovers the richness of the world by touching, listening, smelling, and interacting with others.

Yang, Belle (2004) Hannah is my name. Candlewick. Picture Book. Belle Yang draws on her own experience of coming to America from Taiwan at age seven to tell this story of what it means to be an immigrant without proper papers. The tension in this story revolves around the family members getting green cards.

Yang, Gene Luen (2008) American born Chinese. Square Fish. Picture Book. Three diverse plot lines make up this story, which in the end does cohere: Monkey King is a folk hero who would love to be revered as a god; Jim Wang is a lonely Asian American middle school student who would do anything to fit in; and, Danny, an All-American teen, is so shamed by ethnic stereotypes that he is forced to change schools. Together these stories convey an overall message: Everyone is best off accepting who they are as well as their differences.

Yankovic, Al (2013) My new teacher and me! Illus. Wes Hargis. HarperCollins. Picture Book. “I’ll bet every great thinker and leader we’ve got / Could see all kinds of things other people could not!” (back cover). Billy, a small boy with a big imagination, meets Mr. Booth, a big teacher with a no-nonsense agenda. When these two forces meet, something has to give and fortunately for readers (and Billy!) imagination wins. A great read-aloud.

Yashima, Taro (1976) Crow boy. Perfection Learning. Picture Book. Chibi, a shy, small boy is both belittled and ignored by his classmates until, in his last year of elementary school, a wise and sensitive teacher draws him out. His classmates come to realize how much he knows and how much they could have learned from him had they tried to befriend him earlier. While this book is not unproblematic in that the children end up calling him “Crow Boy,” a name that still positions Chibi in particular ways, it does open up the possibility to talk about both the positive and negative effects of nicknames.

Yin (2003) Coolies. Illus. Chris Soentpiet. Puffin. Picture Book. The Chinese laborers brought over to build America’s railroads across the West in 1865 lived hard lives and were subjected to racist attitudes. The stark realities of this period are brought to life by Shek and his brother Little Wong as they try to stay alive and save enough money to bring their mother and little brothers to America.

Yolen, Jane (1996) Encounter. Illus. David Shannon. Houghton Mifflin. Picture Book. When Christopher Columbus landed on the island of San Salvador in 1492, what he discovered were the Taino natives. Told from a young Taino boy’s point of view, this is the story of how the boy tried to warn his people against welcoming the strangers who seemed more interested in golden ornaments than friendship. Years later, the boy, now an old man, looks back at the destruction of his people and their culture by colonizers.

Zee, Ruth Vander (2008) Always with you. Illus. Ronald Himler. Eerdmans Books. Picture Book. “Kim, come to me. Don’t be afraid. I will always be with you.” These are the word Kim’s mother utters as she dies on the day their Vietnam village is bombed. Alone and afraid, Kim is rescued by American soldiers who bring her to an orphanage run by Ong and Ba Jones. There, among the companionship of other orphans, Kim finds the strength and courage to survive.