2009 Summer/Fall Picture Books

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Nancy's picks for the best picture books of Summer/Fall 2009 and ideas for using them in the classroom. Compiled by Nancy Polette © 2009.
Last updated: Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Auch, Mary Jane and Herm. THE PLOT CHICKENS. Holiday House, 2009. Grades 1-3.
A great addition to any elementary classroom! Here is a very clever introduction to the writing process as Henrietta the hen decides to become an author.

Baker, Keith. JUST HOW LONG CAN A STRING BE? Scholastic, 2009. Grades K-4.
Foster fluent thinking and brainstorming. How many uses can you name for a ball of string?

Bazer, Gina and Renanah Lehner. NOW HIRING: WHITE HOUSE DOG. Walker, 2009. Grades K-2
The First Daughters want a dog and when no pet is in sight they take matters into their own hands with immediate results!

Cutler, Jane. GUTTERSNIPE. Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009. Grades 1-3.
There is never enough money in Ben’s house so he gets job delivering hat linings to factory after school. He makes several unscheduled stops and in hitching a ride behind a trolley, has an accident and loses the goods he was to deliver. He learns that the disaster was not the end but the beginning.

Esbaum, Jill. STANZA. Illustrated by Jack E. Davis. Harcourt, 2009. Grades 1-3
Stanza is a bully who eats chicken pot pie and writes poetry, hoping that his brothers never find out. But what if he wins the poetry contest?

Grandits, John. THE TRAVEL GAME. Illustrated by R.W. Alley. Clarion Books, 2009. Grades 2-4.
With a globe and an almanac, Tad plays the travel game with his Aunt Hattie.

Gorbachev, Valerie. DRAGON IS COMING! Harcourt, 2009. Grades PreK-2
Little mouse misunderstands words he overhears and warns all the animals that the rumbling they hear is an approaching dragon.

Hamilton, Kersten. POLICE OFFICERS ON PATROL. Illustrated by R.W. Alley. Viking, 2009. Grades K-2
With rhyming text and cartoon illustrations children discover what police officers do and what to do if help is needed.

Hoberman, Mary Ann. ALL KINDS OF FAMILIES. Little Brown, 2009. Grades K-3
In rollicking verse children discover all kinds of families. Almost anything that makes a group!

Horton, Joan. MATH ATTACK. Illustrated by Krysten Brooker. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009. Grades 2-4
A math student tries so hard to remember her times tables that her brain just explodes and numbers fly out of her head by the score. A fun approach to math!

Isadora, Rachel. HANSEL AND GRETEL. Putnam, 2009. Grades K-3
The traditional tale with a new setting...Africa!

Johnson, D.B. HENRY’S NIGHT. Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Grades 2-5.
Henry (Thoreau) searches for the elusive whippoorwill on a moonlit walk.

Kellogg, Steven. THE PIED PIPER’S MAGIC. Dial, 2009. Grades 2-4
Peterkin the elf receives a gift of a magical pipe and uses it to work happy miracles.

McDermott, Gerald. PIG BOY. Harcourt, 2009. Grades K-2
Brightly illustrated trickster tale from Hawaii.

Miller, Bobbi. ONE FINE TRADE. Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Holiday House, 2009. Grades K-2
Georgy Piney Woods wants to trade a horse for a silver dollar to buy his daughter a wedding dress but trading is not as easy as it seems.

Napoli, Donna Jo and Elena Furrow, READY TO DREAM. Illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft. Bloomsbury, 2009. Grades 1-3
On here trip to Australia Ally discovers art can be created in many ways, not just wit paints and paper.

Paul, Ann Whitford. TORTUGA IN TROUBLE. Illustrated by Ethan Long. Holiday House, 2009. Grades K-3
A Hispanic twist on the Red Riding Hood tale.

Podwal, Mark. BUILT BY ANGELS. Harcourt, 2009. Grades 2-4
The legend of the Old-New synagogue in Prague said to be built by angels.

Root, Phyllis. PAULA BUNYAN. Illustrated by Kevin O’Malley. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009.
Tall as a pine tree, strong as a dozen moose, Paula Bunyan sets off for adventure in the North Woods.

Shields, Carol. WOMBAT WALKABOUT. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Dutton 2009. Grades 1-3.
A counting poem with six wombats on a trip through the Australian outback.

Uhlberg, Myron. THE PRINTER. Illustrated by Henri Sorensen. Peachtree, 2009. Grades 2-4
A deaf printer finds a way to warn others of a fire. A touching story.