Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick (graphic novel, grades 2-5)
Whoa, what if you were walking along and suddenly a mysterious boy fell from the sky? D.J. comes from a large family where everyone is good at something...except him. One day, while sitting outside, D.J. sees something fly from the sky and land nearby and that's how he meets Hilo. Hilo looks like a regular kid, but he can shoot lasers from his hands and he has other super powers. Hilo doesn't remember who he is or where he's from but he soon learns that there is something evil that he's trying to escape from. Can D.J., and his friend Gina, help Hilo escape from the Obliteratron? In this book, I love how Hilo helps D.J. discover that he is, in fact, good at two very important things: being a good friend and helping others. Kids who are fans of graphic novels with lots of action (and some humor) will enjoy this book. Hilo is the first book in the series and it is on the 2018 Bluestem Award list.
Plants Can't Sit Still by Rebecca E. Hirsch (nonfiction picture book, PK-2)
Sure, plants sway with the wind and move when they grow, but how else do they move? Did you know that plants can wiggle, squirm, reach, creep, slither, crawl, search, climb, hide, surprise, sleep, tumble, float, and explode? This fun picture book explains the different ways that plants can move using simple language and large, clear pictures. This would be a great, interactive read aloud with young students. The students could act out the verbs that are used in the book to describe the way that the plants move. Plants Can't Sit Still would be perfect to read during a unit on plants or to introduce word choice (verbs). This book would pair very nicely with Plant the Tiny Seed (see previous post).
Fabulous Frogs by Martin Jenkins (nonfiction picture book, PK-3)
Frogs are so interesting! Did you know there are more than 5,000 different kinds? In Fabulous Frogs, the author uses big text to introduce the main idea on each page and then smaller text to add more information. We learn about how frogs can be huge, tiny, noisy, fast, "hairy", "flying", colorful, and more! The large pictures of the frogs, some in their habitats and some against a white background, are colorful and accurate. This book would be a great read aloud for younger students (using just the large text) and for elementary school students (using all of the text). In a story time setting, this book could be used along with the song Five Little Specked Frogs, The Croaky Pokey! song/book, and the book I Don't Want to be a Frog!.
Happy Reading!
