Our California by Pam Munoz Ryan

The pictures in this book are wonderful!  This book talks about the different parts of California--how the Central Valley has plentiful orchards, how Eureka is both the state motto AND the name of a town and how the Channel Islands are home to ghost ships.  And did you know that our state mineral is gold?  Makes sense, huh?

 

My Heart Glow by Emily Arnold McCully

This is a lovely nonfiction picture book about Alice Cogswell, a little girl who became deaf at age 2 due to Spotted Fever.  Her family befriends a preacher named Thomas Gallaudet and he teaches her to read.  Gallaudet travels to Durope to learn about sign language and comes back with Laurent Clerc, a teacher for the deaf and they open a school for the deaf in America. 

 

The New Bear at School by Tim Warnes

Super cute book here!  A great big new bear named Boris arrives as a student at school where there are only cute little animals.  All the little animals freak out and no one wants to play with Boris until he inadvertently scares off some mean rat bullies. 

 

My Friend Jamal by Anna McQuinn

Awwwww, this book is really sweet :o)  It's about a white boy Joseph and a Somali American kid named Jamal who are best friends.  Joseph talks about how when Jamal visits, he can't have sausage because it's pork and they're Muslim.  And he can't have milk because he has eczema--I never knew you couldn't drink milk because of eczema!  Jamal's family escaped Somalia because of all the fighting.  My favorite part of the story is when Joseph is at Jamal's house and they have pasta with bananas!  Then Joseph asks his mom if they can have bananas with pasta at their home and she says she'll think about it :o)

 

Hooray for Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold

The simplest chapter book for little kids, seriously.  Fly Guy is a fly who joins a football team with his human friend Buzz.  He wins the game by flying up an opposing team player's nose.

 

Sarah Laughs by Jacqueline Jules

Bible story about Sarah and Abraham and how she doesn't get knocked up until she's really old.  Isaac means laughter.