Top Ten 2012 - 2013

Number One on our Top Ten list!

There are 180 days in the school year and we read about two books aloud to our students every day.  Those 360 books, which encompass multiple genres, serve as the foundation of our collectively shared literacy experiences.

However, this by no means solely represents the extent of the books that blanket our classroom.  We have book bins of favorite authors (Todd Parr, Dan Yaccarino, Nancy Carlson, Ezra Jack Keats, Mo Willems), favorite characters (Curious George, Rotten Ralph, Froggy, Clifford) and popular themes (holidays, planets, community workers, school, friendship, animals, etc).

Students bring books from home to share with the class and constantly create their own little books "in the style" of the books that surround them.  I love when they do that!

Number Two on our Top Ten!

Given the constant exposure to so many wonderful books I am always curious to know which titles really make an impact on the students.  So, at the end of each school year I ask my students to compile a list of their favorites.

This year they came up with a preliminary list of 25 books. From there they voted on the Top Ten.

It was a huge surprise for me to see that Five Little Ducks retold and illustrated by Ivan Bates came out on top.  This was just a cute, simple book I chose from the library one morning.  I suppose one should never underestimate the power of a catchy tune and the inherent appeal of waddling like a duckling.

The second most popular book was no surprise.  Clay Boy by Mirra Ginsburg and Jos. A. Smith has elements of The Gingerbread Boy (which was in the top 25) and The Three Billy Goats Gruff but ultimately stands on its own.  It is virtually impossible to resist the charm of Clay Boy even as he gobbles up everything and everyone in his path.

Number Three on our Top Ten!

Unlovable by Dan Yacarrino came in at Number Three. Interestingly, this book held the same position in the Top Ten for 2009 - 2010.  I was introduced to this engaging book when I observed another teacher sharing it with her class and immediately fell in love with sad, insecure Alfred.  SPOILER ALERT! - He is not unlovable at all!

I think this was also the first time that author/illustrator Dan Yaccarino entered my consciousness. Afterwards, I began to notice that he was responsible for many of the books I was reading to my students.

Once I realized this I invited him to visit our school and he graciously accepted!  In addition to that visit he also gave his time and talent to support the fundraising event held at the Children's Museum of the Arts for art education in our school.  His book Lawn to Lawn also made our Top Ten in the Number Eight position.

Number Four on our Top Ten!

Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger is the Number Four selection. At heart this is a story of the underdog triumphing over his loud, bossy oppressor.

But I think the reason our students voted for this book is because we have a student, Camilla, who shares a name with the know-it-all character in the book.  Our Camilla was not amused (and she is nothing like the character in the book) but it proved intriguing to everyone else.

Number Five on our Top Ten!

I am thrilled with the Number Five pick.

Washington Irving's The Headless Horseman is a story that I do not always read to my kindergarten students because it can be a little frightening (especially the way I tell it) although it is one of my favorites.  However, I gauged the bravery level of this group and went for it.

Their reaction was immediate and positive.  Instead of harping on the scary elements, the students focused on the humor in it.  I had kids throwing "pumpkin heads" at one another on the playground all week.  It was fantastic to listen as they excitedly recreated their playground dramatics using character names ("I'm Brom Bones and he is Ichabod Crane") and mounting their imaginary horses.

Their reaction gives me great hope that they will take most favorably to the stories from Greek Mythology I plan to teach them in first grade.  If they like headless horsemen, they'll love Medusa!

Number Six on our Top Ten!

Curious George by H. A. Rey made the list again this year. Yes, perhaps my influence is strongly felt in regard to this book and this character but I did have a few students (all girls) who told me they didn't like him.

Imagine that!

I have a limited edition pop-up book from Scholastic that amps up the interest in the story if needed.  And the classroom is heavily decorated with Curious George touches.  I'm glad he made the cut again this year!

Number Seven on our Top Ten!

Stop Snoring, Bernard! by Zachariah OHora proudly joins the Top Ten in the Number Seven position.

I discovered this book while browsing at the bookstore last summer and it thrilled me. Sometimes I wish that I could go back in time to hang with Margret and Hans Augusto Rey and feel the excitement of their literary journey as it unfolded.  When I held this book by this incredible illustrator I thought of them.

I contacted Zachariah about a school visit and last November he generously made time to do just that!  His latest book No Fits, Nilson! just came out this month. My sweet co teacher, Michelle, gave it to me as an end of the school year gift.  I wouldn't be surprised if it is on the Top Ten list next year.

Number Nine on our Top Ten!

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister was a story some of the children performed during our American Sign Language Festival this year.  This week long celebration of ASL and Deaf culture concluded with a lively performance by Peter Cook with our students acting as his opening act.

The Rainbow Fish is a popular, award winning book that aims to instill good values, like sharing, in young children. Rainbow Fish comes to understand that friendship is more important than his superior beauty, a message that deserves to be told again and again.

Number Ten on our Top Ten!

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills rounds out the Top Ten. Tad is another brilliant storyteller who visited our school last year and also gave his time and talent to support art in our school during our fundraiser last fall.

The Rocket books are excellent for beginning and emergent readers and writers.

Initially our Top Ten had a five-way tie for tenth place which we had to have a special vote to resolve.  It was close but in the end, Rocket took the honors.

Still, honorable mention must go to the other four books that were edged out.  They are Otto Goes to School and Otto Has a Birthday Party by Todd Parr and We Are In a Book and There's a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems.

Thank you to all of the talented authors and illustrators for providing me with superior material to share with my students.  And congratulations!

Top Ten 2009 - 2010

Drum roll please,

My kindergarten children voted and their Top Ten favorite books for the past school year are...

Coming out on top - at Number One! - is Otto Goes To The Beach by Todd Parr! This book also made the Top Ten three years ago and I am happy to see it included once again. Otto was an overall favorite character this year. We read Otto Has a Birthday at every birthday celebration but I think what pushed this book to the top is Otto's bathing suit mishap. Poor Otto!

Todd Parr was also represented in the Number Five position with The Peace Book. This book continues the generous message found in all of Todd's work which is that of acceptance, love and celebrating differences.

His illustrations are colorful, welcoming and irresistible. This past week my students created a literacy center based on his artwork. Each student wanted to draw like Todd Parr using thick black dry erase markers on white boards.

They did a pretty fantastic job too.

Fairy Tales were also well represented. I give credit for this to the stupendous ASL storytellers who visited our classroom to retell the classic fairy tales in American Sign Language.

These were all recorded so the students could watch them over and over again. It improved not only their sense of story but their signing as well.

The hands-down favorite - and Number Two on our list - was a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Our storyteller, Whitney, based her character on the illustrations found in Paul O. Zelinsky's book. In his hands (and subsequently hers) Rumpelstiltskin is all bug-eyed, small, INTENSE and hilarious.

Other fairy tales on the Top Ten included The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt (Number Four) and Little Red Riding Hood by James Marshall (Number Nine).

I would love to post some of the ASL fairy tales here but need to get permission from our storytellers. Stay tuned...

Of course, no Top Ten list would be complete (at least in my eyes) without that mischievous little monkey Curious George. This book was voted Number Eight.

Here is the complete list of Top Ten Children's Books according to my kindergarten class for 2009-2010.

1. Otto Goes to the Beach by Todd Parr
2. Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky
3. Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino
4. The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt
5. The Peace Book by Todd Parr
6. Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
7. Good Night, Mr. Night by Dan Yaccarino
8. Curious George by H.A. Rey
9. Little Red Riding Hood by James Marshall
10. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

It is only because this post is getting rather long that I neglected to properly sing the praises of author/illustrator Dan Yaccarino.

He has two books in the Top Ten. His books are sensational so look for an upcoming post dedicated to them this summer.

Happy Reading!!

Top Ten 2010-2011

At the end of each school year I like to invite the children to think back on the books we read together and share their absolute favorites.  We create a long list and then vote on each one to come up with the top ten for the school year.

I enjoy this experience because the selections really represent the unique makeup of the class and tell the story of our time together.  The number one choice this year was Skeleton Meets the Mummy by Steve Metzger.  The story has just the right mix of humor and fright that the children craved at Halloween.  The fact that it was brought up for voting (and won!) 8 months after we read it is a pretty strong testament to how much they enjoyed it.

Humor and fright continued to be a winning combination with our kindergarten children. One would be hard-pressed to find a sillier, more amusing book than the number two choice, There's a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems. This Elephant and Piggie book, like all the others in the series, is a riot of laughs, double takes and pure fun.  If you enjoy the "I just flew in from Chicago and boy are my arms tired" style of humor (and let's face it, who doesn't?) then this one's for you.

The number three pick, Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins ranked high due to the illustrations. Sweet Lucy Cousins is not shy about showing the wolf getting his head chopped off by the woodsman in Little Red Riding Hood or playing with the size and placement of her childlike, colorful artwork.  The ingenious thread that runs throughout the book is the fact that at some point something in each of these stories is Yummy.  It may be the porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the robbers meal in The Musicians of Bremen or even Little Red herself.

Another Perfect Day by Ross MacDonald slid into the number four position.  This is the story of an adventurer successfully battling all sorts of obstacles told through golden illustrations reminiscent of days long past.  The superhero quality of the lead character appealed to both the boys and the girls who stood up and cheered throughout our reading.  It turns out that the perfect day lives in the mind of a small boy with a clever imagination who is a bit of a superhero himself.

Alphabet books, a staple in kindergarten, ranked twice in the top ten. Alphabet Adventure by Bruce and Audrey Wood was number five while Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault came in at number eight.  Both books depict the alphabet as a group of feisty letters getting into mischief.  In Alphabet Adventure the dot on the lowercase i causes some trouble before coming to his senses while all the lowercase letters in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom need some looking after by the uppercase letters.  There are many alphabet books that I recommend and you can read more about them here.

One student single-handedly elevated The Rainbow Goblins by Ul Di Rico to number six.  This is a book that I had never heard of until she brought it in one day declaring that is was her favorite book and that she wanted to read it to the class.  It's a bizarre little tale but also very captivating.  I love when children introduce me to new books that they love.  What a pleasure.

Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail sailed in at number seven. I wrote a post dedicated to this book which you can read here.

Some old favorites and past Top Ten honorees made the final cut this year. In my eyes, no top ten would be complete without Curious George by H. A. Rey.  Although he hasn't always made the list, this year he charted at number nine.

And rounding out the top ten is It's Okay to be Different by Todd Parr.   Todd is certainly my favorite living children's book author and illustrator because his work carries a deeper message of acceptance, diversity and love while wrapped around bright, colorful illustrations. His latest, The I'm Not Scared Book comes out in August and I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the Top Ten next year.

Stay tuned...

Top Ten 2013 - 2014

It is with great pleasure that I share the top ten books for the 2013-2014 school year.

Our first grade students diligently and thoughtfully compiled a list of all their favorite stories. The books with the most votes made it into the Top Ten.

The process began with a discussion of the rules.  First, the book must be one that was introduced this school year.  That meant Curious George was ineligible for consideration (although the little monkey did appear on most lists anyway).  Second, each title had to be one that we experienced together.  This meant personal favorites, read alone, were disqualified.  Third, each student must support his or her opinion with a reason.  "I like it because I like it" simply didn't make the cut.

I was thrilled to see that when all of the choices were voted on and tallied, we had six books in the top ten representing Greek Mythology. These kids certainly know how to identify a good yarn.

The Number One selection was Young Zeus by G. Brian Karas.  We read this book after the children already had amassed a great deal of knowledge about Zeus.  This fresh perspective on a character they had grown to love provided a sense of connection.  "Zeus was a little kid too?!"

The book contains a lot of details and backstory of the Gods and Goddesses presented in a fun, accessible way.  It was the perfect way to cap off our study of the Greeks and I am not surprised it came out on top.  Camella wrote, "I like Young Zeus because I was happy when he got to see his brothers and sisters".

Lyana's rendering of the cover art for "Young Zeus"

The Number Two choice was Exclamation Mark! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.

This is a bright, happy book about the journey of self acceptance.

Although it certainly works on that deeper level, it is also perfect for teaching young children the proper usage of an exclamation point...and a question mark.  The authors make their point in simple, clear terms that are extremely engaging.  A touch of humor is never a bad idea in a children's book.

Leo wrote, "I liked this book because it taught me some punctuation and it made me laugh".

Joe thought the book "was so good when the ! said 'Hi!' and the ? went 'Who are you?'"

Number Three is a favorite whose author, the incredible Todd Parr,  has been represented on the Top Ten since 2006.  However, this is the first time that Otto has a Birthday Party made an appearance.

We read this book at every birthday celebration, including mine!

Cristina wrote, "I like this book because Otto makes a cake and that is my favorite!  Otto makes a mistake like me.  That's the same as me!" (Notice her use of the exclamation point...see above)

Lina wrote, "My favorite part was when the mud splattered all over Otto.  Read this book because you will laugh a lot".

And she is right, you will laugh a lot!  Click on the book title above to watch Todd read the book and find out for yourself.

Cristina shows Otto baking his birthday cake.  "Yay, Otto."

We got into a bit of a gray area with Number Four.  This is where the line between favorite story and favorite book began to blur a little.

The kids loved, loved, loved the story of Medusa but we told and read about her using many different sources (including the 1981 movie masterpiece Clash of the Titans).

We decided to go with Medusa (World Mythology) by Xavier W. Niz for our list because we used it quite frequently in the classroom.  What I adore most about the Medusa story this year is that the children actually had sympathy for her because they knew how she was just a casualty in Poseidon's game of life and love.

The Gods and Goddesses (I'm looking at you Athena) can be quite vengeful when they want to be.  And there are two sides to every argument.  It's a good lesson to learn in first grade.

The kids had quite a bit to share about the snake-haired Gorgon.

Emily wrote, "I like Medusa because she has snake hair and she is spooky.  Example: Her eyes make you turn into a stone.  And that's why I like Medusa.  The End."

"I think Medusa is scary.  Medusa is scary because she has snakes for hair.
If you look into her eyes you will turn to stone.  That is why Medusa is so scary".
Joe

Samantha wrote, "I think Medusa is interesting because she has snakes for hair.  My first reason is that Pegasus comes out of Medusa's body.  My second reason is that her snakes say, 'Hiss Hiss' and that is scary.  My third reason is that when you look into Medusa's eyes you turn to stone.  My fourth reason is that her blood is so hot you can get a burn and you would say, 'Ow'.  My fifth reason is she slithers like a snake and it scares me.  My sixth reason is I like where she lives in a cave.  Outside of her cave there are statues of people and animals.  That's why I think Medusa is interesting."

We were ushered back to the cooler days of winter with the Number Five pick.

I was a little surprised to see Margaret Moorman's Light the Lights! A story about celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas in the running.  It is a fantastic book but by the end of June it had been six months since we read it.  It may have helped that the main character is named Emma.  That obviously struck a chord with our Emma.

She wrote, "I liked this book because the book make me remember about Hanukkah.  And lighting my families candles together".

Samantha wrote, "I think it was interesting because I like learning about Hanukkah. And I think you will too".

Speaking of vengeful goddesses, Athena is at it again in the Number Six selection, Why Spiders Spin: A Story of Arachne retold by Jamie and Scott Simons with pictures by Deborah Winograd.

In this tale however, Arachne is kinda asking for it.  Here is a lesson in humility if ever there was one.

Natalie gave it high praise when she wrote, "It is not boring.  It has details".

Emily gets right to the point.  "My favorite part was when Arachne turned into a spider because it was cool." Indeed!

It's best not to mess with Athena!

Let's Go, Pegasus! A Greek Myth retold and illustrated by Jean Marzollo enters the list at Number Seven.

This is a wonderful book to introduce the myth of Medusa and Perseus.  All of the important characters (Athena, Hermes, Pegasus) are there and it provides an easily accessible, colorful retelling that is a bit playful.

Joe captures Medusa at a quiet moment

We used the many faces of Medusa illustrated on the end pages to launch our own art project about how to visualize Medusa. The children created incredible art using soft aluminum squares and wooden sticks.

I couldn't get some of the haunting images out of my head.

Poseidon may have given up the Number One spot to his little brother but he pushed his way into the Top Ten at Number Eight.

Poseidon: Earth Shaker by author/illustrator George O'Connor is part of the New York Times Bestselling Olympians Series.

I must admit that Poseidon is my favorite Greek God and this book includes many mesmerizing tales including Theseus and the Minotaur (see our Number Ten pick).

The illustrations are alive and vibrant and the storytelling top notch. I also love the author's note and other cool information at the back of the graphic novel.

I am eagerly awaiting the Olympians poster (To be released in October with the Boxed Set).

The Number Nine book was Our World in Space: Planets by Erin Dealey.  Oddly enough I cannot find any information about this book on the Internet.  It appears to only exist as part of our reading curriculum, ReadyGen.  Hmmm...

It is the only nonfiction selection on our Top Ten and a worthy addition.  But, good luck finding it.

The planets rendered in Play-Doh with a plastic orange sun.

Rounding out the Top Ten is Theseus and the Minotaur (Graphic Greek Myths and Legends) by Gilly Cameron Cooper.

This, like the story of Medusa, is another example of blurred lines between the story and the book.  This story was first told to our class by Sara, our librarian.  She created a visceral experience for the children who struggled to find their way out of a makeshift labyrinth using Ariadne's magical ball of thread.  The Minotaur himself is a powerful figure not easily dismissed.

It wasn't until after her retelling that we dove into artwork, illustrations and books to explore the topic even further.

We chose this book by Gilly Cameron Cooper but any of the related titles in our Greek Mythology bookbin, including Theseus and the Minotaur by Scott R. Welvaert, could just as easily been substituted.

So, there it is!  Our Top Ten list for 2013 - 2014.

I wonder what next year will bring.

Top Ten 2008-2009

At the end of each school year our children's librarian, Sara, asks each elementary class to create a list of their favorite books. In the past our top ten choices have been fairly predictable - and by fairly predictable I mean that they reflect my influence.

This year the final cut is reminiscent of the Tony Award nominees - notable as much for the omissions as for what was included. To my horror Curious George was nudged out, as was my man Todd Parr. No Gingerbread Man, Lorax or English Roses!

Lauren's all time favorite children's book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein wasn't even in the top 20! Nor was anything in the Lisa & Gaspard series by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben. However, Rotten Ralph did make the short list so one of her favorites was represented.

The number one pick this year was The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers. This book was a new discovery for Lauren and I as well. It tells the tale of a young boy who literally eats books - he simply can't get enough of those delicious words. When he eats he 'digests' the words on the page to acquire the knowledge contained therein.

However, this habit gets out of hand when all of the ideas and words overwhelm him. He gets mixed up and confused. Finally he realizes that it is better to gain knowledge the old fashioned way through reading (not eating) books.

There is a bite taken out of the back cover which proved amusing to our students. It is a good book but I was a bit surprised by the #1 status.

Mercer Mayer was well represented in our top ten with three books coming in at numbers 2, 4 and 5. Number 2 is There's a Nightmare in my Closet, # 4 is There's An Alligator Under My Bed and # 5 is There's Something In My Attic.

All three revolve around similar themes of combating your fears and finding out they are not as scary as you first believed them to be. The only difference I find between them is that the main character in two of the stories is a boy and in the Attic book it is a girl.

Our students loved to be scared this year. A book entitled Tell Me a Scary Story...But Not Too Scary by Carl Reiner was just edged out of the final ten. I would have included it, but who am I? These are the kids picks (and I must add that they have fantastic taste).

Once Upon a Potty (boy) by Alona Frankel was a hit at # 3. Just as they loved to be scared they loved to be grossed out. This book is about one boy learning how to use the potty. Sample lines include descriptions about body parts like a 'wee-wee for making pee-pee' (or is it the the other way around) and a hole for making poop (or something like that). His poorly aimed attempts to make it to the potty are illustrated with a mound of poop sitting right next to the potty.

This was one of two books this year (the other was In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak) that depicted drawings of a little boy naked. I'm not sure if I should be appalled at the giggles and pointing to the private parts or if I should just ignore it.

It did provide us with an opportunity to connect to our trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we were surrounded by naked statues. We treated it as rather matter-of-fact and kept it simple. We figured if we didn't make a big deal out of "oh, look they are naked" then the children wouldn't either. I think they know what's what.

Our first true book series came in at #6 with George and Martha by the super-duper James Marshall. This is my 13th year of teaching elementary school (PreK - 1) but my first introducing this book series to my students. How was this gem hidden from me for so long?

Each book contains 5 short stories about the friendship between these two hippototami who find that honesty is the best policy. The books contain rich vocabulary that can be used to promote discussion as well as important lessons regarding trust and sensitivity. Plus who doesn't enjoy seeing a hippo all dolled up in a dress or sporting a gold tooth?

One of Lauren's favorites came in at #7 and is the second book series in the top ten. Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel made a lasting impression on our 5-and-6-year-olds.

Ralph is indeed a rotten cat who does spiteful, mean and hateful things all in the name of fun (and sometimes just to be rotten). Thank goodness his owner, a little girl named Sarah, is quick to forgive his antics. It took me a while to warm up to this naughty kitty - I am more of a dog person - but I think I finally have accepted him for who he is. There is something lovable underneath all that menace.

Number 8 brings us to the Fly Guy series of books by Tedd Arnold. This is a case of he's so ugly he's cute. This series was another new discovery this year that happened quite by chance. Our school librarian sent up a bunch of these books for us to keep in our classroom library and the children were instantly smitten.

These are chapter books with large print, known vocabulary and basic sight words. They are perfect for the emergent reader who wants to read 'chapter books' but lacks the stamina needed to sustain reading of books with many, many words.

Fly Guy is funny, endearing and helpful. I like him.

Another book series, Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat comes in at #9. These are fantastic books with instantly likable characters. There is dark, brooding, (goth?) Rosamond with her four cats - Super Hex, Big Hex, Little Hex and Hex who is always staring out from under her bangs and uttering strange statements.

There is optimistic and sunny Annie with the dangerous dog Fang that she only sees as a cutie pie. There is Nate's own dog Sludge who provides Nate with the key to solving his mysteries by just being Sludge.

And, of course, there is Nate himself. Pancake loving, serious talking, overly dramatic Nate. In each book (and we have read quite a few this year) Nate solves a new mystery - nothing is refused, nothing is too small.

We went to see a production of Nate the Great: The Musical at Town Hall in Manhattan this year. What a hoot!

The Wanda Witch book series by Katherine McEwen rounds out the top ten. I like these books. Lauren is not a fan. Obviously our students like them because they beat out some other deserving titles for the coveted spot in the top ten.

Wanda is a witch in training who can't seem to get her spells right (think Bewitched's Aunt Clara). Wanda is brought back on track by Cat-a-bogus, her guardian of sorts who makes all things right again.

I guess these are silly, strange books but they strike a chord with their magic, charms and spells.

So there you have it. The top ten books for the 2008-2009 school year for first grade class 201. I wonder which ones will make the cut next year.

Top Ten 2011 - 2012

I love the Top Ten!

Each year I eagerly anticipate the whittling down process to see which books had the greatest impact on the children and, of course, await the inevitable surprise selection.  This year in accordance with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) I asked my first grade students to write an opinion piece explaining why they chose a book and reminded them to include all of the necessary elements (including a "sense of closure").  I will share a bit of that writing as the list unfolds.

The only requirement for consideration was that each book had to be one that we enjoyed as a class.  Personal favorites that were unknown to everyone were eliminated.  All of the books listed below were either read aloud in class and/or used in a unit of study or excitedly circulated amongst the students without any guidance/nudging/input from an adult or connected with an author visit.

The Top Ten Children's Books for 2011-2012

The Number One book, The House That Drac Built by Judy Sierra, was a bit of a shocker to me.  That was until I realized that this was the same group of children who voted for another Halloween themed book (Skeleton Meets the Mummy by Steve Metzger) when they were in kindergarten.

I guess it's hard to keep a good ghoul down.

The second most popular book was The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara.

I love this choice because this was a book brought in by a student who asked me to read it to the class. It connected to our study of the Solar System and was rooted in our kindergarten investigations into fairy tales.

How wonderful to have a book in the top ten introduced to the class by another student.  I was not familiar with this book until she brought it to my attention.

That cannot be said of the Number Three choice - Curious George!

I am happy to note that years of not-so-subtle brainwashing has proved successful. How can anyone resist the charms of this indefatigable monkey?

I am psyched to teach kindergarten next year so I can introduce a new group of children to the adventures of H.A. Rey's Curious George.

Number Four is really a series of books.  It is the immensely popular, incredibly entertaining exploits of Greg Heffley in The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

I never read these books aloud in class (without the visuals much of the humor is lost) but they were the most sought after titles on our weekly library visits.  The books passed from one child to another and sparked many impromptu "book club" discussions.

At one time I questioned whether or not these books were appropriate for first grade but who can argue with that kind of motivation to read?  Plus, they really are funny!

I Will Surprise My Friend by Mo Willems comes in at Number Five.  It is my feeling that this "Elephant & Piggie" book is representative of the love we all have for the entire series.

Like the Wimpy Kid, these books are wildly amusing and clever.  One student wrote, "The story of I Will Surprise My Friend is funny because it tells the story of hiding from friends and being scared and surprised."

We've all been there!

The Number Six selection is yet another book series.  The Betsy Books ("B" is for Betsy, Betsy and Billy, Back to School with Betsy and Betsy and the Boys) by Carolyn Haywood were books that I read when I was a boy.

Written in the 1930s and 40s, they follow the adventures of Betsy and her friends through First, Second, Third and Fourth grades.  The stories may be about the life of suburban children long ago but the timeless tales of childhood are easily relatable for urban boys and girls today.

I read the books aloud--about a chapter a day--with the class comfortably sprawled out on pillows.  I used this time to deepen their listening skills by stopping periodically to ask them to retell what happened.  As time went on we began to make connections and predictions during the readings. The time we spent with Betsy was incredibly fruitful and enjoyable.  I consider it one of the great successes of the school year.

One student wrote, "I like the Betsy and Billy books because Billy made a lot of mistakes because he fell in the snow with his feet kicking out of the snow and he fell in the paint, he slipped on the pancake batter with Betsy and the dog.  The children named Betsy and Billy made 2 giant golden pumpkins in the oven.  And that's why I really, really love Carolyn Haywood books!"

Billy's legs sticking out of the snow!

Favorite children's book author and illustrator, Todd Parr, is represented in the Number Seven spot with Underwear Do's and Don'ts.

Todd is coming out with The Underwear Book soon and I am sure this will be a hit as well.

Never underestimate the appeal of underwear (or other silly, not talked about subjects) for a group of giggling children. Todd knows his audience!

A note to children's book authors - visiting schools works!

Two books on the list were written and illustrated by talented men who took the time to read and sign books for us.  Number Eight is Lawn to Lawn by the incredible Dan Yaccarino.

One girl wrote, "I like Lawn to Lawn because it is a traveling adventure!"

This is one of my favorites as well (click on the book title link to see a cute video based on the book).  Dan's books Every Friday, The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau and All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel were hovering just outside the top ten.  If this were a top twenty they would have made the cut.

Tad Hills also visited our school this year. His How Rocket Learned to Read falls at Number Nine.

After his visit my students found an app on the iPad for this book and it became very popular. I look forward to reading Rocket Writes a Story which will be released on July 24, 2012.

I also use this book in my beginning reading and writing course to demonstrate to graduate students in education how children's books can be used to support classroom instruction.

Rounding out the Top Ten is Let's Go, Pegasus: A Greek Myth retold and illustrated by Jean Marzollo.

In first grade I teach the Greek Myths and the inclusion of the Medusa story in the Top Ten reflects a bit of everything we covered this year.

The list represents the multicolored dimensions of our time together. A bit of planetary exploration, a dash of wonder, a sprinkle of laughter all tied together in a collaboratively fulfilling time of growth.

I'd say they chose well.