Dr. Semingson’s Favorite Materials for Elementary Literacy Learning!
*These are based on my eight years of teaching in public schools. I was also a bilingual/ESL teacher for years and a bilingual reading specialist! I taught mainly upper-grades, but the list includes books for all ages as I worked with students in K-6th grade as a reading specialist.
Favorite Authors for Read-Aloud in Primary-Grades (fiction): Mem Fox, Kevin Henkes, Cynthia Rylant, Carmen Lomas Garza, Bill Martin/Eric Carle, Doreen Cronin, Mo Willems, David Shannon, James Marshall, Margaret Wise Brown, Jane Yolen, Joseph Bruchac, Denise Fleming, Don & Audrey Wood, Leo Lionni, William Steig, Paul Galdone, David Wiesner (wordless books), Alma Flor Ada, Lois Ehlert, Donald Crews, Anthony Browne.
Favorite stories for read-aloud and/or writing instruction:
Quick as a Cricket by Don and Audrey Wood (teaching simile/figurative language)
Hailstones and Halibut Bones (poetry)
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant (memoir, personal narrative)
In My Family/En Mi Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza (memoir, vignette writing, author/illustrator, diversity)
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold (personal narrative)
Coming on Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson (personal narrative)
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Wilma, Unlimited by Kathleen Krull
Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
The Wall by Eve Bunting
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
It Looked Like Spilt Book (emergent readers)
What! Cried Granny by Kate Lum and Adrian Johnson
The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (writing with detail; poetry)
Black Cat by Christopher Myers
Favorite Non-fiction authors and series (all elementary grades)
authors: Seymour Simon, Gail Gibbons, Doug Florian
Brothers in Hope The Story of The Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Dear America series
Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Favorite Books for Upper-Grade Readers
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Maniac Mageeby Jerry Spinelli
Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord
Graphic Novels for Independent Reading: Captain Underpants series, Babymouse series
Good Literacy-Related Websites for Teachers:
American Library Association (good booklists)
Mem Fox’s website
Scholastic.com
Reading Rockets
Wonderopolis
Donors Choose
Popplet
Starfall
Writing Fix
International Reading Association
Children’s Choices (IRA)
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