Three years ago, for the 5 year anniversary of #ClassroomBookADay, I started curating monthly recommendations to provide deeper book knowledge, support of a broader range of book creators, and create a way to have common books for participating educators to discuss. I called it #cbadSpotlight. Each month, September-May, I share four titles that I think deserve special attention and a place in your classroom read aloud rotation.
I hope you find titles you are excited about, some new to you, and ones that will support your efforts with your students this school year as you work to be inclusive and thoughtful with your #ClassroomBookADay read alouds!
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April 2023 #cbadSpotlight Titles
Accompanied by Rebecca Syracuse’s bold, whimsical artwork, Lisa Wyzlic’s debut picture book Harold the Iceberg Melts Down is all about the importance of friendship and self-care, perfect for any young reader worried about their planet’s future.
Harold is an iceberg… lettuce. (But he doesn’t realize the “lettuce” part because part of his sticker has ripped off.) So one day when he sees a documentary about how the icebergs are melting, Harold starts to worry, thinking that he’s melting too.
As his anxiety grows and grows, and he tries to find a way to stop melting, his fellow food friends try to help him cool down in a different way.
One person.
Small, quiet,
insignificant.
But when one person,
and one person,
and one person
become many,
they can change
a planet.
Spare, poetic text and breathtaking pictures invite readers on a stirring journey that gently illuminates the causes of climate change as well as how our individual and collective actions can make the world better.
With calm, truthfulness, and beauty, To Change a Planet demonstrates the importance of caring for our planet. Eye popping explosions of color on every page create a stunning visual narrative that invites readers to find and follow the same characters through their daily lives and ultimately to a climate march on Washington, where their storylines converge.
Clear endnotes vetted by a climate expert answer a myriad of questions in simple language. Meticulously researched and brimming with hope and hands-on solutions that will edify and empower even the youngest readers, To Change a Planet is a loving ode to our only home and vital for every child, classroom, and family.
A celebratory and empowering story from young trans activist Gavin Grimm, two-time Stonewall Award-winning and Newbery Honor-winning author Kyle Lukoff, and illustrator J Yang follows the true story of how a young boy stood up for himself–and made history along the way. A Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Best Book of the Year!
When you’re a kid like Gavin Grimm, you know yourself best. And Gavin knew that he was a boy–even if others saw him as a girl. But when his school took away his right to something as simple as using the boy’s restroom, Gavin knew he had a big decision to make.
Because there are always more choices than the ones others give you. Gavin chose to correct others when they got his pronouns wrong. He asked to be respected. He stood up for himself. Gavin proved that his school had violated his constitutional rights and had the Supreme Court uphold his case–bringing about a historic win for trans rights. There are many kids out there, some just like Gavin Grimm, and they might even be you.
What choices will you make?
Lindsay Moore chronicles the remarkable true story of Yoshi, a loggerhead sea turtle who traveled an astounding 25,000 miles after being released from the aquarium that rehabilitated her. Informational and awe-inspiring, Yoshi and the Ocean is a gorgeous picture book about patience, perseverance, the ocean, and finding your way home. A transformative story about the incredible journeys animals make and the interconnectedness of the natural world.
In 1997, a young loggerhead sea turtle was rescued from the ocean after an injury to her shell. The fishermen who rescued her named her Yoshi and took her to the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa. She was rehabilitated there and grew stronger–and larger!–every day. She also became one of the most popular exhibits at the aquarium. After twenty years in captivity, Yoshi was released back into the ocean and traveled more than 25,000 miles in 1,003 days to find her way home. A tracking device on her shell transmitted data about her journey to marine biologists and turtle enthusiasts of all ages around the world.
Lindsay Moore’s gorgeous watercolor paintings enrich her moving, lyrical, and informative text. This picture book touches on topics such as conservation, oceanography, natural selection, the food chain, currents, and geography, making Yoshi and the Ocean an ideal choice for parents, teachers, librarians, and anyone interested in nature and the ocean. Includes a map of Yoshi’s journey, information about sea turtles and how you can help them, and additional resources.
May 2023 #cbadSpotlight Titles
This poignant story, about an Afghan refugee child and the family carpet that connects them to home, inspires readers to live and learn in love, not fear
We sip our tea and talk together,
Ruby cushions of goose feather.
The carpet is for sitting.
The Carpet follows a day in the life of an Afghan refugee child, where every moment revolves around love, family, and the carpet that connects them to home. The carpet is the centerpiece of family life, where meals, stories, laughs, and memories are shared. This moving story, inspired by the author’s life, celebrates what makes a home–no matter where you are.
From Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and book club founder Amerie, You Will Do Great Things is a lyrical, magical picture book about the great possibilities that lie ahead for our little ones, featuring illustrations by Raissa Figueroa.
A young boy’s imagination takes off as he gazes at family photos, whisking him off on a fantastical journey. Along the way, the boy tries exciting and bold new things, ventures into unexplored worlds, and forms deep connections with his multicultural heritage and the ancestors who imbue him with the strength and courage to make a difference.
Amerie has written a moving, sweeping, and deeply loving story that is inspired by her own family. It is a celebration of everything our little ones have yet to do: the great, the amazing, the strange, and the new. It’s also a lasting reminder that the loved ones in our lives will always be right there beside us–and in our hearts–cheering us on. An absolutely perfect gift for special moments from baby showers and new baby celebrations, to graduations, and everything in between.
From the award-winning and bestselling author of We Are Water Protectors comes an empowering picture book about family history, self-expression, and reclaiming your identity
Our ancestors say our hair is our memories,
our source of strength and power,
a celebration of our lives.
Mom never had long hair–she was told it was too wild. Grandma couldn’t have long hair–hers was taken from her. But one young girl can’t wait to grow her hair long: for herself, for her family, for her connection to her culture and the Earth, and to honor the strength and resilience of those who came before her.
From Carole Lindstrom, author of the New York Times bestseller and Caldecott Medal winner We Are Water Protectors, and debut illustrator Steph Littlebird comes an empowering and healing celebration of hair and its significance across Indigenous cultures.
Padma Lakshmi, bestselling author and host of Bravo’s Top Chef and Hulu’s Taste the Nation, and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal team up in this celebration of food and family.
“Some of my fondest memories from childhood are of cooking with the women in my family. It is the foundation for all I have spent my life working on.” -Padma Lakshmi
Neela loves cooking with her amma and writing down the recipes in her notebook. It makes her feel closer to her paati who lives far away in India. On Saturdays, Neela and Amma go to the green market and today they are buying tomatoes to make Paati’s famous sauce. But first, Neela needs to learn about all the different kinds of tomatoes they can pick from. And as Neela and Amma cook together, they find a way for Paati to share in both the love and the flavors of the day.
Bestselling author and host of Bravo’s Top Chef and Hulu’s Taste the Nation Padma Lakshmi takes young readers on an intergenerational journey full of delicious flavors and fun food facts that celebrates a family’s treasured recipes. And Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal brings this circle of women to life with vivid detail and warmth. Tomatoes for Neela lovingly affirms how we can connect to other cultures, as well as to our own, through food.
Catch up on prior month’s #cbadSpotlight selections
If you missed any of the 2019-2022 selections, be sure to check them out!
