Read Aloud

	Mr. Peabody's Apples Author: Madonna Illustrator: Loren Long Publication date: 2003 Publisher: Callaway
Summary Mr. Peabody's Apples is a wonderful story about a little boy who learns a very valuable lesson after spreading a rumor about the local history teacher and baseball coach. Mr. Peabody teaches Billy Little the impact of his words and how damaging it can be to misjudge a person. This story centers around the value of kindness and the importance of knowing all the facts before making assumptions. Recommendation To Parents Using beautiful illustrations children are entrenched in the lives of Mr. Peabody and Billy Little. This story gives children an opportunity to explore and conceptualize the consequences of Billy's actions. This is a powerful story that every child can learn a lesson from. Recommendation To Teachers Using beautiful visual imagery, it transcends languages and can be useful to both English proficient and English Language Learners in the classroom. The lesson being taught is one that every student can learn from regardless of L1. This story would make a great prompt into a life lesson about kindness and how misjudging someone can be very hurtful. Personal Note: I felt very moved by the way Mr. Peabody teaches Billy how his words hurt him. Mr. Peabody made the rumor relatible to Billy and helped him conceptualize how difficult it would be to repair the damage that had been done. I think that this story teaches a great life lesson that elementary school students can learn a great deal from.

	"When there's room in the heart, there's room in the house... even for a mouse." Mice and Beans Author: Pam Munoz Ryan Illustrator: Joe Cepeda Publication date: 2001 Publisher: Scholastic
Summary This is an adorable story about a grandmother who is throwing her smallest grandchild Catalina a birthday party. Rosa Maria spends the entire week putting together little Catalina's celebration but is afraid that mice are going to come into her casita. Through the journey of the week Rosa Maria tries to prevent mice from getting into her house by setting traps and cleaning after preparing Mexican dishes for the party. In the end, the mice help Rosa Maria with part of the festivities and she realizes that there is room for people and mice in her home. Recommendation To Parents This is a cute book exposing children to a different culture and another language. This is a colorful book children can have a lot of fun with while learning how other cultures celebrate. The use of italic font and bold words emphasize the importance of the adjectives being used throughout the story. Mice and Beans has many funny aspects and sends a message about the importance of an open heart and the value of kindness. An excellent book that parents can read to their children. Recommendation To Teachers Mice and Beans is a wonderful story that introduces students to a new culture and can expose them to words in another language. Students can have a lot of fun going on the journey to find that the heart does not have to be closed off, and even the smallest of animals can be helpful. Personal Note I think it is really important to give students an opportunity to learn about other cultures and languages to spur their enthusiasm to learn. I enjoyed reading this book and think it brings about curiosity in students to further their knowledge about other cultures.