What Is the Teachers’ Choices Project?

The Teachers’ Choices logo

that Chris Van Allsburg

created (see below)

illuminates the idea that good

books reach out and tap us on

the shoulder to get our

attention. Each year since 1989,

the International Reading

Association’s Teachers’ Choices

project has identified

outstanding trade books,

published for children and

adolescents, that teachers find

exceptional for curriculum use.

Parents, also, will find here

books good for reading aloud

and for help answering

questions prompted by tours to

a farm, aquarium, or museum

or by other shared family

activities such as television

viewing.

Photo: © 2014 Shutterstock.com 1

See

page 7 for the

Teachers’ Choices

2014 Reading List

bookmark!

Logo illustration © by Chris Van Allsburg

Teachers’ Choices2014

America the Beautiful: Together We StandKatharine Lee Bates. Ill. Various. Orchard.

The words to “America the Beautiful” are accompanied by the artwork of 10 well-known children’s book illustrators. Endnotes explain more about the landmarks and symbols featured in the text and illustrations.

The Bears Go to SchoolKay Winters. Ill. Katherine Kirkland. Albert Whitman.

Two curious bear cubs leave their natural habitat and explore a nearby school.

Best Foot Forward: Exploring Feet, Flippers, and ClawsIngo Arndt. Photographs by Ingo Arndt. Holiday House.

Up-close photographs showcase different types of animals’ feet while the text describes the unique traits that enable feet to walk, climb, swim, dig, or jump.

The Day the Crayons QuitDrew Daywalt. Ill. Oliver Jeffers. Philomel.

Duncan finds a stack of letters in his desk, each written by a different crayon explaining how they are overused, underused, or abused by Duncan’s drawing habits.

From America the Beautiful: Together We Stand by Katharine Lee Bates. Ill. Various. Orchard.

From Best Foot Forward: Exploring Feet, Flippers, and Claws by Ingo Arndt. Photographs Ingo Arndt. Holiday House.

From The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Ill.

Oliver Jeffers. Philomel.

Grades K–2, Ages 5–8

Primary Readers

2 Teachers’ Cho ices • 2014 © 2014 In ternat iona l Read ing Assoc iat ion

Exclamation MarkAmy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. Scholastic.

Follow the self-discovery of Exclamation Mark as he learns that what makes him different also makes him special.

Frog SongBrenda Z. Guiberson. Ill. Gennady Spirin. Henry Holt.

Travel to biomes around the world to meet each region’s frogs and learn what makes them unique.

The Invisible BoyTrudy Ludwig. Ill. Patrice Barton. Knopf.

Brian, a quiet boy, feels almost invisible among his classmates until a new student arrives. Endnotes offer additional resources for teachers.

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal LivesLola M. Schaefer. Ill. Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle.

Animal behaviors, features, and environments are described in terms of numbers. Author’s notes explain more about each animal and challenge readers to think about animals through math.

The Snatchabook: Who’s Stealing All the Stories?Helen Docherty. Ill. Thomas Docherty. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

The animal families who live in the woods are puzzled when their bedtime stories start disappearing.

Xander’s Panda PartyLinda Sue Park. Ill. Matt Phelan. Clarion.

Xander, a panda bear at a zoo, realizes his birthday party will not have many guests if he sticks to his original plan of inviting only bears. Endnotes extend readers’ understanding of animal classification.

From The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. Ill. Patrice Barton. Knopf.

From Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives by Lola M. Schaefer. Ill. Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle.From Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson. Ill.

Gennady Spirin. Henry Holt.

3© 2014 In ternat iona l Read ing Assoc iat ion Teachers’ Cho ices • 2014

Teachers’ Cho ices • 2014 © 2014 In ternat iona l Read ing Assoc iat ion

The Animal Book: A Collection of the Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest—and Most Surprising—AnimalsSteve Jenkins. Ill. Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin.

Intricate collages supplement this compendium of animal facts and figures. Back matter contains more facts and an explanation of the book-making process.

As Fast as Words Could FlyPamela M. Tuck. Ill. Eric Velasquez. Lee & Low.

Set in the 1960’s in Greenville, North Carolina, and based on real events in the author’s family, this story tells how one boy used a typewriter to help break down racial barriers.

Barbed Wire BaseballMarissa Moss. Ill. Yuko Shimizu. Abrams.

In spite of his small stature and internment in a Japanese relocation camp during World War II, Kenichi “Zeni” Zenimura realizes his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. An afterword includes additional references.

The Blessing CupPatricia Polacco. Ill. Patricia Polacco. Simon & Schuster.

This autobiographical story tells how one precious teacup holds a family’s memories as it is passed through the generations from Russia to the United States.

From Barbed Wire Baseball by Marissa Moss. Ill. Yuko Shimizu. Abrams.

From The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco. Ill. Patricia Polacco. Simon & Schuster.From As Fast as Words Could Fly by Pamela M.

Tuck. Ill. Eric Velasquez. Lee & Low.

Grades 3–5, Ages 8–11

Intermediate Readers

4

The Cart That Carried MartinEve Bunting. Ill. Don Tate. Charlesbridge.

During the funeral procession, the body of Martin Luther King, Jr. was carried not in a fancy hearse, but rather in a humble and borrowed wooden cart.

Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso PoemsMarilyn Singer. Ill. Josée Masse. Dial.

“Reverso” poems present new perspectives on classic folk tales.

LocomotiveBrian Floca. Ill. Brian Floca. Atheneum.

Step aboard and travel across the country on the newly completed Transcontinental Railroad. Illustrations, text, and extensive endnotes make this a complete study of the locomotives of the time period.

The Matchbox DiaryPaul Fleischman. Ill. Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick.

A young girl visiting her grandfather discovers a cigar box filled with mementos and the story of the family’s emigration from Italy to America.

Parrots Over Puerto RicoCindy Trumbore. Ill. Susan L. Roth. Lee & Low.

The calendar-style layout of this book focuses on the history of Puerto Rico and the parrots that live there. An afterword features more information about parrots, their habitats, and the efforts to save them.

You Never Heard of Willie Mays?Jonah Winter. Ill. Terry Widener. Schwartz & Wade.

This picture book biography showcases Willie Mays, both as a person and as a baseball standout. Sidebars and endnotes share baseball statistics and a glossary of terms.

From The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman. Ill. Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick.

From Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Cindy

Trumbore. Ill. Susan L. Roth. Lee & Low.From Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems by Marilyn Singer. Ill. Josée Masse. Dial.

© 2014 In ternat iona l Read ing Assoc iat ion Teachers’ Cho ices • 2014 5

Teachers’ Cho ices • 2014 © 2014 In ternat iona l Read ing Assoc iat ion

Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-Maker’s Son Helped Light the Flame of LibertyRussell Freedman. Holiday House.

Period photographs and other primary source documents supplement the story of Ben Franklin’s transformation from penniless runaway to one of our nation’s most influential leaders.

The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible on Schindler’s ListLeon Leyson. Atheneum.

Leon Leyson, the youngest person on Schindler’s list, presents a memoir of his experiences during the Holocaust.

Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable EssaysEdited by Rebecca Stern and Brad Wolfe. Roaring Brook.

Thirty-seven authors attack the “essay assignment,” providing wonderful models for aspiring young writers.

Counting by 7sHolly Goldberg Sloan. Dial.

Twelve-year-old Willow Chance must make a new life for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident.

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black ParatroopersTanya Lee Stone. Candlewick.

The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, known as the Triple Nickles, overcame racism and discrimination in their quest to serve the United States as its first black paratrooper unit during World War II.

Grades 6–8, Ages 11–14

Advanced Readers

From Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-Maker’s

Son Helped Light the Flame of Liberty by Russell

Freedman. Holiday House. From Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays edited by Rebecca Stern and Brad Wolfe. Roaring Brook.

From Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone. Candlewick.

6

Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and PoetAndrea Cheng. Ill. Andrea Cheng. Lee & Low.

David Drake quietly etched his life story in the pots he made while living on a plantation in South Carolina prior to the Civil War. Author’s notes include additional resources.

Gone Fishing: A Novel in VerseTamera Will Wissinger. Ill. Matthew Cordell. Houghton Mifflin.

Nine-year-old Sam is not pleased when his younger sister tags along on a fishing trip with their dad. Endnotes define different poetic structures and terminology.

PaperboyVince Vawter. Delacorte.

The segregated South provides the setting for the coming-of-age story about a boy who learns to communicate with others in spite of his stuttering problem.

Romeo & JulietWilliam Shakespeare. Adapted and Illustrated by Gareth Hinds. Candlewick.

This graphic novel adaptation of the classic text makes the timeless story accessible to a more contemporary audience.

Soldier DogSam Angus. Feiwel and Friends.

Set in World War I, this novel introduces readers to the role Great Danes played as messengers and soldier’s helpers. Endnotes and additional resources extend the historical content.

7

Teachers’ Choices 2014 Reading List

Primary Readers: Grades K–2, Ages 5–8America the Beautiful: Together We

Stand. Katharine Lee Bates. Ill. Various. Orchard.

The Bears Go to School. Kay Winters. Ill. Katherine Kirkland. Albert Whitman.

Best Foot Forward: Exploring Feet, Flippers, and Claws. Ingo Arndt. Photographs by Ingo Arndt. Holiday House.

The Day the Crayons Quit. Drew Daywalt. Ill. Oliver Jeffers. Philomel.

Exclamation Mark. Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Ill. Tom Lichtenheld. Scholastic.

Frog Song. Brenda Z. Guiberson. Ill. Gennady Spirin. Henry Holt.

The Invisible Boy. Trudy Ludwig. Ill. Patrice Barton. Knopf.

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives. Lola M. Schaefer. Ill. Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle.

The Snatchabook: Who’s Stealing All the Stories? Helen Docherty. Ill. Thomas Docherty. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

Xander’s Panda Party. Linda Sue Park. Ill. Matt Phelan. Clarion.

Intermediate Readers: Grades 3–5, Ages 8–11The Animal Book: A Collection of the

Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest—and Most Surprising—Animals. Steve Jenkins. Ill. Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin.

As Fast as Words Could Fly. Pamela M. Tuck. Ill. Eric Velasquez. Lee & Low.

Barbed Wire Baseball. Marissa Moss. Ill. Yuko Shimizu. Abrams.

The Blessing Cup. Patricia Polacco. Ill. Patricia Polacco. Simon & Schuster.

The Cart That Carried Martin. Eve Bunting. Ill. Don Tate. Charlesbridge.

An

Inte

rnati

onal Reading Association Project

TEACHERS’ CHOICESLogo illustration by Chris Van Allsburg

© 2014 In ternat iona l Read ing Assoc iat ion Teachers’ Cho ices • 2014

From Paperboy by Vince Vawter. Delacorte.

From Soldier Dog by Sam Angus. Feiwel and Friends.

Teachers’ Cho ices • 2014 © 2014 In ternat iona l Read ing Assoc iat ion8

Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems. Marilyn Singer. Ill. Josée Masse. Dial.

Locomotive. Brian Floca. Ill. Brian Floca. Atheneum.

The Matchbox Diary. Paul Fleischman. Ill. Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick.

Parrots Over Puerto Rico. Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore. Ill. Susan L. Roth. Lee & Low.

You Never Heard of Willie Mays? Jonah Winter. Ill. Terry Widener. Schwartz & Wade.

Advanced Readers: Grades 6–8, Ages 11–14Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-

Maker’s Son Helped Light the Flame of Liberty. Russell Freedman. Holiday House.

The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible…on Schindler’s List. Leon Leyson. Atheneum.

Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays. Edited by Rebecca Stern and Brad Wolfe. Roaring Brook.

Counting by 7s. Holly Goldberg Sloan. Dial.

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers. Tanya Lee Stone. Candlewick.

Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet. Andrea Cheng. Ill. Andrea Cheng. Lee & Low.

Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse. Tamera Will Wissinger. Ill. Matthew Cordell. Houghton Mifflin.

Paperboy. Vince Vawter. Delacorte.Romeo & Juliet. William Shakespeare.

Adapted and Illustrated by Gareth Hinds. Candlewick.

Soldier Dog. Sam Angus. Feiwel and Friends.

For over 50 years, the International Reading Association has been the trusted provider of ongoing professional development for teachers. IRA is committed to advancing worldwide literacy by improving reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging the lifetime reading habit. Additional information about IRA can be found at www.reading.org.

More About Teachers’ ChoicesThank you to the 2013–2014 IRA Teachers’ Choices

Committee and review teams. The committee members

were Joyce Gulley (cochair) and April Wulber (cochair).

Team Leaders in the field test were

n Area 1—Kim Fairbanks

n Area 2—Tammy Everett

n Area 3—Joan Kindig

n Area 4—Jane Dewailly

n Area 5—Dina Evans, Heather Jones, Cecilia

McCormick, & Susan Zolper

For more information on the Teachers’ Choices list or to

learn how to become involved visit www.reading.org/

resources/booklists/teacherschoices.aspx.