Teacher-Selected Books for This Month's Reading Clubs

Last updated Monday, February 24, 2020

March: "Music & Entertainment"

	Kindergarten Elephants Cannot Dance! (Elephant and Piggie), by Mo Willems Summary:  Gerald the elephant and Piggie debate whether or not "elephants can dance." Gerald, who is convinced that he cannot (he tells Piggie to look it up in the "What Elephants Can Do" book) decides to give it a go nonetheless. Results are mixed, with Gerald basically doing the opposite of each instruction.
	1st Grade The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant Summary:  The relatives come to visit from Virginia and everyone has a wonderful time!
	2nd Grade Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo, by Monica Brown Summary:  In this vibrant bilingual picture book biography of musician Tito Puente, readers will dance along to the beat of this mambo king's life. Tito Puente loved banging pots and pans as a child, but what he really dreamed of was having his own band one day. From Spanish Harlem to the Grammy Awards — and all the beats in between — this is the true life story of a boy whose passion for music turned him into the "King of Mambo."
	3rd Grade My First Classical Music Book, by Genevieve Helsby Summary:  My First Classical Music Book is a delightfully colorful introduction to classical music. Readers are asked to think about the different places in which we might hear music. Then, each of the major composers and musical instrument families are introduced and brought to life in a vivid and enchanting way. Throughout the book, children are referred to the accompanying audio CD so that they can hear examples as they read. You can also access the musical pieces at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2slG_dy4XMtGy1NMRNX9l-JIpCVSDF7l
	4th Grade Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, by Carole Boston Weatherford Summary:  Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, Fannie Lou Hamer was a champion of civil rights from the 1950s until her death in 1977. Integral to the Freedom Summer of 1964, Ms. Hamer gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention that, despite President Johnson’s interference, aired on national TV news and spurred the nation to support the Freedom Democrats. Featuring vibrant mixed-media art full of intricate detail, Voice of Freedom celebrates Fannie Lou Hamer’s life and legacy with a message of hope, determination, and strength.
	5th Grade My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights, by Brooks Benjamin Summary:  All Dillon wants is to be a real dancer. And if he wins a summer scholarship at Dance-Splosion, he’s on his way. The problem? His dad wants him to play football. And Dillon’s freestyle crew, the Dizzee Freekz, says that dance studios are for sellouts. His friends want Dillon to kill it at the audition — so he can turn around and tell the studio just how wrong their rules and creativity-strangling ways are. At first, Dillon’s willing to go along with his crew’s plan, even convincing one of the snobbiest girls at school to work with him on his technique. But as Dillon’s dancing improves, he wonders: what if studios aren’t the enemy? And what if he actually has a shot at winning the scholarship? Dillon’s life is about to get crazy . . . on and off the dance floor in this kid-friendly humorous debut by Brooks Benjamin.