
Clare Landrigan’s Favorite Books
Books create space for caregivers to invite children into a topic that may be challenging for them to articulate their feelings about and discuss. Books naturally scaffold and differentiate when we read with our kids, let them take the lead in conversations, and give them options for response like art, building, movement, discussion, and quietude. Here are some topics caregivers often request titles for and some texts I recommend to broaden the perspective on the topic so young readers can find mulitple connections and points of entry for response:
Loss
Ten Beautiful Things
by Molly Griffin
Evelyn del Rey Is Moving Away
by Meg Medina
Birdsong
by Julie Flett
Grandpa's Stories
by Joseph Coelho
Calling the Wind: A Story of Healing and Hope
by Trudy Ludwig
Cape
by Kevin Johnson

Ten Beautiful Things by Molly Griffin

Evelyn del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina

Birdsong by Julie Flett

Grandpa's Stories by Joseph Coelho

Calling the Wind: A Story of Healing and Hope by Trudy Ludwig

Cape by Kevin Johnson
Fear
Brave Molly
by Brooke Boynton-Hughes
Punky Aloha
by Shar Tuiasoa
I Am Okay to Feel
by Karamo Brown
Wallpaper
by Thao Lam
Truman
by Jean Reidy
Butterflies on the First Day of School
by Annie Silvestro

Brave Molly by Brooke Boynton-Hughes

Punky Aloha by Shar Tuiasoa

I Am Okay to Feel by Karamo Brown

Wallpaper by Thao Lam

Truman by Jean Reidy

Butterflies on the First Day of School by Annie Silvestro
Mistakes
Danbi Leads the School Parade
by Anna Kim
Can I Give You a Squish?
by Emily Neilson
We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Penelope #1)
by Ryan T Higgins
Beautiful Oops!
by Barney Saltzberg
Together We Ride
by Valerie Bolling

Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim

Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson

We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Penelope #1) by Ryan T Higgins

Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg

Together We Ride by Valerie Bolling
Change
Map Into the World
by Kao Kalia Yang
El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!
by Donna Barba Higuera
Home Is in Between
by Mitali Perkins
Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle
by Nina Lacour
I Feel!: A Book of Emotions (I Will!)
by Juana Medina

Map Into the World by Kao Kalia Yang

El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! by Donna Barba Higuera

Home Is in Between by Mitali Perkins

Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle by Nina Lacour

I Feel!: A Book of Emotions (I Will!) by Juana Medina
Jealousy
Big Red Lollipop
by Rukhsana Khan
Party Hearty Kitty-Corn (Kitty-Corn #3)
by Shannon Hale

Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan

Party Hearty Kitty-Corn (Kitty-Corn #3) by Shannon Hale
Picture Book Biography Collections
Learning about people who impact our world is compelling and empowering. The more people we encounter as we read, the more possibilities we see for how we can use our strengths to change the world. These picture books are collections of people who are history makers. Each text is organized around a theme, topic, time in history or character trait. It is important for young readers to read nonfiction literature within and beyond the content area curriculum. Students need to have choice in their nonfiction reading to nurture their curiosity and passions. These texts are perfect for independent reading, partner reading, read-aloud, and book clubs!
Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes
by Patty Cisneros Prevo
Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country
by Kelly Yang
Bravo!: Poems about Amazing Hispanics
by Margarita Engle
Stand Up!: 10 Mighty Women Who Made a Change
by Brittney Cooper
No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History
by Lindsay H. Metcalf
No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change
by Lindsay H Metcalf
We Can: Portraits of Power
by Tyler Gordon
Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All
by Maia Shibutani
A is for Aretha
by Leslie Kwan
Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement
by Katheryn Russell-Brown
Little Heroes of Color: 50 Who Made a Big Difference
by David Heredia
New Royalty (Hoop Kings #2)
by Charles R Smith
Hoop Kings (Hoop Kings #1)
by Charles R Smith
Hoop Queens (Hoop Kings#3)
by Charles R Smith
Soccer Queens (Sports Royalty)
by Charles R Smith
Nice Jewish Girls
by Julie Merberg
Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LGBTQ+ Leaders
by Sarah Prager
Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History
by Sarah Prager
Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes from Past and Present!
by Arabelle Sicardi
Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes
by Juan Felipe Herrera
Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers
by Juliet Menéndez

Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes by Patty Cisneros Prevo

Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country by Kelly Yang

Bravo!: Poems about Amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle

Stand Up!: 10 Mighty Women Who Made a Change by Brittney Cooper

No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History by Lindsay H. Metcalf

No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change by Lindsay H Metcalf

We Can: Portraits of Power by Tyler Gordon

Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All by Maia Shibutani

A is for Aretha by Leslie Kwan

Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement by Katheryn Russell-Brown

Little Heroes of Color: 50 Who Made a Big Difference by David Heredia

New Royalty (Hoop Kings #2) by Charles R Smith

Hoop Kings (Hoop Kings #1) by Charles R Smith

Hoop Queens (Hoop Kings#3) by Charles R Smith

Soccer Queens (Sports Royalty) by Charles R Smith

Nice Jewish Girls by Julie Merberg

Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LGBTQ+ Leaders by Sarah Prager

Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History by Sarah Prager

Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes from Past and Present! by Arabelle Sicardi

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera

Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers by Juliet Menéndez
Clare Landrigan spent years serving as an educator and administrator in elementary public schools and is now a consultant partnering with school systems to implement best practices in the field of literacy. Clare is the coauthor of It’s All About the Books: How to Create Bookrooms and Classroom Libraries That Inspire Readers and Assessment in Perspective. She is on the board of The Book Love Foundation and leads the Book Love Summer Book Club. Clare blogs about books and the art of teaching on her website www.clarelandrigan.com and is co-authoring a book, The Possibilities of Poetry, with Aeriale Johnson in Fall 2024 (Stenhouse).