Your last day with this class is here. You have one last time to share the moment when you gather for a read aloud. How will you honor the moment?
The last day of school is hectic, a blur, a blast, sweet, and wistful.
Will you pick a book you already read this year with your students to live again in that moment? Or will you pick a book to launch your students toward their summers and the rest of their education journey?
Will your last read aloud be nostalgic or hopeful?
We’ve gathered some of our favorite Lee & Low titles to conclude and celebrate a year’s worth of reading with your students. Let us know what you recommend (any book!) and your reading tradition on the last day of school!
Poetry
An anthology of universal poems focusing on the human experience–emotions, perceptions, and understandings–as expressed by poets of diverse heritage and reflected in illustrations featuring people of all ages and backgrounds.
The renowned poet Pat Mora celebrates the culture and landscape of the southwest through the eyes of a Mexican American girl.
A biography in verse of reggae legend Bob Marley, exploring the influences that shaped his life and music on his journey from rural Jamaican childhood to international superstardom.
Summer
An African American girl shares her private world of playtime on her front steps over each of the four seasons.
Quinito’s Neighborhood/El Vecindario de Quinito
This bilingual book takes readers around the buildings, streets, shops, and people that make up Quinito’s neighborhood.
Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy
A biography of William “Dummy” Hoy, one of the first deaf major league baseball players.
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
The inspirational true story of Sammy Lee, a Korean American who overcame discrimination to realize both his father’s desire that he become a doctor and his own dream of becoming an Olympic champion diver.
A boy finally gets to play basketball on the main court with the older boys, and has to prove he can hold his own.
Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon
Ruth Forman offers a poetic testament to childhood, language, and play, bringing to life the streets of South Philadelphia. Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon is a celebration of city summer memories, and of African American culture and community.
A joyous picture book set in the Caribbean during Carnival, based on the childhood of one of the inventors of the steel drum.
The Power of Learning and Education
Armando and the Blue Tarp School
The story of a young Mexican boy living in a colonia (trash dump community) who takes the first steps toward realizing his dream of getting an education.
A story in free verse about a troubled boy who learns to use his mind instead of his fists through the guidance of an unconventional mentor and the game of chess.
Readers will learn that being smart is about more than doing well in school. There are eight ways to be smart, and they are reflected in how a person uses his or her body, relates to the natural world, responds to music and art, and more.
This inspiring biography on Langston Hughes celebrates his life through poetry.
Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace
A picture book biography of scientist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman–and first environmentalist–to win a Nobel Peace Prize (in 2004) for her work planting trees in her native Kenya.
A young Bangladeshi girl who helps support her family by working in a brickyard finds a way to make her dream of going to school and learning to read a reality.
Silly/Humor
George Crum and the Saratoga Chip
An account of the life and career of George Crum, a biracial chef who is credited with the invention of the potato chip at a Saratoga Springs, New York, restaurant in 1853. Based on historical records.
Overflowing with family, food, and a tall stack of fun, this story is sure to warm the heart and tickle the tummy. A fun way for children to learn about the cultural traditions and foods of India.
A celebration of music and movement, this story in verse is inspired by the riffs, rhythms, and freedom of jazz.
Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald no combina
A mestiza Peruvian American of European, Jewish, and Amerindian heritage, renowned author Monica Brown wrote this lively story to bring her own experience of being mismatched to life.
Every Sunday night a young girl and her grandmother go on an imaginary shopping trip in this delightful picture book.
A spunky African American girl has a hula-hooping competition with her friends in Harlem, and soon everyone in the neighborhood–young and old alike–joins in on the fun.
A young Korean boy gets a craving for a New York bagel and goes on a journey to fulfill his hunger.
Believe in Yourself
Basketball is Allie’s favorite sport–she’s loved it ever since her father took her to her first game at Madison Square Garden.
An imaginary tale of self-discovery told by a child who grows, learns about the natural world, embraces others, and is free to become who he or she is meant to be–a child as unique as a tree. Gender neutral.
Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream
The spirited story of Marcenia Lyle, the African American girl who grew up to become “Toni Stone,” the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team.
Cora and Mama work together to cook up pancit for the family in this celebration of Filipino heritage and foods.
The true story of the great Sioux warrior who, as a young boy, defies tradition and seeks a vision on his own in hopes of saving his people.
Poems to Dream Together/Poemas para soñar juntos
A bilingual collection of poetry by acclaimed Chicano poet Francisco X. Alarcon celebrating family, community, nature, and the positive power of dreams to shape our future.
The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story
Meena, a young Asian Indian American girl, grows in self-confidence when she learns to practice yoga and apply the underlying principles to her performance in the school play.
Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree
The true story of the famous writer, who as a young girl, learned about hope and strength from her mother.
Jill Eisenberg, our Senior Literacy Expert, began her career teaching English as a Foreign Language to second through sixth graders in Yilan, Taiwan as a Fulbright Fellow. She went on to become a literacy teacher for third grade in San Jose, CA as a Teach for America corps member. In her weekly column at The Open Book, she offers teaching and literacy tips for educators.
