being a teacher, books, picture books, Reading

#PernilleRecommends – My Favorite Books January through April, 2021

If you follow me on Instagram, you may know that I recommend a lot of books on there, in fact, it is the number one thing I use my account for. Perhaps you follow me there? If you don’t, or if you missed some, I figured a blog post to pull them all together would be helpful. That way you can see what I have read and loved, see what age groups they may work and order some books yourself. I don’t post all of the books I read, just the ones I love so much that I want to share them with others. I use the hashtag #pernillerecommends and they get cross-posted to Twitter as well if you want more than 1,000 book recommendations. Either way, here are the books I loved and shared from January until today!

Picture Books

Someone Builds the Dream: Wheeler, Lisa, Long, Loren: 9781984814333:  Amazon.com: Books
The One Thing You'd Save: Park, Linda Sue, Sae-Heng, Robert: 9781328515131:  Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.com: The Gift of Ramadan (9780807529065): Lumbard, Rabiah York,  Horton, Laura K.: Books
Your Mama: Ramos, NoNieqa, Alcántara, Jacqueline: 9781328631886:  Amazon.com: Books
The ABCs of Black History: Cortez, Rio, Semmer, Lauren: 9781523507498:  Amazon.com: Books
Zonia's Rain Forest: Martinez-Neal, Juana, Martinez-Neal, Juana:  9781536208450: Amazon.com: Books
The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art: Levinson,  Cynthia, Turk, Evan: 9781419741302: Amazon.com: Books
The Boy and the Sea: Andros, Camille, Bates, Amy June: 9781419749407:  Amazon.com: Books
El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! (Hardcover) | ABRAMS
Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Gottesfeld,  Jeff, Tavares, Matt: 9781536201482: Amazon.com: Books
Ambitious Girl: Harris, Meena, Valdez, Marissa: 9780316229692: Amazon.com:  Books
The Little Things: A Story About Acts of Kindness: Trimmer, Christian,  Juanita, Kaylani: 9781419742262: Amazon.com: Books
Pre-order for April 27th!
Blue Floats Away: Jonker, Travis, Snider, Grant: 9781419744235: Amazon.com:  Books
Sharing a Smile: Kramar, Nicki, Evans, Ashley: 9781534497856: Amazon.com:  Books
Kamala Harris children's picture book 'Rooted in Justice' coming soon
Together We March: 25 Protest Movements That Marched into History:  Henderson, Leah, Feder, Tyler: 9781534442702: Amazon.com: Books
A Sled for Gabo | Book by Emma Otheguy, Ana Ramírez González | Official  Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster
Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon: Zhang, Kat, Chua, Charlene: 9781534463639:  Amazon.com: Books
A House for Every Bird by Megan Maynor: 9781984896483 |  PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Curls: Forman, Ruth, Bowers, Geneva: 9781534446311: Amazon.com: Books
Jump at the Sun | Book by Alicia D. Williams, Jacqueline Alcántara |  Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster
Standing on Her Shoulders: Clark-Robinson, Monica, Freeman, Laura:  9781338358001: Amazon.com: Books
Milo Imagines the World: de la Peña, Matt, Robinson, Christian:  9780399549083: Amazon.com: Books
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners: Ho, Joanna, Ho, Dung: 9780062915627:  Amazon.com: Books
I Am a Bird: Lim, Hope, Yum, Hyewon: 9781536208917: Amazon.com: Books

Watch Me: A Story of Immigration and Inspiration: Richards, Doyin, Cepeda,  Joe: 9781250266514: Amazon.com: Books
Cover art

Grandpa Across the Ocean: Yum, Hyewon, Yum, Hyewon: 9781419742255:  Amazon.com: Books
My Day with the Panye: Charles, Tami, Palacios, Sara: 9780763697495:  Amazon.com: Books
Our Favorite Day of the Year: Ali, A. E., Bell, Rahele Jomepour:  9781481485630: Amazon.com: Books
Laxmi's Mooch by Shelly Anand: 9781984815651 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Call Me Max (Max and Friends Book 1): Kyle Lukoff, Luciano Lozano, Luciano  Lozano: 9781478868972: Amazon.com: Books
Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter: King, Shani, Martin Jr, Bobby C.:  9780884488897: Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.com: In My Mosque (9780062978707): Yuksel, M. O., Aly, Hatem: Books
Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace  Engineer: Sorell, Traci, Donovan, Natasha: 9781541579149: Amazon.com: Books
Wishes: Van, Muon Thi, Ngai, Victo: 9781338305890: Amazon.com: Books

We Are Still Here! – Charlesbridge
Pre-order for May 4th!
I Am an American by Martha Brockenbrough | Little, Brown Books for Young  Readers
Pre-order for November 2nd!
Too Many Bubbles: A Story about Mindfulness (Books of Great Character):  Peck, Christine, DeRoma, Mags: 0760789306037: Amazon.com: Books
Pre-order for July 6th!
Hello, Star: Lucianovic, Stephanie V.W., Harrison, Vashti: 9780316451758:  Amazon.com: Books
Pre-order for September 21st!
On the Trapline by David A. Robertson: 9780735266681 |  PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Pre-order for May 4th!

Early Readers

Too Small Tola: 9781406388916: Amazon.com: Books
Indian Shoes – HarperCollins
Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott: 9781524770488 | PenguinRandomHouse.com:  Books
Global Read Aloud 2021 choice!

Middle Grade

Amazon.com: Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street,  and the Tulsa Race Massacre eBook: Ball, Alverne, Robinson, Stacey,  Anderson, Reynaldo, Robe, Colette Yellow: Kindle Store
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids: Cynthia Leitich Smith:  9780062869944: Amazon.com: Books
Could also be used with early readers
Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations, 1): Alston, B.  B.: 9780062975164: Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.com: Starfish (9781984814500): Fipps, Lisa: Books
Alone | Book by Megan E. Freeman | Official Publisher Page | Simon &  Schuster
The Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga, Book 1: Robertson, David A.:  9780735266100: Amazon.com: Books
Middle School Global Read Aloud Choice 2021!
History Smashers: The American Revolution by Kate Messner: 9780593120460 |  PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Jumbies (The Jumbies): Baptiste, Tracey: 9781616205928: Amazon.com: Books
Global Read Aloud Choice 2021!
Amazon.com: Flood City (9781338111125): Older, Daniel José: Books
The Year I Flew Away: Arnold, Marie: 9780358272755: Amazon.com: Books
Rez Dogs: Bruchac, Joseph: 9780593326213: Amazon.com: Books
Pre-order for June 8th!
The Fabulous Zed Watson! by Kevin Sylvester
Give This Book a Title: Over 100 Activities to Kick-Start Your Creativity:  Lerner, Jarrett, Lerner, Jarrett: 9781534489790: Amazon.com: Books
Could also be used for early readers
Amazon.com: The Deepest Breath (9780358354758): Grehan, Meg: Books
She Persisted: Claudette Colvin: Cline-Ransome, Lesa, Clinton, Chelsea,  Boiger, Alexandra, Flint, Gillian: 9780593115831: Amazon.com: Books
Could also be used for early readers
The Canyon's Edge - Kindle edition by Bowling, Dusti. Children Kindle  eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Strong As Fire, Fierce As Flame: Supriya Kelkar: 9781643790404: Amazon.com:  Books
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller: 9781524715700 |  PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Young Adult

Amazon.com: The Gilded Ones (9781984848697): Forna, Namina: Books
Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers: Obama, Michelle: 9780593303740:  Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.com: Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet eBook: Kemp, Laekan Zea:  Kindle Store
Amazon.com: Firekeeper's Daughter (9781250766564): Boulley, Angeline: Books
The best book I have read so far this year.
Game Changer by Neal Shusterman
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
Amazon.com: Fadeaway (9780593180198): Vickers, E. B.: Books
Amazon.com: Chlorine Sky (9780593176399): Browne, Mahogany L.: Books
Amazon.com: VIRAL: The Fight Against AIDS in America (9780425287200):  Bausum, Ann: Books
Amazon.com: Muted (9781338673524): Charles, Tami: Books
Amazon.com: The Fell of Dark (9781250155849): Roehrig, Caleb: Books
Amazon.com: Things That Make White People Uncomfortable (Adapted for Young  Adults) (9781642590227): Bennett, Michael, Zirin, Dave: Books
Amazon.com: Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything  (9781534448636): Gilliland, Raquel Vasquez: Books
Amazon.com: Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle) (9781534441606): Deonn,  Tracy: Books
Amazon.com: Early Departures (9780062748409): Reynolds, Justin A.: Books
Wings of Ebony | Book by J. Elle | Official Publisher Page | Simon &  Schuster
Amazon.com: Burn (9780062869494): Ness, Patrick: Books
Pre-order this thing of beauty now – it is incredible!
Amazon.com: How It All Blew Up (9780593202876): Ahmadi, Arvin: Books
Just Like That: Schmidt, Gary D.: 9780544084773: Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.com: Three Things I Know Are True (9780062908025): Culley, Betty:  Books

Wow, what a lot of incredible reading! I am so thankful for all of the creators who continue to give us opportunity for great moments and memories.

As always, I am also curating lists on Bookshop.org – a website who partners with independent bookstores to funnel book purchases through them, if you use my link, I get a small affiliate payout.

I am excited to be heading out on the road again to be with other educators in-district or at conferences, while continuing my virtual consulting and speaking as well. If you would like me to be a part of your professional development, please reach out. I am here to help.

6 thoughts on “#PernilleRecommends – My Favorite Books January through April, 2021”

  1. Love this, but are you coming out with your “the best books for middle school according to my students” list for 2021? I look forward to it every year to try to guide my summer reading recommendations.

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