Elementary SBCUSD Reads - January
Theme of the Month
Kindergarten - 1st Recommendations
Happy Dreamer
The Dreamer follows the early experiences of Neftali Reyes, a boy who is spellbound by the wonders of the natural world and grows into the man that we know as the Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda.
Willow
Miss Hawthorn's room is neat and tidy, not a pencil or paintbrush is out of place. And that's how she likes it. And she likes trees that are colored green and apples that are painted red. Miss Hawthorn does not like things to be different or out of the ordinary. Into Miss Hawthorn's classroom comes young Willow. She doesn't color inside the lines, she breaks crayons, and she sees pink trees and blue apples. What will Miss Hawthorn think?
2nd / 3rd Grade Recommendations
Weslandia
A boy named Wesley who, who is feeling like an outsider, creates his own civilization in his backyard. He discovers a plant, which he names "swist," and uses its various parts to develop food, clothing, shelter, and even a unique language and alphabet. Eventually, his classmates become curious about his unique world and join him in Weslandia, highlighting themes of nonconformity, self-reliance, and the power of embracing differences.
Dory Fantasmagory
Dory's siblings, Luke and Violet, often dismiss her games and imaginary friends, but Dory embraces her fantastical world, battling monsters and embarking on adventures with her imaginary friend, Mary.
4th / 5th Grade Recommendations
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is a magical nanny who sweeps into the Banks home on Cherry Tree Lane and takes charge of the Banks children. She never acknowledges her strange and magical powers, and feigns insult when one of the children refers to her previous adventures.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
A young girl named Luna is accidentally imbued with magic after being fed moonlight instead of starlight by a kind witch named Xan. Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby in the forest as a sacrifice to appease a supposed evil witch, but Xan rescues the children and finds them loving homes.