The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor’s New Clothes is a popular tale by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author. In this story, the Emperor is tricked into wearing a suit to his birthday parade made of fabric allegedly so exquisite only people with very good taste can see it. In reality, the Emperor is wearing nothing at all. No one accepts this until a small boy in the crowd shouts that the Emperor isn’t wearing any clothes. The phrase “emperor’s new clothes” has even become an idiom about logical fallacies and pluralistic ignorance, to be used in a case when someone is ignorant but believes that no one else is ignorant, or the opposite.

There are several different versions of this title. One modern adaptation includes a CD that narrates the story, voiced by many well-known people, including Madonna, Calvin Klein, Melissa Joan Hart, Geena Davis, and Rosie O’Donnell. The book also contains illustrations from a variety of popular illustrators, including Tomie DePaola, Quentin Blake, and Chris Van Allsburg, among others. The cover of this particular rendition boasts that it is “An all-star illustrated retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale,” referring to Hans Christian Andersen’s original and much less detailed story.

There are some aspects that may be a little sensitive in a school setting, but overall, I think it would be wildly appreciated by students! It is perfect for a read aloud scenario- though I would almost definitely use the audio CD.

Below is Madonna's excerpt from this version. 

Andersen, H. (1998). The Emperor's new clothes: An all-star retelling of the classic fairy tale. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Chopsticks

Rosenthal, A., & Magoon, S. (2012). Chopsticks. New York: Disney/Hyperion.

This is an adorable, humorous picture book written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Amy's website (link in previous sentence) contains many fun activities!

This book tells the story of a pair of chopsticks that do everything together. Then, one chopstick suffers an injury (he breaks in half) and the two are forced to spend time apart while the injured stick recovers. The book is full of laughs and puns. Right on the front cover, it says “Not exactly a sequel to Spoon. More like a change in place setting.” The two chopsticks learn the importance of independence and functioning on their own.

This book teaches a very important lesson to young kids. While it is important to stick together with friends, it is also important to learn to stand on your own. This book gives kids a valuable lesson while at the same time avoiding cheesiness and including humor. It is perfect for a quick read-aloud to help infuse some laughs into the classroom setting!

Half Magic

Eager, E., & Bodecker, N. (1999). Half magic. San Diego, Calif.: Harcourt Brace.

This is a fascinating story of four children who come across a magical coin. Of course, there is a catch. The coin only grants half wishes. For example, when the children's mother wishes she was home, she is transported just halfway there. The book is one in a series of seven magical tales by Edward Eager, the covers of which are illustrated by the talented Quentin Blake. The different stories in the series have unrelated characters. This is one criticism I have. After reading the first book, I was eager to read more about the characters from Half Magic, but the next in the series had different characters entirely. That said, each story in the Tales of Magic series brings something different to the table and is wonderful in its own way.

I think that this story could be interesting to reference in relation to math. It could be used to review fractions and why two halves equal a whole. While I may not center a whole math lesson around the book, it would certainly be helpful to reference it.

Ramona's World

Ramona’s World is one of several books about spunky young Ramona Quimby, a character of Beverly Cleary’s own invention. Ramona is a typical, fun-loving fourth grader. She struggles with spelling, fights with her sister, and longs to be viewed as responsible by her parents. This book follows Ramona’s adventures as she takes on fourth grade, makes new friends, and deals with Yard Ape, a rowdy boy at school.

Find Beverly Cleary's website here.

Find lesson plan ideas here.

Ramona and Beezus was made into a movie that combines the storylines from the many Ramona books in Cleary's series. See the trailer below:

Many of the Ramona books won awards, including:
Ramona and her Father, 1978, Newbery Honors
Ramona Quimby, Age 8, 1982, Newbery Honors
Ramona and her Mother, 1981, National Book Award in Category Children's Fiction

Cleary, B., & Tiegreen, A. (1999). Ramona's world. New York: Morrow Junior Books.