Week 2: Inspiring a Love for Books

Our Library

by: Eve Bunting

Second Grade

• APA Citation: Bunting, E. (2008). Our library. New York: Clarion Books.

• Description: "When Miss Goose announces that the library is going to close forever, Raccoon and his friends spring into action. Where will they get the help they need to save their beloved library? In books, of course! This cheery tale from ever-popular author Eve Bunting shows how important libraries are to every community. Bright, playful illustrations enhance the light treatment of this serious subject, in a story that celebrates the value of books in everyone’s lives." Retrieved from Amazon.com on September 22,2017 : https://www.amazon.com/Our-Library-Eve-Bunting/dp/0544808991.

• The Age/Grade Level for which the book is appropriate: 4-7 years; Preschool - 3rd grade. 

• Justification:  This book advocates for what we do, and prompts students to think about what the library can do for them and the community at large. I would have the students read this book, and have a class discussion of what the animals did to overcome what challenges, in order to demonstrate CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3. Students would then respond to written prompts encouraging them to think about and respond to different points of view included in the story, demonstrating CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6. Students will write short reflections about why Raccoon wants to save the library, how the young animals respond to the "grumpy badger", and the importance of teamwork and problem solving.  

• Keywords: teamwork, reading, community, problem solving

• Review: "Kindergarten-Grade 2—When Miss Goose informs the children that the library will have to close because it is in need of repair, Raccoon and his friends spring into action. The first thing they do is check out books (How to Lay a Perfect Roof and Library Painting for Beginners), read them, and accomplish the necessary tasks. However, their problems are far from over. Now the library needs operating money and it has to be moved. Each time, the children turn first to books to guide them toward a solution, until at last the spruced-up library sits cozily in a meadow. The reasons this library is so important to everyone, from toddlers to senior citizens, are woven nicely into the plot. Bunting's style has a graceful simplicity, descriptive enough to be evocative without overwhelming. "On rainy days, we stay cozily inside. On sunny days, we lie in the shade of a big whispering oak tree and read." Smith's watercolor and acrylic illustrations are charming and should have most children longing to enter the buttercup-yellow library with the grass-green door. An excellent vehicle for discussing the importance of libraries, books, reading, and teamwork, this one is a winner.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ 
  Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved." 

• Citation: Oliff, G. School Library Journal. Retrieved on September 22, 2017 from: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Library-Eve-Bunting-ebook/dp/B00ALJGY78.
• Awards: