• Teacher Favorites

    Some teachers at JFK chose some of their favorite books and have shared why they are favorites.  Find your teacher (or past teachers) to see if you have read their choices. If not, read one and let your teacher know what you thought of the book!  Enjoy!
  •     image of purple, green, and yellow  
    Mrs. Dunlap
    Purple, Green, and Yellow by Robert Munsch:  This book is hilarious and the language in the book is so colorful.
     
     
     
    image of gerald mcboing boing
    Mrs. Friedman
     Gerald McBoing Boing by Dr. Seuss: Where else can you find a child as an outcast become a superstar-only in the imagination of Dr. Seuss!
     
     


     
    image of I hate english
    Mrs. Kubel
    I Hate English by Ellen Levine: I like this book because it gives the reader the opportunity to think about what it feels like to move to a new country when you don't speak the language. I love reading this book with my TESL students.  They can relate to the main character, Mei Mei, who has just immigrated from Hong Kong and must now speak English, rather than in her native language, Chinese.  At first, Mei Mei is upset that everything in school happens in English, and she doesn't want to speak this strange new language.  Then she meets a nice teacher who helps her to understand that learning to speak in English can be fun!

  • image of from the mixed up files
    Miss Mendel
    From the Mixed-Up FIles of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg:  One of my favorite places to go as a child was the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  In fact, I dreamed of living there in the rooms filled with beautiful furniture, colorful paintings, and monumental sculptures.  When I met Claudia and Jamie, the heroes of the book, I felt like they were living my dream!  They were the luckiest brother and sister team I had ever heard of, being able to stay in the museum after dark and explore every part of that priceless collection.  This is my favorite book of all time because it sparked my imagination and made me wish I could become part of the story.

     

    image of frog and toad together
    Miss Dillon
    Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel:  Growing up, my mother read to me every night before bed.  I loved listening to stories and would always ask her to read just one more and one more and one more.  She said it reminded her of "Cookies" from Frog and Toad Together.  If you read this story, you'll understand why it became my favorite children's book.

    image of my mama had a dancing heart
    Mrs. Profeta
    My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray:  This is my favorite book because it has beautiful, memorable language.  It reminds me of dancing with my mom when I was a child.

    image of the book thief
    Miss Cottone
    The Book Thief by Markus Zusak:  One of my favorite books is The Book Thief. The narrator is Death, telling the story of a girl who is deprived of education and books, yet she learns how to read and develop such a strong passion for reading, that she starts stealing books.  the message of the book lingers long after one has read it.  Words have such power, and whoever unlocks that power is blessed forever.

     


    image of charlie and the chocolate factory image of wishtree
    Miss Gerstenblatt
    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and Wishtree by Katherine Applegate:  As a librarian, it is almost impossible to choose a favorite book.  I have read too many books to count, and have loved so many of them.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was my favorite book as a child.  My mom and I used to read it every night before going to bed.  I treasured our time together and I still have my copy of the book that I had as a child.  The cover is ripped, but it just shows how much the book was loved.  One of my new favorite books is Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. It is a beautiful story written from the point of view of an old tree, a tree that grants wishes.  Katherine Applegate writes so beautifully, it takes my breath away.  If you haven't read this book, stop whatever you are doing, and go read it!