The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz, 2024

Ember the dragon realizes that his true skill isn’t stealing gold, but rather baking and sharing it. Try as he might, tiny, adorable Ember doesn’t measure up to his fellow dragons, who excel at scaring villagers into handing over their gold. After a kind baker offers him shelter during a storm, he learns her trade and bakes a batch of droolworthy, toasted golden loaves.

Teaching Resources:

Activities from the author

Activities from the publisher

Read Loud with Ms. Linda (YouTube)
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The Helping Sweater by Rachel Mas Davidson, 2024

It's finally cold enough for Maya to wear her favorite sweater! But when her cat pulls a thread loose, her beloved sweater quickly begins to unravel. Maya is heartbroken, but she doesn't have time to fix it before school. She starts to realize that maybe her sweater can help other people--and that's when the magic begins! Maya uses her sweater to help folks in her community throughout the day. But of course, what goes around, comes around and when Maya needs help, someone comes to her rescue.

Teaching Resources:
Read Aloud with Ms. Emma (YouTube)
Short Activity with yarn

Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo, 2024

Jun recently immigrated to a U.S. suburb from Hong Kong. The only words she knows on her first day of school are hello, thank you, and I don’t know, which are written on her hand with Cantonese translations. Mo’s expressive, graphic novel-like panel illustrations capture Jun's lost, lonely feelings in gray scale. At lunchtime, Jun opens her lunchbox to find familiar Chinese dishes like bao, bok choy, chow mein, and more, the pages bursting with color and joy as Jun is transported to the comfort and warmth of her culture, family, and friends.

Teaching Resources:

National Agriculture in the Classroom lessons
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National Lunchbox Week (from Australia)

I'm Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff, 2024

Ripped and crumpled notes tell most of the story as Jack, a brown-skinned boy with straight brown hair, grumps through the school day. An early draft reads, “DEAR ZOE, I’M SORRY YOU GOT SO MAD!!! JACK.” Light-skinned, dark-haired Ms. Rice, who looks over his drafts, writes back, “Dear Jack, Please try again. Love, Ms. Rice.

Teaching Resources:
Teaching Books
Judy Bradbury Lesson Ideas
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A Little Like Magic by Sarah Kurpiel, 2024

A young girl reluctantly agrees to attend an ice festival where she sees sparkling, glorious sculptures that feel like magic, resulting in a special surprise that stays with her long after the ice melts.

Teaching Resources:

Printable Activity Sheets
Judy Bradbury Lesson Ideas

Interview with Author

Lucky Duck by Greg Pizzoli, 2024

Susan the duck has the worst luck. Her rollerskates are two sizes too big. She's lost her favorite marble. And she's run out of pickles.

But with each unfortunate discovery, Wolf shows up with a gift she's won. Her luck has turned around . . . hasn't it? Come see just how lucky Susan is, in this slyly funny story about finding luck when you least expect it.

Teaching Resources:

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Book Activity by Growing Book by Book
Teaching Books

Oh Deer! by Phaea Crede, 2025

When a loner sasquatch's turnip garden is besieged by deer, he's having none of that.

For Jasper, life as a sasquatch isn't too bad. He has a nice house in the woods where he lives alone. Just the way he likes it. Being around other animals can be a little stressful. So Jasper keeps to himself, and life is good, even if some days are a bit lonely. To keep himself busy, Jasper decides to grow a turnip garden. It's hard work but it's very satisfying. With caretaking, the garden should yield a bountiful crop of yummy turnips.

But one morning, just as the turnips are almost ready for harvest . . . disaster! Hungry deer have swooped in to eat Jasper's garden! Clever Jasper comes up with a way to thwart these turnip thieves. But as it turns out, the deer are even more clever. Though Jasper tries more and more ways to keep his veggies safe, nothing seems to work.

Then the situation changes, and someone special needs some help. Maybe a little company isn't such a bad thing.

Teaching Resources:

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Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird, 2025

The sensible Secretary Bird wants nothing more than to get on with their job of properly narrating a classic nursery rhyme book. But something is afoot in the orderly land of nursery rhymes . . . a zippy little Weasel has entered the scene! As the Secretary Bird tries to get through the rhymes--from Little Miss Muffet to Jack and Jill--the Weasel bursts in, throwing everything into a comical tailspin. Can the Secretary Bird put an end to the chaos?

Teaching Resources:
Teaching Books

Read Aloud (YouTube)

Sumo Libre by Joe Cepeda, 2025

Friends Max and Kenji love wrestling, but Max loves lucha libre and Kenji loves sumo, so they come together to create something spectacular.

Teaching Resources:

Teaching Books