Teachers' Picks: A Garden of Spring Reads
By Hannah Trierweiler Hudson
Springtime means butterflies, toadstools, and mud puddles. These new books celebrate the wonders of the season.
By Holly Hobbie. $16.99.
The quiet beauty of this nearly wordless adventure about a frog on a springtime journey may inspire your students to write their own tales of growth and hope. Grades K–3.
2. First Peas to the Table
By Susan Grigsby, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell. $16.99.
In this history-packed ode to gardening, Maya’s class re-creates a competition Thomas Jefferson had with his neighbors. Grades 1–4.
3. Secrets of the Garden
By Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. $16.99.
While students read about one family’s garden, from planting to harvesttime, they’ll discover a trove of science facts. Grades K–3.
4. The Plant Hunters
By Anita Silvey. $19.99.
Who knew there were such mesmerizing tales about … plants? By the end of these true stories that span the globe, students will want to seek out their own wild species. Grades 3–7.
5. The Beetle Book
By Steve Jenkins. $16.99.
We love Jenkins for his colorful and engaging handling of science topics, and this look at beetles promises to draw even the squeamish into the fascinating world of bugs. Grades 1–5.
6. House Held Up by Trees
By Ted Kooser, illustrated by Jon Klassen. $16.99.
Readers will contend with the power of the natural world in this lyrical picture book, in which trees take over an abandoned house. Grades 2–5.
7. Nasty Bugs
Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Will Terry. $17.99.
This anthology of buggy verse by some of our most beloved children’s poets joins Paul Fleischman’s Joyful Noise as a must-have for your library. Grades K–5.
8. Split! Splat!
By Amy Gibson, illustrated by Steve Björkman. $16.99.
Use this sweet story about a little girl’s rainy-day outing to teach students about onomatopoeia and the use of sensory detail. Grades PreK–3.
9. Marty McGuire Digs Worms!
By Kate Messner, illustrated by Brian Floca. $17.99.
If you haven’t met the heroine of this charming series, her crusade to turn cafeteria waste into compost offers the perfect introduction. Grades 2–4.
10. Outside Your Window
By Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mark Hearld. $19.99.
Hearld’s eye-catching collages give this collection of poems about the seasons a handmade quality that will instantly make it a favorite. Grades PreK–3.
