"Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" is about three black children living in the segregated south during the Great Depression. This story looks at racism and how these children overcome the cruelty through the strength they find in each other and their family. I would use this in fifth or sixth grade to look at segregation in the south as well as the hardships people faced during the Great Depression in the south.

"Because of Winn-Dixie" is a story of a young girl and her dog as they make friends and uncover truths about their strange new neighbors that were previously nasty rumors. I would use this in fourth or fifth grade to talk about friendship and not letting rumors and gossip influence your opinion of other people before getting to know them yourself.

"One Hundred Years of Poetry for Children" is a collection of poems put together by Michael Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark that spans the last 100 years. I would use this for any grade as a mentor text for poetry writing.

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" is a collection of poetry written by Shel Silverstien. I would use this at any grade as a mentor text for writing poetry.

"The Giving Tree" follows a boy as he grows up and comes back to ask the tree he used to play in for different things as he gets older. I would use this for any grade to teach sequencing. I would also use it around the holidays to talk about how giving is better than receiving and not taking advantage of people who are willing to do things for you.