This letter A books list includes not only the book overview but also gives you ideas how to use these books in your classroom. It provides ideas, activities, and lesson plans for your reference. You can also download the PDF version of this article.

Author: Theo LeSiege, Illustrator: Toy McKie

Theme: picture book, daily routine, feelings

Letter of the Week: a – is for alligator

Overview: this book is about a boy who has a terrible day from morning till night.

Classroom use: discuss what happened with Alexander throughout the day. Let children talk the bad day Alexander has. Is it unfair to have a bad day like this? Not every day is perfect. Discuss with your students about their days. What was good and bad?

That will be great to make a picture of good days for every student. Older students can write a short story.

Author: Judith Viorst, Illustrator: Ray Cruz

Theme: picture book, friendship, geography, food

Letter of the Week: a – is for apple pie

Overview: this book is about a little girl who wants to make a pie and share it with friends. She doesn’t have all ingredients and the market is closed. So she goes for adventure and looks for the freshest ingredients all around the world.

Classroom use: discuss different cultures and places the little girl visited. There can be a great discussion about where food comes from and how it grows.

Children can draw a picture of different countries, the farmers’ market. Following the recipe at the end of the book, they picture it step by step and cook this pie.

Author: Marjorie Priceman

Theme: picture book, imagination, bravery, feelings

Letter of the Week: a – is for alligator

Overview: this book is about a little boy who believes there is an alligator under his bed. No one believes him, so he decided to make a trap and catch the alligator.

Classroom use: there can be a great discussion about fears and how brave the boy is. Talk about his problem and how did he find a solution. It is great to show problem-solving skills the boy use.

Children can make a craft of alligator and write a similar story inspiring to use their imagination.

Author: Marjorie Priceman

Theme: rhyming, counting, tigers

Letter of the Week: a – is for apples

Overview: this book is about animal friends who are trying to balance with apples on top of their heads.

Classroom use: this book teaches kids how to challenge themselves. Those animals from a book are trying to put apples on top of their heads without giving up trying. A teacher can discuss with students about the situation when they didn’t give up. Kids can use drawings to represent their ideas.

A teacher can prepare and print apples with the alphabet letters. Then students can find the uppercase and lowercase letter A, sort it and then count how many each of them found.

Author: Mo Willems

Theme: picture book, friendship, feelings

Letter of the Week: a – is for alligator, Amanda

Overview: this book is a series of six stories about two friends. Alligator doesn’t like when Amanda leaves and try to find ways to be busy.

Classroom use: there can be a great discussion about friendship and how great it is to make a new friend. Why Amanda brings home new things for Alligator?

Kids can draw an alligator when he is bored and how Amada try to surprise him. They can imagine what new toy Amanda will bring from the zoo and if the alligator will like it.

Author: Elinor J. Pinczes, Illustrator: Bonnie Mackain

Theme: picture book, math, picnic

Letter of the Week: a – is for ant

Overview: this book is about one hundred hungry ants who went to the picnic, but marching in one row of 100 ants seems to slow. They decided to split into a few equal rows. 

Classroom use: talk about ants and show pictures, kids can discuss their own experience with ants.

Draw picnic baskets before the class and print ant cards; split the class into groups, and ask each group to put 10 ants in their basket.

Author: Ken Robbins

Theme: autumn, leaves, trees

Letter of the Week: a – is for autumn

Overview: this book is about thirteen types of leaves and trees with real photographs.

Classroom use: this book can be great for discussion about autumn, why and how leaves are changing color. After discussion, kids can collect leaves outside and see what color and type they are.

In the class the can draw and color the leaf they like the most during the reading.

Author: Nadine Bernard Westcott

Theme: predictable book, imagination, rhymes

Letter of the Week: a – is for alligator

Overview: this book is about boy who has an unusual appetite, his mother call to the doctor, nurse and lady with the alligator purse! The lady suggest to cure him with a pizza!

Classroom use: this book is great to build up vocabulary and discuss health. Students can make an alligator purse or pizza. The teacher can specify the number of extras to put on pizza.

Author: Shirley Mozelle, Illustrator: James Watts

Theme: picture book, alligator facts

Letter of the Week: a – is for alligator

Overview: the alligator arrives in a mailbox, he was small, until Zack soak her in water. She grows up to real size alligator and her name is Bridget.

Classroom use: students can practice identifying the short ă sound in the word alligator. A teacher can ask predictable questions throughout the book to encourage kids to be active listeners and make predictions.

Author: Judy Allen, Illustrator: Tudor Humphies

Theme: life cycle, food chains

Letter of the Week: a – is for ant

Overview: this book is about the everyday life of ants. The book has great images and description.

Classroom use: after reading this book, teacher can discuss with students about the difference between humans and ants. Kids can draw an ant at the different life stage.