Ella the Elegant Elephant

Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela and Steven D'Amico, Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic), 2004, ISBN 0-439-62792-3
PS: Ella is nervous about the first day of school in her new town, but wearing her grandmother's good luck hat makes her feel better-- until the other students tease her and call her names.
Cute story about being different and being teased about it, then coming to the bully's rescue and finally being accepted. Would work well with kindergartners or first graders.
Other books about Ella: Ella Takes the Cake, Ella Sets the Stage, and Ella Sets Sail.

The Junkyard Wonders

The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco, Philomel Books, 2010, ISBN 978-0-399-25078-1
PS: Inspired by a teacher who believes each of them is a genius, a class of special-needs students invents something that could convince the whole school they are justifiably proud to be "Junkyard Wonders".
Oh my, Patricia Polacco has done it again. In the spirit of Thank You Mr. Falker, Polacco tells the autobiographical story of yet another inspiring teacher. As a young girl, Polacco finds herself in the "special class", known around school as the Junkyard. She makes genuine friends, is truly happy, and is encouraged and inspired by her teacher, Mrs. Peterson.

Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don't)

Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don't) by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Michael Emberley, Alfred A. Knopf, 2010, ISBN 978-0-375-84682-3
PS: A first-grade girl who does not like to read stubbornly resists her school librarian's efforts to convince her to love books until she finds one that might change her mind.
I love this book. I wish I had written it. It is the story of every school librarian in the world. She loves to read. She reads to her students. She dresses up. She gets excited. And she persists until she finds just the right book for each and every child. (BTW, the book that finally wins the girl's heart: Shrek by William Steig. Be prepared to read it to your students after you read this book.) The book mentions that the librarian is celebrating "Book Week", which would be a great time to read this bok. But I may use it at the beginning of the year instead. Just because I can't wait to use it!!