One of the things I LOVE about the education program is the excuse to read children's books. As a kid, I absolutely LOVED reading and actually got in trouble because I'd read too much (yeaaaa I'd take my book to the dinner table). So, needless to say, I was especially excited when one of our assignments was to read 19 different children's books. I've started reading a few, but the library here at school doesn't have a great selection.

At lunch during my practicum yesterday, the other teachers were talking about the Children's Lit classes they had taken. This class has been eliminaated from the education program here, which disappoints me. We're covering a little bit in another class, and it's surprising what you can learn about children's books.
1. It didn't occur to me that picture books could be used for older kids.
2. I never took pictures and how kids would react to them into account.

I was also surprised at some of the books that my fellow students hadn't heard of! I guess it just depends on which books you read as a little kid, but I was really surprised when some people hadn't heard of the hungry caterpillar!

This makes me wonder how well I'll keep up with books that the kids love. I know I have a huge list of favorites, and I'm crossing my fingers that my students will love them too! I'm wondering what some good resources for discovering new books are? Any suggestions? Comments on favorite children's books? Specifc ways to use them in lessons?