All the Places to Love

By: Patricia Maclachlan
Illustrated by: Mike Wimmer

Everyone has a favorite place they like to spend time. When Eli was born, his grandmother held him up to the window so the first thing he could see was all the places to love. He loved the valley, the river, the hilltop where blueberries grow, and other places around the farm. Everyone in Eli's family has a favorite place they like to be just like Eli. No matter where he may live, all the places to love are there where he was born.

After reading this story with your students, share all the places you love and why you love spending time there. Then once you have shared, have the students tell there favorite places and why. You will be making a connection with the students and Eli, who's favorite place was the farm, from the story. Remind the students no matter where they may live, they will always have all of their places they love to look back on.

Heat Wave

By: Helen Ketteman
Illustrations by: Scott Goto

Is it true that only boys can be farmers? In the book Heat Wave, one little girl from Kansas is confident that she has what it takes to be a farmer. When a huge heat wave hits the Kansas farmland, the young girl gets her chance to prove to her brother that she too can be a farmer. If it wasn't for the determined, quick-thinking farm girl, the livestock and crops would not have made it through the heat wave.

This book helps teachers teach their students that it is not all fun and games on a farm. Even though what happens to the animals and crops in this book is a little extreme, teachers can teach children about droughts and how they effect farms just like the little girl's farm in Kansas was effected by the heat wave. This book also lets us celebrate the farmers and ranchers who work so hard to keep up the our wonderful land.