My Teacher — James Ransome

A lovely tribute to elementary school teachers

A great teacher is the best gift of all, according to the narrator of this warm look inside an urban classroom. Her teacher encourages the students to write stories, listen to jazz music, help in their neighborhood, celebrate different kinds of families, and build their own class library. The narrator recognizes that her teacher could be working in a nicer school, but the teacher reveals that she was a student in that very class and that she works in the school to help the children achieve their dreams the way she was able to.

As a celebration of all the ways a teacher can inspire students, this is a welcome gift in any classroom.