
We’ve been reading like crazy this month, and I wanted to share my favorite books that we read in my classroom this month!
Just an FYI, I am an Amazon Affiliate, which means if you use the link to buy the books, I get some change! No biggie if you don’t use the link!
Now that we’ve gotten that out the way, here are my November picks!
Who Stole Mona Lisa? by Ruthie Knapp
I loved this book! We all know at one point Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum, but do you know how Mona Lisa felt about her being gone for two years? Well, she tells her side of the story and shares the secrets of her life that only she knows. After reading this book, my students had tons of questions about the famous painting!
The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Finely Mosca
Dr. Patricia Bath loved science as a girl and turned her hobby into a career. After attending medical school at Howard University, she interned at Harlem Hospital Center, where she found that African-Americans were two times more likely to be blind than whites. She made eye health a priority and made the hospital perform surgeries for free to help members of the community regain their sight.
Dr. Bath also studied overseas, where she learned more about laser cataract surgery. Eventually, she invented the laserphaco probe, that removed cataracts.
Later in her career, she became the first woman ophthalmologist at UCLA and became chief of their residency program.
Dr. Bath passed away a few months ago, on May 30th, 2019.
What amazing life she lived!
The Water Princess by Susan Verde
The Water Princess is about Model and Philanthropist Georgie Badiel’s experiences as a child.
Princess GieGie has to walk miles every day to get water for her family. She doesn’t understand why the water is so far away. After a long day of walking, Princess GieGie asks her mother why they have to walk miles for water. Her mother doesn’t entirely give her an answer but tells her that maybe she will solve their country’s problem one day.
Today, Georgie Badiel is doing just that. Since 2015, The Georgie Badiel Foundation has helped towns in the country of Burkina Faso get clean and accessible water.
Georgie Badiel is truly The Water Princess.🌊👑
Definitely check this one out!
The Boy From the Dragon 🐉Palace by Margaret Read MacDonald

A poor flower seller receives a gift from the Dragon King because kindness, it’s a snot-nosed boy. 😂
The snot-nosed 🤧 boy brings the man everything he needs and wants until the man crosses the line!
This folktale is a great reminder to be thankful for what you have.
Not only did this book have a great message, it was engaging and fun. My students were amused at how the snot-nosed boy was able to produce the gifts for the man!
Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau 🌊by Jennifer Berne

Manfish was another book on this list that talks about turning your passion into a career. Jacque Cousteau always loved the sea. He served in the French Navy right after high school! He continued to follow his passion, and later in his career, he invented the Aqua-Lung, aka SCUBA, and made documentaries.
The book also mentions how Jacques Cousteau began making saving marine life important. He wanted us to understand how we were hurting the life in the ocean through pollution. He
That is my list for November. Follow me @melissanikohl for more book recommendations!