I am writing to recommend the book Flotsam by David Weisner.

David Weisner is an incredibly talented artist and author who is known for his wordless books. Flotsam, which earned him the Caldecott Medal, is one of his best in my humble opinion. It shows the story of a young boy who discovers a camera washed up on the beach. After developing the film, secrets of the ocean are revealed to him, such as mechanical fish, tiny alien tourists, sea shell cities on the backs of sea turtles, and giant starfish that house islands.

However, his most interesting find is a photo of a girl holding a picture of a boy holding a picture of a girl. As he examines this picture-within-a-picture with his microscope with varying levels of magnification, he finds his way to the black-and-white photo of the camera's orginal owner. Knowing what he has to do, he takes a picture of himself holding the photograph and throws the camera back into the ocean....destined to have more adventures and be discovered by another curious child.

Because this book is wordless, every student can "read" the story, including English Language Learners. It is terrific for writing extensions as well, because you can have your students write the story, either for part or all of the book, and then reread the book with their words. This book is a high interest way to use the strengths of every level of reader to have an experience with literature.