Big Al
Lexile Level: 880L
This is a picture book about a big, scary looking fish who wants to find a friend. But no other fish will be friends with him because of the way he look, but on the inside he is the nicest fish you will ever meet in the ocean. No matter how hard he tries to be friendly and nice, all the other fish are afraid of him. He is finally able to make friends after one little fish gets caught in a net and Big Al saves them.
I would use this in my classroom on the first week of school and throughout the year to remind students that actions speak louder than words and you can't judge a book by its cover.
 - Andrew Clements)