Join Cathy at Reflect
and Refine and Mandy at Enjoy
and Embrace Learning for this fun event.
It is
not like me to put something off. I like to get things done as soon as possible
because if I do procrastinate, it will be ugly. I’ll think about it, and think
about it, and think about it – giving far more time to the thing I have to do
than if I had just sat down and done it. That being said, trying to pick ten
picture books to share on August 10th for #pb10for10 is tough.
Knowing these are supposed to be ten picture books I couldn’t live without,
impossible.
I thought about this list a few ways. I thought I could go with a
theme – 10 funny books, 10 new books, 10 books my students loved last year, 10
books that I use in mini-lessons. None of it seemed right. When it really came
down to it, I wondered – what ten picture books do I simply have to have in my
fifth grade classroom? This was my list.
What
You Know First by
Patricia MacLachlan
My love
for this book is pretty well documented. I love using it on the first day. I’m
able to show the student what it looks like to “know” background info on an author,
to have a favorite author, and what it’s like to love a “quiet” book. I also
use it on the first day to talk about what we bring with us from the years past
in school. (Some good, some bad.) For that reason, I also read this book on the
last day of school to talk about what they are taking with them as they move on
from me.
I Want
My Hat Back by
Jon Klassen
I will
share this while wearing the red hat that Jen Vincent sent me so long ago. I
will use this book to talk about text complexity when it seems so simple and
also about community. I will share with them the conversations my friends and I
have had around this book and the teams that developed as a result. With this
one book I think they will be able to see how books factor into my life.
Bluebird by Bob Staake
I shared
this book for the first time last year and was unbelievably moved. I will never
forget sharing it with my son, Liam. He was seven. When I pointed out a page
towards the end and said how sad the mean kids looked and maybe this was too
sad to share with kids, Liam said “Sometimes you can’t take what you did back.”
We talked about how sorry can’t fix everything. This book shows the power of
story – without words.
It’s a
Book by Lane
Smith
I’ve
shared this book every year since it came out because of one simple word –
jackass. I remember when I got the book; not knowing that one of the characters
was indeed a jackass and was called that in the book. At first I wasn’t sure
whether I should share it or not. The book is hilarious and the two different
ways the word is used would be fascinating to study. J
The power of a word – exemplified in this picture book.
The
Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
I share
this book when I want to talk about dreams and purpose. I read this book for
the first time as a second grader. When talking to my former first grade
teacher, Jan Tuck, she invited me to her classroom to read it to her new
students. I remember seeing those kids sitting in front of me, waiting. I
remember being nervous. I remember trying hard to put inflection in my voice.
And I remember the first laugh, and more, and more, until they were begging me
to read it again. I remember vividly leaving that room and knowing I must be
able to read to kids daily. A powerful memory.
Roller
Coaster by Marla
Frazee
I love
using this one to explain what I mean by craft choice. The kids often enjoy
this book, asking it to be read again and again. I also point out how much
“fun” it is to read and we discuss how to make our own writing that way. I
simply love Marla’s books and this is one way to introduce her to my students.
My
Great Aunt Arizona
by Gloria Houston
This book
is another that I use at the end of the year. In my tiny town, I do get to
watch my students grow up, move on, and come back. We talk about our year
together and our dreams down the road. We also talk about the choices we make
and how they will determine whether our dreams become reality. I use this book
as a way to say goodbye to my students.
The
Relatives Came by
Cynthia Rylant
I have
several books by Rylant I enjoy sharing, but this one is at the top. The words
she uses in this book are just brilliant. We talk about the concept of show,
not tell, here. For example, the kids always point out the crowded house and how
instead of saying it’s crowded she says it’s hard to sleep with all of that
breathing. Brilliant.
Enemy
Pie by Derek
Munson
I would
say I use this book most years – but not every. This year I absolutely will be
because I want to talk about assumptions and changing our point of view of
another person. Both are lessons that I know my new class needs and I think
will inspire rich discussion.
Count
the Monkeys by
Mac Barnett
I love
Mac’s books and this one is no different. Sometimes you just need to have fun,
and this one will have them rolling. Seeing as it was recently released, I’ve
never used this book with a class. Both of my boys read it immediately when it
arrived at our house and both gave glowing reviews. I cannot wait to try this
one out with my fifth graders.
There you
have it! Ten books I love. Considering I have three hundred picture books in my
classroom, this was extremely difficult. Check out the other posts in the
#pb10for10 group – and get ready to feel your wallet cry. J
Thanks for hosting this group Cathy and Mandy!
