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Category Archives: Picture Book 10 For 10


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#PB10For10: Picture Books To Share in Middle School, Back-To-School Time

About the #PB10for10 Community:

“Picture Book 10 for 10” has been around since 2010. Love picture books? Then you’re in the right place. This community is dedicated to sharing picture book love. Please visit the hashtag, #PB10for10 to learn about picture books you’ll want to read next. Each August is the Picture Book 10 for 10 event, and in February the community hosts Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10. Have fun reading and enjoy all the resources shared.

Today was my first day of school, but since it was a teacher work day, I didn’t share with students. I will share these ten titles SOON, though. Picture books are my favorite books to use in reading/ELA classes because of the versatility and artistic joy they bring to our middle school classrooms. (Ask me about how “Picture Books are Perfect in Middle School” and I can talk all day!)

Honestly, I chose these 10 books because I want students to revisit former author/illustrator friends (comforting “old stuff”) and I want to introduce some new titles that students didn’t get to see yet due to the pandemic (exciting “new stuff”). I use picture books frequently in middle school classes and in the library for mini-lessons, so I’m not worried about what comes first this year. I want students to find inspiring books to read all year long, every day. Let’s get started!

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018) — This is perfect for the first days of school. “There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.” Our school is diverse and fabulous, and I love to share titles like this with my students.

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020) — I love modeling JOY and EXCELLENCE for all our students, especially with read alouds like this one. I’m so happy that Mr. Barnes and Mr. James are teamed up here again to celebrate our students. My former elementary school students loved The King of Kindergarten, and this book is even better (in my opinion).

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press, 2011) — I am ordering posters for the library, and if you have seen the new ALA Graphics catalog, you’ll want to get this “Hats Off to Reading” poster, too. (Click here.) Our students remember those “Hat” books from elementary school.

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021) — I want our students to see new perspectives of the world. Students remember this writing duo from Last Stop on Market Street, which was a huge hit (and a Newbery Medal winner!).

Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker and April Harrison (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2020) — Grandparents are the best school visitors, aren’t they? This Nana shows a class her tribal markings and then the students create their own. What a wonderful way to get to know someone’s background, culture, and heritage!

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2018) — It’s been tough. We have all suffered and lost this past year and a half. Sometimes you just need someone to listen.

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall (Greenwillow Books, 2015) — I loved this book when it first came out when I shared it in an art class, but now I love Red even more. “Everyone seemed to have something to say…” We need to let people (and crayons) be who they really are.

Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin (Neal Porter Books, 2021) –In Ohio, a family stops by the side of the road to gather watercress, embarrassing the young girl. “Why can’t they just go to the store?” But when a story is told, understanding begins. I encourage my students: Tell YOUR story!

Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn and Victo Ngai (Orchard Books, 2021) — The nouns in this story wish (“The night wished it was quieter…The light wished it was brighter…”). This is one of the most moving, heart-breaking, hopeful stories I’ve read in a long time.

Wild Symphony by Dan Brown and Susan Batori (Rodale Kids, 2020) — I teach in a fine arts academy middle school, and our orchestra is going to get this book as a gift. So much fun! Dan Brown is the composer of the music and his creations are amazing! QR codes lead to the audio for each page, helping readers to fully experience the magic of the symphony.

Thank you for sharing YOUR picture books with your students. Have fun with it! What 10 books will you share this August?

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#NF10for10: February 10th and 10 Nonfiction Books – Outside/Nature

It’s February 10th, and that means the annual #nf10for10 (Nonfiction 10 for 10) book lists are posted today. Thanks to our hosts: Cathy Mere (Reflect and Refine) and Mandy Robeck (Enjoy and Embrace Learning).  I enjoy challenging myself to come up with meaningful lists to share with other readers.

It’s been a crazy winter here; we haven’t seen our standard winter snowfall amounts. I look to nature and outdoor activities more instead of being cooped up inside as usual. Here are ten picture books that focus on outside/nature:
Move! by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. (2006) Swim, leap, slither, slide…discover how animals move in different ways. We use this book to find more descriptive details about animals and how they get around.
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner. Art by Christopher Silas Neal. (2011) Speaking of snow, what’s under that blanket of white? “A secret kingdom.”
Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman. (2019) Carl is a fictional earthworm, but the story surrounds what happens when this little animal doesn’t do its job. All life is interconnected. Just ask Carl!
Homes in the Wild by Lita Judge. (2019) A home can be high in the trees, in an underground burrow, or even out in the open country. A beautiful look at some different animals you may not have heard of before.
Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating. Illustrations by David DeGrand. (2016) My students love “The World of Weird Animals” series by Jess Keating. In this first installment, we learn about the “world’s perfectly pink animals.” This infographic-style picture book is a pleasing plunge into the weird animal world.
Eat Like a Bear by April Pulley Sayre. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. (2013) Written by my local favorite nonfiction author, April Pulley Sayre shows readers how bears find food in all seasons to prepare for winter hibernation.
Frogs by Seymour Simon. (2015) Okay, I could have done a whole “nonfiction 10 for 10” with Seymour Simon books. I love them! Amazing photography highlights the information about different species of frogs.
An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston. Illustrated by Sylvia Long. (2006) I love these light, airy, beautifully soft descriptions of all kinds of fascinating eggs.
Looking Closely Through the Forest by Frank Serafini. (2008) I love Frank Serafini’s photographs. From the “Looking Closely” series, my favorite is the “forest book.” It reminds me of my hikes at state parks and nature preserves.
Camp Panda by Catherine Thimmesh. (2018) This Robert F. Siebert Honor Book explains how pandas are cared for in captivity for the purpose of being released back to the wild. Rebuilding habitats is a much needed, timely activity.
Have fun reading this week. Take a look at some nature books to get you through the rest of the winter.


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#NF10for10: “Nonfiction 10 for 10” February Book List

It’s February 10th, and that means the annual #nf10for10 (Nonfiction 10 for 10) book lists are posted today. Thanks to our hosts: Cathy Mere (Reflect and Refine) and Mandy Robeck (Enjoy and Embrace Learning).  I enjoy challenging myself to come up with meaningful lists to share with other readers.

As we prepare for standardized testing season in our schools, I resist “test prep” practices more than ever. I look on social media and look to my friends to drag me out of the muck of worksheets and “read-and-answer-questions” crud that is the traditional way of school life during testing. I LOVE to read, and what better way to spread love than honoring time to read and learning with books that inspire? Based on a personal need to see more creativity and thinking in our classrooms, I chose “Inventors/Inventions/Thinkers” for my “Nonfiction 10 for 10” theme. Here are ten books that inspire:
Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton (2016)
Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta (2013)
Honda: The Boy Who Dreamed of Cars by Mark Weston (2014)
Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy (2010)
The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller (2016)
Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille by Jen Bryant (2016)
The World is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeannette Winter (2017)
Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines (Vietnam Veterans Memorial) by Jeanne Walker Harvey (2017)
Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark (2017)
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating (2017)
Thank you for reading. I hope I’ve inspired you to invent, create, and think. What ten picture books would you share with the world?
(All pictures from http://www.goodreads.com)


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#PB10for10: Picture Books I Will Share With My New Staff

I’m moving to a new school, and I couldn’t be happier with my fine arts academy and middle school staff. I am lucky to be a part of the arts integration movement, and the school library will be the best place to support our curriculum. Here are ten picture books I will share with my new staff and students.

To Start the Year/Build Community (We are the Bears, and we are Brave):

Mother Bruce, by Ryan T. Higgins (2015)

Jabari Jumps, by Gaia Cornwall (2017)

For The Visual Artists:

Drawn Together, by Minh Lê (2018)

Vincent Can’t Sleep, by Barb Rosenstock (2017)

I Cannot Forget My Math and Science Friends:

7 Ate 9, by Tara Lazar (2017)

The Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires (2014)

For My Choir and Band Buddies:

When Marian Sang, by Pam Munoz Ryan (2002)

Incorporate Beauty, Research, and a Little Love:

Red & Lulu, by Matt Tavares (2017)

It’s All About Perspective/The Joy of Learning:

They All Saw a Cat, by Brendan Wenzel (2016)

It’s NOT Jack and the Beanstalk, by Josh Funk (2017)

 

About the #PB10for10 Community:

“Picture Book 10 for 10” has been around since 2010. Love picture books? Then you’re in the right place. This community is dedicated to sharing picture book love. Please visit the hashtag, #PB10for10 to learn about picture books you’ll want to read next. Each August is the Picture Book 10 for 10 event, and in February the community hosts Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10. Have fun reading and enjoy all the resources shared.


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February 10th: Time for #nf10for10 “Winter”

It’s February 10, 2018, and all the local news revolves around the deep snow and Winter Olympics, so I’m going to use the news for my theme. My nonfiction picture book “10 For 10” has me thinking about winter (#nf10for10).

The Snowflake: Winter’s Secret Beauty (Kenneth Libbrecht): Pair this nonfiction book with Snowflake Bentley (Jacqueline Briggs Martin) for a winter research project. Wilson Bentley discovered the beauty and wonder of intricate snowflakes. I enjoyed a look at individual flakes and wondered how they all pack together to create the chaos that is today’s weather. (I like reading about snowflakes better than looking at the snow outside.)

Secrets of Winter (A Shine-A-Light Book) (Carron Brown/Georgina Tee): My granddaughter and I carefully pulled up the papers on these pages to reveal fun secrets. What is winter like outside?

When Winter Comes (Nancy Van Laan): What happens to flowers, and fish, and deer when winter comes? This book allows us to snuggle under the warm covers and find out.

The Polar Bear (Jenni Desmond): Nonfiction facts AND a beautiful picture book. Just look at the cover — it pulls you in!

A Is For Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet (Kurt Browning with Melanie Rose): Take a look at Olympic ice skating from a real expert — Kurt Browning skated for Canada and was a 4-Time Figure Skating Champion before writing this ABC book. Part of the alphabet series and appeals to any-age vocabulary buffs. (2nd edition, 2015)

A Kid’s Guide to the 2018 Winter Games (Jack L. Roberts): This book came out in July 2017, and prepared readers for events of the 2018 Winter Olympics, going on NOW. This title is COOL — it has colorful and interesting photographs, facts and figures, and even a medal tracker readers can use to record winners.

Best in Snow (April Pulley Sayre): Speaking of photographs, I could just sit and stare at April Pulley Sayre’s beautiful pictures all day. Her picture books’ photography shots are “best in show” for sure! This title shows the wonders of the snow and winter in the wild. I consider her books science class must-haves, and it doesn’t hurt to tell you she’s a friend, does it? (By the way, I’ll just recommend her new title, Warbler Wave — coming out this week– while I’m at it!)

Over and Under the Snow (Kate Messner): Speaking of friends, let me also recommend the Over and Under books by Kate Messner. Her nonfiction books are beautiful and informative, and the research presented in them is packaged in an engaging picture-book style (my favorite format!). In this title, the reader discovers the wonder and activity that lies beneath the snow-covered ground.

Blizzard (John Rocco): Now that I’m an adult, I sure hope we don’t have to relive the Blizzard-of-’78-kind of snow again. I remember donning my one-piece snowsuit as a 10-year-old and heading out to the swing set in the back yard — my sister and I sat on TOP of it! We had so much fun while my dad and the neighbor walked all day to get groceries at the corner gas station. What a crazy week that was. John Rocco placed his memories in this picture book, which is just as fun to read as that old swing set was to sit on.

Now it’s time for YOU to read and share your #nf10for10. Picture books are the best!