I love when other teachers recommend books that they think are special, unique, and will have the kids LOVING reading. I have teamed up with Scholastic to bring you a few BACK TO SCHOOL picture books that are perfect for building community and building laughs within your classroom.
I truly believe in the statement above. EVERY kid deserves the right to read. It hurts my heart when I hear educators say, "But, I don't have time to do a read aloud". Teaching our students that reading for fun is a priority is a common goal that I share in my classroom. If we want our kids to read academically, we must first give them opportunities to see themselves as a reader. They will not love reading if all they do is annotate passages. Give them REAL BOOKS and allow them to dive head first and learn about themselves.
I share the following with my parents to highlight the value of Scholastic Books
"Dear Parents of Awesome Readers,
This year, I hope all of my students will bask in the glory of good books. I am a true believe that readers get to go on many free vacations and learn more about themselves through the eyes of book characters. Scholastic Book Clubs is one of my favorite companies that does so much to support school libraries and teachers. The prices of all the books are quite reasonable and they give many free books to classrooms. The more the kids order the more free books I get to hand select for my classroom. Reading is one of my favorite moments each day because I see my students grow as people and readers. "
If you only get 5 books in the month of September for your classroom, here is what I recommend! Please note I am looking at all of these books with a 5th grade lens. I will read these books during OPEN THE MAGIC and to facilitate content. I have linked all about the books for you to easily find on Scholastic's website.
Adam Rex
Why I LOVE: I thought about how many kids say they do not like school and how I can fix that. I think when something is new many kids turn to frustration before trying. This book gives great examples on how to overcome the uncomfortable. It is great to teach multiple perspectives.
Ame Dyckman
Why I LOVE: ALL teachers need this book in their classrooms! ALL. So many times kids are misunderstood or given titles from previous teachers. Real Talk: This book gave me a wake up call. I promised myself this year, I was going to see every kid with a new beginning no matter what I have heard before. This goes for kids as well. All kids deserve a new chance with each other. This book will be in my first 10 picture book reads this year during OPEN THE MAGIC.
Nick Seluk
Why I LOVE: I am always looking for informational texts for Science that will intrigue the students. This one is perfect for our 5th grade planet unit. The illustrations are fun, but it is chalked full of great information about the Sun and planets.
Brad Meltzer
Why I LOVE: Here is another informational text that is rich with information, but in a fun and artist way. Kids learn from these books because they are kid friendly. There are many more books in this series- definitely one to have in the classroom for our Native American unit.
Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas-Aaron Blabey
The Bad Seed- Jory John
Why I LOVE: I mean when you see Aaron and Jory...that is enough. Anything by these two authors I just love and so do the kids. Both of these are great back to school reads. I plan to use both of these books when I talk about "new year new you". Kids need reminders not only from their teachers and parents, but also from books that you always have the power to change. Both of these books would be perfect also for characterization and how a character's actions change over time.
Do you use Scholastic Book Clubs in your classroom? If you don't, what are you waiting for?
