Picture books Archives

Read Across America Ideas: Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers

March 2nd is Read Across America Day. In the past, most libraries and schools celebrated this day by reading Dr. Seuss books and organizing Seuss-themed activities. Over the past couple of years, the focus has shifted to emphasize multicultural and diverse literature. I am grateful for this change because it provides the perfect opportunity to share with students and parents a broader selection of children’s books and to create programs and activities that focus on acceptance, kindness, and cultural diversity. In this blog post, I want to share with you some different activities and ideas that you can use in your own schools and libraries that go along with this new focus. These are perfect for Read Across America Day or any time you want to have a reading celebration. 1. Author Studies Choose an author who writes more diverse books or who features multicultural characters. Create a bulletin

Diverse and Multicultural Picture Books

It is so important to read our students’ picture books with diverse characters. Children need to learn about new cultures, places, and traditions. They also need to be able to “see” themselves in a book. For so long there was a shortage of diverse and multicultural children’s books. And while there has been a steady increase in the past few years, there is still a long way to go. Below is a book list of 36 books that feature both multicultural and diverse characters. These include children of different races and ethnic groups as well as a child with two fathers and a boy who identifies as a girl. Before you read the book list, I want to share with you one of my favorite quotes about diversity. Across the Bay by Carlos Aponte Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela and Coco the cat.

Picture Books About Children with Different Abilities

“When I see you through my eyes, I think that we are different. When I see you through my heart, I know we are the same”. Doe Zantamanta It is so important to teach our students to see with their heart. Reading books with characters who have different abilities helps our students to do this. It helps them to build empathy and respect. It gives the chance to look beyond a person’s disability and see who they are inside. And it also allows children who have a disability to see themselves reflected in the book. This book list features 16 picture books with children who have different abilities. This includes children with autism and Down’s Syndrome and children who are in a wheelchair, are dyslexic or have a learning disability of some kind. 47 Strings: Tessa’s Special Code by Becky Carey A childrne’s picture book about the remarkable lessons

Favorite February Read Alouds

Besides reading Valentine’s Day books, February is one of the best months to read biographies and narrative nonfiction. Most of the books on this list focus on black history month and President’s Day. I also included a book that I just discovered called A Poem for Peter. It is about Ezra Jack Keats and how he was inspired to write the book The Snowy Day. I love this book so much, I just had to give it a special mention. Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek : a Tall, Thin Tale by Deborah Hopkinson In Knob Creek, Kentucky, in 1816, seven-year-old Abe Lincoln falls into a creek and is rescued by his best friend, Austin Gollaher. Abe’s Honest Words : the Life of Abraham Lincoln by Doreen Rapaport An illustrated biography of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States and the man responsible for seeing the country through

Favorite January Read Alouds

Winter is my favorite season. I enjoy cold weather and love when it snows (and not just because of snow days!) During the month of January my story times feature many winter and snowman books as well as penguins and Martin Luther King. Jr. biographies. Below is a list of some of my favorite January read alouds. A note: I read most of these stories with kindergarten and first graders. I teach my second graders about the Caldecott during January. If you would like to read about how I teach the Caldecott Medal, click here. All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle Lists everything that one needs to build the perfect snowman, from the very first snowflake that falls. Axle Annie by Robin Pulver The schools in Burskyville never close for snow because Axle Annie is always able to make it up the steepest hill in town,

Favorite December Read Alouds

During the month of December many of my lessons focus on winter holidays around the world. These include books about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Diwali as well as Christmas. Below are 30 of my favorite December read alouds. A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel After destroying all of the gifts and decorations at home, Bad Kitty escapes from the car on Christmas Eve and finds a new friend, who helps her learn the true meaning of Christmas. A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora Text in English with some Spanish words. Presents an adaptation of the folk song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in which friends exchange gifts such as pinatas and a little girl receives a present from a secret friend whose identity is eventually revealed. A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa’s Tasty Trip Around the World by

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Read Across America Ideas: Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers

Diverse and Multicultural Picture Books

Picture Books About Children with Different Abilities

Favorite February Read Alouds

Favorite January Read Alouds

Favorite December Read Alouds

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