Monday, August 10, 2015

Picture Book 10 for 10

This is my first year doing the Picture Book 10 for 10. I really wish I could have gotten into my classroom before doing this post. I feel like I really needed to browse through my baskets of books in my classroom and the shelves of books I don't have room for, so I keep them in my old room, the computer lab. But since we're getting a new roof we're not allowed in the school so I'll do my best...

Hmmm, what 10 picture books couldn't I live without???




1. Brown Bear Brown Bear-I taught kindergarten and first grade for many many years. This book helped many students become "readers" over the years. Someday when I have grandchildren it will be a book I'll share with them.










2. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom-another fun book for the young readers. Eric Carle is one of my very favorite authors too.






3. Quiltmaker's Gift/Journey-I fell in love with these two books last year although I've always enjoyed the gift. Our 4th graders read the journey in class and then I had my students read the gift with me. It was one of the few books that I had my class read together. They loved the story, the illustrations, making predictions, the language, everything. This year I will be introducing the Notice and Note signposts to my 4th graders early in the year. I'm looking forward to seeing how that changes their interactions with the story.





4. What Do You Do With an Idea? This was a new book for me last year. My 5th graders did not seem to enjoy it. I'm thinking it had to be my presentation. I'll do better this year.







5. Hmmmm, which Patricia Polacco book to pick? Thunder Cake, Thank You Mr. Falker, Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair..... it's too hard to choose, she has so many great ones! Our third grades do Mr. Falker in class and I follow up with the Triple Creek book, it's perfect for a reading teacher!






6. Janell Cannon is another favorite author. I used her books to introduce the Notice and Note sign posts to my third graders at the end of the year-Pinduli, Crickwing, Verdi but I've always loved Stellaluna and it still holds my top stop.





7. The Gardener by Sarah Stewart-I love how this book is told through letters and how the little girl makes the best of a difficult situation. I also happen to love gardening.








8. The Raft. I just realized I didn't use this with any of my classes last year! I will have to remedy that this year. It's such a great book about change with beautiful illustrations.









9. The Best Part of Me. Being a photographer and a teacher this book really speaks to me. My fourth graders loved making their own version last year.









10. If You Plant a Seed-I just read this book this month and immediately ordered a copy. I'm thinking about using it as my first day of class book to help set the tone for the year.





Well, there's today's top 10. Who knows, a week from now I might pick 10 different titles!

12 comments:

  1. I was not familiar with that Patricia Polacco book. I'll have to read it. I've been hearing a lot about If You Plant a Seed. Definitely another one I'll have to check out.

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    1. There are so many great Patricia Polacco books! I also like the Bee Tree. Be sure to check out If You Plant a Seed, it's a keeper for sure.

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  2. oooh! the gardener is one of the four books that inspired me to become a writer! FABULOUS list!

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    1. That's great and it makes me wonder what were the other three? I also like The Library and when I went to find a picture of the Gardener I discovered she has a few more books I need to check out.

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  3. What a great list of books and a few I am not aware of . You have me searching for "If You Plant a Seed" to help me start of my new school year. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks, I hope you found it and like it as much as I did.

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  4. I'm really excited about The Best Part of Me! Thanks for sharing! I really want to get more picture books with photographs in my collection, and this looks like a terrific place to start. The Gardener is one of my favorites. I share What Do You Do With an Idea? on the last day of my Methods courses--my pre-service teachers seem to love it when it's placed there. (Otherwise, I haven't had much success with that book either.)

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    1. Here's my post about how I used The Best Part of Me: http://thereadingroomk-2.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-best-part-of-me.html It took much longer than I expected but I was pleased with the result.

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  5. I went through my books looking for "Brown Bear" to read to Gibson. I grabbed it and sat down and then realized it was the Spanish version! I didn't even remember I had that one. I had a lot of Spanish in High School so we went ahead and read it. We both loved it just as much (granted Gibbs doesn't really speak English yet.) "Oso Pardo, Oso Pardo..." Thanks for a great list; I'm going to add a couple to G's wish list.

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    1. That's funny! Part of my love for that book is the simplicity of the pictures making it perfect, in my opinion, for readers like G. I'm glad you found a few for his wish list.

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  6. I think I might be in trouble, Nedra. I've started to read all the #PB10for10 posts, & you are the first, & I've already collected several of yours for my wish list. I wonder if I shouldn't spend a week at the library just reading all the Polacco books there I can find. I don't know the one you shared, will look for it, plus The Best Part of Me sounds wonderful, too. Thanks for sharing such good ones. I agree that Brown Bear. . . should be on every teacher's list for early readers.

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    1. I'm keeping my library busy ordering books for me as I read through all the posts! I learned I can only put 20 books on hold at a time. :) I'm ordering a few but trying to not go overboard, which isn't easy. Have fun!

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