By The Educator Collaborative Book Ambassadors Julia Torres & JoEllen McCarthy
Ahhhh…! Isn’t it the most wonderful time of the year? New beginnings and fresh starts…. How lucky are we as educators that we get to approach each school year with a renewed commitment and a sense of joy for learning together?
Many of us may have predictable plans for getting to know our students and kicking off the new year. Those routines and rituals are essential for establishing community and a sense of belonging. We know the importance of making memories and moments count. We want to strengthen our connections to students and help nurture their individual learning journeys.
As The Educator Collaborative Book Ambassadors, we believe in creating space and time to read together in community with one another. We try to share our love of reading and the many ways that we work to match books to kids, help with planning to support instruction, AND spread a joy for learning.
We love to share our in-the-moment favorites and our rationale behind the what, why, and HOW we are using them. So, as we embark on a new journey together, we thought we would share a few favorite “picks” we have been using to help plan for a year focused on joyful literacy connections.
| Books Make Good Friends | Written and illustrated by Jane Mount | The artist and writer, Jane Mount, has provided us a unique opportunity to explore the impact of stories in our lives. Students will recognize favorite spines and be inspired to share their own lists of “best friends.” Read aloud to learn more about your students’ reading lives, offer a list of favorites or “to be read” (TBR) texts, and celebrate a way to keep track of all of the above through similar lists inspired by these categories. |
| 101 Ways to Read a Book | Written by Timothée de Fombelle and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud | This is a “new to us” favorite that has helped add to our discussions about how and where we read. It’s the perfect opportunity to connect art and literacy and encourages readers of all ages to sketch their favorite places, spaces, and ways they like to read. |
| This Book is My Best Friend | Written and illustrated by Robin Robinson | Two friends discover their different views on what they consider to be “the best book.” This title can help discuss our varying views about reading. Share this text to examine students’ different reading interests, habits, and book choices. |
| How to Hatch a Reader | Written by Kari Ann Gonzalez and illustrated by Rachel Suzanne | This story can help young readers through its tips about reading. Offer this as a way to introduce early literacy activities and provide time to practice with beginning readers. Great to share for a family literacy night, too. |
| A Love Letter to My Library | Written by Lisa Katzenberger and illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr. | Share this book to reinforce the concept of a library as the heart of your class, building, and community. Invite your readers to write their very own love letters to show gratitude for someone or something. |
| Abuela’s Library | Written by Lissette Norman and illustrated by Jayri Gómez | In addition to being a celebration of family, reading together, and libraries, this book explores the power of community. It is a great opportunity to discuss community projects and ways kids can be change agents. |
| You Are a Story | Written by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Kristen Howdeshell & Kevin Howdeshell | This inspirational picture book highlights our varying unique and special qualities. The shared metaphors offer many opportunities to invite further discussions and writing activities too. “Every day is a blank page waiting for you to fill it…” |
| A Library | Written by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Erin K. Robinson | This is a celebration of libraries and reading. Your students will be encouraged to reflect on all that libraries have to offer. Consider sharing with your students to finish the sentence A library is… |
| I’ll Build You a Bookcase | Written by Jean Ciborowski Fahey and illustrated by Simone Shin | This rhyming text illustrates a beautifully diverse array of adults, children, and family structures while demonstrating the many ways we can read together. Share this to honor family, reading time, and the power of books. It includes a bonus note with tips on how to make space and time for reading. |
| All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors | Written by Davina Bell and illustrated by Jenny Løvlie | Great to explore the power of choice- getting kids to read about ANYTHING they love. (Important for family literacy conversations too.)It makes us think about the wonderful work of Teri Lesesne and her mantra, “Let kids read!” |
| My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World | Written by Malcolm Mitchell and illustrated by Michael Robertson | As you get to know your students, this invites questions to share what they know, love, and care about. |
| A Walk in the Words | Written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott | This is an inspiring story where the author shares his struggles with reading–and honors our unique paths and journeys as lifelong readers (with specific examples that can be tied to comprehension goals). |
| They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems | by David Bowles | This novel about a boy who feels like he doesn’t fit in uses poetry as a way to explore the relationship between identity and creativity. Use this text to teach poetry as a tool for self-discovery, self-expression, and liberation. |
| Dear Mothman | by Robin Gow | In this beautiful story about growing through grief and loss, a young boy who just lost his best friend writes letters to Mothman, his favorite mythical creature, to feel seen, heard, and understood. Use this book to teach about the healing power of the imagination. |
| Inside Out and Back Again | by Thanhhà Lai | A young girl writes a series of poems in 1975 about her relocation from Vietnam to resettle in Alabma. Use this novel to teach about personal empowerment and navigating life changes through writing poetry. |
| Other Words for Home | by Jasmine Warga | Use this novel to discuss one of many immigrant experiences and how some young people use writing to process their journey to self-acceptance in the face of personal change. |
We wanted to offer you some of the ways that we have been using these books, but we’d also love to hear from you about your ideas and takeaways. Which stories are you sharing to help nurture your new beginnings? What texts have impacted your community of learners? As you consider your selections, think about the ways we can leverage our read alouds and use books as co-teachers for lessons around reading, writing, and life!
PSSST…. You can always reach out to us at The Educator Collaborative, too!
Submit questions for future posts and videos from our Book Ambassadors. Looking for more direct help? Contact us to arrange their consulting support for curating book collections, swapping out core curricula text, and supporting your culture of reading.
