Are you a middle school or high school teacher who has a favorite picture book that you like to read aloud to your class every year? Please share it with us!
I'm compiling a list of the many picture books that teenagers and adults will find enjoyable and thought-provoking.
Here are some picture books to start off the list:
1. An 8th grade social studies teacher, Paul Bogush, started us off with Giraffes Can't Dance, by Giles Andreae. It explores issues every teenager can relate to: being different, fitting in, and finding your unique voice.
2. A great book for discussions of the environment and/or healthy relationships is Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree.
3. A wonderful book for graduates and adults who are in transition is Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go!
4 and 5. For discussions of culture and getting along, I love two Jane Addams Honor Books:
- Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing, by James Rumford
- Henry and the Kite Dragon, by Bruce Edward Hall
6. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, by Claire A. Nivola, is a recent Jane Addams Book Award winner, and will prompt discussions of the environment, and making a difference in the world.
7. Every Human Has Rights: A Photographic Declaration for Kids is brought to you by National Geographic, and is based upon the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Please help me add to this list! I'd love to hear from teenagers, parents, grandparents, and teachers.
As always, your feedback is very much appreciated.
