BLOGS > MARCH 10, 2020
BY JILLIAN HEISE
Thinking about #classroombookaday choices for May has me thinking about the end of the school year and the message I want to leave with students.
As a former eighth grade teacher, I was always very intentional about that last day read-aloud I wanted to share with students. What were those final words I wanted my students to carry with them that would inspire them for the years ahead? What was the final theme that would remind them to be their true selves as they navigated the treacherous social hierarchies of high school? No pressure! Ha!
I often used a book like Only One You. Over the years I’ve read enough other picture books to start a Goodreads shelf (that now has 53 titles!) for “grad send-off” books in the hopes that it wasn’t only eighth grade when these types of books could be useful.
Whether it’s sending PreK littles to the next grade, fifth graders off to middle school, high school grads off to college, or just sending kids to the next grade knowing I won’t be their teacher anymore, I think there is always a picture book that has the message I’d want those little (or not so little) humans to carry with them: Be the best you that you can be. Do what you know to be right and what feels true to your heart. Make a difference, make an impact, make a life that helps make others’ lives better. Don’t lose sight of who you are and the dreams you have.
That idea of being true to yourself may be different for every student I have ever had the privilege to teach. But I most want to remind students, in these last weeks of the school year, through the books I choose to read aloud, that “being you” is a good place to start. With all of that in mind, I selected these 20 picture books to recommend this month because they all have a sense of “you do you” to them, supporting various identities and encouraging kids to be themselves and to go out and do good in the world.
Because picture books can do that. They can help kids see themselves and see others and see ways to be. That is their true power. I’m reminded that “Literature does more than change people’s minds; it changes people’s hearts. And people with changed hearts are people who can move the world.” (Rasinski & Padak, 1990, as cited in Cai, 2002, p. 19)
At the end of the year, I want to leave my students with hearts that are open to all and to love themselves as they go out to make their mark on the world. And I end with the hope that of all of those daily picture books we’ve shared through #classroombookaday, at least one will stay with them in their hearts reminding them that who they are is enough.
See Full List on Titlewave
Jillian Heise is a Grade K-5 Library Media Teacher in southeastern Wisconsin. She previously taught Grades 7-8 ELA in the Milwaukee area for 11 years and is board certified. Jillian is a passionate advocate for student choice in reading and the power of shared stories through #classroombookaday picture book read-alouds. She brings her literacy expertise and knowledge of books to her role as Chair of the WSRA Children’s Literature Committee. You can find Jillian talking books and education at Heise Reads & Recommends and on Twitter at @heisereads.
Read all Jillian Heise #ClassroomBookADay articles on Follett Learning.
Watch webinar recording presented by Jillian Heise, Building Community: #ClassroomBookADay Read Alouds.
An Author Interview with Drew Daywalt
June 27, 2025
Drew Daywalt, award-winning author of the best-selling The Day the Crayons Quit series, is about to release his second middle grade book with illustrator Mike Lowery, No Sam! and the Meow of Deception. The title continues the hilarious adventures of Sam...
Read more
An Author Interview with Adam Wallenta and Makana Wallenta
June 27, 2025
Get ready to rock the galaxy with the first volume of Punk Taco – a wildly imaginative, music-fueled sci-fi adventure from father-son duo Adam and Makana Wallenta. Created when Makana was just five years old, this award-winning graphic novel now debuts...
Read more
An Author Interview with Lisa Manuzak Wiley
June 27, 2025
A bewitching new graphic novel series is arriving this fall!Author-illustrator Lisa Manuzak Wiley, who grew up in Hawaii, blends cozy fantasy, sisterhood, and tropical charm in a heartfelt homage to her roots: The Witches of Pepperwood Bay Vol. 1. Lisa...
Read more
What We're Reading – Books to Add to Your TBR List
June 4, 2025
As a Follett Content Outside Sales Consultant, I’m not only an avid reader, but also a passionate book reviewer! I’ve curated my top 10 book picks that are perfect for adding to your To Be Read (TBR) list. These titles...
Read more
Author Joseph Koszary on the Changes Made to the International Baccalaureate Extended Essay
May 22, 2025
As someone who’s served as an extended essay coordinator, examiner, and supervisor, I’ve grown deeply familiar with the previous incarnation of the extended essay (EE). Like many of you, years of accumulated experience have made supporting students through the process...
Read more
Celebrate Literacy All Year Long: Host an Online Book eFair!
May 12, 2025
Reading and literacy are essential parts of our lives, and there are numerous events throughout the year dedicated to celebrating and promoting these important skills. Hosting a Follett Book eFair is a fantastic way to engage your school community, share the...
Read more