Saturday, May 18, 2019

More than Quotes

I added two books to our classroom library recently that I love. Both of these books have powerful quotes from leaders in our world.  Each quote in these books can start important conversations in the classroom.  But they are so much more than quotes.  Each one of these books gives us, as readers, so much to think and talk about. They also give us invitations to dig deeper if we find something or someone that especially inspires us.



We Are the Change: Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders by Harry Belafonte is a must-have new book with quotes from 16 civil rights leaders including John Lewis, Sonia Sotomayor, Barack Obama, and Maya Angelou.  Each quote is paired with art from  one of 16 children's book illustrators and some reflection to go along with that art.  This book does not have a lot of words but it is a book that you can read and reread, spending hours with because there is so much to think about in the words and pictures.  I like books like this for the classroom for several reasons--there are several entry points for children. There are also so many ways to share this book with children--in parts or as a whole piece. It is a gorgeous book that you'll want for your bookshelf.


Limitless: 24 Remarkable American Women of Vision, Grit, and Guts by Leah Tinari is another book that I picked up at a local, independent bookstore.  This is a bit of an oversized picture book which makes the visual portraits of each woman so powerful.  24 women are illustrated with words about their role and impact. Alongside each portrait is a quote by that woman. The end of the book has a bit more information about each woman. The way that the black and white drawings are combined with a bit of bright color make the book unique and engaging.  What I think I love most about this book is the variety of ways the women portrayed have made an impact--I love the message that there are so many ways to make the world a better place.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Comment moderation is turned on.