Tuesday, August 10, 2010

10 Picture Books I've Loved for 10 Years (or more)

It was NOT hard to find books I've loved using in my classroom for 10 years (or more).

It WAS hard to choose only 10.

I could have picked the books of 10 visiting authors from all those years ago (oh the memories): Jean Craighead George, Cynthia Rylant, Moredcai Gerstein, Ron Hirschi, J. Patrick Lewis, Robert D. San Souci, Seymour Simon...

But here's what I wound up with -- 2 poetry, 3 nonfiction and 5 picture books. Remember, it was really hard to pick only 10!!


Funny poetry that wasn't Shel Silverstein!
Revolutionary!






If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand
by Kalli Dakos
1990




Fresh metaphors. Her polliwogs are "Chubby commas..."  So perfect!





by Kristine O'Connell George
1997



Picture books have never been the same...






by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
1992




A concise history of the Eastern U.S. that shows the interconnectedness of times and peoples.





by George Ella Lyon
1992



Wordless picture book. How humans change a place over time. Hmm.  Just realized it's the opposite of Lyon's book -- hers goes back in history, this one goes forward in time. Hmm...




by Jeannie Baker
1991



Fun for questioning, predicting, and studying the intricate illustrations.





by Mem Fox
1988



All the small moments of life should be celebrated.






by Byrd Baylor
1986



Thanks to Percy, this book enjoyed a resurgence of popularity this year.





  

by Leonard Everett Fisher
1984



Was there a time before The Magic School Bus? (And looky there -- it's autographed by both Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen! Wonders never cease!)


by Joanna Cole
1987



Mary Pope Osborne has opened many windows and doors for children. The more diverse my classes become, the more I need this book every year. So that we can learn to understand each other and empathize with each other. (btw -- Ramadan begins the 11th/12th of August this year and will continue until September 9th/10th)


by Mary Pope Osborne
1996

Check out all the 10 for 10 Picture Book posts at Reflect & Refine (Cathy's blog) or Enjoy and Embrace Learning (Mandy's blog).  Join the fun!  Which 10 picture books are the ones you couldn't live or teach without?
Posted by Mary Lee at 4:55 AM
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12 comments:

  1. Monica Edinger8:18 AM

    Lovely! I wanted to participate, but was overwhelmed at the thought of trying to pick ten --- especially since I'm not home and can't browse my shelves, a library's, or a bookstores.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary Lee8:30 AM

    Monica,
    I never would have been able to do this if I hadn't been able to sit in front of my shelves in my classroom! Do yours late -- whenever you get the chance -- would love to see what you pick!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Esme Raji Codell10:04 AM

    Yaaay! Dandy list, of course, and I LOVED that you included nonfiction. You da man...and a teacher's teacher. ;-) Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Today’s Joy10:21 AM

    Hi Mary Lee! Love your choices! I am finally back after a long time away from blogging, but I can't figure out how to post comments correctly. I think I may have posted at least five times on Cathy Mere's blog by accident!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Susan T.11:39 AM

    Oh, boy, more reading for me! Can't wait to check out the Kristine O'Connell George title.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amy L V8:34 PM

    That was tough, Mary Lee. I love Kristine O'Connell George and can't wait to find this Mary Pope Osborne title. Byrd Baylor...I just want to kiss her.
    Thank you! Off to find WINDOW!
    A.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Patrick A. Allen10:26 PM

    Okay, Mary Lee, this was just too hard. I forgot to add The Table Where Rich People Sit... but you can see my list at http://all-en-a-days-work.blogspot.com

    Thanks once again for making me think!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mandy11:31 PM

    Thanks for joining us, I love The Great Frog Race!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mrs. Johnson2:42 PM

    Thanks for sharing! I will have to check out the Mem Fox title and I am in Charge of Celebrations. I look forward to adding a lot of great titles to my list.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Karen7:32 PM

    Love your list! I actually should have given credit to you for some of the books on my list. They have been with me all the way back to our teaching days at DR. :)

    I agree with you that looking at all the lists has been great.

    ReplyDelete
  11. CoffeeShopBloggers1:34 PM

    What an excellent list! I would love to repost to my blog if you don't mind.

    Pragmatic Mom
    http://PragmaticMom.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mary Lee6:49 PM

    Pragmatic Mom,

    I certainly wouldn't mind if you LINKED to my list, but I'd rather keep my content here. Thanks for asking!

    ReplyDelete

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