The Friday Five: Classroom Library

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Kimmie Stephens

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I adore children's books, especially ones that send a message of kindness and love. They really make my job so much easier. 

Here are five of my must have books...

1. The Dot

By: Peter Reynolds

 

This book is great for setting up a successful school year. It's all about turning your can'ts into cans, taking risks, showing leadership, and having a growth mindset. This book has become widely popular and there is even an International Dot Day. Our team of specialists (Art, Library, Music, Gifted & Talented, etc.) and I have already discussed a plan for Dot Day 2017. I have September 15th written on my calendar. If you are interested in Dot Day at your own school, click the link below...

Dot Day

"Make your mark, and see where it takes you."

2. The Book With No Pictures

By: BJ Novak

I love, love, love The Office and have binge watched the entire show at least 3 times. So when I heard that BJ Novak (Ryan, Temp, Fire Guy) had written a book, I had to have a copy. The title isn't lying, there really are no pictures in this book.

 You don't need pictures! There is no better book for breaking the ice and getting kids to open up in a group. I usually have them pass the book around a circle and take turns reading a page or two. Somehow I always wind up getting stuck with this page...

3. My Many Colored Days

By: Dr. Seuss

This is a book that I used when I was teaching 1st grade, but still use all the time in my counseling office. As usual, Dr. Seuss is a master at explaining a very deep concept so that students will understand. This book helps children connect with and understand their many emotions and realize that is ok to feel many emotions in one day and sometimes for a reason you can't quite pinpoint. Here are two of my favorite pages...

In 1st grade one of my favorite activities was to read this book and then have students decide what color they were feeling, write a creative sentence, and decorate. I love glitter, paint, and anything crafty so this was always so much fun. Here are some examples from a few years ago.

4. Good Boy, Fergus!

By: David Shannon

Another book from my first grade life! I used to read it every year on the first day of school and told my new class all about Ellie Mae and her crazy adventures. Ellie is just like the character in the book...stubborn, but precious! My students always loved hearing Ellie stories. She doesn't know it, but she is basically famous around here.

5. Is There an App for That?

By: Bryan Smith

Bryan Smith is a former Plano ISD counselor. He has written several books and they are all funny and send a great message. In this book, a girl named Hailey wakes up to find that her bathroom mirror is covered with apps. These apps promise to make her smarter, taller, faster, BETTER. Hailey has some comical experiences as she tries to be someone she isn't, but in the end, she realizes that she is perfect just the way she is. She focuses on what her strengths are and stops trying to compare herself to others. 

I use this lesson with 5th grade and we tie in a connection to social media. They are lead to the conclusion that people really only put "the good stuff" on social media. Then I give them some time to create their own iphone full of "apps" that make them unique. This is a time for them to highlight their strengths and focus on the positive. Here is an example of a finished iPhone...

Happy Friday!