Picture Books 10 for 10: Community

I am very excited to participate in #pb10for10 and to be thinking about how to build a community of learners in my third grade classroom.  I have been out of the the classroom for two years, and I am ecstatic to be thinking about my "must-haves" to start conversations about how our classroom community will look, feel, and sound.  My list is definitely more than 10 books but here are the ones I absolutely LOVE (right now)! Thanks to Mandy Robek and Cathy Mere for hosting this event.

This book is by the author of the Lunch Lady.  The students just love his books and I think they will enjoy the story of how Peanut Butter and Jellyfish teach Crabby their neighbor the importance of being kind and helping others.

Ruth Ayres shared this book at The Literacy Connection last spring.  I knew I needed to have this book for the beginning of the year.  Brian is very quiet so he often gets left out or overlooked at school.  A new boy, named Justin, comes to his class and Brian is the first classmate to make the new student feel welcomed.  Things start to change for Brian as he works on a project with Justin.  

I just love this book!  Goat is jealous of all the things Unicorn can do and thinks that they could never be friends until they share a piece of pizza. 

 This book is such inspiring story about how an old rundown bus called Heaven and a little girl named Stella inspires their community to work together to transform the bus into a new community center.

This heartwarming story really hits home the importance of working together, failing and trying again and again until you get it right.  It is such a great book to illustrate the importance of creativity and perseverance. 

Enemy Pie will allow children to discuss how important is to get to know each other and to be open and willing to make new friends.

Jacqueline Woodson writes such wonderful books that send a powerful message.  Each kindness really teaches children the importance of how small acts of kindness really can make a difference.

I will have a very diverse class this year and so this book is a "must-have."  This book will help spark the conversation of accepting each other's differences.  

I love all of Peter Reynolds books and really can't imagine building our classroom community without them.  I really want kids to understand that learning is a process that allows you to see things differently, and it isn't always about getting it right but looking at things in an "ish" kind of way.

I want kids to feel safe enough and free enough to think outside the box in our classroom community and this book will help me illustrate that point perfectly!