Using pictures or picture books while teaching elementary students can be an excellent habit for building a long-term understanding among kids rather than just memorizing things. Picture books, interest especially the younger kids, as they find it easier to connect with everything. Here we discuss the must have picture books for Upper Elementary.
There are a lot of picture books that you can use around the year to teach your students. But which are the best books with which you can start?
To answer your question, we have come up with a list of the fourteen best picture books for elementary students, you can use while teaching kids.
Must Have Picture Books for Upper Elementary – Our Picks
#1 The Bad Seed
Picture books can be a great way to let your kids watch and learn something new, they are the building blocks of early education.
The Bad Seed is one of the bestselling picture books and is very popular among kids. The book is about a bad seed. Do you want to know how a bad seed is?
The seed is ill-tempered, ill-mannered, and has a terrible attitude. It was a bad seed right from its childhood. Although it watches everything, it never listens to anyone.
But what if one day, the bad seed tries to change his mind and become happy?
The story has humor, education, great pictures and illustrations, and most importantly, it is ideal for readers of all age groups. It teaches how a strong will and determination can change a person’s life.
#2 What Should Danny Do? School Day
Do you love going to school?
Danny loves to go to school and have fun there. As a student, you can relate to Danny and enjoy listening to his activities. What Should Danny Do? School Day is a family book, and irrespective of age group, every member of your family can enjoy this incredible book.
With this book, kids can learn the need to become generous towards their classmates. Kids can also learn good manners and classroom behavior after reading this book. Also, as it is full of pictures, kids can relate with the images.
#3 Scribble Stones
As its name suggests, Scribble Stones is a story about a stone who wants to prove himself.
The story’s main hero is a stone who thinks that he will become something unique but eventually turns into a paperweight and nothing else. But, as he wanted to become something better, he gathers all other scribbles to do something vast.
All the scribbles come together excitingly and creatively in front of the world and prove themselves. The story ends; the stone brings a smile to thousands of faces. Scribble Stones is an inspiring story that if even a piece of stone can prove himself, why can’t you?
#4 The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary
The story of this book revolves around Michael Scott, who works at the Dunder Mifflin. He has the ambition to become one of the best line leaders in the World. He wants “World’s best Line Leader” to print on his water bottle.
The only issue Michael is facing is that he has no clue how he can lead the line. Join his hilarious yet exciting journey in the Office picture book and live Michael’s struggle while becoming a Line Leader.
You can love this inspirational and humorous story, which is why it is known as one of the best picture books for upper elementary students.
#5 Lucy’s Mask
In today’s World, the mask is now common place even with the most recent pandemic behind us. But are you a little bit confused or nervous about masks? This book is still relevant.
Lucy was too bored sitting in the house. But when she saw her mother stitching masks, she becomes excited. Lucy Loves the mask. She went to her toy box, dive into it, and find new costumes for herself with a matching mask with the outfit.
Although she doesn’t know the sole reason why her mother is making the mask, she enjoyed wearing the mask. It is a simple story but full of fun and sound teachings. You are going to get clear with the concept of the mask after reading Lucy’s Masks.
#6 Merriam-Webster Children’s Dictionary
What else is going to be more informative for kids than a picture dictionary?
Elementary schooling is the time when kids observe new things and learn about them. Merriam-Webster Children’s Dictionary is one such picture book with which your kids can learn new words and their meanings.
Kids are going to find various objects along with their pictures and meaning placed in alphabetical order. Kids can observe those pictures and learn some new words. Also, they can find a clear sense of what that word means and how they can use the particular word to frame Sentences.
It is one of the best ways to enhance vocabulary and general knowledge. This book contains more than 35000 words from different genres, like technology, countries, and maps.
#7 Times Tables the Fun Way Book for Kids: A Picture Method of Learning the Multiplication Facts
Students can find math a little complicated if you directly teach them the method to calculate the answer. Thus, it is not the best way to build a basic understanding of mathematical functions among kids.
You can use some colorful books and illustrations to teach students to remember the trick for a longer time and start to enjoy math. Time Tables the Fun Way Book for
Kids are such a picture book, with which you can teach multiplications and tables to students with pictures.
It will become way more comfortable for students to remember the illustrations and follow their methods with funny cartoons.
#8 Mixed: A Colorful Story
You can observe a lot of colors in your surroundings, making everything beautiful and happening. I am sure you will have a favorite color as well. Which one is your favorite color?
It can be red, blue, yellow, or any color mix of these primary colors.
Usually, all the colors live with each other in harmony. But what if one day they all started fighting about which color is the best? All the colors will get into a fight to prove themselves better than other colors.
How will all the colors reunite in such a situation?
Mixed is a colorful story, where all the colors start fighting and proving themselves best. You are going to find a lot about colors and their characteristics in this fantastic picture book.
#9 Say Something
If you hesitate in putting your point in front of everyone, then Say Something is a book made for you. Whether you have a great idea or you can speak Something against injustice, say it. Raise your voice and let everyone listen to what you think.
Every kid has some of their unique ideas and point of view. But not everyone is open enough to express their opinions or put their though in front of everyone.
Sometimes, it is better to speak up than to lose the opportunity, and with the fantastic illustrations of this book, your student will get the confidence and courage to say Something next time he had Something in his mind.
#10 Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood
Did you find your surrounding areas a little dull and boring? Then it is the time to paint them up in your imagination, making everything happening and beautiful again.
Maybe Something Beautiful is a story about a muralist named Mira, who, along with other people in her surroundings, paints everything around them, giving a new soul to the old and dull town. This book provides beautiful and healthy illustrations of how warm colors can make everything soulful and beautiful.
The digital photos of Mira’s neighborhood are going to inspire your little ones to show their creativity and make everything beautiful and subtle with the power of warm colors.
#11 The Big Test (The Jitters Series)
Are you still confused about the basic examination rules? Then Mrs. Hartwell is going to help you a lot to understand the examination etiquette. Mrs. Hartwell is going to take a big Test in the class. And as the name suggests, Big Test is going to be tough and strict.
Although kids have finished their studies, some students still want to practice for the examination. Thus, Mrs. Hartwell decided to help the kids practice how to fill bubbles or sit quietly in the exam. She is also going to provide proper examination instructions for examination and the morning routine of kids.
It is an excellent book to remove the fear of examinations from a kid’s mind and let him understand these small etiquettes via picture presentations.
#12 A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman
One of the best and most inspiring picture books for elementary students revolves around Harriet Tubman, a slave. She first escapes from her slavery and heads towards the North. In her way, she helped many other people to escape from slavery and live a better life.
She was a confident woman who then becomes a nurse and starts treating helpless people. In the end, you will find her fighting for the Right to vote for Women. All-in-all, it is an inspiring story and teaches students not to stay under the slavery of someone else and always fight for equality and freedom.
#13 What Should Darla Do? Featuring the Power to Choose (Power to Choose Series)
If outer space attracts your kids, then What Should Darla Do? It is the best storybook that they can enjoy reading. It contains eight stories in one book. The book’s story is about an astronaut trainee Darla, who wants to go on a Mars mission soon. Her doll, Astronautica inspired her.
But before going on the mission, she needs to study a lot about spaceships and navigation. Will she be able to achieve her dream by going on a Mars mission?
Read the complete story to get an answer to your questions.
#14 Picture-Perfect Science Lessons
A study proves that students grasp everything more clearly if you teach them using videos or images. Science is an exciting subject. But teaching science like a typical lecture will make it dull and complicated in the eyes of a student.
You can opt for Picture-Perfect Science Lessons to give a new experience of science to students. This book includes a diagrammatical explanation of science activities going around us. It also provides a great snapshot of Earth and space to kids. Overall, it is a better and newer way to teach science to elementary students.
Must Have Picture Books for Upper Elementary – Why Picture Books?
Educational Discussion Starters
Picture books do not just have stories to tell, but they are best to teach good manners, values, and etiquette to kids. Kids follow their favorite characters from the information they hear or read. Thus, a good picture book will not just provide them good inspiration, but they will add good values too.
After completing a picture book, you can start discussing the stories, eventually heading towards the educational discussion. Whether it is a storybook or an academic book, in the end, you can discuss the values the learning kids get after reading the storybook. Finally, you can tell them your point of view and a quick summary of the learning they get from the picture book.
Easy Introduction to Literary Elements
If you want to give a kick start to your students’ basic understanding, picture books are perfect. Kids grasp everything quickly and more accurately when they observe things. Thus, if you want to create a basic knowledge of literary elements, a picture book is perfect.
Kids can look at the picture and read the elements’ names and meaning, making it easier for them to relate to practical situations and understand everything clearly.
Thus, picture books can be a great medium to give the basic introduction of day to day elements kids use.
Builds Early Reading Muscles
Reading is a good habit, but not all kids are bookworms, mostly because they have not developed a habit right from their growing years. Thus, it is pretty crucial to building a reading habit among kids right from an early age. And for this, picture books can be a perfect start. Picture books interest kids a lot.Â
So, initially, you can ask your kids to read a picture book and eventually shift to novels or short storybooks. Good reading habits will help kids in their academics as well.
Must Have Picture Books for Upper Elementary Wrapping Up
So, these are the 14 best books that you should teach your elementary-grade students. Our list includes everything from funny snapshots to inspiring stories, books for studying math and science in a fun way, and even a dictionary.
Your students will enjoy a new way of learning and get better exposure to learning with pictures help.