On hiatus while I finish my literature unit plan. Juggling two dozen tomes is all I can handle of children's books right now.


###

Picture books for older kids

I've been reading a lot of teacher-books lately that cannot seem to recommend picture books enough for older students, even up through middle and high school. Here are two books to consider that I've just recently discovered.


Science Verse, Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

The entertaining duo who co-authored/illustrated Stinky Cheese Man and the Time Warp Trio series have created a companion picture book for Math Verse. These are not simply new takes on "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star," that would never do. Instead, they revise such classroom classics as "The Jabberwock," "Hiawatha" and "Walking Through the Woods on a Snowy Evening." Of note: If your school district/parents is/are up in arms over origin of life, this book does mention evolution and the Big Bang theory.


Outbreak: Plagues that Changed History, Bryn Barnard

The book exhibits some pretty heavy bias towards global health and social poverty programs, and students should at least be aware that others hold different views or might not be as cynical as the author of this book. That said, it has some fascinating information about most of the big pandemics of history, and how each one wound up changing the social order in some way. Gloomy (but good!) illustrations, lots of uncommon facts.

###

Books using (sometimes creepy) dolls

These books use dolls, bears, railroad model figures, and other inanimate objects to tell a story. The first book (published in 1957) has been criticized in recent years, but the latter is relatively recent.


The Lonely Doll, Dare Wright

Older classroom libraries may still have copies of this book, which features a doll and other critters spending time together. The black-and-white photos have in recent years been interpreted as signs of abuse, and a new biography alludes to the author's troubled childhood. Students fearful of clowns might want to steer clear of this.


Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears and Other Amazing Alphabet Anecdotes, Valorie Fisher

This alliterative adventure takes model figures, animals, and scenery, and fractures them into absurd situations. My favorite two are a duck driving a pink dump truck filled with dice, and Walter, who wallpapers his whole house, including his wheelbarrow. There are also hidden items on each page that begin with the page's featured letter, and there's a helpful index in the back that lists all the S items one can find on the S page, etc.

###