Classroom Book-a-Day Recommendations

“Reading aloud and talking about what we’re reading sharpens children’s brains. It helps develop their ability to concentrate at length, to solve problems logically, and to express themselves more easily and clearly.”
Mem Fox

Do you have the goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year? Do you need ideas for themes, book suggestions, and ways to get started? We’ve got suggestions and a list of joyful picture books to delight readers of all ages and interests.

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Spark curiosity, creativity, and joyful reading with STEM Text Sets.

Graphic Novels Belong in the Classroom!

Graphic novels offer tremendous opportunities for building and practicing literacy skills. Gone (mostly) are the days when they were considered “not real books.” Are you using graphic novels to their full potential in your classroom? Lerner recently had the privilege of hosting a powerhouse panel of experts—Betsy Bird, Shveta Miller, Susannah Richards, and Ted Anderson—on this topic.

Head here to watch the webinar “Graphic Novels: Teaching Up to Their Potential.” You’ll also find recommended booklists, teaching guides, and robust additional resources.

Feeling inspired to incorporate more graphic novels into your library collection or classroom? Keep reading to preview the whole incredible lineup of fall releases from Graphic Universe and to take a look at spring graphic novels you might have missed!

Every student deserves to start a new school year with confidence, and what better way to help kids prepare for the leap from summer to school than . . . you guessed it—books! Common themes in many of the books below are inclusivity and how to be a good friend, particularly to those who are different from you. Several titles here also offer remarkable examples of courageous and determined people, whose stories can inspire your students to blaze their own trail this school year. Other topics, like the first day of school, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness, will help send students back to your classrooms and libraries with self-assured steps.

Does back matter . . . matter?

If you’re reading our blog, you probably already know that yes, of course it does! Who doesn’t love a good context-exploring author’s note, an events-organizing timeline, or a pronunciation guide that helps make sure you’re not butchering unfamiliar terms? Back matter can be useful for the curious adult reading to a child, for the teacher creating a lesson plan, for the child looking up glossary words, and so much more. Here is a look at some recent picture books and their illuminating back matter. Click each back matter image to take a closer look at the stellar information and context it provides.