Picture books are a "genre accessible to all students" (Mitchell 94) and can become a unique part of the secondary library collection.

• promoting literacy across the curriculum

• conveying ideas simply
• introducing/encouraging the reading of more difficult books on the same subject
• encouraging creative writing in prose and poetry
• promoting awareness of language
• teaching artistic styles in illustrations
• encouraging the development of creativity and imagination
  - from Perez, Tracy. "Selecting Picture Books for Middle & Secondary Classrooms."

• Special Education classes
• ESL students
• teen parents who read to their children
• teaching the elements of literacy
• translating into a foreign language (e.g. French class)
• speech lessons on reading and storytelling
• English classes to teach the elements of literature, as examples of story structure and figurative language
  - from Johnson, Keith. "Children's Books in a High School Library?"

 

Resources

Brandt, P. "Picture Books for Secondary Students," (Sept. 2000). 1 Aug. 2001

Johnson, Keith. "Children's Books in a High School Library? A Risky Question Worth Asking." The Book Report 19.5 (2001): 6-8.

Matthews, Rene. "What Picture Books Do You Recommend for Use in the English Language Arts Classroom." English Journal 88.4 (1999): 27-33.

Neal, Judith C., and Kay Moore. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar meets Beowulf in the secondary classroom." Journal of Reading 35 (1992): 290-296.

 

Booklist

Aliki. William Shakespeare and the Globe. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. Description: Book provides an introduction to Shakespeare and his world with colourful illustrations and a surprising amount of information. ISBN: 0060278218
[Shakespeare; biography]

Brumbeau, Jeff. The Quiltmaker's Gift. Ill. Gail de Marcken. Duluth: Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers, 2000. ISBN: 0-57025-199-1
[Clothing and Textiles - 250 quilt patterns hidden in the pictures]

Bedard, Michael. Glass Town: The Secret World of the Brontë Children. Ill. Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson. Toronto: Stoddart, 1997. ISBN: 0773729976
[English; biography]

Burleigh, Robert. Hoops. Ill. Stephen T. Johnson. San Diego: Silver Whistle, 1997. ISBN: 0-15-201450-0
[Physical Education; contemporary sports poetry; Art - pastel drawings]

Granfield, Linda. In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae. Ill. Janet Wilson. Toronto: Stoddart Kids, 1995. Note - contains primary documents. ISBN: 0-7737-2991-7 (bound) 0-7737-5925-5 (pbk.)
[Language Arts; Social Studies - war; historical poetry]

Jackson, Shelley. The Old Woman and the Wave. New York: DK Publishing Inc., 1998. ISBN: 0-7894-2484-4
[Art - mixed media]

King, Thomas. A Coyote Columbus Story. Ill. William Kent Monkman. Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, 1992. ISBN: 0-88899-155-x
[Social Studies; First Nations Studies]

Merriam, Eve. The Inner City Mother Goose. Ill. David Diaz. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1996. ISBN: 0-689-80677-9
[social issues such as violence, drugs, homelessness, etc.; Art - acrylic paintings ]

Morrison, Taylor. Anotonio's Apprenticeship: Painting a Fresco in Renaissane Italy. New York: Holiday House, 1996. ISBN: 0-8234-1213-x (hardcover)
[Social Studies 8; Art history]

Noyes, Alfred. The Highwayman. Ill. Charles Mikolaychak. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shephard Books, 1983. ISBN: 0-688-02118-2 (lib bdg.)
[English; ballad]

Raschka, Chris. Mysterious Thelonious. New York: Orchard Books, 1997. ISBN: 0-531-33057-5 (lib. bdg.)
[Music; Art - watercolours]

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Ill. Lane Smith. USA: Viking, 1989. ISBN: 0-670-82759-2
[English - point of view; Journalism]
---Math Curse. USA:Viking, 1995. ISBN: 0-670-86194-4
[Math]

Seuss, Dr. The Butter Battle Book. New York: Random House, 1984. ISBN: 0394965809 (lib. bdg.)
[Cold War and the arms race; allegory]
---Oh, the Thinks You Can Think. 1975. ISBN: 088103410x (lib. bdg.)
[brainstorming]

Stanley, Diane. Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1997. ISBN: 0688143288 (library edition)
[Language Arts - parody, symbolism]

Tsuchiya, Yukio. Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People and War. Trans. Tomoko Tsuchiya Dykes. Ill. Ted Lewin. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1988. ISBN: 0-395-46555-9
[Social Studies; WWII, Hiroshima, Japan]

Van Allsburg, Chris. The Widow's Broom. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992.
ISBN: 0-395-64051-2
[Social Studies 8 - witch craze; Language Arts; Art - black & white illustration]
---The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. 1984. Summary: Presents a series of loosely related drawings each accompanied by a title and a caption which the reader may use to make up his or her own story. ISBN: 0-395-35393-9
[Language Arts - story starters; surrealism]
---The Sweetest Fig. 1993. Summary: After being given two magical figs that make his dreams come true, Monsieur Bibot sees his plans for future wealth upset by his long-suffering dog. ISBN: 0-395-67346-1 [Language Arts; empathy]
---Jumanji. 1981. ISBN: 0395304482 [Art - artistic perspective]
---The Stranger. 1986. ISBN: 0-395-42331-7 [Language Arts - foreshadowing]

Wisniewski, Dave. The Wave of the Sea-Wolf. New York: Clarion Books, 1994. ISBN: 0-395-66478-0
[Art - cut-paper]

Yee, Paul. Ghost Train. Ill. Harvey Chan. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1996. ISBN: 0888992572
[Social Studies - Chinese railroad workers]