What are some picture books that I can read aloud to my sixth grade students during the first week of school?

luvspoodles: What are some picture books that I can read aloud to my sixth grade students during the first week of school?
I am new to teaching 6th grade. I have always taught younger grades. I always use picture books the first week to discuss how afraid some students might be, or how lonely they might feel. I also use picture books to discuss how to have good character and to be a good friend. Picture books I have used with my 4th graders include:
“The Brand New Kid” by Katie Couric
“I Feel Silly Today” by Jaimie Lee Curtis.
“The First Day Jitters”
“A Bad Case of the Stripes”

Do you have any books that would not seem too childish for 6th graders, or am I silly for even thinking that they might like this? Thanks!
Yes, I am sort of scared that they won’t like to be read to. However, my school is a 5th and 6th grade school (so not middle school yet) and I am told that the kids are still very young acting because it is in a very upperclass area, and there are no “rough” kids. I agree that all ages like to be read to. I will take into account that too many picture books may make me seem like a younger kid teacher. I guess I won’t do it every day of the first week like I had before.

Answers and Views:

Answer by k.nicole211
well, i am an 8th grader now. and 6th grade wasnt that long ago lol.
i think u need 2 find a new approach, something that makes EVERYONE get involved. like a class game that somehow intertwines this subject.
i think picture books are just not gonna be the best approach 2 them.

Answer by lexie c
well, honestly I think instead of reading to 6th graders, you should let the kids read the books for themselves as a freetime for 10-20 minutes. Also, if they choose a book that is not only right for their age, give them extra credit. If you read a 6th graders books, they do kinda zone off. They are too old to be read to.

Answer by malwilhist
As a middle school teacher myself, if you read them picture books in the first two weeks of school, your kids are going to think you’re a pushover and don’t know what you’re doing. If you want to use them later in the year to illustrate a particular theme, point, etc. it’s fine, but they don’t need any books on feelings. I’d do some ice breaker activities and something like 2 truths and a lie–two ridiculous things about yourself that are true and one ridiculous thing that’s a lie and they have to guess which is true and which is the lie. They can play, too. My seventh graders LOVED this and it helped them to get to know me last year.

Answer by Gypsy
A book that is now forgotten is called “Moonfleet” by J Meade Falkner. It was written late 1800’s and set probably late 1700’s to early 1800’s. It deals with a boy who lives in Moonfleet village and is a tale of terror, courage, smuggling, hope and despair. I read it aloud to my daughters at that age level and they loved it. It is a story that exalts the human spirit. I wish more young people would read it. As an educator you are in a position to expose children to great, uplifting literature. Please see if you can find a copy and read it yourself. Maybe one of the reasons why society is decaying is because we have no heroes anymore. Moonfleet gives us the greatest hero in literature. (I loved it when teachers read to us in grade 6. I loved it when they read to us in college too. Please keep it up.) And no, don’t let them read their own choice of books. They can do that any time anywhere and they are probably reading trash anyway. Free reading time is a teacher’s copout and they know it. It’s FUN to be read to. Too many teachers plug kids into videos, let them hear a GOOD story read well that sparks their imagination. Reading time can be a special time for them. If you do the reading they will know that you care about them. That you love literature too. That there are more books in the world other than Harry Potter or the Babysitters club. You can show them and they will thank you for it.

Answer by david61567
6th graders are certainly NOT too old to read to. Studies show that almost all age groups benefit from being read to at times. They certainly don’t like to feel like you are talking down to them though so you might need to upgrade the approach some. K. has a good answer. I don’t really have a book suggestion–I’m a music teacher, but I do have some general tips for 6th graders.

I’ve always found that 6th grade students have almost boundless energy. Directing that energy in the way you want it to go is the biggest challenge. I knew one 6th grade teacher with an especially difficult group. He’d start out the day with the class running laps around the three block footprint of the school. The number of laps depended on how they behaved the day before–the more excess energy the more laps for the day. It really worked for him. But luckily not necessary for every group.

Answer by Brhee
If you are an expressive reader, no child is too old to read aloud too. For many kids from low income homes, teachers might be the only ones who have ever read to them.

However I might suggest that you use a chapter book instead of a picture book. My most stolen book in my entire teaching career was “There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom” by Louis Sachar. It is an excellent book about a boy who thinks he is worthless and acts out, only to learn, with the help of an understanding counselor– that he is a good student after all. It is funny and poignant. My kids begged me to read it to them– and I ended up buying 4 copies of it during the school year because it kept disappearing. (I didn’t know whether to be angry that kids kept walking off with it– or happy they were reading.)

Sideways Stories from Wayside School is also a great book. It is a little lighter read. It is also by Louis Sachar.

If you are really set on the picture book then I suggest you use something with humor like:

First Day Jitters– where you can admit to the kids that even teachers get nervous

How to Lose All Your Friends– Nancy Carlson– gives “rules” for losing all of your friends– and is a good stepping stone to talk about rules and classroom expectations

Miss Nelson is Missing– Where you can let kids know that how you act toward them can depend on how they act toward you.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid– Jeff Kinney– is a mock journal with Cartoons about a boy starting the seventh grade– and his trials and travails– I am not sure what redeeming social qualities it has– but it is amusing. There is an online version of it on FUN BRAIN.

Anyway good luck with your beginning of the year!

Answer by Elizabeth
I don’t think being read to is childish. I have to admit, I had a professor who read a picture book to us (college students) every day, and we brainstormed ways to incorporate the picture book into lessons. I really looked forward to that time because there wasn’t any pressure put on me- I could just enjoy listening to quality children’s literature. I think the same could probably be said for 6th graders, since they’re at that awkward stage between between being kids and being teens.

One book you should give a try is Tuesday by David Weisner. There aren’t any words to the story (except for on one page, I think). Rather than read to them, you’d just show them the pictures. You could then invite THEM to retell the story. They could team up and write out the story, or they could team up and just retell the story. It challenges them without patronizing them.

I just read The Landry News by Andrew Clements and thought it was really good. It’s a chapter book, but it’s not long. It deals with the First Amendment, creating newspapers (and what content is appropriate), and divorce. Sixth grade seems like the perfect grade for this book, because they’ll LOVE the opportunity to debate what’s okay to print and what’s not. They already feel like their rights have been taken away with dress code and any cell phone regulations your school might have.

Answer by musical_meegz
Hmmmm picture books are maybe not the answer since these are grade 6 students. Maybe a class dicussion? Now that I’m older we always do getting to know you games. They work well. Also unless you are starting a new school, once you reach the older grades it is no longer such a scary thing to start a new grade so I wouldn’t stress about it too much.