Kristina's Favorite Picture Books for Teaching the 6 Traits

IDEAS
PRIMARY GRADES:
I Can Write, Rozanne Lanczak Williams
One of Those Days, Rosenthal & Doughty
Some Things Are Scary, Florence Parry Heide
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, Mem Fox

UPPER GRADES:
Fireflies! Julie Brinkloe
One of Those Days, Rosenthal & Doughty
Saturdays and Teacakes, Lester Laminack
Some Things Are Scary, Florence Parry Heide
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, Mem Fox

ORGANIZATION
PRIMARY GRADES:
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Doreen Cronin
Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild, Mem Fox
One Duck Stuck, Phyllis Root
The Napping House, Audrey Wood
When Sophie Gets Angry, Molly Bang

UPPER GRADES:
The Blizzard, Betty Renwright
Two Bad Ants, Chris Van Allsburg
Nothing Ever Happen on 90th Street, Roni Schotter
Paperboy, Dave Pilkey
The Relatives Came, Cynthia Rylant

VOICE
PRIMARY GRADES:
Diary of a Spider, Doreen Cronin
Diary of a Worm, Doreen Cronin
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mo Willems
First Year Letters, Julie Danneberg
Gone With the Wand, Margie Palatini
How Are You Peeling? Saxton Freymann
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Kevin Henkes
The Monster at the End of This Book, Jon Stone
Princes K.I.M. and the Lie That Grew, Mary Ann Cocca-Leffler
The Recess Queen, Alexis O'Neill
Today I Feel Silly, Jamie Lee Curtis

UPPER GRADES:
Arnie the Doughnut, Laurie Keller
Be Good to Eddie Lee, Virginia Flemming
The Harmonica, Tony Johnston
How Are You Peeling? Saxton Freymann
Old Coyote, Nancy Wood
Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude, Kevin O'Malley
The Recess Queen, Alexis O'Neill
The Relatives Came, Cynthia Rylant
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, Jon Sciezka

WORD CHOICE
PRIMARY GRADES:
Big Words for Little People, Jamie Lee Curtis
Fancy Nancy, Jane O'Connor
Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words, Jane O'Connor
I'm Dirty, Kate & Jim McMullan
Max's Words, Kate Banks
Night Noises, Mem Fox
Piggie Pie! Margie Palatini
Rattletrap Car, Phyllis Root
The Wide-Mouthed Frog, Keith Faulkner

UPPER GRADES:
Fancy Nancy, Jane O'Connor
Hello Ocean, Pam Muñoz
Hoop Kings, Charles R. Smith Jr.
Piggie Pie! Margie Palatini
Rattletrap Car, Phyllis Root
Up North at the Cabin, Marsha Wilson Chall

SENTENCE FLUENCY
PRIMARY GRADES:
My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks, Hanoch Piven
The Magic Hat, Mem Fox
Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp, Carol Diggory Shields

UPPER GRADES:
Come On, Rain! Karen Hesse
Mr. George Baker, Amy Hest
My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks, Hanoch Piven
Night in the Country, Cynthia Rylant

CONVENTIONS
PRIMARY GRADES:
CDB, William Steig
Eats, Shoots & Leaves (commas), Lynne Truss
Grammar Tales, Pam Chanko
Girl's Like Spaghetti (apostrophes), Lynne Truss
Punctuation Takes a Vacation, Robin Pulver
Yo! Yes? Christopher Raschka

UPPER GRADES:
Twenty-Odd Ducks (all punctuation), Lynne Truss
Eats, Shoots & Leaves (commas), Lynne Truss
Girl's Like Spaghetti (apostrophes), Lynne Truss
Grammar Tales, Pam Chanko
Orange Pear Apple Bear, Emily Gravett
Punctuation Takes a Vacation, Robin Pulver
Yo! Yes? Christopher Raschka

I thought I would share with you a lesson that really engaged my 7th graders today. I read Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse (love that book!) to the class, and afterwards I wrote down the first sentence from the book: Lilly loved school. I told the kids that that sentence was skimpy, and I used the example of a sandwich that’s spread skimpily with peanut butter (so thin that I could see the bread in some spots–not very satisfying and rather disappointing). Then I asked them to tell me all the ways that the author pumped up this detail by adding additional sentences of detail to add interest and to help us see the degree of Lilly’s passion for school. There are about 7 or 8 sentences that follow, and the kids remembered everyone. Every time they gave me a detail, I blew up my balloon. Then they spontaneously started telling me details about Mr. Slinger, the teacher, when I didn’t even ask for them. Next, I completed one with their help: I love to fish. (We added details like “Even though I’m a girl, I don’t mind putting the fish on the hook. It doesn’t bother me to take the fish off the hook even when it’s stuck and bleeding.) Finally, I had them work in groups to finish the starter given in the launch: Yesterday, I couldn’t wait until recess was over. It was freezing outside…

Then we made a list of details in four categories: character traits of Lilly, setting, problem, and solution. Then, I assigned for homework for them to work on brainstorming details for each of these categories to help them create their own story. It was a fun lesson.