20 Titles to Create a Classroom Community

There’s a lot of talk about reading a book a day during the school year, the importance of reading aloud to students and the need to teach and show kids empathy and kindness in today’s world. This is a wonderful list of titles that you can share at any time of year, but would make a great way to start the school year – expecting kindness from every student in the classroom and using picture books to show that expectation.

• You’re Finally Here! by Mélanie Watt
• One by Kathryn Otoshi
• I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
• Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
• School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex, illustrated by Christian Robinson
• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton
• Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
• Be A Friend by Salina Yoon
• I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow
• Zen Ties by Jon Muth
• Hey, Little Ant by Phillip M. Hoose and Hannah Hoose, illustrated by Debbie Tilley
• A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
• Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah Ohora
• Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins
• It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
• Last Stop On Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson
• The Monster Who Lost His Mean by Tiffany Strelitz Haber, illustrated by Kirstie Edmunds
• Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea
• We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio