Using Picture Books in the Middle and High School Classroom

Toni Enloe
Nov 03, 2008

Enjoyed an audio book recently? What made it so enjoyable? Was it the plot or maybe the characters? Maybe it was just the chance to let your imagination run free. Regardless of age, we all enjoy hearing a good story every now and then. Traditionally middle and high school teachers may have shied away from using picture books in their classes but now there are numerous picture books available on more mature topics. At some point in time we have probably all used books like The Lorax or The Giving Tree to introduce new concepts in science. Picture books are great activators as well!

Here are some books that you may not have considered.

The Sign of the Seahorse by Graeme Base

This book has a little bit of everything that adolescents enjoy, with danger, mystery, and romance around every turn. This cast of memorable characters finds their home, Reeftown threatened and must journey through the ocean to locate the origin of the poison that is killing the coral reef. The illustrations in this one are amazing.

The Wump World by Bill Peet

Living in a near perfect world where the grass is green and the air is clean, life is sweet for the cute fuzzy Wumps until they are invaded by the Pollutians, who have ruined their own world and have settled on Wump World to create an industrial wasteland. Forced underground, the Wumps have given up hope until something miraculous happens.

Sometimes picture books can serve a dual purpose. The following books can be used to both teach perspective and introduce science concepts.

The Tree of Life by Peter Sis

Charles Darwin and his father had very different ideas about his future. Told from two points of view, his own and his father's, this book chronicles his life from his childhood through his travels on the Beagle. Beautiful illustrations trace Darwin's thought process and give insight into his ideas about the natural world.

There's A HAIR In My Dirt! A Worm's Story by Gary Larson

What would you do if you found a hair in your food? A young worm becomes indignant, when during a family dinner he discovers a hair in his dirt. Through the humor of Gary Larson (The Far Side) and the worm father, a tale unravels about a fair young maiden who loves the earth to death. The young worm comes to the realization that he has a vital function in nature. It's all about how you look at things!

Remember Kudzu Chaos by Jennifer Holloway Lambe or Feathers and Fools by Mem Fox? These books, and others, are used to model the use of picture books for teaching and learning in Learning-Focused workshops.