It is no secret how much I love picture books. Yes, even in upper elementary and even for teaching complex academic topics! Picture books make great mentor texts and are the perfect length to read and reread as we study specific skills. As a reminder, I always recommend reading each title once for enjoyment before taking a deep dive into the text for lessons. I have many posts dedicated to helping you find the perfect title for each of your needs, so here’s a helpful recap of my favorite upper elementary picture books right at your fingertips.

Back To School Picture Books

No matter how busy the first weeks of school can be, I always find time to incorporate picture books that are full of meaning, theme, and heart. These back to school upper elementary picture books have a ton of different themes: friendship, kindness, developing a growth mindset, acceptance, and inclusion.

Skill-Based Picture Books

In this Incorporating Picture Books In Upper Elementary post, I shared several book lists and related activities to use with each title. It covers my favorite picture books for specific reading skills, informational texts, figurative language, and math skills too. 

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Math Picture Books

Picture books aren’t just for math skills, so I asked teachers in our FREE Inspired in Upper Elementary Facebook group for their recommendations to expand our lists. I compiled their suggestions, as well as many of my personal favorites, into this Favorite Math Upper Elementary Picture Books post.

Picture Book Recommendations for Parents

While I first shared this post during distance learning, the ideas are still so valuable! I compiled a printable list of eleven suggestions for parents to use after they’ve read a picture book with their children. The ideas are easy to implement, fun for students, and straightforward for parents.

More Upper Elementary Book Suggestions

Looking for even more books? Visit these posts for more book suggestions, including chapter books!

Fluency and Grammar Professional Development

I also have FREE actionable mini-courses that will transform your classroom, elevate your teaching, and engage your students. 

Over the years I have found that little changes to my daily routines and expectations can make a BIG difference in student achievement. In these free professional development mini-courses, I’ll walk you through a series of 5-10 minute lessons for fluency and grammar. You can integrate the lessons into the first few months of school and build momentum that lasts all year long!

Five Days of Fluency includes 5 short instructional videos with one-page lesson plans to set your students up for fluency success all year.

Grammar Non-Negotiables covers must-teach grammar skills in the upper grades and how to incorporate them throughout the year.