Top 10 Books for January


I hope everyone had a great winter holiday. For many of you it is time to get back into the swing of things so I have come up with a top 10 book list for January. These books go with certain days throughout January that might make good lessons, or simply a topic that your students should be introduced to.

In order of day, here is my Top 10 Books for January!







This is a great book for introducing New Year's resolutions to your class. Why not kick off the year with a cute book and some New Year's resolutions of your own.













January 15th is National Hat Day, the perfect day to read Caps for Sale. Why not make it a themed day and have your students wear hats to school? Along with reading this story I am sure you can find some fun craftivities involving hats to enhance your lesson. Your students will love National Hat Day!












January 17th is Kid Inventors Day. Kids are naturally creative and curious and this book has 20 different stories about kids and their inventions. Reading them a few of these stories may help give them that push they need to be the next Mark Zuckerberg or Larry Stevenson (the inventor of the skateboard).














January 18th is Winnie the Pooh Day. These stories should be shared with everyone. You are never too old to read about Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin and the tender friendship they share.











January 19th is National Popcorn Day, which means you have a reason to eat popcorn in your class! While sharing this delicious snack you can read to your class the many facts about popcorn from this book by Tomie dePaola.











January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day so I have selected this wonderful book by National Geographic about Penguins. Your students will learn so much from this little book.










Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 21st. There are so many books to choose from; ones about his speech, ones about his childhood, and others about his whole life. Any you choose to share will be great!










January 25th is National Compliment Day and I found this wonderful book about learning how to give and get compliments. Written in rhyme your students will enjoy this book as they learn some great lessons.











January 27th is International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of Holocaust. This is such a difficult subject to introduce to your kids, especially the younger ones but Patricia Polacco does a fabulous job with her book The Butterfly. 













January 31st is Inspire your Heart with Art day which celebrates the effect that art has on your heart. This book by David Wiesner explores many different art mediums in his illustrations giving the reader a glimpse at what they all look like in a very silly way. Let this day be filled with art and imagination, it will do your heart good!





I hope there is something listed here that sparks an idea for a great lesson!

Happy Reading!







10 comments

  1. Lots of great books to teach with. Thanks for the recommendations.
    Happy New Year!

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    1. Hi Mrs. Parker,
      Happy New Year to you too! Be safe!
      Shawna

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  2. I love all of your book suggestions and special days to read them on! One of my New Year's Resolutions this year is to have more fun with my kiddos and these are perfect for fun and learning! (Of course it also gives me an excuse to buy more books) :) Thanks for the great post!
    Hilary
    Second Grade is Out of This World!

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    1. Hi Hilary,
      Thanks for the comment. I just love getting new books and special reasons for getting them (it makes it easier to justify). There are some great days this month that really do lead to some meaningful teaching.

      Happy New Year and please be safe!
      Shawna

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  3. Thanks for the suggestions! I look forward to this list monthly! A few of these books are old standbys in my room, but it looks like I need to check out a few...Art & Max looks adorable!

    Halle
    Across the Hall in 2nd Grade

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    1. Hi Halle,
      No problem, I love looking for special days and picture books to go with them, it really helps the kids to relate. Yes, there are definitely some oldies but goodies listed and I think you and your kiddos will LOVE Art & Max!

      Happy New Year and please be safe!
      Shawna

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  4. Thank you for these suggestions! I love knowing the fun dates and the books that go with them. :-)

    Nichole
    Craft of Teaching

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  5. Hi Nichole,
    Thanks, I do too, it makes the day/book more meaningful and relate-able to the kids.

    Happy New Year, and please be safe!

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  6. I didn't realize there was a National Penguin Day so now I can not wait for January 20th! I love penguins and always read Tacky the Penguin and Cuddley Dudley in January. I bought the National Geographic's Penguin book at our last Book Fair to add to the collection.Thanks for the idea!

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    1. I love Tacky and Cuddley Dudley, they are such fun books. There are tons of fun things you can do to make National Penguin day fun for your kiddos. Have fun planning for the 20th!
      Shawna

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Thoughts and comments are always welcome!