A Middle School Teachers' Guide for Selecting Picture Books

Picture books have traditionally been relegated to the domain of elementary school classrooms; however, the stigma historically associated with using picture books in middle school classrooms is rapidly fading. The use of picture books as supplementary material for middle level classrooms is becoming more commonplace. By extending the textbook with picture books, a teacher can provide an "opportunity to read across a variety of types of texts," thus promoting students' reading ability (International Reading Association & National Middle School Association, 2001, p. 3). A picture book "has the potential to act as a magnifying glass that enlarges and enhances the reader's personal interactions with a subject" (Vacca & Vacca, 2005, p. 161). Not only does the use of picture books provide motivation for adolescents, but it also enables teachers to differentiate instruction by allowing students the opportunity to choose their own texts based on interests and reading levels (Ivey, 2002). Middle level teachers who have been reluctant to employ picture books as a source of supplementary materials for their content courses should reconsider their viewpoint.

Increasingly, picture books are being created specifically to address the needs and interests of middle school students. In addition, many picture books can be interpreted on several levels (Hellman, 2003); thus, they appeal to students in the middle grades as well as the primary grades. Much of the current crop of picture books particularly suit adolescents because the books are "sophisticated, abstract, or complex in themes, stories, and illustrations and are suitable for children aged 10 and older" (Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, 2005, p. 83). Contemporary picture books explore issues such as homelessness, war, drugs, death, violence, racism, and divorce. Marybeth Lorbiecki's Just One Flick of a Finger (1996), for example, contends with the topic of guns in school. Smoky Night by Eve Bunting grapples with issues surrounding the Los Angeles riots.

Our society is becoming more visually oriented (Giorgis, 1999; Neal & Moore, 1992), and the visual format of picture books appeals to adolescents, who today are exposed to various visual media, including television, videogames, and computers (Brame, 2000). Consequently, they are used to relying on visual images to assist them in learning new content and concepts. Picture books, which employ visual images to convey ideas, are ideal instructional aids for today's youth (Neal & Moore, 1992). Confirming this idea, Hibbing & Rankin-Erickson (2003) found that illustrations in picture books helped students comprehend the text. This outcome is particularly important when considering the needs of English language learners (ELLs) (Wood & Tinajero, 2002). The visuals provided by picture books can reduce the "language load" (Miller & Endo, 2004) and facilitate language acquisition.

Moreover, the brevity of text in picture books is appealing to middle level students. Charles and Charles (2004) found that in regards to class activities, "completing long reading assignments" was one of the primary dislikes of middle school students (p. 40). The shorter text does not indicate easier material; the readability of picture books often exceeds the age level for which they are intended due to their complexity of vocabulary and density of information.

The majority of literature (Giorgis, 1999; Oleson, 1998) related to using picture books in middle school classrooms focuses on how to use them. Before teachers can implement a book, they must first decide which book to use, and with the plethora of picture books that exists in the marketplace, middle school teachers have a difficult time wading through the flood of titles in an effort to find books that support the curricula. To combat this difficulty, several authors (Hurst, 1997; Lanthier & Rich, 1999; Wysocki, 2004) have created lists of books that may be used in specific content areas. However, these lists tend to focus on elementary students, are not allinclusive, and may result in the omission of excellent picture books simply because they are not contained on a prescriptive list. The purpose of this article is to provide essential criteria that a middle school teacher may use as a guide to self-select appropriate picture books for the content areas of language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. When evaluating books, teachers should focus on the elements that are most relevant to the purpose on hand and select a variety of picture books for use in their content area classes. Students may then be given the opportunity to self-select some of their reading materials from those that the teacher provided, thus enhancing their motivation to read the texts (Ivey, 2002).

In selecting an appropriate picture book for use in any middle school classroom, teachers should consider several factors; these factors relate to the teacher, the purpose of using the book, and the book itself. One of the first and most important issues to take into account is the teacher's personal enthusiasm for the book. Patrick, Hisley, & Kempler (2002) found that teachers' exhibited enthusiasm has a positive effect on student interest and curiosity. With the wealth of high-quality picture books available, finding one that evokes excitement should be a relatively easy task.

In addition to selecting a book about which the teacher is enthusiastic, another critical consideration is the book's ability to achieve the objectives of a particular lesson. Therefore, the teacher should identify the objectives of the lesson prior to exploring possible picture books to use. Identifying objectives facilitates book selection and helps to produce a focused and effective lesson.

Many picture books can be used in more than one content area. When possible, a teacher should select a book that not only serves an instructional purpose but also can be integrated throughout the curriculum. An integrated curriculum promotes the intellectual development of middle school students and facilitates understanding of abstract concepts (Van Hoose, Strahan, & L'Esperance, 2001). One exemplary picture book that brings educators and various areas of the curriculum together is Leonardo Da Vinci (1996) by Diane Stanley. It could be used to supplement a science lesson on inventions, a social studies lesson on the Renaissance, and an art history lesson on Da Vinci's life. Furthermore, art teachers might employ this book to introduce lessons on painting, sculpting, and architecture.

General factors that should be considered include the book's intensity of information, ability to meet high literary standards, and portrayal of diversity. Intensity of information can be enhanced through the inclusion of special in-depth sections providing detailed information related to the subject matter. Giorgis and Hartman (2000) noted three examples of picture books that contain in-depth sections. The final segment of David Macaulay's Rome Antics (1997) presents a detailed aerial map of Rome and descriptions of Roman sites. Ride the Wind: Airborne Journeys of Animals and Plants by Seymour Simon (1997) concludes with exhaustive information on migration. Eratosthenes is placed in historical context in the afterword of Kathryn Lasky's The Librarian Who Measured the Earth (1994).

Any picture book used to teach middle school students should meet high literary standards (Giorgis & Hartman, 2000; Neal & Moore, 1992). The vocabulary must be rich, and the writing should be of a high caliber. Books of superior quality are often distinguished by the recognition of a literary award. Therefore, books that have won awards such as the Caldecott Award should be given primary consideration.