Time Flies! The 10th Annual Picture Book 10 for 10

Today's the day!  

Today is our 10th annual August Picture Book 10 for 10 event (here's a little history).  

I know, right?!  10 years???  Honestly it snuck up on me too.  10 years of 10 for 10!!!  Wowza.

Yep, 10 years of 10 for 10.  

If you hoped to join the conversation, you're in the right place.  We will be collecting posts for the event here.  (see below)  

Picture Book 10 for 10:  The Tradition
On this day each year, educators, parents, media specialist, and picture book lovers around the globe share ten picture books they just can't live without in the coming school year.  If you'd like to share your favorites, or just check out the books that are being shared this year, please stop by the Twitter hashtag #pb10for10.  Thanks to Mandy Robek of Enjoy and Embrace Learning for helping to kick off the new school year with this great event each year.   Make sure you stop by her blog to see what she has selected for 2019.  I know I can't wait to see.  Stop by the other participants spaces too.

My Past 10 #pb10for10 Collections

• 2019:  ...
• 2018:  10 Books That Demonstrate We Are Better Together
• 2017: 10 Books to Help Us Stretch
• 2016: 10 Stories for My Son (The Student Teacher)
• 2015: 10 Books That Take You Into the Night
• 2014: 10 Books About Being Brave
• 2013: 10 Newer Authors/Illustrators I Love
• 2012: 10 Mentor Texts for Young Writers
• 2011: 10 Authors I Can't Live Without
• 2010: 10 Must-Have Picture Books

As the calendar turns to August my mind always turns to the new school year.  There's always a certain amount of excitement as our communities come back together.  This year, with all that has been going on in our world, I can't help but wonder what the children in our learning communities will be feeling as they walk in our doors.  Will all children feel safe?  Will all children feel welcome? How do we honor their stories?  How do we help them to know they are save with us?  How do we help them to feel welcome?

As I worked to create my picture book list for this year, I wanted to find books for the beginning of the year that help all of our children to know their stories matter.  Creating inclusive communities begins with this message.  Sara Ahmed, in Being the Change, reminds us,

"What I have learned is that we cannot progress as a society if we rely on television images, single stories, and sensationalized headlines over getting proximate to the personal experiences and individual truths of human beings who don't look like us (p. 16)."  

So in those first weeks of school, I know I want to create an environment where everyone feels welcome - an environment where everyone finds the space to tell their story.  I wanted a collection that opens the door to say:  YOUR STORIES ARE WELCOME HERE.

Here are my 2019 #pb10for10 selections:  

Want to Join?  

1. Choose Your 10 Favorites:  All you need to do is choose ten picture books you cannot live without for whatever reason.  In the first days of this event, everyone shared their ten very favorite titles.  This still works.  You will notice, however, that many past participants choose some type of theme or thread to connect their selections.  We'll leave this up to you.
2. Write Your August 10th Post:  Write a post about the ten books you cannot live without.  
3. No Blog?  No Problem:  If you don't have a blog, this might be the perfect time to start one --- or there are a million digital ways to join.  You could post from a Google page, create a S'more, make a Padlet, share in Twitter (and copy the Tweet link), or any other creative idea you may be considering.  We will also be tweeting from the #pb10for10 hashtag.    
4. Link Your Seletions:  Please share your posts here (today's post of Reflect and Refine) in the comments.  (Share them on Twitter too at #pb10for10.) 
5. Find Other Participants:  You will find the links to other 2019 collections in the comments below.
6. Connect & Comment:  Take some time to read posts from other participants.  Please comment on at least three. 

Warning:  Picture Book 10 for 10 can be hard on your wallet.  I'd pull out your library cards before you start to visit these wonderful posts below.  

                                                ___________________________________


Please note:  If you stopped by my original post, you know that I shared Home is a Window by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard and illustrated by Chris Sasaki.  After sharing my post, Jillian Heise reached out in a tweet about this book.  She shared a post at Crazy Quiltedi that talked about some concerns over the images in the text.  When I read the book, I fell in love with the way it invited us into a home and made us think about the places we know as home.  In lines like, "Home is a window, a doorway, a rug, a basket for your shoes," and "Home is the shirt that smells like your old room, stories you had never heard, and every song you know," the author made me see the possibility of talking about our stories of home.  However, after reading the concerns, I am removing the title.  The post makes some good points that I want to weigh a bit more.  As educators, we certainly have to look at the books we place on our classroom shelves with a critical eye.