Picture Books - They're Not Just for Preschoolers Anymore

Although there are still many children's books being published about bedtime, the first day of school, and the adventures of cute, furry animals, there is also a segment of children's book authors focusing on some heavy-duty issues. This may come as a surprise for some people, who might walk into the picture book section of a library or bookstore thinking that the titles shelved there are primarily aimed at the preschool set. In actuality, there are many picture books designed specifically to be shared with older children, in upper elementary grades and higher.

Historical Fiction

For parents and teachers wishing to enhance a child's study of history, picture books can be a wonderful tool to spark interest and understanding. Basing stories in a specific time period and either building characters and situations from actual events or ones that could have happened, authors are able to breathe a life into the past that textbooks cannot. Kids can learn about the American Revolution with Trinka Hakes Noble's The Scarlet Stockings Spy, and students will be amazed at the story of Henry "Box" Brown, a Virginia slave who mailed himself to Philadelphia in Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine. Try John McCutcheon's touching account of the 1914 unofficial Christmas Eve "truce" between British and German soldiers in Christmas in the Trenches. Readers have their choice of many compelling picture books based on World War II events, among them Patricia Polacco's The Butterfly, Karen Hesse's The Cats in Krasinski Square, and Angela Johnson's Wind Flyers. Learn about a famous friendship in Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan and see a leader for social change through his sister's eyes in Christine King Farris' My Brother Martin. These are just a handful of the well-written titles available in this genre -- picture books that provide a different look at history and allow us to discover the people, ideas, and emotions behind past events.

Social Issues

Books also offer a natural avenue to open up conversation on social issues. Powerful statements on prejudice are made in books like Ntozake Shange's Whitewash and Eve Bunting's One Green Apple. The effects of the war in Iraq are explored in The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter. We allegorically deal with seeds of the Holocaust in Terrible Things by Eve Bunting and come face-to-face with homelessness in Kate Spohn's Broken Umbrellas. Caught off-guard, parents reading stories like these sometimes become uncomfortable with the issues raised. However, children are learning about the world all the time, hearing about current events in conversations throughout the day and on the evening news. Using a book like one mentioned here could be a great discussion starter. You might be surprised by the insights you hear from your elementary-aged child.

Bibliotherapy

Simply put, bibliotherapy is a means of adults using books to help children through personal challenges they face. Through the experience of a story, they learn that other children encounter similar situations and that they are not alone. Books of this nature offer comfort and support. Whether it is a topic such as the death of a grandparent, the arrival of a new sibling, or a look at the effects of divorce or ADD, these sensitive books also offer a springboard for discussion.

Parents and Book Selection

It's ultimately up to adults to review books for subject matter and age-appropriateness before reading to children. Although the genres mentioned here are not meant for light reading before bed, they definitely have their place as valuable and powerful teaching tools. The best advice? Get to know the children's librarian at your public library. He or she is there to help you, so always feel free to ask for book recommendations. Just tell the librarian what you topic you need. It is his or her goal to suggest just the right thing - whether it's something as lighthearted as Dr. Seuss, something as serious as the life and death of Dr. King, or anything in between.