If all that wasn’t enough, St. Patrick’s Day is also just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with enchanting picture books? From clever leprechauns to vibrant rainbows, these delightful stories will transport young readers into a world of luck and joy. Perfect for enhancing your classroom library or as a read-aloud, my book list has something for everyone. Let these captivating tales spark imagination and foster a sense of community, making this St. Patrick’s Day a truly memorable experience for your students! Want the list in a ready to go PDF with links to use or share? The pot of gold is right here, just for you!

A Glimpse into Fiona’s Luck

In “Fiona’s Luck,” readers meet a clever girl named Fiona who lives in a world where a greedy leprechaun hoards all the luck. Determined to change her fate, Fiona uses her quick wits to outsmart the leprechaun and restore good fortune to her community. This charming tale celebrates creativity, courage, and the joy of sharing luck with others.

How to Use in Classroom: After reading aloud the book, Task students with creating a Lucky Charm. Each student will create their own lucky charm using craft supplies. Encourage them to think about what symbolizes luck to them or what they would want their charm to bring to their lives. *Extension Activity: After creating their lucky charms, students can write a short story about how their charm came to be and the adventures it brings them. They can include a description of the charm and how it brings luck to them.S

A Taste of O’Sullivan Stew

Join the O’Sullivan family in this hilarious tale as they create their famous stew using unexpected ingredients. Full of comical mishaps, this delightful story celebrates creativity and the joy of sharing a meal!

How to Use in Classroom: Read and discuss the humorous events of the read aloud, then have each student create their own unique stew recipe. They should name their stew, list at least five ingredients, and write a brief description of how to prepare it.

Peek into The Magic Hat Shop

In “The Magic Hat Shop,” readers are whisked away to a fantastical shop filled with hats that each possess a unique magic. As customers try on these delightful hats, they embark on imaginative adventures that transform their day. This whimsical story sparks creativity and wonder, reminding us of the magic that lies in our imaginations.

How to Use in Classroom:

1. After reading about the magic hat shop, assign students to write about their own magic hat. They should define what its magical powers are and include a character that goes on an adventure with the hat. 
2. This delightful book is ideal for teaching character maps! Students can explore the unique characters, the magical hats they wear, and the exciting adventures each one embarks on. It’s a fantastic way to deepen their understanding of character development and storytelling!

An Inside Look at Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato

In “Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato,” lazy Irishman Jamie’s life takes a turn when a giant potato rolls into town. As he tries to impress his neighbors with the potato, he learns valuable lessons about hard work and community. This humorous tale is filled with charm and showcases the importance of taking responsibility for one’s actions.

How to Use in Classroom: This book is ideal for teaching problem-solving skills. Students can create a problem-solution chart centered around a challenge faced by Jamie. They will identify the challenge, brainstorm potential solutions, and then write a brief explanation of their selected solution.

A Sneak Peek into How to Catch a Leprechaun

From a popular series of books, comes this classic St. Patrick’s Day tale! In “How to Catch a Leprechaun,” clever kids set out to trap a mischievous leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day using their creativity and imagination. With vibrant illustrations and playful rhymes, this delightful story captures the excitement of trying to outsmart a tricky little creature and the quest for his pot of gold!

How to Use in Classroom: After reading about the adventures in trapping a leprechaun, have each student write a diary entry from the leprechaun’s perspective. They should include the leprechaun’s thoughts and feelings, a description of the traps he’s encountered, and any clever tricks he used to evade capture.

Looking to spice up your St. Patrick’s Day read alouds? Teach students to identify narrative elements as you read engaging picture books. To enhance your book collection even further, check out the newest published picture books available today. 

Need more for March? Don’t forget about my March National Days to keep the fun reading going all month long, you won’t regret it!

*Ramona Recommends partners with affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and or purchases, and I would love it if you decided to use the links above! Affiliate links help bloggers like me to fund the free content that we provide on our blogs.

The post The Ultimate St. Patrick’s Day Picture Book List: A Fun Reading List for Families and Classrooms! appeared first on Ramona Recommends.

I’ve put together a list of must-read picture books that align with March’s special days. These books will help you connect literacy with real-world celebrations, making learning fun and relevant. Plus, I have a special freebie for you—keep reading!

March National Days & Picture Books to Inspire Learning

📚 March 1 – National Pig Day
Piglette by Katelyn Aronson – A charming piglet travels to Paris to find her purpose and discovers that being true to herself is the most beautiful thing of all.

📚 March 4 – National Grammar Day
A Boy Like You by Frank Murphy and Kayla Harren – This empowering book encourages boys to use their words wisely, be kind, and embrace their unique strengths.

📚 March 5 – National Day of Unplugging
Unplugged by Steve Antony – Blip, a little robot, discovers the wonders of the outside world when she accidentally unplugs from technology.

📚 March 8 – International Women’s Day
She Persisted Around the World by Chelsea Clinton – A powerful collection of stories about incredible women who changed history through perseverance and courage.

📚 March 9 – National Meatball Day
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett – A whimsical tale about a town where food falls from the sky, sparking imagination and laughter.

📚 March 12 – National Plant a Flower Day
What’s Inside a Flower? by Rachel Ignotofsky – A beautifully illustrated nonfiction book that explores the science behind how flowers grow.

📚 March 13 – National Earmuff Day
Earmuffs for Everyone by Meghan McCarthy – A fascinating and fun history of how earmuffs were invented and their impact on the world.

📚 March 15 – National Panda Day
When I Draw a Panda by Amy June Bates – A delightful story that celebrates creativity, imagination, and the joy of drawing.

📚 March 16 – National No Selfies Day
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak – A hilarious, interactive read-aloud that proves words alone can bring laughter and fun.

📚 March 22 – National Tamale Day
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto and Ed Martinez – A heartwarming holiday tale about family, tradition, and an unforgettable kitchen mishap.

📚 March 27 – National Scribble Day
Scribble Stones by Diane Alber – A sweet story that turns scribbles into something beautiful, encouraging kindness and creativity.

📚 March 31 – National Crayon Day
The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow and Steven Salerno – The inspiring true story of how Crayola crayons were invented, bringing color into children’s lives.

Bring Picture Books to Life in Your Classroom

Using picture books for March national days creates engaging, cross-curricular learning experiences. Here are some ideas:

• Discussion & Reflection – Connect each book to the national day’s theme through class discussions and writing prompts.
• STEM & Creativity – Pair books like What’s Inside a Flower? and Scribble Stones with hands-on activities.
• Cultural Connections – Books like Too Many Tamales and She Persisted Around the World open the door for meaningful conversations on traditions and diversity.

This BRAND NEW resource is the pot of gold at the end of you national days rainbow! This is an interactive March National Days calendar with some guided morning meeting and turn/talk questions to go along with each book. This is free for this month only, so please grab it, use it, love it, and come back for more each month!

Want the full list in an easy-to-use format? Grab my FREE March National Days & Picture Books printable or interactive calendar! Download them now and get ready to bring picture book magic into your classroom this March. 🎉

Ramona Recommends partners with affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and or purchases, and I would love it if you decided to use the links above! Affiliate links help bloggers like me to fund the free content that we provide on our blogs.

The post Celebrate March National Days with Picture Books in Your Classroom! appeared first on Ramona Recommends.

Do you use national days in your classroom?

I personally LOVE using national days as a catalyst for learning. A national day can turn into a picture book read aloud, morning meeting questions, would you rather game, research, writing assignment, and a bonding moment for my 5th graders. 

February 3rd is National Girls and Women in Sports Day.  Let me help you plan a few activities surrounding this day.  Start the day by reading She Persisted in Sports by Chelsea Clinton.

This picture book highlights the stories of remarkable women athletes who overcame obstacles to achieve greatness. Featuring figures from various sports, the book showcases their determination, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements.a delightful story about embracing patience and teamwork. My favorite is Simone Biles!

Spark discussions with morning meeting questions revolving around resilience:  

Question 1: Can you think of a time when something was really hard for you, but you kept trying? How did it feel when you didn’t give up?

Question 2: Why do you think it’s important to keep going, even when things don’t go as planned? What can we learn from those tough moments?

Take your students outside and play a game that requires teamwork like kickball. 

Here is a list of my fav NATIONAL DAYS for February! 

February 2nd: National Groundhog Day : Groundhog Gets it Wrong
February 3rd: National Girls and Women in Sports Day : She Persisted in Sports
February 5th: National Bubble Gum Day : On Account of the Gum
February 6th: National Chopsticks Day : Tricky Chopsticks
February 11th: Make a Friend Day : Meesha Makes Friends
February 14th: National Ferris Wheel Day : Mr. Ferris and his Wheel
February 15th: National Presidents Day : President Taft is Stuck in the Bath
February 24th: National Tortilla Chip Day : Nacho’s Nachos
February 25th: National Clam Chowder Day : Chowder Rules: The True Story of an Epic Food Fight
February 26th: National Tell a Fairy Tale Day : Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears

Want to share with other teachers and parents? Here is a pdf of the book list.

If you want more lists, you can visit my amazon store and open the magic!

Ramona Recommends partners with affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and or purchases, and I would love it if you decided to use the links above! Affiliate links help bloggers like me to fund the free content that we provide on our blogs.

The post Picture Book Recommendations for February National Days appeared first on Ramona Recommends.

If we want our students to read with intonation we must model all year long. Make the read aloud in your classroom the reason your students become readers. 

Please understand, I do not think you have to be a broadway star to read a picture book, but you need to have some confetti in that voice. 

If you are a first year teacher, student teacher, or a teacher who does not want to be on broadway, this blog post is for you! Let me help you feel confident when you are reading aloud in your classroom. 

I teach fifth grade and I would say 95% of my students love it when I read picture books. This last week, I had my students fill out a rating form about their 5th grade experience thus far, and SO many said their favorite part of the day was Open The Magic. It made my whole week!

Speaking of my students, in the past I have asked them, “What do I do that makes you engaged during read alouds?” Here are their responses summarized.

“you are SO excited about picture books! It’s like giving EXCITEMENT VIBES.”

“You do cool voices!” (bless them, I try!)

“You raise and lower your voice at the perfect time”

“You find books that we can learn from or relate too.”“You find funny books, remember when you read, Where’s My Butt?.”

I teach fifth grade and I would say 95% of my students love when I read picture books. This last week, I had my students fill out a rating form about their 5th grade experience thus far, and SO many said their favorite part of the day was Open The Magic. It made my whole week!

Speaking of my students, in the past I have asked them, “What do I do that makes you engaged during read alouds?” Here are their responses summarized:

“You are SO excited about picture books! It’s like giving EXCITEMENT VIBES.”

“You do cool voices!” (bless them, I try!)

“You raise and lower your voice at the perfect time”

“You find books that we can learn from or relate too.”

“You find funny books, remember when you read, Where’s My Butt?.”

Here is what I do when I want to have a solid read aloud. 

#1 Read the book ahead of time.

Reading aloud takes practice. Sometimes you have to pull your inner broadway star out of you, but I promise it is worth it. I understand that time is vital; you do not always have the time. I get it, I am a teacher too. Just try your best! If you are using a book to teach a lesson, I highly recommend reading the book beforehand. This will help you utilize all the teaching confetti inside. I am the type of teacher that has to prep before I do an activity in front of my students. My brain works better that way. If you are not sure which picture books would hit in your classroom, be sure to check out The Confetti Bookshelf, where I give you picture books I read each month in my own classroom.

#2 Do not sound like a robot.

I ask you to please not read like you do not like to read. The kids notice and then they are not engaged. I have learned from over the years when I make reading a confetti moment is when I get the most buy in about books. I have had multiple parents tell me that their child did not like reading until they came into my class. If we want our growing readers to thrive we must model for them how to read, the importance of reading, and showing the excitement we get from reading a book we love. 

I provide a  free training where I walk you through how to engage your readers during a read aloud and how to not be nervous when reading. Grab it here. 

#3 Explain the confetti.

Make the read aloud fun and engaging so your kids buy in. I typically share why I choose the books we read during Open The Magic. When I am selecting the books for the week, the first thing I will do is look up the national days for the week. I will try to match a national day with a book. For example, October 22nd is National Color Day. I will most likely read the book Mixed: A Colorful Story. I have a detailed blog post about National Days that are kid friendly and I share which books pair well with every holiday.

I also share new books that have not been released yet, the kids LOVE this. They feel so cool. Mini perk of Ramona Recommends. Oh! We always start off with looking at the picture book wallpaper and to see if there is a secret cover. Yes, I have 5th grade boys begging to have me check if there’s a secret cover even before I sit in my yellow chair. 

Here is your plan for your next read aloud.

-Grab a book from my suggested list. 

-Read it aloud or in your head. 

-Think of 1 way this book will connect to your students.

-Go shine, bookstar!

Ramona Recommends partners with affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and or purchases, and I would love it if you decided to use the links above! Affiliate links help bloggers like me to fund the free content that we provide on our blogs.

The post How to Read Aloud to Kids appeared first on Ramona Recommends.

“Should I use picture books in my classroom? I am not sure. I want to, but how can I get my upper graders to buy in?”- Upper Grade Teacher 

If you take anything from me, please take this. Using picture books in the classroom will be one of the best instructional practices you can do this year. I have been teaching for 15 years and I have had multiple students- all upper grade kids- tell me how much they loved our picture book time. I use picture books for fun and for content. 

Here are 6 ways I show, use, or decorate with picture books in my 5th grade classroom:

Picture Books Can: 

There are several reasons I believe picture books can be the best tool in your instructional toolbox to guide your students. As I type this section, I am so excited to get my school year started because picture books are so my jam. What CAN a picture book do? I am here to tell you A LOT. They can spark a love for reading. They can reignite a love for reading and be a teacher, friend, and role model. One big reason especially for upper grade picture books can help with reading comprehension and supplement content area lessons.

Honestly, right here I just dropped two game changers that have allowed my students to grow so much in one school year. Second, honest real talk, they have helped me be able to teach hard standards that bring down concepts. Picture books help model good writing to budding writers. A shout out to Josh Funk and Patricia Polacco for being two phenomenal writers who do a great job modeling show not tell. These gems also provide vacations to kids, yes please. Picture books support English language learners. I am here to tell you that picture books for students who are learning English give them so much hope of learning English. I saved the best for last: PICTURE BOOKS ARE JUST WHAT EVERY HUMAN NEEDS. I am proof of this.

[Send this handout home to parents about all the ways picture books are useful in all grades!]

Picture Book Corner:

Ok, picture this! Thirty-five 5th graders come down to the carpet and sit in the picture book corner with me to enjoy a morning of picture book reading and building community. If you can’t picture it, I can promise it is the best part of my morning. This is where memories are made and I think it really helps my students feel like family. We build community by answering morning meeting questions that match with the book we are currently reading. Want to see?

What makes my corner the best? My cozy chair, Sunny! I never knew I needed a cozy chair in my classroom until I saw other teachers in my school using them. This started my quest to find a cozy chair and how I found Sunny tucked away in a corner at Homegoods. It was love at first sight! She had to move into my house during the 2021 soft seating restrictions, but I am so excited to announce I am bringing Sunny back to my classroom this year and I can’t wait! 

Where the Picture Books Live: 

Picture books are always all over my classroom (in a neat way). I promote the use of picture books just as much as chapter books in my room. In the month of September, my students participate in National Open The Magic Day, Dot Day, and read to their little buddies. In our classroom, there is a ROYGBIV bookshelf of picture books and a Confetti Shelf full of current books. My favorite is watching my students gravitate to the books and sit on the floor and read to each other. In September our first writing activity is to create small Food Group stories using mentor texts from Jory John and Pete Oswald to guide their creativity. Want to do this in your classroom, click here!

Confetti Shelf:

This shelf is new for the 2024-2025 school year and I am SO excited for it’s debut! I emailed my principal to make sure it was ok to drill into the wall. The minute I received the O-OK, we went to Home Depot. I selected vinyl rain gutters and teacher talked myself into getting them cut for free. We attached it to the wall under my front board using wood nails, and VIOLA! This is my confetti shelf to display all of my paper back books in rainbow order.

Confetti Analyst

One of my student’s job is to be the “confetti analyst”. This student is the lucky kiddo that gets to select which book we read each day. Do I influence? Yes! I just can’t help it 😍

Inventory: Any way to save some time in lesson planning and while teaching is GOLD, am I right? One way I do this is through my Picture Book Inventory. I log each and every picture book that I own on a Google spreadsheet for ease in planning and locating the books I want to use for the week. Want more info on this? Check the blog here.

Looking for books to get started with? Check out this collection of funny picture books that your class is sure to love and start building some positive reading routines!

*Please note amazon affiliate links were used in this post.

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