By now you probably know how much I love children’s books! here are a few that would be perfect for starting a discussion about hopes and dreams, the first step in the responsive classroom approach to creating class rules with students. Last winter I shared some reading aloud ideas in a post about revisiting hopes and dreams in the new year. either of those books would work just as well at the beginning of the year, and here are a few more ideas:
big al by andrew clements, illustrated by yoshi. Big Al is a big, scary-looking, but very nice fish who wants to make friends. all the little fishes are afraid of him until the day he gets a chance to show how kind he is. Using this book, you could have an underwater display for students’ hopes and dreams, with the big fish and the smaller fish to remind your students of the story that started them in creating their own goals.
You are reading: Hopes and dreams books
the curious garden by peter brown. a young man named liam discovers a nearly dead garden in the middle of his dull, gray city. with water and care, he brings it back to life, and the garden slowly spreads to the rest of the city from him. A discussion of hopes and dreams based on this book might begin with students thinking about their talents, what they might accomplish during the year, and what kind of classroom environment they will need to nurture their talents and reach their goals.
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The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Brian Selznick. The true story of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, who as a child was enchanted by dinosaurs and grew up to become the first person to make life-size models of them. This book is especially strong at launching hopes and dreams because Hawkins faced many setbacks along the way, but he never gave up. could refer to those setbacks throughout the year when students or their class have trouble working toward their hopes and dreams.
the gardener by sarah stewart, illustrated by david small. During the Depression, Lydia Grace Finch is sent from her family’s farm to live with her uncle, a baker, in the city. she uses her talent for gardening to beautify her new surroundings and bring a smile to her hard-working uncle’s face. Lydia brought seeds with her on the train; she could talk about the children’s hopes and dreams as seeds that will grow as the year progresses.
the dream of matthew by leo lionni. Matthew, a young mouse, struggles to answer the age-old question: what does he want to be when he grows up? his dilemma is resolved while he visits an art museum. he wants to be an artist. After writing about what they want to accomplish in the upcoming school year, children can imitate Leo Lionni’s style in an artistic rendering to accompany their writing.
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pop! The invention of chewing gum by Meghan McCarthy. With simple but engaging text and cartoon-style images, McCarthy tells the story of an accountant, Walter Diemer, who, despite knowing “a lot of math but not much about chewing gum,” invented chewing gum. The book shows how he persevered despite early failures, and you can encourage your students to think about the obstacles they might encounter in trying to fulfill their hopes and dreams, and how they will overcome them.
this school year will be the best! by kay winters, illustrated by renée andriani. a student imagines possibilities for the next school year. some are practical and possible. others are more fanciful. (“we’ll have a chocolate fountain for lunch!” “we’ll take a field trip to a really cool place.” “we’ll have a skateboard day”). your class will be able to relate to all of them you could use the book as a springboard for what will make this school year the best for them. for a display you could use the cover design with a big “this school year will be the best” in the middle with little pictures of children fulfilling their hopes and dreams around them.
Go ahead!: A guide for babies of all ages by marla frazee. a fun illustrated “how to” book for toddlers that has lessons suitable for anyone setting a goal or starting a new adventure in life. Students can write about their hopes and dreams using the sentence frame, “Just as a baby is determined to walk, I am determined to __________________.”
However you decide to launch your hopes and dreams process, make sure it’s as meaningful as possible to your students. review student goals throughout the year, help students make plans on how to achieve them or assess progress, and create new hopes and dreams if needed.
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