Picture Books That Inspire a Love of Reading in Children
Inspire a love of reading in your classroom with these great books. Reading about characters who love books and reading will motivate your students to love books.
Books for Book Lovers
As a teacher, it is hard to keep on top of all the thousands of children’s books published each year, particularly when you want books on a particular theme.
Books that promote a love of reading are not always obvious as other themes may be more dominant.
This inviting collection of books for books lovers not only promote a love of reading, but also empathy, tolerance, and open-mindedness.
Picture Books for Book Lovers
Are You Sitting Comfortably? by Leigh Hodgkinson
The back of this book asks “Have you found the perfect snuggle-up-and-lose-yourself-in-a-book-place?” Unfortunately, the book lover in this story cannot, even after searching high and low for the perfect place to read his book. After his frustrating search, he decides the best way to read the book is to share it.
Promotes a love of reading, compromise, and friendships.
Bears Don't Read by Emma Chichester Clark
George the Bear longs to learn to read, but everyone tells him that bears don’t read! With a little help from a friend, determination and resilience help him overcome all obstacles to be a success.
Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter
Luis wants to share his love of books with children. The reader follows his journey from getting a burro to carry his books to delivering the books into the hands of children. Based on a true story.
Use to discuss narrative non-fiction, making a difference and libraries.
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers
A boy and girl go on a magical adventure through forests of fairy tales and across mountains of make-believe. Promotes a love of reading and imagination.
Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates
Dog loves books so much he opens a bookshop. While waiting for customers he reads all the books so when a young customer asks for a book Dog know exactly which one to recommend.
Promotes a love of reading, curiosity and inquiry.
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
Yuyi Morales recalls her own experiences of migrating from Mexico to America with her young son. They face many cultural challenges, including learning a new language and new customs. Her local library offers an opportunity to learn about this strange, new country and find a new career.
Read to discuss determination, resilience, independence, courage and hope.
The Hard-Times Jar by Ethel Footman Smothers
Emma Turner loves books. As she can’t afford one she saves her money from picking apples and puts it in her mama’s hard-times jar. When she is ready to start school, she is met with a wonderful surprise.
Reinforces themes of reading, determination, self-management, and immigration.
How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander
A lyrical book on the joy and power reading brings. Kwame Alexander suggests, “get real cozy between the covers and let your fingers wonder as they wander” through the book. He advises the reader not to “rush though: Your eyes need time to taste. Your soul needs room to bloom.”
How to Read a Story by Kate Messner
A young boy shares how he reads a book starting with finding an enjoyable story. He then finds a reading buddy before finding a comfortable reading spot.
Promotes word choice, perseverance, enthusiasm, open-mindedness and communication.
The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
Henry loved to eat books and with every bite, he got smarter and smarter, until letters and words leak out of his mouth. On reflection, he decides he can still be smart by reading a book, it would just take longer.
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
A chicken begs her father to read a fairy tale book at bedtime. As he reads a new story, the excited chicken keeps interrupting. The tired father suggests she writes her own story. As she reads her story “Bedtime for Papa” she is interrupted by his snoring.
It’s a Book by Lane Smith
Lane Smith illustrates a message about online or printed books. While the monkey reads a book, the jackass questions whether the book can text or if it has a mouse. Monkey patiently answers all the questions and hands jackass a book so he can answer his own questions.
The Lady with the Books: A Story Inspired by the Remarkable Work of Jella Lepman by Kathy Stinson
The Lady with the Books is based on the work of Jella Lepman in Germany after WWII. She wrote to 20 countries, many of who had been at war with Germany, asking them to send children’s books for her to give hope to children affected by the war. She knew part of providing the children of Germany with a fresh start was helping them feel connected to the world and preventing more conflicts.
Let Me Finish! by Minh Lê
A young boy looks forward to reading his book but gets frustrated when noisy animals ruin the end of the story. What the boy doesn’t realise is they are warning him. Will it be too late?
The Librarian's Stories by Lucy Falcone
The Library Book by Tom Chapin
A young girl can't play outside because it's raining. She visits her local library and discovers the wonders of what it has to offer. Keep a lookout for some popular book characters.
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
A lion visits a library every day, to the delight of the children. But the lion breaks the noise rules when it roars to help the head librarian in an emergency. What will happen to the lion now?
Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile by Gloris Houston
A dedicated librarian, Miss Dorothy, creates a bookmobile to deliver library books to her Appalachian neighbours. Promotes a love of reading, community, compassion and determination.
Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children by Jan Pinborough
Miss Anne Carroll Moore wanted to change the fact that children couldn’t borrow library books. In 1894 she changed this with the creation of the first children’s room at the New York Public Library.
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard
Mary Walker was born into slavery in 1848, and at the age of 116 she learned to read. She witnessed the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, and through her perseverance, she showed you’re never too old to learn.
The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read by Curtis Manley
Nick tries to teach his cats, Verne and Stevenson, to read but it is not all plain sailing. How will Nick share his love of reading with his two favourite felines?
This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary
Sadie’s love of books drives her imagination, creativity, open-mindedness and self-awareness. With her imagination, Sadie is never lonely with her many friends, real and imaginary.
Tomas and the Library Lady by Pat Mora
The Tree House by Marije Tolman
Two bears find the perfect place to read, a treehouse rising out of the water. As the water recedes they are joined by other animals who arrive by land and air.
This wordless book promotes a love of reading and positive friendships.
We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems
Gerald and Piggie discover they are in a book. Piggie realises she can make the reader say things like “Banana!” which has Piggie and Gerald doubled over with laughter. As the book concludes, the pair start to panic as the end of the book gets nearer.
Wolves by Emily Gravett
Rabbit visits the library to learn about the behaviour of wolves. As it reads, a shadow with sharp claws and a bushy tail creeps off the page. Should the rabbit be wary of this sinister figure?
You Can Read by Helaine Becker
Discover how picking up a book is the start of a wonderful adventure. You can read under the sea, in space or on the playground, actually, you can read anywhere!
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What Next?
Help your students love reading by having a collection of diverse and inviting titles, such as the ones suggested above.
What are your favourite books to foster a love of reading in your classroom? Hit the comments and let me know!
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