Picture this: It's the first week of school, and you want to create that magical classroom community feeling, but you're drowning in lesson plans, bulletin boards, and endless to-do lists. What if I told you that the perfect picture books could do the heavy lifting for you—building classroom culture, teaching social-emotional skills, and setting the tone for an amazing year, all while giving you those precious read-aloud moments that remind you why you became a teacher in the first place?

In this bonus summer episode, I'm sharing 10 newer picture books (published in the last 1-2 years) that are absolute gems for those crucial first weeks of school. From celebrating classroom diversity with "We Are a Garden" to managing big emotions with "The Big Squeeze," these books tackle everything from conflict resolution and goal-setting to classroom procedures and building confidence. I'll give you the title, author, and most importantly, exactly why each book is perfect for back-to-school season and how you can use it to create the classroom community you've been dreaming of. Don't worry about taking notes—I've got all the book covers and links waiting for you at thecolorfulapple.com!

📚 Join the FREE Workshop: Organize Your Read Alouds for the Whole Year

🌟 50 Picture Books Every Classroom Needs

📝 Show Notes

Click here to join the FREE workshop!

The 'Organize Your Read Alouds' workshop is a free 5-day training that helps elementary teachers create a complete system for fitting meaningful read-alouds into any schedule, selecting the perfect books for each comprehension strategy, and asking questions that truly develop students' thinking skills.

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Join our FREE Facebook Group all about read alouds.
Keep your teaching colorful,
Sara :)

The Colorful Apple
Full disclosure: Amazon links in my descriptions are usually affiliate links which means if you purchase through that link, I receive a very small percentage of the sale.