Did you know that picture books can be for older students too? I recently wrote a blog post telling you all the reasons why this can be the perfect therapy material for older students.
Why should you use picture books for speech therapy with older students?
- Picture books are a great jumping off point for introducing a new topic of study or a theme.
- Picture books make the information more accessible, as well as offer examples of more basic literary devices.
- Picture books are also shorter and can help you cover/ discover a topic much quicker than a novel. For example-if you are teaching about figurative language, it would be much easier to target what you’re talking about with a picture book rather than a novel.
Here is a BIG LIST of picture books for older students to check out! :
(All links are Amazon affiliate links)
Need a book companion to use with any of these books? Check some out here!
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this imaginative take on that popular saying, a child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator’s careful—and funny—instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community . . . and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.
There’s a wall in the middle of the book, and our hero–a young knight–is sure that the wall protects his side of the book from the dangers of the other side–like an angry tiger and giant rhino, and worst of all, an ogre who would gobble him up in a second! But our knight doesn’t seem to notice the crocodile and growing sea of water that are emerging on his side. When he’s almost over his head and calling for help, who will come to his rescue? An individual who isn’t as dangerous as the knight thought–from a side of the book that might just have some positive things to offer after all!
It’s the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone’s just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. What will the children do once they come? Will they like the school? Will they be nice to him?
The school has a rough start, but as the day goes on, he soon recovers when he sees that he’s not the only one going through first-day jitters.
Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she’d shown a little kindness toward Maya.
The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . . In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?
Patricia Polacco is now one of America’s most loved children’s book creators, but once upon a time, she was a little girl named Trisha starting school. Trisha could paint and draw beautifully, but when she looked at words on a page, all she could see was jumble. It took a very special teacher to recognize little Trisha’s dyslexia: Mr. Falker, who encouraged her to overcome her reading disability. Patricia Polacco will never forget him, and neither will we.
Capturing an engineer’s creative vision and mind for detail, this fully illustrated picture book biography sheds light on how the American inventor George Ferris defied gravity and seemingly impossible odds to invent the world’s most iconic amusement park attraction, the Ferris wheel.
A fun, fact-filled text by Kathryn Gibbs Davis combines with Gilbert Ford’s dazzling full-color illustrations to transport readers to the 1893 World’s Fair, where George Ferris and his big, wonderful wheel lifted passengers to the skies for the first time.
All Rupert the mouse wants is to star in a beautiful, wordless picture book. One that’s visually stimulating! With scenic pictures! And style! He has plenty of ideas about what makes a great book, but his friends just WON’T. STOP. TALKING. Children and adults alike will chuckle at this comedic take on bookmaking from acclaimed author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins.
Gum. It’s been around for centuries—from the ancient Greeks to the American Indians, everyone’s chewed it. But the best kind of gum—bubble gum!—wasn’t invented until 1928, when an enterprising young accountant at Fleer Gum and Candy used his spare time to experiment with different recipes. Bubble-blowing kids everywhere will be delighted with Megan McCarthy’s entertaining pictures and engaging fun facts as they learn the history behind the pink perfection of Dubble Bubble.
A simple act of kindness can transform an invisible boy into a friend…Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody in class ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class. When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine. Any parent, teacher, or counselor looking for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find The Invisible Boy a valuable and important resource.
Some people think pink is a pretty color. A fluffy, sparkly, princess-y color. But it’s so much more. Sure, pink is the color of princesses and bubblegum, but it’s also the color of monster slugs and poisonous insects. Not to mention ultra-intelligent dolphins, naked mole rats and bizarre, bloated blobfish. Isn’t it about time to rethink pink? Slip on your rose-colored glasses and take a walk on the wild side with zoologist Jess Keating.
Millions of years ago, DINOTRUX ruled the earth. But in the present day, people rule them! Their rusty fossils have spent decades stuck in a drafty museum surrounded by screaming kids, and now they’re ready to break out and let off some really old steam. HONNNK!!! DINOTRUX ARE ON THE LOOSE! Garbageadon eats cars, Craneosaurus peeks in windows, and Tyrannosaurus Trux climbs a skyscraper… Who will win the mighty standoff between man and prehistoric beast?
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and–at long last–is given his special name: Beekle.
A wordless picture book about what we lose, what we find, and what we give back.
Jenn’s beloved dog was lost sometime ago. Long enough that she has given up the search. But she still misses her friend. One day she finds a lost dog. She takes him in and despite a rocky start, she grows to love him. Until she spots his picture on a missing poster. His name is Roscoe, and he’s someone else’s best friend. Jenn knows she should return Roscoe, but she really doesn’t want to. Will Jenn do the right thing? Or will she keep this new dog she’s grown to love so much?
Cinder is a popular dragon with one small problem. Instead of fire, Cinder breathes bubbles. While the King searches for a fire-breathing dragon for his palace, Cinder is sidelined.
Be afraid. Be very, very afraid. Because Frankenstein’s cat is no ordinary cat: Dr. Frankenstein names his new creation Nine — not because cats have “nine lives,” but because that’s how many cats it takes to make him. However, Nine isn’t terribly popular at the castle, and he’s lonely. So the doctor creates a companion who turns out to be more than Frankenstein’s cat bargained for.
Are you looking for more ideas for picture books to use in speech therapy? Check these out below:
–15 Best Picture Books for Winter Themed Speech Therapy
-The Best Christmas Books for Speech Therapy
–Top 17 Thanksgiving Picture Books you Need to Know
-Fall Picture Books about Leaves
-Speech Therapy: Big List for Fall
Do you use picture books with older students? What are some of your favorites?
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[…] upper elementary grade levels has many benefits that I laid out in the above blog post. Here is a Big List of Picture Books for Older Students if you need […]