Picture Books Best for Upper Elementary 

Reading is an adventure everyone can enjoy, and these carefully selected picture books best for upper elementary students, offering captivating stories and meaningful lessons that make reading engaging and purposeful.

DALTON’S DRESS-UP DILEMMA, A FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE BOOK

Dalton’s Dress-Up Dilemma, A Figurative Language Book is a picture book for kids that can teach or reinforce figurative language styles. This book can be put in your classroom or home library and/or be used for a read-aloud.

I wrote this book to help kids recognize how we naturally use figurative language in everyday conversations. Each page highlights a unique example of figurative language, making it easy for students to see how these literary devices come to life. Teachers can use this book as a mentor text to introduce and explore multiple examples of onomatopoeias, idioms, similes, metaphors, alliteration, oxymorons, imagery, hyperboles, and personification in an engaging and meaningful way.

Cover of the book Dalton's Dress-Up Dilemma

LESSONS TO TEACH KIDS

There are lessons that pair perfectly with the book and can be found on the shop page or in my TPT store. The lessons include a flip book, posters, a matching activity, and a center or small group activity. Use all the lessons or a few at a time, depending on your classroom and available time.  To learn more about using this resource, check out this HOW TO TEACH DALTON’S DRESS-UP DILEMMA video.

TEST ANXIETY & CLASSROOM MOTIVATIONAL COLORING BOOK

The test anxiety & classroom motivational coloring book was created to help calm students experiencing tests or other forms of anxiety. This book includes many motivational sayings that may help kids lessen their worries. This book has also been transformed into PRINTABLE TEST ANXIETY COLORING PAGES for another option. Have students color the pages and then keep them somewhere safe when they start to feel anxious.

Test Anxiety Coloring Book Cover

POETRY RULES! Fun Poems to Read Every Season of the Year!

Poetry Rules offers a fun and engaging way to enjoy poems throughout every season of the year. Kids, teachers, and parents can dive into a variety of poetry styles, including narrative, lyrical, free verse, concrete, and more. As they read, kids discover rhyming patterns and explore different figurative language techniques, making poetry enjoyable and educational.

This book features 43 poems that celebrate popular holidays, the start of the school year, the changing seasons, self-pride, and so much more. Whether reading alone or together, teachers, students, and parents will find endless opportunities to connect, learn, and appreciate the beauty of poetry!

Poetry Rules

Picture books are the best tools for engaging upper elementary students while teaching meaningful lessons. The three picture books featured in this post are not only entertaining but also designed to spark critical thinking and creativity in your classroom. Paired with the accompanying lesson ideas, these resources make it easy to bring purposeful and engaging learning to life. Ready to inspire your students? Add these picture books to your teaching toolkit today!