One of the exciting resources available to us is the abundance of quality literature in picture story format that can be used to encourage our older students to question and think about world issues, identity, history and what is possible.
I have started a list of picture books I think every child should read before the end of Year 6 and the lessons in life that can be learnt from them.
Luke’s Way Of Looking by Nadia Wheatly and Matt Ottley. This is a great story to use when celebrating what it means to be different, with students and teachers!
Ziba came on a boat by Liz Lofthouse tells of refugees, the ‘boat people’ from Afghanistan. While your students are sitting complacently thinking it would never happen to them, read Home and Away by John Marsden and Matt Ottley. This is the story of a typical Australian family who find themselves as 
refugees, their happy, loving family torn to shreds by war.
Libby Hathorn tackles another type of homelessness in her picture book Way Home. The desolation of not belonging to family or community is probed through her dark illustrations.
On a more uplifting note is Rebel by Allan Baillie. (based on a true incident) Who doesn’t want to cheer aloud at this display of courage in the face of tyranny? Another true story illustrating the 
impact one person can have is The librarian of Basra: a true story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter. It is an inspiring story of one person protecting what is important to her and in the process uniting a group of people for a common cause. Both these picture books provide a segue into exploring periods of history as does The Red Piano by Andre Leblanc. The Red Piano is an extraordinary story of perseverance set against a cataclysmic period of history in China and it is also a story of human resilience, bravery, resourcefulness, and the power of 
imagination.
Students certainly get to use their imagination when reading Gary Crew’s The Water Tower. A powerful demonstration of how sophisticated stories can be told with few words. What is it about the words and visuals that create this sense of menace?
I am still adding to my list. What picture books do you think all older readers should have the opportunity to read?
What a beautiful list of books! I love Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting for a light approach to homelessness- living in an airport. Very beautiful.
Fly Away home is not one of Ms bunting’s books I know but will keep an eye out for it thanks. I have ‘Train to somewhere’, ‘Smokey Night’s and ‘The Wall’- all thought provoking books by Eve Bunting, perfect for reading with older readers.
I think Fly away home is one of Eve Buntings books, illustrated by Ronald Himler.
Fly Away home is not one of Ms bunting’s books I know but will keep an eye out for it thanks. I have Train to somewhere, Smokey Nights and The Wall- all thought provoking books perfect for reading with older readers.
How about Tuesday by David Wiesner, I use younger childrens’ picture books such as Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers the older children can access them and use them as a basis for their writing.
I use animations the same way as people use picture books check out my blog http://bit.ly/HxpVIm ‘Maux-dits’ ‘When stories were not yet fairytales’ a fabulous visual literacy resource.