A Few Picture Books to Teach Memoir
We are starting the year, and the creation of our writing portfolio, with a unit focused on memoir and personal essay. I am hoping that in this unit, the students will start to share parts of their writing identity through discussion of what makes them a writer or not, the erules of writing and which we need to break, as well as experimentation with writing based in their own lives.
I have been gathering memoirs and personal essays for a while now, trying to focus on stories that may enrich their understanding of how others see the world so that they in turn can focus on their own lives.
As always, our trusted picture books are part of the mentor text collection that will surround students as we embark into this work, so here are the ones I have pulled so far that focus on small moments and written in 1st person. While some of these are true memoirs, others are texts I can use as models despite them not being true stories.
The Day War Came by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb
To This Day by Shane Koyczan
Better Than You by Trudy Ludwig
La Frontera – El Viaje con Papa’ – My Journey with Papa by Deborah Mills, Alfredo Alva, and Claudia Navarro
The Bad Seed written by Jory John and illustrated by Pete Oswald
I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, pictures by Shelagh McNicholas
Bird by Zetta Elliott and illustrated by Shadra Strickland
I Love My Purse by Belle Demont and art by Sonja Wimmer
I Am Not a Number written Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer illustrated by Gillian Newland
Mama’s Nightingale – A Story of Immigration and Separation by Edwidge Danticat and illustrated by Leslie Staub
My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera
Grandpa’s Stories – A Book of Remembering by Joseph Coelho and Allison Colpoys
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay written by Cari Best and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou, paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat and edited by Sara Jane Boyers
Neema’s Reason to Smile by Patricia Newman and illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Dad’s Camera by Ross Watkins and illustrated by Liz Anelli
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis
This is the Rope – A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by James Ransome
A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts and illustrated by Hyewon Yum
The Remember Balloons by Jessie Olivieros and illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
My Night in the Planetarium by Innosanto NagaraI will add more as I pull them, especially newer books to use. If you would like to see other lists of favorite books, go here.
