Start with Joy
While debating which book to choose for our course book club, I played around on the internet researching all of my options. Every time one of the books interested me, I would put it in my Amazon shopping cart. This didn't help much, because I now have quite a few books waiting to be purchased. But a decision needed to be made, so I thought, go back to the start.
Katie Egan Cunningham's book Start with Joy is the true, back to basics, core of teaching and growing students, feel good, uplifting read that every teacher needs. Cunningham writes, "If we want our children to grow up with the roots for lifelong happiness, then our schools must change." What better argument can there be to advocate for change in our schools?
Cunningham's book highlights eight pillars to promote joy for you as a teacher and your students as learners. These pillars include connection, choice, challenge, play, story, discovery, movement, and becoming a designer. She also includes mentor texts to help your students develop within these pillars.
And as teachers often do, I created a list of mentor texts shared by Cunningham. I'm including this list for other curators like myself to have as as easy resource. Although, I highly recommend reading Start with Joy. Cunningham beautifully shares how to incorporate these book into building the pillars of joy with your students. This book has invigorated me for the upcoming, always changing, school year.
Chapter 1: Why Happiness? Why Now?
Say Zoop! by Herve Tullet
The Book With No Pictures by B. J. Novak
Chapter 2: Connection
Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
The Three Questions by Jon Muth
My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Charlie and Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
We're All Wonders by R. J. Palacio
One by Katherine Otoshi
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
Marwan's Journey by Patricia de Arias
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
Tiny, Perfect Things by M. H. Clark
The Word Collector by Peter Reynolds
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
Ocean Meets Sky by Terry and Eric Fan
They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel
Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas
Little Red Writing by Joan Holub
The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch
Why Am I Me? by Paige Britt
Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani
Most People by Michael Leannah
Lovely by Jess Hong
No One Else Like You by Siska Goeminne
The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
Skin Again by Bell Hooks
Shades of People by Sheila M. Kelly
Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester
The Raft by Jim Lamarche
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Chapter 3: Choice
The Word Collector by Peter Reynolds
Great excerpt on Classroom Library Curation! Ideas for organizing include: Guaranteed Good Reads, Transportation Station, Amazing Animals, Inspiring Innovators, Heroes and Villains, Laugh Out Loud, Jump out of Your Seat, Be Surprised Here, Big Hearted, Hmm,...Just Who Will It Be? Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?, and Favorite Friends.
Chapter 4: Challenge
After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat
Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon by Torben Kuhlmann
The Mermaid and the Shoe by K. G. Campbell
Frank and Lucky Get Schooled by Lynn Rae Perkins
It's Okay to Make Mistakes by Todd Parr
Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina
Chapter 5: Play
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
The Book With No Pictures by B. J. Novak
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
Locomotive by Brian Floca
This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Chapter 6: Story
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Wings by Christopher Myers
Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pickney
Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle
Red Sled by Lita Judge
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
The Red Book by Barbara Lehman
Mirror by Jeannie Baker
Journey by Aaron Becker
Flotsam by David Weisner
Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole
Who Was Susan B. Anthony? by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by michelle Markel
Ira's Shakespeare Dream by Glenda Armand
Steamboat School: Inspired by a True Story by Deborah Hopkinton
Rain School by James Mumford
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan Goodman
Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words by Karen Leggett Abouraya
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama
Chapter 7: Discovery
Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems
The Day the Crayon Quit by Drew Daywalt
Triangle by Mar Barnett and Jon Klassen
Square by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
This Is Not My Hat by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
I Want My Hat Back by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
We Found a Hat by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Henry and Mudge: The First Book by Cynthia Rylant
Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant
Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems
Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
The Red Book by Barbara Lehman
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Earth by Simon Seymour
The Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater
Why Am I Me? by Paige Britt
What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
What Do You Do with a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
What Do You Do with a Chance? by Kobi Yamada
Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
This Is Not a Book by Jean Jullien
Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson
Tiny, Perfect Things by M. H. Clark
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
Ideas Are All Around by Philip Stead
Chapter 8: Movement
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Chapter 9: Becoming a Designer
Say Something by Peter Reynolds
Cunningham closes out her book with a list of Invitations. These are things for you to try in your classroom. With the uncertainty of the 2020-2021 school year, I believe that most of my in-class lessons will come from here. Students, teachers, parents, we're all scared, so let's find some hope and Start With Joy!
Bibliography
Katie Egan Cunningham. Start with Joy : Designing Literacy Learning for Student Happiness. Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Stenhouse Publishers, 2019.