Using Picture Books to Teach 8 Essential Literary Elements

Three master educators and literature experts just made planning reading instruction much easier?and learning literary elements more engaging. This resource compiles more than 100 annotations of new and classic picture books that model the use of key literary elements and appeal to grades 4-8 students. Organized by eight key literary elements?setting, point of view, plot, characterization, theme, foreshadowing, flashback, and figurative language?each section includes an introduction to the literary element, an annotated list of books describing why they work well for the selected literary element, and two literary-element-focused lessons on specific books. For use with Grades 4-8.

Susan Van Zile, an eighth-grade language arts teacher in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, has taught for more than 25 years. In 1998 she was chosen as the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. Recently she received the Pennsylvania State University’s Outstanding Graduate Student in Teaching and Curriculum Award. Susan is also a member of the Pennsylvania State University's Education Advisory Council and the Capital Area Writing Project Leadership Council.

Mary Napoli is a former classroom teacher who is now teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in children’s and young adult literature at Penn State Harrisburg. Mary lives in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.