Being open-minded is one of the IB Learner Profile characteristics that we should be encouraging in students. Here are some of my favorite books for encouraging this important skill.
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In my classroom, I organize my classroom library by IB learner profile characteristic. You can read all about how I organize it here. This makes it easier for me to find books to focus on different learner profile attributes. It also helps students keep the learner profile in mind. Here are 5 excellent books for the IB learner profile trait of being Communicator.
Favorite books for teaching students to be Communicator
Hello My Name is Octicorn is a cute and sweet book about an octicorn named octi. He is part octopus, part unicorn and 100 lonely. He has a hard time fitting in because he’s to unicorn-y for the octopi and too much of an octopus for the unicorns. It’s a great book to talk about accepting and understanding how we’re all unique and different.
Nerdy Birdy is about a, well, nerdy bird who doesn’t fit in with the cool birdies. He eventually finds acceptance with the other nerdy birdies. However, the story isn’t over. Another “weird birdy” shows up and is rejected by the nerdy birdies. Our main character has to make a choice. Will he choose to be a friend to the new, lonely bird or stick with the flock?
What Does a Princess Really Look Like? is a fantastic book about gender stereotypes for girls. What does a princess really look like? The answer is, there’s no one way!
Duck! Rabbit! is a classic book about having an open-mind and attempting to understand someone else’s point of view. This silly book with very little text always starts fantastic conversations and induces many giggles.
Thunder Boy is a look at another culture for my students and is one of the many books in my basket of books on open-mindedness. This beautiful book about living up to family expectations and wanting to be your own person has universal themes that all people can connect with.
What Happened to You is an excellent book about a topic that can be hard to discuss with children. How do we handle it when we see someone with a physical difference from what we are used to? My favorite part of this book is that the question is never answered because we learn, in the end, it doesn’t matter.
Spork is not a fork and not a spoon, but something in between. He never seems to fit in, and isn’t ever choose as a utensil. That’s until one day a messy thing comes to the kitchen and spork realizes just how special he is.
