In this episode, Stacey explores how picture books about moving, starting over, and making a new home—including stories of immigrants, refugees, and families in transition—can inspire and elevate students’ writing. Drawing on Rudine Sims Bishop’s work about books as mirrors and windows, she highlights three powerful titles: My Home is in My Backpack, You Are Home, and Just Say Welcome. Each book offers students opportunities to see themselves, build empathy, and practice meaningful writing craft moves. You’ll also learn a simple, actionable routine for using picture books as mentor texts in your classroom right away. Whether your students have lived through significant changes or are learning to welcome others, these stories will help every child find their voice and build a sense of belonging through writing.

Click here to look inside the picture books in “Finding Home and Building Voice: How Picture Books on Moving and Belonging Inspire Young Writers.”

References:

Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts by Stacey Shubitz (Stenhouse Publishers, 2016)

Just Say Welcome by Emily Raij and Nathalia Takeyama (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2025)

Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors by Rudine Sims Bishop (1990)

My Home is in My Backpack by Eugenia Perrella and Angela Salerno (Floris Books, 2025)

You Are Home by Bex Tobin Fine and Andres Landazabal

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