There’s something magical about storytime, isn’t there? I loved reading aloud to my students and witnessing their responses to literature. Even my most reserved students opened up during a great story! I’ll never forget the day a colleague stepped into my room during a bout of hysterical laughter. With her hands placed firmly on her hips, she declared, “What in the world are you reading now?” 🙂
So what is your favorite story to read aloud? It’s hard to choose just one, isn’t it? Well, I say buckle down and make your selection. Here’s why! Each person who posts a favorite read-aloud story before the end of Monday, August 9, will be entered in a drawing for a free book from The Mailbox Books. One lucky person wins a free book of her choice, and everyone collects a super read-aloud list for back-to-school. How’s that for a back-to-school bargain?
Happily,
Diane
| Here are our editors’ read-aloud picks!
Picture books: Chapter books: |
Congratulations to Joan, our contest winner!
First Day Jitters is my favorite book for the first day of school! Kids just crack up at the end of the book! They love going back through the book to find all the clues that they missed!
I also love all of the Click, Clack, Moo series of books.
Another great read is Dear Mrs. LaRue. The dog is hilarious!
Thanks for starting this great thread! I love hearing about other peoples’ favorites.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli
I love to read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to my class! I always change my voice when reading the Fudge character. The kids LOVE this! The room is always full of laughter. I plan to read the entire Fudge series this year.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!!! Love that book and the kids know soo much of it!
I love using the Kissing hand in the beginning of the year to help children deal with separation anxiety from home to school. The preschoolers enjoy the sticker they receive after the story.
Beverly Cleary,, Ramona books
I love to read the story of the Three Little Bears to my three year olds. I have read it so many times they like for me to just tell it to them without the book.
Dandelion
Miss Bindergarten books
My most loved book to read is Don’t Laugh at Me. I read it then we sing it. After that we usually have to sing it again. after that I usually hear kids humming or singing it on their own. then I will have frequent request to play it again and again. ( cd comes with book)
I don’t know if I can pick just one book…how about one author…Shel Silverstein. I always have his poetry books out for a quick stress reliever or a “get the group back together” time.
My favorite read aloud is Mr. Popper’s Penguins after Christmas. I always like to do a unit on polar animals and this fits right in with my science unit. The kids love to listen to chapter books and this has always been one of their favorites.
Two titles come to mind instantly, Quick As A Cricket, by Audrey Wood and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
Mine is the Best/Worst Christmas Pageant Ever….it is a great read aloud for the end of November/December as it is funny but has a wonderful message. The class loves all the antics of the Herdman kids. I just recently found the Best/Worst Halloween Ever and am excited to read it!!
I love the story Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you see? The pattern becomes so predictable that the students use the story to read to the rest of the kindergarten class. There are also so many things that can be done with the story including having the class make up their own story.
In first grade, I love to read Junie B. Jones.
I read All About Sam last year and the students loved it. I have also read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Flat Stanley, The Boxcar Children, and The Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Bulla. I love them all.
I teach kindergarten, and one of the best read-alouds is “Little Rabbit Foo Foo” by Michael Rosen. Now, this read-aloud only works if you sing the song that goes along with it! 🙂
If you’re not a singer, then my second favorite read-aloud is “Mrs. Wishy Washy” by Joy Cowley. For both books, students get really involved and read along with me! 🙂 How fun!
Anything by Sandra Boynton for PK3-K6 students and anything by Shel Silverstein for Grades 1+ (“Band-Aids” has been an absolute favorite of mine since I first read it as a child in Grade 2!)
I love the book Cookie’s Week. The kids always just roar.
My favorite book to read to my preschoolers is Llama, Llama Mad at Mama and the other books in the series – Llama, Llama Red Pajama’s and Llama, Llama Misses Mama. I am with you though – I love storytime and anything I read is fun with my kiddos!
Any of the THE WAS AN OLD LADY….. books.
Thank you for this great thread! I recently switched from 3rd to 2nd and have a need of ideas for lower level books to read to my class.
In 3rd my absolute favorite was Wayside School is Falling Down.
Now at 2nd, I love reading Dooby Dooby Moo and singing it like Frank Sinatra as well as Junie B. Jones: There’s a Monster Under My Bed.
I can’t wait to get some more stories to add to my list.
My absolute favorite book to read to my class is Go Away, Big Green Monster! I usually read that one around Halloween time. I found a puppet/hand mitt green monster with all the face pieces; the children love it! Another favorite is What Color Is Your Underwear? Underwear is a word that automatically brings giggles, and the story ends hilariously.
Now that I’m thinking about it, I probably have a favorite read aloud book for every theme I teach
I like reading Mouse Paint. Then we make a tear-art mouse and decorate our background with mixed colors.
Dr Seuss is my favourite writer. The children just love the silly stories and rhimes
Any version of Over in the Meadow.
The Crayon Box That Talked
One of my all time favorites is “Hooway for Wodney Wat”. You just have to love the way he finds his voice!
I love to read The Dirty Dog because I love dogs especially Wiener Dogs. The dog in this book is long like a Wiener Dog but has different ears and is white with black dots. This is a really old story but the kids sit mesmerized. My Kindergarten class loved to listen to this story.
I like reading Are You My Mother? The children always get a kick out of the SNORT.
One of my favorites is Caps for Sale. This is also a great story to have students act out with you. Two others are Where the Wild Things Are and I’m Taking a Trip on My Train.
A chapter book I like is Charlotte’s Web.
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge.
I have more than one favorite. They each go with different themes:
The Baby BeeBee Bird
Knuffle Bunny
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Go Away, Big Green Monster
Green Eggs & Ham
The Gingerbread Man (any version)
The Jalapeno Man
The Three Billy Goats Gruff (any version)
Wild Boars Cook
Big Pumpkin
I’m sure there are more; I just can’t think of all of them right now. 🙂
If you give a mouse a cookie-the entire series
My all time favorite to read to the children is Ferdinand. I have read it more than 20 years.
A real keeper!
My favorite is The Bet Christmas Pageant Ever.
Testing Miss Malarkey by Judy Finchler – laugh out loud funny, esp. as you get close to end of year standardized testing
I like to read Chicka Boom Boom. My husband makes a rap to it and the kids love it. You can do so much with this book in you learning centers.
My favorite book is the Kissing Hand. Many children are shy or scared the first week and this book is a beautiful book that lets them know someone is there. I tie in many racoon and hand crafts ending with making special kissing hand cookies to take home on Friday.
I am a pre- K Teacher, and my favorites that the children asked to read over and over again was: The Little Mouse,the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear, and any of Robert Munsch books like Andrew’s Loose Tooth and Love You Forever.
When I taught fourth graders two our favorites were Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse and The Christmas Spurs by Bill Wallace
Books fourth graders enjoy are Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse and The Christmas Spurs by Bill Wallace. Both might need a big box of kleenexes nearby!
One of my favorites to read to preschoolers is called “Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb” I made up hand rhymes to go with the story. It is especially good for little ones who do not like to sit still and the hand motions are a good fine motor work out.
My favorite all time read aloud is Skippy John Jones. I love to use my special voice to add excitement.
Wow, this is a hard question. I love reading in the class as much as the children enjoy listening. My favorite books are Eric Carle. “The Little Red Hen” would be my second best as there are so many things you can do with this book.
I love to read the Best Nest. It is wonderful for appreciating what you have.
as i have a class of 3 to 4 year olds,there are some tears that first week.i like franklin goes to school but this year i will add the kissing hand to my list!
I love A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Cookie’s Week by Tomie DePaola. I love when my preschoolers say “Read it again!”
I always read “A, My Name is Alice” during the first week of school. The book is a wonderful introduction to names. Since I teach kindergarten, many students come to school on the first day and don’t know any of their classmates while others can’t even recognize their own names in writing. I extend the book even further by using multiple name activities throughout the week to provide the students with practice writing, reading and recognizing their own names as well as their classmates. If you haven’t read it or used it in your classroom, I highly recommend it!!
“Miss Nelson is Missing” is one of my favorites.
Sideways Stories of Wayside School by Louis Sachar
The students in all of my classes have been able to identify with a character or two from the book. I usually only do a chapter or two per day and everyone always laughs! Great way to start the year and to build classroom community.
I love books and there are so many great books out there! However, I would have to say that my favorites are Because of Winn Dixie and Koala Lou. Both of these books just tug at the heart strings.
“There’s a Nightmare in my Closet” by Munsch. We draw our rooms, drop paint blotto style and have a Language Experience. “Tell me all about your Monster.”
I’ve always loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.
How about the Teacher From the Black Lagoon series…
Because of the surprise ending, I love to read First Day Jitters. My 1st graders love to look back to see if we can find any clues.
The book I would always read at the beginning of the school year and reread it several other times was “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn. It really helps with first graders or any child new or feeling separation anxiety from loved ones.
As a librarian, I love to read Stella Louella’s Runaway Book and have the children guess what book she was reading. For the older students, Charlotte’s Web is still one of my favorites
I also wanted to add “It’s Mine” by Leo Lionni which helps children learn to share. “Sitting Ducks” by Michael Bedard is another funny one. For older kids 3rd+, “The Stinky Cheese Man” by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith. Another favorite for all kids about cooperation and sharing is “Zinnia and Dot” by Lisa Campbell Ernst. I’m a retired teacher who specialized in integrating themes & literature into the curricula.
I love The Cowboy and the Black-eyed pea – so fun to read out loud!
My favorites are anything by Dr. Suess! And In A Napping House and The Mouse, The Strawberry and The Very Hungry Bear and so many more! I love children’s books.
A great read-aloud chapter book is “The Doll People” by Laura M. Martin…even boys love it! It is well-written & keeps you wondering what will happen next.
The book I read most often to my 3rd graders is called Because of You by B.G. Hennessy. It’s a fairly simple book about the difference one person makes in the world. The kids love it and really begin to understand how each and every one of them is an important person in this world. Check it out!
I conduct storytimes at a public library as a Children’s Librarian. I have many favorites, but two titles that stick out are: I Aint Gonna Paint No More & The Bear Snores On.
My favorites are Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb and Llama, Llama Mad at Mama. I loved the first one since I read it to my boys over 20 years ago.
I like Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Who Stole the Cookie, There was an old Lady who swallowed a Fly, Caps For Sale(the children pretend they are the monkeys and do the actions), Silly Sally, and the BooHoo Baby.