October is National Book Month! As a celebration of books and reading, we are excited to celebrate by sharing our favorite books with you. We are going to start with our favorite read aloud books.
Reading out loud to children is “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading” the National Commission on Reading noted in its report Becoming a Nation of Readers.
Reading out loud need not stop once a child can read on his/her own. Reading out loud builds listening skills, reading expression, comprehension skills and shares story telling magic across generations and classrooms.
Some of my boys favorite memories are the read aloud book we have shared through their pre-teen years. From the Real Life Tales of Daniel Boone to Holes by Louis Sachar, the hours we read together and shared the laughter and stories are special to all of us.
Here is a combination of recommendations from my family, the National Book Foundation, parents and teachers.
Elementary Students
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Bill Martin
My Fathers Dragon, Ruth Gannett
Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silberstein
Stella Luna, Janell Cannon
Stuart Little, Garth Williams
Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans
Middle School Students
An American Plague: Yellow Fever 1793, Jim Murphy
Holes, Louis Sachar
Hush, Jacqueline Woodson
My Brother Sam Is Dead, James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred Taylor
The Tiger Rising, Kate DiCamillo
The Trolls, Polly Horvath
Books for High School Students
A Long Way from Chicago, Richard Peck
The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Storm Catchers, Tim Bowler
King of the Mild Frontier, Chris Crutcher
The Battle of Jericho, Sharon Draper
The Big Burn, Jeanette Ingold
The First Part Last, Angela Johnson
The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
Twists and Turns, Janet McDonald
Acceleration, Graham McNamee
Big Mouth and Ugly Girl, Joyce Carol Oates
Vote for Lary, Janet Tashjian
House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros
