Freddy’s Favorites compile TextProject’s recommendations for read-aloud books for struggling and beginning readers. The Common Core State Standards bring increased focus to what it is that students are learning in schools and what they need to know. Through read-alouds, students can be introduced to topics and genres that they might otherwise not be able to read independently. Our list of Read-Aloud Favorites can be searched by grade level, genre, format and subject.
To read more about the importance of reading aloud in a classroom, please read this blog entry in Frankly Freddy.
Elijah’s Angel
This book is based on the real-life friendship of the author, Michael Rosen, and Elijah Pierce. The story takes place when Rosen was nine years old, and Elijah was “more than eighty years old.” Elijah was the local barber who also carved works of art. As a young child, Rosen would visit Elijah on his way home from Hebrew school to watch Elijah create his works of art. But as Elijah was a Christian and Rosen a Jew, there was very little Michael could do but to admire Elijah’s art. Until one year when the first day of Chanukah and Christmas fell on the same day. Elijah gave Rosen a carving of an angel. At first Rosen was stunned because he had admired the angels Elijah was carving, and was astounded with the magnitude of the gift. But Rosen was also afraid he was committing an offense against his Jewish religion because he now owned a “graven image.”
This is a fabulous story about how friendship can transcend age, race, and religion.
All You Need For A Snowman
What do you do with a pile of freshly fallen snow? Make a snowman of course! All You Need for a Snowman is a sweet book about a group of children working together to make a big snowman. The lyrical format of the text is simple and lovely.
You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur With a Dime
A little boy buys a toy dinosaur with his money. When he does, he wishes he had more money to buy another dinosaur. After he earns some money for cleaning the yard, and his mother gives him his allowance, the little boy goes back to the toy store to buy the second toy dinosaur.
This is a brief story that takes the reader through the steps of counting out coined money (dollar bills are not mentioned). This is a great book for young students to work on their understanding of coined money and what it means to buy something with money. There are two sections in the back to for the older students. One is on activities, and the other is on money trivia.
Lawn Boy
What started out as a one-person lawn-mowing business grew into 15-person business with a stock portfolio and a sponsorship in a local wrestler. Along the way the “lawn boy” (not named in the story) learns about business and making money.
This is a clever book that takes the reader through the basics of business and the stock market. The chapter headings are also clever and highlight some of the issues that come up when starting or running a business. For example, the chapter heading “Labor Acquisition and Its Effect on Capital Growth” is about how lawn boy hired more workers to meet the demand of his lawn mowing service, which resulted in increased profit. It was ingenious to use the text within the chapter to help the reader understand the formal economics terms. This would be a great book to read aloud to students while learning about economics and business.
Beyond The Lemonade Stand
Beyond the Lemonade Stand is an interesting book about how Bill Rancic used small opportunities to make money when he was young. The book is divided into five parts. In the first part of the book, Rancic focuses on his life experiences and he adds vignettes from 9-12-year-old students (Rancic interviewed students at a Chicago suburb elementary school). For example, Rancic made use of opportunities such as a heavy snowfall to make some money. Rancic also learned the importance of being prepared at a job and to complete tasks today instead of tomorrow when he forgot to bring bags to hold the leaves he was raking. Instead of returning right away to complete his task, Rancic returned the next day to find that the leaves had scattered and Rancic had to re-rake the leaves.
The second part is the gem of the book. The stories are great, but the second part is new and different. Here, Rancic goes through 20 kid-friendly business plans. The format of these plans is a great tool for students to organize their business ideas, to make sure they know what is involved in starting their business, and to make it successful. Oftentimes it’s not a bad idea that ruins a business, but a poorly organized business plan.
Noah Webster
To say Noah Webster was an overachiever is an understatement. In addition to English, Noah Webster knew 25 languages, many of which he taught himself. He was the author of numerous books, as well as newspaper and magazine articles. Noah Webster wrote on a wide range of topics ranging from the abolition of slavery to stopping the spread of yellow fever. Of course what Noah Webster is most well known for is writing the first American English dictionary.
It took Noah Webster many years and visits to libraries in both France and England. When he was done, An American Dictionary of the English Language was hailed the around the world and was adopted as the official dictionary for the English language in the United States, England, France, and Germany.
Because Webster had so many accomplishments, this book does feel like a whirlwind. But the author, Shea, does a good job at showcasing the ideas and passions that make up the man Noah Webster. An added bonus is that some of the people and situations Noah Webster interacts with give the reader a good background into Colonial America, the American Revolution, and the forming of the new government.
My Papa Diego and Me / Mi papa Diego y yo
Many books have been written about Diego Rivera and his art. This one is different in that this is a remembrance of Diego Rivera from the life he shared with his daughter, Guadalupe Rivera Marín. The artworks are all Diego Rivera’s and the text is written in both English and Spanish. For those interested in Diego Rivera’s life and art, this book would be a fabulous read.
Denied, Detained, Deported
History books often show us the timeline of groups of immigrants arriving in the United States. These groups of immigrants came from all over the world for a variety of reasons. The overall picture is that of a nation with open arms welcoming anyone who wanted to immigrate to the United States. For some immigrants, this picture is an accurate one. For many others, the picture is like a palm tree in a desert, a mirage.
Denied, Detained, Deported is a great book to start conversations or debates on immigration. There are a few biographies to highlight different immigration scenarios. These personal biographies are the real gems of the book. However, statistics and histories of the subjects give a broader picture of the situation.