Read-Aloud Favorites
Read-Aloud Favorites are an essential component of TextProject’s mission of providing appropriate texts 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.
To read more about the importance of reading aloud in a classroom, please read this blog entry in Frankly Freddy.
This Moose Belongs to Me
This Moose Belongs to Me is a silly book about “owning” an animal. One day Wilfred comes upon a moose and decides that the moose is his to “own.” The only thing is that the moose does not care much about being “owned.”
Do people own animals? Or is it more of a case that the animal happens to like where it is?
Look Up!: Henrietta Leavitt, Pioneering Woman Astronomer
The skies are full of wonders, thought Henrietta Leavitt as she looked up into the heavens. She wanted to know everything about the stars. However, in the late 1800s, astronomers were men, not women.
Still, she persisted in her studies, and got a job in an observatory. But again, men looked through the telescopes. Women measured and calculated the men’s findings.
One day, Henrietta discovered that some stars blinked, and that there was a pattern in their blinking. Eventually, she concluded that the blinking showed how bright stars are. That observation helped her figure out how far away the stars are. Her discovery also helped other astronomers discover galaxies outside the Milky Way.
This biography shows the scientific process in action and the value of persistence in overcoming obstacles. It would be appropriate for a unit on earth science, physical science, and on the scientific method. It would also be appropriate for a unit on biography and women’s studies.
In addition, the book might appeal to students who are reading at a lower grade level, in that it gives them access to science content, but is not written exclusively for young readers. Additional resources can also be used to extend its content.
Azzi in Between
Azzi in Between is a modern-day immigration story. We learned in school of the waves of immigration that occured in early 1900s as a result of famine and lack of work in Europe. Nowadays, we are finding that in addition to those seeking employment, there are also families leaving their home countries to find refuge from war.
This is a graphic novel that shows the reader the fear while fleeing from harm, the stuggle to integrate into a new country, and sometimes the guilt for those left behind.
Stardines
Nope, the title of the book is not Sardines. It’s Stardines. What’s a stardine? It’s a fish that swims in the sky.
STARDINES swim high across the sky,
And brightly shine as they glide by.
In giant schools, theor brilliant lights
Illuminate the darkest nights.
When other creatures are in bed,
STARDINES still twinkle overhead.
In silence, these nocturnal fish
Are set to grat the slightest wish.
This fantastic book of poetry is a clever play on words and ideas. What a fun lesson it would be for students to make up their own words and describe in a poem.
You Are the First Kid on Mars
What would it be like to visit Mars? How would you get there and how long would it take to get there? Where would you sleep? Take a look at You Are the First Kid on Mars by Patrick O’Brien to find out.
What Color Is My World?
Modern technology is built upon the knowledge and discoveries of innovators of the past. From headphones to breadmakers, these machines were created by people of all races and genders. Take a look at What Color is My World? to learn more about African-American innovators. This book packs in lots of interesting information, so much so that we recommend reading the story part of the book first, then going back and reading the highlighted biographies.
The Little Ships
Remembered as one of the most important and valiant efforts to save human life, the series of events at Dunkirk, France that occurred from May 26 to June 4, 1940 provide a fantastic example of how ordinary people can help move mountains. The main characters in this book are fictional, but the boat, Lucy, is not. Because of the subject matter, this book would not be appropriate in primary grade levels. It would perhaps be better for a group of older students whose reading ability may not be as strong as their classmates.
The Greatest Skating Race
This is a fantastic story of the courage and physical endurance of a boy determined to get his friends to safety. During the coldest of winters, the canals of the Netherlands and Belgium freeze and form a highway of sorts. People of all ages take to the frozen canals and skate from place to place. Only during the coldest of winters, when the canals of 11 cities freeze, do the Dutch hold the Elfstedentocht, the Eleven-Town Race. It is on these frozen canals that Piet Janssen has to travel to get his friends to Belgium, where they will be safe from German Soldiers.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Drought and famine took away William Kamkwanba’s chance to continue his education. But he did not let hardship keep him from learning. What his family needed was a way to pump water from underground. This would allow his family to grow food to eat and to sell at the markets. He found his solution in a picture of a library book.
The A+ Custodian
This is a lovely book about showing appreciation to those who work tirelessly to help schools run efficiently. A pair of twins arrive early every school day because their mom is a teacher. They see their school’s custodian getting the school ready for the day. They help with his morning tasks but soon they realize that there is something missing. Students get notes of job well done, so where are all the notes for Mr. Carillo, their custodian?