Yup. That heading is correct … I only read 4 books to my kids last week. This is because we got snow; I repeat…SNOW! Friday was a day of chaos, excitement, and panic trying to figure out how everyone was going home since school let out early because of the snowstorm. I guess that’s a pretty good reason to miss a day. I ended up with a total of 8 inches of snow, which is a rare occurrence in Georgia. It sure did make this Maine girl super happy!

The four books that I read aloud this week came from my school’s Media Center. My kids were so excited to learn that they were the first class in the building to read these stories because I stole…I mean borrowed them from the new release cart. Maybe one of them will strike a chord with you and you’ll be able to share with your students or children.

We’re All Wonders by R. J. Palacio

Two years ago I read Wonder and fell in love with the sweet story. I tried to read it aloud to my third graders because I thought every child needed to hear that story. And I still stick to that. But it totally flopped with my students and we never finished it. That’s ok…they got to hear it in fifth grade and many of them read it independently. It was a difficult book to read aloud and keep the attention of third graders.

Lucky for me, there’s this great picture book that my third graders loved. It’s a simpler version of the novel but the message is just as strong. My students are all familiar with Wonder the novel and many have already seen the movie. The #choosekind movement is nothing new to them, but it’s always a good reminder. This read aloud did just that…remind us that everyone matters.

This Plus That: Life’s Little Equations by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I was thrilled to introduce my students to Amy Krouse Rosenthal through this book. We love reading books that play around with text and show us how there are no boundaries or limits to what one can do with words when it comes to story telling. This book inspired my students to start a page in their own writer’s notebook where they began to jot down their own life equations.

Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima

This is the cutest book! Even my toughest boys couldn’t help but “Awe!!!!” over little Kelp the unicorn who was born in the sea and lived with narwhals. The illustration of Kelp in his swimmies is so cute! One day Kelp notices a creature that looks like him and discovers “land narwhals”. Ok, not really, Kelp…they’re unicorns and so are you. He has to make a decision to either stay with the sea unicorns or live with the land narwhals. My students loved what he came up with in the end.

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett

Beatrice is a little girl who NEVER makes mistakes…ever! Life is perfect for her until one day when she makes her first mistake. At first she doesn’t know how to handle it. Then she finds her way and realizes that life is more fun when it’s messy. My students loved this book and the reminder that if we’re not failing and making mistakes, then we’re not really learning and living.

Happy reading!

My blog has been quiet lately, as there never seems to be enough hours in the day for it. However, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching about my reading instruction and how to make it better and more efficient. I’ve immersed myself in the works of Donalyn Miller, Jen Serravallo, Mary Howard, Kylene Beers, Jan Richardson, and Lester Laminack. Their books, and daily social media posts, inspire me to be better. There comes a time in every educator’s career when they have to decide on which side of the line they stand when it comes to instruction. I’m at that point with mine. Stay tuned to hear about some of my changes.

In the meantime, one thing that I will not give up is reading to my students on a daily basis. I will fight for this opportunity.

So, here goes … 5 books I read to my students this week. Maybe you’ll find something that will work in your classroom.

A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert

This one has been around for a while, but it lends itself so well to our social studies standards about productive resources. It’s a sweet story about a little girl who needs a new coat. She and her mother barter various items over the course of a year to get the new coat made. It gives a lot of perspective for just how much work and resources are needed to make an item. Anna has such appreciation & joy for her new coat when it’s finally finished.

Encounter by Jane Yolen

My colleagues introduced me to this title for our standards about European explorers. This is a wonderful book about Christopher Columbus’s landing in San Salvador from a Taino boy’s perspective. He tries to warn his people about the newcomers who only appear to be interested in what they can take from his people. My class had a great discussion about perspective and inference after reading this text.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena

This is a book that I borrowed from my child’s personal library to share with my students. It’s about a little boy, CJ, who travels on the city bus with his grandma to the soup kitchen where they volunteer their time. CJ questions his grandma frequently about the things they don’t have. She gives him perspective and gently helps him to see and appreciate the simple beauties around them.

Perimeter, Area, and Volume: A Monster Book of Dimensions by David A. Adler

Who says a read aloud can’t be done during math? The author uses the premise of a 3-D monster movie to help teach measurement concepts for perimeter, area, and volume. The pictures are silly and this book is a lot of fun!

My Weird School Fast Facts: Explorers, Presidents, and Toilets by Dan Gutman

My students LOVE the My Weird School series! Finding this non-fiction text with familiar characters and humor was like striking gold for my kiddos. We only read the first chapter that related to Christopher Columbus & the Native Americans, and then I made it available in my classroom library. This book is a fun and goofy way to learn about parts of American history.

So, this amazing thing is happening with these read alouds that I’ve promised myself (and my students) that I’m doing every single day. When finished, I place them in the front of my room … and my kids are reading them … a lot! We are 8 books into my new venture and I’m thrilled at the number of amazing words my students have heard, great mentor text they’ve seen, and the connections they are making already. They love this part of our day!

So … here are the five books I read aloud to my students this week:

#1 The Dark by Lemony Snicket

Sure, my kids have all heard of The Series of Unfortunate Events and many have already watched the series on Netflix. I told them I’m holding off on that until I read all of the books. But they didn’t know that there are several more Lemony Snicket books available in our very own Media Center!

After reading about the Creepy Underwear last week and unsettled Jasper when it comes to the dark, my kids were expecting something a little more ominous than what they found in this book. In this book, Laszlo isn’t really a fan of the dark, but he learns that the dark isn’t all that bad and scary. The most interesting thing that my kids took away from this book was how the dark was an actual character who interacted with the little boy, Laszlo. They didn’t realize that something so abstract as dark could be used in that role.

#2 13 Words by Lemony Snicket

This is another unusual book that gives kids exposure to a different type of text format. This book’s story is structured around 13 unique words. The story builds bit-by-bit and creates a world where these unique words/ideas all fit together in a way that just works. It’s silly. It’s odd. And it’s fun.

After reading this, I wrote 13 strange words on the board and some of my extremely motivated writers are working on their own version of 13 Words to see if they can build a cohesive world like in the original book.

#3 Batman’s Dark Secret by Kelley Puckett

Ok, who doesn’t like some superhero adventures once in a while?

This book starts with the child, Bruce Wayne, and briefly describes how he gained his courage & motivation to fight evil in the world. As a kid, he was faced with a monster in a dark cave and had a choice to make. He found the power to say, “No!” and to stand strong, which inspired him to do more to help others. It’s short, beautifully illustrated, and reminds children that even though they are young, they can still be brave.

#4 Trouper by Meg Kearney

Watching all of the posts from the animal shelters that have worked tirelessly to help the displaced animals from the hurricanes made me think of this story. Trouper is a homeless dog that gets picked up by animal control and brought to the shelter. He watches the other dogs get adopted one-by-one, but he remains. That is until a young boy sees something special in him and brings him home. He learns what it means to be a part of a family, to have food, and a soft bed. And even though he only leaves three footprints in the snow, he’s still worthy of love.

#5 Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein.

No, I didn’t read this whole book to my class this week. Instead, I totally hooked them because once we return from break, we’re starting this as yet another read aloud. This is partly because I love this book and it’s so much fun, but also in preparation for a Skype chat we’ll get to do with the author later in the year (cross your fingers & toes for us).

So, to get the kids really excited, we read the first chapter in class and I left them on a cliffhanger before a week long break. Bwahahaha!