Great Read-Aloud Books

Not all pictures books work well for a read-aloud in a group. These books have the golden trifecta of great pictures that can be enjoyed from a distance, great language that is rollicking and rolls right off the tongue and finally a great story that is full of fun and surprises.

All the books I've listed here have been fully tested and approved by audiences of attentive children (if the children aren't attentive the books don't make the list!).



K-2nd Grade
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Lousy, Rotten Stinkin' Grapes by Margie Palatini
The Three Silly Billies

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Pigs to the Rescue

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

The Runaway Dinner by Alan Ahlberg
The Pencil

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane Auch

Axle Annie by Robin Pulver
Axle Annie and the Speed Grump

"Scared to try new things" books

Put together by MSLA members.

Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears Emily Gravett
Not Afraid of Dogs Susanna Pitzer
Pouch David Ezra Stein
Ruby the Copycat Peggy Ratham
Stephanie’s Ponytail Munsch
The Monster Who ate my Peas” Schnitzlein
Green Eggs and Ham Dr. Seuss
But Excuse Me That Is My Book Lauren Child
I am Too Absolutely Small for School Lauren Child
Never will I ever Eat a Tomato Lauren Child
The Yellow Leaf Carin Berger
This is more like “friends can help you try new things.”

Scaredy Squirrel series by Melanie Watt

September in the School Library

Books I've used these last few weeks include:

About Libraries
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Library Lion
Library Lil
What Happened to Marion's Book
Our Librarian Won't Tell us anything
DW's Library Card
But Excuse Me That is My Book
The Librarian from the Black Lagoon


For picking out "Just Right Books"
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Yummy, Yucky
The Princess and the Pizza

Books for the Smartest Teens You Know

The Law of Dreams, by Peter Behrens
Gilgamesh, by Joan London
Rumors of Peace, by Ella Leffland

and the NPR story that made the list:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105396810

3rd/4th Grade Book Club Books

This is an alphabetical list by title of librarian recommended books for a 3rd/4th grade book club. If the title is followed by a date in parenthesis then this book was selected and read in the book club that I participated in.

B is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood
Bandit Moon(hist. fict.) by Fleischman
Be A Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes (11/08)
Because of Winn-Dixie by DiCamillo (10/11)
Betsy-Tasy by Maud Hart Lovelace
The Beloved Dearly by Mary Jo Putney (11/10)
Castle in the Attic by Winthrop
The Cricket in Times Square by
The Enormous Egg by Butterworth (6/11)
Fat Men From Space by Daniel Pinkwater (6/09)
Flight of the Phoenix (Beastologist Book One) by Nathaniel Fludd
The Gadget War by Duffey (4/11)
The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle (10/10)
The Grand Escape by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (9/11)
Half-Magic by Edward Eager
Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library by Jo-Beth Clifford (10/08)
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater (9/08)
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord
The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes (9/10)
Jack Plank Tells All by Natalie Babbitt (3/12)
Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville (12/08)
Keeper of the Doves by Byer
Knights of the Kitchen Table by Scieszka
Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
Lumber Camp Library by Wardnock
The Magic Half by Annie Barrows
The Many Troubles of Andy Russell by D. Adler
Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
The Penderwicks by
Pippi Longstalking by Astrid Lindgren (3/11)
Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park (5/11)
The Prince of the Pond by Donna Jo Napoli
Secret Science Alliance (graphic novel)
Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris
Sing a Song of Tuna fish by Esme Raji Codell (1/09)
The Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis by O'Conner
Snow Treasure by McSwigan (12/10)
Strawberry Hill by Hoberman (1/11)
There is a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sacher
The Time Warp Trio: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Scieszka
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm (2/12)
Whales on Stilts by M. T. Anderson
Wizards at Work by VanVelde
Yang the Youngest and Terrible Ear by Namioka
Year of the Dog by Grace Lin (1/12)
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill

5th/6th Grade Book Club Books

This is an alphabetical list by title of librarian recommended books for a 5th/6th grade book club. If the title is followed by a date in parenthesis that book was actually selected and read for the book club that I participated in.


11 birthdays by Wendy Mass
12 Again by Sue Corbett
100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson
A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
A Pocket Full of Seeds by Marilyn Sachs (12/10)
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
The Angel Factory by Terence Blacker
Best Foot Forward by Joan Bauer
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix (11/09)
The Edge of the Sword by Rebecca Tingle
Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Gilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free by Kathleen Karr (3/10)
Hatching Magic by Downer
Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr (5/11)
Holding at Third by Zinnen
The House of Windjammer by Richardson
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle (12/09)
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Last Shot (A Final Four Mystery) by John Feinstein (9/09)
Leon's Story by Leon Walter Tillage
A Mango Shaped Space by W. Mass
The Misfits by James Howe (Realistic Fiction)(9/10)
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman (10/09)
Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Rielly Giff (historical fiction about the Irish Potato famine
Out of the Dust by (free verse - historical fiction)
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (11/12)
The Ruins of Gorlan (Rangers Apprentice Book One) by John Flanagan (3/12)
Rules by Cynthia Lord (Realistic Fiction)(9/10)
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer (2/10)
The Safe Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn
The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson
The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt
The Singer of All Songs by Constable (fantasy)
Space Station Seventh Grade by Jerry Spinelli (1/11)
Surviving the Applewhites by Tolan (2/11)
Sword of the Rightful by Jane Yolen
Tadpole by Ruth White (1/10)
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Truesight by David Stahler (sci-fi)
The Wall and the Wing by Laura Ruby
Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt(Historical Fiction... 1967!) (11/10)
Welcome to the Ark by Tolan
Where the Ground Meets the Sky by Jacqueline Davies (4/11)
The White Mountains by John Christopher

Picture Books about/for Dad's

Because Your Daddy Loves You by Andrew Clements
You Can Do Anything Daddy! by Michael Rex