I read this book and made pie with students at the end of one school year. The following year, a student in our program asked what we were going to do on the last day of the program. This was in November, the program ended the following June. I hadn't planned that far and wondered why he was planning for the end. He asked if we could read and make Enemy Pie again! It's a cute book about getting to know your enemies.
I read this book to a group of third graders and got the best reaction ever from one of the kids. I read the last page and closed the book, but before I could say anything more a boy just blurted out, "Seriously? What kind of book is that?!" It was so great. We had a discussion about how the ending is somewhat open to interpretation. I love reading this book and hearing the different ways kids interpret the story.
Mo Willems is a genius. Seriously. If you have never read an Elephant and Piggie book, drop what you are doing and go to the library to get one. Right now. I guarantee you will smile when you read one. These books are in the easy reader section of the library and are GREAT for kids who are learning to read or struggling with reading. The text is simple and clear. The characters have big personalities. The pictures are simple but expressive and the stories are always entertaining. Let's Go for a Drive is fun because there's a sing-songy part that kids catch on to and can recite with you as you read.
I love this alphabet book. Moose interrupts the story, barging in on almost every letter where he doesn't belong. He finally gets his turn at M BUT it's given to another animal! This really makes him angry and he messes up the rest of the story. Kids will get a kick out of Moose's antics.
The Day the Crayons Quit
How do crayons really feel? This book tells you. Orange and yellow BOTH think they are the color of the sun. Blue is tired. Pink isn't just for girls. Each page is a letter to Duncan from one of his crayons. This is a great book for when you might be working on writing letters or teaching persuasion.
To appreciate this book, you must read it to a child or a group of children. You have to follow the author's directions to press circles, clap, blow on the book, etc. It's silly to do on your own. Several months ago I read it with a group of kindergartners who loved it. They made me love it. When you see how much kids enjoy this book you will love it too.
Chalk
I love sharing wordless books with kids and having them help tell the story. The illustrations in this book are bright and story is creative. You will enjoy listening to kids enjoy bring this story to life.
Nic Bishop is a photographer who has written several non-fiction books about animals (butterflies, marsupials, spiders to name a few). The photographs in this snake book really grab kids' attention. There are several levels of text (picture captions, bolded words, longer paragraphs) making it easy to adapt a read aloud to the attention and interest of your listeners. I sometimes read only the picture captions to kids to give them a taste of the book so they can pick it up on their own to investigate further.
The Mischievians
This book introduces readers to the creatures that cause problems-the missing socks, the stinky bathroom, the missing homework, and more. When I first read this book, I literally laughed out loud. I felt the need to share the book with someone immediately but was home alone. I called my dad and read him a section over the phone and he actually laughed a real, genuine laugh. I've shared this book with kids as old as 5th grade with success. It easily lends itself to writing projects with kids creating their own "Mischievian".
Can You Make a Scary Face? and The Doghouse
I know, technically this means this is a Top 11 list now. These two books by Jan Thomas are great. The first is perfect to read when kids have been sitting a while and you need to infuse some movement. The second has repeating text which allows kids to participate in the reading.Happy Reading!
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