One More for Back to School

I have one more back to school themed post for you all.  I know I said I was finished yesterday but then I found this great resource.

The library where I live has posted 9 books with a back to school theme.  There is a short synopsis of each book and you can click directly on a link to see if the book is available for check out. 

Going to School Books

I have not had a chance to check out too many of the books but look forward to reviewing some of them and hopefully sharing my opinions with you. 

Hope you find one that you enjoy!

Happy Reading!

Laura

The Worrier in Us All

This will be my last post about good back to school read alouds.  I am sure many of you have heard of the book I am going to share about today, Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes.

Kevin Henkes has a variety of book that young children can easily relate to.  They tell stories about problems many young children have and help them how to cope with those problems.  Wemberly is no different.  She is your typical worrier and she worries about EVERYTHING!  Her biggest new worry is the beginning of school.  Any child can see his or herself in Wemberly's worries.  She worries about everything from wondering if the teacher will be mean to not being able to find the bathroom.  Her parents constantly reassure her that everything will be fine.  Luckily for Wemberly is everything is fine, in fact she meets a friend, Jewel, who she has a lot in common with.  Children almost love the repetition found in the text almost as much as the story line.    

If you have a worrier at home check this book out at the local library, they many find comfort in Wemberly's story.  If you are a teacher, this book will connect to someone in your class because there is  a worrier in all of us!    

Enjoy the weekend and Happy Reading!

Laura

Throwback Thursday #2

This week's Throwback Thursday is celebrating a classic and a favorite of many young children.  David Goes to School by David Shannon is an absolute must for children ages 3-5.  If you are a teacher read it to your class.  If you are a parent read it to your preschooler before their first day.  I guarantee you they will love it!

This book is so simple to read aloud but sparks great conversations with all kids.  The pictures are great to discuss as well as all of David's mishaps.  When you pull this book off the shelf to read aloud be sure to get your best teacher voice ready and model how to change your voice depending on the text.  Read this book aloud and I am sure it will be one that the kids grab off the shelf to read on their own.  

After reading, take the time to make your own David Goes to School books, but replace David with your own child's name and see what kind of mischief they can get into on the first day of school. 

Happy Reading!

Laura

Pete the Cat

Still look for some back to school read alouds?  Don't worry!  I have a few more to share with you.

Pete the Cat is a must in any K-1 classroom for read alouds.  Pete is such a cool cat that the kids love to hear about his adventures.  There are many different Pete the Cat books but the best one for starting out the school year is Pete the Cat Rocking in my School Shoes  by Eric Litwin.  

In this adventure Pete the Cat is off to school.  The rhythm and rhyme starts out immediately, "Here comes Pete, strolling down the street."  Rhythm and rhyme is the first reason it is a great read aloud.  Reason 2 you must read this book aloud to your class is that it is interactive.  Each page is a new clue to  where Pete is going.  Each answer is a place in the school building.  Children love using the clues to infer where Pete is off to next and shouting out the answer.  The third and final reason you MUST read aloud Pete the Cat is because he has so much fun, "singing in his school shoes, painting in his school shoes, adding in his school shoes and writing in his school shoes."

Introduce your class to Pete the Cat at the beginning and have fun using Eric Litwin's other Pete the Cat books throughout the year!

Which Pete the Cat book is your favorite?

Happy Reading!

Laura

PS Here is a fun song about Pete the Cat rocking his school shoes.  Be sure to check it out!

Throwback Thursday

On Thursdays I will take the time to explore books that I loved from my childhood or other classic read alouds, hence Throwback Thursdays!  Sticking with the back to school theme for this week I wanted to share with you all The Sideways Stories of Wayside School by Louis Sachar.  

This book is ridiculously silly.  It tells the story of a school that was built 30 rooms tall instead of 30 rooms across.  Each chapter is the story of a different person in the classroom on the 30th floor.  Children will enjoy hearing stories of the horribly mean Mrs. Gorf, Louis the recess monitor and all of the different and quirky students in the class.  Intermediate aged students will enjoy the humor in this book more than primary aged students.  It is perfect for a quick end the day read aloud because chapters are relatively short and tell the story of one person.  

Check it out and let me know what your class thought of the stories.  Can events that happen in your classroom top the stories from Wayside School? I bet not!

Happy Reading!

Laura

First Day Jitters

Summer seems to have flown by.  The start of school is just around the corner.  The first day of school is just as exciting and jittery for teachers as it is for students.  One great way to calm the first day nerves and start off on the right foot is through a read aloud!

One book that I love to share with my class on the first day is First Day Jitters.  This is the story of Sarah not wanting to start a new school.  Mr. Hartwell begs and pleads with Sarah to get out of bed and get to school.  I think we can all empathize with Sarah with not wanting to get out of bed to go to school.  Eventually Sarah gets up and Mr. Hartwell drives her to school where her principal takes her to  her classroom.  All through the book we are visualizing that Sarah is Mr. Hartwell's daughter, but on the very last page we learn that Sarah is actually Mrs. Hartwell, a teacher!

This book is so fun to share on the first day because students realize that teachers share in their anxiety.  After reading this book aloud take time to turn and talk about what they were jittery about this morning.  It could even turn into a vocabulary lesson by sharing synonyms for the word jitters.

No matter what you do I am sure your students will enjoy the story of Sarah's first day.

YouTube read aloud of First Day Jitters

What books do you like to read aloud at the start of the school year?  I will be posing more of my favorites so check back!

Happy Reading!
Laura