Picture Book Picks -- William Hoy, Oh Boy!

Last summer, my kiddos and I enjoyed several brief but informative summer evening read-alouds with nonfiction picture books.  Last evening, we reignited that tradition with two winning choices.

We hit it out of the park (pun intended) with Nancy Churnin's The William Hoy Story.  Hoy was an outstanding major league baseball player who also happened to be deaf.  His story is one of hard work, determination, and courage.  Very inspirational.  I teared up toward the end because I was so moved and, honestly, it's good for kids to see that kind of tangible evidence of the power of words and stories. 

The fact that Hoy played several seasons for the Cincinnati Reds (and grew up in Ohio, JUST LIKE I DID!!!) sealed the deal for me on the excellence of this story.  Didn't hurt that the kids and I were just at a Reds game two weeks ago when visiting family.  You can see in the photo above that Jez Tuya's illustrations are stellar.  So, in short, if you have children in your house, you should read them this book.  If you have young ball players in your house, you have to read them this book.  My kids are not all that little (11, 9, and 7) but loved it.

And if this one inspires you to read another excellent nonfiction picture book about baseball:  check out Brothers at Bat.

Our other nonfiction picture book was also great, but more nerve-wracking than inspiring.  Crossing Niagara:  The Death-Defying Tightrope Adventures of the Great Blondin by Matt Tavares is one of those true stories that seems unbelievable (but isn't).  If you've ever visited Niagara Falls or are planning to visit, check it out.  If your own child is a daredevil, maybe skip it. 

We have two more nonfiction gems checked out from the library so stay tuned!

Masterpiece -- Reading with Kids

The third graders were assigned a Cereal Box Mystery Project.  Mine was excited about the project but disappointed because he ended up with a Hardy Boys book when he made his selection in class.  We spent two weeks going in circles.  He would never want to read his book.  I would tell him to ask his teacher if he could change his book.  He would tell me he wasn't going to ask because he knew he couldn't.  He would tell me that the Hardy Boys book was boring.  I would tell him that I knew that.  Finally, when he was only on page 38, despite lots of in-class reading time, I emailed his teacher and asked if he could change books.  She gave me some parameters, and I did some research and offered three choices for her approval. 

The end result of this negotiation was Masterpiece by Elise Broach.  My son had to push himself to catch up and finish but ended up loving the book.  And I quote:  "Now I know that a lot of the harder chapter books are worth it."  I read Masterpiece as well, sometimes aloud to him as we were in a crunch time situation, and thought it was a great mystery about friendship and family dynamics that also gives kids insights into the art world.

My older son read and loved Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach just last year.  Wondering if I can convince my third grader to read that one just for fun.  Maybe a family read-aloud?  Masterpiece would be a good read-aloud.

Should I have stayed out of it and made him suffer through a Hardy Boys book that he wasn't enjoying?  I don't regret intervening because the end result was a very positive reading experience and plenty of momentum for the cereal box project that accompanied it.  Should I have made him talk to his teacher about switching books instead of doing it for him?  Yes.  Next time.

Thank YOU, Elephant & Piggie!

Modern Mrs. Darcy is devoting this whole week of blogging (and podcasting) to reading for a lifetime!  Check out all of this week's MMD posts, particularly her 7 Tips for Raising Kids Who Love to Read.

Am I raising kids who love to read?  I hope so.  I think so.

It seems the perfect time to mention (again) a series of books that really helped my beginning readers gain confidence and find pleasure in the act of reading.  The Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems have so much going for them:
* They are genuinely funny.  The combination of dialogue and illustrations is witty perfection.
* They are easy to read without feeling clunky, forced, or just plain lame (like some books for beginning readers).
* They are perfect for reading aloud.  Both of my sons brought in Elephant & Piggie books to share with the class when it was their turn to read aloud at school.  These books are ideal for practicing reading with expression.
* They are fun for reading together.  Divide up the parts and read aloud.

* Plus, there's a game!  Mo Willems hides Pigeon from another popular series of his (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and etc.) in the endpapers of each book.  Even now my kids make sure to look for Pigeon.

Last spring, Mo Willems published the final Elephant and Piggie title:  The Thank You Book.  It's a very sweet story that revisits characters from throughout the series and even includes a couple inside jokes.  I read it with my middle and little when it first came out.  Two nights ago, I made my oldest read it to me.  I welled up a bit, remembering how thrilled I was when he was first able to read these books aloud.  Cue the cliches about how fast it all goes.  But it does. 

Thank you, Mo Willems, for helping me raise kids who love to read.

Non-Fiction Read Alouds

My kids are all independent readers now, but that doesn't mean I don't still want to read with them.  It also doesn't mean that they all love reading on their own.  I'm still on the lookout for books we can enjoy together, especially for my least motivated reader.

Our library had a special section reserved for children's books that have won the Monarch Award, which is an Illinois School Library Media Association Readers' Choice honor.

Many of the Monarch Award titles gathered were non-fiction, and those were the ones my eight year-old and I really enjoyed reading together.  It's kind of nice to read for ten minutes, learn a little something, and then be able to discuss it.  Here are a few of the non-fiction (or "based on a true story") read alouds we would recommend ...

 Trapped: A Whale's Rescue by Robert Burleigh.  Paintings by Wendell Minor.

 Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox.  Illustrated by Brian Floca.

 Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis.  Illustrated by Gilbert Ford.

We loved this because the Ferris Wheel was introduced in our town (Chicago!).

I neglected to snap a pic of our very favorite (and the saddest) of the non-fiction read alouds:  Ivan: The Remarkable Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.  

All of these books have background information and additional research at the end.  Reading and learning together never gets old.

World Read Aloud Day -- Hooray!

Today is World Read Aloud Day, and I am proud to say that my family celebrated!

Especially if you have young children in your life, check out Mem Fox's 10 Read Aloud Commandments.  If you're intrigued and inspired by the commandments, try her wonderful book Reading Magic. 

Donalyn Miller, reading teacher extraordinaire and author of the much-adored The Book Whisperer, has a great piece on Scholastic's web site:  "Never too old: Reading aloud to independent readers."  Again, if you're intrigued and inspired, consider reading The Book Whisperer or its follow-up, Reading in the Wild.

Whatever you do, stay committed to reading aloud to the kids in your life!

I read to and with my kindergartner every day, but I admit that I sometimes fall out of the habit with my older kids, who are now independent readers.  We have had some great read alouds of Beverly Cleary's Henry Huggins books and her Ramona ones.  I have read aloud Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy two times through with my sons and will try for a third time with my daughter (I checked it out of my school library once a month for much of my early grade career and heart it so much).

We celebrated World Read Aloud Day after dinner this evening.  I read Last Stop on Market Street, which I purchased at the Scholastic Book Fair at school because I loved the cover.  What a gorgeous book with a beautiful (but subtle) message and wonderful language:

The outside air smelled like freedom, but it also smelled like rain, 

which freckled CJ's shirt and dripped down his nose.

The bus creaked to a stop in front of them.  It sighed and sagged and the doors swung open.

"Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, CJ, you're a better witness for what's beautiful."

I could go on!  Matt De La Pena (author) and Christian Robinson (illustrator) so deserve all their many honors and awards.*

My oldest chose several poems from Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends.  My middle guy took on BJ Novak's The Book with No Pictures.  My newly-minted reader treated us to Mo Willem's I Really Like Slop.  A highlight of the day for sure, much better than one of the 167 episodes of Full House in our DVR.

I gathered some favorite family read alouds to pose for a pic.  I'm sure I'm forgetting many beloved read alouds, but here are some thoughts/tips ...

David Shannon's No, David! books -- Kids relate to David and can easily memorize these books, which they love! 

Ruth Krauss's I Can Fly -- Such a pleasure to read well-written rhyming books.  Joy in the language and in the beautiful illustrations in this one!  Captures the spirit of childhood.

Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox -- A simple story, but calming and engrossing.

Just a Little Critter Collection by Mercer Mayer -- We adore Little Critter at our house, and it's fun to read from these anthologies.  You can read book after book with no lag time for decisions or negotiations!

I Really Like Slop by Mo Willems -- The Elephant and Piggie books are so funny and clever.  I laugh out loud.  Beginning readers can practice reading with expression and timing, and it's such a pleasure to listen.  

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein -- Again, the pleasures of language itself!

Goose Goofs Off -- One of my favorite books from the 1980s Sweet Pickles glory days.

The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak -- Perfect for gifting.  My kids laugh at this book every time, whether they are the ones listening or reading.  Cool for them to see the power of words.

I'd love to know what the beloved read alouds are in your home or classroom. 

Starting next month on March 24th, you're invited to join my Read Aloud Roll Call.  Write a post about some read aloud experiences in your home or classroom and link up on the 24th of each month.  More on that later!

Thoughts on reading aloud or any of the books mentioned in this post?  Please share in comments.  Happy Reading!

* Last Stop on Market Street's Honors:  Winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal, A 2016 Caldecott Honor Book, A 2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2015, A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of 2015