10 Tips for Reading Aloud to School-age Children

1. Read aloud to children even as they learn to read to themselves.  It is fun and encouraging for them.
2. Set aside a special time to read when you and your family are relaxed.
3. Children enjoy choosing the books that you read aloud together. 
4. Don’t worry about the reading level.  Children enjoy listening to both easy books and books that would be too hard for them to read on their own.
5. Choose books about a topic that especially interests your child.
6. Children often enjoy books in a series with familiar plots and characters.
7. Remember to take a book with you to read together when you go out.
8. Read poetry together. Many poems for children are short, playful, and build vocabulary.
9. Show children you love books. Keep books and magazines at home and let them catch you reading!
10. Visit the library often to choose books and enjoy programs together. Join Summer Reading at your public library!  Sign up online at www.summerreading.org.

 

10 Great Stories to Read

The Boggart
by Susan Cooper
An ancient and mischievous spirit is accidentally transported from Scotland to Toronto and wreaks havoc for Emily and her brother.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
A quirky third grader invents bologna eyeglasses, colors her hair green with magic markers, and solves The Great Pigeon War.

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
A country cricket suddenly finds himself in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat.

Frindle by Andrew Clements
Fifth grader Nick invents a new word in a funny story about school, teachers, and dictionaries.

Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson
Three brothers in Harlem try to survive on their own after their mother’s death.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
Ramona enters third grade and her new teacher calls her a "nuisance and show-off."

 

10 Great Information Books

Actual Size by Steve Jenkins
A crocodile mouth unfolds and a Goliath birdeater tarantula crawls across the page.  Illustrated with striking collage art.

The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History by Jennifer Armstrong.
From the first colonies to the Great Molasses Flood, from Lizzie Borden to Pac-Man, a nonstop parade of people and places.

Castle by David Macaulay
Follow the planning and construction of a 13th century castle and town.

Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes by Pamela S. Turner
How the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project provides medical care in Rwanda.

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy
Street maps trace the progression of the 1871 Chicago fire.

The Journey that Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H. A. Rey by Louise Borden
The exciting story of how the creators of everyone’s favorite monkey escaped wartime Paris on homemade bicycles.

Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff
After the 2004 tsunami, an orphaned hippo adopts a tortoise as its mother.

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H. L. Hunley by Sally M. Walker
All about its construction, sinking, recovery, and restoration.

Team Moon by Catherine Thimmesh
How 400,000 people landed Apollo 11 on the moon.

The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman.
A compelling story of the magnificent vocalist.

 

10 Great Poetry Books to Read Aloud

The Dream Keeper and Other Poems by Langston Hughes
A celebration of the black experience.

Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neill
Adventures in color.

Laugh-eteria by Douglas Florian
Humorous poems on ogres, pizza, fear, school, dragons, trees, and hair.

Laughing Out Loud, I Fly: Poems in English and Spanish by Felipe Herrera
A poet remembers the people and places of his childhood.

Monster Goose by Judy Sierra
Nursery rhymes introduce a fiendish assortment of ghouls, mummies, and cannibals.

A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky
Over 100 funny rhymes and drawings.

A Poke in the I by Paul Janeczko
Concrete poetry to challenge and delight.

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children by Jack Prelutsky
Hundreds of poems on animals, seasons, nonsense and more.

Song of the Water Boatman: & Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman
Dragonflies, painted turtles, and spring peepers sings of seasonal experiences in this strikingly illustration collection.

Technically, It's Not My Fault: Concrete Poems by John Grandits
An 11-year-old boy shapes humorous poems about school, family, pizza, and much more.

 

Great Websites for Families

Kids.nypl.org
The New York Public Library’s site for children and parents.  Write your own book reviews or discover more great books and fun things to do.

www.readingrockets.org
Reading Rockets is national multimedia project offering information and resources on how children learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.

 www.ColorinColorado.org
Colorín Colorado is a bilingual site for families and educators of English language learners.
Colorín Colorado es un sitio bilingüe para familias y maestros para ayudar a los niños a leer.

www.rif.org/parents
Founded in 1966, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the oldest and largest children's and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States.  Find tips and activities for encouraging your child to read and have a great time, too.

www.rif.org/leer
Let’s Read as a Family is RIF’s bilingual website for families to read, sing, and share stories together at home.
¡Leamos en familia! es un sitio bilingüe de Reading is Fundamental, RIF.

www.rif.org/readingplanet
RIF’s website for children.  Fun activities, authors and games.  Find out about cool books and listen to stories and songs.

www.pbs.org/parents
PBS’s site for parents with advice, guides to child development and other resources.  In English and Spanish.

www.gocity.com
Click on New York City and get shortcuts to the city at its best. It's the answer to how to search for after school activities or what to do on a rainy Sunday. Hint:  Author events come up first after you pick a day.

www.scholastic.org/parents/
Scholastic’s website for parents.  Find information and activities here to encourage a love of learning in your child from a publisher that has created quality products for children for over 85 years.

www.scholastic.org/kids/
Scholastic’s website for kids with games, books and authors.  Find out about your favorite series and authors. 

www.randomhouse.com/kids
Random House’s website for children with games, contests and information about great authors and their newest books.

www.ldonline.org
LD Online.  The leading website with information for parents and children on learning disabilities and ADHD.

 

This publication was supported by funds from the New York State Library's Family Literacy Services grant program.