Our Favorite Books

Fall for Poetry

Fall is the perfect time to begin to introduce children to poetry.  Poems are a great way to help beginning students adjust to listening during read alouds and to build comprehension skills.  They are also a wonderful way for continuing students to reengage their listening and critical thinking skills.  Poetry not only builds literacy skills such as phonological awareness, but it also develops analytical skills.  Many poems contain hidden patterns including, haiku, sonnets, and pantoums.  Poetry also spans subject areas and genres and can be a great introduction into new content.  Lots of Spots by Lois Ehlert is a great way to start a conversation about animal adaptation and camouflage.  Selections from Steady Hands by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer can be used to launch a study of community workers or economic practices.  Remember as you read, encourage your children to begin to write their own poetry.  Below are some of our favorite poetry books as well as selections from one of our poet Author Studies, Douglas Florian. 

Back to School Books

As the air gets cooler and the days get shorter, it is time to focus on back to school books.  Whether it is soothing school anxiety or establishing a new school routine, there are picture books that can help.  These texts are perfect for establishing your read aloud routine with your students or children.  Remember to pre-read the book and plan when and how to introduce new vocabulary and/or background knowledge.  Take the time to explore the cover, title page, and illustrations and ask children to predict what they think might happen.  As you read, remember to stop, discuss, and make connections.  We hope you enjoy a few of our favorite back to school titles and one of our favorite back to school authors, Kevin Henkes.

Summer Reading is Series Reading 

During the warm summer months it is important to keep children excited about reading.  Research has found that one way to prevent the dreaded “summer slump” is through reading. One of the best ways to encourage children to choose reading is through series reading.  Familiar characters, places, and plots keep children coming back for more.  While many series books are for independent readers, there are wonderful picture book and early chapter book series.  Here are a few of our favorites:

Folk Stories and Fairy Tales

Folk stories and fairy tales are not only part of our rich literary history, but they are an excellent way to build children’s literacy skills.  Repetitive sounds and rhyme patterns help develop phonemic awareness.  Familiar plots and characters allow children to practice comprehension skills such as learning to make predictions, practicing compare and contrast, and interpreting and connecting texts.  Folk stories also provide opportunities for children to improve fluency through choral reading and Reader’s Theater. 

Before exploring different versions of familiar stories, it is important create a foundation by revisiting a traditional telling before reading fractured or alternate versions of the text.  Here are some of our favorite versions of traditional folk stories.

Title selections are also available in our Read Aloud Classroom Collections. For more information please contact Jana Herko, Book Collections Supervisor at JHerko@ChildrensLiteracyInitiative.org.