Thread: What novels do you read aloud in JH?

I think kids are really into Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings right now.

I really believe kids of all ages love to be read to.

My pet peeve - I get really frustrated with intermediate teachers that stop reading picture books. There are many excellent picture books appropriate for kids in grades higher than grade 3.

I'm glad to hear middle school teachers still read out loud to their students!!

I teach primary so I don't know a lot of novels appropriate for older students but I do love the book The Giver by Lois Lowry, I can't wait until my own kids our old enough to hear it.

Catherine

In the book Strategies That Work, they suggest lifting text from great novel and using short stories with great pictures - as well as picture books. That you can teach a lesson about comprehension with the whole story, and yes big kids still love those same stories.

In JH - ANY NOVEL BY ROALD DAHL !!!!!
They are feared by parents, loved by every child i have ever met - and in case you do not know of him - He is English - and - you may start out reading "The Twits" to yourself .

Peace
Olav47

Many of my students enjoyed Will Hobbs' adventure novels, Downriver and River Thunder. The characters are realistic and there's lots of actions to keep them interested - also, easy to make connections for a variety of related projects and activities.

Honestly - what I read is not that important !

What matters is THAT I read.
Reading to\for the children of today is more important than ever.The visual child- raised in a society of television and movies -
has no reference to the written word. Naturally - I am generalizing - but in norway - this was a fact for two out of three kids. - UNTIL Harry Potter - came along.
He became the catch we used to get the children to read books . The idea of reading TO them is NOT just to create and generate interrest in books - it's a way to teach the childrento listen without having to see photos or drawings. In other words - every sentence is a challenge to the childs imaginatory skills.
(But - Harry Potter - is not MY choice ....................
(Maybe because I got an offer three years ago - The exclusive rights to sell Harry Potter Items in Norway - for just 1000 $ ! - And I turned the offer down - Jeez - I could have been loaded today ! What an awful thought ))


Long time ago - we stopped showing pictures to the children - while reading (This was back in kindergarten).
The question was - could we expect this from the parents - the answer was - NO.
Parents CAN read - but they are often too tired, the setting is often wrong, and just as every teacher is not neccesarily a good reader - just a few parents are.
This called for a turnabout - and we had to teach fathers and mother the art of reading aloud -(sigh!!!!)

Much work - OK - but hearing a father telling about an exciting bedtimestory he had read .... made it all worthwhile !

BTW - as an actor - I am used to give "LIFE" to every word - as a musician - I need the harmony - as a teacher I know the pedagogic settings - as a father I know what needs my three children have - so - maybe I should feel lucky ?
Peace
Olav47

Hi, I LOVE to read aloud to my kids. I teach grades 6-12 so I have to have a variety of books.

I use THE GIVER AND GATHERING BLUE Gathering Blue is another great novel by Lois Lowrey. It is almost the opposite of THE GIVER and has my students begging me to read more.

RIFLES FOR WATIE a great Civil War book from the perspective of a 14 year old who runs off to war because it is FUN and finds the reality of war.

THE SLAVE DANCER great reading about a young boy kidnapped and put on a slave ship to play his fife for the slaves being smuggled into this country.

FREAK THE MIGHTY the relationship between a handicapped boy who is very bright and a tall, lanky boy who is rather slow. Together they form FREAK THE MIGHTY. Be prepared to cry.

ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY and any ohter of the series

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

MANIAC MAGEE

OK, now I am drawing a blank. I read every day to my students and always have some creative thing for them to do. (usually involving art). I use audio books and a class set for some so they can follow along, others I just read because I love to act out all the parts.

I read short stories, newspaper articles, magazine articles, anything that will stimulate them.

As for picture books, I am all for that. I read all of DR. SEuss to my kids because most of them have never had that experience, we want them to be good parents so we teach them HOW.
I also have my students create their own CHILDREN'S BOOK. They write and illustrate them, laminate the pages and connect the book by some creative way. I then take them to the lower classes (I have an advantage because my regular ed kids are housed at a center schoolfor mentally, physically and emotionally disabled) read thier book to a class and then present the book to the class to keep. This stimulates reading. On Dr. Seuss Day, we have my students go to all the classrooms and read.

Yes, I read Harry Potter, I read anything that will get them interested.

Oh, did I tell you that I reach a suspension/expulsion alternative program (Last chance school)???

My overall goal for the year is to READ READ READ and to get them to READ READ READ.
Hope this helps, I have over 350 books in my classroom of all levels for all ages and reading levels. GO FOR IT.

Jo-Anne in FLorida

I teach 6th grade and I read aloug Crash by Jerry Spinelli - they love it
Holes by ? is awesome
When Zachery Beaver came to Town by ? - super
Any Judy Blume books
I read picture books aloud also - they love it
good luck
lulu

I teach high school and I agree--most students just love to be read to. The first time I pulled out a story to read to my eleventh graders this year, they were really surprised but they got into it. I use stories to add emphasis to a particular unit. I love The Faithful Elephants when teaching WWII and I have used The Lorax by Dr. Suess in a Geography unit on Environmental Science.