Book Talk: Books I've Used for Read Alouds: Part Two

So, yesterday I went through some of the books I've used for Read Alouds. Here's some more:

The Power of One (Young Reader's Version) by Bryce Courtenay
(Grade 7) This was at the end of the year with this Grade 7 class, so most of them were or nearly were 13. This, like its adult counterpart, is a powerful book about a young boy who steps out from a position of being bullied and learns how to box. We did have to learn about South Africa to put it into real perspective, but it had many of the students really thinking while we were reading it.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
(Grade 5/6) I absolutely adored this book as a kid, so I was thrilled to share it. Once again, background knowledge was necessary to really understand, this time on the holocaust. The girls really liked the friendship aspects, while the boys liked the possible danger. A lot of students went on to read books set during WWII

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
(Grade 5/6) This was wonderful. Every other time I've done a Read Aloud, I've read the book first. This time, I discovered it along with my students. Together we explored the world of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and those 13 dwarves. Unlikely heros came out throughout, and the kids still want to hear me make my way through Bilbo's encounter with Gollum. (Preciousss . . . ) In some ways, reading it with the students made a richer experience. We were remembering what had happened together and predicting together. We were really creating a shared classroom experience. Also spurred many on to read Lord of the Rings.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
(Grade 5/6) After the full on experience of The Hobbit, we completely wound down with a funny book which was a little below the level of the students. It was a really quick read, but served as a good break from more difficult books. Clementine and her friend Margaret become much loved in the classroom with two students dressing up as them for Book Week.

Well, I still have a couple more, which I'll put up in a day or two. Tomorrow, I'm going to look at the nitty-gritty of Read Alouds.

Read Part One here
Read why I like Read Alouds here

Read more book talks here
Read Aloud Master List