I am a teacher. An elementary school teacher. I teach kids who are just starting to realize books are amazing portals to other worlds. They already know how to read, now my goal is to get them to love it.
Part of the way I do that is by reading interesting stories. To get them hooked on a story so much that when I have to stop reading, they complain.
Despite crammed schedules and math quizzes, we managed to read quite a few stories last year. I thought you would like to see the list, as well as what the students, and I, thought of the stories.
‘Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh’ by Robert C. O’Brien.
This was the first book I read to them. Partly because I have never read it, and I really wanted to. They LOVED it. I have no idea why. Most of the book is about a mother mouse trying to protect her family. My students adored Mrs. Firsby, and they kept talking about the book, and her adventures, all year long! I also loved the story. There is a long chunk in the middle that is rather philosophical, and we all got bored. If I read it again next year, I might skip that bit.
‘Magic Tree House: Mummies at Noon’ by Mary Pope Osborne.
A classic middle grade novel. I read it because I wanted them to get interested in the books, and since they are small, encourage some of my struggling readers to try them. “If you liked this book, there are more!” It worked on a couple of them! It was a quick, fun read, and my students enjoyed the characters adventure.
‘The Tale of Despereaux’ by Kate DiCamillo.
This was my students absolute favorite book of the whole year. We read it as a grade level right before Christmas. I hadn’t read it since I was an elementary student, and so was curious to read it again. Especially since I disliked it the first time. This book is lovely. All about compassion, forgiveness, and grief. There are some heavy themes in the book, but it is all written so well the reader isn’t burdened, but rather hopeful, especially at the end. Out of all of the books we read, this one was the most popular.
‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E. B. White.
A student suggested this book, and the other students all clamored for it, so we read it! They really liked the adventures of Wilbur, and the quirky animals of the farmyard. They were also properly indignant that Wilbur got all of the credit for Charlotte’s accomplishments. This was another favorite of the year, even though it was a reread for some of the students.
‘Sarah, Plain and Tall’ by Patricia MacLachlan.
This was one of my favorites of the year. I love this little story so, so much. The students liked it, but it wasn’t a favorite. Probably because it didn’t have talking animals in it. One comment from a student made the whole thing, for me, worth its weight in gold. The characters in the book lost their mother years ago, and when it first mentions that fact, a student of mine says, “That is just like me!” He was excited that someone else shared his experience. I almost cried. This is why we read, to know we are not alone.
‘Crenshaw’ by Katherine Applegate.
Another student suggested book. This book is adorable, and I loved it when I read it years ago, and I loved it when I read it to my students. We read it towards the end of the year, amidst testing season. It is more of a light hearted story, so was a great break for their brains. They all liked it very much.
‘Appleblossom the Possum’ by Holly Goldberg Sloan.
I read this book because it was the choice for one book, one school. The entire school read it at the same time. It was fun to read as a whole school, but it was not our favorite book. Perhaps because it was at the end of the year, when everyone is tired, but I did not feel the students connected to this book as well as the other books. The story is cute, if a little odd, and it has a cute theme of family and working together. Especially after the hard hitting, amazing books we had read earlier in the year, this book fell a little flat for my classroom.
‘A Wrinkle in Time’ by Madeleine L’Engle.
I put this book at the end of the list because I never finished it. Not because we ran out of time, but because my students weren’t interested or invested in this book at all. It was a little too ambitious, at least for my class. They didn’t understand the jokes, and didn’t connect with the characters. I tried, but had to stop. My goal is to get my students to enjoy books, and reading a book they find boring isn’t going to help with that.
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I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into our classroom last year! I am endlessly glad I was able to carve out the time to read them so many books. Read alouds are wonderful things, and can introduce students to books they would not ordinarily pick up on their own.
I hope your reading is wonderful, and your drink delicious.
Shaina Merrick
The Beauty of a Story 