Read-Alouds+by+Grade+Level

Grade 1
 * Mercy Watson books by Kate DiCamillo

Mercy Watson, a porcine wonder with a taste for toast, has been a hit in every classroom. A great read-aloud from DiCamillo, who seems to enjoy writing these light and funny books in between her more serious and utterly luminous books for upper grades. We have six books in the series, so you can plan to enjoy Mercy for several weeks. The illustrations are delightful, too!

Grade 2


 * **I Was a Rat!** by Philip Pullman. Great to read after you complete a fairy tale unit. Pullman's main character is one of Cinderella's rats, now living, not too successfully, as a former coachman. He's taken in by the classic older and childless couple. The subtle clues about the prince's upcoming marriage to the mysterious princess, and the coachman's habit of gnawing on pencils, may go over your student's heads, but Pullman's story will keep them enthralled. The newspaper articles scattered throughout the book about the prince and princess would look great projected nice and large with the document camera (if you're lucky enough to have one:)
 * **Toys Go Out**, by Emily Jenkins. Three best friends, a stingray, a stuffed buffalo, and a ball named Plastic have typical toy adventures with their Girl. Sequel titled **Toy Dance Party** is also loads of fun.
 * **Pippi Longstocking**, by Astrid Lindgren. Pippi lives with her monkey and her horse, but no parents, in a small Swedish village, where she manages to create at least a little mayhem every day.
 * **Three Good Deeds**, by Vivian Vande Velde. Howard thoughtlessly steals eggs from a witch's goose, and she turns him into one! He can only become human again by performing three good deeds, but that's a bit hard when you're a goose.

Grade 3


 * **Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane**, by Kate DiCamillo--a wonderful read-aloud about a vain porcelain rabbit, who gets thrown overboard on a trans-Atlantic sailing. His adventures with various people who find him are beautifully written. Edward learns the importance of loving others, not just being loved. There are some serious issues addressed here--a verbally abusive father, a young girl who dies--but teachers who have read this aloud in past years have reported that students love the story.


 * Grade 4

Grade 5

**

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, by Rick Riordan
 * Among the Hidden****, by Margaret Peterson Haddix**