Recommended Read-Aloud Booklist for January
Compiled by Karen Rose Richter
Literacy Programs
Screen Actors Guild Foundation
As early as this list will be coming out, may I be the first to wish everyone a Happy New Year? Hope the
holidays have been meaningful and joy-filled for you. Your students are coming back from their winter break
and will appreciate listening to their favorite BookPAL who's come to visit and share a story or two.
The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill (Grades 4-6) A Chapter Book. A boy survives a tragedy in which his twin
brother dies; a young girl follows her father to a hideaway in the woods in the hopes that it will give them a
new start in life. A king, egged on by greedy men, embarks on a quest to reclaim a portion of his kingdom.
And magic beings wait in a forest for the time and the person who can come to free them from an
enchantment of their own making. Author Kelly Barnhill offers middle grade readers a modern-day fairy tale.
The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill (Grades 3-6) A Chapter Book. When Jack is sent to
Hazelwood, Iowa, to live with his strange aunt and uncle, he expects a summer of boredom. Little does he
know that the people of Hazelwood have been waiting for him for quite a long time. An eerie tale of magic,
friendship, and sacrifice, about things broken and things put back together, and above all, about finding a
place to belong.
Iron-Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill (Grades 4-6) A Chapter Book. Violet isn't like most princesses -the
storybook kind, that is. She isn't pretty, she isn't fragile, and she isn't anywhere near graceful. In the
stories that Violet enjoys telling so much, the princesses are always beautiful and the dragons are always evil.
A traditional fairy tale with wonderful read-aloud potential. “The language has a faint Lemony Snicket tang,”
which works well for this story about the loss of illusions and the acceptance of self.
Sitting Ducks by Michael Bedard (Grades K-4) When an egg rolls off the conveyor belt at the Colossal Duck
Factory and cracks open, the baby duck that emerges is discovered by one of the worker alligators who then
sneaks the little duck out of the factory to his home. The alligator intends to keep the duck locked up in his
home until the duck grows fat enough to become a tasty meal, but much to his surprise, the alligator finds
that he greatly enjoys the duck's company, and soon they are best friends. This is a wonderful story of the
transcending power of friendship. There are lively illustrations, and you will appreciate Bedard's humorous
homage to Edward Hopper.
My Teacher is a Monster by Peter Brown (Grades K-3) Bobby has a problem. You see, his teacher is a
monster. But when Bobby runs into his teacher outside of school, in the park, he learns there is more to her
than meets the eye. Caldecott Honor winner Peter Brown combines humorous illustrations and text for a
story about a teacher and a mischievous student.
Nicholas by René Goscinny (Grades K-4) Nicholas is French; he's one of the gang, he's hilarious. Told from
the perspective of Nicholas himself, this book is a collection of tales about school, life, and daily adventures.
Nicholas has friends aplenty, ranging from Cuthbert, the teacher's pet, to Matthew, who just can't seem to
answer correctly a single question the teacher asks. As for the rest of the gang: Jeremy is training to win
the Tour de France, Alec is forever stuffing his face with sweet treats, and Eddie is trying to punch your
nose out.
Owen & Mzee by Isabella Hatoff, Craig Hatoff, Paula Kahumbu (Grades K-5) Non-fiction. When a baby hippo,
Owen, was orphaned in the tsunami of 2004, he was rescued and placed in a Kenyan animal sanctuary. There
he was adopted by the most unlikely of foster fathers, a 130-year-old giant tortoise named Mzee, whose
species is known for being cantankerous loners. The story of their "family" highlights the best in all that
share our planet: courage, love, and cooperation in the face of great adversity. This is a story for everyone
who has hoped or worked for a better world.
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley (Grades 1-5) Non-fiction. In Victorian England,
Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins was an artist and sculptor who became fascinated by the discovery of
gigantic animal bones that we now recognize as dinosaur bones. Since no complete dinosaur skeleton had yet
been found, scientists of the day used their knowledge of biology to speculate about the construction of
these bizarre animals. Hawkins made it his mission to construct life-size models of the creatures to educate
and amaze the general public.
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett Krosoczka (Grades 3-5) A Chapter Book. The daring
adventures of a vigilante lunch lady who is always ready to serve up Lunch and Justice. In this first volume
of this wacky adventure series, Lunch Lady and her assistant Betty suspect that foul play is afoot when a
teacher suspiciously goes missing and is replaced by a substitute who seems too good to be true. Will help
from a plucky group of students and her arsenal of kitchen-themed gadgets be enough to help Lunch Lady
crack the case and preserve the sanctity of the Teacher of the Year award? No spoiler alerts here!
Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan (Grades K-4) Poetry. If your students like dogs or if they're
studying a unit on pets (or even poetry), they'll enjoy this collection of 13 free-verse story poems, each told
from the viewpoint of one of man's best friends. Sweet, funny and heart-warming.
Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog by Sara Swan Miller (Grades K-4) Just as the title claims, this is
a collection of three stories you can read to your dog…or your students or anyone of any age who loves “all
things doggie.” Each story is playfully narrated to "good dog" and is chock-full of canine antics that will make
adults and children alike laugh out loud.
The Listening Walk by Paul Showers (Grades K-3) A Picture Book. Though father-and-daughter stories may
be in short supply, here's one you and your students will enjoy. The drawings, done by Aliki, complement Paul
Showers' story of a little girl, her father, and her dog walking around the neighborhood. They quietly listen
to the sounds of nature and their community. Not surprisingly since this book was written in 1961, there
isn't one electronic device in evidence!
If I Were in Charge of the World by Judith Viorst (Grades K-5) Poetry. A delightful poetry book told
from the perspective of children. Poems cover subjects such as family, friends, pets, school, and retold fairy
tales. Some poems are written upside down, some poems have titles longer than the content, but they are all
very funny and enjoyable!
Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino (Grades K-2) Taken from the author's personal experiences with his own son,
Every Friday is a fun and heartwarming celebration of precisely that brand of togetherness, where a father
and son's weekly ritual of walking to the local diner for breakfast unfolds in bright, bold swaths of color. On
the way, they watch the neighborhood come to life and urge each other on from one delightful distraction to
another.
Happy Reading !