It all started with a few tweets:
Bonnie of @MrsStraitsClass mentioned that she read aloud to her kids every day.
I teach elementary actually but even if I didn’t, I’d still read aloud every day. I love using accents and fun voices. 🙂
Accents and fun voices?!! I had to know more! I begged her to record it and upload it to YouTube. And here she is reading Don’t Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus by Mo Willems.
Wonderful Read Aloud Books for Kids
Summer is a great time to read together. I’ve collected some great lists of read-aloud books for kids.
What Do We Do All Day has a book list of 50+ Chapter Books to Read Aloud to Preschoolers and 3-year-olds
16 Delightful Summertime Books from Delightful Children’s Books has wonderful picture books to enjoy as well as summertime activities.
38 Perfect Books to Read Aloud with Kids from Buzz Feed includes classics that I grew up with.
7 Reasons Why You MUST Read Aloud To Your Kids At All Ages stresses the side benefits of reading together (and it’s not just about teaching your child to read!).
Author Read Alouds from Scholastic is fun because authors are reading from their own books! Here are some examples:
Suzanne Collins Reads The Hunger Games
Sara Pennypacker Reads Clementine
David Shannon Reads Too Many Toys
Lisa Yee Reads Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time
I hope this helps get your kids reading this summer. What is your favorite read-aloud book? Please share!
p.s. Related posts:
26 Perfect Read Alouds for Kindergarten
19 Perfect Read Alouds for 1st Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 2nd Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 3rd Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 4th Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 5th Grade
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
My favourite read-aloud books are the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett. My children are still a bit young and they don’t yet hold their attention, but I read them to my husband during a camping trip to New Zealand and he cracked up every time over my attempt at a Scottish-accented impression of the Nac Mac Feegles.
One we both love reading to the kids is “Dancing Feet” by Lindsay Craig and we all try to make stompity feet and thumpity feet. It’s great fun. “Where is the Green Sheep?” by Mem Fox is another good one. Oh, and “Blue Hat, Green Hat” by Sandra Boynton is a hoot. I read it to my son when he was about two and he was in fits of giggles every time I said “Oops”.
I always love the Mo Willems books- they never fail to crack all the kids up. Oh, I agree with Elle about the oops, too. It’s fun to say oops!
Hi Artchoo!
I loved her accent! I don’t have great accents so I really appreciate them in a read aloud! Mo Willems is great. He was in Boston recently I missed him. They actually sold tickets for $5 to meet him and I heard the room was packed! Oops is fun!!
We have a summertime tradition of reading aloud, snuggled up on our porch swing under a big blanket before bedtime. It always puts a smile on passerby’s faces! We are one of those read aloud everyday famillies (mostly every day) and the kids then read independently before bed too. Thanks for these great resources. 🙂
Hi Renee,
What a lovely tradition! Like a book reading camp out! No wonder your kids are such avid readers!
Thanks for including my post. I didn’t know about those author read alouds. They sound like fun. I’m off to check them out.
Hi Erica,
Thank you for letting me link to your great blog! It is fun to watch authors read their own books! I know my kids always love meeting authors but they tend to be local to our area. There must be more author read aloud videos on other sites too. I need to do a search.
Thank you for the recommendations. I love to read and I am also blessed with two little boys who love to read–even though they aren’t old enough to know how. We spend many hours in the local library reading together. I love this post–thanks again!
Thanks so much Shay! And how wonderful that you’ve instilled a love of reading in your small boys! What a lovely gift you have given them.
Hi Shay,
Thank you and so nice to meet you!
Love the way she reads those books, and the kids’ giggles are the best!
Hi Maryanne,
She is such a great teacher! How lucky her kids are to have her read aloud every day!
Great suggestions of read-aloud books. These engaging books foster a love of books and learning in young children while helping them acquire early literacy concepts and skills needed to be ready to learn to read. To extend the read-aloud experience, why not do book-related Follow-Up Fun activities including Act & Play, Say & Sing, Draw & Write, and Read Aloud & Enjoy. Specific suggestions with simple directions in “Help Me Get Ready To Read” lead to more read-aloud summer fun. Happy Reading Aloud!
I love your suggestions Susan and I’m so happy to have an expert on Read Aloud chiming in! Susan as a great site at ReadAloudGuide.com for anyone looking for book extensions!
One of my most powerful book memories is when my fifth grade teacher read Charlotte’s Web to us.
I love to read rhyming books out loud. 7 Silly Eaters is one of my favorites.
Hi Ann,
Everyone raves about 7 Silly Eaters but I don’t think I’ve ever read it to my kids! I’m glad everyone loves being read aloud to. It’s such a memorable experience. I remember in a moms’ book club when the author (and also mom friend) read from her short story that was published in a Women’s Travel Anthology. We were all mesmerized and it felt like a real treat to be read to.
Thank you soo much, both for the post and your kind words. I’ve included the link to my blog as the one above is someone else. Thanks again!
Thanks so much Bonnie!