The Year's Best New Read Alouds
Franki Sibberson
I am always on the lookout for new books to read aloud to my students. I like to read new, "hot-off-the-press" books for several reasons. First of all, I don't have to worry about whether students have already read the book in past years. But more importantly, reading aloud new books helps my students feel "in-the-know" about reading and books. They like the idea that they are experiencing a book that is new, that not many people know about. They love to spread the word about the new book.
2008 was a great year for new books for intermediate and middle school readers, especially for reading aloud. When I am thinking about possible read alouds, I am looking for books with good plots and characters, but I also want a certain amount of depth to the book - layers of meaning that are accessible to kids. I want to choose books that meet my students' needs. For those who are still working to follow the plot over the course of a book, I want them to be able to jump in that way. For students who are thinking about the themes in a book, I want that to be accessible to them. I want characters who change. I want students to have a lot to talk about while reading the book. Over the course of the year, I want to share a variety of books with students. In 2008, these were my favorites - books that I think would make great read alouds for older students.
Bird Lake Moon by Kevin Henkes
In this story, two boys become friends and each is dealing with his own family issues. Henkes alternates back and forth between the characters and you come to like and understand both characters well. You learn about the stresses they are dealing with and you understand the choices that they make - both good and bad. Both boys are growing up and learning to deal with pain.
Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing Up  by Jon Scieszka
I don't read enough "funny books" to my students. I am always going for depth, and often find more serious books to read aloud. But Jon Scieska's Knucklehead is a funny book that is well worth a read aloud. In the book, Jon Scieszka shares many stories from his childhood - growing up in a house with five brothers. The stories are quick and focused on one event or issue in the Scieska home, and they are told in the humorous voice that we have come to know so well.
Savvy by Ingrid Law
In Mibs' family, you get your savvy when you are 13 and she is getting ready for her 13th birthday. A savvy is a special thing that you can do - helping define who you are. Mibs is struggling a bit with growing up, and she is also worrying about her father who has been in a car accident. This is a fantasy that reads like realistic fiction. I love books where people are thrown together and good things happen. In Savvy, kids and adults meet on a bus ride and the relationships grow as they are together on the bus. We get to know every character well (which is critical for me as a reader) and I ended up seeing the good in each and every one.
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
This book is one that would be a great read aloud for sophisticated readers, though it's not one I would read early in the year. The book is hard to describe - it's a dog story, a book about good and evil, and a fantasy. But Appelt has woven so much into the story that it is a must read, whether you decide it is right for your students or not.
Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Shooting the Moon is about Jamie Dexter and is set during the Vietnam War. Jamie's father is a colonel, and she has grown up with a great love of the military. Now her brother TJ has enlisted and has been sent to Vietnam. While he is there, he sends Jamie film to be developed - pictures that he takes in Vietnam. The pictures begin to tell the story of the war of TJ's life there.
This is the powerful story of how war affects a family, and how a family deals with a child that is sent to fight. It is also the tale of a young girl growing up and finding herself, and there is amazing thread of photography throughout the book.
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
This is a bittersweet story that reminded me of a children's version of The Glass Castle  . The lead character is amazingly strong, surviving under hard circumstances. Although her mother has trouble taking care of her, she clearly loves her daughter but just can't handle the responsibilities of parenting. This is a terrific story - it reminds you that there are lots of people in a child's life who matter.
The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman
Gil and the other characters are all part of a contest, and are very different from each other. Feldman has somehow incorporated diverse elements like reality TV, codes and puzzles, a great setting (a VERY fun toy store!), video games, a contest, and a believable plot. In her acknowledgments, Feldman mentions that when she was volunteering in the school library, a student returned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and asked for another like it. Unfortunately, there wasn't another book she could recommend, so it was at that moment that she decided to write one!
Greetings from Nowhere  by Barbara O'Connor
Barbara O'Connor takes us to the Sleepy Time Motel in the Great Smokey Mountains. She introduces us to characters who will live with us for a long time. The story is simple - a group of people need each other and find things out about themselves because of the time they spend together.
The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower by Lisa Graff
This book is a fun read - the plot is completely different from other books for kids this age. Bernetta's best friend Ashley has set her up, and the consequence is that Bernetta won't be able to attend the private school she has attended since kindergarten anymore. Bernetta just doesn't have the $9000 for tuition. But she comes up with a scheme to make the money, and the adventures begin.
Diamond Willow  by Helen Frost
Helen Frost tells a story of a girl and her sled dog through the voices of many characters in verse. She has created a novel told in diamond shape poems that has layers of meaning, as well as characters who grow and change over the course of the book. Because of the shapes of the poems add to the meaning, it would be important for students to be able to see the poems while reading.
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About
Jennifer Allen
