Stumped for Classroom Read-Alouds? Ask the Library

As the school year draws to a close, elementary classrooms especially are gearing up for all sorts of end-of-year events and parties. Often, these celebrations include parents or other special family or community members appearing as “guest readers” in the classroom. If you have received the honor of being invited to read to the class, the Moorestown Library can help you select just the right book to make your reading experience one that students will enjoy and remember.

Because we are often asked to recommend good books for classroom read-alouds, the Children’s staff has put together a list of some of our favorite surefire hits to read aloud to children in kindergarten through third grade. To get these books or for more great read-aloud ideas, visit the Moorestown Library. Happy reading!

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel

African folktale character Anansi the Spider uses a strange moss-covered rock in the forest to trick all the other animals, until Little Bush Deer decides he needs to learn a lesson. 

Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure by Robert San Souci

In this exciting Irish folk tale, a brave young woman battles a sea serpent and surprises even herself with the discovery that she is the long-awaited hero who can conquer a fearsome giant.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

Life is delicious in Chewandswallow, where it rains soup, snows mashed potatoes, and storms hamburgers—until the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

When new student Maya arrives in class, Chloe and her friends make fun of Maya’s shabby clothes and refuse to play with her. But when Maya moves away, Chloe realizes she has forever lost the chance to make things right.

The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl

The enormous crocodile devises secret plans and a few clever tricks to secure his lunch, only to have them foiled by his neighbors.

Epossumondas by Coleen Salley

A retelling of a classic tale in which a well-intentioned young possum continually takes his mother's instructions much too literally, with hilarious consequences. 

The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord

In this rollicking rhyme, 4 million wasps fly into the village of Itching Down, forcing the citizens to devise a creative and delicious way to get rid of them.

The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens

When a tennis ball lands in a prairie dog hole, the residents find that their newfound frenzy for fuzz creates a fiasco.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

In this rhyming tale, a clever mouse uses the threat of a terrifying creature to keep from being eaten by a fox, an owl, and a snake. To his surprise, the Gruffalo really does show up, and the mouse must think fast to outwit him as well.

I’m Really Not Tired by Lori Sunshine

In this rhyming story, Sam, convinced that his parents are having all kinds of fun after they send him to bed, sneaks down the stairs to get the real scoop. 

Max’s Words by Kate Banks

When Max cuts out words from magazines and newspapers, collecting them the way his brothers collect stamps and coins, they all learn about words, sentences, and storytelling.

Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I Don’t) by Barbara Bottner

A first-grade girl who does not like to read stubbornly resists her school librarian's enthusiastic efforts to convince her to love books, until she finds one that might change her mind. Pair this with Wiiliam Steig’s Shrek. 

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard

The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.

One of Us by Peggy Moss

On her first day at Baker School, Roberta is welcomed by different groups, only to be told she does not fit in with them for some reason. But by the next day, members of each group have begun to see that they don't have to be alike in every way.

 The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett

In this fairy tale spoof, a new baby princess accidentally changes places with a piglet, and both of their lives are forever changed.

The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss

The star-bellied Sneetches enjoy walking around with their snouts in the air, excluding the Sneetches who don’t have stars. But when Sylvester McMonkey McBean shows up promising to fix everything, the Sneetches must learn the hard way how to look past their differences and accept one another.  

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

In a moment of fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock, but then cannot hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again.

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb—until a new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem. 

There’s Something in My Attic by Mercer Mayer

Convinced there is something making noise in the attic at night, a brave little girl sneaks up the stairs, lasso in hand, to capture the creature she imagines is there.

Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin

When grumpy Old Man Fookwire builds feeders to try to keep birds—the only creatures he likes—from leaving for the winter, he finds himself in a battle with clever, crafty squirrels who want a share of the abundant food.

Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

When Hare needs to feed his family, he strikes a deal with lazy Bear to use Bear’s land to grow crops and split everything “right down the middle.” Hare gives Bear his choice of tops or bottoms, but thanks to Hare’s cleverness, Bear can never choose right.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

The wolf gives his own outlandish version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs.

Wait! I Want to Tell You a Story by Tom Willans

When a hungry tiger announces his intention to eat a muskrat, the clever muskrat outwits  the tiger by saying “Wait! I want to tell you story…” which sets off a circular story with a hilarious surprise ending.

We Can’t Sleep by James Stevenson

When two children announce they can’t sleep, their grandpa comes to the rescue with a wild adventure tale from his youth.

Wild About Books by Judy Sierra

A librarian named Mavis McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake.