Category: #BookLove

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Chapter Books for Grades 1-3: Read Aloud or Independently

I’ve been searching for good chapter books to read aloud to my first grader at home and making myself a list on my phone for future reference. So obviously I need to share that list now with all of you! Here’s a tried and true list of good chapter books for grades 1-3 that can be read aloud over time or independently depending on the child’s reading level. 

Matilda by Roald Dahl This is our current read because the musical featured on Netflix has been on repeat all summer at our house, so obviously we needed to read the book! 

The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osborne. Such a classic series and bonus that there are so many books within the series that it’s hard to run out of content. 

A to Z Mysteries by Rob Roy. It’s a kid-friendly mystery series that is perfect for hooking kids in and experiencing that “one more chapter!” feeling. 

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. This book is next on our list to read once we finish Matilda. The humor in this book cannot be beaten, no matter your age! 

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White. This was the chapter book we read last spring. It’s such a classic that it would be wrong to not include it on this list! Of course, I cried my eyes out at the ending, even after reading this book dozens of times. 

Other notable mentions: 

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Beezus and Ramona, Ribsy, and more by Beverly Cleary

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Lisa’s Ugly Glasses and Luna’s Rescue by Erica Richardson 

Which chapter books are you going to suggest to your students to read next? 

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FREE Fall Reading Bingo Printable

This morning the temperature dipped into the low 60s during our walk to school. Of course, I threw on my best fall sweater and some boots! I am a lover of fall, through, and though. By the time I walked home after dropping my daughter off, I was sweating like crazy in my fall clothes. This cooler weather is nice, but it’s not quite the fall season yet. We’re counting down the days to Autumn Equinox though!

While we all wait for arguably the best season of the year, we can prep ourselves by printing a fall reading bingo chart to work on. I’ve attached below a FREE download for you to use in your classrooms, libraries, and homes.

Our Summer Reading Bingo ended up being so popular that I’ve worked a little harder on our fall bingo page to be more… ahem… aesthetically pleasing. The Summer Bingo was fine and worked well, but it was something I made quickly on a platform not necessarily made for complex work. I’ve also made our fall bingo both in color and black and white format for printing.

Enjoy this free printable and let us know how it goes for you!

FallReadingBingoBWDownload
FallReadingBingoColorDownload

Cover Photo by Oleksandr P: https://www.pexels.com/photo/forest-345522/

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What Do The Different Book Awards Mean?

Have you ever looked at a book title, noticed an award on the front cover, and wondered what exactly it meant? A shiny gold medal on the front is really cool, but if you don’t know the meaning, what merit does it have? 

I’ve fallen victim to this myself! I see library books on the shelves and think, “Oooh this one has an award on the front, it’s probably a great one to read!” and typically, it is! But what does the award even mean? What are the different awards? How do they compare to one another? 

Here’s a list of each of the awards, and each week I’ll be doing a deeper dive into each one. I could fit them all into one post, but I feel like each of them deserve plenty of space and their own designated post so that we don’t have to skip out on details! They’re all unique and remarkable in their own way and don’t deserve to be given any less than the best. 

The awards I will be covering are: 

Pulitzer Prize Award
Caldecott Award
Newberry Medal Award
Booker Prize
Goodreads Choice Awards
National Book Award
Women’s Prize for Fiction
PEN/ Faulkner Prize
Edgar Award

Is there an award missing on this list that you’d like to see highlighted? Let me know and I’ll add it to my list! 

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How Our Summer Reading Bingo Went

Earlier in the summer I posted a free Summer Reading Bingo printable that I made quickly for my daughter and myself to enjoy over the summer months and shared it with all of you. I also printed out a few copies and put them in our local library for our community to enjoy! Many kids used the bingo chart and the library even generously supplied them with stickers and suckers when they got a bingo! 

At our house, the bingo chart was a fun, low-pressure way to promote summer reading. I never offered an incentive, just the idea of getting bingo was incentive enough! 

We spent our summer days reading in trees, pulling out books at meal times, and finding new books to hit all of our new genres to try. My child would go for weeks without even acknowledging the bingo page and then she would go several days trying to accomplish as many as possible. 

It was all child-led and at her speed. It was a beautiful relationship that fostered her own love for reading! 

We’ve had so many friends interested in another reading bingo that we’ll be posting a new fall/back-to-school reading bingo in the coming months! I’ve also started some quick brainstorming for a Christmas reading bingo as well. 

Thanks for coming along on this ride with us, here’s to more independent, self-motivated reading kids!

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Five Ways to Help You Pick the Right Book

When it’s time to pick a book, how do you know what’s good for you? Here are a few ideas: 

  1. Ask a trusted friend: It’s tried and true! If you have friends with the same book interests as you, they may have a good title up their sleeve to suggest. 
  2. Look for books with awards: Caldecott, Newberry, etc. If they have an award on their cover, it means it’s a good choice! 
  3. If you’re in a library, look for books that have multiple copies: If a library has multiple copies on hand, it means they have a lot of interest in the book and it’s in high demand. 
  4. Ask a teacher: Teachers are really good at a lot of things, but recommending books is a talent high up on their list. 
  5. Ask a librarian: If there’s anyone more qualified to recommend a book, it’s a librarian. Even if they don’t know you personally.

Bonus: Read many of the book lists that we’ve curated here on our blog! Books are a big part of our lives and sharing them with you brings us joy.

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Back To School Picture Books

Back to school is approaching (or has approached?) for many! We are about a month away from starting school and I know several schools have either started or will be starting soon as well. We’ve been pulling out back-to-school picture books in our house to get us prepped for the big day. These books are not only great for reading at home before school starts, or to read to your class on the first day of school.

How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Reagan

We love the “How To” series, the humor of this book gives the first day of school a fun, exciting vibe.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

This book comes from one of my favorite authors. I love the inclusivity and perspective of this book.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Also a favorite author in our house. This book has a soft spot in my heart because it was the book my first-grade teacher read to the class on the first day of school (back in 1999!)

School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex

This perspective shift the book is written in makes it captivating and fun.

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Picture Books for Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! We’re celebrating the holiday in our favorite way… With picture books, of course! Here are a few we’ve read this year to learn more about Independence Day and what it means to America. 

Red, White, and BOOM! By Lee Wardlaw

What Is America? By Michelle Medlock Adams

F is For Flag by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

My Fourth of July by Jerry Spinelli 

Stars, Stripes, and Smiles by Tex Stanly 

Cover Photo by: Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/blur-bright-celebrate-celebration-236243/