Shan's 'No Fail' Read-Alouds for First Graders...

First graders can be a challenge when it comes to read-alouds. They generally are long past concept books and are easily bored by the simpler stories for the Pre-K audience. By now, they want meat to their story, interesting characters, new situations, and something that will speak to their growing maturity. Yet these same listeners will not be ready for longer, text-heavy reads (at least as a group) and will still be just beginning to really outfit their vocabulary. They’re more critical of what you pick now, and happy to tell you if they find something boring.

With five years of reading to first graders under my belt, I have a surefire bet when you need a book for a group of first graders you haven’t worked with before: make ’em laugh. Humor is a tool in your arsenal that will succeed where other books quickly lose interest. Kids that normally will not sit still for so much as a sentence will pay attention long enough to hear the next hilarious line. It’s a great way of pulling in your audience, breaking the ice, and proving to skeptical first graders that you know your stuff.

For parents, reading one on one will be an entirely different ball of wax, since you will know your child’s tastes and interests, so you may find that one on one offers more versatility. The following suggestions are still great read alouds, regardless.

	Badger’s Fancy Meal by Keiko Kasza—This time the predator is a greedy badger out to make his meal more fancy, but winds up with just desserts instead.
	The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie—This one you need a good bit of voice to read, so don’t tackle it if you’re tired or getting sick! A new addition to the zoo sleeps all day and sings all night, to the dismay of the other animals . . . but they have a plan to teach him a lesson!
	Little Rooster's Diamond Button by Margaret Read MacDonald—MacDonald is the queen of folktale picture books! This hilarious story of a rooster with a magic stomach and a greedy king tends to be an instant favorite!
	My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza—I dearly love Kasza’s books. He has a way with character interaction that is reminiscent of the old Loony Toons cartoons. In this one a fox finds a piglet knocking on his door . . . but who will wind up having the lucky day?
	My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman—This is a counting book with an element of grossness as the little sister eats everything from mice to lizards to worms and then some—lots of fun and appealing to those who like a bit of ick in the mix.
	Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch—This is my all time favorite book to kick off new library classes with. It’s school-related, funny as all get-out and breaks the ice with just about any group I’ve had!
	Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola—I’ve mentioned this book before, but it deserves including on this list! When pasta runs amuck it’s up to Strega Nona to get things back under control!
	Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel— A folktale that demonstrates the folly of naming a child something way too extravagant. Practice the name first before you try reading this one! It is a mouthful to say, but most of my listeners absolutely adore this book and will recognize it for years to come.
	Zomo the Rabbit by Gerald MacDermott—One of the trickster tales that works well with first graders, the simple text and the bright pictures help to make this story accessible and funny for kids.