Best Read Aloud for 4th Grade...Seriously!!

Every year, I waffle about my first read aloud of the year.  It's a big decision. I mean... it is the first book that you share with your class. It sets the stage and tone for all future read alouds.  Not to be dramatic or anything, but it's important. :)

But now, thanks to my fabulous new 4th grade team, I know the best read aloud for starting the year in 4th grade.  And, that read aloud is Gooney Bird Greene! 


I cannot believe I had not read this book until this year.  I love books and it seems criminal that I missed this one. If you've been waiting to read this book, don't wait any longer.  It's laugh out loud funny, full of fabulous description, and entertaining from cover to cover.  I mean, it IS Lois Lowry and everything she writes is pretty much literary gold.

Gooney Bird Greene is no exception.

So, why did I wait so long to read this little novel?  Easy.  It's about a second grade class and I thought it would be too young for my class.  Silly me. Silly me.

The story follows one second grade class that gets a new student, Gooney Bird Greene. Gooney is unlike any other student in class.  She's got style and flair.  She's always true to herself and most importantly she's an amazing storyteller.  Soon, the students are begging for Gooney to share more stories from her life that seem larger than life but are actually 100% true.

This book may have been about 2nd graders, but the story is captivating and entertaining no matter what your age. Every student in my room loved this book! They begged for more each and every day.

Naturally, this would be a great read aloud for any grade, but why do I specifically say 4th grade? Easy. Gooney not only tells stories from her own life but gives writing tips along the way. She talks about adding detail and description. She gives advice about staying on topic.  She offers suggestions for transitions and story ideas.  The entire last chapter is Gooney showing the rest of the 2nd graders they they have stories to tell in their lives and how to find them based on the stories she told. It's the perfect idea springboard.

As a 4th grade teacher that teaches personal narrative, I could not have found a better way to start the year.  The kids loved the read aloud and they are already referencing the book during writer's workshop.  They all want to be Gooney Bird Greene and I'm relishing all the great writing instruction they got without even knowing it.

Thank you Lois Lowry and thank you Goonie Bird Greene.

I will never have to worry about my beginning of the year read aloud again.

Mentor Writing Text: The Day the Crayons Quit!

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you had a great holiday and enjoyed your time off.  I have been relishing every last minute of freedom. I have not graded one paper, looked over a single lesson plan, or even uncapped a purple pen (because we all know red is taboo). However, I can never fully turn off my teacher brain.  Look what I found!


The Day the Crayons Quit
by Drew Daywalt

Perhaps you are like me and you had seen it before.  You'd even heard about it.  I mean...it's a New York Times Bestseller, right? How could we have missed it?

I had seen it on display, but I had never sat down and read it all the way through. Um...it's HILARIOUS and the perfect book for teaching children about personification, perspective, and writing voice. I liked it so much I bought it right then and there.  I even paid full price! Okay, full disclosure... I used a gift card, but you get the idea.

The book begins with Duncan discovering a stack of letters instead of his crayons in his desk. Each crayon has written to him to express their concerns and complaints about how they are being used.  Some feel under appreciated, some just need a break, and some just want him to start coloring in the lines.

Oliver Jeffers (illustrator of Stuck and The Moose Belongs to Me) did the pictures and they are fabulous!

Take a look...

picture courtesy of sittingcomfortably.org

picture courtesy of coolmompicks.com

 

In the end, Duncan discovers he needs to use all the crayons to make them happy and creates this final masterpiece.  Notice the lack of white space.  I'm always on my students to fill the page with color.  This is the perfect example of what I mean. White is in fact a color. Naturally, Duncan receives an A in coloring. I think I would give him an A+!

picture courtesy of searchingforteacherbalance.blogspot.com

I can honestly say this is one of my favorite picture books I have read in awhile. I laughed out loud in the middle of Barnes and Noble and have enjoyed rereading it several times since.

I plan on using this as a mentor text for my 4th graders.  After reading and discussing the voice, perspective of each crayon, and personification (because really you can't waste this opportunity) students will write their own letters from the crayons point of view. 

I love books like this because it doesn't just provide one or two examples... there are thirteen examples!  The kids hear good writing over and over again.  And we all know it takes more then one good example. It gives them shoulders to stand on while they write..the definition of a good mentor text. Thank you Drew Daywalt!

I can't wait to give this a try with my 4th graders.  I see a very cool class book in our future...The Day the Crayons Quit 4th Grade!

 

Fiction Friday: Chapter 5 1/2

Happy Friday friends and fellow book lovers! If you read my last post, then you already know my family has been in town this past week.  My mom flew in to San Antonio from Seattle, and we have been all over town.  We did some sight seeing, drank one or two margaritas, and did some a bit A LOT of shopping.  It's been a great week, but I didn't reach my goal of finishing starting any new books. Unless of course you count this completely wonderful book I discovered while browsing my local Barnes and Noble. 

You know what?  I'm counting it.  Let Fiction Friday begin!

This week I read...

if you want to see a whale

written by Julie Fogliano

illustrated by Erin E. Stead

In this beautifully illustrated book, the narrator gives you advice for how to see a whale.

Here are a few sample pages.  Aren't the illustrations perfect? 

They match the simplicity and beauty of the story so well.

 "if you want to see a while

keep both eyes on the see"

 "if you are looking for a whale

there's no time to watch the pelican

who may or may not be smiling

while sitting, staring, and looking out

because pelicans who sit and stare can never be a whale"

"if you want to see a whale

you shouldn't watch the clouds

some floating by, some hanging down

in the sky that's spread out, side to side

or the certain sun that's shinning

because if you start to look straight up

you might just miss a whale"

The book goes on to describe other distractions you should avoid while looking for a whale, all the while beautifully describing the world around the young boy.  It is an absolutely lovely book. 

I immediately started thinking about how I could use this as a mentor writing text.  The structure of this book would be perfect for students to mimic. I'm imagining my students writing their own, "If you want to see a ________________" stories. This would be a great book to add to any descriptive writing unit.

As a lover of books, I loved that no punctuation was used throughout the book.  It just fit. It was more poetic that way. However, as a 4th grade teacher, I'm not a very big fan.  We will have to discuss why this writer got away without capitalizing anything or using a single period anywhere. 

Oh... LIGHT BULB!! The kids could go back and put the capitalization and periods in as an editing activity.  Oh... yes... that would work wonderfully.  Whew!

This was a great find while strolling through the book store.  I'm not sure how I missed it before, but I'm sure glad I stumbled upon it this week.  It is definitely going to be added to my collection.

Keep on linking up to Fiction Friday with reviews of your recent reads or previous favorites. Isn't children's literature the best?  Love it!

Happy Reading!

New Favorite: Tub-Boo-Boo

 I just had to pop in tonight to share my new favorite picture book: tub-boo-boo. Have you heard of it?!

It is H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S!

Our new reading coach recommended it to introduce mentor texts for ideas.  BUT it could be used 101 different ways to teach writing.  From word choice to sentence fluency to voice...oh my gosh... the voice.. it is a really high quality, well written book that kids would enjoy mimicking. I think I could honestly teach everything I need to teach in writing with THIS book.

The story is told from the sister's perspective as if she is a reporter giving you the full TRUE story.  Basically, her younger brother has to take a bubble bath because he is filthy. Just before getting out of the bath, he gets his toe stuck in the faucet.  It's a tub-boo-boo! Mom, being the mother, is positive she can help, but gets stuck too. Dad comes into save the day, but...uh-oh...you guessed it.  Dad gets stuck too.  So, Dad pulls out his cell phone and calls the police, who come and (of course) also get stuck.  I'm sure you get the idea.  Luckily the sister (aka the reporter) comes in and saves the day just before all the bubbles disappear and the situation gets too embarrassing. 

Again, it is H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S!

You and your kids will laugh out loud while you read it.  The book is pure fun! After reading it aloud, we used it as a jumping off point for a personal narrative on an embarrassing moment.  But honestly, you could use this for so much in terms of teaching ideas or writing craft.

I'm glad I read it in September, so that I can continue to come back to it as a mentor text over and over again throughout the year.

There is even a lesson for it on WritingFix.com.  Bonus!

It is truly a great book. Now, I had to give my copy back to her, but I plan on ordering it from Amazon tonight.  I hope you grab a copy too!

If you have 8 minutes, here's the story being read aloud by Miss Nona, the Reading Lady. Enjoy!