Tips for reading aloud with your kids by Matheson Westlake, West Windsor Branch
Broad Kid Appeal
Whether all your kids are eager to cuddle up on the couch and read
over your shoulder, or you’re appealing to a mix of attention spans and
interest levels, your best bet is to read a story that can capture
everyone’s imagination. Position yourself strategically in a roomy spot
within earshot of any reluctant readers. Even if they appear to be only
half-listening, the right book may draw them closer. The five titles
listed below are geared toward independent readers age 8-12, but when
read aloud, they may be enjoyed by children as young as 5 (or even
college students home for the summer).
Cliffhangers
Episodic adventures that alternate everyday choices with high-stakes
action keep readers guessing. Short chapters that end with a tiger
leaping at the main character, or a bear chasing a robot off a cliff,
will leave your audience wanting more. (Admit it, you’re already
wondering how the robot will fare.) Doling out the story just a chapter
or two at a time will leave your readers eager for your next
session!
Characters (and Friendships) to Root For
An intrepid main character with good intentions provides young
readers with someone they identify with. Their understanding of that
character’s motivations, loyalties, and blind spots is expanded by a
dynamic supporting cast. Putting themselves in the protagonist’s shoes
can help a young reader understand the person they want to be in
relation to others. When the main character demonstrates care for others
while navigating through a series of sticky situations, the web of
relationships in the story can map nicely over their own connections
with friends and family. Such a story can be like a compass your kids
will carry with them long after the readaloud ends.
Enriched Understanding
It can be enriching on an emotional AND educational level to share a
well-written story with a young reader. Reading an entire book aloud
will build a shared understanding of cause and effect in the context of
the characters you discover together. Reading aloud to your kids
provides an emotional throughline, with your tone of voice enhancing
their ability to decode the meaning of the story. You can start a
discussion of the characters’ choices to help them express their
thoughts and feelings in relation to the story you’ve shared. And, of
course, reading aloud to your children helps them expand their
vocabularies and learn how to pronounce the words they see on the
page.
Suggested Reading:
The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers (winner of the
2023 Newbery Medal) This story gets its propulsive energy and quirky
charm from the voice of the narrator—a lovable dog who lives wild and
free. This animal-centric story centers on bonds of friendship and
fierce loyalty among an unforgettable cast of characters that includes
wise old buffalos, freedom-loving birds, inscrutable racoons, a goat
that stands apart from the herd, and other creatures that band together
to achieve improbable feats and protect one another.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (winner of the 2017 Charlotte
Huck Award) Nature and technology collide in this heartwarming and
action-packed trilogy opener. When a cargo ship carrying A.I. robots
built to serve human runs aground on a forested island, a robot castaway
must survive in a hostile environment where she is feared and
misunderstood by the other animals. How does Roz the Robot learn the
language of the animals and become a mother to a baby goose? What
happens to the animals when her creators come looking for her? Read the
book before you see the movie!
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (winner of the
2023 British Book Award for Children's Fiction Book of the Year) A
teenage boy from our part of the world dives through a portal to rescue
a baby griffin and a girl in a flying coat who are under attack! On the
other side, he discovers the long-hidden part of the world his ancestors
have secretly been protecting, where mythical creatures like unicorns,
mermaids and dragons are now in peril. To save these creatures, our trio
embarks on a sea voyage to solve an epic mystery and navigate to the
very center of an ancient labyrinth.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (Winner of
the 2010 Newbery Medal) Perhaps you’re familiar with the legend of a
master painter who painted everything but the eyes of a dragon on the
walls of a temple to prevent it from coming to life, or the related
Chinese idiom, ‘Paint the dragon, dot the eyes,’ which implies putting
the finishing touches on something that is already great. Not only will
you meet that escaped dragon in this story, but you will have the
satisfaction of reading a story with many twists and turns that comes to
the happiest ending anyone could hope for! Drawing on her extensive
knowledge of Chinese folklore and Buddhist tales of compassion and
kindness, the author tells the story of quick-thinking,
adventure-loving, 10-year-old Minli, who gets some pretty good
directions from a talking goldfish to kick-off her quest.
Pinocchio In His Own Words by Michael Morpugo (2018)
Faithful to the spirit and sequence of the original Adventures of
Pinocchio (1883), this retelling, ostensibly written by the puppet
himself, is a little more fun and relatable and contains a bit less
violence (for example, Pinocchio is not haunted by the ghost of Jiminy
Cricket throughout the entire book after accidentally killing him with a
hammer on page 1). Cheeky, impulsive, and easily duped, the poor little
guy faces many temptations and dangers, rendered in full-color
illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark. If your target audience loves
pictures and you think they’re ready for chapter books, this volume
could be the perfect bridge.
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