Winter Reading

Yay, it's spring, time to post our winter reading list. I just recently finished The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie and it made me even more excited to start reading more chapter books together as a family. She had book lists for each age group at the end of the book and we had already read most of the picture books but there were lots of chapter books listed I'd never even heard of! Usually when we do our read aloud time, Elise chooses a picture book and sits in my lap while I read. When Carter picks a chapter book, if it has pictures she will sit and listen. If it doesn't or if it doesn't really capture her interest, she will sit on the floor and play with cars or Hatchimals while we read. She did that a lot with The One and Only Bob but I knew she was listening because when we got to an intense part of the book she'd suddenly stop playing and sit rapt in attention. It was really nice reading that MacKenzie not only encourages her kids to do something with their hands as they listen, but she has a basket set aside with things for them to do as they listen. When I think about it, I never just sit and listen to my audiobook. I'm always either folding laundry, driving, cooking, or doing chores. No matter how amazing the book is, I have to be doing something else as I listen. I love that she encouraged that and gave ideas for things children can do while you read to them. I made notes of some of the ideas and it's definitely something I want to incorporate in my classroom when I go back to full-time teaching. I did it all the time with the preschoolers because they can't really sit still for very long, but I didn't with my 1st and 2nd graders. We'd always have a read aloud time where students ate their snacks as I read and another where they just sat on the carpet and listened. How wonderful would it be if instead of just sitting and listening, they could be painting or drawing as they listened. Lots to think about with that! Anyway, on to our favorite books we read together this winter. Read our past winter reading lists here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014.

We pre-ordered this book so it arrived the day it came out and Carter read the whole book in one evening after school!

Winter Reading Favorites

• Antarctica by Helen Cowcher- I've had this book forever and used it as a teaching text in class. I have it in my winter bin and get it out each year. This year Elise became obsessed with the book and we read it every night for weeks. She also wanted to read Where Is Home, Little Pip? out of the winter book bin a bunch which I've had on a different reading list when Carter went through a phase where we read it every night.

• The Truth About Butterflies by Maxwell Eaton III- This book was so cool! It was informative with lots of facts about butterflies. It was also funny which the kids loved.

• Fairy Science by Ashley Spires- This book was so adorable. It was about science vs magic. The kids loved it and I wanted to record it to read in class when we talk about experimenting. We got this one because Carter loved Spires' graphic novels so much, I put all her books the library had on hold.

• Binky series by Ashley Spires- Recording the last book reminded me to add these. Carter absolutely loved these graphic novels and they were pretty funny. I thought he might like them so I got him one at the library. He liked them so much I got them all and he read them all in one sitting when we got home from the library.

• Dragon Masters series by Tracey West- We started these by reading aloud together. Then Carter couldn't wait to find out what happened next and read ahead. Once Carter got a few books ahead of us, Elise lost interest.

• Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham- This book talked about staying inside to keep others safe and from the masks people were wearing in the pictures, it was obvious it was referring to Covid-19. With how much our lives changed this past year, it sure hit me in the feels, and I almost cried reading it to the kids. They loved looking at the pictures and discussing how it was like our lives.

• Wings of Fire series by Tui Sutherland- Carter loved these and devoured them when each new one came in at the library.

• The End (almost) by Jim Benton- Elise thought this book was hilarious and each time we finished it, we had to turn back to the beginning and start over again.

• My Papa is a Princess by Doug Cenko- Elise picked this one out at the library and she thought it was hilarious.

• Tarra and Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley- The librarian read this book on a Zoom Meeting to Carter's class and he loved it so much he asked me to get it from the library so Elise could read it. He told everyone about this book he loved it so much.

• Bad Kitty books by Nick Bruel- Carter loved these books and thought they were so funny. Elise liked them too. Carter's favorite was Bad Kitty Vs Uncle Murray. 

• Bug Boys books by Laura Knetzger- Carter loves graphic novels so I got one of these for him to try. I thought they were weird but he and Elise both loved them.

• Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups by Tadgh Bentley- Elise loved this book so much I got tired of reading it, especially because I had to hiccup multiple times a page. But it was worth it with how much she giggled at it.

• The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson- We love all the books of Donaldson's we've read and this one was just as cute and rhythmic as her others. The kids loved it.