Read - Aloud (let's make a list) I am looking for some really good read-aloud books for my 6th graders. Can we make a list of ones that have been read in class that were good?
I love Series of Unfortunate Events for that agr level (I've used it with grade three, but I think it's perhaps more appropriate for slightly older students) Apart from that, I have lots of Robert Munsch books, Junie B Jones, Bailey School Kids... not the kind of literature most sixth graders are interested in :lol:
I teach at a Classical Charter School and we base everything on 4 virtues - Fortitude, justice, temperace and prudence. We have to be careful of what is read and what is done in the classroom. I taught 8th grade and wanted to use Billy Joel's song "We did not start the Fire" but couldn't because of the line about hypodermic needles on the shore. We don't even participate in the red ribbon weeks for drug awareness.
Last year I read Thief Lord and started reading Where the Red Fern Grows. Didn't finish the last ones though because of time but the kids were getting into it. This year I want to read A Single Shard. There is a section of it in our Reading Basal and it seems interesting. I'll get a copy of it for my library anyways.
I'm taking a 3 day workshop right now on Read Alouds--I'll have quite a comprehensive list by the end of tomorrow to post!
We love The Graduation of Jake Moon about a middle school boy whose grandfather suffers from alzheimer's and embarasses him frequently.
Found and Sent by Katherine Peterson Haddix Shadow Children Series by Haddix---actually any of her books are great for both boys and girls Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech Chasing Veermer, The Wright 3, The Calder Game by Blue Balliet (read in that order)
The Giver, Number the Stars, Dust Bowl, and Rules come to mind. If you can, I suggest add picture books too, such as Pink and Say by Patricia Pollaco.
Reading your thread on read alouds is what made me want a list of good books to use in the classroom.
My kids enjoyed Found by Haddix and I ended up reading the sequel as well (forgot its name). I also read The Lightning Thief.
Andrew Clements has a new series for this age, the second book is scheduled to come out in September, I believe. It's called Keepers of the School, and it's really good. (I read an ARC of the second one and got so into it that I had to run out and buy the first, which is only out in hardcover!)
I need to get busy and get my read alouds in order according to seasons and authors. I do an author study for Jan Brett, Patricia Polacco, and Eric Carle. I also do about 3 weeks of biographies.
