I’m always getting new ideas of books to use for teaching various comprehension strategies, but again and again I fall back on a few favorites. I don’t know if they really are the best, but I know that every time I use these books in the classroom we end up having the most amazing discussions and I end up feeling like a rock star teacher! Something about these books draws kids in and gets them thinking.
You can click on the book covers below to magically be transported to Amazon if you want to read more about any of the books. If you don’t already own them – purchase them immediately! (Or check them out from the library…) But get them, read them, and I hope you love them as much as I do!
Character Traits & Relationships
The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume & Willy and Hugh by Anthony Browne
The Pain & the Great One is also amazing for point of view and thinking about different perspectives. I love having the kids describe the brother from the sister’s point of view and vice versa. They always have tons of connections to this story. And Willy & Hugh is such a sweet, funny story that has this amazing message about friendship and how differences can lead to a stronger bond. The kids are great at coming up with the traits that each character admires in the other.
Asking Questions
Visualizing & Sensory Details
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen & The Night Tree by Eve Bunting & C’mon, Rain! by Karen Hesse
Sorry, I get a little excited when I talk about my favorite books… But these are my new classics and I think every kid should hear/read them at some point in their schooling. I’d love to hear your favorites for teaching different strategies, too. Or what you think of these amazing books.
Stay calm and teach on.