I have a brand new class: a busy group of seven and eight year olds. Many of them are not used to the nonfiction read aloud. But, they love to be read to and they are fascinated when I share facts with them about the world. Nonfiction books are stories of their world and I know they will be hooked. I wandered through my collection yesterday and pulled some titles to start reading aloud.
I needed titles that are not too long. They have to have engaging photos or illustrations. Ideally, there will be some humour or an interactive element (guessing and checking). The language needs to fit and if it can be lyrical and lovely, all the better. Or punchy and action packed!
Here are the ten titles I selected as beginning nonfiction read alouds:
Nest by Jorey Hurley
A series of words and beautiful images to explore birds and their nests.
A Bird Is a Bird by Lizzy Rockwell
What makes a bird a bird exactly? A title to explore all the qualities of a bird.
Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons written by Sara Levine with illustrations by T.S. Spookytooth
A fun interactive style. What kind of animal would you be if . . . ?
Guess What is Growing Inside this Egg by Mia Posada
Clues and images lead us to the next page where we find the answer. Perfect to read a few pages at a time.
I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton
Humour, spiders and some splatting. Learning as you laugh! Perfect.
Eat Like a Bear written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Follow a bear over seasons – how and what does a bear eat?
Weeds Find a Way written by Cindy Jenson-Elliott and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher
Lyrical and visually stunning. Appreciate weeds for their beauty and persistence.
A Leaf Can Be . . . by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Violeta Dabija
Beautiful nonfiction describing and hinting at all of the roles leaves can play – from “rain stopper” to “shade spiller” and many more.
Best Foot Forward: Exploring Feet, Flippers, and Claws by Ingo Arndt
Marvel at the various interesting animal feet that different animals use to walk, climb, dig, paddle, etc. There is a guessing from a photograph aspect to this book.
Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
The format is engaging – each animal is introduced with a mini letter/question and answer.
Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2015. Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction books you need to read!