Celebrating World Read Aloud Day 2017

On Thursday, February 16, we celebrated World Read Aloud Day! Although read aloud is part of every day, we love to take this opportunity that LitWorld has created and celebrate together.

This year, we celebrated with Katie DiCesare's first graders.  To prepare for the celebration, each third grader chose a book that they wanted to read aloud. We talked about choosing a book that a first grader would like, one they could enjoy with you in one sitting and one that you could get "really good" at reading aloud.  Kids chose books on Monday and read them over and over throughout the week.  The joyful buzz in the room when 24 third graders were reading aloud books they loved was FABULOUS!

These are the books that were read aloud:

We got together several times as we prepared for World Read Aloud day.  Early in the week, we shared the reasons we chose the books that we did.  The reasons were varied but so thoughtful.
When I asked students why they chose the book they did, they said things like:

"I think a first grader will like it because it has good pictures to go with the words."
"This is a funny book and when I was in first grade, I loved funny books."
"I picked Piggie and Elephant because most kids love Gerald and Piggie."
"I thought first graders might like books with dogs in it."
"You can read it over and over again without getting bored."

Students get together to read and share their choices for World Read Aloud Day

We got together later in the week to talk about the fun we were having reading aloud the book. I asked students to find a page that they LOVED to read aloud.  We shared those pages--which was GREAT FUN!--and then discussed the things that made the pages extra fun to read aloud. Kids said they loved reading aloud pages with dialogue. They especially liked it when there was a picture of the character so that you could tell the character's emotion when he said the words. They loved pages where lines repeated over and over. And they loved when authors did something interesting with the font or punctuation.

We had a great time celebrating World Read Aloud Day by reading aloud to 1st graders, listening to them read books from their book bins and talking about the fun of reading aloud.  It was a great day!

Celebrating World Read Aloud Day AND The Knowing Book

The Knowing Book

by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

illustrated by Matthew Cordell

Boyds Mills Press, 2016

We are thrilled to be celebrating a wonderful new book that is destined to become a classic read aloud...on World Read Aloud Day!

The Knowing Book takes the reader along on the main character's journey from the comfort of home, out into the world to live and grown and learn, and then back home again. It is a wise book, a book of the heart, a book that will surely be given at many baby showers and graduations, and read aloud at important milestones in children's lives.

We were lucky enough to ask the author and illustrator some questions about the book and their process. Interspersed between the Q/A are some early sketches by Matthew Cordell.

When you wrote the book, what were your hopes for readers?

That they would find some comfort in knowing they aren't alone, that there are things they can always count on, that there are universal miracles that no one can ever take away from them; the sky, the stars, the overwhelming oneness and the magic of knowing the world is big and wide and always waiting, whether it be with a new adventure or a new hope in a hopeless situation. More than anything I hope they feel untroubled in some way. –Rebecca

Did you work together as author and illustrator? Can you talk about the process of creating this book together or separately?

Typically authors and illustrators do not work together in a close collaboration. The editor and/or art director of the book is the point person and all comments and communication are ran through that channel. But it was an open channel, and Rebecca and I were both very open to any thoughts and suggestions from each other. Our editor, Rebecca Davis is incredibly insightful and thoughtful and caring too. It was just a wonderful, wonderful process--beginning to end--of fine tuning this book to get it just right. –Matthew

I agree with everything Matthew said. And I love how he refers to it as "an open channel." We both felt so deeply about this book, and I think put so much of ourselves into it, in ways I'm still figuring out. To get each detail, each nuance right, we all had to listen to each other and be open to and respect what the other's artistic expression and heart wanted to share on the page. We were very lucky that our editor was a two-way guiding light. –Rebecca

This book, although a picture book, seems to have a strong message for people of all ages and in all stages of life. Who were you thinking of when you had the idea for this book?

When I had the idea, the feelings and emotions had come from where I was emotionally, and that was sad and a bit hopeless. But then I immediately thought of children who might feel somehow lighter, less burdened, more hopeful if they really, really thought about the universe always being there for them. But after it was all written and rewritten and I looked at it with new eyes, I realized it could be for anyone, any age. —Rebecca 

The title is brilliant. Was it the first idea you had or did it evolve?

Thank you, first of all! I would have said it was The Knowing Book from the start. But as I was putting together all of my drafts and correspondence having anything to do with the manuscript into its own box (I keep labeled boxes for each book) I saw a draft that had The Always Book jotted down, then crossed out with The Knowing Book written next to it. The "always" would have referred to the line "it is what you will always know." But I remember now repeating the word know, know, know, over and over and realizing that was the most important thought I wanted the reader to gain; that these are the things they will always know. –Rebecca 

How did you decide to illustrate this as a bunny rather than a child? What process did you go to to decide on that?

We went through a series of tests before I began illustrating the book. I wanted the character to be universal. I wanted all boys and girls (and grown-ups too) of all different backgrounds and ethnicities to be able to plug her or himself into this book and these words. In my experience, making the character an animal--if it works--is a sure fire way to do this. I tried a few different animals at first. A bear, a mouse, and a rabbit. The bear and mouse had the sweet sincerity I wanted, but they were almost too cute. And this book is not about being cute. It's much more honest than that. Of the three, the rabbit had the most insightful and inner wisdom and worth. We did also try a child, for the sake of trying. I did some sketches of a child that might be construed as a girl OR a boy. Depending on who might be reading it. But in the end, the rabbit was a unanimous choice. –Matthew

The illustrations and text work together to be serious and hopeful. How did you accomplish that?

I'm so glad to hear you say it that way. Because that's how I hope readers will see it. I think everyone who worked on this book saw and wanted for the same things. It really was such a good fit! If anything ever strayed from that path, it was gently corrected back into place by someone. From the moment I read Rebecca's manuscript I had a vision in my mind of how it would play out. I never wanted this book to be silly of funny or even sweet. Joyful, yes. But even dark at times, in a poignant sort of way. Real. Because that is real life for all of us. Children and adults. –Matthew

I'd like to add that my hope had been for The Knowing Book to be illustrated in a thoughtful, serious ("joyful" is perfect) way mixed with a whimsical spirit roaming through the pages. And Matthew made it happen. –Rebecca

It seems like your work is so perfect together! Will you do more books together, do you think? 

Gosh, I sure hope so! I love Rebecca's writing. It was an honor to be chosen to illustrate KNOWING, and I hope it's not the last!  –Matthew

I second that. I have my hopes that down the road there will be a very special book I write that might be just right for another Matthew Cordell pairing, and that he'll say yes when he sees it! –Rebecca

Thank you, Rebecca and Matthew for joining us on your blog tour, and congratulations on a fabulous collaboration.

World Read Aloud Day -- 7 Strengths Countdown

I blogged about Belonging Week, Curiosity Week, and Friendship Week, and then I dropped the ball! Now I'm going to attempt to combine Kindness Week, Confidence Week and Courage Week all into one post!

Last week (on 2/2, the day the book was released), I started Pax, by Sara Pennypacker, as our next read aloud. It's another book with hard issues that we can feel in our hearts; another book that will make us gasp with fear and cry with relief; another book that will put us in the shoes of a character who is dealing with hard problems; another book with a character on a physical journey and a journey of the heart.

This remarkable story is told in alternating chapters from the points of view of Peter (the boy) and Pax (the fox). Both Peter and Pax encounter other characters who show them unexpected kindness and who help them build their confidence and grow into a place of courage. In fact, the parallels between the boy's and the fox's stories are something I hope my students will notice on their own. Who am I kidding? They are already making amazing comparisons between this book and Dan Geminhart's The Honest Truth and Some Kind of Courage.

If you haven't read this amazing book, move it to the top of your TBR stack!

World Read Aloud Day -- Friendship Week

How does reading help us connect and make the world friendlier?

It gives us something to talk about -- BOOKS! What a blessing to belong to communities of readers, where the currency for a good conversation is as cheap and easy as "What are you reading now?"

And how does read aloud do the same thing? By giving a classroom full of diverse readers lots of books in common to use as reference points and compass points and discussion points.

World Read Aloud Day -- Curiosity Week

We're getting ready to begin a new read aloud in my classroom, and this is definitely a time that fits with the World Read Aloud Day theme of CURIOSITY. My students can't wait to find out what I've chosen, and I'm wondering how they'll react to and interact with the book.

I've chosen The Lion Who Stole My Arm by Nicola Davies. I think it will be interesting to compare the "journey" of Pedru as he works toward revenge on the lion who attacked him, to the journeys of Mark and Joseph in Dan Gemeinhart's two books.

Our next read aloud after this short (under 100 pages) but intense read will be Pax, by Sara Pennypacker, which is set to come out February 2. I've never chosen read alouds around the same theme all year long, but we got started with these powerful, heart-wrenching journey stories, and I'm CURIOUS to see what it will be like to continue with books on the same theme throughout the year!

World Read Aloud Day -- Seven Strengths Countdown

LitWorld is counting down the weeks until World Read Aloud Day by highlighting a different strength of read aloud each week.

This week is BELONGING WEEK ("When has reading helped you feel like you belong to a community?")

In my classroom, the books I read aloud bring the class together as a community -- a truth this year in particular.

We started the year with Dan Gemeinhart's THE HONEST TRUTH (I reviewed it last year here.) When we finished, I suggested to the class that we share a "lighter" book next. They were vehemently against it -- they begged me for another book with hard issues that they would feel in their hearts. Another book that would make them gasp with fear, and cry with relief. Another book that would put them in the shoes of a character  who is dealing with hard problems.

We had a chance to Skype with Dan Gemeinhart, and he showed us the arc of his next book, SOME KIND OF COURAGE (available January 26). In a stroke of good luck, the arc arrived the next day in a box full of arcs from Scholastic.

SOME KIND OF COURAGE was our second read aloud of the year, and it was all kinds of magic. The book can be compared to THE HONEST TRUTH in its theme, characters, and story arc. Both are stories of quests, but SOME KIND OF COURAGE is historic fiction, rather than realistic fiction. Gemeinhart has the ability to write memorable scenes, and his mixture of sad or nerve-wracking scenes with humorous scenes is masterful. We are Skyping again this Friday, and we feel privileged to be one of the first classes to give him feedback on this book. I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that we'll be giving him two thumbs up!

Because of a change of schedule, four of my students were going to be missing read aloud two out of the four days we have it. I was completely flummoxed about what I should do. There was just no other time in the schedule when I have them that I could work it in, and I didn't want to deny all the rest of the kids just for those four. I was stuck. Then their teacher came to me and shared that they are feeling the same way. Missing read aloud was a non-negotiable for them. So we worked it out so that my four can stay for read aloud and not miss anything in their other class. WHEW!

If that's not a testament to the strength of our classroom community around our read aloud, I'm not sure what is!

World Read Aloud Day

World Read Aloud Day is tomorrow! If you don't know about World Read Aloud Day or its sponsoring organization LitWorld, you should check out their website asap.  (In December, I posted information on how to register for the event.)  This is one of those amazing events that you can participate in in so many ways. You can make it a huge event or a little celebration.

I am celebrating with my students tomorrow by beginning the conversation of Reading as a Gift/The Gift of Reading.  I'll kick off the day reading Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr .  Even though it is a simple book, it should start lots of great conversations. Then I'll share a few videos --one from the LitWorld site and one from Kobo Books that was a Mother's Day video.

I'll also share a few videos that were shared on the WRAD blog--where authors gave their time to read aloud.  I think these 3 videos will help kids understand the idea of this being a global celebration. They will also hopefully begin to think of reading as a gift.

We are giving the gift of reading and receiving the gift of reading on World Read Aloud Day.  We'll spend a bit of time in the morning reading to our Kindergarten students.  Then we'll have a short Skype visit with author Barbara O'Connor who is giving her time to classrooms in celebration of World Read Aloud Day.

I think these few things will begin a larger conversation that will hopefully continue throughout the year--the rights of all people to read and the idea of reading as a gift (to give and to receive).  I am hopeful that kids will come up with ways to give back to our own school community with the gift of reading in some way.   I'm not sure exactly where the conversation will go but I am anxious to celebrate and see where the conversations take us!

Thank you LitWorld for inventing such a wonderful day!

Have You Registered for World Read Aloud Day?

There are so many opportunities for our classrooms these days that it is often hard to participate in everything that looks worthwhile.  For the past few years, I've wanted to do more on World Read Aloud Day and this year I am committed to that.

World Read Aloud Day will be held on March 5, 2014. It is sponsored by LitWorld. If you don't know this organization, you need to. The do amazing work to support literacy around the world.   The website says this about World Read Aloud Day:

Imagine a world where everyone can read...

World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology.

By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.

The last few years, I haven't been able to participate. Things were already on the calendar for those days and it was one thing I couldn't fit in. But I followed along and saw the amazing power this day had. So this year, I am committed to taking part in this day in lots of ways. I am still just thinking but there are so many options for this day. Here is what I am thinking right now:

-I'd like my focus to be on literacy as a gift. How we take our life with literacy and books for granted, but also that we can give gifts of literacy. I worry that too often our kids think that the only way to give is in a monetary or material way, but I want them to know that you can give with books. You can give story. You can read aloud to someone. You can write a letter. The power of literacy as a way to give back to the world is huge and I want to do something around that.

-I'd love to get some authors to read aloud to my class that day via Skype. They'd be thrilled to meet some of their faves that way. And I hear some of them are willing to do this. Crossing my fingers!

-I'd like to do some Family Event around World Read Aloud Day. I'm not sure what it will look like yet but I think this component is important.

-And I want my students to know about organizations like Litworld and Booklove and Reading Village--organizations that are committed to getting books into the hands of kids. My kids know how strongly I believe in literacy but I don't think they know that many people have no access to books or education. To know how many great organizations are doing things to support literacy around the world in various ways will be part of our conversation.

So, like I said, at this point, all I've done is put the date on my calendar and register. And I've started to think about how I hope this day impacts my students' learning. And how I want it to be part of our yearlong conversation around community and literacy and giving.


Have you registered yet? How will you celebrate?