Hi Moms! My son is in first grade. In the morning before school, students can be dropped off 1/2 hour early and teachers/parents volunteern their time to come in and read to the students. My husband has volunteered to do this....but what should he read? Can anyone suggest some books that are appropriate for boys & girls ages 6-7 that are short enough to be read in a half hour or so?
Thanks!
My 1st grader LOVES the "The Magic Bus" series. They are set in a classroom with a crazy science teacher who takes them on field trips. For example, the bus full of the kids somehow gets eaten, and the kids learn all about the inside of the body. Or the bus somehow ends up in the ocean and the kids learn all about the sea. It's written in a really silly way that first graders love. It would probably take 20 minutes to read out loud.
Talk to the school librarian and to the children's section librarian at your local library.
They LOVE questions like this!
This is one of my all-time favorites: http://www.amazon.com/Whos-Afraid-Big-Bad-Book/dp/0786809264
If your husband isn't afraid to be a little bit goofy (I give all the characters different voices), first graders will LOVE it. In fact, we still have this book, and still read it at bedtime sometimes, and my girls are 7 and 10 now. :)
The other books that we've enjoyed are The Jolly Postman books. http://www.amazon.com/Jolly-Postman-Allan-Ahlberg/dp/0316...
They have real letters in them (that you take out of the envelope on each page) from various fairy tale characters to each other. Very cute and fun.
Any books by Ted Arnold ("Parts") or David Shannon are funny with great pictures. He could also choose to read something about weather, nature, outerspace, etc. Have Fun!
I would think they would have books in the class for you?
Both my kids like Skippy John Jones. But they are little. Also I would read several short books over one 30 min read. As kids are being dropped off and they get to hear at least one or two story lines in the entireity.
The Magic Tree House Series will take about 30 minutes to read.
He may have better luck reading 2 or 3 shorter books. Suggestions...
Cam Jansen
Nate the Great
If You Give a Pig a Pancake (and other similar books)
Henry and Mudge
You may also want to ask the school librian or a teacher for suggestions.
The Junie B. Jones & Magic Tree House books are great! That being said, there's no way he'd get through one in a half hour; it would have to be a continual thing.
When my oldest was born, we received a wonderful hard-cover book that included a number of old, classic stories -- Jack & the Beanstalk, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Rumplestilzkin, Stone Soup, etc. along with a bunch of others that I'd never heard of. I had brought in that book several times when the kids were younger and read one or two of those stories. Perhaps he could download (or borrow from the library) some of those classic stories. They never get old, IMO.
He'll probably have to have a a stack of shorter books because one book will only take a few minutes! The Tree House series is great, but I agree that they are too long for a 30 min session. Books we love are...
Pete the Cat series
Skippy John Jones (many different ones of those)
Dinosaurs Love Underpants (I haven't read these, but they came recommended to me from a friend)
Knuffle Bunny
Eric Carle books are great, one of our faves is The Cloud Book
The Jack and Annie Magic Tree House series are popular. For shorter, funny stories, we still love the "Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry" series, and "Henry and Mudge" series, both by Cynthia Rylant.
With the shorter, picture books, I usually make them last a lot longer, by getting the kids involved. For example, when they paint the porch in the story, I ask the kids what color THEY would paint it, and ask them to find the squirrel (or whatever) in the picture, and engage them in each page.
We also like science experiment books, so if he's more of a 'hands on' kind of guy, 'Earth Science for Every Kid' by Janice VanCleave is sure to be a hit. The experiments would be easy to do in the half hour, if he comes with the simple supplies.
Ask the teacher for specific recommendations, I'm sure she has lots of ideas that are relevant and maybe even some that tie in to the current curriculum and/or interests of the students!
My daughter's class enjoyed "Swamp Angel", the tall-tale story of a young woman who is the new Paul Bunyan. She "wrassles" grizzly bears, lassos tornados and drinks lakes dry. It's great for boys and girls and very good for the reader if he likes to do voices. There's also a sequel but I forget the title. That was also fun to read. Both are by Paul O. Zelinsky.
The Miss Nelson series and The Stupids are also hits with both boys and girls. And don't forget Arthur.
Hope he has fun!
my son loved fly guy last year. every time he brought home a library book it was fly guy.
