19 Must Read Alouds for 2019 | Children's LIterature | Reading Good Books

Happy Reading in this New Year!  Here are 19 favorite picture books and some chapter books to read aloud to your students.  My list includes books that teach life lessons, stir emotions and are enjoyed over and over again by millions of readers.  [This list is in no particular order].  When someone asks me what is your favorite book?  I often answer, "the one I am reading right now?"

Before you browse this list... Did you know?  

• Children who read often get better at reading
• Picture books inspire inquisitive minds to think about characters, their problems, their solutions, and the many plots they find themselves in
• Children who are read to often develop a keen skill of listening and concentration
• Children learn about the world around them through illustrations and stories written by talented and knowledgeable authors 
• As the many words wash over them during a read aloud, children learn new words and expand their vocabulary 
• Children develop imagination and become creative
• Children develop empathy for characters and people 
• Children learn life lessons from book characters
• Children enjoy literature and talk about books and characters
• Children seek out reading on their own
• Readers do better in school and life

  2019 New Year's Promise:  Read more picture books to your class and find yourself in a book talk that engages thinking, camaraderie and a truly literary community. 

Her3. Reading improves concentration.
1.

Jan Brett spent many, many hours as a child reading and drawing. She decided that she wanted to illustrate books when she was a child.  Many of her books are written from her childhood memories.  She visits other countries to learn about people, cultures and countryside and uses these travel experiences to write her books.  She loves animals and most of her books have information about animals and nature.  

Jan knows that her drawings help tell the story.  She is famous for intricate, beautiful borders around her pages.