Read Aloud Recommendations

From author Andrea L. Rogers and illustrator Rebecca Lee Kunz, both citizens of the Cherokee Nation, comes a sweet and relatable tale about sibling relationships, which was recently awarded the 2025 Caldecott Medal. Chooch, like most toddlers, wants to be involved in everything: painting murals, fixing bicycles, playing the guitar, planting seeds. But his big sister, Sissy, isn’t interested in Chooch’s “help,” and is frustrated with her two-year-old brother’s interference with her play and projects. With some support from her parents, who model apologizing, patience, and empathy, Sissy comes to understand her role as a helper, too. With Cherokee words (and phonetic guides) featured throughout the text, and illustrations featuring a diverse cast of community members against the rich tones of red and orange clay, this picture book is both visually engaging and pleasant to read. Listeners who catch on to the theme may join in with the repeated refrain, “Chooch helped,” as each activity is described. This is a great option for a variety of grade levels, though little ones in Kindergarten through Grade 2 may appreciate the book’s length and message the most, especially if they have younger siblings or other little “helpers” in their lives.

This fun take on a bedtime book casts an elementary school, a security guard, and a pet turtle as the stars. As teachers and students leave for the day, the night guard arrives to make sure everything is in order, from the pencils and erasers to the guitars and tambourines in the music classroom. But there’s just one problem… Not everything (or everyone) in the school is settling down for sleep! A class pet has escaped his tank and he’s surprisingly fast for a turtle. The short, rhyming text on each page makes this an easy-to-follow story for our younger readers in PreK (K1) and Kindergarten (K2), but this is also a fun and quick read for students in grades 1 and 2 who will be just as thrilled to hear about school library books being tucked under covers and dodgeballs dreaming about gym class. As a fun bonus, students can join the night guard on her rounds and try to spot the turtle on each page as his bedtime antics get sillier and sillier. Once the book ends (with our class turtle safely cuddled up in a tank), you might ask students, how would they get a school ready for bedtime?

A touching story about a little girl’s connection with nature, fostered from birth by her father. On the day Angela was born in Iceland, the clouds parted and the glacier Snaefellsjökull appeared on the horizon. From her days as a swaddled baby, to childhood, when Angela trekked along with her father, the two spent days putting one foot in front of the other, hiking through the glacier’s beautiful landscape. Over time, Angela developed a strong relationship with the natural world around her, telling Snaefellsjökull her secrets and fears, and pressing her ear to the ice to listen to the glacier in return. But as Angela grows older, school, friends, and extracurriculars take precedence over spending time in nature, and she starts to feel that something is missing. With her father’s support, she takes herself back to the outdoors and back to her old friend, Snaefellsjökull. This beautifully illustrated book offers a heartfelt message about the importance of connecting with the natural world and portrays a supportive and warm father-daughter relationship. This is a wonderful option for sharing with first through fifth grade students, who may want to share about special places in nature or the outdoors that they’ve visited and enjoyed. (And yes, if you’re wondering, there is a guide to pronouncing Snaefellsjökull included!)

Bansheenies, or baby banshees, know when a human’s life will end… but don’t let that scare you off! While Beanie may technically be a harbinger of death, her affection for her person, Rose, inspires her to flip the narrative and take on a protective role. With detailed and striking illustrations, this book is on the longer side and contains pages with multiple paragraphs of text, making it a fantastic option for readers looking for something between a picture book and an early chapter book. The length and content make this a fantastic option for students in the upper elementary grades (3-6), and you may find yourself only needing one book to fill your entire read-aloud visit (though we always recommend carrying a spare for safety!).