Weird but True: 300 Outrageous Facts

This book will have kids totally hooked! There are totally crazy facts on every page that will keep kids flipping until the very end. I would definitely keep this in the classroom. It's an interesting and creative way to get kids more excited about reading.

 Weird but true: 300 outrageous facts. (2010). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.  

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

This hilarious retelling of the Three Little Pigs is written in the wolf's perspective! This story lets the reader know that the whole thing was a misunderstanding and an accident. The wolf tells readers that he had a bad cold and that was what caused him to blow down the pigs' houses. It is very entertaining. 

This book would work wonderfully for a read aloud, and could also be incorporated into a lesson about perspective or point of view. 

Scieszka, J., & Smith, L. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Viking Kestrel.

Hansel and Gretel

 Marshall, J. (1990). Hansel and Gretel. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

This classic tale is perfect for a read aloud. Hansel and Gretel live with their father and stepmother. The stepmother is desperate to get rid of the children, so she leads them deep into the forest with a plan to abandon them. However, Hansel suspects her plan and leaves a trail of rocks to find their way home by. The stepmother tries her plan again. This time, Hansel leaves a trail of breadcrumbs which is eaten by animals and is thus ineffective. The children stumble upon a candy cottage in the woods, home to an evil witch. Hansel and Gretel must figure out how to foil the witch's plan to eat them for dinner and find their way home.

I would definitely include this book in my classroom library. It teaches a good lesson on being resourceful, solving problems with creative solutions, and having faith that things will be okay.

The Cat's Pajamas

This is a book of idioms written by Wallace Edwards. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful while also providing a lot of humor!

This book is perfect for a read aloud. I used it to teach a lesson on idioms. The photos are very literal and help to demonstrate that idioms are not meant to be taken literally, but figuratively. You're guaranteed a laugh on most pages! The story does not have much of a plot, but it is a very fun read.

Edwards, W. (2010). The cat's pajamas. Toronto: Kids Can Press.

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor’s New Clothes is a popular tale by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author. In this story, the Emperor is tricked into wearing a suit to his birthday parade made of fabric allegedly so exquisite only people with very good taste can see it. In reality, the Emperor is wearing nothing at all. No one accepts this until a small boy in the crowd shouts that the Emperor isn’t wearing any clothes. The phrase “emperor’s new clothes” has even become an idiom about logical fallacies and pluralistic ignorance, to be used in a case when someone is ignorant but believes that no one else is ignorant, or the opposite.

There are several different versions of this title. One modern adaptation includes a CD that narrates the story, voiced by many well-known people, including Madonna, Calvin Klein, Melissa Joan Hart, Geena Davis, and Rosie O’Donnell. The book also contains illustrations from a variety of popular illustrators, including Tomie DePaola, Quentin Blake, and Chris Van Allsburg, among others. The cover of this particular rendition boasts that it is “An all-star illustrated retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale,” referring to Hans Christian Andersen’s original and much less detailed story.

There are some aspects that may be a little sensitive in a school setting, but overall, I think it would be wildly appreciated by students! It is perfect for a read aloud scenario- though I would almost definitely use the audio CD.

Below is Madonna's excerpt from this version. 

Andersen, H. (1998). The Emperor's new clothes: An all-star retelling of the classic fairy tale. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Chopsticks

Rosenthal, A., & Magoon, S. (2012). Chopsticks. New York: Disney/Hyperion.

This is an adorable, humorous picture book written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Amy's website (link in previous sentence) contains many fun activities!

This book tells the story of a pair of chopsticks that do everything together. Then, one chopstick suffers an injury (he breaks in half) and the two are forced to spend time apart while the injured stick recovers. The book is full of laughs and puns. Right on the front cover, it says “Not exactly a sequel to Spoon. More like a change in place setting.” The two chopsticks learn the importance of independence and functioning on their own.

This book teaches a very important lesson to young kids. While it is important to stick together with friends, it is also important to learn to stand on your own. This book gives kids a valuable lesson while at the same time avoiding cheesiness and including humor. It is perfect for a quick read-aloud to help infuse some laughs into the classroom setting!

Horace and Morris but mostly Dolores

This book was written by James Howe and illustrated by Amy Walrod.

It was published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Shuster Children's Publishing Division.

"A girl mouse must do what a girl mouse must do."

In this charming tale of three best friends, Horace, Morris, and Dolores, Dolores must decide what to do when the Horace and Morris join a boys-only club. Naturally, she joins a girls-only club. The three soon begin to miss their days of friendship and adventure, and ultimately start a new club in which everyone is welcome. 

This is a great story of friendship, overcoming obstacles, and equality! 

There are some lesson plans available online to accompany this book.

The Enormous Crocodile

This book was written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. 

Dahl, R., & Blake, Q. (1978). The enormous crocodile. New York: Knopf :.

"I'm going to fill my hungry empty tummy with something yummy yummy yummy yummy!"

The Enormous Crocodile is an excellent story in which the Enormous Crocodile himself is on a hunt to find a little child to eat for lunch. He encounters many other animals as he journeys through the jungle to the town on his search for children. All the other animals are horrified by the Enormous Crocodile's plans. When the Enormous Crocodile attempts to play clever tricks to catch children to eat, the other animals thwart his plans. It is very entertaining and satisfying to watch the croc fail to "feast upon a fat juicy little child." There is (obviously) some violence in this book, which may not be suitable for all classroom settings, but it is appropriate to this book given the storyline.

The Enormous Crocodile also teaches a valuable lesson: when we make bad choices or treat other people poorly, there are serious consequences. It also encourages readers to stand up for what is right and to help others, just like the kind jungle animals stand up to the Enormous Crocodile to protect innocent children.

Roald Dahl's website has lesson plans to use with The Enormous Crocodile.