(Top) Five Friday: Five Books My Students Love Having Read to Them

I have taught Pre-K for five years, and read a lot of stories out loud in my time. These are five of the books my students want to have read to them over and over.

1. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

This is one of my personal favorites too-I actually own all the Pigeon books myself. My students love how silly this is, and love the interactive aspect of it-every time the pigeon asks, they all yell "No!".

2. The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

This is a recent addition, but I have already read it countless times. My students find it absolutely hilarious, and roar with laughter when I have to say all the silly words and phrases out loud. This is one of those books I have read out loud two times back to back because my students wanted to hear it again right away.

3. Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

Anything Dr. Seuss is a big hit with my students, but this is one that gets the best responses. If you're noticing a trend, it's true-three, four, and five year olds find it epically entertaining to listen to their teacher read a silly book full of fun rhymes and tongue twisters and all kinds of goofiness.

4. Watch Me Throw the Ball by Mo Willems

Another Mo Willems favorite, this gets laughs out of kids at least up to first grade, as I discovered when I participated in a readathon day with another class. The visual gags are hilarious, but simple enough that the kids can all pick up on them and be in on the joke.

5. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

My students always love Eric Carle, but this the one they seem to identify with most. I think they really enjoy being able to express emotions that might sometimes be viewed as negative, and they always love the project we do in connection with the story, where they get to talk about what makes them grouchy. Plus, they love all the different animals in the story and how they keep getting bigger and bigger.