I have been losing sleep weighing all of the incredible choices that have been submitted and proposed for this year’s Global Read Aloud. Many conversations have been had, books have been test read aloud, and while a few are the books chosen by the most votes, some are not.
Picking our books for the Global Read Aloud is never easy, in fact, I think it gets harder every year since we try to match the incredible experience from the year before. Every year so far, we have been able to do so., and I hope this year is no different.
With an emphasis on perspective this year, I feel that all of the books and picture book author chosen will help us see the world in a new light. Will help us make connections. Will help us build community both within our own classrooms, but also with all the thousands of classrooms that will participate. As usual, I hope you like them, I hope you read them, and I hope you read all of the amazing contenders as well. Deep breath here.
The chosen are…
Picture Book Author
Australian author Mem Fox has been a contender for a few years, so I am thrilled to have her be the chosen focus of our picture book study. With her enthralling storytelling, her many books focused on the ordinary and not so ordinary, and the perspective she brings her impact on the Global Read Aloud community promises to be profound.
Week one:
Early Readers
I first fell in love with
Fenway and Hattie after meeting the author, Victoria Coe, at ILA. Her enthusiasm for Fenway and his perspective as a dog made me read this book the very next day. Fenway and the story of how he sees the world is one that is bound to make us laugh but also see our world in a different view; what can happen when we simply change our perspective?
Upper Elementary/Middle Grade
Every year this age group gets the most votes and every year this feels like one of the hardest decisions. One book kept coming back to me night after night; the story of Roz and the perspective she brings to community, empathy, and the acceptance of others. I hope that
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown helps up all see the world for how similar we all are, rather than our differences.
Again, a popular voting category and one that I hold dear to my own reading experience as this is typically the book I read aloud. With a fear of others, of refugees, of anyone that does not look like us, supposedly does not think like us, I wanted to read a book aloud that will allow deep conversations, connections, and a collaboration between different subject areas. While this
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is not new, it is still incredibly relevant for the perspective it brings to us as we uncover the story of Salva and the Lost Boys of Sudan.
Young Adult
So there you have it. I hope you like them, I do, a lot. This year’s project kicks off October 2nd, you can sign up right here on the website, and remember; the age designations are not set in stone – read the books and select the one you think will work best for your students.
The Global Read Aloud 
Excellent choices! Yay! I’ve read The Monster Calls with kids for the last four years. It is so great, and so engaging. Perfect for eighth graders!
Wonderful picks! I hope Mem Fox’s Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Patridge makes the cut — a beautiful story.
I agree! I just recommended it to my classroom parents (again) and warned them about the tears they will shed!
Pernille, Wonderful selections. My students love “The Wild Robot.” Did you know the sequel every reader will want is scheduled for release on October 3rd? “The Wild Robot Escapes” Deb
On Fri, Apr 7, 2017 at 11:53 AM, Global Read Aloud wrote:
> Pernille Ripp posted: “I have been losing sleep weighing all of the > incredible choices that have been submitted and proposed for this year’s > Global Read Aloud. Many conversations have been had, books have been test > read aloud, and while a few are the books chosen by the most v” >
What wonderful choices! Thank you so much for doing this program! I cannot wait! I have a gift card at home just waiting for these choices!
Thank you so much! I am ordering “The Wild Robot” today. I have not read this book. I absolutely love “A Long Walk to Water”. It was first recommended to me by one of my students. I have read this book aloud with my 5th grade class for the last four years. They always love it. It will be a hard choice as to which one to pick for GRA2017.
Great choices! I LOVE A Monster Calls and use it in writing workshops. Such a deeply moving story.
So excited to get Reading!
Oh, yes!!! I, too, love love love Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge! He is the sweetest boy and his story is told so lovingly by Mem Fox! Fenway and Hattie (and Victoria Coe!), The Wild Robot, and A Long Walk to Water are such great books with incredible themes, too! Well done!!
GREAT
As much as I cherish the summer months, I am so looking forward to the GRA in October.
Great Choices! When will the 6 books of Mem Fox be decided? Or is it up to us to decide which 6 we want to read? We have some funds to use by May 15th. I’ve already placed an order for the others. The teachers are so excited for us to be doing this again! I just want to make sure I get everything ordered before we leave for the summer. Thanks!
We will vote on it here shortly so we can figure it out
Again, the choices have exceeded my expectations and am thrilled for the upper level titles! Monster Calls and Long Walk to Water have been long standing read alouds in my 6th grade class! There is value in the conversations and awarenesses of adversity. Since moving into a K-4th gifted and talented role, I look forward to Mem Fox literature. See you in Iowa!