Surprise…a few days early, but I had to make the decision.  I have been losing sleep over which books to pick to make this the very best experience it can be for all involved.  Every year it seems to get a little harder, every year I get more nervous.  So although voting should not have closed for another day, I think it is time to reveal the chosen books and author for this year’s Global Read Aloud.

So with all that said, please read all of the books that were contenders and finalists because they truly all deserve to be chosen.  They all deserve to be shared.  They all deserve to be read aloud.  As always, I am so thankful for the incredible authors and illustrators that have created these works of art so that we now can connect on a global scale.

This year’s choices for Global Read Aloud 2016 are….

Picture Book Author/Illustrator:

Lauren Castillo

Lauren Castillo has been a true force to reckon with within the world of picture books.  She not only illustrates incredible books, but also writes them as well and spends a lot of time inspiring children to become artists themselves.  Lauren Castillo’s books are sure to start conversations, inspire kindness, and help us create connections.

Week 1:

Nana in the City

Week 2:

The Troublemaker

Week 3:

The Reader written by Amy Hest and illustrated by Lauren Castillo 

Week 4:

Twenty Yawns written by Jane Smiley and illustrated by Lauren Castillo 

Week 5:

Yard Sale written by Eve Bunting illustrated by Lauren Castillo

Week 6:

Your choice!  You decide which on of Lauren’s books you would like to end with.

 

Ages 7 and up (or whichever age group you decide)

Roald Dahl’s The BFG

I first read The BFG as a young child and the story remains  one of my favorite childhood books.  Something about the whimsical nature of the story, as well as how curious the main character was, stayed with me and inspired me to wonder more about the world (where there really giants?)  and also to have a little bit of courage when the world seemed scary.  As I reread it with my 7 year old daughter this year, she quickly told me that The BFG was one of the best books she had ever heard.  Strong praise coming from a child that has had many books read aloud to her through the years.  The BFG as a GRA choice is sure to inspire connections as it is widely available around the world.

Ages 9 and up (Or whichever age you choose)

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

I was told by many to read Pax and yet hesitated, not because I didn’t want to but more because I wasn’t sure what to expect from a book with a fox on the cover.  Yet, Sara Pennypacker has been a household favorite due to her amazing Clementine books (which were also contenders for GRA this year and last) and so I finally cracked the book open only to become wonderfully attached to it.   I have seen how 9 year old’s react to it, I have seen how teens react to it, and I have seen how adults react to it.  It is a book that deserves to be read aloud, to be shared, to be discussed and  I have a feeling it will stay with us all for a very long time.

Ages 12 and up (or whichever age group you choose)

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

This book has turned some of my my most hesitant readers into children who share books with others.  Tattered and torn, our copies have traveled between students and staff; through word of mouth its audience has grown, with all coming back to say how much they love the book.  Orbiting Jupiter was my most favorite book read in 2015, I hope you love it as much as I do.

Ages 15 and up (Or whichever age group you choose)

All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

This incredible dual perspective story of what happens when a police encounter goes wrong may be hard to read at time but needs to be read, shared, and discussed.  With the state of the world and all of its barriers between human beings, we cannot ever hope to overcome any of them if we do not start to have more hard discussions.  This book is a catalyst for change.

I hope you love the choices.  I know I do.  Happy reading, we kick off October 3rd.

YA has to be one of my most favorite, and yet hardest, categories to pick contenders for.  There are so many incredible books but not all lend themselves well to be shared in a read aloud format or even in a large group.  Please pick your favorite from the following amazing contenders.

All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

From Amazon:

In this Coretta Scott King Honor Award–winning novel, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.

A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?

There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

From Amazon:

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
 
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
 
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

From Amazon:

Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . .  until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.  

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With many votes cast, it is now time to narrow it down to the final choice; which book (and author) shall be at the center for children ages 6 to 8 (or so)?  All four books here deserve the honor, but there can only be one.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

From Amazon:

The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that the giants are flush-bunking off to England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

From Amazon:

Clementine is having not so good of a week.

• On Monday she’s sent to the principal’s office for cutting off Margaret’s hair.
• Tuesday, Margaret’s mother is mad at her.
• Wednesday, she’s sent to the principal again.
• Thursday, Margaret stops speaking to her.
• Friday starts with yucky eggs and gets worse.
• And by Saturday, even her mother is mad at her.

Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner

From Amazon:

Ranger has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog, but can’t officially pass the test because he’s always getting distracted by squirrels during exercises. One day, he finds a mysterious first aid kit in the garden and is transported to the year 1850, where he meets a young boy named Sam Abbott. Sam’s family is migrating west on the Oregon Trail, and soon after Ranger arrives he helps the boy save his little sister. Ranger thinks his job is done, but the Oregon Trail can be dangerous, and the Abbotts need Ranger’s help more than they realize!

Weekends with Max and His Dad by Linda Urban

From Amazon:

Max and his dad love their weekends together. Weekends mean pancakes, pizza, spy games, dog-walking, school projects, and surprising neighbors! Every weekend presents a small adventure as Max gets to know his dad’s new neighborhood—and learns some new ways of thinking about home.

Cast your vote here – voting closes April 30th.

With many votes cast, it is now time to narrow it down to the final choice; which book (and author) shall be at the center for children ages 8 to 11 (or so)?  All three books here deserve the honor, but there can only be one.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

From Amazon:

Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter’s dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild.

At his grandfather’s house, three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn’t where he should be—with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox.

Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own. . .

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

From Amazon:

Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie’s picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.

Eleven by Tom Rogers

From Amazon:

Alex Douglas always wanted to be a hero. But nothing heroic ever happened to Alex. Nothing, that is, until his eleventh birthday. When Alex rescues a stray dog as a birthday gift to himself, he doesn’t think his life can get much better. Radar, his new dog, pretty much feels the same way. But this day has bigger things in store for both of them. 

This is a story about bullies and heroes. About tragedy and hope. About enemies with two legs and friends with four, and pesky little sisters and cranky old men, and an unexpected lesson in kindness delivered with a slice of pizza. This is Eleven: the journey of a boy turning eleven on 9/11.

Cast your vote here – voting closes April 30th.

With many votes cast, it is now time to narrow it down to the final choice; which book (and author) shall be at the center for children ages 12 to 15 (or so)?  All three books here deserve the honor, but there can only be one.

The finalists are:

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

From Amazon:

The two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. After spending time in a juvenile facility, he’s placed with a foster family on a farm in rural Maine. Here Joseph, damaged and withdrawn, meets twelve-year-old Jack, who narrates the account of the troubled, passionate teen who wants to find his baby at any cost. In this riveting novel, two boys discover the true meaning of family and the sacrifices it requires.

 

House Arrest by K.A. Holt

From Amazon:

Timothy is on probation. It’s a strange word—something that happens to other kids, to delinquents, not to kids like him. And yet, he is under house arrest for the next year. He must check in weekly with a probation officer and a therapist, and keep a journal for an entire year. And mostly, he has to stay out of trouble. But when he must take drastic measures to help his struggling family, staying out of trouble proves more difficult than Timothy ever thought it would be. By turns touching and funny, and always original, House Arrest is a middlegrade novel in verse about one boy’s path to redemption as he navigates life with a sick brother, a grieving mother, and one tough probation officer.

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

From Amazon:

After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting-things don’t just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory–even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy’s achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe…and the potential for love and hope right next door.

Cast your vote here – voting closes April 30th.

I am intentionally dragging my feet with the voting process this year because the amazing books just keep coming.  It is so hard to stop reading and not think of how incredible a conversation might be around a certain book, and yet, time ticks and at some point, the final books need to be chosen.

The group of books for this year’s middle school aged kids, or whomever else that would like to read them, is a particular beautiful one.  From the searingly beautiful Orbiting Jupiter to the riveting page turner read of Night Vision.  From the poetic struggle to finding oneself in House Arrest to the frightening what if tale of The Nest. To the tale of wondrous redemption in The Seventh Most Important Thing or one girl’s search for the truth behind a senseless tragedy in The Thing about Jellyfish,  this year’s contenders are all must-reads and must-adds.  I am glad I have all of you to help me, so while my heart tugs in one direction I cannot wait to see what the vote says.

Whatever book you love, now is the time to let your voice be heard and that of your students. Cast your vote and let us see which book will transport us and connect us this year starting October 3rd.

Voting will be open until April 8th, 2016. Good luck to the amazing books and happy reading.

Once in awhile, I am gifted a book to consider for the Global Read Aloud.  This the book Eleven by Tom Rogers came to me at my school and I was immediately drawn to it.  The cover told me that the story had something to do with 9/11 and yet I was not sure what to expect.  After all, how do you write about an event that still is so raw in our history and yet do it in a way to capture middle grade readers?

It turns out you do it exactly like Tom Rogers did.  The book follow Alex, a boy whose 11th birthday falls on 9/11, who lives in New York City.  As we follow him throughout the day, we see the story slowly unfold as it dawns on him what is happening in his city.  We also have a dual perspective from the man in the white shirt, which fills in some of the holes that our 11 year old protagonist would not know about.  I cried when I read the book and then I smiled, because I finally found a book that I can hand to the generation of kids that I teach that will offer them a little slice of what it felt like that day.

I should have known that a book that is sold at the 9/11 memorial would be a great read, and it is.  This book is a Global Read Aloud contender for 2016 and should be added to any classroom 3rd grade and up, but I know that my middle schoolers will love it as much as I did as well.

We continue voting in our first round picks for the Global Read Aloud 2016.  Next up are the amazing choices for our earliest readers.  Voting will run for a week and end on March 9th.  Remember; students may vote too!