Read Alouds

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard.A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny. But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone, or something, starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects: Harry Potter himself?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts is full of new dangers. A convicted murderer, Sirius Black, has broken out of Azkaban prison, and it seems he's after Harry. Now Hogwarts is being patrolled by the dementors, the Azkaban guards who are hunting Sirius. But Harry can't imagine that Sirius — or, for that matter, the evil Lord Voldemort — could be more frightening than the dementors themselves, who have the terrible power to fill anyone they come across with aching loneliness and despair.Meanwhile, life continues as usual at Hogwarts. A top-of-the-line broom takes Harry's success at Quidditch, the sport of the Wizarding world, to new heights. A cute fourth-year student catches his eye. And he becomes close with the new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher, who was a childhood friend of his father. Yet despite the relative safety of life at Hogwarts and the best efforts of the dementors, the threat of Sirius Black grows ever closer. But if Harry has learned anything from his education in wizardry, it is that things are often not what they seem.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone...

The Tale of Despereaux

Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish.These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. And what happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's jokes. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for turning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she's right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse. To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage, friendship, and a cheeky sense of humor, he just might triumph in the end.

Ella Enchanted

At birth, Ella of Frell was given the gift of obedience by a fairy. Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than a curse, for how can she truly be herself if at any time anyone can order her to hop on one foot, or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom — and she'll have to obey? Spunky Ella does not tamely accept her fate and embarks on a quest to break this curse once and for all. Ella's quest to break the curse and discover who she really is, is both funny and poignant.

How to Train Your Dragon

In the first volume of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III's misadventures, ten-year-old Viking Hero Hiccup tries to pass the initiation test for his tribe, the Hairy Hooligans, by catching and training a dragon. Hiccup becomes involved with more than he bargained for when two large sea dragons visit his home island of Berk.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

One summer day, young Alice is sitting on the riverbank with her sister when a big white rabbit runs past. "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late," the rabbit says, taking a look at his watch. Then he pops down a large rabbit hole, and Alice can't help but follow him.In this renowned novel that has delighted and confounded for generations, readers will travel to an extraordinary place called Wonderland where, among other things, a deck of cards comes to life, all of the animals talk, and everything gets "curiouser and curiouser!"

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

When a terrible tornado blows through Dorothy's hometown in Kansas, she and her little dog, Toto, are carried away to a magical land called Oz. There she meets the talking scarecrow, the tin woodman, and the cowardly lion. Dorothy and her new friends set out on a fabulous adventure down the cheddar-colored yellow brick road. Will they meet the mysterious wizard of Oz? And will Dorothy ever find her way home?

The Worst Witch

Mildred Hubble is starting her first year at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches — and making a mess of it! She can't ride her broomstick without crashing, she's always getting her spells mixed up, and worst of all, the teacher's pet, Ethel, has just become her sworn enemy.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School

Wayside School was supposed to be built with 30 classrooms all next to each other in a row. Instead, it is an architectural accident that was built sideways. The classrooms were stacked one on top of the other, 30 stories tall! Here are some hilarious and fun stories about the school, the teachers, and the students.You'll meet Mrs. Gorf, the meanest teacher of all, terrible Todd, who always gets sent home early, and John who can read only upside down, along with all the other kids in the crazy mixed-up school that came out sideways. But you'll never guess the truth about Sammy, the new kid, or what's in store for Wayside School on Halloween!

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Twelve-year-old Kyle Keeley is the class clown and a huge fan of all games board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the construction of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot as one of twelve kids invited for an overnight sleepover in the library, hosted by Mr. Lemoncello and riddled with lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route! And the stakes are very high.




Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox keeps his family one step ahead of the three pursuant, obsessed farmers. Mr. Fox would never surrender. When they try to dig him out, he digs faster; when they lay siege to his den, he tunnels to where the farmers least expect him: their own larders! In the end, Mr. Fox not only survives, but also helps the whole community of burrowing creatures live happily ever after.

James and the Giant Peach

Young James Henry Trotter loses his parents and is forced to live with his evil aunts. Luckily, he is given magic crystals, which he accidentally spills on his aunts' decrepit peach tree. One of the peaches begins to grow, and grow, and grow. Finally, James climbs into the peach and it rolls away from his aunts' yard and his miserably lonely life. With the giant peach, he begins a new life, making friends along the way with hilarious characters like the Grasshopper and the Earthworm.

The Witches

Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There's nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma's stories, but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face to face with the Grand High Witch herself!

Charlotte's Web

Wilbur is the runt of a litter born to a pig on the farm of Fern Arable's father. When it is announced that her father is going to kill the pig, Fern rushes forth to save it, asking of her father: "If I had been very small at birth, would you have killed me?" Her father spares the pig, but only if Fern agrees to care for it. Falling in love immediately with the little pig, she feeds him regularly with a bottle, and names him Wilbur.Wilbur is Fern's constant companion until he grows big enough to be transferred to his new home in the barn of Fern's neighboring uncle. Fern is able to visit Wilbur, but is unable to see him as often. Out of boredom, Wilbur begins to befriend other animals in the barn, who often patronizingly instruct the still naïve little pig in the ways of life. His most important friend, however, turns out to be a spider named Charlotte, who occupies a web in the corner of a doorway above him. Her love for Wilbur, coupled with her ingenuity, will save Wilbur's life.

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico, and that she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstance; Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.

Inside Out & Back Again

Inspired by the author's own childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam as a refugee and immigrating to Alabama, this Newbery Honor Book and National Book Award winner told in verse is sure to capture young readers' hearts and open their eyes.

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Caleb and Anna have been living without a mother for a long time. In fact, Caleb doesn't even remember Mama, who died a day after he was born. Anna tells him that Papa and Mama sang every day, and now Papa doesn't sing at all. To remedy this situation, their father places an advertisement in a newspaper for a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home.All the way from Maine, a woman named Sarah answers the ad. Caleb wants to know if Sarah snores. Anna wants most of all to know if Sarah sings. Sarah makes plans to arrive, and writes, "I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall." So the family waits. In the spring, she comes with her cat named Seal, gray like the seals that swim near her seaside home...and a sea stone, which she eventually gives to Anna. Jacob, the father, teaches Sarah some skills for the farm, like driving a tractor. Everyone hopes she will stay, most of all Caleb and Anna, but Sarah misses the sea, her brother and her three old aunts. One day Sarah takes the wagon alone to town, and Caleb and Anna worry. What if she doesn't come back?

Lyddie

After her father abandons the family, ten-year-old Lyddie Worthen's mother hires the young girl out to pay his debts. This impoverished Vermont farm girl is determined to gain her independence by becoming a factory worker in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1840s.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba's Malawi village was hit by a drought, everyone's crops began to fail. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library...and figured out how to bring electricity to his village. Persevering against the odds, William built a functioning windmill out of junkyard scraps, and thus became the local hero who harnessed the wind.




Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Ramona likes that she's old enough to be counted on, but must everything depend on her? Mrs. Quimby has gone back to work so that Mr. Quimby can return to school, and Ramona is expected to be good for Mrs. Kemp while her parents are away, to be brave enough to ride the school bus by herself, and to put up with being teased by Danny the Yard Ape. In Ramona's world, being eight isn't easy, but it's never dull!

Judy Moody was in a Mood

To start, Judy Moody doesn't have high hopes for third grade. Her new desk won't have an armadillo sticker with her name on it. Her new classroom will not have a porcupine named Roger. And with her luck, she'll get stuck sitting in the first row, where Mr. Todd will notice every time she tries to pass a note to her best friend, Rocky.An aspiring doctor, Judy does have a little brother who comes in handy for practicing medicine, a cool new pet, and a huge Band-Aid collection. Judy also has an abundance of individuality and attitude, and when Mr. Todd assigns a very special class project, she really gets a chance to express herself!

Frindle

Fifth grader Nick Allen knows just how to make school more cool. In third grade, he transformed Miss Deaver's room into a tropical paradise with some paper palm trees and a sandy beach. In fourth grade, he taught his classmates to mimic the high-pitched calls of blackbirds.But now, in fifth grade, clever Nick has come up with his most ingenious idea yet. After learning about the origins of words, he decides to change the word "pen" to "frindle." At first, it seems like a harmless prank, a way to annoy his dictionary-obsessed teacher. Then the whole class starts using the new word, and the joke spreads across town like wildfire. Suddenly Nick finds himself in the middle of a media frenzy over "frindle." Will Nick emerge from the controversy a troublemaker or a hero?

No Talking

The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest.

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins is a mean, brash 11-year-old girl who is headed for yet another foster home. She hates living with different people all the time and just wants to settle in with her birth mother, Courtney Rutherford Hopkins, whose photograph Gilly secretly treasures.

Fish in a Tree

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there's a lot more to her, and to everyone, than a label, and that great minds don't always think alike.

Wonder

August Pullman is not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. Sure, he's a huge Star Wars fan, he loves his dog, and he's got a pretty good sense of humor. But August was born with a craniofacial abnormality, a genetic defect that caused his facial features to be severely deformed. His life has never been "normal."Despite his differences, August and his parents decide to transition him from home school to private school now that he's entering fifth grade. It's the start of middle school, they reason, so everyone will be new. But August has to deal with so much more than just being new. Will he make friends? Will he decide to stay at the school? And can the people around him learn to see past his appearance?