The Scholastic Read-Aloud Anthology: 35 Short, Riveting Read-Alouds That Build Comprehension, Listening, and Higher-Level Thinking Skills--And Keep Ki

I've used these stories with kids at different ability levels for a bunch of different purposes, each time with success. I've used a few of the selections with my journalism class as good examples of human interest stories. I've also used stories such as "The Lottery" for a lesson in making, revising, and confirming predictions while we read. The story on Elian Gonzalez led to some great debate as we listed the pros and cons of Elian staying in the the country or going back to Cuba. It was an excellent critical thinking exercise and it was interesting to see what each kid really valued. And, finally, I've also used it when I just needed a break. Reading aloud to older kids is still very important as they hear good reading modeled well. It would be a resource you would use on a regular basis. Chris Bowen Author of, Our Kids: Building Relationships in the Classroom

I have read a few of these stories in my classroom, and the students enjoy them very much. Really neat discussions have resulted from some of these readings (especially the Elian story). I would definitely recommend this is a resource for teachers.

I used this resource in my 5th grade class today and the children had great responses to the reading of Elian Gonzales that is included in this book. They were very passionate about the way they felt and they even discussed this at snack time and lunch time amongst themselves. It was great to see them so engaged about something they read.

This is exactly what I was looking for. So many texts and programs recommend using read alouds as part of a mini lesson, but leave out any real ideas about WHAT to read. I love that I now have a resource that has located and analyzed some short peices for me. Teachers should not have to reinvent the wheel independently to use this strategy effectively. This book provides the perfect solution for the starting workshop teacher. YEAH!!

I've tried several of the read alouds in a middle school. The students really were riveted! Janet Allen has produced another very useful book for educators.