Must Read Monday Books Just For Fun!

The theme this week for Must Read Monday is must read books just for fun.  As teachers we always want to read books that make sense, or continue to teach the skills we are trying to get across to our students.  We pick books that have a purpose for each lesson.  Yet there are also some books that we just want to read, because, well, they are just fun!  They may still fit into the theme, but we also read them just because they are good literature, and we want to share these fun stories with our students.

The Kindergarten Connetion and I would love to know - what are your favorite book(s) to read just for fun?  You can link up with us and/or leave us a comment down below!  Here are a few of my favorites!

Stanley's Party written by Linda Bailey is probably one of my all time favorite books!  It is definitely in my top 10!  It is just plain ole' fun!  Every time I read it, my students are captivated, and many can relate because they have a dog for a pet.  Stanley is a dog whose people go out - a lot.  He starts testing things out while they are gone - sitting on the couch, listening to music, eating out of the fridge.  He always cleans up before they come home and everything is fine.  However, Stanley realizes he would like to share this with some friends.  He invites some dogs at the dog park..........and those dogs invite more dogs.........and so on and so forth until the house is full of dogs..............and it is the ONLY night Stanley's people come home early!  Uh-oh!!!!  It is hilarious and is sure to be one of your favorite books of all time as well!

The Gruffalo written by Julia Donaldson is another favorite story to share.  This book rhymes, is clever, and invites conversation about animals and why they might do certain things.  A mouse is out for a walk and other animals come along to eat him.  He tells them he will be meeting a gruffalo and describes a scary creature.  The animals run away in fear.  All is good until the mouse actually runs into the gruffalo!  The gruffalo also wants to eat the mouse.  What will the clever mouse do to survive?  You must read the story to find out.

The Story of Ferdinand written by Munro Leaf is copyrighted in 1938!  I love that a book written 77 years ago is still being read in classrooms today (at least in mine, and I am sure in many of yours as well!).  It is the story of a large bull named Ferdinand.  Rather than fight, like most of his friends, he would prefer to sit and smell the flowers.  One day men come from the city come looking for bulls for the bull fights, and Ferdinand is taken away.  It is quite amusing when this large bull gets brought into the arena.  He sits down to smell the flowers in the ladies hair, and makes the matador so mad!  Ha!  I love that he is a lover, not a fighter.  This is such a kind hearted story to share with kiddos!

Miss Nelson is Missing! written by James Marshall is a great book to read to students.  The first time I am absent in the school year, I have the substitute read this story and then have the students guess where I am.  Miss Nelson's students are poorly behaved.  One day she doesn't show up to class, but Miss Viola Swamp does.  Viola Swamp is mean and runs a tight ship.  The children miss Miss Nelson and set out to look for her.  Eventually Miss Nelson returns to school and the children are so excited to see her - and they start behaving!  This is a great book to talk about rules, behavior, and treating all teachers (PE, Music, ELD, etc) with respect.

The Hello, Goodbye Window written by Norton Juster is just a sweet story about a little girl who spends time at her grandparents house.  They clearly love each other and have fun together.  The Hello, Goodbye window is a place where laughs, smiles, songs, etc. happen.

The Bugliest Bug written by Carol Diggory Shields is a wonderful book that rhymes, and is a story of friendship.  Turns out there is a contest in town for the Bugliest Bug.  Dilly the dragonfly attends, but doesn't enter, for she feels she is just a small bug with no frills.  While the contest is going on Dilly notices that something is wrong - the judges are arachnids - and soon drop a net on all of the insects.  Dilly summons up the courage to fight back and encourages each insect to do what they do best - ants march, mantises pray (HA!) - and eventually they get away from the spiders.  Guess who all the insects name "The Bugliest Bug"?  You got it - Dilly!

Blueberries for Sal written by Robert McCloskey is another oldie, but goodie.  This story is first copyrighted in 1948.  It shows pictures of a time in the past and makes for a great discussion about clothes and what kitchens used to look like.  Sal and her mom go blueberry picking on Blueberry Hill. Sal has a hard time putting berries in her pail for she eats most of them.  Meanwhile, a mamma bear and her cub also go looking for blueberries on Blueberry Hill.  Both groups are so engrossed in the blueberry picking/eating, that they get mixed up.  Little Sal ends up with the mamma bear and the Sal's mom ends up with the bear cub.  Both groups scare themselves and end up exactly where they belong at the end.  This is a great book to read around Mother's Day, or with a bear unit, or, just because!

Alice the Fairy written by David Shannon is a fun book to read to children.  David Shannon books are great and the children love his stories and playful language.  Alice is a fairy..........a temporary fairy, she hasn't yet made it to permanent fairy status.  She can do all sorts of tricks - like make leaves fall off of trees (in the autumn), she can make cookies disappear (in her mouth) and more!  This is definitely a just for fun book - and your students will want you to read it again and again!

For More Book Recommendations, please check out:

Must Read Books About the End of the School Year

Must Read Books About Friendship

Must Read Books About Math

Must Read Books About Cooperation

Must Read Books About Compassion

Must Read Books About Rhyming

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