Recommended Read Aloud Booklist for June
Compiled by Jan Powell
Curriculum Coordinator
Literacy Programs
Screen Actors Guild Foundation
The month of June has several special events/themes for choosing books to
read to students. Here are some sample ideas for June read-alouds. In many
cases the authors chosen have additional titles.
Special Events and Themes for June: Books About Travels; End of School;
Summer Vacation
Books About Travels
Flat Stanley: His Original Adventure! by Jeff Brown (2nd-5th)
When Stanley Lambchop wakes up one morning, his brother, Arthur, is yelling; a
bulletin board fell on Stanley during the night, and now he is only half an inch thick!
Amazing things begin happening to him. Stanley gets rolled up, mailed, and flown like
a kite. He even gets to help catch two dangerous art thieves. He may be flat, but
he's a hero! This is the first of many books about Stanley’s traveling adventures.
Here is a list of other favorite Flat Stanley books by Jeff Brown to share with
students. These are short chapter books everyone enjoys.
Stanley, Flat Again
Stanley in Space
Flat Stanley and the Haunted House
Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventures #1:
Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventures #2:
Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventures #3:
Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventures #4:
The
The
The
The
Mount Rushmore Calamity
Great Egyptian Grave Robbery
Japanese Ninja Surprise
Intrepid Canadian Expedition
Flat
Flat
Flat
Flat
Flat
The
The
The
The
The
Amazing Mexican Secret
African Safari Discovery
Flying Chinese Wonders
Australian Boomerang Bonanza
U.S. Capital Commotion
Stanley
Stanley
Stanley
Stanley
Stanley
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Adventures
Adventures
Adventures
Adventures
Adventures
#5:
#6:
#7:
#8:
#9:
Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague (PreK-
3rd)
A beguiling dog laments his fate at obedience school through a series of hilarious
letters home.
Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague (PreK-3rd)
As if obedience school wasn't bad enough, Ike now finds himself in jail--wrongly
accused (of course!) of terrorizing the Hibbins's cats and stealing their cat treats.
Once again, he pleads his case to Mrs. LaRue, who's vacationing in France, but to no
avail. When a string of canary burglaries stalls the Snort City Police force's
investigation--and reveals their crime-solving ineptitude--Ike flees custody and
takes matters into his own paws.
LaRue Across America: Postcards From the Vacation by Mark Teague (PreK-
3rd)
Bestselling, award-winning author/illustrator Mark Teague makes readers laugh
aloud when LaRue goes on vacation with Mrs. Hibbins's cats! Ike's plans for a
peaceful cruise with Mrs. LaRue are thwarted when their neighbor Mrs. Hibbins
falls suddenly ill from heat stroke. Mrs. LaRue suggests that she and Ike care for
her cats while Mrs. Hibbins is in the hospital, inviting them along on the cruise. But
cats aren't allowed, and Mrs. LaRue decides to take them all on a week's vacation of
road-tripping.
A Lucky Dog by Dirk Wales (K-5th)
The true story of Owney, a friend of the mail service. He loved the smell of
railroad mail bags. He slept on them and rode with them to the train station in
Albany, New York. One day he got a chance to ride a Mail Train. That was the
beginning of Owney's travels on Mail Trains all over the country and his chance to
make hundreds of new friends.
The Further Adventures of a Lucky Dog: Owney, U.S. Rail Mail Mascot
by Dirk Wales, Catherine Dejong Artman and Townsend Artman, illustrators (K-5th)
More travels with Owney. This time he journeys across the United States through
Chicago and on to Oakland, CA.
Stringbean’s Trip to the Shining Sea by Vera B. Williams & Jennifer Williams,
Vera B. Williams, illustrator (K-4th)
Here are the postcards and snapshots that Stringbean Coe and his brother, Fred,
sent home from the long trip they made one summer in Fred's truck. Their
grandfather made this album for the family.
End of School
The Last Day of School by Louise Borden, Adam Gustavson, illustrator (2nd- 4th)
The school year is coming to an end, and everyone at Albert E. Chapman Elementary
School is counting down, including Mrs. Mallory's third grade class. In the last
weeks of school there is much to be done, from putting away supplies to cleaning
out desks to finding a summer home for the class pet, Rhoda.
Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg, illustrator Judy Love (K-3rd)
Mrs. Hartwell’s students are worried about how sad she’ll be and how much she’ll
miss them when school lets out for the summer. They search for the perfect gift
to help her remember them and decide to make a poster with a poem and drawings
featuring all of the things that they’ll miss about school, especially their teacher.
No More Pencils, No More Books, No More Teacher's Dirty Looks!
(Gilbert and Friends) by Diane deGroat, (PreK-2nd)
It's the last day of school! Gilbert is excited about summer vacation. First
there's a class party, and Mrs. Byrd will give out the end-of-the-year awards. But
will Gilbert even get one? Patty's the best speller. Philip's the best reader. What is
Gilbert best at?
The Last Day of Kindergarten by Nancy Loewen, Sachiko, illustrator (PreK-K)
“Today is the last day of kindergarten. I wish it were the FIRST. Then I’d meet
Mrs. Popinski all over again.” A little girl is sad that kindergarten is coming to an
end. She wishes it were the first day again, when everything was exciting and new
and there was such a fun year ahead. But then she realizes that graduating is
exciting, too, and maybe first grade won’t be so bad, after all! Bright mixed-media
artwork is a perfect complement to the text.
Happy Endings: A Story About Suffixes by Robin Pulver, illustrator Lynn Rowe
Reed (2nd-4th)
It is the last day of school before summer vacation and Mr. Wright has told his
class that after lunch and the read-aloud, they will tackle word endings. When the
word endings written on the board hear that they will be “tackled,” they become
concerned and develop a plan of action.
Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten by Joseph
Slate, Ashley Wolff, illustrator (PreK-K)
Miss Bindergarten and her class have had a great year in kindergarten! They have
gone on a field trip, marked the 100th day, created a circus, and even survived a
wild day. But now the school year is over, and it’s time to remember, to celebrate,
and for Miss Bindergarten to say, “Good-bye, kindergarten, it’s been a special year.”
The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing, Julie Durrell (PreK-3rd)
A little girl and her family are getting ready to go on vacation . . . or at least they
are trying to. In the effort to pack everything that will be needed, there's bound
to be something overlooked, and what that is provides a funny ending to this meterperfect "twist" on Clement Moore's classic.
Summer Vacation
Those Summers by Aliki (PreK-2nd)
This book is about remembering days of sand castles and sunburns, of saltwater
taffy and sand-covered sandwiches. Remembering how the cousins would romp in
the waves and roll in the hot sand like fish cakes. At night it was long walks on the
boardwalks, Ferris wheel rides and cotton candy. Those are the days that Aliki calls
back in this heartfelt remembrance of one special summer vacation by the shore.
Arthur’s Family Vacation: An Arthur Adventure by Marc Brown (PreK-2nd)
Arthur's family vacation is all wet--it's pouring rain! Arthur has to take charge and
finds new things for his family to do--like go to Gatorville. Maybe family vacation
isn't so bad after all!
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Clooney (K-3rd)
Miss Rumphius fulfills her dream of seeking adventure in faraway places, and then
sets out to make the world more beautiful.
‘Twas the Night Before Summer by Anne Margaret Lewis and Wendy Popko
(PreK-2nd)
Take a ride with Luna Bee May on her enchanting bug ship as she shares the gift of
discovery with a young girl and her brother. All it takes is one southern belle luna
moth and one certain wishing star to rekindle the true spirit of their imaginations.
Saying Good-bye, Saying Hello…When Your Family Is Moving by
Michaelene Mundy; illustrated by R.W. Alley (PreK-2nd)
As the title reflects this is about needing to leave friends and familiar places and
going to a new place where there will be new friends to meet and new experiences.
Pictures from Our Vacation by Lynne Rae Perkins (1st-5th)
This account of a family’s cross-country road trip to visit family as told by using
instant camera pictures, children’s captions, and hand-drawn maps is profound in its
seeming simplicity.
Summer’s Vacation by Lynn Plourde and Greg Couch (PreK-2nd)
Vibrant, sunny Summer is too busy having fun shaping sand castles, jumping in the
waves, gobbling berries, and camping under a blanket of stars to do her chores. But
it's not until she hikes to the top of a mountain and sees the dull, parched land
below, that she realizes what she has done. Summer grabs her sprinkling can. Is she
too late to make amends?
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant & Bonnie Kelly-Young (K-3rd)
This is a true classic from favorite author Cynthia Rylant about the anticipation of
the visit from relatives, their festive celebration while together, and the sadness
when they leave. But they know they will be together again next summer.
How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague (PreK-2nd)
Some kids spend their summer vacation at camp. Some kids spend it at Grandma's
house. Wallace Bleff spent his out west...on a ride, a rope, and a roundup he'll never
forget.
Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Yee (PreK-2nd)
On a hot summer day, a little girl finds ways to entertain herself and stay cool. She
catches a butterfly, sips lemonade, jumps in a pool, and goes on a picnic. At night,
she sees an owl in a tree and a frog in a pond, and hears leaves rustling. Before long,
she’s fast asleep, dreaming about more summer days and summer nights.
Chapter Books
These chapter books have been specially selected because they are from series of
books or by authors who have written several chapter books. Hopefully, after
hearing one of the books read aloud the students will be interested in reading other
books in the same series or by the same author over the summer break from school.
Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Tommy Greenwald, J.P.
Coovert, illustrator (4th-6th)
Despite all attempts to avoid reading and extra work, Charlie Joe Jackson finds
himself in a terrible dream he can’t wake up from: Camp Rituhbukkee (pronounced
“read-a-bookie”)—a place filled with grammar workshops, Read-a-Ramas, and kids
who actually like reading. But Charlie Joe is determined to convince the entire camp
to hate reading and writing—one genius at a time.
Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (Book #10) by Megan McDonald
and Peter H. Reynolds (2nd – 5th)
Judy is not looking forward to the summer because her parents are leaving for
California and leaving her and Stink with their aunt. Just when it looks like her
summer is going to be boring, Judy comes up with a thrill-a-delic plan that involves
lots of exciting adventures which add up to a fantastically fun summer.
Magic Tree House #25: Stage Fright on a Summer Night by Mary Pope
Osborne and Sal Murdocca (1st – 4th)
This book in the favorite chapter-book series takes Jack and Annie back to
Elizabethan England where they meet one of the greatest writers of all time:
William Shakespeare. But Mr. Shakespeare's having a hard time with some of the
actors in his latest show. Are Jack and Annie ready to make a big entrance so the
show can go on?
Magic Tree House #31: Summer of the Sea Serpent by Mary Pope
Osborne and Sal Murdocca (1st – 4th)
This book in the favorite chapter-book series celebrates the summer solstice. Jack
and Annie are on a journey to a seaside land of mystery and myth where they must
overcome their fears and solve an ancient riddle. Magic Tree House books are
known around the world as books that inspire reading.