10 Read Alouds That Will Keep Your Most Reluctant Readers Reading
June 1, 2022
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August 11, 2022POSTERS: Surprise, Surprise! When it Comes to Reading, Is Scarier Better?
Surprise! When it comes to good reading, some students confess that scary is best. So, I wanted to share some upcoming books that will help you keep your scary-craving patrons fearful they’ve found that awesome good read. We’ve saved these in two sizes: 8.5 x 11 and 9 x 14, depending on your particular need. Enjoy!
MARY DOWNING HAHN
The Thirteenth Cat
Clarion Books, Sept. 7, 2021. (978-0358394082); 240 pages; Grades 3-7.
Zoey loves spending the summer with her Aunt Alice. Her aunt's new house is the perfect place to cozy up with a good book until she's unnerved by an overgrown forest all dayand eerie sounds at night. When rumors fly about a dark force and the wild black cats that seem to be watching her, she knows the danger she's in . . .for there's more to the cats than meets the eye.
Took Graphic Novel: A Ghost Story
Clarion Books, Mar 8, 2022. (978-0358536871); 160 pages; Grades 3-7.
Daniel doesn’t believe the woods behind his new home are haunted by an evil witch and her terrifying beast. But then his little sister disappears . . . They say a ghost witch and her companion that has a pig-skull face take young girls. Daniel doesn’t believe it. But when Erica suddenly disappears, Daniel senses she has been “took.”
Wait Till Helen Comes Graphic Novel
Clarion Books, Sep 20, 2022. (978-0358536901); 160 pages; Grades 3-7.
When their mom remarries, Molly and her brother, Michael, try to make friends with their new stepsister, Heather. Until she lies and tattles and misbehaves and drives a wedge between her father and their mother. When, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen, her behavior gets even stranger and they realize she’s coming after them.
What We Saw, A Thriller
Clarion Books, Sept. 6, 2022. (978-0358414414); 208 pages; Grades 3-7.
A chilling murder mystery… a page-turning thriller… a missing teacher mark this horror novel. Best friends Abbi and Skylar witness a a mysterious encounter: a woman with someone in a dark van. But when the woman goes missing and turns up dead, Abbi and Skylar realize that their detective work could hold the keys to solving her murder. Suddenly, sleuthing may expose a life-altering truth.
K. R. Alexander
Escape
Scholastic, June 7, 2022. (978-1338260472); 240 pages; Grades 4-7.
Kids win a chance to enter the place of their dreams. It's all anyone talks about, all Cody dreams about, all at the biggest adventure park in the world. But it's more than mere rides and rollercoasters. At ESCAPE, you can do anything you want, be anyone you want, until the rides malfunction and the simulations turn deadly and games become races for survival.
Darkroom
Scholastic, Sept. 20, 2022. (978-1338807332); 272 pages; Grades 4-7.
An app that allows you to see ghosts leads you to horrifying sights…
Do you think an app that allows you to see ghosts would be cool?
Well, prepare to be haunted...
even when your phone is off.
Speak for Me
Scholastic, Oct. 4, 2022. (978-1338807370); 224 pages; Grades 4-7.
A virtual friend puts the fright into stage fright. Naomi is petrified of the school talent show. She can't be out there alone in front of all those people... not without serious stage fright. How will she manage? The answer arrives in a mysterious box -- a ventriloquist's dummy that transforms Naomi from a shy girl into a natural performer. It all goes well... until the dummy strikes back.
Possess Me
Scholastic, Nov. 1, 2022. (978-1338807394); 192 pages; Grades 4-7.
From kid horror master K.R. Alexander, the story of spirit that comes back to life... by taking your body. You've been warned -- if you summon a spirit, it may want to go back to being human... by living inside you. Another chilling tale from K.R. Alexander.
The Creepover Series
Truth or Dare...
Simon Spotlight, Sept. 2, 2022. (978-1665915649); 160 pages; Grades 3-7.
A bone-chilling sleepover game goes ghostly. During a round of Truth or Dare, Abby Miller confesses her crush on Jake Chilson. The only people who know her secret are her friends at the sleepover—and whoever sent her a text message in the middle of the night warning her to stay away from Jake…or else! But Abby isn’t going to stay away. He asks her to the school dance. As the night of the dance comes closer, some very creepy things start happening to Abby… could it be a ghost?
You Can't Come in Here!
Simon Spotlight, Sept. 6, 2022. (978-1665915670); 160 pages; Grades 3-7.
The neighbors may be more than they appear, but Emily Hunter loves hanging out them. A decked-out rec room, almost-professional guitar playing, and Drew and Vicky Strig are super cool. Since Drew and Vicky are homeschooled, Emily’s other friends do not know them—yet. So Emily plana a big party and sleepover at her house! But as Emily gets ready, she begins to wonder about those certain rooms she can’t go in and the wolf that howls at night and she fears her new neighbors may be more than they seem.
Ready for a Scare?
Simon Spotlight, Dec. 13, 2022. (978-1665915700); 160 pages; Grades 3-7.
A birthday sleepover gone horribly wrong. Birthday girl, aka queen of all things creepy, Kelly Garcia is set to have the perfect night. Parents are out of town and babysitter is in, so virtual webcam sleepover here she comes. She and her friends can scare each other telling ghost stories and summoning spirits—summon Miss Mary, a woman who died tragically a long time ago. But when her friends disappear and the babysitter is nowhere to be found, Kelly wonders if she's facing the ghost’s wrath?
The Show Must Go On
Next book in series to convert to GN
Bree Hart has secretly wanted to act on stage for as long as she could remember—it’s all she ever thinks about. Determined to make her dream come true Bree tries out for this year’s school play, The Last Sleepover, and gets the starring role! After a few creepy incidents on set and persistent nightmares at home, Bree quickly learns that this is no ordinary school play. Is it stage fright? Or is the play haunted?
Great Graphic Reads
The Auquanaut
Graphix, March 1, 2022. (978-0545497602). 256 pages. Grades 3-7.
After her father gets lost at sea, Sophia mopes around Aqualand, the marine theme park her dad and uncle created. But Sophia's world turns upside down when an "aquanaut" breaks into the park's research lab. To her amazement, Sophia discovers that the aquanaut is not what it seems—inside lives a band of four goofy sea creatures! And when they realize that Aqualand is turning into something much darker than Sophia's dad envisioned, Sophia is determined to help—before it's too late.
Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game
Graphix, March 7, 2023. (978-1338789652). 144 pages. Grades 7+.
A high school senior at a crossroads in life and heavily scouted by colleges and Major League Baseball (MLB), Colin has a bright future ahead of him. Everyone: parents, teachers, coaches, agree on his future. Everyone but him. Colin isn’t excited about baseball. In the words of five-time all-star MLB player Adam Jones, “Baseball is a white man’s sport.” He looks up to athletes like Allen Iverson: talented, hyper-competitive, unapologetically Black, and dominating their sports while staying true to themselves. College football looks a lot more fun, but Colin doesn't have a single offer. Yet. As a young change-maker, Kaepernick learned to find himself, make his own way, and never compromise.
Sunshine
Graphix, April 18, 2023. (Kindle: 978-1338356328). 244 pages. Grades 7+.
When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids. Going into it, Jarrett was worried: Wouldn't it be depressing or too grim? But instead of the shadow of death, Jarrett found something else at Camp Sunshine: hope and determination. Not only was he subject to wilderness challenges, spooky campfire stories, an extremely stinky mascot costume, he also got a chance to learned about the captivity of illness and the freedom a safe space can bring.
Realm of the Blue Mist: A Graphic Novel
Graphix, April 5, 2022. (978-1338115154). 272 pages. Grades 3-7.
Tabby Simon is determined to learn what happened to her father, who was found dead after researching a tree that leaks a mysterious mist in her neighborhood. She is unexpectedly led to Rema, a distant world of magic and beauty that is periodically invaded by a nearby planet desperate for resources. While Tabby searches for the truth surrounding her father's death, she meets a handsome blue-haired boy named Philip. He has his own dangerous secrets, but has promised to help Tabby get home. As she learns more about this strange world, Tabby discovers that she is destined for something far greater than she ever could have imagined.
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