Read Aloud Books discussion

What are your favorite mystery read alouds? I would like to read many genres but find most books seem to be realistic fiction, historical fiction, or fantasy. Does anyone have a favorite book that doesn't fall into those categories?

At the end of last year I read The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd. It takes place in London, hence the name; so the kids needed some backgraound knowledge. The students enjoyed the mystery and came up with many possibilities. I recommend it for 4th grade and above. the main charater is autistic.

There is a new series about Shelock Holmes sister, but I have not read them yet.

My fifth grade students loved Peppermints in the Parlor by Barbara Brooks Wallace. Though I have yet to try it as a read-aloud, Tangerine by Edward Bloor, was well written. I imagine it would work well as a read-aloud though probably not for students below sixth grade.

We loved The Missing Canary by Ann Doro and the Sam and Stephanie mystery series by Andrew Oliver: If Photos Could Talk, Haunted Hill, and Scrambled. Both Doro and Oliver set their stories in a different time, so reading aloud also offers the opportunity to learning something new. If pirates and adventure are a must, I'd recommend Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Cress (Alex is a girl pirate) and The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas.

One of the worst books I've ever read as a read aloud was The Westing Game. Oh my gosh, that book is soooo confusing! We ended up keeping a log of all the characters and their relationships to each other. It's a book that, IMO, should not have received a Newbery.

Do you like it?

I completely agree. I had heard a lot of good things about it and I was totally disappointed after reading it.

Thank goodness I wasn't the only one!

I am currently reading Girl, Stolen by April Henry. My eight-graders are really liking it.