2020 The Year of the Rat

In many children's books rats are the bad guys but there are some books where they are allowed to shine. If you are looking for a book to read a serial to a class this year featuring hero rats here are a few you might consider:

I would begin with

Walter by Barbara Wersba

Then  look for this book from New Zealand

The Road to Ratenburg by Joy Cowley 
illustrated by Gavin Bishop

If you enjoy books with an underlying political message this one is perfect. I highly recommend this for Grade 5 and 6. This book was published in 2008 but I am pleased to see it is still available.

A Rat's Tale by Tor Seidler

Of course you will want to read this classic (you might look for the sequels too)

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C O'Brien

This one is really about a boy and a fairy tale but it is SO good I had to include it here.

I was a rat by Philip Pullman

For a younger class try to find this one from the Sprinters series.

Hector the Rat by Tony Wilkinson

I'm sure you will also want to read The Pied Piper of Hamelin.
There are plenty of versions to choose from:

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has a splendid Pinterest of Rat books - Picture books and novels - that is well worth investigating.

If you were born in 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 or 2020 then you were born in the Year of the Rat.  What do we know about your personality?

Good qualities:  Honest, freedom, hard working, charming.

On the other hand: Can be selfish, ruthless, controlling, scheming.

Read aloud titles for Grades 3 and 4

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” 

Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook

I am often asked about ideas for books to read aloud as a serial with a class.  Last night I worked on this list for a colleague and since nearly every title came from this blog I thought it might be helpful to share this list here with links(colour titles) to my pages.  Start with this short video where Kate DiCamillo talks about the impact and importance of reading to a class every day.

Year Three

Detective Gordon The First Case by Ulf Nilsson

Tumtum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz

The story of the seagull and the cat who taught her to fly by Luis Sepulveda

Hector the Rat by Tony Wilkinson (Sprinter series)

Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry

Thalia the failure by Robin Klein

Victor’s Quest Pamela Freeman

Nathan and the ice rockets by Debra Oswald

Stella by the sea by Ruth Stark – Aussie Chomp

The world according to Humphrey by Betty Birney

The trumpet of the swan by EB White 

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith

My father’s dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet

Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Ollie’s Odyssey by William Joyce (save for Term 3 or 4)

Donavan’s word Jar by Melissa DeGross

Little dog lost by Marion Dane Bauer

The Whipping boy by Sid Fleischman

Keena Ford and the second-grade Mix up by Melissa Thompson

Year Four

The year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH by Robert C O’Brien

A rat’s tale by Tom Seidler

A book of Coupons by Sally Morgenstern

The Wonderling by Myra Bartok 

How to Steal a dog by Barbara O’Connor

There’s a boy in the girls bathroom by Louis Sachar

Emmy and the incredible shrinking rat by Lynne Jonell

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Spunky tells all by Ann Cameron

The tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

The chocolate Touch by Patrick Catling

Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard

Mr Stink by David Walliams

Jamil’s shadow by Christine Harris

The one and only Ivan by Katherine Applegate – later in the year

Darius Bell and the glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Figgy in the world by Tamsin Janu

The tuckshop kid by Pat Flynn

The Real Thief by William Steig 

The legend of little fur by Isobelle Carmody

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner

Here is a challenge. Do you have a read aloud book that you love to use with Grade 3 or 4?  Tell me about it in the comment section and these lists can grow!