Read Aloud Roundup: March 2012

This month, my sweetie wrote questions for grades 1 and 2, and I did questions for 3, 4, and 5; we collaborated on the kindergarten questions.

K
The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill
What would you do if someone acted like Mean Jean at recess?
What kind of rules do you have for your school playground?
Why do you think Jean acted the way she did?


Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter
How do you find books to read?
If you had a lot of books, what would you do with them?
Why did Juan not run away from the bandit? Why did the bandit let him pass?

1
Still My Grandma by Veronique Van den Abeele
What is your connection to your own Grandmas like?
What did Camille do to keep her connection going?
What are some other things you would think of to do with your Grandma?

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
What does Jeremy want?
How does Grandma’s spend her money instead of buying him the shoes?
What does Antonio need that Jeremy can help him with?

2 
Rain School by James Rumford
What is the first lesson at the school?
What other skills have they learned besides the alphabet and reading?
How will it be different next year?  What will the first lesson be then?

Silent Music by James Rumford
Does Ali study calligraphy as a hobby or as part of his education?
What does he turn to when the bombing starts in Iraq?
How does he deal with all the scary things going on around him?

3
Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter
Why do you think Nasreen stopped talking?
If you didn’t go to school, what would you do instead? How would your life be different?
What are some ways you could be friendly with someone who did not talk?

Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School by David Mackintosh
What happens in your school or classroom when a new student arrives? (Or what do you think would happen?)
Is there anything that Marshall does that you admire? Anything he has that you would like?
How do you treat someone who is different? Is it better for them to fit in, or to stand out?

4
The Butter Man by Elizabeth Alalou
How do you feel when you have to wait for something special?
What is different about Baba’s life in his homeland compared to his daughter’s life? What is the same? Are there any words you didn’t understand? (There’s a glossary in the back)
Why did Baba’s mother tell him to wait for the butter man? What do you think she meant? Why does Baba tell Nora the story?

4/5
Sunshine Home by Eve Bunting
What happens when people are hurt or can’t take care of themselves? Who helps them? Where might they live? What changes do they make?
Why does Charlie’s mom use a different voice when they visit his grandmother?
If you have strong feelings, do you think it is good to hide them? Why or why not?

5
My Name is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin
What does it mean to be Muslim? What requirements do Muslim people have?
Why does Bilal want to keep his religion a secret? Do you think that he should, or not?
When Bilal, Ayesha, and Scott talk about America, what larger ideas are expressed? What do you think “living in America” or “being an American” means? Is it different than living in other countries?