From: Lindsay, Nina <nlindsay>
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 09:37:02 -0700

Melody Allen mentioned A Penny a Look by Zemach, and Nancy Gloe mentioned Ouch! by Natalie Babbitt--these are a couple of my favorites also. I tend to use them for 4-6th grade in the public library.

Both Zemach's and Babbitt's work exemplify the perfect read-aloud: language that sounds perfectly natural but whose rhythm is so intricately and beautfully arranged so that narrative tension is conveyed through the sound of the words as much as through the meaning of the words.

Very few authors are able to do this. You'll find though that nearly anything by Zemach or Babbitt makes a wonderful read-aloud. Another author that accomplishes this: Martin Waddell. I frankly never get tired of "Owl Babies" or "Farmer Duck." His new "Hi Harry!" is a current favorite of mine for preschoolers.

Nina Lindsay

Nina Lindsay, Librarian Children's Room Oakland Public Library 125 14th Street Oakland CA 94612
(510) 238615 fax (510) 238h65 nlindsay at oaklandlibrary.org
Received on Thu 05 Aug 2004 11:37:02 AM CDT