All students love to listen to stories! These YouTube videos from children's authors provide an engaging opportunity for students to listen and engage with a variety of stories. Also included are ideas and links for follow-up activities and discussions for families. Credits and thank you to Author Kate Messner for compiling these links and resources on her website.

The Brilliant Deep by Kate Messner   

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE BRILLIANT DEEP: REBUILDING THE WORLD’S CORAL REEFS. After the read-aloud, check out the Coral Restoration Foundation website. Learn more about the threats coral reefs are facing from NASA’s Climate Kids page, and check out this page about how kids can help our oceans. Challenge: Make a poster or drawing to teach people about how we can all help coral and other sea creatures!

Jasmine Toguchi Flamingo Keeper (Excerpt) by Debbi Machiko Florence

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares a read-aloud excerpt of her chapter book JASMINE TOGUCHI FLAMINGO KEEPER, along with a writing prompt (and a peek at a real daruma doll)!

Let's Invent with Frankie Sparks: Class Pet by Mary Frazier Blakemore

Author Megan Frazer Blakemore guides students through a maker activity with a class pet theme!

The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah Henderson (Appropriate for older students)

Author Leah Henderson shares a first chapter read-aloud of her middle grade novel THE MAGIC IN CHANGING YOUR STARS. Writing Challenge: Find out who Ailey Benjamin Lane is named after. (Hint: His first name comes from an African-American dancer & choreographer with the initials A.A. His middle name comes from an African-American farmer & naturalist who searches out the stars and who created an almanac in 1792. This person’s initials are B.B.) Who could they be?

Someday is Now by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

In Part One of a series, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich reads from SOMEDAY IS NOW and asks “What are the issues that you care about? How can you use your power for justice?” After the read-aloud, check out this article about the book, plus these pages about the Katz drugstore sit-ins and Counter Histories.

Ghost (Chapter 1) by Jason Reynolds (Appropriate for older students)

Author Jason Reynolds shares a read-aloud from his middle grades novel, GHOST. In this chapter, the main character talks about world records, so after the read-aloud, check out this page from the Guiness Book of World Records, with some records you can try to break at home! 

Tracking Pythons: The Quest to Catch an Invasive Predator and Save an Ecosystem by Kate Messner

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from TRACKING PYTHONS: THE QUEST TO CATCH AN INVASIVE PREDATOR AND SAVE AN ECOSYSTEM. After the read-aloud, you can learn more about invasive species from National Geographic and the National Wildlife Foundation. Also check out this article from New York State Conservationist Kids! 

We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

Author Carole Lindstrom shares a read-aloud of WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS.

 Poems from Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes

Author Nikki Grimes shares poetry selections from WORDS WITH WINGS. Writing challenge: Try writing your own poem today, in the style of one of Nikki’s read-alouds!

The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak

This wildly funny #1 New York Times bestseller has been making kids laugh for over five years. You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . .

BLORK. Or BLUURF.

Even if the words are a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast, or just a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY. Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, The Book with No Pictures is one that kids will beg to hear again and again. (And parents will be happy to oblige.).

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

Author Ann Braden shares a read-aloud excerpt from THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS. Note: the octopus is a pretty amazing creature, so after the read-aloud, read up on them at this page from National Geographic Kids!

Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. After the read-aloud, read more about helpful insects here and check out these garden activities from KidsGarden! 

Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin

Author & illustrator Grace Lin shares the first story from her early reader, “Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!”