Happy first (official) day of fall! Fall is such a fun time of year… football season has started, the temperature is finally reasonable enough to spend time outside, the leaves begin changing colors, and pumpkin spiced lattes are back. You can also celebrate the changing of seasons in our classroom! And if you’ve seen my Instagram at all, you know that my favorite way to do this is by kicking off a themed unit using a read aloud.
Here are some of my favorite fall read alouds:
Leif and the Fall by Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant
I love celebrating the change in seasons with one of my favorite books, Leif and the Fall. This book demonstrates how persistence and creativity can lead to amazing things as Leif, a worried leaf, tries to find a different way down. Part of this journey includes failing and recognizing it’s ok to fail! There are so many amazing themes you can use to continue building classroom community.
The Very Last Leaf by Stef Wade
In this funny and encouraging book, Lance Cottonwood, a bright yet worried leaf, is trying to conquer his fear of falling. This story addresses social and emotional challenges many students encounter, such as anxiety, perfectionism, bravery, and more. These themes make The Very Last Leaf a wonderful choice for back to school, periods of transition, or an SEL lesson.
The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry
Two unexpected friends, Scarecrow and a baby crow, share a special connection which reminds us of the power of friendship. In The Scarecrow, Scarecrow surprises the other animals by helping save a tiny baby crow demonstrating the joy of helping others.
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
Pumpkin Soup shares how three friends, Cat, Squirrel, and Duck, make soup together, the same way, every day. However, there is a horrible squabble one day that leaves Cat and Squirrel worried. This story shares the difficulties that come with friendship but how it is worthwhile to overcome them. Bonus: There’s a recipe for pumpkin soup you can make as a class!
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin
Grandmother invites a guest over each year to her favorite day of the year, Thanksgiving, and asked Maggie to do the same. However, Grandmother wasn’t happy to hear Maggie invited an unsavory guest, Mr. Whiskers. In the end, Maggie’s family learns that you can’t always judge a book by its cover.
Want to make the most of these fall read alouds? All of these books (and 4 more!) are included in my Growing Fall-Themed Rounding Out the Read Aloud Bundle. This bundle adds opportunities for explicit instruction in reading, writing, and enrichment for each read aloud with print-and-go lesson plans, extension activities, writing booklets with a prompt, and more!
What are your favorite fall read alouds?
