Read Aloud Hall of Fame (#3): SATURDAY by Oge Mora

You need a book. A can’t miss book. A read aloud that will cast a wide net and pull everyone in. This is the idea behind The 100 Scope Notes Read Aloud Hall of Fame.

In each post I’ll share a read aloud that has never let me down. Some will be obvious and popular. Others lesser-known. All will be story time gold.

Click here to see all the Read Aloud Hall of Fame inductees.

Saturday by Oge Mora

If you’ve read a book aloud 50 times and it’s still fun, that’s the sign of a good read aloud. And I will never tire of reading Saturday to Kindergarten students.

The text is a magical combination of repetition and onomatopoeia – the story immediately feels like an old friend, with the occasional ZOOM! to keep things moving from place to place. It’s loaded with call and response and read together opportunities.

Ava’s small disappointments build until the climax, when Ava’s mom has a moment of emotion so real, you’ll feel like you deserve an Oscar as you read it aloud. But not to worry, because it all leads to a pitch-perfect denouement. A beautiful day indeed.

Read Aloud Tip:

Before the story, ask students to vote for their favorite day of the week. During the story, have students say the word Saturday whenever it appears. Also, you can compare the calendar on the opening endpapers to the calendar on the back endpapers – can students spot the difference?

Filed under: Read Aloud Hall of Fame