Read Aloud Hall of Fame #9: HUG MACHINE by Scott Campbell

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.

Hug Machine by Scott Campbell

A hallmark of Emo music is the juxtaposition of quiet and loud. Each serves the other, making the music that much more dynamic (and dramatic, and anthemic, and other -ic words, probably). This is true in read alouds as well. And few books nail the combination of loud and quiet better than our latest inductee, Hug Machine by Scott Campbell.

Is that a boy on the cover? Nay, it’s a Hug Machine. The Hug Machine is on a mission to hug everyone (and everything) that wants one – including family members, members of the community, . . . trees, etc., with a special eye out for those who are labeled unhuggable (porcupines and whales). But when energy flags, who will come to the Hug Machines rescue?

This book has a slow build in volume and ridiculousness. Before long, you find yourself completely in character, shouting HUG! at the top of your lungs, to the delight of your listeners. And isn’t that everything you need?

Filed under: Read Aloud Hall of Fame