Read Aloud Hall of Fame #21: A BIKE LIKE SERGIO’S

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.

A Bike Like Sergio’s by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones

I’m drawn to read alouds with a lot of humor. It makes sense – who doesn’t want the read aloud experience to be filled with laughter and smiles? But some of the best read alouds don’t have jokes, and they can be just as memorable.

Take, for example, A Bike Like Sergio’s. The main character, Ruben, has been pining for a bike like his friend, Sergio, but money is tight. At the corner store Ruben finds what he thinks is a dollar on the ground as the owner hurries away, but turns out to be a one hundred dollar bill – enough to get the bike he’s always wanted. Should Ruben get the bike, or try to give the money back? This moral dilemma has readers on the edge of their seats.

The whole thing is handled with a delicate touch – turning what could be a didactic story into something much more genuine.

This book came out in 2016 and I’ve been reading it with kids every year since.

Filed under: Read Aloud Hall of Fame