What’s Your Chaos Tolerance Level? or When the Read Aloud Works TOO WELL

I read the fantastic nonfiction book Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle with my second grade classes last week. Well, I tried to. For some of the groups, we just couldn’t make it through due to general pandemonium.

Has this ever happened to you?

Every school librarian has a different chaos tolerance level when it comes to storytime, and I’ve seen them all. From very strict “There must be silence!” types, all the way to Storytime as Circus, where chaos reigns and no one actually even hears the story.

Personally, I’m more on the quieter end of the spectrum when it comes to students talking to each other during a story. I want everyone to have the chance to hear the book, so I always try to make sure that happens. But I’m all for getting loud when the story calls for it. I’ll do call and response, I’ll do “repeat after me”, I’ll stop short and let students finish a line or rhyme, and I’ll have kids stand up or drum on their knees or any other thing when/if the book calls for. So controlled chaos.

But some books test my chaos-controlling skills, and for a couple classes, Butt or Face? bested me last week. The nice thing is, I can regroup and try again – either with next year’s second graders or a different class. The book is so much fun (and the interactive “voting” element is so strong), that’s what I plan to do.

Is there a book that was so much fun it derailed your storytime?

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