Professional Learning for Busy Educators

Fantastic books to read aloud to 9 year olds that engage them with important issues and themes. The best read aloud books to start a meaningful conversation

These May read aloud books aren’t about May flowers, spring, Memorial Day, the end of school or anything else you might associate with the merry month of May. May does always seem to be the most cheerful of months, doesn’t it?



I liked making these monthly read aloud lists because I can share stellar books without having to stick to a themed list. I simply picked books I’ve recently read and that we loved. I think you’ll love them, too. (Note: book covers and titles are affiliate links.)

Reading to your children is one of the best things you can do as a parent — on this, everyone agrees. But parents of older children don’t always want to admit to still reading aloud to their kids. It can come out more like a confession, as if at some point along the way we should have stopped, some age when reading is supposed to become a silent, independent activity. But reading aloud in the evenings was mainstay of family time long before radios and televisions and laptops appeared on the scene.

Just because someone can read perfectly fine themselves doesn’t mean they can’t look forward to hearing a great story, especially from a person they love. And some books are simply made for an audience. I often scour piles at the library and bookstore for books that combine great stories with great illustrations to keep everyone interested. Read Aloud America, a nonprofit, puts out an annual list of great books to read aloud to kids of all ages. Below are a few mom favorites for anyone looking to pick up a book and cozy up with their big kids for storytime tonight: