Maria Walther is a seasoned educator, author, and literacy consultant with over three decades of experience teaching first grade. Her practical, yet engaging approach to classroom instruction has made her a trusted partner for educators seeking effective teaching strategies. With a doctoral degree from Northern Illinois University, Maria is an avid researcher who continues to further her knowledge of literacy instruction. Maria is a strong advocate for reading aloud and has been honored for her dedication to fostering a love of reading in children with the Illinois Reading Educator of the Year and the ICARE for Reading Award. One of Maria′s most cherished awards is The Most Influential Educator, given to her by a former student turned colleague. This speaks to the lasting impact she has on those she teaches. As a prolific writer, Maria aims to provide busy teachers with practical resources. Her best-selling books, The Ramped-Up Read Aloud and Shake Up Shared Reading, offer actionable insights into creating engaging reading experiences for kids. Collaborating with Karen Biggs-Tucker, Maria co-authored The Literacy Workshop, which helps educators seamlessly integrate reading and writing instruction. In A Year for the Books, co-written with her daughter Katie, Maria shares routines and mindsets for building student-centered reading communities from kindergarten to eighth grade. Educators can learn more about Maria′s consulting work and find helpful resources on her website, mariawalther.com, or connect with her on Instagram and Twitter as @mariapwalther and @ayear4thebooks.

This book is a gold mine for both longtime picture book lovers as well as those just beginning to build a classroom library! It is a comprehensive resource jam-packed with some of the best, most recent titles accompanied by learning strategies sure to make reading aloud a joyful experience for all. Her fresh ideas helped me see familiar, well-loved books in a new way as well as discover new titles to get the most out of a read aloud session! Her recommendations are thoughtful and purposefully chosen to engage, delight, and ignite a sense of wonder in even the most reluctant readers. As you read, be sure to have your highlighter, sticky notes, and "books to read" list ready! I’ve already used many of these read aloud experiences with great success and know this will be an invaluable resource I will return to again and again to inspire readers! It is the perfect read aloud companion every teacher needs to invite students to read, think, and talk about books.

• AcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorREAD ALOUD = JOY!Ten Compelling Reasons to Read AloudSix Secrets to Successful Read-Aloud ExperiencesFour Ways to Network and Find New BooksFour Ways You Might Use This BookChapter 1: Create a Joyful Classroom CommunityTransforming the Classroom WorldChapter 2: Converse About Literary Elements—FictionReading Really Good StoriesChapter 3: Converse About Comprehension—FictionImagining Ourselves Into BooksChapter 4: Converse About Comprehension— Informational and Narrative NonfictionDiving Into Informational TextsChapter 5: Build Foundational and Language SkillsWorking With WordsChapter 6: Inspire WritersSharing the Gift of WritingResourcesProfessional Resources CitedChildren’s Literature CitedIndex

Maria Walther is a seasoned educator, author, and literacy consultant with over three decades of experience teaching first grade. Her practical, yet engaging approach to classroom instruction has made her a trusted partner for educators seeking effective teaching strategies. With a doctoral degree from Northern Illinois University, Maria is an avid researcher who continues to further her knowledge of literacy instruction. Maria is a strong advocate for reading aloud and has been honored for her dedication to fostering a love of reading in children with the Illinois Reading Educator of the Year and the ICARE for Reading Award. One of Maria′s most cherished awards is The Most Influential Educator, given to her by a former student turned colleague. This speaks to the lasting impact she has on those she teaches. As a prolific writer, Maria aims to provide busy teachers with practical resources. Her best-selling books, The Ramped-Up Read Aloud and Shake Up Shared Reading, offer actionable insights into creating engaging reading experiences for kids. Collaborating with Karen Biggs-Tucker, Maria co-authored The Literacy Workshop, which helps educators seamlessly integrate reading and writing instruction. In A Year for the Books, co-written with her daughter Katie, Maria shares routines and mindsets for building student-centered reading communities from kindergarten to eighth grade. Educators can learn more about Maria′s consulting work and find helpful resources on her website, mariawalther.com, or connect with her on Instagram and Twitter as @mariapwalther and @ayear4thebooks.

This book is a gold mine for both longtime picture book lovers as well as those just beginning to build a classroom library! It is a comprehensive resource jam-packed with some of the best, most recent titles accompanied by learning strategies sure to make reading aloud a joyful experience for all. Her fresh ideas helped me see familiar, well-loved books in a new way as well as discover new titles to get the most out of a read aloud session! Her recommendations are thoughtful and purposefully chosen to engage, delight, and ignite a sense of wonder in even the most reluctant readers. As you read, be sure to have your highlighter, sticky notes, and "books to read" list ready! I’ve already used many of these read aloud experiences with great success and know this will be an invaluable resource I will return to again and again to inspire readers! It is the perfect read aloud companion every teacher needs to invite students to read, think, and talk about books.

• AcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorREAD ALOUD = JOY!Ten Compelling Reasons to Read AloudSix Secrets to Successful Read-Aloud ExperiencesFour Ways to Network and Find New BooksFour Ways You Might Use This BookChapter 1: Create a Joyful Classroom CommunityTransforming the Classroom WorldChapter 2: Converse About Literary Elements—FictionReading Really Good StoriesChapter 3: Converse About Comprehension—FictionImagining Ourselves Into BooksChapter 4: Converse About Comprehension— Informational and Narrative NonfictionDiving Into Informational TextsChapter 5: Build Foundational and Language SkillsWorking With WordsChapter 6: Inspire WritersSharing the Gift of WritingResourcesProfessional Resources CitedChildren’s Literature CitedIndex