Reading Aloud to High School Students
Suggestions from Cathy Belben, Librarian, Burlington-Edison High School
Updated November 2006

The following books and stories are those with which I have had success as  a high school English teacher. Usually, I gave students a brief summary of several books and let them choose which one I would read, and then I read aloud daily for about 7-10 minutes, usually at the beginning or end of the period. While most of these books contain little or no material that could be considered offensive, I highly recommend reading them yourself before sharing them aloud.

Suggestions for selecting read aloud material.

Novels and longer work recommended for reading aloud (Belben's list)

Short stories and essays recommended for high school classes.

Reading Aloud to Children--Tips for High School Students

Research and information about reading aloud, its importance, and its impact:

• Read-aloud guru Jim Trelease's website--includes info on the 42 million word gap and other fascinating facts about the importance of reading to students of all ages.
• Reading Aloud--Is It Worth It?--A great article about the value of reading aloud. Includes research data, anecdotal data, and suggestions.
• If Teens Want to Listen, Why Do We Shut Up? This article from School Library Journal has some great ideas, as well as book lists.