Weekly Online Lesson Online Lesson Archives Grade Level: K-8 Subject: Language Arts

Reading Across America

March 2nd is the birthday of the man who taught generations to read—Dr. Seuss (by the end of this lesson you'll know his real name). Join the National Education Association in the largest celebration of reading ever. It's called Read Across America, and anyone can join in. All you need to do is read a book with a parent, teacher, community leader, or other caring adult.

Stuck for a few good books to read? There are plenty on the Internet. Perhaps you can bring your caring adult to the computer for a bit of online cyber-reading (and maybe teach them a thing or two). If not, print the stories and read them anywhere you want.

Top 100 Books for Children

Before you get to the stories, check out some of the information on the Read Across America Web site. Start by clicking the CAT-A-LIST button, which takes you to a list of the top 100 books for kids. If you're looking for a good book off-line, check this list for suggestions. You'll probably find all of them at your school or public library. If you've already read all 100 books . . . WOW!!

Good readers deserve a good certificate. Print out a copy of this Reading Certificate from writer/illustrator Tomie dePaola. It has already been signed by NEA President Bob Chase. Sign your name, and then ask the adult you read with to sign his or her name.

Interested in playing a few games before you read? Go back to the main Reading Across American page and click the Dr. Seuss Games button near the bottom of the navigation bar. Here you will find the Seuss Trivia game. To find Dr. Seuss's real name, fill in the answers to questions about Dr. Seuss books and characters. When you've answered all of the questions, match the red underlined letters with the answer key at the end of the quiz. The letters will spell the real name of Dr. Seuss.

If you're looking for more Dr. Seuss games to play, you can find plenty at Seussville by Random House. To play some of the games you need a browser with Shockwave, but if you don't have it you can click a link on the page and download it free. You can play a few of the games online, and some you play after printing them.

Children's Storybooks Online

Reading time! First point your browser to Children's Storybooks Online, where you'll find illustrated stories for Young Children, Older Children, and Young Adults.

Next try StoryBox, featuring two stories you can read online: Bears in the Attic and Bluebear.

Finally, visit Grandpa Tucker's Rhymes and Tales Web site, where you can find "funny stories that deliver a message, and silly poems that will bring a smile . . ." Start by reading Sammy McSnake or Make Milk Your Ilk. Then read some silly poems like "Mom's Nose Knows", "Ode to a Twinkie", or "911 for Peanut Butter" for fun. There are even some poems written by other kids that you can read.

If you're looking for something a bit more spooky, visit The Moonlit Road, a collection of online ghost stories and strange folktales from the American South. To enter, hold your mouse over the gate and watch it open, then click to go inside.

The stories change each month, so you can return often and read new stories. Click the Feature Stories link to find this month's stories. You can read the text version yourself, or you can listen to a narrator read the story to you if you are using a browser with RealAudio.

Classic Literature for Young Adult Readers

If you're more interested in reading some of the great literary classics for young readers, you can find plenty of them on the Internet, too. Here are just a few:

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