Fall Book Recommendations for Your 3rd Step Readers

By Kim McCloskey (a JoyFully Read!™ JRCP certified tutor)

Fall is my favorite season, I love walking through crunchy leaves, looking at blazing leaves backlit by sunlight, a warm cup of ginger tea, and the smell of pumpkin seeds toasting in the oven. But where I live, it’s almost at an end. The forecast is for record high temperatures today and then snow tomorrow.

As a last hurrah to Fall I thought I would share with you some of my favorite picture books that celebrate this season of change for younger 3rd Step readers and for reading aloud:

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

Summary: The story of a leaf who is afraid to fall.
What I love about this book: This story is about finding the courage to face the unknown and the power of friendship. The illustrations are unusual and captivating, with the raw materials showing through to create texture and depth. It is a beautiful book with a beautiful story.
_________________________________________________________
The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson

Summary: A loving father prepares a pie for his daughter
What I love about this book: The rhyme is fun and reminds me of the campfire songs I love so much. The repetition of vocabulary is great for emerging readers and the illustrations provide energy and movement to this lovely tale.
_________________________________________________________
Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming

Summary: It’s time for bear to hibernate, but first he must let his friends know.
What I love about this book: This bedtime story is sweet and subtly informative. Each animal has its own preparations to make for winter.
_________________________________________________________
Woody, Hazel and Little Pip by Elsa Baskow

Summary: Little forest children go on adventure after taking a ride on swirling leaves.
What I love about this book: It’s quiet, gentle and beautiful and yet so adventurous. This will spark your imagination.
_________________________________________________________
The Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

Summary: A farmer uses his ox-cart to take goods to market to sell so he can buy the provisions he needs for next year.
What I love about this book: First of all, I love good poetry and this is some of the best in children’s literature. Secondly, we step back in time as the story gives us a glimpse in the life of a 19th century New England farming family. My how times have changed.
__________________________________________________________
Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur

Summary: Alphabetically arranged acrostic verses about Autumn.
What I love about this book: Acrostics teach readers to have fun with language, and the linoleum block prints and just an added draw.
__________________________________________________________
Fall Ball by Peter McCarty

Summary: Bobbie and his friends are looking forward to playing some football after school, but something happens.
What I love about this book: Okay, I think I’m more drawn in by the illustrations than anything else in this book. The swirling leaves and chunky children bring life to this ode to fall football.
___________________________________________________________
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nozoWTBGxAA

Summary: A wise old man in the Desert of Drize gives his advice.
What I love about this book: To begin with, it’s Seuss and I love Dr. Seuss. But beyond that this an optimistic tale of gratitude that is perfect for this season of giving thanks.
___________________________________________________________
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson

Summary: Fletcher is worried when his favorite tree starts losing its leaves, but then winter brings a wonderful surprise.

What I love about this book: It’s a simple tale of caring and innocence with a subtle philosophical message.
_______________________________________________________________

Want to find more recommendations for books with a fall theme? Go to The Best Children’s Book.org http://www.the-best-childrens-books.org/fall-books.html

Tell us what your favorite books are!

Lindy Baker

03:54 07 May 18

This is the absolute best reading program around! It has exceeded my expectations for my children. They love going, and have developed an excitement and confidence in reading. Michelle creates a loving, upbeat, and happy atmosphere. She is so patient and one of the dearest, kindest people I know.We truly love Joyfully Read, Michelle and all the tutors there as well. Thank you thank you thank you for everything! I will continue with each of my children in this program and will continue to recommend to everyone I know with complete confidence!

Whitney Harken

18:39 29 Jun 18

I had the opportunity to meet Michelle and her team last summer. They then came to our school and trained us as teachers to use the Joyfully Read program. It was such a boost to our kindergarten curriculum. My students (every single one of them) progressed at rates that delighted me and their parents! I have taught kindergarten for the past 10 years and this bunch of sweeties were my strongest readers yet!

Kelli Crisler

20:08 02 May 18

I have yet to recommend joyfully read to someone who didn’t love it as much as we do. They have helped my children build the knowledge they need to become strong and confident in their reading. In addition to building skills my children feel loved and cared about when they attend class. I will send all 4 of my children through this program without a doubt.

Kayla Alofa

20:44 02 May 18

This program is amazing! My daughter has struggled to read for years. We were recommended by a close family friend about Michelle’s program and couldn’t thank her enough. Our Georgia loves to read books now. Not only is Michelle an amazing teacher, she is a very dear friend of mine. We love you Michelle thank you for everything!

Holly Smith

01:39 03 May 18

We loved Joyfully Read! My kids loved going and the teachers were amazing! We highly recommend them to anyone whose child needs additional help with reading or if you just want to give your child a boost during the year or the summer months between grades.

April Densley

21:41 09 May 18

My son started 8 weeks ago not really knowing his letters and sounds. He now knows them all. This has really helped him out to get ready to read. I would definitely recommend this program. The drop off and pick up is convenient as well.

Whitney Snyder

19:56 02 May 18

Joyfully Read has taught my daughter to read! She is 4 and reading at a kindergarten level. She loves to go to "class"each week and can't wait to find out who is teaching her that day! We all have loved the experience and i will be using them again with my other children.

Becca Welch

18:44 02 May 18

I am loving joyfully read and their service. Since taking my daughter here, her reading fluency and speed have improved drastically. Her confidence, enjoyment, and excitement of reading has sky rocketed. We just started 5 weeks ago and we are excited to see her in the future continue to improve.

Tami Austin

15:40 13 Mar 19

My daughter was a junior in high school and was struggling with the reading section on the ACT. She spent the summer working on the joyfully read program. It was a great experience that gave her more confidence in reading and helped her increase her score on the ACT!

Thanh Ngo

17:40 15 Jul 19

I have both of my children at Joyfully Read and they love it! They are always excited to come to class! The staff are so friendly and great with the kids! The reading program is very effective and fun at the same time. Both of my kids went up a grade level just after 5 weeks! I have been very impressed and very happy with their accomplishments! Strongly recommend Joyfully Read!

Reena Bostock

04:43 10 Aug 19

Joyfully Read not only helped my boy learn to read better they helped him build confidence. I recommend Joyfully Read for all ages. My boy was starting 6th grade when we started and they helped him achieve his goals and pass language arts for the year. Thank you to all his tutors Josh, Michelle, and Madison!

Courtnee Poelman

23:25 02 Mar 20

We’ve had great results and have benefitted from the tutoring program so much. My kids have enjoyed reading more and have already progressed so much in a short amount of time. We are fans of joyfully read!!

shea Schiess

20:28 17 Apr 20

My son has been doing the Joyfully Read program for almost 2 years now, and we have loved it! We started when he was 4 years old, before kindergarten, and he’s doing very well. He has all 4’s (highest he can get) in all subjects at school. His teacher says he is above reading level for kindergarten and actually has to stop him on his tests from doing so well so he can show “improvement” on his next tests so the district sees he is improving. She says he’s one of the top readers in his class! Joyfully Read has given my son the confidence he needs to feel smart and succeed in school.

Liz Little

22:55 06 Apr 20

They really care about their students, and are passionate about what they do!

Arielle Rodriguez

17:02 27 Aug 20

I purchased this program last year for my child who was struggling with reading. Immediately within the first few weeks we saw improvements not only in his reading but in his confidence. I am extremely grateful for choosing this program for my homeschool, and would recommend to anyone who is looking for an easy to follow and successful reading program for your struggling reader. Thank you Joyfully Read!

Liza Lindstrom

22:03 16 Mar 21

I am a tutor for Joyfully Read! I recently finished my certification in all of the steps, and I LOVE this job. The help that Michelle(the owner/developer) has given me is amazing, and all the people that I have met through this program(parents, students, and felow tutors)have been so kind and uplifting. I have loved watching the confidence of my students grow. I recommend tutor training to anyone that enjoys teaching kids and making a difference! I'm so excited to teach my kids with this program someday!

Megan Galbraith

22:44 21 Jul 21

My daughter learned so much from her time at Joyfully Read. Her instructor was so kind and encouraging. Loved our organized the company was during the intake and scheduling process.

Minh Huong Truong

13:54 26 Jul 21

We love joyfully and everything they have to offer. They have help my son so much with his reading. Highly recommended.

Michelle Mills

01:26 26 Aug 21

This is the BEST reading program I have ever ever seen! They work miracles!

Yaneli Sandoval

12:36 30 Aug 21

Joyfully reading has been great for my little one. When my little first started she was very in secure about her reading I will even say she was even developing low less esteem. After joining joyfully reading she was change so much, she now enjoys reading and she’s always looking forward to meet with her tutor they are the BEST. .

Fall Book Recommendations for Your 3rd Step Readers

Author: Michelle Corbin

Related Posts