Very Short Stories to Read Together

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You

by Mary Ann Hoberman, Michael Emberley (Illustrator)

A New York Times bestseller! This collection of stories from former children's poet laureate Mary Ann Hoberman provides endless read-aloud fun.

Here's a book with something new—you read to me! I'll read to you! We'll read each page to one another—you'll read one side, I the other.

The first in the award-winning You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series, this unique book "in two voices" uses traditional reading teaching techniques (alliteration, rhyme, repetition, short sentences) to invite young children to read along with an adult. Each of the twelve short stories fits on one spread and features child-friendly themes such as family, friendship, pets, and seasons. With clear, color-coded typography and delightful illustrations, this collection is sure to entertain.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Theatre, Short Stories, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Mary Ann Hoberman was an American author of over 30 children's books.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have finally made it through the entire "you read to me, I'll read to you" series. Neo likes the banter between all the rhymes, though he is still a spectator for the next little while. These short rhyme stories are perfect for an early afternoon before the next weekend adventure.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the lead of John Ciardi, You Read to Me, I'll Read to You lends itself to shared reading opportunities between students, parents and children, teacher and students, etc. It is a collection of poems in two or three voices that encourage performance reading without pressure; if you read to me, I'll read to you. Plus, the poems are seriously cute!

The second grade students in my cooperating classroom do something very similar to this as one of their literacy centers everyday. They enjoy it, and they don't even realize that they are increasing their fluency with each reading. I love learning via sneakiness.

[Esther Soberanis]

Text-to-Teaching Connecting

This unique book has rhymed, rhythm, repetition and, entertaining pictures. This book is great for during share reading. Students get to share read these collections of poems or short stories in two and three voices that encourage performance reading. This book is great for classroom activities. Example during writing time, have students write a paper and share with the class. Read aloud will increase students confidence and fluency. Reading together is a fun way to engage students.

[Tiffiny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of all the books in the series, this was our least favorite mostly because each story ends with the same sentence.

[Geyz-G1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is really fun to read the book with my Mom. My Mom reads the left part, I read the right part and we read the part in the middle together. My favorite piece in the book is “I like”, because I do like kittens, ham and cakes. My Mom’s part says she likes something different from me, and it is funny to say together “we don’t agree on anything!”. But in the end the left and right part agrees that they both like reading.

[Susan Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge advocate for reading to children and any book that encourages this gets an A+ in my opinion. The author clearly agrees with me and goes one step further. She’s written a book that’s designed to be co-read by an adult and a youngster.

The stories in this book are entertaining, humorous and educational. For example, “The Dime” tells the story of one pig who loses his dime and the friend who just so happens to find a dime. They realize it’s the same coin, so they split it up and buy a book to share. So, in just this one story alone the author has managed to address honesty, sharing, problem solving and math. Brilliant! All of the stories in “Very Short Stories to Read Together” are equally as good as “The Dime”.

The illustrations are adorable and aren’t only there for accompaniment. They contribute to each tale and at times tell a story all their own. They’re colorful and whimsical, and are sure to delight even the youngest child.

I would highly recommend getting a copy of this book and adding it to your child’s book collection. Wonderful!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton for http://diymomblog.blogspot.com
http://ebookreviewgal.com received this book as part of a book blogger sponsored giveaway.

[L12 _Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unique book consists of short stories set up on a page like miniature plays with each voice having its only color. The “ two voices” uses traditional techniques of rhyme, rhythm and repetition. The dozen stories in the book are original, fresh, and funny. Each is short, rhythmic, and rhyming. Topics include: mice, cats, dogs, bears, snakes, snowmen, friendship, hats, and more.
Michael Emberley's illustrations, done in pen, watercolor, and dry pastel, perfectly compliment and enrich the text. The character's actions and facial expressions are priceless. This book could be used with Kindergartners’ to 4th grade. Several uses include introducing emerging readers to poetry and whole class choral reading. It also teaches students about sharing (taking turns reading) and resolution conflict.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoberman was motivated to write this book by her work with Literacy Volunteers of America. It is the perfect buddy read book, that contains a many characteristics of supportive text for beginning readers (rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and entertaining picture clues. My favorite selection entitled "I Like" reminds me of my daughter and myself. Though we are different in so many ways, we agree that books and reading are oh so FUN!

[Shaeley Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

This "read together" book has lots of rhyming words. There's not really a common theme through this book like there is in some of the "You Read to Me, I'll Read to You" books. My favorite two-page spread is called "I Like" where the readers disagree on their favorites until it comes to reading. The book would work well in an elementary classroom for pairs or small groups to present reader's theater style.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

we read the heck out of this book. It is funny and cute. they say it's good to read lots of rhyming books to your child and this was the perfect book for that! the only thing I would say is that it's kind of long for a kid's book, so you may want to divide it into sections with your child so you're not expected to read the whole thing over & over again (but that's just me).

[Lauryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "You Read to Me, I'll Read o You: Very Short Stories to Read Together", you're immediately drawn into the book as you quickly figure out that you need two people to read the book consecutively, at the same time. The book goes through multiple mini stories and takes you through many different journeys which also elaborates on the characters two personalities, each standing out on their own. Each story had illustrations that went with each stanza of the story to add on to keep the readers interest. The book is very interactive with both readers throughout.
In my opinion, this is a very good book to read with kids because it keeps them intrigued and excited to read each mini story inside of the short story. A large reason why I was attracted to this book is because I could tell it was apart of a series, therefore I knew I could continue enjoy more books of the same nature.

[Kirsten Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Read To Me, I'll Read To You: Very Short Stories to Read Together is a children's poetry book, and a New York Times best seller, intended for young readers, ages five to six. This book has fourteen short stories/ poems, including an introduction and an end poem. I gave this book five stars because I loved everything about it! It is such a great and wonderful idea of a book for children who are working on their reading, as there are words to be said by one voice (teacher, parent,...) in one color, another color is another voice (child), and a third color is for both voices. It is a book of poems, so the words rhyme and each poem has multiple illustrations. I think this would appeal to young readers very much so. It could be used many ways in the classroom, as it could be read with a teacher, a partner, or even in a group.

[Baycee Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry, Interactive, Endearing

This book contains multiple storylines of poems all ending with, "You read to me, I'll read to you." This book is interactive in the sense that the text is one color and the other a different color, the two readers choose which color they will read and move through the story together. Each story is very playful and unique.

This type of poetry uses rhyme and rhythm. This is a great book for early learners to work on rhyming words. You can read this text with multiple different stanzas creating a different rhythm for each story. Since this book is for beginner readers it does not go too far from simple vocabulary which does not give it much room for sensory images or alliteration. With this book, I believe the focus is on rhyme and rhythm, and is so fun for partner reading.

[Leah Edel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
This book consists of a lot of very short stories throughout it. The stories are designed so there will be two people reading. Each story has lines in three different colors: purple means one person reads, red means the other person reads, and blue means that they both read it together. One of the first stories in the book is I Hate My Hat, it is about one person who doesn’t like the hat they are wearing and then the other person convinces them that it is a nice hat and then they ride their bikes together in their hats!

Possible Topics:
1. Learning to read with other people.
2. Communication and conversation skills.
3. I Hate My Hat- Even if you don't like something, others might.

[Asho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this out of the library for L (6) and I to read together. She's in kindergarten and just now starting to recognize enough sight words and understand the mechanics of sounding out words so that a book like this isn't overly frustrating to her. I didn't know how she'd take to this (sometimes she's willing to read-alouds with me and other times she's not into it) but so far she is enjoying it and has requested it a couple of times. I think she likes that it's something we're working on together as a team. My only complaint about this book is the artwork. It's not great, and it doesn't always align well with the text, making it hard for beginning readers to glean context clues from the pictures.
I wish there were an even easier version of this book.

[Alyson Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of 12 mini stories all similar to one another. Every story involves two characters that are supposed to be read by at least two other people. Each character, in some way or another, befriends the other by coming to the conclusion they like to read and/or they will read to each other. Each mini story is unique. Some are about animals and others are about people. But in the end, they all have the same outcome. "You Read to Me, I'll Read to You" is a good story for children ages 5-9. I would also read it to my special ed classroom to help with their reading and interaction skills.

[Xavier Juarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interactive story that be used by multiple students as different characters are present in this novel. The organization can be a little confusing to some students, but the different font color that is used to show the different character that is talking. The rhyming and repetition makes the story come to life and laughable. This book should be intended for students in younger grades. The author uses the blank space for the book to help separate scenes and provide just enough detail for the reader to understand. This would be an enjoyable book to read aloud and to have student participation with.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book I will return to when my kid is older. She's only 3.5 now so not reading yet, and while she enjoyed the stories, I feel like the best part is the taking turns reading and the clever and simple way they've rolled that into the stories. As a book where she wasn't reading along with us, it was a bit too long to read the whole thing for bedtime, but always a struggle to just read part of a book, so didn't get as much use as I'd hoped when we had it out of the library. But great rhymes, rhythms and engaging illustrations that brought me back to being a kid in the late 80s early 90s.

[Mary Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together written by Mary Ann Hoberman is poetry. This book has won no awards. The age group that this book is intended for is 6-8 years old. This book has a bunch of short stories that teach rhyming and other technique. Also, there are 12 stories with many childlike themes. My favorite short story was the one called "I Hate my Hat" because it is very funny, and it flows. I rate this book 5 stars. This book is amazing. I loved every short story in this book. Also, the illustrations on each page fit with what the poem was about. In the end I feel as though this book will appeal to younger readers and make them want to read more.

[Alycia Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This particular book has a variety of short stories geared towards multiple people reading the stories together aloud. When reading these types of books, I feel as though it makes all students comfortable reading, because the content is fun. I believe this type of book is a great tool in creating a safe environment for students, because it engages everyone. Honestly, I thoroughly enjoy how these books are designed with graphics and the way the phrases are in different colors for taking turns reading.

[Ashley B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was cute. I liked how there were parts for each person to read and they were not very long, so beginning readers wouldn't feel anxious or nervous about having to read a couple words to a partner. The different colored text helps determine who is reading what and the pictures are cute to look at as well. There are a variety of topics covered in the book, so any student/reader would be able to find a story he/she would like to read. The idea of reading with a partner strengthens the notion that reading can be done with others and is fun.

[Sierra Dirksen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a way to involve children and others (parents, teachers, peers, etc) in reading together. The book is full of different stories, however each has one thing in common. This is that the readers take turns reading back and forth to each other and some lines together. Each story has their own them such as making a snowman and getting cold. Another similarity is that each story ends with the line "You read to me, I'll read to you." Overall, this book is a book with sharing with someone.

[KatherineG · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book includes several mini-stories that need two people to read at the same time. This book is very interactive, and the illustrations go very well with every mini-story in the book. These mini-stories have rhyme and rhythm and a common phrase, that was repetitive all throughout the book, ‘’you read to me, I’ll read to you’’ indicating the intention of group/one-to-one reading.

This book is recommended for KS2 and aimed for one-one and practice reading. It is very useful for reading aloud and conversation practice for children in the classroom.

[Jasmine Stocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book includes fun short stories to read in groups of two. As a teacher, this book could be used as a reading partner activity. The short stories are easy to read and would help many readers practice their reading aloud skills. Many of the stories rhymed, which would be great in word pronunciation and when learning similar words. I enjoyed that they all repeated their ending sentence but there was a wide variety of subjects to interest many groups of students.

[Jenny Larges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary/Classroom Integration: This read-together book features short stories about friends, animals and being together (perhaps reading!). The author notes that she was inspired to create this format during her work with the Literacy Volunteers of America because it requires pairs of readers. I would use this in my class during paired readings (perhaps with upper grade mentor programs), introducing poetry in various formats, or encouraging a home-component.

AR: LG, BL 1.9, AR Quiz #79894

[Makenzie Soeken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fun book intended for partner, individual, or choral reading practice. The short stories include banter and conversation back and forth between characters using rhyme and rhythm. The common phrase that was repeated throughout the book was "You read to me, I'll read to you", emphasizing the intention of partner/group reading. This book could be very useful in any level classroom for fluency practice, partner aloud, or as conversation practice for students as well.

[Hannah Holthaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book would be excellent to use to get your students comfortable with each other and also to help them with fluency. This book does not contain a lot of tough vocabulary words for the middle elementary years. I liked how there were different stories within the story and the length of them. When we had to present our story to the class, it also had our groups work on reading in front of the class.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot how adorable this was! Last night I found this while trying to find a story to read to my autistic nephew. I had bought it years ago for my daughter and we had had loads of fun with the back and forth. It's a great way to engage your child in reading. The rhymes are fun and silly and keeps attention. I would like to get the others just to have them. Maybe I'll help teach my grandchildren someday.

[Julianna Muth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Here's a book with something new - you read to me! I'll read to you!" This super-fun book of short co-read poems is perfect for beginning reader practice. The premise of this book is for two people to sit together and each read their character's part in a two character story. The story is told in fun, short, rhyming stanzas. They read like little plays for two people. Each part is manageable for an early reader, and reading back and forth with someone else is super fun. Reading and re-reading this book helps with reading fluency, and helps the reader develop a voice for their character. I used these books (yes, there are more in the series, each one as good as the next) while my daughter was learning to read, and now she is a high-honors eighth grade student. I am sure there is a one-to-one correlation. Pick up this book and you'll think "All we need. Any time, In any weather, we can sit, Right down together."

[Billy Noecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really thought this was a great book for teachers and students to use for group reading or during a read aloud. This book has different stories within that are short, fun, and easy for younger readers to read. I think this would be a great addition to any teachers library of books when introducing their students to reading.