Fall is such an amazing time of year! The temperatures are dropping and the leaves are changing color! I’ve talked in previous posts about using the season as a topic for content integration (with science and reading). Today, I am going to talk about my 8 favorite fall books for a seamless transition!
All of the book links below are affiliate links to Amazon!
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
First is Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn. This precious story follows a girl on her walk through the forest and town. She feels the cool breeze and watches the leaves sway. Blue jays fly past her and head south. All of the signs of the changing season are found throughout the book. Along the way, the girl chats with everything she passes; the flowers, trees, creatures, wind, and more. Beautiful illustrations accompany the girl as she says goodbye to summer and hello to autumn.
Link: Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
Fall Leaves
Fall Leaves is everything you love about a storybook, but with nonfiction content. Written as lines of poetry, this book gives details about the science of fall leaves. The Elly MacKay illustrations absolutely highlight the beauty of fall. The whimsical, lightbox illustrations will leave you poring over each page! Grab a copy of this book to enhance your fall lessons!
Link: Fall Leaves
Fall Leaves, Colorful and Crunchy
Similarly, Fall Leaves, Colorful and Crunchy is another nonfiction storybook. In this story, you will follow a leaf as it grows, changes color and eventually, falls to the ground. This comes from a series of books, titled “Fall’s Here,” that all contain nonfiction text on the science of fall. Written in kid-friendly language, these books make it easy for younger kiddos to understand a little bit more about fall!
Link: Fall Leaves, Colorful and Crunchy
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves
Of course, we all know the story of the Old Lady Who Swallowed the Fly! Well, she is back and now, she is swallowing all sorts of fall items! This funny story will have your kiddos laughing as the old lady swallows everything she needs for a scarecrow: leaves, clothes, a pumpkin, and rope! Clearly, a fictional tale, this would be a great book to use for key details, sequencing, and inferring!
Link: There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves
Awesome Autumn
I wholeheartedly agree that Autumn is awesome! This book is a nonfiction descriptive text, entailing the many awesome things about Autumn. Vibrant pictures make each page come to life with details about leaves changing color, how animals get ready to hibernate, or how some migrate. There is information about harvest crops, dressing up for Halloween, and even fall sports, like football. Read about Thanksgiving foods and celebrations, too!
Link: Awesome Autumn
Fall Mixed Up
Fall Mixed Up is a fun fall story, written as lines of poetry. “Every Septober, Every Octember, Fall fills my senses with scenes to remember. Bears gather nuts, Geese hibernate, Squirrels fly south in big figure eights.” Your students will enjoy this silly story and will point out the inaccuracies, making it a great activity for learning about fall!
Link: Fall Mixed Up
We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt
Do you know the popular children’s song, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt?” This book is a new fall version of the song, where three friends head out of a leaf-hunting adventure! Through the woods, over a mountain, the kids collect all kinds of different leaves throughout their hunt. What will they do with them in the end? Written with easy, rhyming lines and sound effects, your students will love hearing this book again and again.
Link: We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt
Strega Nona’s Harvest
Tomie dePaola has brought Strega Nona back to talk about the bounties of autumn! Read about what fall’s harvest can provide while beautiful illustrations show Strega Nona working hard in her garden to create another masterpiece! This book feels warm and cozy, full of nostalgia. It will leave your students thinking about their loved ones and the traditions that they have.
Link: Strega Nona’s Harvest
Other Suggested Ways to Bring Fall Into Your Reading
If you’re looking for standards-based activities to accompany your fall learning, check out some of the themed ELA sets. These activities won’t interrupt your RL and RI lessons at all! They are designed to be used within your already planned curriculum!
These fall activity packs are filled with ELA activities for Kindergarten-4th grades. There are themed activities for each of the six Common Core Standards domains (RL, RI, L, SL, RF, and W). Your students will practice their ELA standards while incorporating the fall theme as well. Each domain will have 3-4 activities or passages. There will be a mix of hands-on, partner, whole group, and independent activities. This will take some of the stress off of your plate by providing you with standards-based and Common Core-aligned seasonal activities!
- Kindergarten Fall ELA Activities
- 1st & 2nd Grade Fall ELA Activities
- 3rd & 4th Grade Fall ELA Activities
Want to read more fall-themed blog posts?
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