These books about apples are great September read alouds for back to school season. They are also great fall books for kids. Depending on where you live, many of your students may be going apple picking with their families or baking apple pies with their grandparents during the weekend. These apple read alouds help bring what students are talking about and experiencing at home into the classroom setting.
5 Books about Apples
Here are 5 best books about apples that are great back to school read alouds. Your students will love these picture books about apples!
1. Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson
In the story Apples to Oregon, Delicious and her family are moving from Iowa to Oregon. Her father wants to bring the things that are most important to him: his apple trees. The family travels across the country with the trees on a big covered wagon. Throughout the journey the family faces many different problems. They must protect the apple trees from the wind, heat and cold as they float across rivers and travel long distances.
Delicious is always by her father’s side to help him protect the apple trees. Her quick thinking and willingness to help saved the apple trees on more than one occasion. When the family finally makes it to their new home in Oregon, they plant the apple trees in the new soil. Delicious’ father buys her a new pair of boots to replace the ones she lost on their journey, as a way to thank her for all her help.
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2. Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna
In the story Mr. Peabody’s Apples, Mr. Peabody is a teacher in Hapville and a beloved baseball coach. After a baseball game one day, Tommy saw Mr. Peabody at the fruit market. He watched as Mr. Peabody admired an apple, put it in his bag, and walked away without paying. Tommy rushed off to tell his friends and soon the whole town knew what Mr. Peabody had done. At the next baseball game, Billy is the only one to show up. He explains to Mr. Peabody that no one else is there because they all think he is a thief for taking the apple. However, the boys learn that Mr. Peabody pays for the apples at the beginning of each week when he goes to buy his milk. Mr. Peabody asks Tommy to bring a feather pillow to the baseball field. He has Tommy cut open the pillow and shake the feathers out into the field and then asks him to pick them up. When Tommy says it’s impossible, Mr. Peabody explains it is just as impossible to repair the damage Tommy had done. He explains to Tommy it is important to be honest and you should never spread rumors.
3. Bad Apple, A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway
In the story Bad Apple, A Tale of Friendship, Mac is a good apple. He enjoys sharing with his friends, helping clean up after art class, diving into the watering hole and floating on his back. One day, when Mac was napping in the soft green grass, it started to rain. When he woke up, Mac realized he was not alone. There was a worm named Will attached to him. The two quickly became friends and enjoyed doing many different things together. Will showed Mac how to fly a kite and Mac shows Will how to float in the watering hole.
When the two friends went to the orchard, the other apples said that Mac was rotten and had worms. Will decided to leave one night so Mac could go back to playing with the other apples. However, Mac realized he was sad without Will and went out to search for him. When the friends reunited they realized it was better to be together than alone. This story will quickly become one of your students’ favorite books about apples!
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4. One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
The book One Green Apple is about a student’s field trip with her new classmates. Farrah has just moved to the United States and does not speak English yet. It is her second day in her new class and they are on a field trip to the apple orchard. Although she wears jeans and a t-shirt like her classmates, she is wearing a dupatta. None of her classmates wear this. All of the women in her previous country wore it. Farrah feels shy with her new classmates because she cannot yet express herself to them. The students take a wagon ride into an apple orchard and they each pick one apple. They take their apples inside and use a machine to turn it into apple cider.
5. Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg
Steven Kellogg’s book Johnny Appleseed, is a tall tale about the life of John Chapman. John grew up near an apple orchard and developed a love for the fruit and the outdoors. Once he was old enough to leave home, Johnny began exploring the wilderness of the west. Along the way, he planted many apple orchards along routes he thought pioneers would travel. He looked forward to sharing his trees with the new settlers.
Throughout his life, Johnny was known for many things. He would never hurt an animal and didn’t carry a gun. Johnny went out of his way to help the new settlers and people loved sitting and listening to him tell stories about his wilderness adventures. Even after Johnny passed, he lived on through the stories people would tell.
If you are looking for teaching resource for an apple book read aloud mentioned above, then click one of the images below for lesson ideas and printable and digital activities. These book companions are part of my Starts With a Story collection.
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Grab the Free Reading Resources!
We hope you found this list of books about apples helpful! If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
