A significant part of our language arts program is sharing literature aloud. For the teacher or student sharing the work it is an expressive performance art. For the listeners, the goals include the following: to develop a body of shared literary experiences to improve listening skills to model literature appreciation and analysis to introduce new vocabulary words and devices from literature that would be difficult for students since selected works are, generally, a year or two above grade level. to encourage discussions about literature and the ideas it evokes (in whole class and small group formats) The list is always changing. Student and parent recommendations are always encouraged. Below are some of Mr. J's favorites that usually will get read each year.