The Read Aloud Project has been going on since March of 2020. As of December 16, there have been 75 read aloud videos posted on On Earth Peace’s Facebook page. I went through the videos to see which ones had the most views. Our top five videos had a combined total of over 2,000 views. Here were the project’s most viewed videos in 2020:

1. Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima

Total views on Facebook: 534

Summary: “Harriet loves costumes. She wears them to the dentist, to the supermarket, and most importantly, to her super-special dress-up birthday party. Her dads have decorated everything for the party and Harriet has her most favorite costume all picked out for the big day. There’s just one thing missing—party hats! But when Harriet dons her special penguin errand-running costume and sets out to find the perfect ones, she finds something else instead—real penguins! Harriet gets carried away with the flock. She may look like a penguin, but she’s not so sure she belongs in the arctic. Can Harriet manage her way back to her dads (and the party hats!) in time for her special day?”

Reflective Question: Have you ever gotten carried away?

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBQHNXbN9M&list=PLF8eTiKnYWzyfmdio08rh1bnDcGDHaXsQ&index=19

2. Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class by Eileen Spinelli

Total views on Facebook: 496

Summary: “Miss Fox is tired of hearing her young students quarrel. So she announces Peace Week; no more squabbling for one whole week! The children chime in with their own rules: no fighting, don't say mean things, and help others. Throughout the week each of the little animals gets a chance to practice this new behavior. When Polecat teases Bunny for wearing a bright yellow sweater, instead of poking fun back at Polecat, Bunny admires his sweater. Soon, to their surprise, the animals are finding that it's easy to help others, take turns, and say nice things, even when someone is grumpy to them. Wouldn't it be nice, Squirrel says, if every week could be Peace Week?”

Reflective Questions What does peace week look like to you? What are some things you would do during peace week that you normally would not do?

Worksheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/0ByDiJTZsOE8wMUJpbGszb0k5T28/edit

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIiYrQr1qbY&list=PLF8eTiKnYWzyfmdio08rh1bnDcGDHaXsQ&index=40

3. The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper

Total views on Facebook: 456

Summary: “Everyone knows a version of the Golden Rule. But what does it really mean? And how do you follow it? In this gorgeously illustrated book, a grandfather explains to his grandson that the Golden Rule means you "treat people the way you would like to be treated. It's golden because it's so valuable, and a way of living your life that's so simple, it shines." And though it may be a simple rule, it isn't easy to follow. Fortunately, following the Golden Rule is something everyone can do, which means that every person-old or young, rich or poor-can be a part of making the world a better place.”

Reflective Question: What are some ways that you can practice the golden rule?

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n33dHz0Z5H8&list=PLF8eTiKnYWzyfmdio08rh1bnDcGDHaXsQ&index=1

4. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison

Total views on Facebook: 436

Summary: “Featuring forty trailblazing black women in American history, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of breaking boundaries and achieving beyond expectations. Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash. Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things - bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn't always accept them. The leaders in this book may be little, but they all did something big and amazing, inspiring generations to come.”

Reflective Question: Can you think of a time that you were courageous? What was it and what did you do?

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rODp7GRY3Vg&list=PLF8eTiKnYWzyfmdio08rh1bnDcGDHaXsQ&index=6

5. The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf

Summary: "Once upon a time in a toy store, there was a box of crayons. The crayons in it just couldn't get along. Yellow did not like Red, and neither, for that matter, did Green. And no one at all seemed to like Orange. As Blue pointed out, something was very wrong. But something very right begins to happen when a little girl takes these crayons home and starts coloring with them. They realize that the big picture they make together is ever so much more exciting and varied—yes, even dazzling!—than the small pictures they make alone."

Reflective Question: How can we work with someone that is different from us?

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an7dxuc6Trg&list=PLF8eTiKnYWzyfmdio08rh1bnDcGDHaXsQ&index=65

*The summaries listed above were provided by the publishers of each book.