What could happen if we viewed every read aloud as an invitation to learn more about literacy and ourselves? In this book, the author explores read aloud strategies designed to enhance your reading and writing standards by capitalizing on the way literature can impact caring communities. The book is structured around four key elements: Community, Agency, Respect, and Empowerment, or CARE. It provides tools necessary to emphasize reading and writing connections, character education, and culturally responsive teaching, all while championing the power of read alouds. Inside you'll find: over 200 picture book suggestions introducing the Heartprint Framework, which demonstrates how you can layer literacy with life lessons; 60 read aloud based connections that support caring classroom conversations, lesson planning, and extensions; instructional opportunities for nurturing readers and writers during workshop time, small-group gatherings, or individual conferring sessions; literacy Snapshot photo essays with ideas on how to adopt or adapt; continuing connections with additional resources and invitations for further learning. This volume pulls together the ideas that the books we share not only serve an academic purpose, but also convey big, affective messages. This can lead to richer and more meaningful classroom conversations.