One of my favorite things about being a school librarian is tying books to holidays. It just makes reading feel a little more fun for students, and it’s an easy way to bring in traditions, stories, and a little learning at the same time. St. Patrick’s Day is a great one for this because there are so many stories about luck, leprechauns, and a little bit of mischief. Of course, I always keep in mind that not all students celebrate every holiday, so I try to approach it in a way that’s fun and educational without assuming everyone is participating.
It’s also a really good time to talk with students about folklore. A lot of the stories connected to St. Patrick’s Day come from Irish folklore. Folklore is basically stories that have been passed down over time. People told them long before they were written down, and they were shared from one generation to the next. Sometimes the stories change a little depending on who is telling them, but the main ideas stick around. I like pointing this out to students because it helps them see that stories can travel through time and still be enjoyed today.
Here are some of the books I like to share in the library around St. Patrick’s Day.
How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace is always a big hit. Students love the rhymes and all the creative traps people try to build to catch a sneaky leprechaun.
The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing is a fun twist on the classic Night Before Christmas style rhyme. Two kids get everything ready for the holiday, and it builds a lot of excitement.
Fiona’s Luck by Gail Gibbons is one I like to use when talking about folklore. Fiona is clever and brave, and students enjoy seeing how she outsmarts the leprechauns.
The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever! by Teddy Slater follows a boy named Sean who thinks finding a pot of gold will make his day perfect. By the end he realizes that the real luck comes from family and friends.
Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase by Kimberly and James Dean is perfect for younger students who already love Pete. When Pete hears about a hidden pot of gold, he goes on a leprechaun chase to try to find it.
Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola is a funny Irish folktale about the laziest man in Ireland who somehow ends up growing a giant potato. It’s a great read aloud and a fun way to introduce folktales.
Green Shamrocks by Eve Bunting is a sweet story about Rabbit growing shamrocks for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. When they go missing, Rabbit goes on a search to find them before the celebration.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover by Lucille Colandro is a silly read aloud that students love to join in on.
The Luckiest Leprechaun by Bryce Dallas Howard tells the story of Finn, a leprechaun who has plenty of luck but wishes he had a real friend to share it with.
Holiday themed books make it easy to mix fun with learning. Students get excited about the stories, and it’s a great way to bring in things like traditions, folktales, and cultural stories from around the world.
If you use these books with your students, I also have companion activities in my TPT store that go along with many of these titles and work well as follow up activities after the read aloud.
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