Oral Language Festivals

Schools all over Kern County participate in the Oral Language Festival, a competitive event where students perform interpretations of a piece of literature in front of an audience. Literature selections must be published works that are available to all students. Pieces from organizational newsletters, the Internet, and regional newspapers are not acceptable. Overall, most published works are appropriate Oral Language texts and you can choose any book you like! Pieces must be in 3-5 minutes in length, so you may edit the piece to an appropriate length. Since new titles are continuously available, any picture book found in the Children’s area is a good place to start. Pieces should be appropriate for age, event, and presentation to a community audience. Be sure to check out YouTube for videos of past Oral Language winners!

6 Oral Language Categories

  • Serious Solo
  • Humorous Solo
  • Serious Duo – 2 students
  • Humorous Duo – 2 students
  • Verse Choir – 3 to 6 students
  • Impromptu Speech

Humorous

Book NameAuthor
PartsArnold, Tedd
More PartsArnold, Tedd
The Strange and Wonderful Tale of Robert McDoodle: The Boy Who Wanted to Be a DogBauer, Steven
The Girl Who Wouldn’t Brush Her HairBernheimer, Kate
A Pig Parade is a Terrible IdeaBlack, Micheal Ian
Humorous MonologuesBolton, Martha
Never Ask a BearBonnet-Rampersaud, Louise
Would I Ever Lie to YouBeuhner, Caralyn
Click, Clack Moo: Cows that TypeCronin, Doreen
Dirty Joe, the PirateHarley, Bill
Some Things are ScaryHeide, Florence Parry
The Book of Bad IdeasHuliska-Beith, Laura
Cinder EdnaJackson, Ellen
Bigfoot CinderrrrrellaJohnston, Tony
So What’s It Like to be a CatKuskin, Karla
The Night I Followed the DogLaden, Nina
Cousin Ruth’s ToothMacDonald, Amy
The Recess QueenO’Neill, Alexis
BedheadPalantini, Margi
Piggie PiePalantini, Margi
Dragons Love TacosRubin, Adam
The Monster Who Ate My PeasSchnitzlein, Danny
Squids Will be SquidsScieszka, Jon
The True Story of the Three Little PigsScieszka, Jon
The Frog Prince ContinuedScieszka, Jon
KnuckleheadScieszka, Jon
I am Not Going to Get Up TodaySeuss, Dr
Stand Back Said Elephant I’m Going to SneezeThomas, Patricia
Falling for RapunzelWilcox, Leah
Waking BeautyWilcox, Leah
HippospotamusWillis, Jeanne
Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad DayViorst, Judith
Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last SundayViorst, Judith
EarringsViorst, Judith
Rosie and MichaelViorst, Judith
Super-Completely and Totally the MessiestViorst, Judith
RAPunzel: A Happenin TaleVozar, David
Sleeping UglyYolen, Jane
It Could Always Be WorseZemach, Margot

Serious

Book NameAuthor
Little Match GirlAndersen, H.C.
In the Ghetto: Teens Who Survived the Ghettos of the HolocaustAyer, Eleanor H.
Great Slave NarrativesBontemps, Arna
A Day’s WorkBunting, Eve
Fly Away HomeBunting, Eve
The WallBunting, Eve
The Fall of Freddie the LeafBuscaglia, Leo
Competition Monologues IIVarious
The Rough Face GirlMartin, Rafe
The HighwaymanNoyes, Alfred
The Giving TreeSilverstein, Shel
Casey at the BatThayer, Ernest L
Our TownWilder, Thornton
The Polar ExpressVan Allsburg, Chris

Various Collections

Books available in our catalog • Ages 9-13 

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