On Hand: A book written in second person (addressing the reader as you), such as A Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey (1957)

Mini-Lesson: Read the story aloud. Many will simply enjoy the immediacy of second person:

The rain comes closer and closer.

Now you hear a million splashes.

Now you even see the drops

on the water . . .

on the age-old rocky point . . .

on the bayberry . . .

on the grass . . .

now take a breath-

IT'S RAINING ON YOU!

            Some of your students, however, will grab onto this voice and run with it. What fun your students will have addressing the reader in second person. Oh, what voice those pieces will have!

Extension: A wonderfully funny (and inspiring) beginning reader series written in the second person point of view is Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog (or cat or teddy bear) by Sara Swan Miller (1995).  Here is a snippet of text:

One Day you were taking a nap.

There was nothing else to do.

All at once, you heard

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"Wow!" you said to yourself. 

"A burglar! A burglar is knocking on the door!"

"Bark!" you said.

BARK BARK ARK ARK ARK ARK......