A story's lead begins the reader's adventure, yet it can just as likely end that odyssey if those opening words do not immediately interest the reader. This lesson examines examples of leads in children's literature, focusing on strategies such as setting, action, character, reflection, event, and dialogue in a shared reading experience. Students rank several leads from novels as they are read aloud and discuss their rankings. They then generate different leads for a read-aloud book in the classroom, using different strategies for each. Finally, they write or revise a lead in one of their pieces of writing.