Lower School Reading Guide

Table of Contents

Picture Books 5Easy Readers 16Realistic Fiction 18Mysteries 21Historical Fiction 23Fantasy 26Adventure 29Science Fiction 30Animal Stories 31Humor 32Non-Fiction Biographies

Caldecott Award WinnersNewbery Award WinnersCoretta Scott Award Winners

PICTURE BOOKS

Aardema, Verna. Bringing The Rain To Kapiti PlainA colorful African Tale describing in rhyme how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-

stricken Kapiti Plain.

Allard, Harry. Miss Nelson Is MissingWhen the students in Miss Nelson’s class have difficulty following the rules, she turns

herself into the dreadful substitute, Viola Swamp. The students then realize how good they had it when Miss Nelson was there.

Archambault, John. Chicka Chicka Boom BoomWith vivid colors and simple motion filled illustrations each letter of the alphabet is

running to the top of the coconut tree with the repeated chorus “Chicka, chicka, Boom, boom, will there be enough room.?

Barrett, Judith. Cloudy With A Chance Of MeatballsWhat is for dinner? Look up at the sky and see what comes down.

Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline A classic that puts the reader in authentic Paris using rhymes that children will love repeating time after time.

Brett, Jan. The HatOne by one Lisa’s winter clothes disappear from the clothes line as each animal tries to

outdo the next in this delightful tale.

Bloom, Becky. WolfA farm for educated animals! That fact got the big, bad wolf thinking ~ maybe he should

start reading and join the group.

Bridwell, Norman. Clifford, The Big Red DogA series of stories about a dog who is bright red, bigger than a two story house and

beloved by children the world over.

Brown, Margaret Wise. Good Night, MoonA classic bedtime story to be enjoyed by all.

Burningham, John. Hey, Get Off Our TrainAt bedtime a small boy takes a ride on his toy train and rescues several endangered

animals.

Burton, Virginia. The Little HouseThis story tells of a little house in the country that is soon overshadowed by change.

Cannon, Janell. Crickwing

An artistic cockroach with a crooked wing helps save the leafcutter ants from their ferocious enemies. Includes annotations about the insects and is wonderfully illustrated.

Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry CaterpillarIn this modern classic, a tiny, hungry caterpillar eats his way through the week and after

spinning a cocoon emerges as a beautiful butterfly.

Cazet, Denys. Never Spit On Your ShoesArnie has just returned from the first day of first grade and has lots to tell.

Child, Lauren. I Will Never Not Ever Eat A TomatoThe story of Charlie and his little sister, Lola, who is a very fussy eater until Charlie

comes up with some very clever ideas.

Collier, Bryan. UptownA beautifully illustrated book depicting one boy’s childhood images of his beloved

Harlem.

Cooney, Barbara. Miss RumphiusThis beautiful book tells of the author’s great-aunt Alice whose grandfather told her she

must do something to make the world a more beautiful place.

Creech, Sharon. A Fine, Fine SchoolA principal thinks his school is so “fine” that he extends classes to seven days a week.

Finally the children convince him that learning takes place everywhere, not just in the classroom, and he relents.

Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That TypeFarmer Brown’s cows type notes demanding changes in the barn, turning the entire farm

upside down.

DaCosta, Deborah. Snow In JersalemA beautiful, white stray cat brings two boys, one Jewish and one Muslim together in a

timely, heart warming story.

Dahl, Roald. The Enormous CrocodileThe enormous crocodile devises devious plans to capture his lunch only to have them

foiled by his neighbors.

DePaola, Tomi. Strega NonaFunny old Italian tale about a magical witch’s humorous solutions to every day problems.

Falcomer, Ian. Olivia Saves The CircusOlivia, the fantastic pig, goes to the circus and takes the place of all the ailing animals, or

so she tells all her school friends.

Flack, Marjorie. The Story Of Ping

Ping is a Peking duckling on a houseboat on the Yangtze River in China. His adventures with all his siblings keep children enchanted.

Fleishman, Paul. Westlandia School is over for the summer and having learned that every civilization has a staple food

crop, Wesley decides to plant a garden and start his own civilization. Fleming, Candace. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

After completing his much anticipated vegetable garden, Mr. McGreeley has to figure out how to keep those persistent rabbits out. The surprise ending will keep you giggling!

Freeman, Don. CorduroyOne of the world’s most beloved children’s books. Every child who meets him loves him

~ the toy bear who can’t wait to be taken home from the department store by some little boy or girl who will love him forever.

Gag, Wanda. Millions of CatsEnchanting tale of a very old man who sets of in search of a kitten and returns with “

hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions of cats” ~ an American classic.

George, Jean Craighead. Nutik, The Wolf PupWhen his older sister brings Amaroq, a wolf pup, to take care of, she warns him not to

get too attached. He learns that letting go can be very difficult.

Henkes, Kevin. Wemberly WorriedA mouse named Wemberly, worries about everything, especially the first day of school.

Heyward, Dubose. Country Bunny And The Little Gold ShoesA timeless classic of the country bunny ~ the mother of 21 little bunnies ~ who attains the

position of Easter Bunny. A gem of a fantasy in which kindness and cleverness win out over size and brawn.

Hoban, Russell. Baby Sister For FrancesWith the arrival of baby Gloria in the house, Frances feels that…. After all being a big

sister means she has lots of grown up things to do.

Hoffman, Mary. Amazing GraceA young African American girl wants to be Peter Pan in a school performance. Despite

all obstacles she succeeds and is chosen to be the star.

Hutchins, Pat. The Doorbell RangMa has made cookies for her two children and they think they look and smell as good as

Grandma’s. This book is full of visual and verbal patterns and involves problem solving in a fun way.

Howe, James. Horace and Morris But Mostly DeloresWhen two of a friendship triumvirate are boys and one is a girl, the ties of that friendship

are strained when Delores is excluded from the “boys only” club.

Keats, Ezra Jack. A Snowy Day.A story about a boy named Peter and a snowy day. He proves that even though he played

in the snow all be himself, he is still able to have lots of fun.Keller, Laurie.

The Scrambled States Of AmericaThe states have a party and decide to change places with one another. They eventually

decide to return home, but not before a lot of fun is had and a lot of geography is learned.

Kellogg, Steven. A Peguin Pup For PinkertonPinkerton, that lovable Great Dane, is back for another adventure. This time he decided to

father a penguin egg, resulting in chaos all over.

Kimmel, Eric. Anansi And The Magic StickAnansi, our favorite lazy spider, finds a magic stick to do all his work. As usual things

get out of hand and chaos reigns.

LaMarche, Jim. The RaftA heart warming story of a boy and his summer of self-discovery with his grandmother.

Lester, Helen. TackyThe Penguin Tacky is definitely a different sort of penguin but the story shows that this

odd bird saves the day.

Lester Julius. Sam And The TigersA humorous version of the classic tale in which a young boy outsmarts five tigers.

Lord, John Vernon. Giant Jam SandwichWhen four million wasps fly into their village, the citizens of Itching Down devise a way

to get rid of them.

Lionni, Leo. FrederickAn aspiring poet mouse stored away memories of colors and verse to sustain his family

throughout a winter of cold and hunger.

McCully, Emily. Beautiful Warrior:The Legend Of The Nun’s Kung FuA young Chinese girl masters the skill of kung fu and becomes a legend. A wonderful

tale of courage and persistence.

McCloskey, Robert. Make Way For DucklingsIt’s not easy for duck parents to find a safe place to raise their ducklings. Read this

enchanting tale to see how they succeed.

McKissack, Patricia. Goin’ Someplace SpecialBased on her own childhood in segregated Nashville, this book tells the tale of Trisha

Ann going “someplace special” ~ the integrated public library.

Mahy, Margaret. Seven Chinese Brothers

A Chinese folktale about seven brothers with very special talents.

Marshall, James. George And Martha (series)Best hippo friends teach some valuable lessons about friendship with lots of humor.

Martin, Bill. Brown Bear, BrownThe repetition and colorful illustrations in this classic picture book make it a favorite of

many children.

Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Walks The Dog (series)A talking dog finds that words can be powerful, even with a neighborhood bully.

Miller, Edna. Mousekin’s Lost WoodlandMousekin’s woodland home is threatened by developers. Read how he finds a new home

near a cabin whose owners believe in protecting natural resources.

Munsch, Robert. Paperbag PrincessA terrific read-aloud fairy tale where the princess does the rescuing instead of being

rescued all the time.

Munson, Derek. Enemy PieDad has a surefire way to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie. But one of the ingredients is

living with the enemy.

Numeroff, Laura. If You Take A Mouse To The MoviesTaking a mouse to the movies around Christmas time can lead to many other activities.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Kate And The BeanstalkA new twist on the old tale with Kate as the heroine who outsmarts the giant and wins his

treasures.

Park, Frances. My Freedom TripAn inspirational tale, realistically depicting the dangers of war and a cautionary one that

may plant the priceless seed of peace in a child’s mind.

Pinckney, Jerry. Aesop’s FablesAll the favorite tales with exceptional illustrations.

Pinkwater, Daniel. The Big Orange SplotLet your dreams become your reality! Make waves! Be who you are, not who everyone

thinks you are. You will smile as you read how Mr. Plumbean liberates his whole “neat street.”

Piper, Wally. The Little Engine That CouldA celebration of positive thinking.

Polacco, Patricia. Thank You, Mr.FalkerThe author shares her childhood triumph over dyslexia and discovery of reading and the

reason for her monumental turning point ~ her fifth grade teacher, Mr. Falker.

Rey, Margaret. Curious George (series)Many adventures of a beloved but mischievous monkey.

Rylant, Cynthia. The Relatives CameThis is more a description than a story of a wonderful family reunion ~ who celebrate

being together with not much in the way of material things but with a great deal of love.

SanSouci, Robert. The Talking EggsOne sister is magically rewarded for her goodness, while her mean mother and sister are

punished in this Afro-American folk tale.

Say, Allan. The Lost LakeLuke and his father, who are alarmed at what tourists have done to the once secluded lake

of his father’s childhood, hike deeper into the wilderness to find a “lost lake” of their own.

*Scieszka, Jon. Squids Will Be SquidsContempory fables with tongue-in-cheeck morals addressing topics like homework,

curfews, etc. Very funny!!

*Seuss, Dr. The Cat In The Hat, The Cat In The Hat Comes Back, Green Eggs and Ham. Many more titles ~ classics all.

*Shannon, David. No, David When award winning writer and illustrator David Shannon was five years old, he wrote

and illustrated his first picture book. On every page were these words “No, David.” Now David is all grown up ~ but some things never change.

*Sendak, Maurice. Where The Wild Things AreThe story takes place in a familiar space, the bedroom, which creates a safe environment

for the child’s fantasizing. With this book, the picture book came of age.

Silverstein, Shel. The Giving TreeThis story is a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affective interpretation

of the gift of giving

Slobodkin, Esphr. Caps For SaleThe Story of a cap salesman and a treeful of monkeys.

Stanley, Diane. Saving SweetnessA small-town sheriff saves Sweetness, a very resourceful young girl, from a terrible

orphanage and gives her a home.

Steig, William. Brave IreneDespite a raging snowstorm, Irene, a dressmaker’s daughter offers to deliver the duchess’

newly finished ballgown. It has the timeless quality of a classic fairy tale .

Steptoe, John. Mufaro’s Beautiful DaughtersTwo pretty sisters wish to marry the Prince: one is sweet, the other sour. An African tale

with a lesson.

Stevenson, James. Don’t Make Me LaughA simple interactive book that has fun with art of reading and makes the audience a

subversive part of the story. A giggly masterpiece.

Teague, Mark. How I Spent My Summer VacationA funny, imaginative twist on this traditional beginning of a school compositional

subject.

Trivizas, Eugene. The Three Little Wolves & The Big, Bad PigA very funny fractured of the original fairy tale.

*Van Allsburg, Chris. Polar ExpressA holiday classic that finds a boy boarding a mysterious train that waits for him bound

for the North Pole.

*Viorst, Judith. Alexander and The Terrible, No Good, Very Bad DayThis story shows that bad days can happen to everyone.

*Waber, Bernard. Lyle, LyleA cranky neighbor puts Lyle in the zoo but experiences a change of heart when the

crocodile saves him from a fire.

*Williams, Vera. A Chair For My MotherA heartwarming story of a family coming together after a fire destroys their home.

Collecting money for a new chair represents unselfishness and family love.

*Wood, Audrey. Sweet Dream PieWhen Ma bakes her sweet dream pie, the whole neighborhood is affected in interesting

ways.

Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other SideBefore the Civil Rights movement, people of all colors longed for the fence between

them to be torn down. Living on opposites sides of the fence,Annie Rose and Clover find their own way of tearing down the giant that stands between them.

Yashima, Taro. Crow BoyPoignant tale of a Japanese boy who is misunderstood and mistreated.

*Zelinsky, Paul. RapunzelA retelling, with beautiful illustrations, of the fairy tale classic.

*Zion, Gene Harry, The Dirty Dog

Harry was a white dog with black spots who liked everything except getting a bath. Youngsters will completely relate to this book, the thrill of getting dirty and finally the reassurance of family.

EASY READER BOOKS

Adler, David. Cam Jansen (series) Follow the adventure of Cam Jansen, the girl with the photographic memory, as she

solves all sorts of cases.

Byars, Betsy. The Golly Sisters Was there ever a more hilarious pair? Their sisterly relationship will make any beginning

reader laugh.

Dadey, Debbie. The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids This best selling children’s chapter book series will delight all young children. There are

some pretty weird grown-ups in Bailey City. Meet them all in this fun series.

Griff, Patricia Reilly. Polk Street Kids This series of easy chapter books follow the kids at Polk Street School through field trips,

holiday celebrations and the evry day ‘goings-on’ in an elementary school.

Hoban. Lillian. Arthur An I Can Read series of books about Arthur and his little sister, Violet.

Howe, James. Pinkey and Rex These short and easy chapter books center on the adventures of Pinkey, a boy whose

favorite color is pink, and a girl whose passion is dinosaurs.

Kline, Suzy. Horrible Harry (series) Harry, a typical young boy, and his friends and the mischief they always manage to get

into at school.

Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad An enchanting series of early chapter books about the adventures of two friends.

Minarik, Else. Little Bear A classic series designed for beginning readers. The gentle teasing between Little Bear

and his mother will delight young readers and the spacious layout type will encourage them to keep on reading.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic Tree House (series) Written for children making the transition to their first real chapter books. They chronicle

the fantastic adventures of a brother/sister duo.

Preller, James. Jig Saw Jones Mysteries The author, James Preller and Jigsaw Jones both love jig saw puzzles, baseball, grape

juice and mysteries. Jigsaw and his partner Mila are always searching for clues and putting together the mysteries.

Parish, Peggy. Amelia Bedelia Amelia Bedelia does everything people tell her to do literally. So, when she is told to “put

the lights out”, she does just that ~ unscrews every light buld in the house. It is so much fun reading about Amelia’s strange adventures.

Roy, Ron. A to Z Mysteries Fast, paced, collectible mysteries for beginning chapter book readers.

*Sharmat, Marjorie. Nate the Great A series of easy to read mysteries whose language is deliberately kept clear and simple

yet varied enough to captivate children’s imagination.

*Yolen, Jane. Commander Toad (series) Brave Commander Toad and the crew of the spaceship, Star Warts, have a mission to go

where no spaceship has gone before and to bring a little bit of Earth to alien stars.

Realistic Fiction

Buck, Pearl S. The Big Wave Adventurous story describing Jiya’s, a Japanese boy, coming to terms with a tidal wave

that destroys his whole fishing village.

Byars, Betsy. The Pinballs Three battered children meet and share a foster home that provides warmth and caring.

Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw. Leigh writes to his favorite author to sort out his feelings about his new school and his

parent’s new divorce.

Clements, Andrew. Frindle Chaos erupts in Mrs. Granger’s class when Nicholas decides to replace the word “pen”

with the word “frindle”.

Deans, Sis. Racing the Past Eleven-year-old Ricky learns that running can help him deal with angry feelings toward

his abusive father and with a class bully.

DeClements, Barthe. Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade A fifth grade class repelled by an overweight, new student learns compassion and

acceptance.

DiCamilla, Kate. A Tiger Rising Rob discovers a tiger in a cage while walking through the Florida woods and comes to

realize that tigers, heartaches and memories can not be locked away forever.

Edwards, Julie. Mandy Ten-year-old Mandy finds a home of her own when she climbs over the wall surrounding

the orphanage to discover an abandoned stone cottage.

Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses Wanda, a Polish immigrant, claims to own one hundred dresses and is teased by her

classmates until they realize the truth.Fenner, Carol. Yolonda’s Genius

Yolonda, a fifth grader, is determined to prove that her younger brother is not a slow learner but rather a musical genius.

Fitzhugh, Louise. Harriet the Spy Harriet M. Welsch is a spy who gets into trouble with friends and family when she

records all her observations into a journal.

Gantos, Jack. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key Joey frustrates his parents and teachers when he is unable to pay attention or control his

mood swings.

Henkes, Kevin. The Birthday Room Twelve-year-old Ben uncovers the reason behind the strained relationship between his

mother and her brother and discovers his talent as an artist while visiting his uncle in Oregon.

Hesse, Karen. Music of the Dolphins A fifteen-year-old girl raised by dolphins is reintroduced to the human world.

Holt, Kimberly Willis. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town During the summer of 1971 Toby and Cal meet 600 pound Zachary, the star of a

sideshow act.

Lisle, Janet Taylor. Afternoon of the Elves Sara-Kate claims that the miniature village in her backyard was built by elves but Hillary

is more intrigued with her mysterious, silent mother.

Lowry, Lois. Anastasia Krupnik Anastasia’s tenth year has its ups and downs when she falls in love and also learns she

will become a big sister.

MacLachlan, Patricia. Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt An eleven-year-old cellists learns about life from her boyfriend, her eccentric family and

Mozart.

Martin, Ann M. and Danziger, Paula. P.S. Longer Letter Later

Elizabeth and Tara*Starr are best friends with completely opposite personalities but the challenge begins when Tara*Starr moves away and they must continue their friendship through correspondence.

Mathis, Sharon Bell. The Hundred Penny Box Michael protests when his mother wants to discard the memorabilia from his beloved

great-great aunt.

Montgomery, L. M. Anne of Green Gables Red-haired Anne wants a family of her own and wins the hearts of the Cuthberts even

though they wished to adopt a boy.

Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins Gilly, an eleven-year-old foster child, has trouble trusting relationships.

Peck, Richard. A Long Way From Chicago Joey and Mary Alice visit their grandmother in sleepy Illinois, however, they learn that

the town is far from sleepy and their grandmother is far from normal.

Peck, Robert Newton. Soup Discover rural Vermont in the 1920’s with the funny antics of Rob and his best friend

Soup.

Wright, Betty Ren. The Wish Master Corby is unhappy that he will have to spend his summer taking care of his ailing

grandmother but is surprised when a local boy takes him to the Wish Master.

MYSTERIES

Avi. Windcatcher Sunken treasure involves Tony in a dangerous mystery the summer he visits his

grandmother on the Connecticut shore.

Bellairs, John. Curse of the Blue Figurine Johnny Dixon is plunged into a terrifying adventure when he takes a blue figurine from

the church basement.

Hamilton, Virginia. The House of Dies Drear The mysterious events that occur in Thomas’s new house relate back to the murdered

occupants of this former, Underground Railroad station.

Roberts, Willow Davis. Twisted Summer Cici’s summer spins out of control when a girl is murdered and Cici’s investigations of

the culprit lead her to someone very close to her.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Sammy Keyes Series

Sammy Keyes, a wise-cracking seventh grader, finds herself in the middle of mystery after mystery.

HISTORICAL FICTION

Conrad, Pam. Prairie Songs The beauty and isolation of the Nebraska prairie provides the backdrop for this novel of

frontier life.

Cushman, Karen. The Ballad of Lucy Whipple Lucy is stuck in Lucky Diggins, California when her mom decides to follow her dream of

fortune during the Gold Rush.

DeFelice, Cynthia. Weasel Eleven-year-old Nathan helps to protect his family from Weasel, a former Indian fighter,

in this story set in Ohio in the 1800’s.

Erdrich, Louise. Birchbark House Daily life is threatened for Omakayas and her Ojibwa family when small pox is

introduced into their village.

Fleischman, Paul. Bull Run Sixteen participants of the Civil War’s first battle tell their point of view about the glory

and destruction of war.

Gates, Dorris. Blue Willow Janey Larkin, daughter of a migrant worker, longs for a permanent home.

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Nory Ryan’s Song Nory refuses to give in to desperation as she and her family try to survive the Irish Potato

Famine.

Hesse, Karen. Witness The Ku Klux Klan slowly infiltrates a 1924 Vermont town and the residents are forced to

take action.

Holm, Jennifer. Our Only May Amelia May Amelia Jackson has trouble being a proper young lady in an 1899 Washington

settlement especially when she is the only female ever born in town and is the sibling of seven older brothers.

Kirkpatrick, Katherine. Trouble’s Daughter Susanna Hutchinson is taken captive after a raid by the Lenape Indians on her Long

Island home.

Lasky, Kathryn. True North

Two adolescent girls, one a Boston socialite the other a runaway slave, meet and begin a treacherous journey to the Canadian border.

Levine, Gail Carson. Dave At Night Dave learns of the Harlem Renaissance as he escapes the orphanage life during nightly

excursions into the neighborhood.

Lord, Bette Bao. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson Shirley Temple Wong learns about the American dream through baseball and a man

named Jackie Robinson.

MacLachlan, Patricia. Skylark In this sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall, Sarah, Anna and Caleb move to Maine to escape

the drought on the prairie.

Montgomery, L. M. Anne of Green Gables The timeless story of high-spirited Anne who comes to live with Marilla and Matthew

Cuthbert.

Paterson, Katherine. Lyddie Lyddie learns about life as a mill girl in Lowell, Massachusetts. Jip by Katherine Paterson

is a must read after Lyddie.

Reeder, Carolyn. Shades of Gray Will Page loses his entire family in the Civil War and is forced to live on a Virginia farm

with his relatives who refused to fight in the war.

Speare, Elizabeth. The Witch of Blackbird Pond Kit Tyler’s only hope of adjusting to her new life in a Connecticut colony is by

befriending a Quaker woman known as the “witch of Blackbird Pond”.

Taylor, Sydney. All-of-a-Kind Family Five sisters enjoy family life in this turn of the century novel.

Yolen, Jane. Odysseus in the Serpent Maze Follow the antics of Odysseus in this Ancient Greek tale.

FANTASY

Barron, T. A. The Lost Years of Merlin (series)Read about the childhood adventures of Merlin from his early days in ancient Wales to

young adulthood.

Babbitt, Natalie. The Search for DeliciousVaungaylen embarks on a journey to locate a meaning for “delicious” that all can agree

upon.

Banks, Lynn Reid. The Fairy RebelTiki, a rebellious fairy, works her magic when she is “earthed” into the lives of Jan and

Charles who are unable to have children of their own.

Billingsley, Franny. The Folk KeeperMeet Corinna, the Folk Keeper, whose job is to keep the underground Folk happy and at

bay from the human world.

Catling, Patrick. The Chocolate TouchEnjoy this parody of the King Midas story when John, a chocolate-lover, begins to

experience his world through the taste of only chocolate.

Cooper, Susan. The BoggartEmily and Jess inherit a crumbling, Scottish castle and a mischievous spirit and their

lives will never be the same.

Coville, Bruce. Into the Land of the UnicornsJoin Cara and Lightfoot, a feisty unicorn, in their adventures in Luster to reach the

Unicorn Queen.

Dahl, Roald. Magic FingerA little girl’s Magic Finger turns her animal-hunting neighbors into birds with disastrous

results.

Eager, Edward. Half MagicOn a boring summer day, Jane and her siblings find a coin and wish the boredom away

only to find their wish is granted – half as much!

Ende, Michael. The Neverending StoryBastian, through the pages of an old book, encounters a decaying world of sprites,

unicorns and dragons.

Grahame, Kenneth. Wind in the WillowsMole, once content in his static world, happens upon a river alive with possibilities and

enters a world of adventure.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Just EllaIn this realistic look at the Cinderella story, Ella decides she does not want an empty-

headed prince charming.

Ibbotson, Eve. Secret of Platform 13What magic lies under Platform 13 in London’s busiest train station?

King-Smith, Dick. The Terrible TrinsJoin the widowed Mrs. Gray as she rears her three clever mice-children.

Levine, Gail Carson. Ella EnchantedElla receives a gift of obedience from her fairy godmother in this Cinderella spin-off.

Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi LongstockingPippi is a high-spirited girl living an adventurous life at Villa Villekulla.

Mahy, Margaret. Dangerous SpacesAfter becoming an orphan, Anthea longs to enjoy personal space within a crowded family

unit and begins to explore a place called Viridian.

Norton, Mary. The BorrowersJoin Pod, Homily and Arrietty Clock in their miniature world under the kitchen

floorboards in the house they share with the “human beans”.

Peterson, John. The LittlesBeing the size of a thumbnail doesn’t mean you can’t overcome obstacles bigger than

yourself and ultimately make friends with them.

Pullman, Philip. I Was a RatRoger insists that he was once a rat and the media believes that indeed he may be the

“Monster of the Sewers”.

Rodgers, Mary. Freaky FridayAnnabel, tired of being bossed by her parents, wakes up on a freaky, Friday morning in

her mother’s body forced to live the life of an adult.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter (series)Harry, a wizard extraordinaire, and his companions lead readers through magical

adventures.

Waugh, Sylvia. The MennymsWhat is a life-sized, doll family to do when the seamstress who created them dies? Well,

they will just have to carry on the normal activities of daily life.

Yolen, Jane. Dragon’s BloodFifteen-year-old Jakkin Stewart, a bond servant in Master Sarkkan’s dragon barn,

secretly trains a dragon to fight in order to gain his freedom.

Adventure

Aiken, Joan. Wolves of Willoughby ChaseCruel Miss Slighcarp takes over as governess to Bonnie when her parents leave on an

ocean voyage and a once happy home is taken away, but not forever if Bonnie can help it.

Cunningham, Julia. Dorp Dead ??

Orphaned Gilly and Mash, her dog and only friend, are apprenticed to the town eccentric Mr.Kobalt.

Fleischman, Paul. Half-A-Moon InnAaaron awaits his mother’s return from town until a blizzard hits delaying her return; he

sets out to find her and lands at the Half-A-Moon Inn with crafty Miss. Grackle.

George, Jean Craighead. My Side of the MountainSam Gribley, unhappy in New York City, leaves for a year of survival in the Catskill

Mountains with only penknife, a ball of cord, forty dollars and some flint and steel.

Snickett, Lemony. Series of Unfortunate EventsThe clever and charming Baudelaire siblings are orphaned at the start of the story and

things just get worse from there.

Biography

Cleary, Beverly. Girl From Yamhill.From the creator of Henry Huggins and Ramona and intimate and personal look at the life Beverly Cleary and her less than content upbringing.

Dahl, Roald. Boy: Tales of Childhood.Read about the adventures and antics of Roald Dahl’s childhood to understand the plots and persuasion of his fiction stories.

Fleischman, Sid. Abracadabra Kid.Discover the journey of Sid Fleischman from magician to writer.

Fritz, Jean. Homecoming: My Own Story.Journey with Jean Fritz as she tells of her childhood in China, an unwelcome intruder, loving the country and secretly desiring to go to her true home in America.

Gilbreth, Frank. Cheaper By the Dozen.Family life is portrayed in this turn of the Twentieth Century story.

Hautzig, Esther. The Endless Steppe.It’s 1941 and the Rudomin family of Poland are considered enemies of the state; endure their five-year exile to the steppes in Russia.

Hoose, Philip M. We Were There Too!Discover history through the eyes of young people as they participated in momentous events.

Szabo, Corrine. Sky Pioneer, Amelia Earhart.

Enjoy meeting this extraordinary woman through carefully selected photographs and well-documented text.

Warren, Andrea. Orphan Train Rider; One Boy’s True Story.A personal account of Lee Nailling and his siblings as they ride the orphan train from New York out west hoping to be adopted and eventually one day reunite.

Non-Fiction

Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: Shackleton’s Amazing Voyage.Journey with Ernest Shackleton and his crew during the perilous 1914 voyage to Antarctica.

Blumberg, Rhoda. Shipwrecked! : the True Adventures of a Japanese Boy.Fourteen-year-old Manjiro is shipwrecked during a fishing trip and learns the forbidden ways of foreigners before returning home to Japan.

Dahl, Roald. Revolting Recipes.Cook up some favorite Roald Dahl recipes such as Willie Wonka’s Hot Ice Cream for Cold Days.

Dahl, Roald. Revolting Rhymes.Check out this satirical spin on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “The Three Little Pigs” and other classic fairy tales.

Fleischman, Paul. Joyful Noise: A Poem for Two Voices.Funny and sad, these poems celebrate the world of insects and are meant to be read by two voices.

Freedman, Russell. Indian Chiefs.Discover the integration of Native Americans with European/American cultures through the biographies of Santana, Red Cloud and Sitting Bull.

Holling, Holling C. Paddle-to-the-Sea.Follow a Native American boy as he journeys from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean in his canoe.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. My America: A Poetry Atlas of the U. S.Discover the regions of the United States through a collection of poetry.

Jenkins, Steve. The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest.Text and collage illustrations address the would-be Everest climber.

Lavies, Bianca. A Gathering of Garter Snakes.

Follow photojournalist, Bianca Lavies, as she documents the life cycle of the red-sided garter snake in Manitoba,Canada.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. Stories From Shakespeare.The author retells the adventure, irony and message contained in many of Shakespeare’s tales.

McKissack, Patricia. The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural.Ten spine-tinglers depict racism through ghost stories and eerie tales.