Recommended Readings

Recommended Readings

Click on an age group to find appropriate books for reading.

Agapanthus Hum and Major Bark, by Jennifer Plecas
When she loses a tooth, Agapanthus discovers that she can make an angel hoot by blowing through the hole in her smile.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst
On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too.

Aloha, Dolores, by Barbara Samuels
When Dolores enters her cat, Duncan, in a Meow Munchies Cat Food contest, she's certain Duncan is so good-looking, smart, and talented that he'll win first prize. When a cat named Fifi wins instead, Dolores must rise to the occasion... and with a little help from Faye, she discovers that winning isn't everything.

Amos and Boris, William Steig
A drowning mouse is befriended by a whale in the ocean. Years later in an equally unlikely situation, the mouse has a chance to return the favor.

Bonaparte, by Marsha Wilson Chall
When a young French boy goes away to school, he and his dog are sad to be separated until they find a way to change the school's rules about dogs.

The Bossy Gallito, by Lucia M. Gonzalez
Set in the Little Havana section of Miami, this is the colorful tale of a bossy little rooster on his way to his uncle's wedding.

Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum loved her name . . . until she went to school. "I'm named after my grandmother, " said Victoria. "You're named after a flower." Chrysanthemum wilted. Nothing got any better--until the students met their music teacher, Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle.

Cold Feet, by Cynthia C. DeFelice
Willie McPhee has fallen on hard times and discovers spooky happenings when he takes much-needed boots off a dead man. Soon Willie's feet are warm...but who is that tapping on the door?

Corduroy at the Zoo, by Don Freeman
Corduroy and his friends are taking a trip to the zoo. Find the mischievous monkeys playing hide-and-seek in the Jungle Walk, or spot the wombats in the Australia exhibit.

The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins
Ma has made a dozen delicious cookies. It should be plenty for her two children. But then the doorbell rings -- and rings and rings and rings.

Everything to Spend the Night From A to Z, by Ann Whitford Paul
Rollicking rhymes and illustrations packed with funny details reflect this exuberant narrator's delight as she pulls one thing after another out of her overnight bag and invites her grandpa to join in the fun.

Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep: A Yarn About Wool, by Teri Sloat
Farmer Brown was shearing sheep, piling up a snowy heaps of wool that filled his shed, knee-deep. But when the temperature drops, his shivering sheep see all their wool in sacks--and "BAAA!" they cry. "WE WANT IT BACK!"

Hamster Chase , by Anastasia Suen
The class hamster gets loose and it's up to Peter, Amy, and Archie to find him and lure him back into his cage.

How To Catch An Elephant, by Amy Schwartz
Enjoy this zany tale about a journey into the wilds where elephants live and about the fun of catching one -- a process that is utterly logical and utterly nuts.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie , by Laura Numeroff Relating the cycle of requests a mouse is likely to make after you give him a cookie takes the reader through a young child's day.

Is Your Mama a Llama?, by Deborah Guarino
A young llama asks his friends if their mamas are llamas and finds out, in rhyme, that their mothers are other types of animals.

It's Justin Time, Amber Brown, by Paula Danziger
Amber wants a watch for her seventh birthday more than anything so she can feel more grown-up and she will always know exactly how late Justin Daniels, her best friend, is.

Letters and Sounds (Get Set for Kindergarten series), by Rosemary Wells
Timothy and his kindergarten classmates learn about the alphabet, sounds, and rhyming. Includes activities on letter recognition, single and multiple syllable words, and words that start with consonants and vowels.

The Lion and the Mouse and Other Aesop Fables, by Doris Orgel
Getting there is half the fun with this pair, and along the way Minnie and Moo pick up a busload of equally adventurous animal friends from nearby Africa World, careen through a car wash they believe is China, and find themselves trading stories under a night sky in what they hope is America.

The Little Engine that Could, by Watty Piper
Although he’s not very big, the Little Blue Engine agrees to try to pull a stranded train full of toys over the mountain.

Minnie and Moo Go to Paris, by Denys Cazet
Getting there is half the fun with this pair, and along the way (past an electrical tower they think is the Eiffel), Minnie and Moo pick up a busload of equally adventurous animal friends from nearby Africa World, careen through a car wash they believe is China, and find themselves trading stories under a night sky in what they hope is America

Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen
On a winter's night under a full moon, a father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl.

Old Thunder and Miss Raney, by Sharon Darrow
Miss Raney is determined to win a ribbon for her biscuits at the county fair until a tornado changes her plans.

Quick as a Cricket, by Audrey Wood
A joyful celebration of a child's growing self-awareness. This classic children's book is a favorite of parents and teachers.

Q is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game, by Mary Elting
Why does A stand for zoo, B for dog, and C for hen? The young reader finds out in this amusing game based on the alphabet.

Ring! Yo?, by Chris Raschka
RING! YO? gives young readers only one side of the conversation -- and asks them to use their imaginations to fill in the other half.

Something BIG Has Been Here, by Jack Prelutsky
Here are four vain and ancient tortoises, a rat of culture, a meatloaf that defies an ax, five flying hotdogs, and more people, animals, and things that will amuse and delight.

"Stand Back," said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze", by Patricia Thomas
Knowing the havoc it will cause, all the animals try to prevent the elephant from sneezing.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter
Mr. McGregor has two things on his mind when he sees Peter in his garden. One is the safety of his lettuces; the other is rabbit pie. Peter was warned not to go into Mr. McGregor's garden, but some little bunnies have to learn things the hard way.

Three Cheers for Catherine the Great!, by Cari Best
A little English, a little Russian, and a lot of heart make a birthday celebration you won't want to miss. This lively borscht-and-blintzes birthday celebration shows that sometimes no presents can be the best presents of all.

Tomorrow's Alphabet, by George Shannon
A is for seed, B is for eggs, C is for milk -- what's going on here? The seed is tomorrow’s Apple, the eggs are tomorrow’s Birds, the milk is tomorrow’s Cheese!

Town Mouse, Country Mouse, by Jan Brett
After trading houses, the country mice and the town mice discover there's no place like home.

Willie's Birthday, by Anastasia Suen
A "Bring Your Pet" birthday party gets out of hand when the pets show more interest in chasing each other than in celebrating.

Yoshi's Feast, by Kimiko Kajikawa
Long ago there lived a fan maker named Yoshi who loved to eat broiled eels but the cook wants to charge him for the ones he smells as well as eats! How Yoshi repays the cook makes for a witty, satisfying tale about the pleasures of give and take.

Young Classics: Alice in Wonderland, by Julie Fior
In this Young Classic edition, children discover the extraordinarily imaginative world of Wonderland. Photography and background information helps to establish the setting, and bring Alice in Wonderland to new life for a new generation of children.

Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey
When Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings are stuck at a busy street in downtown Boston, their policeman friend Michael rushes in to stop traffic and make it safe for them to cross.

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
A miniature version of Maurice Sendak's story about Max, a little boy who sails to the land of the Wild Things.

Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne
The adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends, in which Pooh Bear uses a balloon to get honey, Piglet meets a Heffalump, and Eeyore has a birthday.

AGES 7-8

Agapanthus Hum and Major Bark, by Jennifer Plecas
When she loses a tooth, Agapanthus discovers that she can make an angel hoot by blowing through the hole in her smile.

Bonaparte, by Marsha Wilson Chall
When a young French boy goes away to school, he and his dog are sad to be separated until they find a way to change the school's rules about dogs.

Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery, by David A. Adler
When Cam's grandparents are robbed on their way to her parents' surprise birthday party, Cam uses her photographic memory to solve the mystery.

Corduroy at the Zoo, by Don Freeman
Corduroy and his friends are taking a trip to the zoo. Find the mischievous monkeys playing hide-and-seek in the Jungle Walk, or spot the wombats in the Australia exhibit.

Hamster Chase , by Anastasia Suen
The class hamster gets loose and it's up to Peter, Amy, and Archie to find him and lure him back into his cage.

Minnie And Moo and the Musk of Zorro, by Denys Cazet
Moo longs for the days of heroes, the days of the derring-do of good-deed doers. As Juanita del Zorro del Moo and Dolores del Zorro del Minnie, our heroes roam the farm armed with an aerosol can of Zorro musk and a barbecue skewer, attempting to rescue the downtrodden.

Old Thunder and Miss Raney, by Sharon Darrow
Miss Raney is determined to win a ribbon for her biscuits at the county fair until a tornado changes her plans.

The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson
Woodson's pre-civil rights picture book tells a story of a friendship across race.

Ring! Yo?, by Chris Raschka
RING! YO? gives young readers only one side of the conversation -- and asks them to use their imaginations to fill in the other half.

Willie's Birthday, by Anastasia Suen
A "Bring Your Pet" birthday party gets out of hand when the pets show more interest in chasing each other than in celebrating.

The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, by Trinka Hakes Noble
When Jimmy's unusual pet accompanies him on his class trip, an ordinary jaunt to a farm turns into a hilarious, slapstick romp.

The Art Lesson, by Tomie de Paola
Tommy can't wait to start his art class at school. But once there, he is surprised to find rules! His art teacher wants him to copy her drawing, and he wants to create his own.

Swimmy, by Leo Lionni
A little fish, the lone survivor of a school of fish swallowed by a tuna, devises a plan to camouflage himself and his new companions.

If You Were a Writer, by Joan Lowery Nixon
Melia wants to be a writer just like her mother. With a few helpful suggestions and lots of encouragement, she is soon on her way.

Author: A True Story, by Helen Lester
Children's author Helen Lester describes her life from age three to adulthood and discusses how she writes.

Amelia's Road, by Linda Jacobs Altman
This touching tale of the importance of home will strike a chord with children who find themselves having to cope with moving. Amelia, a child of migrant farm workers, is weary of wandering with the seasons and longs for a home with a fine yard and shade tree.

Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney
As a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.

A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B. Williams
A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.

The New Kid on the Block, by Jack Prelutsky
Open this book to any page to beging your exploration. Here are poems about things that you may never have thought about before. You'll be introduced to jellyfish stew, a bouncing mouse, a ridiculous dog, and a boneless chicken. You'll meet the world's worst singer and the greatest video game player in history. You'll even find an invitation to a dragon's birthday party...Your friends are invited too.

Freckle Juice, by Judy Blume
Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents. At home he carefully mixes the strange combination of ingredients. Then the unexpected happens...

Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White
Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte decides to help him.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8, by Beverly Cleary
Mr. Quinby's going to college, Mrs. Quinby's going to work. Now that Ramona is eight, she can go to a new school with a new teacher and ride the bus all by herself. But life isn't as easy for Ramona as it used to be. All the Quimbys have to adjust, and Ramona gets her chance to prove that she's "big enough for her family to depend on."

Fudge-A-Mania, by Judy Blume
Pete describes the family vacation in Maine with the Tubmans, highlighted by the antics of his younger brother Fudge.

Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein
Irreverent, hilarious and wildly popular, Silverstein's collection of verse is hard to put down.

AGES 9-10

Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White
Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte decides to help him.

Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt
The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing older.

Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan
When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay.

Bill Peet: An Autobiography, by Bill Peet
The well-known author and illustrator relates the story of his life and work.

Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his own way.

Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein
Irreverent, hilarious and wildly popular, this collection of Silverstein's verse is hard to put down.

Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary
In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.

Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her family as they leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and set out for Kansas. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their little house on the prairie. Sometimes pioneer life is hard, but Laura and her folks are always busy and happy in their new little house.

James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
For young James Henry Trotter, life with the exceedingly nasty Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker is pure misery. James dreams of a better life, but he's totally unprepared for the wild adventures ahead of him when he drops the magic crystals he receives from a strange old man. Before long James is off on a weird, wonderful journey inside a giant peach with a bizarre group of companions!

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume
A nine-year-old is "given" a little brother and soon decides that she is expendable. But some things about little brother are lovable too.

Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Eleven-year-old Marty Preston "finds a stray dog that seems to be abused and is determined to keep it at all costs. Because his family is very poor, without money to feed another mouth, his parents don't want any pets. Subsequently, there is a lot of conflict over the animal within the family and between Marty and Judd Travers, the dog's owner

Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard Atwater and Florence Atwater
The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.

Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh
Harriet M. Welsch is determined to grow up and be a famous author. In the meantime, she practices by following a regular spy route each day and writing down everything she sees in her secret notebook. Then one morning, her classmates find her spy notebook and read it out loud! Harriet's in big trouble. The other sixth-graders are stealing her tomato sandwiches, forming a spy-catcher club, and writing notes of their own -- all about Harriet!

Stuart Little, by E. B. White
The adventures of the debonair mouse Stuart Little as he sets out in the world to seek out his dearest friend, a little bird who stayed a few days in his family's garden.

Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech
After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.

Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse
In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression.

AGES 11-12

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.

Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell
This story records the courage and self-reliance of an Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California coast.

Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

The BFG, by Roald Dahl
Kidsnatched from her orphange by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts with him a plan to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants.

Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein
Irreverent, hilarious and wildly popular, this collection of Silverstein's verse is hard to put down.

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis
What begins as a simple game of hide-and-seek quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime when Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy walk through the wardrobe and into the land of Narnia.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor
A black family living in the South during the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand.

Stone Fox, by John Reynolds Gardiner
Little Willie hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry
In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, by Robert C. O'Brien
Having no one to help her with her problems, a widowed mouse visits the rats whose former imprisonment in a laboratory made them wise and long lived.

The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.

Matilda, by Roald Dahl
Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, a twelve-year-old girl talks over her problems with her own private God.

Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson
Feeling deprived all her life of schooling, friends, mother, and even her name by her twin sister, Louise finally begins to find her identity.

My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George
A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

Tangerine, by Edward Bloor.
Twelve-year-old Paul is a star soccer player, despite needing very thick glasses to see. No one really notices him behind his football hero brother until they move to Tangerine. Paul begins to remember how he lost his vision and everything changes. Issues of bullying, stealing, ethnicity, and class are subtly explored.

Challenge at Second Base, by Matt Christopher.
Stan wants to quit the team when his rival for second base looks too good to beat, but an anonymous note changes his mind.

I Am the Cheese, by Robert Cormier.
A young man searches for his identity but is afraid that if he finds out who is he, he will be killed.

Johnny Tremain, by Ester Forbes. (winner of the 1944 Newbery Medal) A young apprentice silversmith plays a major role in the American Revolution in this novel of historical fiction.

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding.
The war has just ended. A group of boys is marooned on an island -- no adults have survived. There are some horrific scenes of violence. Parents may want to read this book before sharing it with their children.

The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton.
This book takes a realistic look at the lives of two brothers caught up in gangs and violence.

Mariel of Redwall, by Brian Jacques.
Mariel the mousemaid leads a band of animals against the evil sea-rat King Gabool. An adventure fantasy for young adults.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry.
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in the community and discovers the horrible truth about the society in which he lives.

Complete Anne of Green Gables (Box Set), by L.M. Montgomery.
Red-headed Anne Shirley will delight intermediate readers. An eleven-year-old orphan, Anne is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression.

Me, Mop & the Moondance Kid, by Walter Dean Myers.
Three orphans work together to have a winning baseball team -- and to be adopted.

Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin.
The mysterious death of eccentric millionaire Samuel W. Westing brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance. Raskin weaves a twister-like plot and cleverly unravels for a satisfying and surprising ending.

Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare.
Kit Tyler feels out of place in her new home in Connecticut. She befriends an outcast woman and finds herself on trial for witchcraft.

Last Summer with Maizon, by Jacqueline Woodson.
Maizon and Margaret are best friends -- together forever. It feels like their world is falling apart when Margaret's father dies and Maizon gets a scholarship to a boarding school. Maizon is afraid she will be the only African American at the school.