BOOKS
TO READBOOKS
TO READ
These books will keep your children reading. Check at the public library or a bookstore near you for these titles.
Nuts to You!, by Lois Ehlert, Harcourt Brace & Co., 1993. A hungry squirrel is looking for nuts and even dares to come through the screen door to find them. Colorful illustrations accompany a rhyming text. Information about squirrels is included on the final page.
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear, by Don & Audrey Wood, Scholastic, 1984. The story of little Mouse and his quest to keep a red, ripe strawberry away from the big, hungry Bear. A children's favorite that begs to be read aloud.
There's a Wocket in My Pocket, by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books, 1974. A nonsensical book that develops children's ability to hear sounds in words and understand that words are made up of sounds. Children will want to hear it again and again.
Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Rathman, G.P. Putnam, 1995. Winner of the Caldecott for 1995, this is the story of Officer Buckle, who delivers safety messages to schools and day-care centers, alongside the hilarious police dog Gloria.
The M & M's Counting Book, by Barbara Barbieri McGrath, Charlesbridge, 1994. Grab a bag of M & M's and settle down to some counting fun and food!
Waters, by Edith Newlin Chase, North Winds Press, 1993. Eye-popping illustrations and a rhyming text demonstrate the relationship between animals and water. Children will love finding and naming the animals on these pages.
Lilly's Purple, Plastic Purse, by Kevin Hankes, Greenwillow, 1996. Lilly the mouse goes shopping with her grandma and buys a purple, plastic purse and movie star sunglasses. She can't wait to show it off at school, so her teacher takes it away until the end of the day. After slipping a mean note in Mr. Slinger's book bag, Lilly finds that he not only returns her belongings at the end of the day, he slips some cheese snacks and a nice note in her purse besides. Suddenly she feels GUILT!
Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies, by Harriet Peck Taylor, Macmillan, 1995. A retelling of a Tewa legend, Coyote is sent to a lake to bring home some salt. After falling asleep on the way, a group of butterflies carry him home without the salt. This happens three times until he wakes up at home with the salt. His wife invites the butterflies to a feast, who can no longer fly in a straight line because of the joke they played on Coyote.
Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore, by David McPhail, Dutton, 1993. A man wanting to read a quiet book finds he is overwhelmed by pigs and more pigs in this silly rhyming story.
Tops and Bottoms, by Janet Stevens, Harcourt Brace, 1995. Clever Hare tends lazy Bear's vegetable garden, asking only the bottoms of the vegetables in payment. Bear finds that he is left with no food and is so angry at Hare that Hare offers to give Bear only the tops of the vegetables the following year. Needless to say, Hare gets the best of Bear again.
My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken and Me, by Maya Angelou, Clarkson Potter, Inc., 1994. The story of an eight-year-old girl named Thandi (Hope) who lives a traditional life in a Ndebele village in South Africa. She talks about her pet chicken, her little brother and how she enjoys watching her mother painting their house. Filled with striking photographs by Margaret Courtney-Clark.
Town Mouse, Country Mouse, by Jan Brett, Putnam, 1994. The familiar fable with some new characters introduced by Brett, including a kitchen cat in the townhouse and an owl in the country. Side panels depict more of the story and the detailed illustrations encourage children to look again and again.
Dogzilla, by Dav Pilkey, Harcourt Brace & Co., 1993. Summertime in Mouseopolis means it's time for the First Annual Barbecue Cook-Off and the mice are ready to party- until the dreaded Dogzilla (a Corgi) invades the party. Caution! This book has been rated EG -- Extremely Goofy!
The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles, Scholastic, 1995. The true story of Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child in her hometown to attend an all-white elementary school. She was escorted by federal marshals while a mob gathered outside the school and other children stayed home.
1000 Facts About Wild Animals, by Moira Butterfield, Scholastic, 1992. Lots of information about the animals all around us, even the ones living in our homes!
Pink and Say, by Patricia Polacco, Philomel, 1994. The powerful true story retold to each new generation in Patricia Polacco's family. Her ancestor, a fifteen-year-old boy, deserts his troop and is wounded in the leg. He is befriended and saved by the young African American, Pink. They are finally separated when captured and taken to Andersonville Prison.
Amelia's Notebook, by Marissa Moss, Tricycle Press, 1995. A nine-year-old moves to a new home and records her thoughts in a journal her mom just gave her. This book is typeset in Amelia's own handwriting and has her own drawings in it. Fun!
Baseball Saved Us, by Ken Mochizuki, Scholastic, 1993. The story of a Japanese-American family in an American prison camp during World War II and how playing baseball kept them feeling connected to life in America.
An American Safari, by Jim Brandenburg, Walker & Co., 1995. An outstanding book about the American prairie, its animals and its endangered state, written and photographed by one of America's most famous wildlife photographers. A great book for the children of Nebraska.
Math Curse, by John Scieszka, Viking, 1995. Has Mrs. Fibonacci put a math curse on her young student? Suddenly everything she looks at or thinks about becomes a math problem!
The Worst Best School Year Ever, by Barbara Robinson, Harper Collins, 1994. The "worst kids in the history of the world," the Herdmans, are back and in school. The sequel to The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Julie, by Jean Craighead George, Harper Collins, 1994. This sequel to Julie of the Wolves has Julie returning home to her people after months alone in the wilderness -- only to find that her family's situation has changed. Even snowmobiles are being used now.
The Baby Grand, the Moon in July, and Me, by Joyce Annette Barnes, Dial, 1994. Annie's dream of becoming an astronaut is set afire as Neal Armstrong walks on the moon, while her brother's dream of becoming a jazz musician leads him to purchase an expensive piano their family cannot afford.
Titanic Crossing, by Barbara Williams, Dial, 1995. The story of Albert, returning home to Washington, D.C., with his widowed mother, uncle and spoiled little sister. Will anyone in the family survive the voyage?