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The book list provided below is a good resource for you when doing research for homework assignments or specific class topics. The books are organized by groups for easy reference. Simply click on the book title link to view additional information.
First Grade
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A House for Hermit Crab
by by Eric Carle Year Published: Easy ReadingPoor Hermit Crab! He's outgrown his snug little shell, so he finds himself a larger one -- and many new friends to decorate and protect his new house. But what will happen when he outgrows this shell and has to say good-bye to all the sea creatures who have made Hermit Crab's house a home?Note: This book is available in our Library.Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by by Judith Viorst Year Published: ChallengingAlexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair. And it got worse...His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV!Note: This book is available in our Library.Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin Year Published: Easy ReadingFarmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he hears Click, clack, MOO. Click, clack, MOO. Clickety, clack, MOO. But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes....Note: This book is available in our Library.Frog and Toad Are Friends
by Arnold Lobel Year Published: AverageIt's April, and Frog is looking forward to a whole year of happy times with his best friend, Toad. If only Toad would agree to wake up from his long winter nap! In the first of five short stories, clever Frog finds a way to rouse his sleepy friend. And as children will soon see, theirs is a marvelous friendship. When Frog doesn't feel well, Toad tries to tell him a story. When Toad loses a button, Frog helps him look for it. When Toad goes swimming in his funny bathing suit, Frog tries not to laugh, and when Toad is sad because he never gets any mail, Frog knows just what to do.Note: This book is available in our Library.Junie B. Jones #18: First Grader (at last!)
by By Barbara Parks Year Published: ChallengingThe 18th installment in Barbara Park's popular beginning chapter-book series puts our temperamental heroine into a brand-new class where she has to make brand-new friends. And as if that weren't hard enough, her brand-new teacher, Mr. Scary ("He made that name up, I believe," Junie writes in a journal assignment), figures out that she needs eyeglasses. Will all the other kids laugh at her? Will that obnoxious Excellent-plus-getting May become even more obnoxious?Note: This book is available in our Library.Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
by Mo Willems Year Published: AverageMerging expressive cartoon network-esque illustrations with beautiful black and white photographs of Brooklyn, this funny story tells how Trixie and Knuffle Bunny's trip to the laundromat with Dad goes terribly wrong when Trixie realizes some bunny's been left behind...! Her attempts to alert Dad all the way home are unsuccessful, until Mom points out that Knuffle Bunny is missing and the family hotfoot it back to the laundromat. Fortunately, KB is safe, if a little wet...Note: This book is available in our Library.Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark By Mary Pope Osborne
by By Mary Pope Osborne Year Published: ChallengingJack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House! Where did the tree house come from? Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them to the prehistoric past. Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark . . . or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?Note: This book is available in our Library.Swimmy
by Leo Lionni Year Published: AverageDeep in the sea there lives a happy school of little fish. Their watery world is full of wonders, but there is also danger, and the little fish are afraid to come out of hiding . . . until Swimmy comes along. Swimmy shows his friends how—with ingenuity and team work—they can overcome any danger.Note: This book is available in our Library.The Cat and the Hat
by Dr.Seuss Year Published: Easy ReadingJoin the Cat in the Hat as he makes learning to read a joy! It’s a rainy day and Dick and Sally can’t find anything to do . . . until the Cat in the Hat unexpectedly appears and turns their dreary afternoon into a fun-filled extravaganza!Note: This book is available in our Library.The Snowy Day
by Ezra Jack Keats Year Published: Easy ReadingNo book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.Note: This book is available in our Library.Second Grade
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Diary of a Worm
by Cronin Doreen Year Published: AverageA young worm discovers, day by day, that there are some very good and some not so good things about being a worm in this great big world.Note: This book is available in our Library.Duck for President
by Doreen Cronin Year Published: AverageDuck brings democracy and elections to the farm in a bid to avoid work. Unfortunately, it’s campaigning, not serving, that captivates Duck. He abdicates the presidency to return to the farm and write his memoirs. A red, white, and blue delight!Note: This book is available in our Library.Hi! Fly Guy
by Tedd Arnold Year Published: AverageWhen Buzz captures a fly to enter in The Amazing Pet Show, his parents and the judges tell him that a fly cannot be a pet, but Fly Guy proves them wrong.Note: This book is available in our Library.Lon Po Po : a Red-Riding Hood Story from China
by Ed Young Year Published: ChallengingThree sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother.Note: This book is available in our Library.The bossy gallito = El gallo de bodas : a traditional Cuban folktale
by Lucía M. González Year Published: AverageIn this cumulative Cuban folktale, a bossy rooster dirties his beak when he eats a kernel of corn and must find a way to clean it before his parrot uncle's wedding. Includes a glossary of Spanish words and information about the different birds in the story.Note: This book is available in our Library.The Great kapok tree : a tale of the Amazon rain forest
by Cherry, Lynne Year Published: AverageThe many different animals that live in a great kapok tree in the Brazilian rainforest try to convince a man with an ax of the importance of not cutting down their home.Note: This book is available in our Library.The Stinky Cheese Man: And Other Fairly Stupid Tales
by Jon Scieszka Year Published: AverageThe entire book, with its unconventional page arrangement and eclectic, frenetic mix of text and picures, is a spoof on the art of book design and the art of the fairy tale. The individual tales, such as he Really Ugly Ducklingand ittle Red Running Shorts,can be extracted for telling aloud, with great success. Another masterpiece from the team that created The True Story of the Three Little Pigs!Note: This book is available in our Library.The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
by Jon Scieszka Year Published: AverageIn this hysterical and clever fracture fairy tale picture book that twists point of view and perspective, young readers will finally hear the other side of the story of “The Three Little Pigs.”Note: This book is available in our Library.Third Grade
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Charlotte's Web
by E.B. White Year Published: AverageThis beloved book by E. B. White, author of Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children's literature that is "just about perfect." Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter. E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. This edition contains color illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E.B. White's Stuart Little and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, among many other books.Note: This book is available in our Library.Freckle Juice
by Judy Blume Year Published: ChallengingNicky has freckles: they cover his face, his ears, and the whole back of his neck. Sitting behind him in class, Andrew once counted eighty-six of them, and that was just a start! If Andrew had freckles like Nicky, his mother would never know if his neck was dirty. One day after school, Andrew works up enough courage to ask Nicky where he got his freckles. When know-it-all Sharon overhears, she offers Andrew her secret freckle juice recipe for fifty cents. It's a lot of money, but Andrew is desperate. At home he carefully mixes the strange combination of ingredients. Then the unexpected happens...Note: This book is available in our Library.James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl Year Published:When James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. When James discovers a secret entranceway into the fruit and crawls inside, he meets wonderful new friends--the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the dainty Ladybug, and the Centipede of the multiple boots. After years of feeling like an outsider in his aunts' house, James finally found a place where he belongs. With a snip of the stem, the peach household starts rolling away--and the adventure begins! Roald Dahl's first and most widely celebrated book for young people continues to thrill readers around the world.Mr.Poppers Penguins
by Richard Atwater Year Published: AverageThe Poppers unexpectedly come into possession of a penguin, then get a penguin from the zoo who mates with the first penguin to have 10 baby penguins. Before long, something must be done before they eat the Poppers out of house and home! A classic of American humor, this story of a gentle housepainter and his high stepping penguins has delighted children for generations.Note: This book is available in our Library.Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale
by John Steptoe Year Published: AverageThis Caldecott Medal-winning African tale evokes the Cinderella story, as well as the traditional theme of good triumphing over evil. Mufaro has two daughters, the bad-tempered Manyara and the loving Nyasha, who must pass a series of tests in order for one of them to be considered a beautiful and worthy wife for the Great King. Fiercely competitive, Manyara taunts Nyasha with threats of becoming a servant once Manyara is made Queen. Nyasha doesn't complain to her father about her sister's ill will, but merely tends to her garden where she befriends a little garden snake, Nyoka. Nyoka replaces the traditional fairy godmother, and is able to transform into a hungry lost boy and an old woman. As Manyara and Nyasha journey to meet with the Great King, they are each tested by Nyoka in his various disguises. Not surprisingly, Manyara's responses are selfish and bitter, while Nyasha's are polite and thoughtful. In a surprise ending, Nyoka is revealed to be the Great King himself.Note: This book is available in our Library.Sarah, Plain and Tall
by Patricia MacLachlan Year Published: Average"I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall." A heartwarming story about two children, Anna and Caleb, whose lives are changed forever when their widowed papa advertises for a mail-order bride. Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton from Maine answers the ad and agrees to come for a month. Sarah brings gifts from the sea, a cat named Seal, and singing and laughter to the quiet house. But will she like it enough to stay? Anna and Caleb wait and wonder -- and hope. Performed by Glenn CloseNote: This book is available in our Library.The Boxcar Children
by Gertrude Chandler Warner, L. Kate Deal Year Published: AverageThe Aldens begin their adventure by making a home in a boxcar. Their goal is to stay together, and in the process they find a grandfather.Note: This book is available in our Library.The Mouse and the Motorcycle
by Beverly Cleary Year Published: Challenging"Pb-pb-b-b-b. Pb-pb-b-b-b." With these magic vocables, Ralph the mouse revs up a dream come true--his very own motorcycle. Living in a knothole in a hotel room, young Ralph has seen plenty of families come and go, some more generous with their crumbs than others. But when young Keith and his parents check in to the hotel, Ralph gets his first chance to check out. He has always fantasized about venturing beyond the second floor, maybe even outside. Curiosity overcomes caution, and Ralph must have a go at Keith's toy motorcycle. Soon, the headstrong mouse finds himself in a pickle, when all he wanted was to ride a motorcycle. Lucky for him, the boy understands how it is. When he discovers Ralph in his thwarted attempt to abscond with the toy bike, Keith generously encourages the rodent to ride. He even teaches him the simple trick of starting the motorcycle: "You have to make a noise... pb-pb-b-b-b." The subsequent situations Ralph motors into require quick thinking and grownup-sized courage.Note: This book is available in our Library.Fourth Grade
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Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo Year Published: AverageKate DiCamillo’s first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper — a New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor winner, the inspiration for a popular film, and most especially, a cherished classic that touches the hearts of readers of all ages. It’s now available in a paperback digest format certain to bring this tale’s magic to an even wider circle of fans. The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket--and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of WAR AND PEACE. They meet Gloria Dump, who is nearly blind but sees with her heart, and Otis, an ex-con who sets the animals in his pet shop loose after hours, then lulls them with his guitar.Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship—and forgiveness—can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm.Note: This book is available in our Library.Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis Year Published: AverageIt's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud's got a few things going for him:1. He has his own suitcase filled with his own important, secret things.2. He's the author of Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.3. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers of Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!Bud's got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road and find this mystery man, nothing can stop him--not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even Herman E. Calloway himself.Bud, Not Buddy is full of laugh-out-loud humor and wonderful characters, hitting the high notes of jazz and sounding the deeper tones of the Great Depression. Once again Christopher Paul Curtis, author of the award-winning novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, takes readers on a heartwarming and unforgettable journey.Note: This book is available in our Library.Esperanza Rising
by Pam Muñoz Ryan Year Published: AverageA reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment. Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico--she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.Note: This book is available in our Library.Jumanji
by Chris Van Allsburg Year Published: AverageThe game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peters and Judy had at home. But they were bored and restless and, looking for something interesting to do, thought they'd give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be plunged into the most exciting and bizare adventure of their lives. In his second book for children, Chris Van Allsburg again explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality with this story about a game that comes startingly to life. His marvelous drawings beautifully convey a mix of the everyday and the extraordinary, as a quiet house is taken over by an exotic jungle.Note: This book is available in our Library.Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
by Judy Blume Year Published: AverageLife with his little brother, Fudge, makes Peter Hatcher feel like a fourth grade nothing. Whether Fudge is throwing a temper tantrum in a shoe store, smearing mashed potatoes on the walls at Hamburger Heaven, or trying to fly, he’s never far from trouble. He’s an almost three-year-old terror who gets away with everything, and Peter’s had it up to here!When Fudge walks off with Dribble, Peter’s pet turtle, it’s the last straw. Peter has put up with Fudge for too long. Way too long! How can he get his parents to pay attention to him for a change?Note: This book is available in our Library.The BFG
by Roald Dahl Year Published: AverageCaptured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!Note: This book is available in our Library.The Indian in the Cupboard
by Lynne Reid Banks Year Published: AverageAt first, Omri is unimpressed with the plastic Indian toy he is given for his birthday. But when he puts it in his old cupboard and turns the key, something extraordinary happens that will change Omri's life for ever. For Little Bull, the Iroquois Indian brave, comes to life...Note: This book is available in our Library.The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
by C.S. Lewis Year Published: ChallengingWhen Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy took their first steps into the world behind the magic wardrobe, little do they realise what adventures are about to unfold. And as the story of Narnia begins to unfold, so to does a classic tale that has enchanted readers of all ages for over half a century. This stunning version of the classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, illustrated by Christian Burningham, comes with a special recording of the story which features a full production and specially composed music which transports the listener straight to the heart of Narnia. An absolute must for Narnia fans, and an excellent way of introducing the magical story to a new generation of readers. -Note: This book is available in our Library.Fifth Grade
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Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson Year Published: ChallengingJess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone. That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.Note: This book is available in our Library.Bunnicula
by James Howe Year Published: AverageBefore it's too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household -- a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits...and fangs!Note: This book is available in our Library.Frindle
by Andrew Clements Year Published: AverageFrom bestselling and award-winning author Andrew Clements, a quirky, imaginative tale about creative thought and the power of words that will have readers inventing their own words. Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school -- and he's always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there's nothing Nick can do to stop it.Note: This book is available in our Library.Holes
by Louis Sachar Year Published: AverageStanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes. It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.Note: This book is available in our Library.Maniac Magee
by Jerry Spinelli Year Published: AverageJeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run--and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.Note: This book is available in our Library.Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry Year Published: ChallengingTen-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.Note: This book is available in our Library.The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
by by Christopher Paul Curtis Year Published: ChallengingThe Newbery Honor-winning American classic, The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 , celebrates 20 years with this anniversary edition featuring a special letter from Christopher Paul Curtis and an introduction by noted educator Dr. Pauletta Bracy. Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who's thirteen and an "official juvenile delinquent." When Momma and Dad decide it's time for a visit to Grandma, Dad comes home with the amazing Ultra-Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They're heading South to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in America's history.Note: This book is available in our Library.Tuck Everlasting
by Natalie Babbitt Year Published: ChallengingDoomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.Note: This book is available in our Library.
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