2008 SUMMER READING LIST
Entering Grades Pre-K through 3

“Quick Picks” by Grade

Entering Pre-K “Quick Picks"

Alborough, Jez. Where’s My Teddy?
A story about a teddy bear and a real bear that uses rhyming words to tell the story. A fun story about large and small.

Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum loves her name until she goes to school and others 
make fun of it.  Then the students meet the music teacher and Chrysanthemum blossoms.

Henkes, Kevin. Wemberly Worried
A story about worrying. Wemberly worried about everything. When it was time for school to start, Wemberly worried even more.

McCloskey, Robert.  Make Way For Ducklings
Story about Mrs. Mallard’s journey through busy Boston streets with her ducklings.

Penn, Audrey.  The Kissing Hand
Sweet story about a young raccoon and the anxiety he feels about leaving his Mom for the first day of school. Ideal for young children who are separating from their families for whatever reason.

Rathman, Peggy.  Ruby the Copycat 
A delightful tale about how a teacher helps a young child appreciate her individuality.

Ross, Dave.  A Book of Hugs
A book about all kinds of hugs.

Ruis, Maria and Parramon, J. M. Grandparents             
A story that explains what grandparents are and their place in the family.

Yolen, Jane.  Owl Moon
A beautiful story about a young child’s walk in the woods with her father.

          Van Laan, Nancy . Rainbow Crow
          A Native American legend about the world given the gift of fire.    

Entering  K “Quick Picks”

Child, Lauren.  I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
Lola is a fussy eater.

Crews, Donald.  Parade
Here it comes, batons, bands, flags and crowds.

Heine, Helme.  Friends
Beautifully illustrated book of three animal friends, Percy Pig, Charlie Rooster, and Johnny Mouse. Tells of their adventures together and their determination to always remain friends.

Nicholls, Judith.  Someone I Like, Poems About People
Poems about our relationships with the people who are dearest to us.

Penn, Audrey.  The Kissing Hand
Sweet story about a young raccoon and the anxiety he feels about leaving his Mom for first day of school. Ideal for young children who are separating from their families for whatever reason.

Potter, Tessa and Ken Lilly. 
Digger: The Story of a Mole in the Fall
The adventures of Digger, the mole, who is forced to find a new home because the weather is beginning to change. This is an inside look at the creatures’ adaptations to changes in the seasons.

Waddell, Martin. The Little Bear Series
(not to be confused with the Little Bear Series by Elsa H. Minarik)
Adorable stories and illustrations about the everyday life of a little bear who lives in a big cave with Big Bear. It depicts a very sweet and tender relationship between an adult and a child.

Walsh, Stoel.  Mouse Magic
A mouse wizard shows what happens when complementary colors come up against each other.

Weitzman, Jacqueline Preiss.  You Can’t Take a Balloon Into The Metropolitan Museum
Explore the magical relationship between art and life.

Wood, Audrey.  The Flying Dragon Room
Take an unforgettable romp with monsters and wild animals.

Entering Grade 1 “Quick Picks”

Brown, Marc.  Arthur’s Family Vacation
Arthur rescues the family vacation.

Curtis, Jamie Lee.  When I was Little: A Four-Year-Old’s Memoir of Her Youth
A girl tells about her life as a baby and compares it to being 4 years old.

Gwynne, Fred,   Easy to See Why
Humorous story about a dog show accompanied by pictures of dogs and their look-alike owners.

Hearn, Diane Dawson.  Dad’s Dinosaur Day
Mikey’s father becomes a dinosaur and shares a school day with his son.

Numeroff, Laura.  Dogs Don’t Wear Sneakers
A rhythmic text containing a menagerie of animal characters involved in very uncharacteristic activities.

Serfozo, Mary.  Benjamin Bigfoot
Small children will identify with Benjamin’s concerns about beginning school.

Siracusa, Catherine.  The Giant Zucchini
This book is imaginative, funny, and a delight to read aloud.

Entering Grade 2 “Quick Picks”

Greenberg, Dan.  The Zack Files 

Kline, Suzy.  Horrible Harry Series
Read about the horrible pranks Harry plays on classmates.

Osborne, Mary Pope,   Magic Tree House Series
A second grade favorite. Join the adventures of Jack and Annie.

Parish, Peggy.  Amelia Bedelia
Laugh with the literal-minded Amelia as she tries to perform her job as a maid for the Rogers family.

Park , Barbara .  Junie B. Jones Series
Don’t miss the outrageous, funny adventures of Junie B. Jones.

Shea, George.  Amazing Rescues
You won’t be able to put the book down as you read about three amazing rescues. (Step into Reading Series)                                                         

Stilton, Geronimo. Geronimo Stilton Series 
A series starring a mouse who is the editor of New Mouse City ’s newspaper, The Rodent’s Gazette.

Entering Grade 3 “Quick Picks”

Sachar, Louis.  There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom
This humorous story is about a fifth grader named Bradley Chalkers, who is a bully.

Rylant, Cynthia.  The Islander
After his parents die and he is sent to live in British Columbia , young Daniel has a difficult time coping with his emotions. However, a magical encounter with a mermaid and the gift of a special key placed inside a shell, turn his life around.

Spinelli, Jerry.  Fourth Grade Rats
In a funny, believable way, it looks at peer pressure and growing up. Suds enters fourth grade and is pressured by his friend Joey to be independent. – such as being mean to first graders and creating chaos in his room- in other words a “fourth grade rat”.

Grover, Wayne.  Dolphin Adventure : A True Story
Eighty feet below the ocean’s surface, Wayne Grover hears a clicking sound. Soon he sees three dolphins-two adults and a baby- swimming toward him. A large fishing hook is embedded in the baby’s back and suddenly Wayne realizes that, in their own way, the dolphins are asking for his help.

Danziger, Paula.  You Can’t Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown
This is a sequel to other Amber Brown stories. Amber is the plucky heroine of the third grade who continues to offer reflections and humorous observations on her adventures.