Good Reads: Great Titles for an Exciting Summer 2014 · Good Reads: Great Titles for an Exciting...

1 Léman Manhattan Preparatory School

Good Reads: Great Titles for an Exciting Summer 2014

MENU: Fiction with Animal Characters, Fantasy, Folklore & Poetry, Realistic Fiction,

Nonfiction

Angelina Ballerina – Katharine Holabird A little mouse would rather dance more than anything else in the world--including tidy her room, help her mother, or get to school on time.

Bear in Love – Daniel Manus Pinkwater Who has been leaving sweet, crunchy, pointy, orange treats outside bear’s cave each night? Bear tries to solve the mystery by leaving different thank you gifts in return to see who might come for them.

Biscuit – Alyssa Satin Capucilli Biscuit’s young owner is sure her puppy’s “woofs” mean that, like her, he is not ready for bed.

Bread and Jam for Frances – Russell Hoban Frances turns up her nose at everything that isn’t bread and jam, until Mother comes up with a plan to offer her nothing else.

Bunny Cakes – Rosemary Wells (Max & Ruby) Max makes an earthworm cake for Grandma's birthday and helps Ruby with her angel surprise cake. At the store, the grocer can't read some of the shopping list, until Max solves the problem by drawing a picture.

KEY: Green =Titles in Series GN = Graphic

Novels

Fiction with Animal Characters


Buster - Denise Fleming Buster the dog thinks his perfect life is spoiled when Betty the cat comes to live with him, until he learns not to be afraid of her.

Cork & Fuzz: Best Friends – Dori Chaconas Cork is a muskrat. Fuzz is a possum. Cork eats only veggie stuff. Fuzz eats beetles and worms. Cork likes to play hide-and-seek. Fuzz likes to play find-and-eat. Do they have anything in common?

Curious George Takes a Job – H.A. Rey A lively monkey escapes from the zoo and takes jobs as a dishwasher, window washer, painter and movie star.

D.W. All Wet– Marc Brown D.W. bosses her brother Arthur into carrying her on his shoulders at the beach because she maintains that she hates the water, until she gets a big wet surprise.

Duck on a Bike – David Shannon Duck may be wobbly, when he first starts pedaling around the farm, and the other animals laugh at him. But soon, the rest of the animals wants bikes of their own, too.

The Fire Cat – Esther Averill Pickles just used to chase other cats until he discovers his true calling in the local NYC firehouse.

Gossie and Gertie – Olivier Dunrea Goslings Gossie and Gertie are best friends. Everywhere Gossie goes, Gertie goes too--except when she doesn't, and sometimes that's ok.


Harry by the Sea – Gene Zion A friendly little dog is mistaken for a sea monster when he gets lost at the beach covered in seaweed.

Help! A Story of Friendship – Holly Keller Mouse hears a rumor that snakes do not like mice; and while trying to avoid his former friend, Snake, he falls into a hole from which neither Hedgehog, Squirrel, nor Rabbit can help him out.

Let’s Go, Froggy! – Jonathan London Froggy and his father would like to go on their bike trip, but wherever did Froggy leave his bicycle helmet, his butterfly net, his trading cards, and more?

Little Bear – Else Holmelund Minarik When Little Bear goes to the moon, Mother Bear has a hot lunch waiting for him on his return. She is there whenever Little Bear needs her in the four charming stories here, illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

Little Beauty – Anthony Browne When a captive gorilla becomes enrages over the depiction of gorillas in King Kong, his human keepers try to take away the little white kitten who has become his friend.

Little Mouse Gets Ready – Jeff Smith GN A little mouse is dressing himself. Each step—from checking to make sure the tag in the undies is in the back, to sitting down to put on pants, to the trickier maneuvers involved in buttoning a shirt—comes with built-in challenges and brightened by touches of gentle humor.

Llama Llama Time to Share – Anna Dewdney All goes well when new neighbors come to visit, until Nelly Gnu starts playing with Llama Llama’s prized Fuzzy Llama doll--without his permission. A tug of war ensues…


Max & Ruby’s Treasure Hunt – Rosemary Wells When their tea party is rained out, Max and Ruby and their friends go indoors, where Grandma has arranged a treasure hunt, complete with Mother Goose rhyme clues.

My Goose Betsy – Trudi Braun Betsy the goose makes a cozy nest, lays her eggs, and tends to them until her little goslings are hatched.

Not a Stick – Antoinette Portis To an imaginative little stick, a box is not always just a stick.

Old Bear – Jane Hissey Old Bear has been up in the attic for a very long time, but he hasn't been forgotten. Bramwell Brown and his friends Little Bear, Duck, and Rabbit try various ways to bring Old Bear safely down.

Old Bear and His Cub – Olivier Dunrea Although they love each other, Old Bear and his little Cub have a tug of war over which one knows best in a variety of situations.

Oliver, Amanda, and Grandmother Pig – Jean Van Leeuwen When Grandmother Pig comes for a visit, Oliver and Amanda learn just how much fun it is to have a grandmother in the house.

Red Wagon – Renata Liwska


Little fox Lucy finds a way to go to market for her mother and play with her new wagon – sailing on high

seas and crossing the great frontier – along the way.

The Story of Ferdinand – Munro Leaf Ferdinand likes to sit quietly and smell the flowers, but one day he gets stung by a bee and his snorting and stomping mistakenly convince everyone that he is the fiercest of bulls.

Swimmy – Leo Lionni Swimmy, a small black fish, finds an ingenious way to protect a school of small red fish from their natural enemies in the sea.

Tacky the Penguin – Helen Lester Tacky the penguin does not fit in with his sleek and graceful companions, but his awkward behavior saves the day when hunters come with maps and traps.

The Pout-Pout Fish – Deborah Diesen The pout-pout fish believes he only knows how to frown, until one day a fish comes along that shows him how to shake the gloom.

Where’s My Teddy? – Jez Alborough When a small boy named Eddie goes searching for his lost teddy in the dark woods, he comes across a gigantic bear with a similar problem.

Widget – Lynn Rossiter McFarland A small stray dog is accepted into a household full of cats by learning to fit in, but when his owner is hurt, he demonstrates that being a dog is not all bad.


Yoko – Rosemary Wells When Yoko brings sushi to school for lunch, her classmates make fun of what she eats--until one of them tries it for himself.

Beautiful Blackbird – Ashley Bryan

In a story of the Ila people of Zambia, the colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the

most beautiful of all, to decorate them with some of his "blackening brew."

Blueberries for Sal – Robert McCloskey

Kerplink, kerplunk – Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and

almost end up with the other’s mother.

The Bog Baby – Jeanne Willis

When two sisters go fishing in a magic pond, they find a winged blue bog baby and sneak it home.

Changes, Changes – Pat Hutchins

In a wordless adventure, two wooden dolls keep rearranging building blocks to solve problems created

by each new construction.

A Fish Out of Water – Helen Palmer

Fantasy


When a little boy overfeeds his new pet goldfish, the fish grows to be quite a problem, and only Mr.

Carp, the pet shop owner, can save the day for the boy and his pet.

Flora’s Very Windy Day – Jeanne Birdsall

When a big wind blows her annoying little brother away, Flora decides to save him despite the many

tempting offers she gets for him from, among others, a cloud, an eagle, the man in the moon, and the

wind itself.

Go Away, Big Green Monster – Ed Emberley

With each turn of the vibrant die-cut pages, the reader comes closer to meeting the monster

with big yellow eyes.

Good Night, Gorilla – Peggy Rathman

The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson

To keep from being eaten by a fox, an owl, and a snake, a clever mouse pretends that a terrifying

creature is on its way. But there really is such a creature, and it would like to eat the mouse.

Harold and the Purple Crayon – Crockett Johnson

Harold uses his fantastic purple crayon to draw himself into some wonderful adventures.

King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub – Audrey Wood

Despite pleas from his court, a fun-loving king refuses to get out of his bathtub to rule his kingdom.


Lovabye Dragon – Barbara M. Joosse

When a lonely dragon follows a trail of princess tears, a beautiful friendship is born. They march and

sing, roar and whisper, hide and seek, then settle into snug companionship at bedtime.

The Man from the Land of Fandango – Margaret Mahy

Two children paint a colorful man who comes bouncing in the door and livens up their afternoon with

dancing and juggling and frolicking with baboons, dinosaurs, and kangaroos. Buoyant rhymes and.

Raising Dragons – Jerdine Nolen

A farmer's young daughter shares numerous adventures with the dragon that she raises from infancy.

After all, dragons just happen to be perfect friend material.

The Story of Little Babaji – Helen Bannerman

Doesn’t Little Babaji look grand in his new clothes! Just down the path, though, are four ferocious tigers

who also want to wear them to look grand.

There’s a Nightmare in My Closet – Mercer Mayer

A little boy who just knows there’s a nightmare in his closet, decides to wage war with him, donning his

soldier hat and a cork pop gun for protection. But then, something surprising happens.

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything – Elise Broach

Imagine that they give you a different kind of dinosaur in every office or shop you enter. A little boy is

thrilled, though his mother is not so sure about the company.


Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak

After he is sent to bed without supper for behaving like a wild thing, Max dreams of a voyage to the

island where he becomes king of them all.

Who Made This Cake? – Chihiro Nakagawa

While a boy and his parents go for an outing, little people invade the house and use their big

construction equipment to bake a cake.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – Bill Martin, Jr.

Chicka chicka boom boom

will there be enough room? What happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree?

Epossumondas – Coleen Salley

This little opossum may be his mama’s “sweet little patootie,” but comedy results when he follows her

instructions way too literally.

Go to Sleep, Gecko! : a Balinese Folktale - Margaret Read MacDonald

“The world is all connected” we learn when “Gecko complains that the fireflies' lights are keeping

him awake, but they're necessary to illuminate Buffalo's poop in the road and that poop fills potholes

left by Rain, etc.” Horn Book “Some things you just have to put up with.”

Folklore & Poetry


Moon Rope – Lois Ehlert

Fox and Mole try to climb to the moon on a rope of woven grass. This Peruvian folktale is presented in

side-by-side English and Spanish.

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors – Joyce Sidman Illustrations and simple text combine the senses of sight, sound, smell, and taste to describe the colors of the seasons.

Rubia and the Three Osos – Susan Middleton Elva Sprinkled with Spanish words, this contemporary version of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” ends with satisfyingly good humor.

Seven Blind Mice – Ed Young

In this adaptation of The Blind Men and the Elephant, 7 mice discover different parts of an

elephant and from those little parts argue about what it must look like.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly – Simms Taback

Ever-expanding die-cut holes show exactly what is happening in the old lady's stomach as she swallows

an assortment of creatures, beginning with a small fly, and ending with a fatal horse.

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales – Lucy Cousins

All is not sugar in these simple told, boldly illustrated retellings of such European classics as “Little Red

Riding Hood” and “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.”

Realistic Fiction


Alfie Runs Away – Kenneth M. Cadow Told he must give up his favorite, now too-small, shoes, Alfie tells his mother he is running away.

An Evening at Alfie’s – Shirley Hughes A burst pipe causes chaos over the upstairs landing while Alfie's parents are out, but Alfie, his baby-sitter, and her parents finally find a solution.

Bee-Bim Bop! – Linda Sue Park In rhyming verse, a young girl, eager for a favorite Korean meal, helps her mother with shopping, food preparation, and table setting.

Brownie & Pearl Take a Dip – Cynthia Rylant Will Brownie be able to revive her pal's sopping-wet spirits, when Pearl takes a surprise spill into the small backyard pool?

The Deep Blue Sea – Audrey Wood Wood introduces the colors of the rainbow--and more--through simple verse and vibrant illustrations of a tropical island in the middle of the sea.

Fireman Small – Wong Herbert Yee Every time he gets into bed, Fireman Small is called out to rescue some animal in trouble.

Gracias=Thanks – Pat Mora


His time at the beach, the sun waking him in the morning, crickets chirping at night - a young multiracial boy celebrates family, friendship, and fun by telling about some of the everyday things for which he is thankful. In English and Spanish.

Henry & Mudge – Cynthia Rylant Henry is feeling lonely on a street without any other children until he meets a lovable 180-pound dog, named Mudge.

How Do You Wokka-Wokka? – Elizabeth Bluemie A young boy who likes to "wokka-wokka, shimmy-shake, and shocka-shocka" gathers his neighbors together for a surprise celebration.

I Will Never NOT EVER Eat a Tomato – Lauren Child (Charlie & Lola) A fussy eater decides to sample the carrots after her brother convinces her that they are really orange twiglets from Jupiter.

Julius – Angela Johnson “Maya's Granddaddy brings home...a huge, pink, Alaskan pig named Julius...Whether Julius is sporting white underwear with hearts, joyfully swinging Maya around to a jazz tune, or unhappily submitting to a bath, his love for his friend shines as brightly as his glossy pink skin.” Goodreads

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale – Mo Willems “When Little Trixie (too young to "even speak words") leaves her beloved stuffed bunny at the Laundromat, she does her best to get Daddy to understand. “ Horn Book

The Little House – Virginia Lee Burton


A country house is unhappy when the city, with all its buildings and traffic, grows up around her.

Madeline – Ludwig Bemelmans Madeline, smallest and naughtiest of the twelve little charges of Miss Clavel, wakes up one night with an attack of appendicitis. In rhyme.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel – Virginia Burton Mike and his trusty steam shovel, Mary Anne, have worked together for many years, but when they are about to be replaced by newer machines, the town of Popperville gives them one last chance to prove themselves.

Mr. Cookie Baker – Monica Wellington After a day of making and selling cookies, Mr. Baker gets to enjoy one himself.

My Snake Blake – Randy Siegel The extremely long, bright green snake a boy receives from his father as an early birthday present proves to be incredibly smart and talented.

Octopus Hug – Laurence P. Pringle When Mom goes out for the evening, Dad and the kids invent games filled with fun and laughter, and they all learn how to give an octopus hug.

Skunkdog – Emily Jenkins Dumpling, a lonely dog with no sense of smell, moves with his family to the country and makes a new friend whom the family takes some time getting used to.


Sometimes I’m Bombaloo – Rachel Vail When Katie Honors feels angry and out of control, her mother helps her to be herself again.

The House in the Night – Susan Marie Swanson “’Here is the key to the house. In the house burns a light.’ This soothing bedtime verse ends with a child tucked in bed, bathed by the light of the moon…. dramatic black-and-white scratchboard illustrations with just enough gold touches to fill the pages with gentle light. “ Horn Book

The Seashore Book – Charlotte Zolotow In a gracefully poetic book, a mother describes sea and shore to a young boy who has never been there.

Tough Boris - Mem Fox Who can resist liking a fearsome, gruff pirate who cries when his parrot dies?

Train Man – Andrea Zimmerman Across bridges, through tunnels, up mountains - a young boy imagines what it would be like to drive a train and take his little brother along for the ride.

When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry – Molly Bang When Sophie gets angry, she goes outside and runs, cries, climbs her favorite tree--and then, calmed by the breeze, she is soon ready to go back home.

Nonfiction


All the Water in the World – George Ella Lyon A lyrical, illustrated look at the water cycle, showing how water rises to the clouds and is rained back down again to be used by plants, people, and every living thing.

Animal Spots and Stripes – Britta Teckentrup On striking lift-the-flap pages, various animals show off their patterns.

Bat Loves the Night – Nicola Davies Bat wakes up, flies into the night, uses the echoes of her voice to navigate, hunts for her supper, and returns to her roost to feed her baby.

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do – Kathryn Heling In a clever guessing book in rhyme, readers try to identify 7 kinds of community workers from their clothes and tools.

Constuction Zone – Tana Hoban “As always, Hoban's photos have extraordinary depth and detail; you can feel the texture of dirt, gravel, and asphalt as the powerful steel arms and mouths and tampers move the earth.” Booklist

Demolition – Sally Sutton Crush the stone. Crush the stone./Chip and grind and munch./Make new concrete from the old./ Whirr! Churr! Crunch! From the huge crane with a swinging ball (crack! ) to the toothy jaws that ram the walls (thwock! ), this rambunctious demolition, reverberates with sound words.

First the Egg- Laura Vaccaro Seeger Die-cut pages show the transformations of various animals and objects, such as a seed to a flower, paint to a picture, and a caterpillar to a butterfly.


Machines Go to Work in the City – William Low “Machinery-loving preschoolers are first introduced to a particular situation involving vehicles, from a garbage truck to a tower crane to an airplane. What happens next? Lift a flap (which provides an extended scene of the problem at hand) and find out….Low's painterly illustrations display the drama and excitement of a bustling cityscape.” Horn Book

My First Day – Steve Jenkins Twenty-two newborn animals describe things they did on the day they were born.

My Shell Book – Ellen Kirk (Smithsonian) Questions-and-answers: "What is fan-shaped with stripes and ridges? A scallop shell!" appear next to a dramatic photograph of that shell on the sand. Kirk also has a similar fun fact book on planes.

My Subway Ride – Paul DuBois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender The city is the body,/the subway is the blood,/running through/tunnel veins in jazz-beat rides all around NYC.

Peter Spier’s Circus – Peter Spier Watch the circus employees and animals transform an empty field in delightfully detailed pictures. And then, it’s showtime! There’s plenty for children to talk about what they see in this wordless book.

Press Here – Herve Tullet In a cleverly interactive book, children get to press dots, shake, and blow at the printed page to effect change which they see when the page turns.


T. Rex – Vivian French A boy learns much about what is known and unknown about tyrannosaurus rexes after seeing a dinosaur fossil on a museum visit with his grandfather.

Ten Black Dots – Donald Crews In this cumulative counting book, Crews shows how one black dot can make a sun, two a fox’s eyes, or eight, the wheels of a train.

Things That Are Most in the World – Judi Barrett The reader who wants to know what are the quietest, silliest, smelliest, wiggliest things in the world will find imaginative answers to these and other questions about superlatives here.

Tool Book – Gail Gibbons Clearly illustrated tools used in building, with their names and functions, are presented in a straight-forward text.

Up, Tall, and High – Ethan Long In three laugh-out-loud situations, an irresistible cast of colorful birds illustrate the concepts of "up," "tall" and "high."

Prepared by Sharon Elswit with the Faculty of Léman Manhattan Preparatory School

Good Reads: Great Titles for an Exciting Summer 2014 · Good Reads: Great Titles for an Exciting...

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