For the Summer Reading Program, students may read any book by an author listed below.  For students entering 1st or 2nd grade, parents may read a book off this list out loud to their child if the reading level is too difficult for the student.  Any books read by the parent to the child may be included on the Summer Reading Log.

 

*And other books in this series.

 

*Adler, David A.  Cam Jansen:  the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds.  1980. (Beginning Chapter Book; Mystery and Detective Stories; First Book in the Cam Jansen Adventure Series)

A fifth-grader with a photographic memory and her friend Eric help solve the mystery of the stolen diamonds. 

*Allard, Harry.  Miss Nelson is Missing.  1977. (Humorous Story)

The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are

faced with a vile substitute. 

*Anderson, C.W.  Billy and Blaze:  A Boy and His Pony.  1936.  (Horses; Part of the Billy and Blaze

series) 

A little boy who loves horses gets a special birthday present. 

Andersen, Hans Christian; adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. The Ugly Duckling.  1999.  (Caldecott Honor; Fairy Tale) 

An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful

swan. 

Arnosky, Jim.  All About Frogs.  2002.  (Nonfiction; Science; Animals) 

Introduces young readers to the lives of frogs, from tadpole to adult. 

Bachelet, Gilles.  My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World. 2006.  (Notable/Best Books) 

A strange and silly cat turns out to be an elephant, but that will not stop him from playing with yarn. 

*Baker, Keith.  On the Go with Mr. and Mrs. Green.  2006.  (Book Four of the Mr. & Mrs. Green series; Children's Books of the Year) 

Mr. and Mrs. Green, a loving alligator couple, practice magic tricks, bake cookies, and dream up new

inventions. 

*Bang-Campbell, Monika.  Little Rat Makes Music.  2007.  (Beginning Reader; Notable Children's Books; Third Book in the Little Rat Series) 

Little Rat loves the violin but hates to practice, until her teacher suggests she perform a duet with one of

the advanced students at the holiday concert. 

Barrett, Judi.  Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  1978.  (Humorous Story) 

Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and

blows storms of hamburgers--until the weather takes a turn for the worse. 

*Beer, Hans de.  Little Polar Bear.  1987.  (Animals; One of several books about Little Polar Bear) 

While hunting with his father, a young polar bear drifts out to sea and ends up in a jungle where a friendly

hippopotamus helps him return home. 

Benchley, Nathaniel.  Sam, the Minuteman.  1969.  (Historical Fiction) 

An easy-to-read account of Sam and his father fighting as minutemen against the British in the Battle of

Lexington. 

*Berenstain, Stan and Jan. The Berenstain Bears Get Stage Fright.  1983.  (Part of the Berenstain Bears series) 

Sister Bear worries about her lines in the school play while Brother Bear has no fears. Guess who forgets the 

lines during the performance? 

Bishop, Nic.  Red-eyed Tree Frog. (Animals; Nonfiction; Boston Globe/Horn Book Picture Books

Award) 

This frog found in the rain forest of Central America spends the night searching for food while also being

careful not to become dinner for some other animal.  

Brett, Jan. Honey . . . Honey . . . Lion!  : A Story from Africa.  2005. 

After working together to obtain honey, the African honey badger always shares it with his partner, the

honeyguide bird, until one day when the honey badger becomes greedy and his feathered friend decides to

teach him a lesson. 

Bradby, Marie.  More Than Anything Else.  1995.  (Historical Fiction) 

Nine-year-old Booker works with his father and brother at the saltworks but dreams of the day when he'll be

able to read. 

*Brown, Marc.  Arthur's Birthday.  1989.  (Part of the Arthur Adventures series) 

Arthur and Muffy's friends must decide which festivities to attend when Muffy schedules her birthday party for

the same day as Arthur's. 

Brown, Marcia.  Once a Mouse:  A Fable Cut in Wood.  1961.  (Caldecott Medal; Fable) 

As it changes from mouse, to cat, to dog, to tiger, a hermit's pet also becomes increasingly vain. 

Cannon, Janell.  Stellaluna.  1993. 

After she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother. 

Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  1970.  

A hungry little caterpillar eats his way through a large and caried quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a

cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. 

Cooney, Barbara.  Miss Rumphius.  1982. 

After making her girlhood dreams of world travel and living by the sea come true, a retired librarian follows her

grandfather's old advice of doing something to make the world more beautiful, and then passes that wisdom

on to her grandniece. 

Creech, Sharon.  A Fine, Fine School.  2001.  (Humorous Story) 

When a principal loves his school so much that he wants the children to attend classes every day of the year,

it's up to his students to show him free time is a good thing, too. 

Cronin, Doreen.  Click, Clack, Moo:  Cows That Type.  2000.  (Caldecott Honor Book; Humorous Story) 

When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands, and go on strike when

the farmer refuses to give them what they want. 

Daly, Niki.  Jamela's Dress.  1999. 

Jamela gets in trouble when she takes the expensive material intended for a new dress for Mama, parades it

in the street, and allows it to become dirty and torn. 

De Groat, Diane. We Gather Together . . . Now Pleae Get Lost!  2001. 

Gilbert the opossum gets stuck with a tattle-tale, Phillip, on a class trip to Pilgrim Town, but he learns a

valuable lesson when he gets stuck in the bathroom. 

De Paolo, Tomie.  The Art Lesson.  1978. 

Having learned to be creative in drawing pictures at home, young Tommy is dismayed when he goes to school

and finds the art lesson there much more regimented. 

De Paolo, Tomie.  Strega Nona:  An Original Tale.  1975.  (Caldecott Honor; Folk Tale) 

When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the

townspeople how it works. 

Dowson, Nick.  Tigress.  2004.  (Animals; Fiction/Nonfiction) 

A mother tigress raises two cubs and teaches them all they need to know until they are ready to rely on

themselves. 

Eastman, P.D.  Are You My Mother?  1960.   (Beginning Reader) 

A little bird asks animals, planes, and boats, "Are you my mother?" until he finds his own mother. 

Eastman, P. D. Go, Dog, Go! 1989.  (Beginning Reader) 

A story for beginning readers about busy dogs of all sizes and colors, engaged in all manner of silly activities. 

Farley, Walter.  Little Black, A Pony. 1961.  (Horses; Beginning Reader) 

When a small boy graduates from his little pony to a big horse, the pony is sad until the time comes when he is able to do something the big horse cannot do. 

*Freeman, Don.  Corduroy.  1968. 

A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him, he finds what he has always wanted most of all. 

*Griffith, Helen V.  Grandaddy and Janetta.  1993. 

Janetta enjoys her visit to her grandfather, including such highlights as listening to the night insects make music and admiring his cat's new kittens. 

Hall, Donald; illustrated by Barbara Cooney.  Ox-Cart Man.  1979.  (Caldecott Medal) 

Describes the day-to-day life throughout the changing seasons of an early 19th-century New England family. 

Harper, Wilhelmina.  The Gunniwolf, retold by W. Harper.  1918.  (Fairy Tale) 

A little girl cautioned never to go into the jungle, wanders in deeper and deeper while searching for flowers --and is suddenly confronted by the gunniwolf. 

Henkes, Kevin.  Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse.  1996.  (Humorous Story) 

Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait a while before

showing the class her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry later. 

Hills, Tad.  How Rocket Learned to Read. 2010. (Irma Simonton Black Award; Children's Choices for

2011; Teachers Choices for 2011; Children's Books of the Year 2011-Under 5)

A little yellow bird teaches Rocket the dog how to read by first introducing him to the alphabet.

*Hoban, Russell.  A Bargain for Frances.  1970.  (Part of the Frances Series) 

Thelma usually outsmarts Frances until Frances decides to teach her a lesson about friendship. 

*Hoban, Russell.  A Birthday for Frances.  1968. (Part of the Frances Series) 

As her little sister Gloria's birthday approaches, Frances wavers between being generous--and being

jealous. 

*Hoff, Syd.  Danny and the Dinosaur.  1993.  (Dinosaurs; Beginning Reader; Part of the Danny and the

Dinosaur Series) 

A little boy is surprised and pleased when one of the dinosaurs from the museum agrees to play with him. 

*Howe, James; illus. by Melissa Sweet.  Pinky and Rex and the Bully. (Beginning Reader; Part of

the Pinky and Rex Ready-to-Read series)

Pinky learns the importance of identity as he defends his favorite color, pink, and his friendship with a girl,

Rex, from the neighborhood bully.

Keats, Ezra Jack.  Snowy Day.  1962.  (Caldecott Medal) 

The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.  

*Klein, Abby.  Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble.  2008.  (Fiction; Thanksgiving; Part of the Ready!

Freddy series) 

Freddy is unhappy about playing the turkey in his first-grade Thanksgiving Day play, especially with Max

bullying and teasing him, but his grandfather and principal both give him ideas for making the part fun. 

Lester, Helen.  Listen Buddy.  1995.  (Humorous Story; Listening) 

A lop-eared rabbit named Buddy finds himself in trouble with the Scruffy Varmint because he never listens. 

Lionni, Leo.  Frederick.  1967.  (Caldecott Honor) 

Frederick, the poet mouse, stores up something special for the long, cold winter. 

*Lobel, Arnold.  Days with Frog and Toad.  1979.  (Beginning Reader) 

Frog and Toad spend their days together, but find sometimes it's nice to be alone. 

*Lobel, Arnold.  Frog and Toad All Year.  1976.  (Beginning Reader) 

Two friends share experiences in each season of the year. 

*Lobel, Arnold.  Frog and Toad are Friends.  1970.  (Caldecott Honor; Beginning Reader) 

Five tales recounting the adventures of two best friends--Frog and Toad. 

*Lobel, Arnold.  Frog and Toad Together.  1972.  (Newbery Honor; Beginning Reader) 

Five further adventures of two best friends as they share cookies, plant a garden, and test their bravery. 

Lobel, Arnold.  Owl at Home.  1975.  (Beginning Reader) 

Relates five adventures of Owl. 

Maccarone, Grace. Itchy, Itchy Chicken Pox.  1992. (Beginning Reader) 

Peppy rhymes present the humorous side to a common ailment. 

*Marshall, James.  George and Martha.  1972.  (Wilder (Laura Ingalls) Award; Part of the George and Martha series) 

Contains two stories featuring hippo friends George and Martha in which George must find a way to tell

Martha he does not like the split pea soup she has made without hurting her feelings, and Martha consoles

George when his plans to fly in a hot air balloon do not go as expected. 

Martin, Bill, Jr., ed.  The Bill Martin, Jr., Big Book of Poetry.  2008.  (Poetry) 

An illustrated collection of poems for children, featuring the writings of a wide variety of poets, selected as

favorites by Bill Martin, Jr. 

Martin, Jacqueline Briggs.  Snowflake Bentley.  1998.  (Biography; Caldecott Medal) 

A biography of a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of individual snowflakes in order to study

their unique formations. 

*Minarik, Else.  Little Bear's Visit.  1961.  (Caldecott Honor; Beginning Reader; Part of the Little Bear Series) 

Little Bear spends a day with Grandmother and Grandfather Bear. 

Noble, Trinka Hakes.  The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash.  1980. 

Jimmy's boa constrictor wreaks havoc on the class trip to a farm. 

*Numeroff, Laura.  If You Give a Moose a Muffin. 1991.   (Part of the If You . . . series) 

Sequel to: If you give a mouse a cookie. Chaos can ensue if you give a moose a muffin and start him on a

cycle of urgent requests. 

*Osborne, Mary Pope.  Dinosaurs Before Dark.  1992.  (First Book in the Magic Tree House series; Reading Level 3.3) 

Eight-year-old Jack and his younger sister Annie find a magic tree house, which whisks them back to an

ancient time zone where they see live dinosaurs. 

*Parrish, Peggy.  Amelia Bedelia.  1963.  (Beginning Reader; Humorous Stories)

A literal-minded housekeeper causes chaos in the Rogers household when she attempts to make sense of some

instructions.   

Peet, Bill. Bufford, the Little Big Horn.  1991. (One of many fun books by Bill Peet)

When his horns grow so large that walking on his mountain home becomes dangerous, a bighorn sheep

moves to level ground only to find that hunters present new dangers. 

Pinkney, Jerry.  The Ugly Duckling.  1999.  (Fairy Tale; Caldecott Honor) 

An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful swan. 

Polacco, Patricia.  Thank You, Mr. Falker.  1998. 

At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb, until, in the fifth grade, a

new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem. 

Preller, James.  The Case of the Marshmallow Monster.  2000.  (Mystery; Part of the Jigsaw Jones Mystery series)

On a camping trip, Jigsaw and Mila investigate the area around a nearby lake to determine if it is haunted by

the Marshmallow Monster.

Rathman, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria.  c1995.  (Caldecott Medal) 

The children at Napville Elementary School always ignore Officer Buckle's safety tips, until a police dog

named Gloria accompanies him when he gives his safety speeches. 

Robinson, Fiona. What Animals Really Like. 2011. (Children's Books of the Year)

The National Animal Choir performs Mr. Herbert Timberteeth's latest opus, but when his lyrics inaccurately

describe what different animals like to do, chaos ensues and threatens the entire production.

Rotner, Shelley.  Where Does Food Come From?  2006.  (Nonfiction) 

Explains where various foods originate from, how food is grown, and brought to supermarkets and other

stores, in simple text with illustrations. 

Roy, Ron.  The Absent Author.  1997.  (Mystery; First Book in the A to Z Mysteries Series)

Dink Duncan and his two friends investigate the apparent kidnapping of famous mystery author Wallis

Wallace.  

*Rylant, Cynthia.  Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night :  the Seventeenth Book of Their Adventures.   1998. (Beginning Reader; Part of the Henry and Mudge series)   

Henry, his dog Mudge, and his parents go on a quiet camping trip to Big Bear Lake, enjoying the clean smell

of trees and wonderful green dreams.   

*Rylant, Cynthia.  Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold.  2002.  (Part of the Mr. Putter and Tabby series) 

When Mr. Putter catches a cold, his friend Mrs. Teaberry sends over some special treats to help him feel

better. 

Scarry, Richard.  Richard Scarry's Best Read-It-Yourself Book Ever. 1997.  (Beginning Reader) 

A collection of 12 easy-to-read stories. 

Scieszka, Jon.  The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.   1992.  (Fairy Tales; Caldecott

Medal) 

Madcap revisions of familiar fairy tales. 

Sendak, Maurice.  Where the Wild Things Are. 1963.  (Caldecott Medal) 

A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things, where he becomes

their king. 

Seuss, Dr.  The Cat in the Hat.  1957.  (Beginning Reader) 

Two children sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the Cat in the Hat who shows them some tricks and

games. 

Seuss. Dr.  The Foot Book.  1968.  (Beginning Reader) 

Beginner's text describes all sorts of feet doing all sorts of things. 

Seuss, Dr.  Green Eggs and Ham.  1988. 

In verse, Sam-I-am tells of the virtues of green eggs and ham. 

Seuss, Dr.  Hop on Pop.  1963.  (Beginning Reader) 

Pairs of rhyming words are introduced and used in simple sentences, such as "Day. Play. We play all day.

Night. Fight. We fight all night." 

Seuss, Dr.  Horton Hatches an Egg.  1968. 

A lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, so she asks Horton, the elephant, to sit on her egg--which he

does through all sorts of hazards until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would. 

Seuss, Dr.  One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.  1960.  (Beginning Reader) 

Nonsense rhymes for beginning readers. 

Shannon, David.  A Bad Case of Stripes.  1998.  

In order to ensure her popularity, Camilla Cream always does what is expected, until the day arrives when she

no longer recognizes herself. 

*Shaw, Nancy.  Sheep in a Jeep.  1986.  (Part of the Sheep series; Beginning Reader) 

Records the misadventures of a group of sheep that go riding in a jeep. 

Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree.  1964. 

A young boy grows to manhood and old age experiencing the love and generosity of a tree that gives to hiim

without thought of return. 

Stead, Philip Christian; illus. by Erin E. Stead.  A Sick Day for Amos McGee.  2010.  (Caldecott Medal; Notable Books of the Year)

Zookeeper Amos McGee, who is adored by all the animals, gets some unexpected guests while home sick one day.

Steig, William.  Brave Irene.  1986. 

Plucky Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, braves a fierce snowstorm to deliver a new gown to the duchess in

time for the ball. 

Steig, William.  Dr. DeSoto.  1982. 

Dr. De Soto, a mouse dentist, copes with the toothaches of various animals. 

Steptoe, John.  Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters:  An African Tale.  1987.  (Caldecott Honor; Coretta Scott King Medal) 

Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife. 

*Thaler, Mike.  The Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon.  1994.  (Humorous Story; Part of the Black Lagoon Series) 

The children are getting a new gym teacher, Mr. Green, whose nickname is Coach Kong. What will he really be like? 

*Thaler, Mike.  The Principal from the Black Lagoon.  1993.  (Humorous Story; Part of the Black Lagoon Series) 

A young boy is sent to the principal's office and on the way he imagines all sorts of horrible things about how bad the visit will be. 

*Thaler, Mike.  The Teacher from the Black Lagoon.  1989. (Humorous Story; Part of the Black Lagoon Series) 

On the first day of school, a young boy expects only the worst when he discovers that his new teacher is the "monstrous" Mrs. Green. 

Waber, Bernard.  Ira Sleeps Over.  1972.  

A little boy is excited at the prospect of spending the night at his friend's house but worries how he'll get along without his teddy bear. 

Watt, Melanie.  Chester.  2007.  (Humorous Story) 

A self-centered cat named Chester keeps interrupting his owner as she tries to write a story about a mouse. 

Weisner, David.  Tuesday.  1991.  (Caldecott Medal) 

Frogs rise on their lily pads, float through the air, and explore the nearby houses while their inhabitants sleep. 

Wells, Rosemary.  Lucy Comes to Stay. 1994. 

Mary Elizabeth loves her new puppy Lucy but discovers that puppies need special care and understanding. 

Wheeler, Lisa.  Turk and Runt.  2002.  (Thanksgiving; Humorous Story) 

Runt the turkey is much smaller than his brother, but his intelligence keeps his family from becoming

Thanksgiving Day dinner. 

White, Linda.  Too Many Pumpkins.  1996.  

Rebecca Estelle, an old woman whose dislike of pumpkins stems from her childhood when her family had

nothing else to eat, finds herself with a bumper crop of the hated orange squash. 

Williams, Vera B.  A Chair for My Mother.  1982.  (Caldecott Honor) 

A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture

is lost in a fire. 

Yashima, Taro.  Crow Boy.  1983.  (Caldecott Honor) 

The story of a strange, shy little boy in a Japanese village school who was ignored by his classmates until

suddenly, and almost too late, a new teacher showed them that Crow Boy had much to offer. 

Zelinsky, Paul O.  Rumpelstiltskin.   1986.  (Caldecott Honor; Fairy Tale) 

A strange little man helps the miller's daughter spin straw into gold for the king on the condition that she will

give him her first-born child. 

Ziefert, Harriet.  Sleepy Dog.  1984.  (Beginning Reader) 

Simple text and illustrations portray a small dog getting ready for bed, sleeping, dreaming, and waking up.