Recommended Books for Grades PreK-6

• PreK-Kindergarten
• Grades One & Two
• Grades Three & Four
• Grades Five & Six

Pre-K TO Kindergarten

Allard, H. & Marshall, J. (1977).Miss Nelson is Missing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

The kids in room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.

Call Number: Pj All

Asch, F. (1983). Mooncake. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Bear builds a rocket so he can go to the moon to taste it.

Call Number: Pj Asc

Carle, E. (1991). The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Scholastic.

A very hungry caterpillar eats more and more each day until he is transformed into a beautiful butterfly.

Call Number:Pj Car

Dorros, A. (1991). Abuela. New York: Dutton.

A little girl imagines that she and her grandmother fly over the sights of New York City. A number of Spanish words are included in the text.

Call Number: Pj Dor

Ehlert, L. (1989). Color Zoo. New York: Lippincott.

Colors and shapes are used to depict a series of animals

Call Number: j701.8Ehl

Freeman, D. (1978). A Pocket for Corduroy. New York: Viking Press.

Lisa's toy bear wants a pocket for his overalls, and looks for one in the laundromat.

Call Number: Pj Fre

Greenfield, E. (1977). Africa Dream. New York: HarperCollins.

A young girl dreams of long-ago Africa, and is welcomed there by her granddaddy from long ago.

Call Number:Pj Gre

Henkes, K. (1996). Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Lilly loves her school and her teacher, but is impatient to show her new purse.

Call Number: Pj Hen

Johnson, S. (1995). Alphabet City. New York: Viking.

Imaginative photographs of city objects are used to present the letters of the alphabet.

Call Number: P J Joh

Keats, E. J. (1962). The Snowy Day. New York: Scholastic.

A little boy enjoys a snowy day in the city.

Call Number: P j Kea

Kraus, R. (1974). Herman the Helper. New York: Prentice Hall.

Herman is a cheerful octopus who is always willing to help others.

Call Number: P j Kra

Marzollo, J. (1993). Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King. New York: Scholastic.

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King is presented to very young children. Available in both Spanish and English.

Call Number: [Big Book]j B Kin

Nash, O. (1991). The Adventures of Isabel. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

The fearless Isabel defeats creatures such as bears, giants, and witches.

Call Number: j811.52 Nas

Opie, I. (Ed.). (1996). My Very First Mother Goose. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

More than sixty nursery rhymes are wonderfully illustrated by Rosemary Wells.

Call Number: j398.8 Mot

Pandell, K. (1996). Animal Action. New York: Dutton.

Colorful photographs of children imitating animals illustrate rhyming verses for each letter of the alphabet.

Call Number:j591 Pan

Pilkey, D. (1996). The Paperboy. New York: Orchard Books.

A boy and his dog enjoy their early morning rounds delivering papers.

Call Number: P J Pil

Ringgold, F. (1991). Tar Beach. New York: Scholastic.

Lying on the roof of her apartment building, Cassie uses her imagination to soar above the beauty of her neighborhood of 1939 Harlem.

Call Number: P J Rin

Sendak, M. (1984). Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Harper & Row.

Max is sent to his room, but he is able to tame all the wild creatures that appear there.

Call Number: Pj Sen

Seuss, Dr. (1960). Green Eggs and Ham. New York: Random House.

Humorous verse and pictures present Sam-I-Am as he tries to convince a friend to try this dish.

Call Number: P J Seu

Zimmerman, A. G. (1999). Trashy Town. New York: HarperCollins.

Simple repetitive verse and vivid colors and shapes depict Mr. Gilly, the garbage collector, as he goes about town collecting the trash.

Call Number: P J Zim

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Grades One & Two

Alexander, S. (1983). Nadia the Willful. New York: Pantheon Books.

A strong-willed Bedouin girl teaches her father about grief. Beautifully illustrated with black-and-white drawings.

Call Number:Pj Ale

Aliki. (1998). Marianthe's Story: Painted Words/Spoken Memories. New York: Greenwillow Books.

In two beautifully illustrated stories, Mari tells of starting school in a new country and what life was like before her family left their village.

Call Number: Pj Ali

Andrews, J. (1998). Very Last First Time. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

A young Eskimo girl survives danger and enjoys the fruits of her first visit alone, and under the ice, to gather mussels on the seabed floor.

Call Number:Pj And

Angelou, M. (1994). My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me . New York: C. Potter.

An African girl describes her pet chicken, her house, her clothes, and her brother. Beautiful photographs accompany the text.

Call Number:j704 Ang

Bang, M. (1985). The Paper Crane. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Elegant cut-paper and collage illustrations describe a tale of kindness in which a mysterious man pays for his dinner with a magical origami crane that comes to life.

Call Number: Pj Ban

Barracca, D. & Barracca, S. (1990). The Adventures of Taxi Dog. New York: Dial Books.

Maxi, a stray dog adopted by a taxi driver named Jim, narrates this story of their adventures as they ride around the streets of New York.

Call Number: P J Bar

Bemelmans, L. (1953). Madeline's Rescue. New York: Viking Press.

The ever-popular and feisty Madeline is rescued from the river Seine by a dog named Genevieve.

Call Number: Pj Bem

Booth, B. D. (1991). Mandy. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

Mandy, who is afraid of the dark (and also hearing impaired), goes out into the night during an approaching storm to find her beloved Grandma's special pin.

Call Number: PJ Boo

Bunting, E. (1990). The Wall. New York: Clarion Books.

A young boy and his father visit the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C., and find the name of the boy's grandfather on the wall.

Call Number: P J Bun

Calhoun, M. (1994). Henry the Sailor Cat. New York: Morrow Junior Books.

Henry the Siamese cat is a stowaway on The Man's sailboat and helps The Kid rescue The Man when he falls overboard.

Call Number: PJ Cal

Chorao, K. (1988). Cathedral Mouse. New York: Dutton.

Little Mouse visits a cathedral and is befriended by a stone carver.

Call Number: PJ Cho

De Paola, T. (1988). The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush. New York: Putnam.

Tommie De Paola retells this legend about Little Gopher who becomes an artist for his people and brings the colors of the sunset down to earth.

Call Number: J398.2 Dep

Gwynne, F. (1976). A Chocolate Moose for Dinner. New York: Simon & Schuster.

A little girl is confused by homonyms when she tries to picture the things her parents are talking about, such as a chocolate moose, a gorilla war, and shoe trees.

Call Number: J428.1 Gwy

Monjo, F. N. (1993). The Drinking Gourd: A Story of The Underground Railroad . New York: HarperTrophy.

Sent home alone from church for misbehaving, Tommy discovers that his house is a station on the Underground Railroad.

Call Number: J Mon 1993

Osofsky, A. (1992). My Buddy. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

A young boy with muscular dystrophy has a very special dog who is trained to help him.

Call Number: P J Oso

Parish, P. (1977). Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Amelia Bedelia, who always takes things very literally, has a very funny time when she becomes a substitute teacher for a day.

Call Number: J Par

Ringold, F. (1999). If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Rosa Parks's refusal to give up her seat on a bus sparked a boycott and led to improved civil rights in Montgomery, Alabama. Beautifully illustrated.

Call Number: JB Par

Rylant, C. (1987). Henry and Mudge: The First Book of Their Adventures. New York:Bradbury Press.

This first adventure brings the puppy Mudge into Henry's life; Mudge quickly grows to 180 pounds and begins the first of many fun adventures with Henry.

Call Number: P J Ryl

Sis, P. (1991). Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus. New York: Knopf: Random House.

Christopher Columbus overcomes numerous obstacles to follow his dream of sailing to the orient.

Call Number: JB Col

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Grades Three & Four

Ackerman, K. (1995). The Night Crossing. New York: Random House.

In 1938, a young Jewish girl, Clara, and her family flee persecution in their Austrian homeland and escape into Switzerland.

Call Number:J Ack 1995

Ada, A. F. (1997). Gathering the Sun: An A B C in Spanish and English. New York: Lothrop, Lee, Shepherd Books.

Poems in both Spanish and English (one for each letter of the Spanish alphabet) tell about working in the fields.

Call Number: j861 Ada

Atwater, R. & Atwater, F. (1938). Mr. Popper's Penguins. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.

The unexpected delivery of an Antarctic penguin surprises and delights a house painter named Mr. Popper.

Call Number: J Atw 1988

Banks, L. (1982). The Indian In the Cupboard. New York: Avon.

A young boy gets a small plastic Indian figure for his birthday and puts it in an old cabinet. The next day the figure comes alive.

Call Number: J Ban 1982

Bartone, E. (1993). Peppe the Lamplighter. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

Young Peppe's father is upset when he takes a job as a lowly lamplighter in turn-of-the-century New York City.

Call Number: P J Bar

Bunting, E. (1994). A Day's Work. New York: Clarion.

A young boy lies to get a job pulling weeds for his Spanish-speaking grandfather and himself, but when everything goes wrong his grandfather teaches him about honesty and integrity.

Call Number: PJ Bun

Cole, J. (1990). The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System. New York: Scholastic.

In this popular, but fact-based, science series, the unflappable Ms.Frizzle takes her students on an unexpected field trip through our solar system.

Call Number:J523.32 Col

Dahl, R. (1961). James and the Giant Peach. New York: Knopf.

James escapes from a horrid home life by taking an amazing ride in a magical peach.

Call Number: J Dah

De Paola. T. (1999). 26 Fairmont Ave. New York: Penguin Putnam.

Tommie De Paola describes his experiences at home and in school when he was a boy.

Call Number: JB DeP

Houston, G. (1992). My Great Aunt Arizona. New York: HarperCollins.

This beautifully illustrated biography of Arizona Houston Hughes, a teacher for 57 years, celebrates her dedication and influence across several generations.

Call Number: J B Hug

King-Smith, D. (1985). Babe: The Gallant Pig. New York: Crown.

A piglet is adopted by an old sheep-dog and discovers a special secret to success in becoming a "sheep-pig".

Call Number: J Kin

Kipling, R. (1997). Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. New York: Morrow.

A brave mongoose saves his adopted family and outwits two big black cobras who live in the garden.

Call Number: J Pin

Levy, E. (1979). Frankenstein Moved in on the Fourth Floor. New York: Harper & Row.

Robert and Sam suspect that their weird new neighbor on the fourth floor is really Frankenstein.

Call Number:J Lev

Milne, A.A. (1974). The Pooh Story Book. New York: Dutton.

This selection of classic Pooh stories features Christopher Robin and his friends: Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet.

Call Number:J Mil

Norton, M. (1953). The Borrowers. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.

This is the first in a series about little people who secretly live in big peoples' houses.

Call Number: J Nor

Van Allsburg, C. (1983). The Wreck of the Zephyr. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

A young boy, who wants to be the greatest sailor in the world, ruins everything when he misuses his new ability to sail his boat in the air.

Call Number: P J Van

White, E.B. (1952). Charlotte's Web. New York: Harper.

A friendship grows between a very special spider and a pig who becomes famous.

Call Number: J Whi

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Grades Five & Six

Ada, A. F. (1998). Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba. New York: Atheneum Books.

The author describes her life growing up in Cuba.

Call Number: jB Ada

Alexander, L. (1986). The Illyrian Adventure. New York: E.P. Dutton.

A Sixteen-year-old orphan and her guardian search for an ancient treasure and become involved in a dangerous rebellion.

Call Number: J Ale

Avi. (1990). The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. New York: Orchard Books.

In 1832 Charlotte Doyle is the lone female passenger on a transatlantic voyage when she becomes involved in a mutiny and is accused of murder.

Call Number: J Avi

Barrie, J. (1987). Peter Pan. Parsippany, NJ: Unicorn Publishing House.

In this classic tale, the three Darling children share adventures in Never-Never land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up.

Call Number: J Bar 1987

Baum, L.F. (1956). The Wizard of Oz. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

In this classic story, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion, try to reach the Land of Oz, where all their problems will be solved.

Call Number: J Bau

Cleary, B. (1991). Strider. New York: Morrow.

Leigh tells how he deals with his parents' divorce and other events in his life in a series of diary entries.

Call Number:J Cle

Dahl, R. (1989). Matilda. Santa Barbara, CA: Cornerstone Books.

Matilda uses her newfound mental powers to get rid of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and comes to the aid of her nice teacher, Miss Honey.

Call Number: J Dah 1989

Erdrich, L. (1999). The Birchbark House. New York: Hyperion Books.

In 1847, on an island in Lake Superior, a young Native American girl experiences the joys of summer and the dangers of winter.

Call Number: J Erd

Fitzhugh, L. (1987). Harriet the Spy. Santa Barbara, CA: Cornerstone Books.

Eleven-year-old Harriet writes about all of her classmates and neighbors in her secret notebook, but when they find out about it, they want revenge.

Call Number: J Fit

Jacques, B. (1986). Redwall. New York: Philomel Books.

A young mouse named Matthias searches for a legendary sword that he hopes will help save Redwall Abbey from the evil rat Cluny and his villainous followers.

Call Number: J Jac

L'Engle, M. (1997). A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Quality Paperback.

Meg Murry and her riends become involved in space and time travel while searching for her father who disappeared while doing secret work for the government.

Call Number: J Len 1997

Lewis, C.S. (1988). The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: Macmillan.

Four English children find a magical wardrobe through which they enter the land of Narnia and help Aslan, the golden lion, to battle the White Witch.

Call Number:J lew 1988

Lowry, L. (1989). Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Ten-year-old Annemarie lives in German-occupied Denmark, where she learns bravery and courage when she helps hide her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

Call Number: J Low

Naylor, P. R. (1985). The Agony of Alice. New York: Atheneum.

Pre-teen and motherless, Alice is searching for a perfect and gorgeous role model until she learns that it is what people are inside that counts.

Call Number: J Nay

O'Brien, R. (1971). Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. New York: Atheneum.

Seeking help and advice, a widowed mouse visits the former laboratory rats who are known to be long- lived and wise.

Call Number: J O'Br

O'Dell, S. (1960). Island of the Blue Dolphins. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

In the 1800's an Indian girl spends eighteen years alone on an island off the coast of California.

Call Number: J Ode

Paulsen, G. (1991). The Cookcamp. New York: Orchard Books.

During World War II, a young boy is sent to live with his grandma, who is a cook for workers building a road through the wilderness.

Call Number: J Pau

Rowling, J. K. (1998). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: A.A. Levine Books.

Young Harry potter proves his worth, once again, as he fights the forces of evil while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.

Call Number: J Pau

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