Lake Ridge Elementary School - Summer Reading List

Lake Ridge Elementary School
Summer Reading Program and Annotations

Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade

Kindergarten:

Author	Title	Annotation
Asch, Frank	Bear's Bargain	Bear and Little Bird try to help each other achieve impossible ambitions.
Asch, Frank	Happy Birthday, Moon	When a bear discovers that the moon shares his birthday, he buys the moon a beautiful hat as a present.
Asch, Frank	Moongame	During a game of hide-and-seek, Moon hides behind a cloud, leaving his friend Bear very worried.
Bang, Molly	Ten-Nine-Eight	Numbers from ten to one are part of this lullaby which observes the room of a little girl going to bed.
Brett, Jan	Goldilocks and the Three Bears	Lost in the woods, a tired and hungry girl finds the house of the three bears where she helps herself to food and goes to sleep.
Brown, Margaret Wise	The Important Book	The importance of The Important Book is that the book goes on long after it is closed. The book is written in a pattern easily picked up by children: what is important about a particular topic?
Calmenson, Stephanie	It Begins With A	Rhyming riddles challenge the reader to guess objects beginning with the letters A to Z.
Carle, Eric	The Very Busy Spider	The farm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness.
Carle, Eric	The Very Hungry Caterpillar	Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep.
Carle, Eric	The Very Quiet Cricket	A very quiet cricket who wants to rub his wings together and make a sound as do so many other animals finally achieves his wish. The cricket's sound is reproduced at the end of the book.
Crews, Donald	Freight Train	Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.
Crews, Donald	School Bus	Follows the progress of school buses as they take children to school and bring them home again.
Crews, Donald	Shortcut	African American children take a shortcut along a railroad track, where they find both excitement and danger when a train approaches.
Crews, Donald	Ten Black Dots	A counting book which shows what can be done with ten black dots--one can make a sun, two a fox's eyes, or eight the wheels of a train.
Curtis, Jamie Lee	When I Was Little	A funny, honest text capturing the whimsical innocent way children view the world.
De Paola, Tomie	Tomie De Paola's Mother Goose	A collection of Mother Goose rhymes illustrated by Tomie De Paola.
Elting, Mary	Q is for Duck	Why does A stand for zoo, B for dog, and C for hen? Find out in this amusing game based on the alphabet.
Erlert, Lois	Snowballs	A group of children create a family out of snow. Includes labeled pictures of the items they use as well as information on how snow is formed.
Flack, Marjorie	Ask Mr. Bear	Danny's mother is having a birthday and he doesn't know what to get her. Danny goes looking for a gift, meets many animals offering gifts, ends up in the woods, and receives good advice from Mr. Bear.
Fox, Mem	Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge	A small boy tries to discover the meaning of "memory" so he can help restore the memory of an elderly friend.
Freeman, Don	Corduroy	Lisa sees Corduroy, a little teddy bear, and wants to take him home. Her mother says no because he is missing a button. Using her own money, Lisa buys Corduroy and sews on a new button.
Freeman, Don	A Pocket for Corduroy	A toy bear who wants a pocket for himself searches for one in a laundromat.
Galdone, Paul	The Three Little Kittens	Three little kittens lose, find, soil, and wash their mittens.
Galdone, Paul	The Three Little Pigs	Retells the fatal episodes in the lives of two foolish pigs and how the third pig managed to avoid the same.
Henkes, Kevin	Chrysanthemum	Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it.
Hoban, Tana	A, B, See	A collection of photograms of objects which begin with a particular letter of the alphabet.
Hoban, Tana	Circles, Triangles, and Squares	The geometric concepts of circles, triangles, and squares are demonstrated in photographs of bubbles, windows, stacks of pipes, tires, boats, and other objects.
Hoban, Tana	I Read Signs	Introduces signs and symbols frequently seen along the street.
Hoban, Tana	Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue?	Illustrations and brief text introduce colors and the concepts of shape and size.
Hoban, Tana	Look Again!	Look through the square cut in the page and see part of the photograph. Turn the page and experience the full concept of the picture.
Hoban, Tana	Round & Round & Round	Color photos without text feature objects that are round.
Hutchins, Pat	The Doorbell Rang	Each time the doorbell rings, there are more people who have come to share Ma's wonderful cookies.
Joosse, Barbara	Mama, Do You Love Me?	An Eskimo child tests the limits of her independence and her mother's love. The lyrical text asks the universal questions of childhood, and the answers prove a parent's unconditional love. The Arctic setting introduces kindergartners to new animals, and the glossary further explains Arctic life.
Keats, Jack Ezra	Goggles	Two boys find a pair of lensless motorcycle goggles and, with the help of their dog, elude the bigger boys, who try to steal them from them.
Keats, Jack Ezra	Pet Show	When he can't find his cat to enter in the neighborhood pet show, Archie must do some fast thinking to win a prize.
Keats, Jack Ezra	Peter's Chair	When Peter discovers his blue furniture is being painted pink for a new baby sister, he rescues the last unpainted item, a chair, and runs away.
Keats, Jack Ezra	Whistle for Willie	A young boy tries to learn how to whistle, so that he can call his dog like all the bigger boys do.
Kitamura, Satoshi	What's Inside?	An ingenious, humorous alphabet book with charming, bold illustrations.
Lobel, Anita	Alison's Zinnia	Alison acquired an amaryllis for Beryl who bought a begonia for Crystal--and so on through the alphabet, as full-page illustrations of each flower are presented.
Lobel, Arnold	On Market Street	A child buys presents from A to Z in the shops along Market Street.
Martin, Bill, Jr.	Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See?	Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a mother looking at them.
Martin, Bill, Jr	Chicka Chicka Boom Boom	An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.
Martin, Bill, Jr	Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?	Zoo animals from polar bear to walrus make their distinctive sounds for each other, while children imitate the sounds for the zookeeper.
Mayer, Mercer	There's An Alligator Under My Bed	A little boy has an alligator under his bed that no one can see. He devises a plan to get the alligator in the garage. Now his dad has alligator trouble.
Numeroff, Laura	If You Give A Mouse A Cookie	A little boy befriends an energetic mouse. The chain of linked cause and effect lends itself to innovative text.
Piper, Watty	The Little Engine That Could	This story is about a persistent little engine who overcomes adversity.
Polacco. Patricia	The Keeping Quilt	A homemade quilt ties together the lives of 4 generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith.
Rylant, Cynthia	The Relatives Came	The relatives came to visit from Virginia and everyone has a wonderful time.
Scarry, Richard	Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever	A colorfully illustrated collection of fifty traditional Mother Goose rhymes.
Seuss, Dr.	Ten Apples Up On Top	A lion, a dog, and a tiger balance apples on their heads.
slate, Joseph	Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten	Miss Bindergarten prepares for a new class of kindergarten students while the students get ready for school.
Slobodkina, Esphyr	Caps for Sale	This humorous tale describes a peddler, his caps, and the monkeys who steal his caps while he's napping. The peddler gets his caps back by applying the old adage "Monkey see, monkey do."
Tafari,, Nancy	Jungle Walk	A little boy falls asleep after reading a book about animals in a jungle, and then he meets them all in his dream.
Westcott, Nadine Bernard	I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly	A cumulative folk song in which the solution proves worse than the predicament when an old lady swallows a fly.

Grade One

Author	Title	Annotation
Adler, David	A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin	An historical account of Benjamin Franklin's life and accomplishments as a writer, inventor, scientist, and statesman.
Aliki	Corn is Maize: The Gift of the Indians	This book tells the story of corn, maize, how it is/was grown and its role in the history of mankind. Aliki shows the reader how corn is prepared in different food dishes and its use as something other than food.
Andreae, Giles	Rumble in the Jungle	Join this rhyming safari and meet everyone from the elphing elephant to the gangly giraffe, and maybe even the terrible tiger.
Appelt, Kathi	Elephants Aloft	Two young Indian elephants balloon their way to their aunt's home in Africa. The adventure begins before the title page with a letter from Auntie Rwanda, which is a nice introduction to friendly letters.
Baer, Edith	This is the Way We Go to School: A Book About Children Around the World	This book is written in rhyme, showing the ways the world's children travel to school. It ends with a world map identifying where children live.
Brett, Jan	The Hat	Hedgie the hedgehog discovers the wisdom of the adage, "Don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong" only after curiosity gets this prickly fellow in a pickle. When Lisa's red and white woolen stocking blows off the clothesline, Hedgie finds it and sticks his nose inside, only to discover his prickles prevent him from pulling out of it. Soon all the farm animals are coming to chuckle at silly Hedgie's stocking hat. But in the end, nimble-witted Hedgie gets the last laugh.
Brett, Jan	The Mitten	Nicki has a new pair of white mittens knitted by his grandmother Baba. He is cautioned to take extra care of his mittens. Nicki leaves a mitten behind, and the woodland characters try to make it their home. This cumulative tale leaves Baba puzzled as to why one mitten is so much larger than the others.
Brett, Jan	Town Mouse Country Mouse	Both mouse families want a change. They are tired of where they live. When they decide to change places, they find the changes are not what they want. They realize that home is best.
Brett, Jan	The Trouble with Trolls	Treva wants to visit her cousin on the other side of Mount Bauldy. Along the way she and her dog meet trolls. Treva has clever ways of keeping the trolls away from her dog and making it over the mountain.
Bridwell, Norman	Clifford Makes a Friend	Because Clifford, the big red dog, imitates everything the boy does, he quickly makes a friend.
Cannon, Genal	Stellaluna	During an owl attack, Stellaluna, a baby fruit bat, loses her grip, falls from her mother, and lands in a bird's nest. She is adopted and raised by a mother bird until reunited with her mother. A touching read aloud, it includes scientific information and at the same time entertains the listeners. This is excellent for mammal study as well as a friendship lesson.
Carle, Eric	The Very Busy Spider	The farm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness. The pictures may be felt as well as seen.
Carle, Eric	The Very Quiet Cricket	A very quiet cricket who wants to rub his wings together and make a sound as do many other animals finally achieves his wish. The cricket's sound is reproduced at the end of the book.
Cummings, Pat	Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon!	Harvey Moon's room is a mess and his mother won't let him watch cartoons until it's spotless. Harvey makes lots of discoveries.
Flack, Marjorie	The Story About Ping	Ping, a duck, lives with his mother, father, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and forty-two cousins on a boat on the Yangtze River. He is an inquisitive duckling who has many adventures.
Gibbons, Gail	Fire! Fire!	This factual book explains how fire fighters fight fires in the city, in the country, in the forest, and on the waterfront. It realistically details fire-fighting processes, labels fire-fighting equipment, and represents fire-fighting personnel of all sorts.
Hurwitz, Johanna	New Shoes for Sylvia	Somewhere in Central America a little girl receives new red shoes from her tia (aunt) in the United States. The shoes are too big but she finds other uses for them until she grows into them.
McKissack, Patricia and Frederick	George Washington Carver: The Peanut Scientist	The life of the great black American scientist who discovered many uses for peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes.
McNaughton, Colin	Suddenly	As Preston the pig walks home one day, he is just about to be attacked by a hungry wolf when he SUDDENLY remembers to do an errand for his mother. The wolf will not give up easily!
Mosel, Arlene	The Funny Little Woman	There lived a funny little woman in Old Japan who loved to laugh and make dumplings out of rice. Share her adventures as she is carried away to cook for the wicked oni. This book won a Caldecott medal for its enchanting illustrations.
Numeroff, Laura	If You Give a Moose a Muffin	Chaos can ensue if you give a moose a muffin and start him on a cycle of urgent requests.
Parker, John	I Love Spiders	A spider tells of all the spiders he likes.
Pinczes, Elinor	One Hundred Hungry Ants	One hundred very hungry ants are on their way to a picnic in this poetic counting tale. Children discover whether the ants' attempts to reorganize help or hinder them in their mission.
Rylant, Cynthia	Henry and Mudge	Henry, feeling lonely on a street without any other children, finds companionship and love in a big dog named Mudge.
Viorst, Judith	Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day	Alexander has the kind of day that is one mishap after another. He thinks about moving to Australia just to get away from his bad luck.
Wells, Rosemary	Noisy Nora	Everyone is too busy to pay attention to Nora. So she decides to make noise and bother members of her family. They are still too busy. The family finally notices Nora when she becomes very quiet.
Williams, Linda	The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything	A fearless old woman meets up with a pumpkin head, a tall black hat, a pair of shoes, and a pair of pants in the moonlight.

Grade Two

Author	Title	Annotation
Adler, David	Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds	A fifth grader with a photographic memory and her friend, Eric, help solve the mystery of the stolen diamonds.
Burton, Virginia Lee	The Little House	The story of a little house which happily enjoys the country and the seasons. Life changes for the little house with the onset of urbanization, but it is rescued by the great-great granddaughter of the original owner.
Cherry, Lynne	The Great Kapok Tree, A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest	Many different animals who live in a Kapok tree in the Brazilian rainforest try to convince a man of the importance of not cutting down their home. Vibrant, intense, colorful illustrations add to the story.
De Paola, Tomie	Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs	A generational story in which the author draws on his own loving childhood experiences with his two elderly grandmothers.
Dooley, Norah	Everybody Cooks Rice	Carrie must find her brother Anthony before she can eat dinner. She goes from house to house and samples rice from Vietnam, Puerto Rico, India, China, Haiti, and Italy.
Dorros, Arthur	Ant Cities	Children will learn all about ants and the way they live. The book provides facts through text, illustrations, and labels. The children are provided with directions for constructing their own ant farms.
Gannett, Ruth Stiles	My Father's Dragon	In this short chapter book, a boy rescues a baby dragon from Wild Island where he is being kept captive by lazy animals.
Giff, Patricia Reilly	The Secret at Polk Street School	Ms. Rooney's class is preparing for their production of Little Red Riding Hood when mysterious things begin to occur. Can these student detectives solve the mystery before the show goes on?
Greenfield, Eloise	Grandpa's Face	Tamika enjoys a wonderful friendship with her grandfather. They go for walks with each other just to talk. Tamika's grandfather calls it talk-walk. She loves her grandfather's facial expressions when he is telling stories or when he is just talking.
Hoffman, Mary	Amazing Grace	Grace wants to play Peter Pan in her class play. Her classmates naively say she cannot be Peter. When she shares her feelings at home, Grace's grandmother encourages her to believe in herself and to reach for her dreams.
Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald	Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)	Sarah and Susan visit their great-great aunt Flossie every Sunday afternoon. They are enchanted by her stories sparked by hats that the girls take out to wear.
Hudson, Wade	Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children	A collection of poetry for children by African American poets, this book captures the joys and discoveries of childhood while keeping with the oral tradition of African American culture.
Kellogg, Steven	Jack and the Beanstalk	Kellogg's colorful retelling is faithful in spirit to Joseph Jacob's original tale. The language is contemporary with some older phrases preserved to maintain the flavor of the characters. The pictures lend themselves to many language-rich explorations.
Lobel, Arnold	Days With Frog and Toad	Frog and Toad spend their days together, but find sometimes it's nice to be alone.
McBratney, Sam	Guess How Much I Love You?	How much do Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare love each other? During a bedtime game, they find out that the love you give is returned even more.
McKissack, Patricia	Flossie and the Fox	Can feisty Flossie Finley outfox a fox, especially if she's never seen one before? A story from the author's youth retold in the rich, colorful dialect of the rural south.
Mills, Lauren	The Rag Coat	Minna is going to school and needs a winter coat. This Appalachian tale shows how the ladies of her community come together to quilt a coat of fabric Minna has selected. Minna proudly wears her coat to school but becomes the brunt of her classmates' teasing. This sensitive tale shows how a young girl solves her problem by drawing her home and school community together.
Moore, Elaine	Grandma's House	In this first book in a series, Kim spends the summers with her grandmother. She compares her summer to her grandmother's garden: "It begins with strawberries and ends with plums."
	Tikki Tikki Tembo	This Chinese tale explains why parents give their children short names. It involves what's in a name, safety, trickery, problem solving, and a possible introduction to pourquoi stories.
	Dumpling Soup	Marisa is an Asian American girl who lives in Hawaii. Every New Year's the family goes to grandma's house to make mandoo (dumplings); Marisa's aren't perfect, but they are delicious.
	And the Green Grass Grew All Around: Folk Poetry From Everyone	Poetry takes the forms of autograph rhymes, street rhymes, paradies, riddles, nonsense, work poems, story poems, love poems and folk poems. Themes cover people, food, school, wishes and warnings, work, riddles, rain and shine, trees, animals, and insects. Humorous illustrations promote discussion and encourage poetry writing.
	The Whales' Song	A little girl is fascinated by her grandmother's story of seeing and hearing the whales long ago. Lily hopes to see and hear them herself.
	The Monster in the Third Dresser Drawer	Adam Joshua copes with changes such as moving to a new town, a new baby sister, a new tooth, a baby-sitter, and Great Aunt Emily. The story is told in short chapters and is one in a series of books about Adam Joshua. These books will prepare students for reading longer books.
	Possum Come a-Knockin'	A family is bothered by a tricky possum who delights in disrupting their evening activities by knocking on the door and then hiding when the door is answered.
	Ira Sleeps Over	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.
	Owl Moon	This gentle, poetic narrative shows the relationship between a girl and her father. Their silent walk through the winter night gives a glimpse at the relationships between man and nature.

Grade Three

Title	Annotation
Song and Dance Man	Grandpa demonstrates for his visiting grandchildren some of the songs, dances, and jokes he performed when he was a vaudeville entertainer.
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.	Ten-year-old Cam, possessor of a photographic memory, and her friend Eric investigate what seems to be a brief appearance of U.F.O.s.
Meet Samantha	In 1904, nine-year-old Samantha, an orphan living with her wealthy grandmother, and her servant friend Nellie have a midnight adventure when they try to find out what has happened to the seamstress who suddenly left her job.
A Boy Called Slow	This is a biography of Sitting Bull.
The Shoeshine Girl	Determined to earn some money, ten-year-old Sarah Ida gets a job at a shoe shine stand and learns a great many things besides shining shoes.
Julian, Secret Agent	Twelve short chapters present the escapades of Julian, his brother Huey, and their friend Gloria when they become "crime busters."
The Stories Julian Tells	Relates episodes in seven-year-old Julian's life which include getting into trouble with his younger brother Huey, planting a garden, what he did to try to grow taller, losing a tooth, and finding a new friend.
Happy Birthday, Ronald Morgan!	Ronald thinks his birthday is going to come too late for a class party, but he may be in for a surprise.
In the Dinosaur's Paw	Richard forgot to bring a ruler to school, but he finds a magical one in his desk.
Purple Climbing Days	With the help of the meanest substitute teacher in the whole school, Richard "Beast" Best learns a lesson about fear.
Watch Out, Ronald Morgan!	Ronald has many humorous mishaps until he gets a pair of eyeglasses.
Amazing Grace	Although classmates say that she cannot play Peter Pan in the school play because she is black and a girl, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to do.
The Black Snowman	Using the magical powers of the kente cloth (African scarf), a black snowman comes to life and helps young Jacob discover the beauty of his African American heritage as well as his own self-worth.
Annie and the Old One	Annie tries to stop time so her grandmother won't die. She comes to understand her American Indian heritage and the fact that time cannot be stopped.
Meet Addie	Nine-year-old Addy Walker escapes from a cruel life of slavery to freedom during the Civil War.
Meet Kirsten	Nine-year-old Kirsten and her family experience many hardships as they travel from Sweden to the Minnesota frontier in 1854.
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch	An anonymous valentine changes the life of the unsociable Mr. Hatch, turning him into a laughing friend who helps and appreciates all his neighbors.
Meet Felicity	In Williamsburg in 1774, nine-year-old Felicity rescues a beautiful horse who is beaten and starved by her cruel owner.
Meet Josefina	Nine-year-old Josefina, living in New Mexico in 1824, tries to help run the household after her mother dies.
Meet Molly	While her father is away fighting in World War II, Molly finds her life full of change as she eats terrible vegetables from the victory garden and plans revenge on her brother for ruining her Halloween.
The Boxcar Children	Four orphans, two boys and two girls, set up housekeeping in an old boxcar.
The First Four Years	During their first four years of marriage, Laura and Almanzo Wilder have a child and fight a losing battle in their attempts to succeed at farming on the South Dakota prairie.
On the Banks of Plum Creek	Ma, Pa, Laura, Mary, and Carrie settle on the prairie land of Minnesota where runaway cattle, wolves, torrential creeks, a grasshopper plague, and a long blizzard offset the joys of a new house, school friends, and church socials.

	Author Studies
Henry and Ribsy	Before he can go fishing with his father, Henry must keep his dog Ribsy out of trouble for a month.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle	A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.
Ramona Quimby, Age 8	The further adventures of the Quimby family as Ramona enters the third grade.
The Adventures of Ali Baba Berstein	Eight-year-old David is convinced that his life will be more adventurous when he changes his name to Ali Baba.
Aldo Applesauce	When he and his family move to the suburbs, Aldo has difficulty finding new friends.
Aldo Ice Cream	Nine-year-old Aldo discovers the pleasures of doing volunteer work to help the older citizens of the community and the satisfactions of earning his first money on his own for unselfish reasons.
Busybody Nora	Relates the adventures of an inquisitive little girl who lives in a large apartment building in New York with her parents and little brother Teddy.
Russell Sprouts	Home and school adventures of Russell, age six and growing up fast.

Grade Four

Title	Annotation
Summer of the Swans	A teen-age girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally retarded brother gets lost.
Tornado	As they wait out a tornado in their storm cellar, a family listens to their farmhand tell stories about the dog that was blown into his life, along with its doghouse, by another tornado when he was a boy.
Dirt Bike Racer	"The accurate descriptions of the jolts of motorcross competition, and Ron's unfailing honesty and good sportsmanship make this a fast-moving entry on Christopher's roster of sports titles." School Library Journal.
My Teacher is an Alien	Susan Simmons can tell that her new substitute teacher is really weird. But she doesn't know how weird until she catches him peeling off his face, and she realizes that "Mr. Smith" is really an alien!
If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand	This collection of school poems captures the excitement, challenge, heartbreak and wonder of elementary school life.
Stone Fox	This touching story is based on a Rocky Mountain legend of a ten-year-old boy who hopes to pay the back taxes on his Grandfather's farm with the prize from a dog sled race.
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales	Twenty-four tales are divided into four groups: animal tales, fantasy tales, tales of the supernatural, and tales of freedom.
Bunnicula	What if a pet rabbit really is a vampire? Chester the Cat believes he has discovered one and sets out to prove to the human family that he is right. Told by the laconic family dog Harold with doglike observations and concerns for food, this first story in the series is humorous and fast moving.
Earthquake Terror	After Jonathan's mother breaks her ankle on a family camping trip, Jonathan and his younger sister are left alone on a deserted island. Then a devastating earthquake hits and siblings must fight for their lives.
Babe the Gallant Pig	The pig has a remarkable ability to speak politely to sheep. This gains him a stunning victory in a sheep dog trail meet.
Fables	This Caldecott winner is a collection of one-page fables best used as a class discussion lesson to interpret their message.
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson	In this story set in Brooklyn, 1947, a Chinese girl, Shirley Temple Wong, is a new immigrant. She starts to feel at home when she discovers baseball and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Arthur For the Very First Time	Arthur spends the summer with his eccentric aunt and uncle. He is accused of being an observer rather than a doer. This story is full of warmth, humor, and quirky characters, both human and animal.
Homer Price	McCloskey tells the humorous adventures of an irresponsible boy who come up with ingenious solutions to strange dilemmas.
Mayfield Crossing	When her old school is closed, Meg and her family meet prejudice for the first time. Although Meg and her family face open prejudice from many of the students, she does find that not all people are alike.
The Sun	Describes the nature of the sun, its origin, source of energy, layers, atmosphere, sunspots, and magnetic storms.
A Taste of Blackberries	The narrator guides the reader through his emotional reactions to the death of his friend Jamie. Jamie was a special child, full of surprises, one who had an answer for everything. Jamie would court danger and always escape; however, he couldn't escape his allergy to bees.
Off and Running	Catch election fever when fifth grader Miata Ramirez runs for president against school prankster, Rudy Herrera. Miata and her running mate, Ana, mean business. But the boys are loud and get attention. With time running out, the girls try to think of how to quickly change their image before the election.
The Boxcar Children	Four orphans, two boys and two girls, set up housekeeping in an old boxcar.
The Castle in the Attic	A gift of a toy castle, complete with silver knight, introduces William to an adventure involving magic and a personal guest.

Grade Five

Title	Annotation
Meet Samantha	In 1904, nine-year-old Samantha, an orphan living with her wealthy grandmother and her servant friend, Nellie, embark upon an adventure at midnight when they try to find out what has happened to the seamstress who lost her job.
Tuck Everlasting	The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover a ten-year-old girl and a stranger who know their secret about a spring whose waters prevent one from growing old.
The Indian in the Cupboard	When a nine-year-old boy receives a plastic Indian, a cupboard, and a key for his birthday, he discovers himself involved in an adventure when the Indian comes to life.
The Return of the Indian	Omri seeks to see the Indian once more, and when he returns to life, Omri realizes that the Indian has been wounded in the French and Indian Wars. Then a whole new series of adventures begins.
The Secret of the Indian	In this third in the series, Omri and his friend Patrick help the Indian back in the times of the Old West, by finding a toy wooden doctor to help heal all of the wounded from the French and Indian Wars. Thus, the adventures begin again.
The Secret Garden	In this timeless, classic story of friendship and healing, Mary and young spoiled, invalid Colin, restore an ill-kept, neglected garden. Along with their unusual friend, the trio learns the value of friendship and along the way, they all win Colin's father's love.
The Family Under the Bridge	An old tramp, adopted by three fatherless children when their mother hides them under a bridge in the Seine, finds a home for the family and for himself.
The Catcher With the Glass Arm	A young pitcher learns how to overcome his fear of a weak throwing arm as he learns how to play baseball and the value of believing in himself.
Henry and the Clubhouse	What All-American boy would not want a terrific clubhouse? Henry and his friends Robert and Murph attempt to build one despite the interference of one Miss Ramona Quimby, and of course, Ribsy.
Henry and the Paper Route	Ten-year-old Henry is seized with the urge to do something really important! Becoming a paperboy seems like just the thing. But, Henry's plans take a turn and he seeks help from an unlikely source to make his route a success.
Otis Spofford	This lively story uncovers a delightful string of adventures and misadventures of one Otis Spofford. Among his tales, lies an unwanted haircut for Miss Ellen Tebbits.
By the Great Horn Spoon	The year is 1849. Jack Flag stows away on a ship headed for the California gold fields where he plans to recoup his Auntie Arabella's fortune.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler	A bored twelve-year-old girl talks her nine-year-old brother into running away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The two survivalists sleep, dine, bathe, and play among the centuries-old art.
Centerburg Tales	Further adventures of Homer Price, which include a jukebox that sets the whole team to singing against its will, and a mad scientist who develops weeds that overrun the town.
Addy Learns a Lesson	Addy and her mother begin new lives, as they arrive in Philadelphia shortly after they have won their freedom from slavery!
Addy Saves the Day	Addy and her rival Harriet learn the true value of friendship after tragedy befalls them.
Meet Kirsten	Nine-year-old Kirsten travels from Sweden in 1854 with her family to the United States. They settle in Minnesota where the story unfolds.
Fourth Grade Rats	Studs, an energetic fourth grader learns the value of friends as he seeks to become a member of "the fourth grade rats".
Meet Molly	While her father is away fighting in World War II, Molly plants a victory garden, and seeks to pass the days in a special way, while missing her father.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House Series (listed below)	This series of wonderful books richly reveals the story of the Ingalls family, who were among the early pioneers of the American West. Laura travels from place to place with her family by covered wagon through Kansas, Minnesota, and finally into the Dakota Territory. The Little House books have become classics through the years since they were first published in 1953, over twenty-five years ago.
By the Shores of Silver Lake	Ma and the girls follow Pa west by train where they make their home at a rough railroad camp and plan for their own homestead.
Little House in the Big Woods	A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, as they help their mother with the daily chores, enjoy their father's stories and singing, and share special occasions when they get together with relatives or neighbors.
Little Town on the Prairie	At fifteen, Laura earns her teacher's certificate, gets a job, and starts going to parties.
The Long Winter	After an October blizzard, Laura's family moves from the claim shanty into town for the winter, a winter that an Indian has predicted will be seven months of bad weather.
On the Banks of Plum Creek	The Ingalls family, after moving to Minnesota, encounters a terrible blizzard and a grasshopper plague.
These Happy Golden Years	Laura has her first experiences as a teacher, and is courted by Almanzo Wilder.

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