Athol Public Library

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Children's Reading List 1st & 2nd

Grades 1&2

2008

Alder, David. Cam Jansen and the Catnapping Mystery.    Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to rescue a kidnapped cat.

Adoff, Arnold. EATS.   Poetry about food.

Allard, Harry. Miss Nelson is Missing.   Pretty and sweet Miss Nelson doesn’t come to school one day, but instead sends “The Swamp” in her place to teach her students a new kind of lesson. (Series)

Ardizzone, Edward. Tim and Charlotte One stormy night, Tim and Ginger rescue a little girl, washed up on the beach.  Who was she and where did she come from?  One of many of Tim’s seaside adventures. (Series).  (Frameworks)

Arnold, Tedd.  More Parts.  Through zany, brightly colored illustrations and rhyming verse, Arnold

explores common figures of speech that amaze and frighten a young boy. (Series)  (Also, Fly Guy series)

 

Aruego, Jose.  Weird Friends:  Unlikely Allies in the Animal Kingdom.  Describes how

different animal species help each other survive.

Auch, Mary Jane. Bantam of the Opera.  Luigi the rooster assumes the leading role in the Cosmopolitan Opera Company, when the star and understudy come down with the chicken pox.

Axelrod, Amy. Pigs Will Be Pigs.  The pig family searches the house for enough money to by pizza for dinner. (Series)

Barber, Tiki.  Game Day.  Brothers Tiki and Ronde Barber, two NFL superstars, tell their story and explain how loyalty, determination, and the power of teamwork help all  succeed.

Baker, Barbara. One Saturday Morning.  One Saturday morning, a family enjoys each other as they work and play together.

Baker, Barbara. One Saturday Afternoon.  Bear family’s busy day.

Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline.  Madeline awakens one night suffering from appendicitis. (Series) (Frameworks) 

Bonsall, Crosby.  The Case of the Cat’s Meow.   Four private eyes investigate case.

Brown, Margaret Wise. Goodnight Moon.  A little rabbit getting ready for bed bids goodnight to everything around him.  A bedtime classic.  (Frameworks)

Bunting, Eve. Fly Away Home.   Homeless boy living in an airport is given hope when he sees a trapped bird fly free.

Burningham, John. Granpa.  A little girl and her grandfather share special moments.  (Frameworks)

Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel.  Classic featuring Mike and his steamshovel.  (Frameworks)

Byars, Betsy. My Brother, Ant.   A boy talks about his younger brother, Ant. (Series)

Cannon, Janell. Verdi.  A young python does not want to grow slow and boring like the older snakes he sees in the tropical jungle where he lives.

Cazet, Denys. Minnie and Moo Go Dancing.   Two cow friends get dressed up to attend a party at the farmer’s house. (Series)

Chaconas, Dori.  Cork & Fuzz:  Short and Tall. The friendship between Cork, a muskrat, and Fuzz, a possum, is in trouble when Cork decides that, since he is older, he has to be taller than Fuzz.

Child, Lauren.  But Excuse Me, That is My Book. When Lola’s favorite book is not on theshelve, her older brother Charlie, tries to find another book she will enjoy.

Clement, Rod. Grandpa’s Teeth.  Soon after Grandpa’s teeth disappear from a glass of water near his bed, officer Rate has the whole town under investigation.

Coerr, Eleanor. The Josefina Story Quilt.  Faith brings her pet hen, Josefina, on the wagon train to California and creates a patchwork quilt telling the story of their trip.

Cohen, Miriam. See You in Second Grade.  An end of school swimming party brings memories of first grade and anticipation of second grade.

Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack & Moo, Cows that Type.  Farmer Brown’s cows can type and are demanding electric blankets, or else no milk! (Series)(Also, Diary of a Spider.)

Cushman, Doug. Aunt Eater Loves a Mystery.  Aunt Eater the anteater solves a series of mysteries.(Series)

Dakos, Kalli. If Your’e Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand.   Humorous poetry about elementary school

Danziger, Paula.  Amber Brown. (Series)

Davies, Nicola.  Surprising Sharks.  Sharks come in all shapes and sizes.  Many species from the smallest to the scariest are described in this informative picture book.

DePaola, Tomi. Strega Nona.  Strega Nona’s magic pasta pot causes problems for Big Anthony. (Series)

Dicamillo, Kate.  Mercy Watson Princess in Disguise.  Persuaded by the “treating” to dress up as a princess for Halloween, Mercy the pig’s trick-or-treat outing has some very unexpected results.  (Series)

Donnelly, Judy. Titanic: Lost…and Found.  The sinking of the Titanic and what was found many years later is related in this easy reader.

Ellery, Tom.  If I Had a Dragon.  A boy imagines his little brother can turn into a dragon for him to play with.

Ernst, Lisa. Stella Louella’s Runaway Book.  As Stella tries to find her library book to return, she finds a lot of people who have enjoyed her book.  (Any by this author.)

Esbensen, Barbara. Who Shrank My Grandmother’s House?: Poems of  Discovery. Discover what is special in everyday objects in this collection of poems.

Fleming, Denise.  The Cow Who Clucked.  When a cow loses her moo she searches to see if another animal in the barn has it

Frazee, Marla.  Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?  The pictures practically speak for themselves when fourteen contemporary children’s book illustrators offer their unique answers to this age-old question.

Gag, Wanda. Millions of Cats.  An old man brings his lonely wife millions of cats for pets. (Frameworks)

Geisel, Theodor Seuss.  (Dr. Seuss). The Lorax.  The Once-ler describes the results of local pollution problem. (Frameworks) (Any by this author.)

Gibbons, Gail. The Milk Makers.  One of the many nonfiction books by this author that give simple information about a great variety of subjects.  (Series)

Gibbons, Gail.  Behold the Unicorns.  Explains the origins, mythology, and folklore of the unicorns, and discusses the reasons why the mythical animals have retained their popularity throughout the ages.  (Also, The Vegetables We Eat.)

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Kids of the Polk Street School (Series).

Greenaway, Kate. Under the Window.  Collection of poems.

Hall, Katy and Eisenberg, Lisa.  Kitty Riddles.  A combination of 34 puns with ink-and-watercolor

slapstick cartoons will poease (okay, a-mews) cat lovers and show new readers that the sounds of words

are part of the fun.  (Series)

 

Henkes, Kevin.  Chester’s Way.  Chester and Wilson share the same exact way of doing things, until

Lilly moves into the neighborhood and shows them that new ways can be just as good.

Henkes, Kevin. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.  Lilly’s new purse is a distraction in school until Lilly learns to use it at the right time.

Hobbie, Holly.  Toot and Puddle.  (Series)

Hoberman, Mary Ann.  You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together.  This delightful choreography of rhythm, rhyme, and repetition begs to be read aloud in tandem by children and adults, or by any pairing of beginning readers.

Hoffman, Mary.  Amazing Grace.  Grace, a young African American, succeeds in playing the part of Peter Pan in a play at school even though her friends think she should not do the part. (Series)

Hopkinson, Deborah.  Fannie in the Kitchen.  Fannie Farmer is a mother’s helper in the Shaw house, where the daughter gives her the idea of writing down precise instructions for measuring and cooking, which eventually became one of the first modern cookbooks.

Howe, James. Houndsley and Catina.  Friends Goundsley and Catina are sad because they do not know when their birthdays are, but they solve the problem in a thoughtful and creative way.  (Series)

Hughes, Shirley.  Alfie Get in First.  Alfie accidentally locks his mother and baby sister outside and can’t reach the latch.  The neighborhood is involved in getting the door open. (Series) (Frameworks)

Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon.  Harold’s drawings come to life. (Series) (Frameworks)

Karas, G. Brian.  On Earth.  The earth and its cycles are simply and beautifully illustrated in this poetic text.  Difficult concepts are explained through children’s real life experiences.

Keller, Laurie.  Open Wide:  Tooth School Inside.  This wacky book abut dental hygiene begins with Dr. Flossman  teaching his class, a set of personified teeth sitting at their desks looking “clean” and “bright.”

Keller, Laurie. The Scrambled States of America.  The states become bored with their positions on the map and decide to change places for a while.

Ketteman, Helen.  Bubba, the Cowboy Prince:  A Fractured Texas Tale.  In this story loosely based on “Cinderella,” the setting is Texas, the fairy godmother is a cow, and the hero, named Bubba, is the stepson of a wicked rancher.

Kimmel, Eric A. Anansi and the Talking Melon.   Having eaten his way into Elephant’s melon, Anansi is too full to crawl out and delights in playing tricks on Elephant and other animals.

Knudsen, Michelle.  Library Lion.  A lion starts visiting the local library, but runs into trouble as he tries to both obey the rules and help his librarian friend.

Koontz, Robin. Chicago and the Cat.   A pushy cat takes over the house of Chicago the rabbit, but the two soon become friends. (Series)

Krasnosky, Laura McGee.  Zelda and Ivy.  Whether they’re performing a circus act, fashioning their tails in the latest style, or working wonders with “fairy dust,” Zelda and Ivy are sisters with a flair for the dramatic.

Krauss, Ruth. The Carrot Seed.   Boy plants and tends a seed that grows into a carrot.   (Frameworks)

Leaf, Munro. The Story of Ferdinand.  Ferdinand does not want to be in the bullfights. (Frameworks).

Lester, Helen. Hooway for Wodney Wat.   All his classmates make fun of Rodney because he can’t pronounce his name, but it is Rodney’s speech impediment that drives away the class bully.  (Also Batter Up Wombat.)

Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends.   Short, delightful tales about best friends.

Lowell, Susan. Cindy Ellen.  Cindy Ellen loses one of her diamond spurs at the square dance in this Wild West retelling of the classic Cinderella story.

McBrier, Page.  Beatrice’s Goat.  A young girl’s dream of attending school in her small Ugandan village is fulfilled after her family is a given income-producing goat.  Based on a true story about the work of the Heifer Project.

McCloskey, Robert. Make Way For Ducklings.  Two ducks raise their family in the city of Boston. (Frameworks)                  

McCall, Francis.  A Huge Hog is a Big Pig:  A Rhyming Word Game.  A variety of animals

are introduced with such phrases as a granny nanny, a soggy doggy, and a loose goose.

McDermott, Gerald. Raven:  A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest.  Traditional North American Indian tale.  (Series)

McKissack, Patricia.  The Honest-to-Goodness Truth.  After promising never to lie, Libby learns

it’s not always necessary to blurt out the whole truth either.

Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Speaks, Martha Blah Blah.  After eating alphabet soup, Martha the dog can speak. (Series) 

Minarik, Else. Little Bear.   Adventures of Little Bear and his family.  (Series).

Napoli, Donna Jo.  Albert.  Albert seems to have opted out of life until one day, when he puts his hand out through the grill of the window to check the weather, a pair of cardinals builds a nest and deposits four eggs in it.

Nixon, Joan Lowery.  Gus and Gertie and the Lucky Charms.  The fine-feathered heroes Gus and Gertie return for another slapstick easy-to-read mystery as they arrive at the Animals’ Winter Olympics with dreams of winning gold as Antarctica’s first synchronized swimming team.

O’Connor Jane.  Fancy Nancy. A young girl who loves fancy things helps her family to be fancy for one special night.

O’Flatharta, Antoine.  Hurry and ant Monarch.  On her way from Canada, a monarch butterfly lands on Hurry the tortoise in Wichita Fall, Texas.  Through their friendship, Hurry witnesses the life cycle of a monarch.  This story has strong Texas connections and the illustrations depict the beauty of the Monarch and Texas springtime.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Stage Fright on a Summer Night.  Jack and Annie travel in their magic tree house to Elizabethan London, where they become actors in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and try to rescue a tame bear. (Magic Tree House Series).                             

Parish, Peggy. Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor.   A series of misunderstandings leads literal-minded Amelia to run for mayor. (Series)

Park, Barbara. Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket.    Junie B. goes on a field trip to a

farm. (Series)

Parsons, Alexandra.  Amazing Snakes.  Readers are introduced to many different subjects through beautiful photographs and clear, concise text.  (Eyewitness Junior Series)

Polacco, Patricia.  Thank You Mr. Faulker.  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 problems.

Prelutsky, Jack. For Laughing Out Loud.    Collection of humorous poetry.

Potter, Beatrix.  The Tale of  Peter Rabbit.  Tales of Peter Rabbit and his friends. (Series) (Frameworks) 

Rappaport, Doreen.  Martin’s Big Words:  the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  A Caldecott Honor Award Winning picture book biography relates the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr., an important person in American history who used his words in the place of his fists.

Rathmann, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria.  Dog Gloria becomes a star when she accompanies Officer Buckle on visits to elementary schools. Caldecott Award.

Rayner, Mary.  Mrs. Pig’s Bulk Buy.    Mrs. Pig teaches her children a ketchup lesson.

Rey, H.A. and Margaret. Curious George.  George the curious monkey has many adventures. (Series) (Frameworks)

Reynolds, Peter.  The Dot.  “Just make a mark and see where it take you.”  This sage advice, offered by her teacher, sets the young heroine on a journey of self-expression, artistic experimentation, and success.

Rodman, Mary Ann.  My Best Friend.  At the local swimming pool six-year-old Lily is doing her best to impress seven-year-old Tamika because she wants Tamika to be her best friend.  No matter how hard Lily tries, Tamika either ignores her to teases her.  Could there be another best friend?

Ryder, Joanne.  Little Panda:  The World Welcomes Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo.  This photo essay describes the first year in the life of the first giant panda cub ever to survive in captivity in America. 

Rylant, Cynthia.  The Case of the Puzzling Possum.  Children ready for chapter books will welcome this latest adventure of private-eye Bunny Brown and her bumbling raccoon sidekick, Jack (Series)

Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge and the Tall Tree House.  Henry is excited when his Uncle Jake builds him a tree house but worries that his dog Mudge will not be able to enjoy it.  (Series) 

Rylant, Cynthia.  Poppleton   (Series).

Sachar, Louis.  Marvin Redpost:  A Flying Birghday Cake?  Two days after Marvin sees a glowing green thing like a flying birthday cake in the night sky, his third-grade class is joined by a mysterious new boy with peculiar behavior.  (Series)

Schorter, Roni.  The Boy Who Loved Words.  Selig loves and collects words in this charming story of a boy who finds his life’s purpose through his passion for words.

Schwartz, David.  If You Hopped Like a Frog.  An introduction to the concept of ratio, by comparing what humans would be able to do if they had bodies like different animals.

Scieszka, Jon.  The Frog Prince Continued.  After the frog turns into a prince, he and the Princess do live happily ever after and the Prince decides to look for a witch to help him remedy the situation.

Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are.    Young boy travels to an island of monsters. (Frameworks)

Sharmat, Marjorie. Nate the Great and the Case of the Fleeing Fang.    Nate the Great tracks down Annie’s missing dog. (Series)

Silverman, Erica.  Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa:  Partners.  Cocoa the horse herds the cows with Cowgirl Kate, helps her practice her roping skills, and wishes he could wear boots instead of horseshoes.  (Series)

Smothers, Ethel Footman.  Hard-Times Jar.  Emma, the daughter of poor migrant workers, longs to won a real book.  When she turns eight and must attend school for the first time, she is amazed to discover a whole library in her classroom.

Steig, William.  The Amazing Bone.  On her way home from school, Pearl finds an unusual bone that has unexpected powers.

Stevens, Janet.  Tops and Bottoms.   Hare tricks Bear into a deal involving Bear’s farm.

Stewart, Sarah.  The Gardener.   Lydia Grace writes a series of letters to her family when she goes to live with her Uncle Jim  in the city but takes her love of gardening with her.

Stowell, Penelope.  The Greatest Potatoes.  George Crum, son of a former slave and a Native American was a chef in Saratoga, New York in 1853.  As a practical joke, George created the worst fried potatoes in the world.  The Saratoga flaky fried pototoes became an instant hit. 

Sturges, Philemon.  She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain.  New words to the traditional tune describe a camper-driving, “hooting” and  “shouting” guest and the party that will begin when she arrives.

Sutcliffe, Jane.  Jesse Owens.  This is a biography of track-and-field athlete Jesse Owens, from his childhood in Alabama to his athletic career which culminated in his winning four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

Swope, Sam.  Gotta Go!  Gotta Go!  Although she doesn’t know how or why, a small creepy-crawly big is certain that she must make her way to Mexico.

Teague, Mark.  Dear Mrs. LaRue:  Letters from Obedience School.  Gertrude LaRue receives typewritten and paw-written letters from her dog Ike, entreating her to let him leave the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy and come back home.

Thomas, Shelley Moore.  Good Night, Good Knight.  A good knight helps three dragons who are having trouble getting to sleep.  (Series)

Thompson, Sarah L.  Amazing Dolphins/Amazing Sharks.  Presents an introduction to dolphins and sharks in simple text and illustrations.

Tolhurst, Marilyn. Somebody and the Three Blairs.   Humans and bears reverse roles in this Goldilocks variation.

Weatherby, Brenda. The Trucker.  Wesley dreams his toy semi-flatbed truck grows big enough for him to have a trucking adventure but wakes to find he is in the back of his father’s truck.

Williams, Vera. Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe.   A mother, aunt, and two children make a three day camping trip by canoe. (Any book by this author.)  (Frameworks)

Wood, Audrey.  The Bunyans.  Paul Bunyan, his wife, and his children do some ordinary things that result in the formation of Niagara Falls, Bryce Canyon, and other national monuments.

Whybrow, Ian.  Badness for Beginners:  A Little Wolf and Smellybreff Adventure.  Little Wolf and his brother Smellybreff get lessons in badness from their Mom and Dad.  They just can’t be naughty enough to suit their parents.

Yolen, Jane.  A Sip of Aesop.  Retells, in verse, thirteen fables by the Greek slave Aesop, including “The Hare and the Tortoise,” “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” and “The Fox and the Stork.”  (Also Here’s a Little Poem:  A Very First Book of Poetry.)

Zelinsky, Paul. Rumpelstiltskin.  A miller’s daughter has to guess a little man’s name in order to keep her child. 

Any book from the Reading Rainbow collection is also acceptable. 

(Series) – Any book from the mentioned series may by read, not just the book listed.

(Frameworks) – Selected author from the English Language Arts Curriculum Framework for Grades Pre-K to 2.  Generally, any book by this Frameworks author is acceptable.


Grades PreK-2

In addition to the previous lists the following are authors, illustrators and suggested readings from the Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework for Grades PreK-2.

For reading, listening, and viewing:

Mother Goose nursery rhymes, Aesop’s fables, Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories,  selected Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales, selected French fairy tales.

The Bible as Literature:

Tales including Jonah and the whale, Daniel and the lion’s den, Noah and the Ark, Moses and the burning bush, the story of Ruth, David and Goliath.

Picture Book authors and illustrators:

Edward Ardizzone                                                                Ruth Kraus

Ludwig Bemelmans                                                              Robert Lawson

Margaret Wise Brown                                                         Munro Leaf

John Burningham                                                                 Robert McCloskey

Virginia Lee Burton                                                              A.A. Milne

Randolph Caldecott                                                             William Rene du Bois

Edgar Parin and Ingri D’Aulaire                                        Beatrix Potter

Wanda Gag                                                                           Alice and Martin Provensen

Theodore Geisel                                                                   H.A. and Margaret Rey

Kate Greenaway                                                                   Maurice Sendak

Shirley Hughes                                                                     Vera Williams

Crockett Johnson

Poets:

John Ciardi

Rachel Field

David McCord

A.A. Milne

Laura Richards

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