Reading and Friends Go Together:
Books for 5, 6, 7, and 8-year-olds

Share a Picture Book with a Friend

• Superdog: The Heart of a Hero (also titled Dex: The Heart of a Hero) by Caralyn Buehner. Illustrated by Mark Buehner. HarperCollins, 2004.
  (jPS BUEH)
  A dachshund dons cape and spandex suit and comes to the rescue of the other dogs and a bullying cat in his neighborhood.
• For You Are a Kenyan Child by Kelly Cunnane. Illustrated by Ana Juan. Atheneum, 2006.
  (jPS CUNN)
  A young village boy is easily distracted from the. job of watching his grandfather’s cows in this story sprinkled with Swahili words.
• Elena's Serenade by Campbell Geeslin. Illustrated by Ana Juan. Atheneum, 2004.
  (jPS GEES)
  A Mexican girl disguises herself as a boy in order to pursue her dream of being a glassblower.
• Tico and the Golden Wings by Leo Lionni. Knopf, 2007, 1964.
  (jPS LION)
  Reissue of the thought-provoking fable about a bird that helps others yet stays true to himself.
• Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel by Anthony D. Robles. Illustrated by Carl Angel. Children's Book Press, 2006.
  (jPS ROBL)
  A Filipino boy helps organize a protest against the demolition of a hotel in his San Francisco neighborhood. Bilingual English-Tagalog.
• My Best Friend by Mary Ann Rodman. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis.
  Viking, 2005.
  (jPS RODM)
  Lily is six and longs to be best friends with Tamika who is seven and has other ideas.
• Rotten Teeth by Laura Simms. Illustrated by David Catrow. Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
  (jPS SIMM)
  Shy Melissa wows her class with the best show-and-tell item of the year.
• Mrs. Crump's Cat by Linda Smith. Illustrated by David Roberts. HarperCollins, 2006.
  (jPS SMIT)
  One “sneaky finicky troublesome WET yellow cat with FLEAS” somehow finds a happy home.
• The Amazing Bone by William Steig. Farrar, 1983.
  (jPS STEI)
  While dawdling on the way home from school, Pearl, a pig, discovers a talking bone, and life is never quite the same again. (also available in Japanese, Korean and Spanish)
• Hannah Is My Name by Belle Yang. Candlewick, 2004.
  (jPS YANG)
  Based on her own childhood, the author tells about coming to San Francisco from Taiwan and anxiously awaiting the green cards that would make it legal for her parents to work.
• The Judge: An Untrue Tale by Harve Zemach. Illustrated by Margot Zemach. Farrar, 1969.
  (jPS ZEMA)
  A tall tale about a judge gets his comeuppance when he refuses to believe the words of those brought before him.
• Polo: The Runaway Book by Régis Faller. Roaring Brook, 2007.
  (jGN FALL)
  This wordless adventure follows a smart little dog named Polo as he tries to retrieve his stolen book from a mischievous glowing alien.

Listen and Imagine: Folktales and Tall Tales

• You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman. Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Little, Brown, 2004.
  (j398.2 HOBE)
  Eight familiar tales are clearly set up to be read by pairs—two beginners or an adult and a child.
• Merlin and the Making of the King by Margaret Hodges, reteller. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Holiday House, 2004.
  (j398.2 HODG)
  Ornate borders and dramatic paintings enhance this retelling of three Arthurian legends.
• The McElderry Book of Aesop's Fables by Michael Morpurgo. Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. McElderry, 2005.
  (j398.2 MORP)
  Twenty-one well-known stories, complete with morals, spaciously designed for read-aloud or read-alone.
• Jack and the Beanstalk by E. Nesbit. Illustrated by Matt Tavares. Candlewick, 2006.
  (j398.2 NESB)
  A young boy outwits a frightening giant in this witty retelling of the classic fairy tale.
• Can You Guess My Name?: Traditional Tales Around the World
  by Judy Sierra. Illustrated by Stefano Vitale. Clarion, 2002.
  (j398.2 SIER)
  Here are fifteen variations, from many cultures, of five familiar tales: The Three Pigs; The Bremen Town Musicians; Rumpelstiltskin; The Frog Prince; and Hansel and Gretel.
• Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection
  by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada. Atheneum, 2006.
  (j398.2094 CAMP)
  Twelve lively stories, handsomely illustrated by four Latino artists, with notes on their worldwide origins. (also available in Spanish)
• Goha the Wise Fool by Denys Johnson-Davies. Illustrated by Hany El Saed Ahmed and Hag Hamdy Mohamed Fattouh. Philomel, 2005.
  (j398.2095 JOHN)
  The Egyptian variant of a Middle Eastern folk hero is featured in fifteen humorous tales.
• Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton, 1994.
  (jF ISAA)
  In this original tall tale about a tall girl, Angelica Longrider wrestles a huge bear whose enormous appetite has threatened the settlers.

Listen to the Sound: Poetry, Music, Dance

• Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs by Alan Katz. Illustrated by David Catrow. McElderry, 2001.
  (j782.4216 KATZ)
  A hilarious collection of fourteen takeoffs on traditional children’s songs. Also: I’m Still Here in the Bathtub and Are You Quite Polite?: Silly Dilly Manners Songs
• Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings
  by Douglas Florian. Harcourt, 2005.
  (j811.54 FLOR)
  Twenty short poems celebrate our universe. Also: Handsprings and Zoo’s Who
• Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George. Illustrated by Lauren Stringer. Harcourt, 2005.
  (j811.54 GEOR)
  In 32 haiku-like poems, a boy spends the day folding origami animals, imaginatively engaging them in play. Also: Origami for Beginners (j736.982 TEMK 2002)
• The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders by Jack Prelutsky. Illustrated by Petra Mathers. Greenwillow, 2002.
  (j811.54 PREL)
  People and animals appear from coast to coast in this delightful collection of 28 poems by the prolific Children’s Poet Laureate. Also: Awful Ogre’s Awful Day and If Not for the Cat
• Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles - Think of That! by Leo and Diane Dillon. Blue Sky 2002.
  (jPS DILL)
  Bill Robinson, “the greatest tap dancer of all time,” moves across crisp white pages bringing joy to all he meets. Also: Jazz on a Saturday Night
• A Pet for Me: Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illustrated by Jane Manning. HarperCollins, 2003.
  (jR PET)
  This collection introduces pets from cat and dog to snake and tarantula in an attractive beginning-to-read format.

Wondering: Non-Fiction

• Fantastic! Wow! and Unreal! by Ruth Heller. Grosset, 1998.
  (j425 HELL)
  Bright art helps introduce interjections and conjunctions in this eighth and final title in a lively series on the parts of speech.
• Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs! by Kathleen V. Kudlinski. Illustrated by S.D. Schindler. Dutton, 2005.
  (j567.9 KUDL)
  Scientists don’t know everything as this book proves! See how we have learned all sorts of fascinating facts about dinosaurs.
• Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
  (j576.8 JENK)
  Stunning, realistic cut-paper collages bring to life the history of living things…a history that goes back four billion years. Also: Actual Size and Almost Gone: The World’s Rarest Animals
• A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston. Illustrated by Sylvia Long. Chronicle Books, 2007.
  (j581.467 ASTO)
  A beautifully designed and illustrated book that examines the wonder and variety of seeds. Also: An Egg Is Quiet
• Snapshots: The Wonders of Monterey Bay by Celeste Davidson Mannis. Viking, 2006.
  (j591.7743 MANN)
  Sharp color photographs and brief text introduce this beautiful, Northern California locale.
• The Edible Pyramid: Good Eating Every Day by Loreen Leedy. Holiday House, 2007.
  (j613.2 LEED)
  This entertaining guide to nutrition has been revised to reflect the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new food pyramid. Also: Follow the Money, Measuring Penny and Messages from Mars
• My Light by Molly Bang. Blue Sky, 2004.
  (j621.47 BANG)
  A lucid explanation of how the sun’s rays are harnessed to make light and energy for our use. Also: Common Ground: The Water, Earth, and Air We Share
• It’s Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends by Robie Harris. Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Candlewick, 2006.
  (j649.65 HARR)
  Body parts, where babies come from, and more, all explained with clarity and candor.
• 3-D ABC: A Sculptural Alphabet by Bob Raczka. Millbrook, 2006.
  (j730 RACZ)
  Provocative, informative introduction to sculpture, showing a wide variety of styles and materials, with appealing color photos.
• I'm Still Scared by Tomie DePaola. Putnam, 2006.
  (jB DEPA)
  The noted author-illustrator’s autobiographical series continues with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Christmas 1941 as seen through Tomie’s second grader eyes.

Read it to Yourself: Books for Beginning Readers

• Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold. Scholastic, 2005.
  (jR ARNO)
  You’ll never think of flies in quite the same way after reading about this budding friendship between a boy and his pet fly. Also: Shoo, Fly Guy! and Super Fly Guy
• Ribbit Riddles by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg. Illustrated by Robert Bender. Dial, 2001.
  (jR HALL)
  Funny riddles, jokes and puns relating to frogs are presented in beginning reader format. Also: Dino Riddles and Piggy Riddles
• Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. HarperCollins, 1979.
  (jR LOBE)
  Five more stories about two best friends and their happy adventures. (also available in Chinese, Japanese and Spanish)
• Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike by Claudia Mills. Illustrated by Catherine Stock. Farrar, 1999.
  (jR MILL)
  Gus feels comfortable with his training wheels, so his new two-wheeler is not a welcome sight.
• I Am Rosa Parks by Rosa Parks and Jim Haskins. Illustrated by Wil Clay. Dial, 1997.
  (jR PARK)
  Mrs. Parks explains why she refused to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama and her role in the Civil Rights Movement.
• Tae Kwon Do! by Terry Pierce. Illustrated by Todd Bonita. Random House, 2006.
  (jR PIER)
  A brother and sister take a Tae Kwon Do class in this very first ready-to-read story.
• Happy Birthday, Good Knight by Shelley Moore Thomas. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. Dutton, 2006.
  (jR THOM)
  A knight helps three small dragons make a special, but messy, birthday present for their good friend, that very same Good Knight.

Recommended series: Amelia Bedelia (Parish); Biscuit (Capucilli); Commander Toad (Yolen); Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa (Silverman); Fox (Marshall); Henry and Mudge (Rylant); Iris and Walter (Guest); Little Bear (Minarik); Minnie and Moo (Cazet); Mr. Putter & Tabby (Rylant); Nate the Great (Sharmat); Oliver/Amanda Pig (Van Leeuwen); Young Cam Jansen (Adler); Zelda and Ivy (Kvasnosky).

Curl Up with a Book: Fiction

• Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Chronicle, 2006.
  (jF BARR)
  Bean is slow to acknowledge her new neighbor, but when she does the two become best friends and allies.
• Mercy Watson Fights Crime by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. Candlewick, 2006.
  (jF DICA)
  A beloved pet pig’s fondness for buttered toast leads to the discovery and capture of a robber in the family home.
• My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. Illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett. Random, 1948.
  (jF GANN)
  Elmer Elevator uses each of the unusual supplies he has brought with him during his adventures on Wild Island (also available in Japanese)
• Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Schwartz & Wade, 2006.
  (jF JENK)
  Six delightful, secret escapades of three toy friends. For read aloud or read alone.
• Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look. Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. Atheneum, 2004.
  (jF LOOK)
  A cape-wearing Chinese American girl with a zest for life reluctantly prepares for the arrival of her cousin from China. Also: Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything
• Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers by Megan McDonald. Illustrated by Peter Reynolds. Candlewick, 2007.
  (jF MCDO)
  Judy Moody’s younger brother is inspired by a class field trip to a Gross-Me-Out museum exhibit to create the most terrible smelling sneakers possible.
• 7 x 9 = Trouble by Claudia Mills. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Farrar, 2002.
  (jF MILL)
  Wilson struggles with his third grade multiplication tables and the fact that his beloved kindergartner brother can do them with ease.

Recommended series: Bunnicula (Howe); Cam Jansen (Adler); Captain Underpants (Pilkey); Catwings (Le Guin); Henry Huggins/Ramona (Cleary); Horrible Harry (Kline); Judy Moody (McDonald); Julian/Huey (Cameron); Junie B. Jones (Park); ); Magic Tree House (Osborne); Martin Bridge (Kerrin); Marvin Redpost (Sachar); Owen Foote (Greene); Pinky and Rex (Howe); Time Warp Trio (Scieszka).