Summer Studies

Summer Reading: Before Entering First Grade

FUN BOOKS TO SHARE

  • Too Many Frogs by Asher: c2005 animals, humor
    Each night Froggie interrupts Rabbit's cozy home for a read-aloud story.
  • Stanley’s Party by Bailey: c2003 dogs, humor
    When a dog’s owners leave for the evening, he gets into a lot of mischief.
  • A Splendid Friend Indeed by Bloom :c2005 friendship
    A polar bear and a goose learn to get along and be friends.
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Brett: c1987 fairy tale
    This favorite fairy tale features a young girl who enters the home of three bears who are not at home.
  • Bad Kitty by Bruel: c2005 alphabet book
    Finding that there is no food in the house, a kitty chooses to be very bad.
  • Mister Seahorse by Carle: c2004 animals, fiction
    Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs, after which Mr. Seahorse carries the eggs through the sea, greeting other fish fathers.
  • Dooby, Dooby, Moo by Cronin: c2004animal humor
    Duck organizes the farm animals for a talent show at the county fair. The first prize is a trampoline.
  • Diary of a Fly by Cronin: c2005 insect, humor
    While keeping a diary, the young fly records how hard it is to be an insect.
  • The First Day of Winter by Fleming: c2005 counting, rhyming, diversity
    In the first ten days of winter a child brings a snowman to life in a style similar to The Twelve Days of Christmas.
  • Amazing Grace by Hoffman: c1991 ethnic diversity
    Grace is told by a fellow classmate that she can’t play Peter Pan in the school play because of her skin color, but she learns she can do anything she tries to do.
  • Hooway for Wodney Wat by Lester: c1999 fantasy, abilities awareness
    Students in Rodney’s class make fun of him, because he can’t pronounce his name properly; but it is his speech problem that helps to punish the class bully.
  • One Smile by McKinley: c2002 kindness
    While walking through the park with her mother, a child smiles at a discouraged stranger and sets off a chain of events that spreads kindness and comes full circle.
  • Beatrice Doesn't Want To by Numeroff: c2004 realistic fiction, humor
    Beatrice Doesn't Like to Read, but a librarian changes her attitude during a story session in this humorous, well illustrated book.
  • Me I Am by Prelkutsy: c2007 poetry
    A book of poem for children celebrating being an individual.
  • Officer Buckle and Gloria by Rathmann: c1995 safety, fiction
    When Officer Buckle delivers safety speeches at a local elementary school, the students don’t listen until his police dog Gloria accompanies him.
  • Russell the Sheepby Scotton: c2005 animals, fiction
    Russell experiments with many different ways to fall asleep.
  • The Cat in the Hat by Seuss: c1957 classic
    On a rainy day, two children are visited by a cat who shows them games and tricks.
  • A Bad Case of Stripes by Shannon: c1998 individuality, fiction
    A girl who is always concerned about what others think of her wakes up one day to discover she is covered with stripes.

 

LEARN TO READ SERIES

  • Hello Reader
  • I Can Read Books
  • Puffin Easy-to-Read
  • Step Into Reading Levels 1-4

MATH IN PICTURE BOOKS

  • How Much Is a Million? by Schwartz
  • One Potato: A Counting Book of Potato Prints by Pomeroy
  • Ten Sly Piranhas: A Counting Story in Reverse, (A Tale of Wickedness - and Worse!) by Wise
  • When Sheep Cannot Sleep by Kitamura

CLASSICS TO READ TO A FIRST GRADER

  • Leo the Late Bloomer by Kraus
  • The Little House by Burton
  • Make Way for Duckling by McCloskey
  • When Will I Read? by Cohen

CALDECOTT AWARD AND HONOR BOOKS

  • Alphabet City by Johnson
  • Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Musgrove
  • The Hello, Goodbye Window by Juster and Raschka
  • Owen by Henkes
  • The Polar Express by Allsburg
  • A Story, A Story by Haley

Summer Reading: Before Entering Second Grade

FUN BOOKS TO SHARE

  • Crickwing  by Cannon c2000 insects, fiction
    Crickwing the cockroach saves the day for the leaf-cutter ants when their forest enemies attack them.
  • Below by Crews: c2006 fiction
    When Jack drops his action figure into a mysterious hole, he has to devise a rescue.
  • Sylvia Jean, Drama Queen by  Ernst: c2005 fantasy animals, humor
    Although Sylvia Jean owns plenty of costumes, she struggles to come up with a costume for the big party.
  • You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together by  Hoberman: c2001 rhyming stories
    This collection of short, rhythmic stories and cheerful art is designed to be read out loud by both child and adult.
  • Dear Mr. Blueberry  by James: c1991 letter writing
    A teacher and his young student correspond with each other concerning an imaginary whale in the little girl’s pond.
  •  Frog and Toad by Lobel: stories classics
    Each of the frog and toad stories include several short tales about two very good friends.
  • Little Critter  by Mayer: stories fantasy, animals
    Little Critter is a small creature who is amazingly like a young human boy. His adventures take place with different members of his family who expose him to daily life experiences.
  • Flossie and the Fox  by McKissack: c1986 folklore, ethnic diversity
    In this African American folk tale, a fox who is known for stealing eggs encounters a young girl who continues to deny that he is a fox without a lot of proof.
  • The Honest-to-Goodness Truth  by McKissack: c2000 character, ethnic diversity
    A young girl promises not to ever lie but then discovers that there are times that one actually should not tell the entire truth.
  • Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by McNaughton: c2004 school story
    Mr. Gee, the new teacher, changes "ordinary" when he challenges all the children to use their imaginations.
  • If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Numeroff: and sequels c1985 cumulative tales
    When a mouse requests a cookie, a cycle of events occurs that brings the reader full circle.
  • Dory Story by Pallotta: c2000 sea story, fiction
    Danny's ocean adventures are completely enchanting, even if they take place in the bathtub.
  • Amelia Bedelia by Parish: stories classics, fiction
    Amelia Bedelia, who is a housekeeper, is very literal minded when others give her directions; the results are hilarious.
  • Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Pearson: c2002 kindness, fiction
    When young Mary secretly leaves berries on a lady’s porch, the kindness is multiplied many times over by others.
  • Don't Forget Winona by Peterson: c2004 historical fiction
    In the 1930s during the days of the dust bowl in Oklahoma and the Great Depression, a young girl tells about her family’s experiences on Route 66 heading toward California.
  • Aunt Chip and the Triple Creek Dam Affair by Polacco: c1996 TV, reading, fiction
    Since the invasion of television, no one can remember how to read.
  • Henry and Mudge by Rylant: stories family, dogs, humor
    A young boy named Henry and his dog Mudge share many adventures with Henry’s parents and other important people in his life.
  • Skippyjon Jones by Schachner: c2003 humor
    This Siamese kitten spends his "time-out" imagining himself as "El-Skippito" who comes to the rescue of some Chihuahuas.
  • And the Dish Ran Away With the Spoon by Stevens: c2001 nursery rhymes
    From the Mother Goose nursery rhyme, Dish and Spoon run away. Concerned about the fate of the rhyme, Cat, Cow and Dog set out to find them.
  • The House On East by Waber: 88th Street c1962 crocodiles, classic
    When Lyle the Crocodile appears in the bathtub of the Primm family, the family is very upset; but Lyle soon wins their hearts.
  • The Other Side by Woodson: c2001 friendship, ethnic diversity
    A fence divides a town where two girls - one white and one black - sit and gradually become acquainted.

 

BOOKS ABOUT FRIENDS

  • A Bargain for Frances by Hoban
  • The Beast in Ms. Rooney's Room by Giff
  • Fox on the Job by Marshall
  • Frog and Toad Together by Lobel
  • Horrible Harry and the Green Slime by Kline
  • Pinky and Rex by Howe

HISTORICAL FICTION

  • American Girls Series
  • Deputy Dan and the Bank Robbers by Rosenbloom
  • Kamishibai Man by Say

LEARNING TO READ STORIES

  • Berenstain Bears series by Berenstain
  • Cam Jensen series by Adler
  • Hello Reader!
  • I Can Read Books
  • Junie B. Jones series by Park
  • Puffin Easy-to-Read
  • Step Into Reading Levels 1-4
  • The Stories Julian Tells by Cameron

CALDECOTT AWARDS AND HONOR BOOKS

  • The Funny Little Woman by Mosel
  • Many Moons by Thurber
  • The Ox-Cart Man by Hall
  • The Story of Jumping Mouse by Steptoe
  • Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by Steig
  • When I Was Young in the Mountains by Rylant

This page was last updated on March 10, 2020