Family Read-Alouds

Take one of these books camping, save it for a rainy day, or read a chapter a night! (Studies show that reading aloud to your child is the single most important thing parents can do to help their children succeed in school!)

The BFG by Roald Dahl
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Bobby Baseball by Robert Kimmel Smith
The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis  
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry A must-read!
The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop
Half Magic by Edward Eager
Soup by Robert Newton Peck
The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson
The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson  
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
FamilyFun Crafts: 500 Creative Activities for You and Your Kids  
    by Deanna Cook

Good Cries to Share with Your Kids

Mick Harte was Here by Barbara Park
A Dog Called Kitty by Bill Wallace
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Stone Fox by John Gardner

Books in Series

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
The Time-Warp Trio by Jon Scieszka
The Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
Chet Gecko Mysteries by Bruce Hale
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
Amber Brown by Paula Danziger
Dear America series (various authors)
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine
The Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen
The Cay and Timothy of the Cay by Theodore Taylor
Sports Books by Matt Christopher.  

Easier Chapter Books

The Seven Treasure Hunts by Betsy Byars
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective (and others) by Donald Sobol
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
King of the Kooties by Debbie Dadey
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang by Modecai Richler
Chocolate Touch by Patrick Catling
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandle Warner
All About Sam by Lois Lowry
The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine (and others in this series)
The Beast in Ms. Rooney's Room by Patricia Reilly Giff
The Young Merlin Trilogy by Jane Yolen
What a Wimp! By Carol Carrick
Tornado by Betsy Byars
Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
Smasher by Dick King-Smith
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (series)
Surviving Brick Johnson by Laurie Myers
Love From Your Friend, Hannah by Mindy Skolsky
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath (This year's Newbery runner-up)
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (This year's Newbery winner)

Longer Chapter Books

Poppy by Avi
My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville
My side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Frindle by Andrew Clements
The Owlstone Crown by X. J. Kennedy
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Lost Years of Merlin (series) by T.A. Barron
Wait Till Helen Comes, A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
The White Mountains by John Christopher
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
The Ghost in the Noonday Sun by Sid Fleischman
The Fighting Ground by Avi

PICTURE BOOKS

These may be picture books, but they approach more mature themes.

Dove Isabeau (Jane Yolen): A beautiful young girl is changed into a dangerous dragon by her evil stepmother. Only love can save her.

Math Curse (Jon Scieska): A different look at the "practical" applications of math!

Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Chris Van Allsburg): Fourteen wonderful and strange illustrations, accompanied with only a caption to stir the imagination.

Pink and Say (Patricia Polacco): A true story of two soldiers, of different races, who meet in the Union Army and become fast friends and comrades in arms during the Civil War. Emotional picture book.

Smoky Night (Eve Bunting): This Caldecott winner relates a story of the Los Angeles riots.

Snowflake Bentley (Jacqueline Briggs Martin): This won the 1999 Caldecott Award. A true story of Wilson Bentley, who photographed thousands of snowflakes.

Squids Will Be Squids (Jon Scieszka): Scieszka tackles fables this time around and the kids will love it!

CLASSICS

Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montogomery): A mistake brings a red-headed orphan named Anne to Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, rather than the boy they expected. Anne has a colorful imagination that gets her into numerous scrapes, but also into the hearts of all she touches. (Series of eight)

Call of the Wild (Jack London): Buck is stolen from his California home and taken to the Klondike where he is trained as a sled dog. In his struggle for survival, he discovers his true "wolf" self. Try to find the "Whole Story" edition, as it answers many questions about life in this beautiful but harsh region.

Great Illustrated Classics: These books keep the plot of the originals, but are written in a brief and easy-to- read style. They are a good introduction to well-known titles, such as Black Beauty, Heidi, The Time Machine, 2000 Leagues Under the Sea, and The Call of the Wild.  

The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett): An orphaned girl saves herself and her cousin through her efforts to bring an old garden back to life.

Shadow Spinner (Susan Fletcher): Marjoan, a crippled orphan, helps to save the fabled Scheherazade by adding to her repertoire of stories. If you enjoyed the television adaptation of The 1001 Arabian Nights, you will enjoy this exciting novel! Ms. Fletcher has also written some excellent novels about Dragons! Try Dragon's Milk or Sign of the Dove!  

The BFG (Roald Dahl): Oldie but goodie. Hilarous, tender yarn about a Big Friendly Giant. Makes a great read-aloud. This is a real whiz-popper!

A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle): Meg and her younger brother, Charles Wallace, find themselves battling evil in their quest to find their father through a wrinkle in time. Science fiction and adventure abound. (Series of four titles)

FICTION and NONFICTION

Alanna (Tamora Pierce): Fantasy fanatics will love this one about a young girl who switches places with her twin brother so that she can be trained as a knight! Series

Aliens for Breakfast (Jonathan Etra): Richard's day begins at breakfast, when a very small alien climbs out of his cereal bowl and enlists his aid to save the world.

Because of Winn-Dixie (Kate Dicamillo): Winn-Dixie is a stray dog and the catalyst to making friends for a young girl. This tender book is about the things that happen to Opal after she rescues him. Funny and touching.

Behold the Dragons (Gail Gibbons): This nonfiction title describes how myths about dragons began, the different types of dragons and how different cultures depict dragons.

Bill Peet: An Autobiography (Bill Peet): Peet started out as a cartoonist for Disney, then wrote and illustrated his own books. The text is accompanied by his illustrations on almost every page.  

Bud, Not Buddy (Christopher Paul Curtis): Bud's mother died when he was small. Now all he has is a picture of the man who might be his father. Will he find him?

Cages (Peg Kehret): Kit doesn't get a much wanted role in the school play, her best friend's dad buys his daughter a bracelet, but Kit's dad is an alcoholic. She shoplifts a bracelet for herself, but is caught and sentenced to community service at an animal shelter. She tries to keep this all a secret, but further events don't allow it.

Castaways of Chimp Island (Landsman): Danny the chimp is bored with the sign language lessons at the lab, so he pretends he can't learn. The scientists want to return him and his buddies to the wild, but there are problems when you're dealing with a "genius" chimp. Off-beat science fiction.

Dakota Spring (Love): Grandma comes out to the prairie to help raise Jess and Caroline after their mother dies. But she is strict and mean!

Dogs Have the Strangest Friends and Other True Stories of Animal Feelings (Jeffrey M. Masson): A collection of short, true stories about animals and their emotions. Many of them are very moving.

Frozen Stiff (Shahan): Cody and Derek disobey and go out camping, kayaking and glacier-spotting in Alaska. Thrilling survival story.

Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry): Set in a future, but primitive society, a young girl with an amazing talent for embroidery is picked to mend and add to a very special garment. In this new life, she meets other children who also have special talents their rulers need.

It's Disgusting -- and We Ate It! (James Solheim): Food facts and stories about weird foods from around the world. Fun and yucky.

I Was a Rat! (Pullman): A boy turns up at the door of a childless couple, saying "I was a rat!" They take him in and try to do what's best for him. Try to guess the surprise ending! A riot!

Journey to Terezor (Frank Asch): Matt's family think they are being rescued from the big flood by the Red Cross, but, that's odd, their helicopter doesn't make any noise. Science fiction.

Junie B. Jones books (Park): Junie B. is the world's favorite kindergartner! She makes everyone laugh out loud!

King of Shadows (Susan Cooper): A modern young Shakespearean thespian finds himself transported back into Shakespeare's time. Wonderfully written.

King of the Kooties (Dadey): Donald doesn't seem to realize that he is being insulted by his classmates!

Mandy (Edwards): Ten-year old Mandy has never known any home other than the orphanage. But she is searching for something more. Could the old, abandoned cottage be what she is looking for?  

Matilda Bone (Karen Cushman): A young girl of the middle ages, brought up in a monastery, is suddenly apprenticed to a bone healer.

Mick Harte Was Here (Barbara Park): He was here, but now he's gone. His sister remembers. Teaches an important safety rule. Warning: have plenty of tissues!

Mr. Tucket (Paulsen): Francis Tucket is fourteen, on his way west to Oregon, when he is captured by Indians and rescued by a trapper. Exciting and often funny frontier story with several sedquels.  

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (O'Brien): Trained rats try to make a home for themselves after they escape from the laboratory. Enthralling.

Not My Dog (Rodowsky): Ellie has been promised a puppy when she turns nine. But now her aunt has given them her grown dog. This is not what Ellie had in mind!

Number the Stars (Lois Lowry): Ellen and AnneMarie are best friends in Copenhagen. Ellen is Jewish. The Nazis are coming. Will she and her family be able to escape in time? One of the best children's books ever.

Oh, No, It's Robert (Seuling): Robert, never a star pupil, finally gets a chance to shine as the best helper ever, but someone is messing things up!

Shelter Dogs (Peg Kehret): True stories about the heroism of dogs nobody wanted.

Skinnybones (Barbara Park): Alex may be the smallest kid on his baseball team, but his mouth is one of the biggest! Kids loves the trouble his "smart" answers earn him.

Spotlight on Cody (Duffy): 3rd grader Cody has to come up with an act for the class talent show. Or is he the only untalented kid in the class?

Summer Reading is Killing Me (Jon Sciezcka): The Time Warp Trio find themselves threatened by various story villains. Start your summer with this book-a summer reading list is included!

The Backward Bird Dog (Wallace): Get into the mind of a dog. This story is told from the dog's point of view. He wants so much for his owners to love him and be proud of him. They take him to school. Can he learn to be a good pointer?

The Bad Beginning (Lemony Snicket): Things are bad for the orphaned Baudelaire kids. Then they get worse. And worse. And worse. (series)

The Birchbark House (Erdrich): An American Indian girl, Omakaya, an Ojibwa, growing up on the prairie at the same time as Laura of the "Little House" books. Superb read aloud.

The Captain Contest (Christopher): The captain of the new team will be the kid who designs the best logo. Dewey is a good artist, but the last thing he wants is to be captain!

The Fantastic Rainy Day Book (Wilkes): Try this or any other craft, cook or origami book for summer projects!

The Ghost in the Noonday Sun (Fleischman): Oliver was born at the stroke of midnight, so superstition has is that he can see ghosts. That's why he's kidnapped by pirates. If the pirates don't get him, the ghosts will!

The Magic Amulet (William O. Steele): Trag is a cave-boy. His leg is broken. His people leave him as they migrate to a warmer place for the winter. Will he survive?

The Princess Test (Gail Levine): A variation on The Princess and the Pea. Levine has written parodies of other fairy tales as well. Fun!  

The Secret of Platform 13 (Eva Ibbotsen): The door between the enchanted island and our world is open for only 9 days of every 9 years. While it is open, somebody kidnaps the prince!!

See You Later, Gladiator (Time Warp Trio by Jon Scieszka): The trio are back, travelling to Egypt of the pharoahs. Short, silly science fiction.

The Sign of the Beaver (Elizabeth George Speare): Matt is left alone to take care of the family homestead. A encounter with bees proves almost deadly, were it not for the help of a Native American. In return, Matt teaches his grandson to read and a friendship develops.  

The Teddy Bear Tree (Barbara Dillon): When Bertine buries the eye of an ill-fated Teddy Bear, a treeful of the cuddly creatures grows in her backyard. But, is Bertine up to the task of taking care of so many?

The Trouble with Zinny Weston (Koss): Zinny and Ava could be best friends, but one is an animal lover, and one is not!

The Ultimate LEGO Book (Constance Robinson, ed.): Everything you ever wanted to know about this wonderful toy. For LEGO-maniacs!

The Wild Kid (Harry Mazer): Sammy, with Down Syndrome, runs away from home and his held captive in the woods by Kevin, a wild kid who doesn't want his whereabouts known.

Uncle Jed's Barbershop (Margeree Mitchell): Uncle Jed has a dream which must be postponed for many years. Will it ever come true?

There's an Owl in the Shower (George): The son of a logger finds a baby owlet and brings it home. His father has lost his job because of the spotted owl. What will he do when he finds out what kind of pet his son has?

They Saw the Future: Oracles, Psychics, Scientists, Great Thinkers and Pretty Good Guessers (Kathleen Krull): Miss Krull has added another fascinating collection of extraordinary people to her series!

Through My Eyes (Ruby Bridges): Ruby was six years old when she became the only black child in her Louisiana school.

Us and Uncle Fraud (Lowry): Uncle Claude can do everything. Has been everywhere. Right? And the burglary. . . Is that Claude's doing?

A Year Down Yonder (Richard Peck): This sequel to A Long Way from Chicago won the Newbery award. Strong characterizations make this story both hilarious and moving.

BOOKS FOR HARRY POTTER FANS

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J.K. Rowling): These books have made their way to the NY Times best-seller list! It is the first of what will be a seven book series . Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) and the short Harry Potter Schoolbooks: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are already in print. An eleven-year old wizard battles his muggle (human) relatives to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, only to find he, with the help of loyal friends, must battle an evil wizard.

The Dragons of Blueland (Gannett): A funny story about a boys trip to rescue and overworked dragon from a beast-infested jungle island. First in a series of three books. Easier reading.

The Minstrel in the Tower (Skurzynski): It's the year 1195. Two children go in search of help for their sick mother, but are imprisoned in a tower instead! Time is running out! Easier reading.

Passager: The Young Merlin Trilogy, Book 1 (Jane Yolen): The first of the three, we are introduced to the Arthurian Merlin. In this book, a young child is left in the woods to fend for himself, until a kind falconer helps him. (Sequels: Hobby and Merlin)

The Hero From Otherwhere (Williams): Mortal enemies at school are somehow chosen to save this world and another from total destruction.

FAVORITE AUTHORS

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