Building a great collection of books in a library takes
help - suggestions from parents, families, teachers, and most important of
all, young readers. Do you have favorite books and authors?
Can you find the books you want in our LMC? We'd love to hear from
you - please use the feedback form below to help us select books for YOUR
library, Thanks!
Adventure Stories.The good
adventure story for young adults has the protagonist, who is just an
ordinary person, set in an extraordinary circumstance. Gary Paulsen is
well known for setting his young characters down in a setting that tests
their abilities to survive. For a downloadable, printable
booklist of some of Mr. Breitsprecher's
favorite adventure books, please click HERE.
In Hatchet and Brian's Winter, Brian seems to face
insurmountable odds, but endures and succeeds in surviving by himself in
a wilderness area. In The Haymeadow, a fourteen year-old boy is
faced with taking care of 6,000 sheep for a summer. The first few days,
he faces situations that seem incredible but yet believable.
Evaluating Adventure Stories
A likeable protagonist young readers identify with
An adventure readers can either imagine happening to themselves,
or can believe in: verisimilitude or the appearance of being real
Efficient characterization
Action that draws the reader into the story quickly
An interesting setting that enhances the story without getting in
the way of the plot
Literary Elements in Adventure:
Person versus person
Person versus nature
Person versus self
Conflicts, tension, thrills, and chills
Hero frustrated by a villain, natural forces, other people.
YA authors writing adventure stories include Will Hobbs, Gary
Paulsen, Robb White, Iain Lawrence, Avi, Henry Mazer, Cornelia Funke.
Fantasy and
Science Fiction. A precise definition of these two genres can be difficult, these
genres are related. Reasonable people can disagree if a work should be
categorized as fantasy or science fiction. For downloadable,
printable booklists of some of Mr. Breitsprecher's
favorite fantasy
booklist 1 and fantasy booklist 2, please click
HERE (1)
and HERE (2).
According to Ursula LeGuin, "Of Fantasy …you get to make up the
rules, but then you've got to follow them. Science fiction refines the
canon: you get to make up the rules, but within limits. A science
fiction story must not flout the evidence of science."
Another perspective, from Walter Wangerin, Jr., is that, "Fantasy
deals with the 'immeasurable' while science fiction deals with the
'measurable.'"
Some consider science fiction as a sub-genre of fantasy. Both provide
the reader with an escape. Others talk of fantasy as being about
portarying internal conflicts portrayed in a way that will change the
reader. Lloyd Alexander asserts, "If the creator of fantasy has done
his work well, we should be a little bit different at the end of the
journey than we were at the beginning. Maybe just for the moment, maybe
for a long while." (Butts, 1992)
Alexander writes that fantasies are "written by adults living in
an adult world, trying to cope with it and understand it, subjected to
all the pressures and problems of real life. If the writer of fantasy is
a serious creator, his work is going to reflect this." (Butts,
1992)
Science fiction and fantasy have been labeled escapist, childish,
simple reading, unreal, untrue, impossible, and even Satanic. All
fiction, however, can have "impossible" elements -- even though it is
based on premises of real life and things that we know could happen to
us in everyday life. Good science fiction or fantasy is based on a
metaphor. Somehow, the world presented by the author reflects the life
of the reader.
Elements of Fantasy:
Story set in a fully imagined secondary world
Magical elements
Mythological creatures
Animal worlds
Invented Languages
Seriousness of tone
Importance of theme
Characters of noble birth or lineage
Hero's Quest: self transformation or awareness, or against evil
Emphasis on magic and mystery (and almost total lack of technology
and machinery as effective devices in the action)
Generally clear presentation of good and evil, right and wrong
Written for children and young adults, it is about growing up
Use of characters, ideas and constructs from myth, legend and
folktales to add depth and texture to narrative
Includes elements of the impossible
Voice is that of the creator's (author's) voice
Use of folklore, legend and myth
Fantasy may be a combination of realism and imagination. . For
example in Ursula LeGuin's A Beginning Place, the main characters
enter the fantasy world of Tembreabrezi, but also find their way in the
real world.
Characteristics Fantasy
Protagonist
Represents every adolescent
Usually a reluctant hero with self-doubt
Possess characteristics of good and evil
Transforms self by encountering and defeating problems
Although humanlike, may possess superhuman characteristics
Very well developed
Plot
Begins in the waking world
Magical moment occurs when the protagonist transcends the real
world and enters the other world
Most suspense develops in other world
Involves quest to solve problems and conquer evil
Life and death situations are encountered
Events have many levels of meaning
Protagonist's growth is central to the plot
Protagonist may not conquer evil by the end of the novel
Conclusion may be a resting place for the beginning of new quests
in subsequent novels
Point of View
Protagonist's
Voice
Author's (Creator's)
Setting
Both real and other worlds are believable
Moment of transcending real world to other world must appear to be
possible
Wide-ranging
Magical world must follow rules set by the author
There may be talking animals, magical or mythological beasts
Literary Elements
Allegory (imaginary world makes the real world more visible)
Historical
Fiction. Historical fiction provides a presents the past
in a manner that connects with readers on a personal and emotional
level. In the school curriculum, it can be and excellent way to as
enrich and complement textbooks. By nature, it presents history in an
exciting and interesting way. The use of historical fiction in the
classroom can introduce students to good literature, giving them a
window into another world. For downloadable,
printable booklists of some of Mr. Breitsprecher's
favorite
historical fiction booklist 1 and historical fiction booklist
2, please click
HERE (1)
and HERE (2).
Teachers can use works of historical fiction to bring
the period alive, making it more relevant and interesting to today's
students. The characters, although not real historical figures, behave
appropriately for the historical setting. Christopher Collier and his
brother James Lincoln Collier are two well known writers of historical
fiction. Christopher Collier (World Historical Fiction Guide for
Young Adults, Lee Gordon and Cheryl Tanaka, 1995) identifies four
criteria that good historical fiction:
Focus on an important historical theme an understanding of which
helps us to deal with the present
Center on an episode in which the theme inheres in fact
Attend to the historiographic elements
Present accurate detail
Nilsen & Donelson (Literature for Today's Young Adults, 2002)
lists the following characteristics for evaluating historical
fiction:
A setting that is integral to the story
Authentic rendition of time, place and people featured
Author who is thoroughly steeped in history of the period so that
he/she can be creative without making mistakes
Believable characters with whom young readers can identify
Evidence that even across great time spans people share similar
emotions
References to well known events or people other clues through
which the reader can place the happenings in their correct historic
framework
Readers who come away with the feleling that they know a time or
place better.
Characteristics of YA Historical Fiction
Purpose
Bring history to life, change reader's opinions
Character
Protagonist
Fictional, realistic adolescent who could have lived during time
period, heroic, bigger than life, typical concerns and problems of
adolescent, accessible to reader
Other Characters
Major characters usually fictional, minor characters may be real
persons from history
Plot
Fictional character placed in real historic setting, sequence of
events character is involved in are historically possible, sequence of
events occurring in novel is plausible, actions of any real persons
are accurate or plausible
Events may be romanticized to some extent
Point of View
Usually protagonists, sometimes multiple points of view are
presented, third-person point of view may be needed to relate
historical events
Voice
Often protagonist's second self viewing the event in a reflective
manner, sometimes the author or narrator
Setting
In the past, historically accurate
Theme - patriotism, regionalism, heroism, war is evil, you can
Young adult literature is
available for most periods of United States history. Some of the periods
include: Colonies (Witch of Black Bird Pond, Constance: A Story of
Early Plymouth), Revolutionary period (Johnny Tremain, My Brother
Sam is Dead, Jump Ship to Freedom, I'm Deborah Sampson: A Soldier in the
War of the Revolution), emerging nation (Lyddie, Beyond the Divid,
The Birchbark House), Civil War (Soldier's Heart, Voices from the
Civil War, Gentle Anne), slavery (House of Dies Drear, Which Way
Freedom), immigration (Journey to America, The Moved-Outers,
Dragonwings), recent wars such as the Vietnam War (Fallen Angels,
Linger, Sergeant Dickinson).
World historical fiction could
be divided by time period and into the following categories: Africa,
Asia, Australia/New Zealand/Oceania, Europe and the Americas.
Mysteries. Mysteries are
exciting and popular. Young fans of this genre often read adult
mysteries. Series involving the same detective are often based on a
common plot line and is known as formula fiction. For a downloadable,
printable booklist of some of Mr. Breitsprecher's
favorite mystery books, please click HERE.
According
to Hillary Waugh (pp. 185-186) the following rules are important for a
mystery to effectively engage young readers:
All clues discovered by the detective must be made available to
the reader.
The murderer must be introduced early.
The crime must be significant
There must be detection.
The number of suspects must be known and the murderer must be
among them.
The reader can expect that everything in the book, in some way,
contributes to solving the puzzle.
Characteristics of Good Mysteries
Protagonist, an adolescent, who falls into the role by chance
Victims usually undeveloped, reader may not even know
Antagonist is present throughout the book, well-developed
character, not recognized as the murderer or perpetrator until late in
the story
Plot: murder or event occurs early in the novel, most characters
except for the detective are suspects, every piece of information
could be important in solving the mystery, misleading clues are put
out, suspension of disbelief in the reader is required
Point of view: usually that of the protagonist, who usually
withholds information from the reader
Voice: Protagonist
Setting: is important to the plot, weather is often important
Theme is usually unimportant
YA mysteries are about more the crime; they don't focus solely on
murder. Writers of young adult mysteries include: Robert Cormier, Ellen
Raskin, Jay Bennett, Joan Aiken, Lois Duncan, Patricia Windsor, M.E.
Kerr, Walter Dean Myers, Richard Peck and Joan Lowery Nixon. Lois Duncan
and Robert Cormier often give the reader more suspense than mystery.
According to Arthea J.S. Reed in Reaching Adolescents: The Young
Adult Book and the School, different types of mysteries include:
Gothic romance mysteries, usually set in a mysterious house in a
remote setting : Lois Duncan: Down a Dark Hill.
Historical Mysteries: Virginia Hamilton's House of Dies Drear
and Mystery of Drear House (Civil War backdrop and the
Underground Railroad). M.E. Kerr's Gentlehands (young boy who
discovers that his grandfather is a Nazi war criminal).
Humorous mysteries: Walter Dean Myers' Mojo and The Russians,
The Young Landlords, and The Mouse Rap
Multicultural mysteries: Rosa Guy, And I Heard a Bird Sing,
Walter Dean Myers, and Virginia Hamilton
Supernatural mysteries: Richard Peck with the Blossom Culp
books; Joan Lowry Nixon's The Séance, A Candidate for Murder,
Caught in the Act, The weekend Was Murder; Madeleine L'Engle's
The Arm of the Starfish, Dragons in the Water (combines fantasy
and science fiction with mystery)
Mystery series include: Christopher Pike: Final Friends; Hardy
Boys Casefiles, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Super Mysteries; Nancy
Drew Files; Patricia H. Rushford's Jenny McGrady
Mystery Writers of America
maintains a Web site and gives out the the Edgar Allan Poe Award (The
Edgar Awards) for best work in the mystery field within a given year.
Their is a special category for YA mysteries. Past winners are
identified at the site.
“Read-alikes” are books that share ideas, story elements,
and/or writing styles with books we have already read and enjoyed. Want to
find a fun book?
You can always check to see if your favorite books are
part of a series – a set of books that continue the story. You can
also look for more books by the authors that created the fun books you
have enjoyed. If you like their style, you will probably enjoy their other
books too.
But what if there are no more books in a series or what if
you have read them all? What if you can’t find more books by your favorite
authors? What if an author writes one book you enjoy, but their other
books are totally different.
Then you can look for read-alikes. The best way to find
these types of stories is to ask someone that looks at a lot of books. Ask
your friendly librarian. They love to help you find fun books. They also
know what other people are checking out and what they enjoy.
When you're a kid, what day is more fun than your
BIRTHDAY! Sure, holidays like Halloween are Christmas are fun, but you
have to share them with everyone else. A birthday, however, is a special
celebration JUST FOR YOU!
In “Happy Birthday To You”, readers find out about a wonderful place
called Katroo, where a birthday is really a special time for you. A
Birthday Bird makes sure that the day is special and memorable.
Written in the typical Dr. Seuss whimsical poetic style, the vividness of
the descriptions as well as his stylistic drawings are sure to delight
readers of all ages. For a complete listing of all of Dr. Seuss's
books, CLICK HERE!
It starts with a blaring blast from a Birthday Honk-Honker and meanders
through lands filled with Funicular Goats and Hippo-Heimers. And to think,
we believe that we are doing something special for someone when we buy him
or her a birthday card.
A birthday is a celebration of oneself and in Katroo, one proclaims to the
world, "I AM I, ME, I AM I!" The over-riding theme of Dr. Seuss's “Happy
Birthday To You” is that we all have a right to be and to belong.
This positive message rings throughout the verses and illustrations. After
re-reading this book (I enjoyed it as a child as well), I have to wonder
why so many of us start to downplay our birthdays as we get older.
For a downloadable, printable version of this Birthday Book Talk, CLICK
HERE.
Most of Wisconsin's elementary schools are blessed with a
wonderful collection of children’s books to suit the needs of all
students. We clearly have a “world-class” selection of picture books! The
New York Public Library, one of the best systems in the world, maintains a
list of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
The professional librarians in the state have built
collections that features almost all of these great books – exceptional
books that can be shared with children, books that kids enjoy reading.
Creating and maintaining this type of collection is important because
recreational reading is a powerful tool that encourages children to build
reading skills.
When we give kids choices of books that they want to read,
we develop their minds, imaginations, and information skills. When kids
learn to read a story to “find out what happens next,” we are instilling a
sense of what a story is and an intellectual curiosity that will help them
master all subject matters in school.
What a valuable gift to give to a child – an appreciation
of reading and literature. Because Wisconsin uniquely funds school
libraries with a "Common
School Fund," the state's elementary schools have
truly built “World Class” libraries. Have you shared any of these books
with someone you love?
ABUELA; Dorros, Arthur. While riding on a
bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up
into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City.
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY;
Viorst, Judith.
Recounts the events of a day when everything goes wrong for Alexander
ANDY AND THE LION; by
Daugherty, James. The lion remembers Andy's kindness to him
BARK, GEORGE;
Feiffer, Jules.
A mother dog worries about the strange noises her puppy is making.
BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES;
Hoban, Russell; illustrated by Lillian Hoban. Frances decides she likes to eat only bread and jam at every meal--until
to her surprise--her parents grant her wish.
BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Martin, Bill, Jr.; illustrated by Eric Carle. Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a
teacher looking at them.
BUZ;
Egielski, Richard. When a little boy swallows a bug along with his cereal, pandemonium breaks
out as the bug searches for an escape, the boy searches for an antidote,
and Keystone Cops-like pills search for the bug.
CAPS FOR SALE; A TALE OF A PEDDLER, SOME MONKEYS AND THEIR MONKEY BUSINESS;
Slobodkina, Esphyr.
A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while
he takes a nap under a tree.
THE CARROT SEED;
Krauss, Ruth; illustrated by Crockett Johnson.
A young boy plants a carrot seed and, although the adults tell him that
nothing will happen, he just knows it will come up.
A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER;
Williams, Vera B.
A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a
comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.
CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM;
Martin, Bill, Jr. and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert. An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet
tries to climb a coconut tree.
CLICK, CLACK, MOO : COWS THAT TYPE;
Cronin, Doreen.
When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making
demands, and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they
want.
CORDUROY;
Freeman, Don. A teddy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but, when a
little girl finally buys him, he finds what he has always wanted most of
all.
CURIOUS GEORGE;
Rey, H. A.
The adventures of a curious monkey.
DINOSAUR ROAR!
Stickland, Paul and Henrietta. Illustrations and rhyming text present all kinds of dinosaurs, including
ones that are sweet, grumpy, spiky, or lumpy.
DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!
Willems, Mo. When the bus driver leaves the bus for a while, the pigeon wants to drive
the bus so badly that he starts to dream himself behind the steering wheel
vroom-vroom-vroom.
DUCK ON A BIKE;
Shannon, David. A duck decides to ride a bike and soon influences all the other animals on
the farm to ride bikes too.
FREIGHT TRAIN;
Crews, Donald. Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it
goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.
FROGGY GETS DRESSED;
London, Jonathan. Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by
his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing.
GEORGE AND MARTHA;
Marshall, James. Relates several episodes in the friendship of two hippoppotamuses.
GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER!
Emberley, Ed.
Die-cut pages through which bits of a monster are revealed are designed to
help a child control nighttime fears of monsters.
GOIN’ SOMEPLACE SPECIAL;
McKissack, Patricia.
In segregated 1950s' Nashville, a young African American girl braves a
series of indignities and obstacles to get to one of the few integrated
places in town: the public library.
GOODNIGHT MOON;
Brown, Margaret W.; illustrated by Clement Hurd. A little bunny says goodnight to all the familiar things in his little
room.
GOSSIE;
Olivier, Dunrea. Gossie is a gosling who likes to wear bright red boots every day, no
matter what she is doing, and so she is heartbroken the day the boots are
missing and she can't find them anywhere.
GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY;
Say, Allen.
A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America
which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love
for two different countries.
HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON;
Johnson, Crockett. Harold goes for a walk in the moonlight with his purple crayon and created
many fantastic adventures.
HARRY THE DIRTY DOG;
Zion, Gene; illustrated by Margaret Graham. A little dog who hates baths hides his scrubbing brush then becomes so
dirty that his family does not recognize him.
HORTON HATCHES THE EGG;
Seuss, Dr. When a lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the
elephant, to sit on her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards
and waits until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would.
IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE;
Numeroff, Laura J. Relating the cycle of requests a mouse is likely to make after you give
him a cookie takes the reader through a young child's day.
JOHN HENRY;
Lester, Julius; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
Retells the life of the legendary African American hero who raced against
a steam drill to cut through a mountain.
JULIUS;
Johnson, Angela; illustrated by Dav Pilkey. Maya's grandfather brings her a pig from Alaska and the two of them learn
about fun and sharing together.
LON PO PO: A RED RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA;
Young, Ed. Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is
disguised as their grandmother.
LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE;
Waber, Bernard. The helpful, happy crocodile living on East 88th St. causes a neighborhood
feud.
MADELINE;
Bemelmans, Ludwig. The story of a school girl in Paris.
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS;
McCloskey, Robert. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard found a quiet place to raise their babies then took
them to the pond in the Boston Public Garden where there were peanuts to
eat.
MAMA CAT HAS THREE KITTENS;
Fleming, Denise. While two kittens copy everything their mother does, their brother naps.
THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS;
Gerstein, Mordicai. A lyrical evocation of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the
World Trade Center towers.
MARTHA SPEAKS;
Meddaugh, Susan.
Problems arise when Martha, the family dog, learns to speak after eating
alphabet soup.
MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL;
Burton, Virginia L. The story of an Irish steam-shovel artist and his old-fashioned
steam-shovel, Mary Anne.
MILLIONS OF CATS;
Gág, Wanda. The story of a peasant who goes off in search of one kitten and returns
with trillions of cats.
MISS NELSON IS MISSING!
Allard, Harry and James Marshall. The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until
she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.
MUFARO'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS: AN AFRICAN TALE;
Steptoe, John. Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go
before the king, who is choosing a wife.
MUNCHA! MUNCHA! MUNCHA!
Fleming, Candace. After planting the garden he has dreamed of for years, Mr. McGreely tries
to find a way to keep some persistent bunnies from eating all his
vegetables.
MY FRIEND RABBIT;
Rohmann, Eric. Something always seems to go wrong when Rabbit is around, but Mouse lets
him play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend.
THE NAPPING HOUSE;
Wood, Audrey. In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping
creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite. Illustrated by Don Wood.
OFF TO SCHOOL, BABY DUCK!
Hest, Amy. Baby Duck experiences the fear of the first day of school, but with a
little help from Grampa, everything turns out okay in the end.
OLD BLACK FLY;
Aylesworth, Jim. Rhyming text and illustrations follow a mischievous old black fly through
the alphabet as he has a very busy bad day landing where he should not be.
Illustrations by Stephen Gammell.
OLIVIA;
Falconer, Ian. Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at
bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.
OWEN;
Henkes, Kevin. Owen's parents try to get him to give up his favorite blanket before he
starts school, but when their efforts fail, they come up with a solution
that makes everyone happy.
PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME;
Carle, Eric. Monica's father fulfills her request for the moon by taking it down after
it is small enough to carry, but it continues to change in size. Some
pages fold out to display particularly large pictures.
THE POLAR EXPRESS;
Van Allsburg, Chris.
A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to
receive a special gift from Santa Claus.
PUSS IN BOOTS;
Perrault, Charles. Translation of Chat botte´ illustrated by Fred Marcellino.
THE RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF MOTHER GOOSE: A TREASURY OF 386 TIMELESS NURSERY
RHYMES;
Lobel, Arnold. An illustrated collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, including
well-known ones such as "Bah, Bah, Black Sheep" and "Little Boy Blue" and
less familiar ones such as "Doctor Foster went to Gloucester" and "When
clouds appear like rocks and towers." Selected and illustrated by Arnold
Lobel.
RUMPELSTILTSKIN;
Zelinsky, Paul O. A strange little man helps the miller's daughter spin straw into gold for
the king on the condition that she will give him her first-born child.
THE SNOWY DAY;
Keats, Ezra Jack. A story of a young boy explores the magic world of snow -- snowball fight,
snowman making, sliding down the snow way, etc. He loves the snow fall.
THE STORY OF FERDINAND;
Leaf, Munro. The story of a bull that would rather sit quietly under a tree than fight.
Illustrations by Robert Lawson.
THE STRAY DOG;
Marc, Simont.
A family befriends a stray dog, names him Willy, and decides to keep him.
From a true story by Reiko Sassa.
STREGA NONA;
De Paola, Tomie. A retelling of an old Italian tale about what happens when Strega Nona
leaves her apprentice alone with her magic pasta pot, and he is determined
to show the townspeople how it works.
SWIMMY;
Lionni, Leo. Swimmy, the only black fish of the entire school, devises for himself and
his adopted brothers and sisters a safer way to live in the sea.
SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE;
Steig, William. In a moment of fright Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn
him into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to
normal again.
THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT;
Potter, Beatrix. Peter disobeys his mother by going into Mr. McGregor's garden and almost
gets caught.
TAR BEACH;
Ringgold, Faith. A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees
for herself and her family. Based on the author's quilt painting of the
same name.
TEN, NINE, EIGHT;
Bang, Molly. Numbers from ten to one are part of this lullaby which observes the room
of a little girl going to bed.
THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY;
Taback, Simms. A the traditional version of an American poem first heard in the U.S. in
the 1940s with illustrations on die-cut pages that reveal all that the old
lady swallows.
THE THREE BEARS;
Galdone, Paul. Three bears return from a walk and find a little girl asleep in baby
bear's bed.
TRASHY TOWN;
Zimmerman, Andrea Griffing. Little by little, can by can, Mr. Gillie, the trash man, cleans up his
town.
TUESDAY;
Wiesner, David. Frogs rise on their lily pads, float through the air, and explore the
nearby houses while their inhabitants sleep.
UPTOWN;
Bryan, Collier. A tour of the sights of Harlem, including the Metro-North Train,
brownstones, shopping on 125th Street, a barber shop, summer basketball
and MORE!
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR;
Carle, Eric. Follows the progress of a little caterpillar as he eats his way through a
varied quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around
himself and goes to sleep.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE;
Sendak, Maurice. After Max was sent to bed for misbehaving, he escapes by imagining that he
sails away to a wild land full of monsters.
WHERE'S SPOT?
Hill, Eric. It's time for supper, so Spot's mother searches for him.
WHISTLE FOR WILLIE;
Keats, Ezra Jack. A little Black boy tries very hard to learn how to whistle for his dog.
THE WOLF’S CHICKEN STEW;
Kasza, Keiko. A hungry wolf's attempts to fatten a chicken for his stewpot have
unexpected results.
And to Think That I Saw It on
Mulberry Street. Marco is in a pickle. His father has instructed
him to keep his eyes peeled for interesting sights on the way to and
from school, but all Marco has seen is a boring old horse and wagon.
Imagine if he had something more to report, say, a zebra pulling the
wagon. Or better yet, the zebra could be pulling a blue and gold
chariot. Marco's story grows ever more elaborate.
Bartholomew & the Oobleck. The
King, tired of rain, snow, sun and fog, commands his magicians to make
something else come down from the sky, but when oobleck falls, in sticky
greenish droplets, Bartholomew Cubbins shames the King and saves the
kingdom.
The Butter Battle Book. Engaged
in a long-running battle, the Yooks and the Zooks develop more and more
sophisticated weaponry as they attempt to outdo each other.
Cat in the Hat. Two children
sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the cat in the hat who
shows them some tricks and games.
Cat in the Hat Comes Back. The
Cat in the Hat leaves a big pink ring in the tub and moves it from place
to place with the help of his alphabet friends.
Cat in the Hat Songbook. A hit
parade of critters and the ever-loving fun songbook from The Cat in the
Hat. It features Seuss's brilliant lyrics married to the tiptop score
of Eugene Poddany, who also had a hand in composing the Grinch tunes.
The Cat's Quizzer. The Cat in
the Hat challenges readers with seemingly silly questions: Do pineapples
grow on pine or apple trees? Do roosters sleep on their backs or sides?
Kids will pick up a host of oddball facts, have fun juggling sense and
nonsense, and exercise their imaginations.
Daisy-Head Mayzie. Young Mayzie
McGrew becomes a worldwide sensation when a daisy grows out of the top
of her head, and everyone attempts to get rid of it.
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You
Are? Compared to the problems of some of the creatures the old man
describes, the boy is really quite lucky.
Dr. Seuss's ABC. An alphabet
book with zany drawings and nonsensical verse provides an entertaining
way for small children to learn the letters and their sounds.
Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book. Tells,
in verse, what happens when all ninety-nine zillion nine trillion and
three creatures in the world go to sleep.
The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew
Cubbins. Each time Bartholomew Cubbins attempts to obey the King's
order to take off his hat, he finds there is another one on his head.
Foot Book. Bright and Early
Board Books presents The Foot Book, Dr. Seuss's wacky book of opposites
in a format just right for little hands.
Fox in Socks. A collection of
tongue twisters that is "an amusing exercise for beginning readers.
Great Day for Up! Rhymed text
and illustrations introduce the many meanings of "up".
Green Eggs and Ham. Sam-I-Am
mounts a determined campaign to convince another Seuss character to eat
a plate of green eggs and ham. Limited vocabulary but unlimited
exuberance of illustration.
Happy Birthday to You.
Describes a birthday celebration in Katroo presided over by the Birthday
Bird.
Hop on Pop. Pairs of rhyming
words are introduced and used in simple sentences, such as "Day. Play.
We play all day. Night. Fight. We fight all night."
Horton Hatches the Egg. When a
lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the
elephant, to sit on her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards
until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would.
Horton Hears a Who. A city of
Whos on a speck of dust are threatened with destruction until the
smallest Who of all helps convince Horton's friends that Whos really
exist.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The Grinch tries to stop Christmas from arriving by stealing all the
presents and food from the village, but much to his surprise it comes
anyway.
Hunches in Bunches. A boy has a
difficult time making decisions even though there is a vocal bunch of
Hunches to help him.
I Am Not Going to Get up Today!
A boy is so sleepy that he vows nothing will get him out of his morning
bed, neither peas and beans nor the United States Marines.
I Can Draw It Myself: By Me, Myself
with a Little Help from My Friend Dr. Seuss. A delightful coloring
book where childrend are encouraged to finish and color drawings that
Dr. Suess has conveniently "started." The direction are all in the
whimsical, rhythmic, rhyming style that we expect from Dr. Suess.
I Can Lick Thirty Tigers Today &
Other Stories. The Cat in the Hat tells us three zany
stories-in-verse about his son, his daughter, and his
great-great-grandfather.
I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
In Seuss's familiar rhymed couplets and illustrations, the Cat in the
Hat shows Young Cat some wonderful stuff about reading with both eyes
open.
I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla
Sollew. The hero of this hilarious tale discovers that in
attempting to avoid trouble one often encounters even greater
difficulties. Seuss fans will be enthralled.
If I Ran the Circus. A young
boy imagines the fantastic animals and incredible acts he will have for
his greatest of all circuses.
If I Ran the Zoo. Young Gerald
McGrew thinks of all sorts of unusual animals he'd have in a zoo.
King's Stilts. Every afternoon
King Birtram raced around the palace on a pair of old red stilts, until
they were stolen. An uproarious tale.
Lorax. In this cautionary tale
of greed and environmental destruction, the lovable Lorax tries to save
the Truffula Forest and its inhabitants from disaster at the hands of
the cantankerous Once-ler.
McElligot's Pool. A boy
imagines the rare and wonderful fish he might catch in McElligot's pool.
Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go
Now. In merry verse and illustrations, Marvin is asked to leave by
every conceivable means of transportation.
Mister Brown Can Moo, Can You.
Mr. Brown is an expert at imitating all sorts of noises. This is a
great book to read to young children and have them repeat the sounds.
My Book About Me. This book has
an unusual interactive twist--you make it up as you go along. On each
page there's something new to complete, from "I weigh ___ pounds" to "My
teeth. I counted them. I have ___ up top. I have ___ downstairs." It's a
simple idea, but with a surprising amount of educational value--getting
children to name their home country, to recognize and draw in the color
of their own eyes, learn their telephone number and address, to name
favorite clothes, foods, and colors, and more.
Oh, Say Can You Say? A
collection of nonsensical tongue twisters.
Oh, the Places You'll Go! In
this joyous ode to life, Dr. Seuss addresses graduates of all ages--from
nursery school to medical school--and gives them the get-up-and-go to
move mountains with the unrivaled exuberance and charm that have made
Dr. Seuss books favorites for years.
Oh! The Thinks You Can Think! A
mad outpouring of made-up words, and intriguing ideas. "Contains one of
Dr. Seuss's solid-gold morals, the joy of letting one's imagination
rip".--The New York Times.
On Beyond Zebra. A wonderful
book that tells children about the fun letters of the alphabet that come
after "z."
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue
Fish. More of Dr. Suess's fun poetry, kids will love verses like,
"Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your
head?"
Scrambled Eggs Super! Starring
the same perky boy who captured Thing One and Thing Two in The Cat in
the Hat, this is a first-person tall tale about cooking. Peter T. Hooper
is bored to bits by his mother's habit of always making scrambled eggs
out of hen's eggs.
The Seven Lady Godivas. An adult
book of humor by the famous children's book author. Originally published
in 1939, this revisionist farce attempts to rectify the "shameful" story
of "a big blond nude trotting around the town on a horse" and Peeping
Tom, the "illicit snooper."
Shape of Me & Other Stuff.
Rhyme and silhouette drawings introduce the shape of bugs, balloons,
peanuts, camels, spider webs, and many other familiar objects.
Sneetches & Other Stories.
Includes four humorous verse fantasies: The Sneetches, The Zax, Too Many
Daves, and What was I Scared of?
There's a Wocket in My Pocket!
A host of inventive creatures help beginning readers recognize many
common "household" words
Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose.The story of a moose who was too
hospitable for his own good is told in verses which march in
double-quick time. The pictures are scenes of happy confusion.
Yertle the Turtle & Other Stories. Includes three humorous stories
in verse; Yertle the Turtle, Gertrude McFuzz, and The Big Brag.
You're Only Old Once! Not a
children's book, Dr. Seuss lightens the aches and pains of growing old
with his inimitable wit and wisdom. In this new defense against aging,
we follow our hapless hero through his checkup with the experts at the
Golden Years Clinic.
“Read-alikes” are books that share ideas, story elements,
and/or writing styles with books we have already read and enjoyed. Want to
find a fun book?