Grades
K-1
The Pingry School Library
Lower School
Summer Reading List 2011
POSTCARDS
TO THE LIBRARY
June 2011
Dear Parents,
The Pingry School Library has a tradition of providing summer reading book lists for our
students. We strongly encourage them to read a selection of books from their list during the summer. Reading for
pleasure during this time will continue the development of reading skills so that no ground is lost over the summer
and will help to instill a love of reading that will last a lifetime.
Attached is the suggested summer reading list for your child’s grade level. Reading levels vary within a
grade, so there are both challenging selections and easy-to-read titles on the list. Students may choose to read any
title from the list and may read as many books as their schedules allow.
Students are not expected to read all the books on the list.
The list is divided into fiction, nonfiction, poetry, folktales, and biographies. The titles are
annotated to help in the selection process. You may wish to read other books by the same author that are not on
the list. Hopefully, every child will find something to spark their interest.
Please encourage the use of the reading log in the back of the booklet to record the titles of all the books
read during the summer.
We ask that every student send picture postcards to the library letting us know the titles of the
books they are reading and how they are enjoying their vacation.
See the next page for details on the Postcards to the Library Program.
Have a wonderful summer. Happy Reading!
Warm regards,
Mrs. D’Innocenzo
Mrs. D’Innocenzo
Lower School Librarian
Send Postcards to the Library
Dear Mrs. D’Innocenzo,
I am having a wonderful time at
camp in Vermont.
I play sports, go swimming,
and have time to read every night
before dinner.
I have just finished reading
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl. It was a great book
and I loved it!
The Pingry School
50 Country Day Drive
Short Hills, NJ 07078
Your friend,
Taylor Jones
How to Participate in Postcards to the Library:
•
During the summer send picture postcards to the library at the above address.
•
A picture postcard can be sent from anywhere – even from your own
hometown or from Grandma’s house.
•
Send one postcard for each book read. The more books read, the more
postcards can be sent.
•
Include the book title, author’s name, and your first and last name.
•
Write a short description of what you liked about the book and how you are
enjoying the summer vacation.
•
Each postcard becomes an entry for a drawing to be held the first week of
school in September.
•
Prizes will be awarded at that time.
•
All postcards will be displayed in the hallway at Back-to-School Night and later
placed in an album available in the library.
Have a wonderful summer!
Happy Reading!
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
Students Entering Kindergarten and Grade 1
Picture Books
Arnold, Tedd. Even More Parts. Dial Books, 2004.
A young boy is worried about what will happen to his body when he hears such expressions as “I’m tonguetied,” and “I put my foot in my mouth.”
Banks, Kate. Max’s Words. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.
When Max cuts out words from magazines and newspapers, collecting them the way his brothers collect stamps
and coins, they all learn about words, sentences, and storytelling.
Beaumont, Karen. Move Over, Rover. Harcourt, 2006.
When a storm comes, Rover expects to have his doghouse all to himself but finds that various other animals,
including a skunk, come to join him.
Best, Cari. Sally Jean, Bicycle Queen. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.
When Sally Jean outgrows her beloved bicycle, Flash, she experiments with various ideas for acquiring a new,
bigger one.
Brett, Jan. Honey — Honey — Lion! A Story from Africa. Putnam, 2005.
Badger and Honeyguide (a bird) are good partners in their search for honey until Badger becomes greedy and
decides not to share and his feathered friend decides to teach him a lesson.
Brown, Marc. Arthur Turns Green. Little, Brown, 2011.
When Arthur starts talking about his school project involving a Big Green Machine, D.W. imagines a scary
contraption that will turn everyone green. Read any Arthur title.
Carle, Eric. “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” Said the Sloth. Philomel Books, 2002.
Challenged by the other jungle animals for its seemingly lazy ways, a sloth living in a tree explains the many
advantages of his slow and peaceful existence.
Child, Lauren. But Excuse Me, That is My Book. Dial, 2005.
When Lola’s favorite book is not on the library’s shelf, her older brother, Charlie, tries to find another book
she will enjoy. Read any book in the series.
Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure. Atheneum Books, 2006.
While Farmer Brown sleeps, some of the animals who live on the farm go on a fishing expedition.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
1
Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack: An Alphabet Adventure. Atheneum, 2006.
Animals, including pigs, cows, and ducks, gather for a picnic, spelling the alphabet along the way.
Cronin, Doreen. Diary of a Worm. HarperCollins, 2003.
A young worm discovers that there are some very good and some not so good things about being a worm
in this big world.
Cronin, Doreen. Diary of a Spider. Harper Collins, 2005.
A young spider discovers there is a lot to learn about being a spider, including how to spin webs and avoid
vacuum cleaners.
Cronin, Doreen. Diary of a Wombat. Clarion Books, 2003.
A wombat describes his life of eating, sleeping, and getting to know some new human neighbors.
Diakite, Pende. I Lost My Tooth in Africa. Scholastic Press, 2006.
A young girl visits Mali, where she loses her tooth. After she hides it under a calabash, she waits for an
African tooth fairy to replace it with a chicken.
Ehlert, Lois. Rrrralph. Beach Lane, 2011.
Ralph is a talking dog. Discover how he can talk, appropriately saying words such as “roof,” “rough,”
“bark,” and “wolf.”
Faller, Regis. The Adventures of Polo. Roaring Brook, 2006.
Polo the dog enjoys many adventures, including sailing his boat on top of a whale, roasting hot dogs over
a volcano, and taking a ride in a spaceship built from a mushroom. Wordless book.
Fox, Mem. Hello Baby! Beach Lane Books, 2009.
A baby encounters a variety of young animals, including a clever monkey, a hairy warthog, and a dusty lion
cub, before discovering the most precious creature of all.
Henkes, Kevin. A Good Day. Greenwillow Books, 2007.
A bird, a fox, a dog, and a squirrel overcome minor setbacks to have a very good day.
Henkes, Kevin. Kitten’s First Full Moon. Greenwillow, 2004. Caldecott Medal 2004.
When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry.
Henkes, Kevin. My Garden. Greenwillow Books, 2010. After helping her mother weed, water, and chase
the rabbits from their garden, a young girl imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes,
chocolate rabbits, and tomatoes the size of beach balls.
Henkes, Kevin. Lilly’s Big Day. Greenwillow Books, 2006.
When her teacher announces that he is getting married, Lilly the mouse sets her heart on being the flower
girl at his wedding.
Jenkins, Steve. Actual Size. Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
The actual size and weight of various animals and parts of animals are shown through artwork.
Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon. Harper Collins, 1983.
Harold uses his fantastic purple crayon to draw himself some wonderful adventures.
Juster, Norton. The Hello, Goodbye Window. Hyperion Books for Children, 2005.
A little girl tells about the special kitchen window at her beloved Nanny and Poppy’s house from which a
person can see anyone or anything coming and going. 2005 Caldecott Medal.
Kann, Victoria. Silverlicious. Harper, 2010.
Pinkalicious turns to the tooth fairy for help after she loses her sweet tooth. Also read Goldilicious and
Purplelicious.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
2
Kontis, Alethea. Alpha Oops! The Day Z Went First. Candlewick Press, 2006.
Chaos ensues when “z” thinks that it is time to go first in the alphabet for a change
Lester, Helen. Tacky Goes to Camp. Houghton Mifflin, 2009. (Series)
Tacky the penguin and his friends go to Camp Whoopihaha where they scare each other by telling ghost
stories around the campfire, never expecting that one of the stories will come true.
Lionni, Leo. A Color of His Own. Knopf, 2003.
A little chameleon, distressed that he does not have a color of his own, is comforted to meet another
chameleon who offers to stick around so at least the two of them will always be the same.
Lord, Cynthia. Hot Rod Hamster. Scholastic, p2010.
A hamster, with the help of a canine junkyard dealer and his mouse assistants, builds a hot rod and drives
it in a race against some very large dogs.
Marshall, James. George and Martha: The Best of Friends. Houghton Mifflin, 2000 (Series)
Hippo companions George and Martha learn simple lessons about friendship in two adventures in which
they explore the attic, and try to surprise each other.
Martin, Bill. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? H. Holt, 1992.
See a variety of animals, each one a different color. Circle story.
McMullan, Kate. I’m Dirty. Joanna Cotler Books, 2006.
A busy backhoe loader describes all the items it hauls off a lot and all the fun it has getting dirty.
Numeroff, Laura Joffe. If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. Laura Geringer Book, 2008. (Series)
What would happen if someone gave a cupcake to a cat?
Pilkey, Dav. Dogzilla. Harcourt, 1993.
A monstrous mutt terrorizes the residents of Mousopolis in this spoof of the Godzilla movies.
Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion and the Mouse. Little, Brown and Co., 2009.
In this retelling of an Aesop fable, a tiny mouse proves his valor when he rescues the King of Beasts.
Caldecott Medal Winner 2010.
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. First the Egg. Roaring Brook Press, 2007.
What came first: the chicken or the egg? Shows how various animals and objects transform, such as a
seed to a flower, paint to a picture, and a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Shannon, David. Good Boy, Fergus! Blue Sky, 2006.
Except for his bath, Fergus enjoys the perfect doggy day, from chasing cats to being scratched on his
favorite tickle spot.
Shannon, David. Duck on a Bike. Blue Sky Press, 2002.
One day, Duck decides to try riding a bike. As he rides past all the farm animals, everyone has different
thoughts about Duck's idea. Each animal’s thoughts and expressions are perfect!
Shannon, George. White Is for Blueberry. Greenwillow Books, 2005.
Look at objects in nature in a different way. Are blueberries white? Is snow purple? All the colors seem to
be wrong until you turn the page and things are explained.
Sierra, Judy. Wild about Books. Knopf, 2004.
A librarian introduces the zoo animals to the joy of reading after she drives her bookmobile into the zoo
by mistake.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
3
Slate, Joseph. Miss Bindergarten Takes a Field Trip with Kindergarten. Dutton, 2001 (Series)
Introduces the letters of the alphabet as Miss Bindergarten and her students visit interesting places around
town.
Stead, Philip. Sick Day for Amos McGee. Roaring Brook Press, p2010, c2010.
Zookeeper Amos McGee, who is adored by all the animals, gets some unexpected guests while home sick
one day. Caldecott Medal Winner 2011.
Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Simon and Schuster, c1969. Caldecott Award.
Sylvester the donkey finds a magic pebble that grants his every wish, but in a moment of fright he wishes
he were a rock, and then cannot hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again.
Stevens, Janet. The Little Red Pen. Harcourt, 2011.
When a little red pen accidentally falls into the waste basket while trying to correct papers all by herself,
the other classroom supplies must cooperate to rescue her.
Teague,Mark. LaRue Across America: Postcards from the Vacation. Blue Sky Press, 2011. (Series)
Mrs. LaRue takes a cross-country drive with her hospitalized neighbor’s cats and her own dog, Ike, who
keeps the cats’ owner informed of their misadventures through a series of postcards.
Watt, Melanie. Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party. Kids Can Press, p2011.
Scaredy Squirrel plans to celebrate his birthday by himself but a surprise in his mailbox inspires him to
increase his guest list to two.
Wells, Rosemary. Yoko’s Show-and-Tell. Hyperion Books, 2011.
Yoko wants to show her classmates the antique doll her grandparents gave her, but when her mother tells
her that she cannot bring the doll to school, Yoko decides to do it anyway.
Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. Hyperion, 2004. Caldecott Honor Book, 2005.
A trip to the Laundromat leads to problems when Trixie, too young to speak words, realizes something
important is missing and tries to explain the problem to her father.
Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion, 2010.
While traveling with her family to Holland to visit her grandparents, Trixie once again loses her beloved
Knuffle Bunny.
Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny, Too. A Case of Mistaken Identity. Hyperion Books, 2007.
Trixie hurries to school to show off her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny. But an awful surprise awaits her:
someone else has the exact same bunny! Caldecott Honor Book, 2008.
Yolen, Jane and Mark Teague. How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? Blue Sky Press, 2007 (Series).
Explains how a young dinosaur should behave when he goes to school.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
4
CONCEPT BOOKS
Brooks, Erik. Polar Opposites. Marshall Cavendish, 2011.
Ambrose, a polar bear, and Zina, a penguin, are very different but they find ways to meet in the middle.
Ehlert, Lois. Color Zoo. Harper Collins, 1989.
Introduces colors and shapes with illustrations of die-cut shapes that form animal faces when placed on
top of one another.
Ernst, Lisa Campbell. The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book. Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Each letter of the alphabet becomes three different objects as the book is turned in different directions,
as when A becomes a bird’s beak, an ice cream cone, and the point of a star.
Fleming, Denise. Alphabet Under Construction. Holt, 2002.
A mouse works his way through the alphabet as he folds the “F,” measures the “M,” and rolls the “R.”
Gigante, Paul, Jr. Each Orange Had 8 Slices. Greenwillow, 1992.
Solve math puzzles and have fun counting, adding and multiplying.
Martin, Bill. Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3. Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Numbers from one to one hundred climb to the top of an apple tree in this rhyming chant.
Martin, Bill. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1989.
An alphabet rhyme/chant relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.
McLeod, Bob. SuperHero ABC. Harper Collins, 2006.
Humorously-named superheroes such as Goo Girl and The Volcano represent the letters of the alphabet
from A to Z.
Minden, Cecilia. Shapes Everywhere! Cherry Lake Pub., 2011.
Photographs and simple text help early readers distinguish the different shapes they can find in the world
around them.
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. One Boy. Roaring Brook Press, 2008.
A boy creates ten paintings in this counting book. A counting and hidden word book.
Siddals, Mary McKenna. Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth. Tricycle Press, 2010.
A rhyming recipe explains how to make the dark, crumbly, rich, earth-friendly food called compost.
Waber, Bernard. Lyle Walks the Dog. Houghton Mifflin, 2010.
Count the dogs as Lyle the crocodile’s dog walking business grows.
Walsh, Ellen Stoll. Mouse Shapes. Harcourt, 2007.
Three mice make many things out of different shapes as they hide from a scary cat.
Wells, Rosemary. Max’s ABC. Viking, 2006.
An alphabet book featuring bunny siblings Max and Ruby, who try to get rid of a bunch of pesky ants.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
5
Chapter Books to Read Aloud
Children benefit from listening to stories even if they are reading on their own.
It helps to develop their vocabulary and they get to explore new worlds with you!
At night when sunshine goes away,
And it’s too dark for me to play,
I like to come inside, and look
For new friends in a story book.
Atwater, Richard and Florence. Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Little, Brown & Co., 1988.
Mr. Popper starts out with one penguin in his house, but before he knows it, there are twelve.
Catling, Patrick Skene. The Chocolate Touch. c. 1952.
A boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate.
Cleary, Beverly. Mouse and the Motorcycle. HarperTrophy, 2000.
A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn
and discovers the joys of motorcycling.
Gannett, Ruth Stiles. My Father's Dragon. Random House, 1979.
A boy is determined to rescue a baby dragon who is being used by a group of lazy wild animals to ferry
them across the river. Also read Elmer and the Dragon and The Dragons of Blueland.
Jenkins, Emily. Toys Go Out. Schwartz & Wade Books, 2006.
Tells about the warm secret world and adventures of three toy friends: Lumphy the buffalo, plush
StingRay, and Plastic, and how important they are to the little girl who owns them.
MacDonald, Betty. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Lippincott, c 1947.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle loves children, both good and bad. She never scolds, but has positive cures for children
with special problems.
Peterson, John. The Littles. Scholastic c.1967.
When the Biggs go on a three month vacation and an untidy family from the city moves into the house,
the Littles must take action.
Selden, George. Cricket in Times Square. Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1970.
The adventures of a country cricket who arrives in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and
Harry Cat.
White, E.B. Stuart Little. HarperCollins, c.1945.
After being adopted by a human family, a tiny mouse sets out to win over his resentful new brother and
the family feline while fending off a gang of cats who want him out of the house.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
6
EASY READERS
Most of these books are part of a series and are just right for
beginning readers. Read any title in the series.
Arnold, Tedd. Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl. Cartwheel Books, 2010.
Buzz, owner of Fly Guy, meets Liz, owner of Fly Girl, and they hit it off almost as well as their pets do.
Adler, David. Bones and the Dinosaur Mystery. Viking, 2005.
Young Detective Jeffrey Bones investigates the disappearance of the plastic dinosaur his grandfather just
bought for him in a museum gift shop.
Adler, David. Young Cam Jansen and the Circus Mystery. Viking, 2011.
When Aunt Molly takes Cam and her friend Eric to the circus, their box of caramel popcorn mysteriously
disappears.
Bruel, Nick. Bad Kitty Gets a Bath. Roaring Brook Press, 2008.
After being chased through the garbage, it’s time for Bad Kitty to get a bath. Everyone knows that cats hate
baths! Short chapters explain how cats normally bathe and how to give a cat a bath. Sprinkled with facts
and plenty of funny warnings.
Brown, Jeff. Flat Stanley. Harper Trophy, 2006.
After a bulletin board falls on Stanley while he is sleeping, he finds that being flat has its advantages.
Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. Biscuit Meets the Class Pet. Harper Collins, 2010.
When Nibbles, the new class pet, gets lost during a visit, Biscuit the puppy helps find him.
Chaconas, Dori. Cork & Fuzz: Swimming Lessons. Viking, 2011.
Cork the muskrat wants his best friend Fuzz, a possum, to visit his home, but first he must teach Fuzz to
swim and not be afraid of the water.
DiCamillo, Kate. Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride. Candlewick Press, 2006.
Mr. Watson’s Saturday drive in his car with his favorite pig, Mercy, turns into an adventure when a
passenger shows up in the back seat and Mercy finds herself behind the wheel. Read Mercy Watson to
the Rescue and Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise.
Howe, James. Houndsley and Catina Plink and Plunk. Candlewick Press, 2009.
Houndsley likes canoeing and Catina likes bicycling, but each has to help the other learn to enjoy these
activities in order to do them together.
Howe, James. Pinky and Rex and the Double-Dad Weekend. Aladdin, 2006.
Best friends Pinky and Rex share a camping trip with their fathers – inside, because of the rain.
Kvasnosky, Laura McGee. Zelda and Ivy: Keeping Secrets. Candlewick Press, 2009.
Three stories featuring fox sisters Zelda and Ivy and sharing secrets. Read any title in the series.
Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends. c.1970.
Five tales recounting the adventures of two best friends, Frog and Toad.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
7
Manushkin, Fran. Katie Woo: The Tricky Tooth. Picture Window Books, 2011.
Katie is the only one in her class who has not lost a tooth, but despite all of her efforts, her wiggly tooth
refuses to come out.
Parish, Herman. Amelia Bedelia Bakes Off. Greenwillow Books, 2010.
Housekeeper Amelia Bedelia enters a baking contest and goes from being a smart cookie to a fortune
cookie. Great fun!
Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover. Simon & Schuster, 2006.
Henry and his dog Mudge are invited to a sleepover in Patrick’s attic, where they watch monster movies,
eat pizza, and play a game to see whose dog is the best popcorn catcher.
Rylant, Cynthia. Mr. Putter & Tabby Run the Race. Harcourt, 2008.
Mr. Putter, who does not like to run, makes a goal to place second in a marathon so he can win a train set.
Rylant, Cynthia. Puppy Mudge Wants to Play. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
Henry tries to read, while his puppy Mudge tries to get him to play.
Seuss, Dr. Fox in Socks. Beginner Books, 1993.
A collection of easy-to-read tongue-twisters. Read any title by this author.
Silverman, Erica. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Spring Babies. Houghton Mifflin, 2010.
Cowgirl Kate and her horse Cocoa watch over the new calves, a puppy, and some baby barn owls.
Thomas, Shelley Moore. Good Night, Good Knight. Dutton Children's Books, 2000.
Is that ROAR a dragon? The good knight does not find one dragon, he finds three dragons!
Van Leeuwen, Jean. Amanda Pig and Loose Tooth. Dial, 2008.
When Amanda Pig discovers that she has a loose tooth, she can think of little else. Finally, she stops paying
attention to it, and the tooth falls out on its own.
Willems, Mo. Cat the Cat, Who Is That? Balzer & Bray, 2010.
An exuberant cat introduces readers to her friends.
Willems, Mo. Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late. Hyperion, 2006.
A pigeon tries fighting the urge to yawn while coming up with many reasons why it should be allowed to
stay up late.
Willems, Mo. I Broke My Trunk! Hyperion, 2011.
Gerald the elephant tells his best friend Piggie a long, crazy story about how he broke his trunk.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
8
Nonfiction
This list is only a sampling of the wonderful choices in nonfiction books.
Aston, Diana Hutts. A Seed is Sleepy. Chronicle Books, 2007.
An introduction to seeds; their varying shapes and sizes, where they are found, and their life cycles.
Baretta, Gene. Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin. H. Holt, 2006.
Describes some of Ben Franklin’s many ideas and inventions, and looks at how they are still being used in
the twenty-first century.
Brown, Jonatha. Soccer. Weekly Reader Early Learning, 2005.
History of soccer and explains soccer basics.
Clements, Andre. A Million Dots. Simon & Schuster, 2006.
Learn facts about numbers and see one million dots.
Cole, Joanna. Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge. Scholastic, 2010 (Series).
Ms. Frizzle and her students board the Magic School Bus for a lesson on climate change and what can be
done to save the Earth.
Cowley, Joy. Chameleon, Chameleon. Scholastic Press, 2005.
A colorful chameleon encounters friend and foe while making his way from one tree to another in search
of a tasty insect dinner.
Cowley, Joy. Red-Eyed Tree Frog. Scholastic, 2006.
This frog found in the rain forest of Central America spends the night searching for food while also being
careful not to become dinner for some other animal.
Ehlert, Lois. Lots of Spots. Beach Lane Books, 2010.
A poetry collection about birds and beasts, their camouflage and adornment, with an author’s note on
animal spots and stripes.
Gibbons, Gail. Dinosaurs! Holiday House, 2008.
Introduces the characteristics and habits of a variety of dinosaurs. Read any title by Gail Gibbons.
Gibbons, Gail. The Planets. Holiday House, 2008.
Discusses the eight planets and one dwarf planet in Earth’s solar system.
Hatkoff, Isabella. Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World. Scholastic, 2007.
The story of Knut, the first polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoo, and the efforts of a zookeeper who nurtured
and fed him after the cub’s mother rejected him.
Hatkoff, Isabella. Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship. Scholastic, 2006.
True story of the unusual relationship between Owen, a baby hippopotamus orphaned by the tsunami, and
Mzee, a 130-year-old giant tortoise.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
9
Hatkoff, Isabella. Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again. Scholastic, 2009.
Follow a baby Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin that lost her tail after becoming entangled in a crab trap and
had to relearn how to swim using an artificial tail.
Jenkins, Steve. Almost Gone: The World’s Rarest Animals. Harper Collins, 2006. Let’s-Read-and-FindOut series.
Features 20 animals that are at risk for extinction, along with animal species around the world that have
become extinct.
Jenkins, Steve. Dogs and Cats. Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
Unique flip-book: one side about dogs with some comparisons to cats, the other side about cats with some
comparisons to dogs.
Jenkins, Steve. How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly. Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
Looks at how different animals, such as a rainbow trout, chimney swift, and slender loris, approach the
challenges of catching flies, digging holes, eating clams, and hatching eggs.
Jordan, Helene. How a Seed Grows. Let’s Read-And-Find-Out Science. Harper Collins, 1992.
Observe a bean seed planted in eggshells as it grows from a seed into a plant.
Lambilly-Bresson, Elisabeth de. Animals of the Night. Gareth Stevens, 2007.
Seven nocturnal animals introduce themselves describing their characteristics and behavior.
Lawton, Caroling. Bugs A to Z. Scholastic, 2011.
An alphabet book that provides facts and figures about bugs, and includes color photographs.
McLimans, David. Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet. Walker, 2006.
Presents the alphabet in capital letters designed to look like endangered animals, and lists facts on each
species, covering their habitats, geographic ranges, and threats to survival.
McPherson, Stephanie. First Men on the Moon. Lerner, 2009.
Details the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, profiling the men involved and their historical journey.
Neubecker, Robert. Wow! America. Hyperion Books, 2006.
Shows locations in the U.S., from “Wow! Lobster!” (a New England fishing port) all the way to
“Wow! Ice!” (Alaskan glaciers), and finally “Wow! Home!” where their mother welcomes them home.
Rockwell, Anne F. Becoming Butterflies. Walker, 2004.
A class observes the various stages caterpillars go through to become monarch butterflies and then
corresponds with students in Mexico, where most of these butterflies migrate.
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. First the Egg. Roaring Brook Press, 2007.
Shows changes: an egg becoming a chicken, a tadpole becoming a frog, and a seed becoming a flower.
Tang, Gregory. Math Fables Too: Making Science Count. Scholastic, 2007.
Rhymes about ocean, jungle, desert, and lake animals teach science concepts, number groupings and
counting.
Thomson, Sarah. Amazing Whales. Harper Collins, 2005.
Provides information about whales, describing their size, how they breathe, how they catch their food,
their behaviors, and efforts to protect them.
Wick, Walter. Can You See What I See? Scholastic, 2004. (Series)
The reader seeks various animals and objects as well as a boy named Seymour in the photographs.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
10
Biography
Adler, David. President George Washington. Holiday House, 2005.
Illustrated biography of America’s first president, George Washington.
Adler, David. Satchel Paige: Don’t Look Back. Harcourt 2007.
Satchel Paige was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. Take a look at his life and struggles to be
accepted into the Major Leagues.
Barretta, Gene. Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin. H. Holt, 2006.
Looks at some of the many things invented by Benjamin Franklin that are still in use in the twenty-first century.
Brenner, Martha. Abe Lincoln’s Hat, Random House, 1994.
Describes Lincoln’s early days as an absent-minded frontier lawyer who kept letters and notes in his hat.
Demuth, Patricia. Johnny Appleseed. Grosset & Dunlap, 1986.
A brief account of John Chapman’s effort to plant apple trees everywhere he went to make the country a better
place to live.
Edwards, Pamela. The Bus Ride That Changed History: The Story of Rosa Parks. Houghton Mifflin,
2005. Tells the story of Rosa Parks, an African-American woman who sparked the civil rights movement when
she refused to give up her seat on a bus.
Streissguth, Thomas. Mae Jemison. Capstone, 2003. Explore Space! Series.
Biography of the first African-American woman to travel into space.
Poetry
Clements, Andrew. Dogku. Simon & Schuster, 2007.
Haiku about a dog and the things he does such as riding in a car and chewing on socks.
Florian, Douglas. Bow Wow Meow Meow: It’s Rhyming Cats and Dogs. Harcourt, 2003.
Twenty-one humorous poems about dogs, cats, the wolf, and a few large felines.
Prelutsky, Jack. Frogs Wore Red Suspenders. Harper Collins, 2005.
28 humorous poems about people and animals.
Prelutsky, Jack. What a Day It Was at School! Poems. Greenwillow Books, 2006.
Collections of humorous poems on a variety of topics.
Shannon, George. Busy in the Garden: Poems. Greenwillow, 2006.
Short poems and riddles about planting seeds, watching garden vegetables, and growing pumpkins.
Sidman, Joyce. Red Sings from the Treetops. Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Caldecott Honor 2010.
Combines the senses of sight, sound, smell, and taste to describe the colors of the seasons.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
11
Fairy Tales and Folktales — Classics No One Should Miss!
Aylesworth, Jim. The Gingerbread Man. Scholastic, 1998.
A freshly baked gingerbread man escapes when he is taken out of the oven and eludes a number of
pursuers until he meets a clever fox.
Brett, Jan. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Putnam, 1989.
Lost in the woods, a tired and hungry girl finds the house of the three bears where she helps herself to
food and goes to sleep. When the three bears come home, they find Goldilocks asleep in bed.
Carle, Eric. The Rabbit and the Turtle: Aesop’s Fables. Orchard Books, 2008.
Retelling of eleven Aesop’s fables with beautiful illustrations by Eric Carle.
Emberley, Rebecca. Chicken Little. Roaring Brook Press, 2009.
An illustrated retelling of the story in which Chicken Little becomes convinced the sky is falling after
being hit on the head by an acorn.
Hennessey, B.G. The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Simon & Schuster, 2007.
A boy tending sheep on a lonely mountainside thinks it a fine joke to cry “wolf” and watch the people
come running — and then one day a wolf is really there, but no one answers his call.
Kellogg, Stephen. Three Little Pigs. Morrow Junior Books, 1997.
In this retelling of a well-known tale, Serafina Sow starts her own waffle-selling business in order to
enable her three offspring to prepare for the future, which includes an encounter with a wolf.
Kellogg, Steven. Jack and the Beanstalk. Morrow Junior Boooks, 1991.
A boy climbs to the top of a giant beanstalk where he uses his quick wits to outsmart a giant and make
his and his mother’s fortune.
McClintock, Barbara. Cinderella. Scholastic Press, 2005.
Although mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella meets her prince with the help of her
fairy godmother. Magically whisked to the ball, Cinderella wins the prince's heart.
Pinkney, Jerry. The Little Red Hen. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2006.
Newly illustrated edition of the classic fable of the hen who is forced to do all the work of baking bread
and of the animals who learn a bitter lesson from it.
Pinkney, Jerry. Little Red Riding Hood. Little, Brown, 2007.
A sweet little girl meets a hungry wolf in the forest while on her way to visit her grandmother.
Zelinsky, Paul. Rumpelstiltskin. Dutton Children’s Books, 1986.
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.
Wiesner, David. The Three Pigs. Clarion, 2001. Caldecott Medal.
The three pigs escape the wolf by going into another world where they meet the cat and the fiddle, the
cow that jumped over the moon, and a dragon. Retelling of a familiar favorite.
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
12
Caldecott Medal Winners, 1938 to Present
Choose from these books which were honored for best illustrations.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip Christian Stead, 2011
The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney, 2010
The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson, 2009
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, 2008
Flotsam, by David Wiesner, 2007
The Hello, Goodbye Window, illustrated by Chris Raschka, written by Norton Juster, 2006
Kitten's First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes, 2005
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, by Mordicai Gerstein, 2004
My Friend Rabbit, by Eric Rohmann, 2003
The Three Pigs, by David Wiesner, 2002
So You Want to Be President? illustrated by David Small, text by Judith St. George, 2001
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, by Simms Taback, 2000
Snowflake Bentley, illustrated by Mary Azarian, text by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, 1999
Rapunzel, by Paul O. Zelinsky, 1998
Golem, by David Wisniewski, 1997
Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Rathmann, 1996
Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, text by Eve Bunting, 1995
Grandfather's Journey, by Allen Say, text edited by Walter Lorraine, 1994
Mirette on the High Wire, by Emily Arnold McCully, 1993
Tuesday, by David Wiesner, 1992
Black and White, by David Macaulay, 1991
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young, 1990
Song and Dance Man, illustrated by Stephen Gammell, text by Karen Ackerman, 1989
Owl Moon, illustrated by John Schoenherr, text by Jane Yolen, 1988
Hey, Al, illustrated by Richard Egielski, text by Arthur Yorinks, 1987
The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg, 1986
Saint George & the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, text by Margaret Hodges, 1985
The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot, by Alice & Martin Provensen, 1984
Shadow, translated and illustrated by Marcia Brown; original in French by Blaise Cendrars, 1983
Jumanji, by Chris Van Allsburg, 1982
Fables, by Arnold Lobel, 1981
Ox-Cart Man, illustrated by Barbara Cooney, text by Donald Hall, 1980
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, by Paul Goble, 1979
Noah’s Ark, by Peter Spier, 1978
Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon, text by Margaret Musgrove, 1977
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon, retold by Verna Aardema, 1976
Arrow to the Sun, by Gerald McDermott, 1975
Duffy and the Devil, illustrated by Margot Zemach, retold by Harve Zemach, 1974
The Funny Little Woman, illustrated by Blair Lent, retold by Arlene Mosel, 1973
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
13
One Fine Day, retold and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian, 1972
A Story, A Story, retold and illustrated by Gail E. Haley, 1971
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig, 1970
The Fool of the World & the Flying Ship, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz, retold by Arthur Ransome, 1969
Drummer Hoff, illustrated by Ed Emberley, text adapted by Barbara Emberley, 1968
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine, by Evaline Ness, 1967
Always Room for One More, illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian, text by Sorche Nic Leodhas, 1966
May I Bring a Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor, text by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, 1965
Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, 1964
The Snowy Da,y by Ezra Jack Keats, 1963
Once a Mouse, retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown, 1962
Baboushka and the Three Kings, illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov, text by Ruth Robbins, 1961
Nine Days to Christmas, illustrated by Marie Hall Ets, text by Marie Hall Ets & Aurora Labastida, 1960
Chanticleer and the Fox, illustrated by Barbara Cooney; text adapted by Barbara Cooney, 1959
Time of Wonder, by Robert McCloskey, 1958
A Tree Is Nice, illustrated by Marc Simont, text by Janice Udry, 1957
Frog Went A-Courtin’, illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky, retold by John Langstaff, 1956
Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, illustrated and translated by Marcia Brown, 1955
Madeline’s Rescue, by Ludwig Bemelmans, 1954
The Biggest Bear, by Lynd Ward, 1953
Finders Keepers, illustrated by Nicolas, text by William Lipkind, 1952
The Egg Tree, by Katherine Milhous, 1951
Song of the Swallows, by Leo Politi, 1950
The Big Snow, by Berta & Elmer Hader, 1949
White Snow, Bright Snow, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, text by Alvin Tresselt, 1948
The Little Island, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, text by Margaret Wise Brown, 1947
The Rooster Crows, by Maud & Miska Petersham, 1946
Prayer for a Child, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones, text by Rachel Field, 1945
Many Moons, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin, text by James Thurber, 1944
The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton, 1943
Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey, 1942
They Were Strong and Good, by Robert Lawson, 1941
Abraham Lincoln, by Ingri & Edgar Parin d’Aulaire, 1940
Mei Li, by Thomas Handforth, 1939
Animals of the Bible, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop, text selected by Helen Dean Fish, 1938
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
14
The Pingry School Library
Lower School
2011 Summer Reading List Log
Make a list of your books as you read them.
Remember to send your postcards to the Library.
Name: ____________________________________
Grade in September: ___
Title
Author
The Pingry School Library
2011 Summer Reading List
15
Title
The Pingry School Library
Author
2011 Summer Reading List
16